“Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.”
– Hippocrates
March 29, 2013
Dear Colleagues and Friends:
Going Home… Fond Farewell to Dr. Linda Boyd… a Job Well Done
Please take time to express thanks to Dr. Linda Boyd, who is leaving us shortly and going home to her alma mater, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine, to be Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Dr. Boyd came to us in 2005 as our medical school’s first Associate Dean for Regional Campus Coordination, helping to develop, organize and strengthen the stellar statewide educational network that serves our students and our state so well. Our students can literally be found learning and living in the four corners of Georgia, a unique and appropriate model for the state’s public medical school. Dr. Boyd had a tremendous role in making this happen so well. Four regional campuses in five years is a remarkable legacy of her work and of, of course, the leadership of many. Our thanks and very best wishes to Linda.
Southeast Campus Students… Serving Others… Reaching Out
Earlier this month, several of our Southeast Campus students volunteered at the Migrant Health Workers Clinic in Claxton, Ga. Endless gratitude to the students: Chaz Fausel, Madiha Raees, Guilly Rebagay, Derrick Farmer, Alex Jo, Charity Pires and Russell Kirks for their time, skills and compassion. A little closer to home, read more about how our students are ensuring healthier food choices for the Augusta community, http://bit.ly/Zsyrvd— Truly inspiring efforts by all.
Health Professions Education… New Certificate Program on the Way
Some more great news for the future of health education: our university is starting a certificate program in Health Professions Education July 1. The program is for health professions faculty and students across Georgia seeking formal training in education and curriculum development. We think this will help many awesome health care providers become even better educators and, of course, help us all do an even better job of educating the next generation of caregivers. Many thanks to Drs. Paul Wallach, Paula Dohoney and Ralph Gilles for their leadership in this endeavor.
Lifelong Learners… Harrison Survey… Good Signs… Information for us to learn from, too…
The recent Harrison Survey, which reviews academic continuing medical education changes over the past five years, revealed a lot of good news as well as information on the continuum of CME that is of direct relevance to our MCG Strategic Plan. There’s evidence of increasing integration of CME into academic health center functions, increasing use of proven educational methods and much more. Dr. Dave Davis, Senior Director for Continuing Education and Performance Improvements at AAMC, led this effort. Please know that Dr. Davis is a member of our Health System’s Quality Committee and will be visiting us in May. Learn more about survey results — http://bit.ly/YHUgO3
Radiology Raves… Making National Noise
Several “well dones” are in order for our Radiology colleagues. A recent state inspection team site visit from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to review our hospital’s radioactive materials program – including things like use, storage and security at relevant sites like the Nuclear Medicine Clinic and Gamma Knife Center – went great! Awesome job! The American College of Radiology also just gave an accreditation thumbs up to the clinical program in radiation oncology. In addition, Radiology Chair James Rawson was just appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. These are all great examples of the skill and expertise of our faculty and staff. Keep the good news coming. Check out this link– http://bit.ly/YEZSpz
More Editorial Leadership… Journal of African Association of Physiological Sciences
Countless congratulations to Dr. Clinton Webb for his appointment to the editorial board of the new Journal of African Association of Physiological Sciences. We look forward to hearing about your progress with this new venture, Dr. Webb. What a great opportunity for us to be on the ground floor of this important international endeavor. Click the following link for more information– http://bit.ly/10R61zO
Important Opportunity… Big Science with a Big Impact… Taking Stock
Recently, the External Advisory Board meeting took place for one of our big Program Project Grants. This one, led by Dr. Carlos Isales, is working to help our stem cells stay focused on making bone as we age. Great news since their primary alternative is making fat… It was an informative review; the reviewers were impressed and so are we. This is important work, particularly for our aging society and we appreciate the input of our colleagues from around the globe. Another way too common problem, high blood pressure, is the focus of two other MCG Program Project Grants led by Dr. David Pollock and Dr. Gregory Harshfield. Great science!
Speaking of Great Research News… Read the GResearch Insider
GResearch Insider produced by the Office of Research with the help of the Office of Communications and Marketing puts together a wonderful and technologically advanced resource for research happenings, including important funding opportunities as well as internal and external policy updates. Congratulations to Dr. Mark Hamrick and Sarah White for their efforts with this worthwhile project. Please have a look at how cool this is http://insider.gru.edu/
Revealing Retreat… Culver Vision Discovery Institute… Great Progress
The fifth annual Culver Vision Discovery Institute Scientific Retreat had as its keynote speaker this year the skillful Dr. Napoleone Ferrara from University of California in San Diego. He spoke to crowds about “(the) Role of VEGF in Intraocular Neovascular Disorders.” Fascinating information on growth gone bad. This visionary institute bears the name of the distinguished MCG graduate Gen. James F. Culver who has done so much for our country and the vision of the proud members of the United States Air Force. Congrats and thanks to Dr. Sylvia Smith and Dr. Julian Nussbaum for their leadership. Many thanks to all our vision colleagues for a productive five years.
Upcoming Events…
April 4 – Presidential Lecture Series, Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, President, Kutztown University, at noon, discussing “Paradise Lost? Higher Education in the 21st Century,” in Room 1218 of the Health Sciences Building, Health Sciences Campus. See http://bit.ly/Xk24DR.
April 4 – A ribbon-cutting will be held at the newly renovated club house at Forest Hills Golf Club at 2 p.m. If you can make it, come out and support our nationally recognized golf teams.
April 15 – Tax deadline J and also the deadline for completing The Chronicle’s Great Colleges to Work For program, designed to gather benchmarking data within higher education and to recognize institutions that have built great workplaces. An invitation to take this confidential survey was distributed to a random selection of GRU employees March 18.
April 18-20 – The SGEA meeting in Savannah will be held at the Hyatt Regency. For more information please go to http://bit.ly/Zq7MkO.
April 26 – Dr. Delos Cosgrove, President and Chief Executive Office of Cleveland Clinic will give a guest lecture in honor of Drs. Robert & Lois Ellison in the Lee Auditorium, 3 to 4 p.m.
April 27 – MCG reunion dinner at the Alumni Weekend for our institution. The MCG classes of ’48,’53,’58, ’63,’73,’78,’83, ’88, ’93, ’98 and ’03 are invited to make the event this year. For more information please visit- http://bit.ly/WJzAUN.
April 29 – MCG Faculty Awards Ceremony 5:15 p.m. will be held in Lee Auditorium.
May 3 – Save the date! The annual State of the Medical College address will be held Friday, May 3rd at noon. More details coming soon.
May 9 – MCG Hooding begins at 2 p.m. in the Bell Auditorium.
May 10 – Medical College of Georgia at GRU will graduate 200 medical students at
2 p.m. at the James Brown Arena.
May 24 – Summit on Global Health, hosted by the Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology, May 24-27, Montego Bay, Jamaica. See http://bit.ly/YJasZD.
June 13 – MCG Chair Investiture Ceremony, starts at 5 p.m. in the Lee Auditorium.
Have you checked out our new MCG Facebook page at www.facebook.com/grumcg? We also have a Twitter page as well #Follow
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday weekend.