Here are this week’s Accolades, a roundup of some of the honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine and UAMS faculty, staff, residents, fellows and students I’ve heard about recently.
COM Students Win National IR Competition
A team of five UAMS medical students took home top honors in the finals of the Biodesign Competition at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) annual meeting in Salt Lake City on Saturday for their design of an innovative “AccessAnywhere” Catheterization Trainer. Prompted by the contest theme of “Telehealth in Interventional Radiology (IR),” the team interviewed interventional radiologists in the Little Rock area and Northwest Arkansas to learn about procedural training needs that could be addressed in part through telehealth technology.
The team learned that some of the most common IR procedures incorporate central and peripheral venous catheterization. Then they designed a device that combines an affordable and portable vascular model with computer-mediated sensing, recording and feedback capabilities to give IR fellows, residents and even medical students an opportunity to practice the fundamental skill of catheterization in a low-pressure environment before attempting it “for real” in the IR suite. Read more about the project on the Radiology website.
Congratulations to team members Andrew Mathews (M2), Aaron Rieth (M2), Mason Belue (M3), Milenko Petrovic (M2), and Josue Calderon (M1), and their faculty mentors from the Division of Interventional Radiology, Professors Dr. Mollie Meek and Dr. Bob Dixon. Way to go!
UAMS Well Represented at Geriatric Psychiatry Conference
UAMS was well represented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry in Atlanta. Third-year medical student Michael Ward delivered a podium presentation on “Navigating Ethical Complexities in Suicide Attempts in Older Adults,” which described a clinically and ethically complex case that was expertly handled by the Department of Psychiatry’s Consultation-Liaison Service. His mentors were Drs. Samidha Tripathi, Amy Grooms, Payton Lea and Psychiatry Chair Dr. Laura Dunn. PGY-4 Psychiatry resident Dr. Adam Burroughs delivered a podium presentation on driving-related issues in older adults with cognitive impairment. His talk focused on screening for risk factors, discussion of resources, and a review of driver laws to equip physicians for assessing and counseling elderly drivers. Dr. Dunn chaired a symposium titled “Becoming an Authentic, Resilient Leader: An Interactive Workshop to Enhance Your Abilities to Lead.”
Arkansas ACP Leadership
Department of Internal Medicine faculty members Dr. Meer Akbar Ali, Dr. Sheena CarlLee and Dr. Sri Obulareddy were recently elected to the Governor’s Advisory Council of the American College of Physicians (ACP) Arkansas Chapter. Dr. Akbar Ali is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. CarlLee is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of the UAMS/Washington Regional Internal Medicine Residency Program in Northwest Arkansas. Dr. Obulareddy is an Associate Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Keyur Vyas, a Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, is Governor of the ACP Arkansas Chapter. Kudos to all for their service to Arkansas as well as UAMS.
Brain & Behavior Top Score
Second-year medical student Haya Safar was honored by educational leaders recently for earning the top score in the M1 Brain and Behavior Module as a freshman last year. For her outstanding work in the foundational course, she received a plaque, monetary award and recognition on the Neuroscience Award plaque located on the south wall of the ground floor of the Education II building. I join with Brain and Behavior Module Co-Directors Dr. Shona Ray-Griffith, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Laura Stanley, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, in congratulating Haya!