No. 404, May 2007
Editor: Kathleen Watson, M.D., drwatson@umn.edu
Editorial Assistant: Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu
In this issue:
NEWS: Top 10 in family medicine
STUDENTS: Lackner in JAMA
FACULTY:
EVENTS: Writing contest
LITERARY INSPIRATION
NEWS
Honored with 2007 Family Medicine Top 10 Award from AAFP
Our Medical School received a 2007 Family Medicine Top 10 Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians on April 27. At the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine conference in Chicago, Macaran Baird, M.D., M.S., head of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, accepted the award on behalf of the Medical School. "We are very proud to be recognized for our success in educating family medicine physicians," said Dean Deborah E. Powell, M.D. "The education of primary care physicians is one of our core values and is the particular mission of our Duluth campus." Other schools include the University of Kansas School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, University of Arkansas College of Medicine, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and Loma Linda University School of Medicine.
Open-door policy at the Bio-Medical Library
The Bio-Medical Library will conduct a pilot project to provide 24/7 access to a portion of the second floor (tunnel) level of the library in Diehl Hall, in responding to a request from students in the Medical School and other Academic Health Center schools for additional options for study spaces. Beginning May 5, after the library's usual closing time, an area of the second floor will be accessible only to those who present an UCard. This area encompasses public computers, some study tables, small group study rooms, casual seating near the entrance, and restrooms. During these extended hours, however, there will be no library services, such as photocopying, printing, circulation, or reference assistance. A security monitor will be stationed at the second level entrance. Dean Powell strongly supports this pilot project, which will run through fall 2007 finals, with progress evaluations of the project after spring finals, May session, summer session and fall finals. Please direct any questions to Linda Watson (lwatson@umn.edu; 626-7039).
Honors and awards to students and faculty
On April 19, our outstanding students and faculty were honored at the Medical School and the Minnesota Medical Foundation awards celebration in the Mayo Auditorium. A Gold Humanism Award winner, Tara Frerks, who graduates on Friday, May 4, spoke to the gathering about the lessons she has learned so far in pursuing her passion for medicine. "The way I see it, professionalism is a duty, and it's a noble one at that. But humanism is a condition of the heart," she said. She closed her inspiring talk with: "Patients still crave physicians who treat them as human beings. Quoting Dr. Peabody: 'One of the essential qualities of the physician is interest in humanity, for the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.' Everyday you have the opportunity to change the world by changing one life at a time [but] beware, it might even be your own!" The complete list of faculty and staff awards and honors for 2007 is posted on the MMF Web site.
Farewell event held at Medical School, Duluth campus
On April 26, 2007, the Medical School Duluth campus held its annual farewell awards banquet, an event honoring second-year medical students who will transition to the main campus of the Medical School. Eleven Duluth second-year students received awards, with many of them receiving multiple awards: Christopher Bell, Dann Bowman, Hannah Brandts, Daryn Collins, Karlyn Halfaker, Sonia Karimi, Keith Leitzen, Angie Mattke, Amanda Noska, Justin Peltola, and Erin Peterson.
STUDENTS
Lackner published in JAMA on pharma relationships
Research for the watchdog group Public Citizen earned a second author citation in JAMA for medical student Josh Lackner, who will be going into clinicals this year. The article, "Pharmaceutical Company Payments to Physicians," published March 21, was a high point for Lackner, who says he is "interested in politics and policy and opportunities to make a positive difference." He combed through piles of paper records at Minnesota's State Board of Pharmacy to show that many doctors in the state received $100 or more from pharmaceutical companies, for a variety of reasons. Commercial influences on prescribing are a target for Lackner and Public Citizen. "The literature shows that so-called education of physicians done by those representing pharmaceutical companies, especially when the speaker is a doctor, leads to increased prescribing of that company's drug," says Lackner. "It is a safety issue and a cost issue and a moral issue, in that doctors should educate themselves or be educated through the most objective methods possible -- the peer reviewed literature and synopses of the literature. For the safety of our patients and for the integrity of the profession, we need to get our information from disinterested parties." Lackner has sought mentoring from members of our Center for Bioethics. He is interested in further work in patient safety, public health, and the medical profession.
