Summer 2009 - Pritzker School of Medicine

The
P r t z k e rP
A Quarterly Publication of the Pritzker School of Medicine
G r a d u at i o n / S u m m e r 2 0 0 9
U
L
S
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Dean’s Corner
Celebrating the Continuum of Medical Education
Dear Students, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff,
T
he Graduation issue of the
Pritzker Pulse is always
one of my favorites, as
there is always so much to celebrate
at this time of year. We bid farewell
to the students of the Class of 2009
who have successfully matched at
outstanding programs throughout the
country; although you will be missed,
may the lessons you have learned and
the friends you have made during your
time at Pritzker be sustaining forces as
you continue your respective journeys
as physicians. And to those who will
continue their training programs at the
University of Chicago Medical Center,
we are delighted that you have chosen
to further your education within our
community and hope that you share
in our excitement upon beginning this
new chapter.
There has been much talk recently
regarding new efforts on the part
of the medical school and the Medical Center to
encourage service within the community. I am pleased
to announce that these initiatives will be receiving
even greater support with the addition of Dr. SarahAnne Schumann from the Department of Family
Medicine. Dr. Schumann has been named Director of
Community Health and Service-Learning and will be
an essential resource to our students and organizations
that strive to provide service to those in our area.
In This Issue:
Match Day 2009
page 4
Kenneth Bridbord, MD ’69
I would also like to recognize the tremendous service
page 6
efforts on the part of our distinguished alumni.
Graduates of our institution “give back” in a multitude
of ways, and this issue of the Pulse highlights two
in particular: Dr. Kenneth Bridbord, Class of 1969
and Dr. Bruce Becker, Class of 1976. Dr. Bridbord
has established an exemplary career at the National
2009 Senior Scientific Session
page 8
Institutes of Health with a focus on addressing global
health threats such as HIV and AIDS; Dr. Becker has
shared his time, knowledge, and expertise with one of
our current students through the invaluable Day in
the Life Experience. Members of the administration
also find special ways to give back, and in this issue
Celebrating Rosita Ragin
we celebrate 20 years of service from Rosita Ragin,
Page 12
Assistant Dean of Multicultural and Student Affairs.
As our current students transition to their next year of studies, our fourth-year
students graduate and become alumni, and many of our esteemed alumni return
to campus to celebrate the anniversary of their own respective commencements,
it is a potent reminder of how the field of medicine gives us the oopportunity to
learn, to grow, and to serve.
With best wishes,
Holly J. Humphrey, MD ’83
Dean for Medical Education
New Director of Community Health and Service-Learning
Dr. Sarah-Anne Schumann Takes on New Role as Director
of Community Health and Service-Learning
T
he University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine has always placed great value
on serving those within our community. The recent appointment of Dr. Sarah-Anne
Schumann, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, to Director of Community Health
and Service-Learning further illustrates this commitment along with a desire to create even more
robust service experiences for our students.
Sarah-Anne Schumann, MD
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to enhance the service-learning initiatives at Pritzker with
this new position. I have been involved in community service since I was in high school and
decided to go to medical school in order to have an intellectually challenging career working in
underserved communities,” Dr. Schumann says of her interest in service and her excitement about
the new position.
In her new role, Dr. Schumann will serve as the faculty liaison for all community-health and service
initiatives emanating from the Pritzker School of Medicine. She will be the faculty advisor for leaders of the student-led free
health clinics, school-based health education groups, and community service organizations.
“As a faculty member, I quickly recognized Dr. Schumann’s enthusiasm, interest, and passion in community health and
education and in developing both community-based partnerships and service-learning opportunities for our students,” notes
Dr. Holly Humphrey regarding Dr. Schumann’s appointment. “Her expertise and demonstrated commitment to serving the
South Chicago community will be a valuable addition to our outstanding leadership team.”
“As a faculty member, I quickly recognized Dr. Schumann’s enthusiasm, interest, and passion
in community health and education and in developing both community-based partnerships and
service-learning opportunities for our students,” — Dr. Holly J. Humphrey
In this Issue:
Dean’s Corner......................................1
Dr. Schumann Director, Community Health
and Service-Learning..............................2
Match Day 2009................................. 4
Alumni Profile......................................6
Day in the Life.....................................7
2009 Senior Scientific Session..............8
Honors and Awards . .........................10
Rosita Ragin.......................................12
Editors
Caroline Kraft
Dana Levinson
Kelly Smith
Design
Valaria McClinton
Dr. Schumann’s first initiative will be to create and direct the Summer Service
Program (SSP), a full-time summer program open to rising second-year medical
students and local high school students in our partner neighborhoods (currently South
Chicago and Greater Grand Crossing). The program is funded in part by the Academy
of Distinguished Medical Educators’ Medical Education Grant (see page 3).
