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!
Mentors Make the Difference for MSPH
The second year of Medical Scholars in Public Health (MSPH) is drawing to a close, and leaders and students in the post-baccalaureate, pre-med program recently hosted an appreciation celebration for the program’s faculty mentors. The program serves as an educational bridge for Arkansas residents who come from socially, economically or geographically disadvantaged backgrounds, to help prepare them for successful application and admission to medical school. Five members of the first MSPH class started medical school at UAMS in 2022. Seven members of this year’s class have been accepted to medical school, including five at UAMS.
The mentors include Dr. Meredith Von Dohlen in Emergency Medicine; Dr. Leslie Stone in Family and Preventive Medicine; Dr. Renee McGraw in Obstetrics and Gynecology; Drs. Paul Phillips and Romona Davis in Ophthalmology; Drs. Jennifer Laudadio, Aaron Wyble and Eric Yee in Pathology; Drs. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Billy Thomas and Shae Merves in Pediatrics; and Drs. Kevin Means and Lindsay Mohney in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
I join with MSPH Director Dr. Jerrilyn Jones, Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Sara Tariq and MSPH Coordinator Kimberlyn Blann in thanking these outstanding faculty mentors.
Promoting Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
Dr. Sufna John, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Co-Director of the Arkansas Building Effective Services for Trauma (ARBEST) Program, shared her expertise in a video on the “Zero to Three” website, explaining why it is crucial to equip professionals with the knowledge they need to promote infant and early childhood mental health. Zero to Three is the website of the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs, a non-profit focusing on the importance of early identification and intervention relating to infant and early childhood mental health. Dr. John also was recognized by Zero to Three as a national thought leader for diversity-informed practice. Read her insights on how culture affects mental health services for children here.
Robotic Bronchoscopy Program Transforms Care
When UAMS activated the first robotic lung biopsy system in Arkansas in September 2021, it enabled our pulmonologists, surgeons and other team members to discover, biopsy and often immediately treat previously undetectable cancerous nodules in the far reaches of the lungs. The interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Nikhil Meena, Associate Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, completed 100 robotic bronchoscopies over the next 13 months. That number had doubled only six months later, in April. “Everyone has stepped up to the proverbial plate, and I have been in awe of the commitment shown by all involved,” Dr. Meena recently said in a thank you note to the team. Let me add my thanks to all.
Spine Surgery Fellowship Recognition
The UAMS Integrated Spine Surgery Fellowship has been recognized as an AO Spine North America (AOSNA) Designated Fellowship site, a designation that will provide additional networking opportunities, academic resources and support for AO Spine Fellows at UAMS. Kudos to Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty members and spine surgeons Dr. Samuel Overley, who serves as the fellowship Program Director, Dr. David Bumpass and Dr. Jordan Walters for their excellent work preparing the AOSNA application. Read more here.
Symposium Showcases Surgical Research
The second annual Surgical Research Symposium, held on May 9, showcased collaborative work by residents, students and faculty from the Department of Surgery and numerous other departments and divisions across the College of Medicine and UAMS. Congratulations to this year’s poster award winners. Best Overall honors went to Ph.D. student Ana Azevedo-Pouly. The Speaker’s Pick was a poster by third-year General Surgery resident Dr. Seana Corbin. The Chair’s Pick went to third-year medical student Collin Pilkington. Read more on the Surgery website.
Graduate School Celebrates Students and Faculty
The UAMS Graduate School’s recent Spring Awards Reception celebrated the achievements of dozens of students as well as the service of faculty teachers and mentors. Dr. Lee Ann MacMillan-Crow, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, was named Graduate Faculty of the Year. Dr. Samantha Kendrick, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, received the Outstanding Mentor Award. Click here to read about the many other faculty, students and staff who were recognized. The reception was the final one for Dr. Robert E. McGehee Jr. as Dean of the Graduate School, which he has led since 2004. Dr. McGehee, a Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, is stepping down from the role as Dean Emeritus, a well-earned honor for a colleague who has been one of the most influential educators of medical and graduate students during his three decades on the faculty. Congratulations to all.
Mehta Creative Writing Awards
The third annual Mehta Awards in Creative Writing demonstrated once again that UAMS team members are infinitely creative. Congratulations to this year’s category winners: Poetry – Haylee Shull (Pediatrics/Schmieding Developmental Center); Fiction – Reade Zodrow (Northwest Campus); and Creative Nonfiction – Brook Scalzo (College of Nursing). Several College of Medicine faculty and students also earned honorary mentions. Kudos to Drs. Paulette and Jay Mehta for their continuing support of the annual competition, and to Dr. Micah Hester, Chair of Medical Humanities and Bioethics, who leads the award committee. Read more about the awards here.
Medicine & Meaning
The latest issue of Medicine & Meaning, UAMS’ online literary journal, is further proof of the links between art and medicine. The Winter/Spring 2023 issue includes works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and images by many faculty, staff and students. Medical student authors included Stephen Aguilar, Melanie Beehler, Claire Gist Bradberry, Olivia Brown, Philomena Mackean, Quentin Parker and Bailey Sutliff. Other COM contributors included Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Instructor and poet Dr. John Marecki; an anonymous physician; and Dr. Hanna Jensen, Assistant Professor of Surgery and Radiology and Course Director for the Cardiovascular Module, who penned an excellent memoir about her not-so-typical journey from being a surgery trainee in her native Finland to the highly regarded clinical research educator and mentor she is today.