Hanson honored for contributions to family medicine
Harrison Hanson received the Medical Student Award for Contributions to Family Medicine Award from the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians on April 19, 2007. The award recognizes a fourth-year medical student for family medicine activities on a local, community, medical school, state or national level. Those who nominated Hanson described him as a compassionate leader and a dedicated champion of family medicine. Hanson's volunteer experiences include being chairperson of the Christian Medical Association as well as leading a group of high school students on a service project to an orphanage in Mexico. In addition, nine days after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Hanson and another medical student flew to Mississippi to volunteer at an outreach clinic. In 2001, he volunteered for three months at a rural clinic in Honduras, and earlier this year he completed a one-month externship in Ghana. Hanson did his Rural Physician Associate Program training in his hometown of Long Prairie, Minn. He will do his family medicine residency training in Mason City, Iowa.
Chomilo takes leadership role
Nathan Chomilo has been named the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) liaison to the national Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section Coordinating Committee (GSA/MAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges. "I am looking forward to representing our school on a national level and am honored to be able to help work towards improving medical education," says Chomilo, who is entering his third year. Because he holds the Medical School's Minority Affairs office in high regard, he adds he is "especially excited to work on the Minority Affairs Section Coordinating Committee."
Kudos to Lightbourne and SNMA
Our University of Minnesota chapter of the Student National Medical Association has been named Region II Chapter of the Year by the national organization. Among its accomplishments was a three-day regional (nine-state) pre-med conference, the annual Healthy People 2010 Health Fair at the Mall of America, and partnerships with the Science Museum and the National Bone Marrow Program. In addition, Marissa Lightbourne was named the Region II Executive Member of the Year. Kudos to Lightbourne and to all in our hard-working chapter.
Summer experiences abroad: MEDS students
Twenty-one students, almost 40 percent of the first-year medical students on the Duluth campus, will visit Africa, Australia, Central America and South America this summer through the Medical Education through Diversity and Service (MEDS) group. Students will engage in medical education and service experiences in Australia, Ghana, Uganda, Morocco, Belize, Barbados, Mexico, Nicaragua and Honduras. Funding to support their travels comes through MEDS student fundraising efforts and support from individuals, the Medical School, Minnesota Medical Foundation, University of Minnesota, Duluth, and St. Mary's Duluth Clinic.
Experiences abroad: Resident Jared Austin, M.D., reports
The following report from Cambodia is from Jared Austin, M.D., PL-3, who participated in the Global Pediatrics program (see first item under Faculty, below). "Ever since hearing the accounts of Albert Schweitzer as a teenager, and later reading about Paul Farmer's work in Haiti, I have wanted to try my hand at practicing medicine in a developing world. As a pediatric resident in my final year, and thanks to the incredibly creative and enthusiastic support of the Global Pediatrics program, I got my opportunity this past January. I went to Cambodia to practice in the Angkor Hospital for Children, a dusty 6 kilometers from famed Angkor Wat. I spent the mornings in the hospital's busy outpatient department, which sees around 250 patients a day. The majority of patients presented with routine pediatrics complaints: cough, URI, asthma, bronchiolitis, diarrhea, but there were a significant minority of patients with diseases we don't see as often in the Twin Cities, including dengue fever, malaria, tuberculosis, bacterial meningitis, typhoid fever, etc. I saw patients on my own with an interpreter some of the time, and shadowed the Cambodian residents the rest of the time. In the afternoons, I attended inpatient rounds. This included rounding on patients in the four-bed PICU/NICU, the three-bed ER, the 26-bed inpatient unit, and the 10-bed convalescent unit. The spectrum of disease was quite diverse, ranging from newborns with meconium aspiration, to toddlers with TB meningitis, and from severe malnutrition to routine falciparum malaria. The Cambodian residents had lectures in the afternoon, and during this time, I covered the inpatient unit, both answering cross-cover questions as well as admitting new patients to the hospital. My time at the hospital was both enlightening and inspiring: Enlightening in the sense of finally seeing what the health-care reality is for the vast majority of the world's children and inspiring in seeing how much the Cambodian doctors and nurses were able to accomplish with such limited resources. I would highly recommend the hospital to any who wish to further their understanding of pediatric medicine, and its application in the developing world."