As implementation planning
continues on the Pritzker Initiative,
Dr. Schumann will also help
develop the curriculum for the
Community Health track of the
Pritzker Initiative’s Scholarship
and Discovery requirement. In
the spring of 2010, she will direct
an elective in service-learning
to help student leaders enhance
their community service activities,
work in close partnership with
community groups, and evaluate
continued on page 3
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
2
Pritzker students work with New Millennium School of
Health students during the Day of Service, which
Dr. Schumann helped organize.
2009 Academy Grants
Continued from page 2...
Inaugural Student Fellowships to Kick Off This Summer
Laura Blinkhorn, MS1
Enrique Escalante, MS1
Becky Levine, MS1
Cooper Lyle, MS1
Melanie Odeleye, MS1
Geoff Stetson, MS1
With the intent to support the
development of future leaders in medicine
across a spectrum of research, scholarship,
and service, a group of students have
been selected to participate in two new
programs supported by the Pritzker
School of Medicine and the Academy of
Distinguished Medical Educators.
their programs in a meaningful way.
Farbod Rastegar, MS3
“I am very impressed with the commitment
of the Pritzker School of Medicine, the
UCMC, and, most of all, the students toward
improving the health of the surrounding
communities,” notes Dr. Schumann. “I look
forward to expanding the service-learning
opportunities for all Pritzker students—from
those who will only have time for the quarterly
Days of Service to those incoming students
who choose to join Pritzker Community
Service Fellowship, participate in SSP, or who
are part of the Community Health track for
Scholarship and Discovery.”
Through the Pritzker Fellowships, Eric
Wagner and Farbod Rastegar – both
third-year students – will respectively
receive $20,000 to support a year of
research. Eric will be investigating
Eric Wagner, MS3
“the role of IGFBP-5 in osteosarcoma
proliferation and metastasis,” while
Farbod’s work will focus on “in vivo expression
of MKK6 and its role in the metastatic
Academy of Distinguished
potential of osteosarcoma cell lines.” These
Educators Awards 2009 Grants
projects were selected from a group of
applicant proposals that included research,
ecause a progressive and innovative education is
international work, and community service
vital to ensure the success of each Pritzker student,
projects.
the school provides grants to support faculty
With the support of Dr. Schumann’s grant
members’ medical education research endeavors.
from the Academy of Distinguished Medical
Educators, the new Summer Service Program
Recently, the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators
will include six rising MS2 students: Laura
announced the recipients of the 2009 Medical Education
Blinkhorn, Enrique Escalante, Becky Levine,
Research Awards:
Cooper Lyle, Melanie Odeleye, and Geoff
Stetson. Laura, Enrique, and Geoff will be
• Drs. Stacie Levine, William Harper, and Michael
working in South Chicago with three high
Marschke from the Department of Medicine, and Dr.
school students from the New Millennium
Lisa Vargish from the Department of Family Medicine,
School of Health; Becky, Cooper, and Melanie
will collaborate to research and develop “CAPE
will be working in Greater Grand Crossing
(Curriculum for Advancing Palliative Care Education):
with three high school students from Gary
Comer College Prep. Each student begins
A Longitudinal, Integrative Approach to Palliative
with an asset-mapping project in the two
Medicine Training for Medical Students.”
neighborhoods, meeting with neighborhood
residents and community leaders to learn
• Dr. Sarah-Anne Schumann from the Department of
about the strengths of the communities.
Family Medicine, and Drs. Kristine Bordenave and
They will visit many organizations and pick
Vineet Arora from the Department of Medicine,
service projects that match the needs of the
will work to promote leaders in service through their
community with the interests of the students.
research in “Developing and Implementing a Scholarly
Each medical student will complete a scholarly
Track in Community Health and Service-Learning for
project related to their service work. The
Pritzker Students.” Funding for their research will also
medical students will continue as mentors to
the high school students during the academic
serve to support Pritzker students who are selected for
year.
the Summer Service Program.
