Here’s to Great Beginnings
My first full week at UAMS is underway, and I am happy to continue the tradition of sharing recent honors and accomplishments of College of Medicine faculty, staff, students, residents and fellows with you. I already have noticed that many of the Accolades suggestions we receive reflect not only the excellent work being done across our mission areas, but also the collegiality of team members who take a moment to make sure we hear about someone who deserves a shout-out.
Speaking of which, I want to reiterate what I said in my “hello” message last Friday, Employee Appreciation Day, about being thankful to all of you for your important contributions to our work in Arkansas. I also want to express my gratitude to Dr. G. Richard Smith for his dedicated service as Interim Dean and for his invaluable, ongoing guidance as I continue to learn about our institution.
Let’s do great things together.
Next Freshman Class Takes Shape – Thanks to Many
The essential work to ensure that the strongest, most promising applicants are offered one of the 175 spots in the next freshman class culminated in the final meeting of the College of Medicine Admissions Committee on Feb. 16 and the completion of admissions notifications early last week. We greatly appreciate all of you who were integral to this effort, including the 156 faculty members and 43 senior medical students who volunteered to serve on interview teams this year. Kudos also to Tom South, Assistant Dean for Admissions, Dr. Jeanne McLachlin, Director of Admissions and Recruiting, and Tammy Henson-Platt for their hard work throughout the process.
Finally, very special thanks to the physicians on our faculty and from across the state who served on the Admissions Committee. Dr. Richard Turnage, Professor of Surgery and Vice Chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses, assumed the role of Chair this year, his third on the committee. Two members completed their fourth and final year of service: Dr. Amy Cahill of White Hall and Dr. Alan Wilson of Monticello. The full committee is listed below.
Dr. Lee Archer
Dr. Amy Cahill
Dr. Rhonda Dick
Dr. Wesley Garner
Dr. Adam Johnson
Dr. Jonathan Laryea
Dr. Rebecca Latch
Dr. Matthew McNelley
Dr. Michele Moss
Dr. Sheldon Riklon
Dr. Analiz Rodriguez
Dr. Richard Turnage
Dr. Jordan Weaver
Dr. Richard P. Wheeler
Dr. Alan K. Wilson
Science Communication Fellowship
Congratulations to graduate student Carol Morris on being selected for the 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Science Communication Training Fellowship. Carol, who works in the lab of Dr. Abdel Fouda, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was one of only 10 researchers accepted this year in a highly competitive process open to students, postdocs and junior faculty members. Carol has received multiple national and UAMS honors for her research in stroke and retinal ischemic injury. The ARVO fellowship helps early-career researchers hone their science communication and advocacy skills and includes a visit to Washington, D.C., to engage with legislators.
Sleep Medicine Expertise
Sleep specialists across the state and their patients will benefit from the expertise of COM faculty members who are speaking at the Sleep Professionals of Arkansas Meeting later this week. Faculty presenters and panelists include Dr. Patrick Fraley and Dr. Jeffrey Kirsch, Associate Professors, and Dr. Gresham Richter, Professor and Vice Chairman of Pediatric Services, in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; and Dr. Praveen Nandamuru, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine.
Race to the Finish
It may seem like a race to the finish line now for any senior medical student, but for Robert “Robbie” Kiss, the race was literal on Sunday. Robbie took first place in the Half Marathon event held as part of the Little Rock Marathon. The Fort Smith native beat 2,295 other finishers with a remarkable time of 1:15:29.5. Many other COM and UAMS students, residents and team members also participated in the Marathon events this year. Way to go, everyone, and congratulations, Robbie!