Calling all students: For future issues, we'd love to hear your news about volunteer efforts, research work, or medical experiences in new environments. Send an e-mail to Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu.
FACULTY
Howard's international curriculum plan supported
Cindy Howard, M.D., is one of the first recipients of new grants for international scholarly activities from the University's Office of International Programs. She is the principal investigator for "Competency-based Curriculum within Global Pediatric Health Track & University of Makerere (Uganda)" This all-University grant program supports the establishment and strengthening of innovative and sustainable international interdisciplinary partnerships between units at the University of Minnesota and those at universities and/or related institutions located at one or more international sites.
Far-flung faculty: Plotnikoff
Writing from Asia is Greg Plotnikoff, M.D., whose presentation, "A Successful Introduction of Medical Professionalism into the Curriculum" received a top award at the recent Asia-Pacific Medical Education Conference held at the National University of Singapore. In the presentation, he described the curriculum unique to Asia developed for students in years three through six at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo. This conference was attended by 500 medical educators from 40 countries. He adds: "Truly, my experience here in Asia has really awakened my eyes to the incredible value of the continual striving for excellence, and the sincere commitment to excellence, represented by the U of Minnesota's medical education programs."
Thompson honored for outstanding service
Travis Thompson, Ph.D., received a prestigious Outstanding Community Service Award from the University on April 11. Established in 1999 by President Robert H. Bruininks, this award recognizes members of the University community who have devoted their time and talent "to make substantial, enduring contributions to the community and to improving public life and the well-being of society." Thompson is an autism researcher. Please join me in congratulating him on this honor.
Medical Musing writing contest: deadline May 7
For the fourth year, Minnesota Medicine is sponsoring a writing contest for physicians, residents, and medical students. Cash prizes will be awarded for the best creative writing (creative nonfiction, short story or poem) in each of those categories. Winning entries also will be published in the July issue of the magazine. All work must be original and previously unpublished; no piece should exceed 2,000 words and poetry should not exceed two single-spaced pages. Include name, address, e-mail address and daytime phone number and send by May 7 to Joanna Kapke, via e-mail (jkapke@mnmed.org) or via regular mail: Joanne Kapke, Minnesota Medicine, 1300 Godward St. N.E., Suite 2500, Minneapolis, MN 55413.
Emmy winner presents Harvard Street Forum on aging, May 11
Actor Charles Keating brings together personal observations, poetry and readings in a performance about aging and ageism, noon to 1 p.m., May 11, at Grace University Lutheran Church, corner of Harvard and Delaware Streets. "In a society where growing old is something to dread, to mask, and avoid at all costs, this personal selection offers a very different point of view," Keating says. Also featured will be Bach cello suites performed by St. Paul Chamber Orchestra associate principal cellist Joshua Koestenbaum. This free public event is a Harvard Street Forum, a collaboration of the University of Minnesota Medical School Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Academic Health Center, the Center for Medical Humanities and the Arts, and Grace University Lutheran Church.
Register by May 11 for Best Practices Institute, May 17-18, 2007
Registration deadline is May 11 for the Best Practices Institute. While a few workshops have filled and closed, many opportunities remain for registrants at the free institute <http://www.BPinstitute.umn.edu>. Faculty and students are invited to engage in discussions about educational issues and the four education tracks being highlighted this year:
1. The Learning Technology Platform,
2. Evaluation and Assessment,
3. Teaching and Learning Strategies, and
4. Community Based Learning.
Dean's Report available in print and online formats
MED 2010, education in global health, the contribution of imaging to understanding of mental illness, Medical School researchers' contribution to advances in genetics, and continued leadership in transplantation are among the topics in the 2006 Medical School Dean's Report. It's available online as a PDF, from a link on the home page (www.med.umn.edu). In addition, printed copies are available from Allison Campbell Jensen, aac@umn.edu.
LITERARY INSPIRATION
Make Music with You Life
Make music with you life
A
jagged
silver tune
cuts every deep day madness
Into jewels that you wear
Carry 16 bars of old blues
wit/you
everywhere you go
walk thru azure sadness
howlin
Like a guitar player
--Bob O'Meally