“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
Dreaming is good … Doing is Awesome
How many of us think: wouldn’t it be nice if (fill in the bank), then never do anything about it? We are proud to share that Drs. Christie Palladino and Lara Stepleman have filled in a rather important blank. They have worked with colleagues at the Association of American Medical Colleges to develop a site where health profession educators from around the world can easily find “tested” tests. Interestingly, many tests of important competencies, like whether students really get what they are being taught about the human body, aren’t tested themselves. Rather, tests are put together by exceedingly well-intentioned and super-busy faculty who simply have to have them. Bottom line: typically we don’t know whether it’s really a good test. But we do know that the process is typically inefficient because it’s replicated over and over again by faculty everywhere. Drs. Palladino and Stepleman have appropriately named their new one-stop shop for tested tests DREAM. It now coexists with the AAMC’s MedEdPORTAL, which was put together in 2005 for a very similar purpose: to have a site where educators can easily – and for free – access peer-reviewed teaching resources likes tutorials and virtual patient and simulation cases. Drs. Palladino and Stepleman will be sharing their DREAM in a presentation during the AAMC annual meeting that starts today. We applaud our colleagues here and at the AAMC for making these important DREAMs come true. Check it out at https://www.mededportal.org/dream and http://news.gru.edu/archives/10159.
What Happens in Vegas … Comes to Augusta
Talk about a reason to “save that date!” Our students are bringing us a Night in Las Vegas without leaving home! The 2013 MCG Talent Show is set for next Friday Nov. 8 at the Lee Auditorium from 6.30-8.30p.m. Tickets are $5 which includes food! No doubt there will be great entertainment and eats but the really great part is that proceeds benefit the new Teddy Bear Clinic, which was founded by members of the Class of 2016 to promote the health of underserved children. Our students’ partner in this incredible endeavor is the Boys and Girls Club in Augusta. Talk about a terrific lineup off and on the stage! The lineup of judges looks pretty great, too: Drs. Vadivel Ganapathy, Michael Brands, and Ana Edmondson. What a great opportunity for all of us to gather for some fun and to help out our community’s youngest citizens as well. Can you say awesome! Students Alykhan Lalani – allalani@gru.edu, Steph Ryals – Sryals@gru.edu,, Farres Obeidin -fobeidin@gru.edu, and Al Ray – Aray@gru.edu can set you up with tickets. Please join us. You will not regret it. Check it out on Facebook, http://on.fb.me/1aesgjF.
Dynamic Duo … Powerful Partners
Speaking of a great lineup, please join me in congratulating and thanking Drs. Nevin Lambert and Larry Layman for teaming up to take on the leadership of our M.D./Ph.D. program. This is great news for a great initiative that prepares the next generation of physician scientists. Biophysicist Lambert, who has been involved for more than a dozen years and Co-Director since 2010, is the new Director. Dr. Layman, who embodies the definition of physician-scientist with his exceptional care of patients coupled with his federally-funded research probing delayed puberty – and did we mention exceptional mentorship of students along the way – will be Co-Director. We couldn’t be happier! Our thanks also to Dr. Jennifer Pollock for her stellar leadership of this strong program and to our M.D./Ph.D. students for their support while we transitioned to the new duo of Drs. Lambert and Layman.
Readiness Rocks … So Does the FBI
Just the possibility shakes us all to the core: someone firing a gun at us and others. The Atlanta Division of the FBI was recently on our campus for a two-day conference to ensure that law enforcement, fire departments, EMS and school administrators were ready for this scary scenario and that they benefited from lessons learned by tragedies that have occurred. We’ve talked a lot about how our Department of Emergency Medicine and Hospitalist Services contributes to our country’s preparedness for these types of manmade horrors as well as natural disasters that will inevitably occur. They work super closely with the FBI in this effort and that relationship is the reason for the FBI’s presence on our campus last week for this exceedingly successful gathering of about 200. We thank the FBI for its partnership and uncompromising service to our country. Learn more here http://1.usa.gov/16SjTtX .
High Honor … Service to Children
We also talked recently about the terrific legacy of Dr. Bill Kanto at our hospital, our medical school and in his service to children. This week, some of his other colleagues joined in. The Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics honored Dr. Kanto with the Leila Denmark Lifetime Achievement Award. You likely also have heard of Dr. Denmark, one of Georgia’s first female physicians whose career in caring for children spanned seven decades! This incredible 1928 alumnus passed last year at the age of 114. The terrific honor that bears her name was awarded to Dr. Kanto, a neonatologist, for his illustrious and long career taking care of children. Once again, we absolutely agree!
One of a Kind… Indelible Dr. Ellison
Speaking of incredible longevity and awesomeness, we recently had the distinct honor of participating in the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Lois Taylor Ellison. Can you say remarkable! What a truly inspirational individual, physician and alumnus of our medical school. Dr. Ellison is synonymous with MCG, pure commitment and accomplishment. To this day, our medical historian in residence helps keep her medical school on a straight and awesome path. As one of four women in a class of 78 students in 1943, she began her relationship with her medical school. She didn’t let a battle with tuberculosis stop her from completing her education and nothing has stopped her since. Dr. Ellison completed a cardiopulmonary physiology fellowship, joined the faculty, started the cardiopulmonary laboratory, became a productive researcher, and raised five sons – with husband Dr. Robert Ellison – three of whom are also MCG graduates. She became MCG’s Associate Dean for Curriculum and eventually Provost for the university. She became President of the American Lung Association and received its top honor and was rightfully honored in the National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine exhibit, Changing the Face of Medicine – Celebrating America’s Women Physicians. We are truly privileged to call her our colleague and friend. Happy Birthday again to our Dr. Ellison!
Delightful Setting …. New MCG Video
Last week, we highlighted our Day Care Center when Bobby Cagle came calling. We also recently had the privilege of visiting this terrific center while producing the new MCG video. What a bunch of stars we found there and incredible hosts as well. A special thanks again to Dr. Nancy Webb and the staff there for enabling the video production never mind taking such great care of the little ones. A special shout-out as well to Jared Bell and Timothy Johnson in Communications and Marketing for sharing their time and significant talent to help us tell our story. You can check out the video here: http://bit.ly/1aMqadv. We hope you like it!
Road Trip …. Time Well Spent
Speaking of the story of the state’s public medical school, we continue to update you on progress, not just here at the home front, but at our remarkable campuses across this state. Many of you may not have had the opportunity to visit the four corners of our state and see how and what we are doing there, but we promise it’s worth finding the time to do just that. In fact, Dr. Kathryn Martin has been arranging visits for members of the MCG leadership team. Dr. Charlie Howell recently found happy students and incredible facilities when he visited our new Northwest Campus based in Rome. He was amazed by not just the facilities but the cooperation between our key partners, Redmond Regional Medical Center, Floyd Medical Center and the Harbin Clinic. He even noted that Dr. Clarence “Mack” R. McKemie, a graduate of our medical school and surgery residency program, was being honored as “Physician of the Month.” Dr. Amyn Rojiani was similarly struck by the facilities, the collaboration among institutions, and the clear desire of the physicians there to teach. They agree it was a trip worth taking. Maybe we should start a shuttle!
Good Monsters … Great Cause
And finally, last night was one for happy children, too much candy, frightful costumes, and a lot of laughter. But did you know that some great grownups also recently decked out in their monstrous best for the second annual Monster Bash, a fundraiser for our dear children’s hospital? Much like Halloween, there was great food, lots of folks, lots of fun, and in this case, another terrific opportunity to show support for children and our children’s hospital. Last year, funds raised by the first Bash helped purchase a vein finder for the pediatric sedation team and a light to help treat jaundiced babies in the NICU. We can’t say enough about the importance of the individuals who provide care to our youngest patients and the incredible facility where they work. No doubt children deserve the best and we so appreciate the community’s support in helping us provide it. We’ll say it again: we simply can’t do (fill in the blank) without you!
Events
Nov. 4-8 – Human Research Academy, comprehensive research training for investigators, coordinators and research team members involved in human research. Register here: http://bit.ly/GU9sPC and select here to preview the course agenda.
November 13- President Ricardo Azziz’s update on the university’s progress and vision to the Board of Regents, at 10 a.m., will be simulcast in the Auditoria Center, Room BC1400, on the Health Sciences Campus and University Hall, Room UH 329, on the Summerville Campus. Please note President Azziz’s State of the Georgia Regents University & Health System Enterprise addresshas been moved to January 2014 in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Additional details coming.
Nov. 15 – GRU EII Health Sciences Education Grand Rounds, co-sponsored by the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, Critical Thinking: Teaching and Measuring, noon-1 p.m., GC 5002.
Nov. 15 – Annual memorial service for body donors, 1 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
Nov. 21 – ElI Career Development 101 for new faculty will be held noon-5:15 p.m. at the GRU Alumni Center.
Nov. 22 – MCG Faculty Senate, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Dec. 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Jan. 23 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, 5 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
Feb. 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, noon, Lee Auditorium.
March 13 – MCG Faculty Senate meeting, 5 p.m., Lee Auditorium.
April 24-27 – The 2014 Alumni Weekend including the MCG Class Reunions & Alumni Banquet.
May 1 – Annual State of the Medical College of Georgia Address, noon, Lee Auditorium.
Ongoing – The GRU Cancer Center is offering a two-step tobacco cessation service for all Georgia Regents University & Health System students and employees who need help quitting tobacco use. Step 1: Initial Visit and Health Assessment. Make an appointment by calling 706-721-6744 or on-line at www.grhealth.org (click on “Request Appointment”). Step 2: Tobacco Cessation Classes, one-hour group sessions for six weeks, provide tools and support to help you quit tobacco. Cessation classes are held on the Summerville and Health Sciences campuses. For more information, visit http://gru.edu/cancer/tobaccofree/.
Check out our MCG Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/grumcg and Twitter page as well #Follow.
Enjoy the weekend.