B
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The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Match Day 2009
Largest Match Day on Record Leads to Big Accomplishments
for Pritzker Students
O
n Thursday, March 19, the Class of 2009 gathered in Billings Auditorium to open their Match Day envelopes to
find out where they will be pursuing residency. “I am thrilled for the many successes of our students—both today in
the Match and for the numerous successes that are yet to come,” said Holly Humphrey, MD, Professor of Medicine
and Dean for Medical Education at Pritzker.
“I’m thrilled and relieved that this day is finally here and my match is everything I had been
hoping for! It was a great four years, and Pritzker really prepared me well for this next step.”
—Stephanie Donald, MS4
This year, nearly 30,000 medical students participated in the Match, a record number in the history of the residency
application process. Of our Pritzker graduates, a large percentage will be pursuing further training in Internal Medicine, with
many also choosing Pediatrics, Orthopaedic Surgery, and General Surgery programs.
Congratulations, Class of 2009!
What our students will be doing...
Specialty
PGY1
Internal Medicine, Categorical
Pediatrics
Medicine - Preliminary
Orthopaedic Surgery
General Surgery
Anesthesiology
Radiology - Diagnostic
Transitional
Psychiatry
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Emergency Medicine
Radiation - Oncology
29
14
10
9
8
5
1
7
6
5
4
PGY2
Specialty
PGY1
3
7
Medicine - Primary Care
Pathology
Otolaryngology
Surgery - Preliminary
Dermatology
Urology
Ophthalmology
Family Medicine
Medicine - Pediatrics
Neurological Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Total Graduates in the Match
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
110
3
Kimberly Kesner and Jami Rothe at Match Day
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Daniel Turner-Lloveras, Roy DaVee, and Adam Kern, all MS4s
with Resident Itai Pashtan, MD ’08
4
PGY2
2
2
2
Match Headline
Day 2009
Dr. Abelson with Susanne Vanderbilt, Han Na Kim,
Lena Gong, Sarahn Wheeler, and Jhee Lee
Erwin Bennett and Shaun O’Dell share Match Day
with their families
Where many of our students will be going*...
*PGY2 only
Residency Programs
University of Chicago Medical Center Northwestern University Hospitals
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital/VA (8)
Children’s Memorial Hospital (1)
Harvard Affiliated Hospitals
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital (3)
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (1)
• Cambridge Health Alliance (1)
• Massachusetts General Hospital (2)
Stanford University Programs
University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals
University of Pennsylvania
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (3)
• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (1)
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Loyola University Medical Center
NYU School of Medicine
UC San Francisco
•
# of Students
19
9
7
6
5
4
3
3
3
3
3
Jeffrey Eisen and Erica Aronson
5
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Alumni Profile
Dr. Kenneth Bridbord: Supporting the Next Generation
of Public Health Leaders
By Jessica Beaman, MS1
Dr. Bridbord is
well known for his
efforts to identify
health risks, such
as lead in gasoline.
He played a central
role in the initial
Dr. Bridbord is honored in 2007 at the
Federal health-based
NIH World AIDS Day (right)
regulation to remove
lead from gasoline. He was honored for this work with an
EPA Silver Medal in 1975. He recalls that he was able to take
an innovative approach to this issue thanks to his experience
at U of C where he was able to meet researchers dedicated
to scientific discovery and “was imprinted with the idea that
the academic community not only has research knowledge
but more importantly has a willingness to share their research
with the greater community.”
A
t first glance, the pathway that
Kenneth Bridbord, MD ’69,
MPH took toward his current
position as Director of the Division of
Jessica Beaman, MS1
International Training and Research for
the Fogarty International Center at the NIH appears to be
anything but traditional. Dr. Bridbord came to the field of
medicine with a background in chemical engineering. As
he began his medical studies at the University of Chicago
he was highly aware of the way in which the school
supported the breadth of his interests. Instead of urging
him to focus solely on the clinical aspect of medicine,
the University gave him the personal attention he needed
to foster an interest in population-based medicine and
social justice issues. During his time as a student, he was
a key leader in the health care reform effort at the 1968
Democratic Convention and was involved in the civil
rights movement.
As Dr. Bridbord prepares to return to Chicago this summer,
he is amazed by how much things have changed.
Following graduation, Dr. Bridbord completed his
internship in Pediatrics at Bellevue Hospital/New York
University and pursued his continued interest in health
prevention as he went on to receive his MPH from the
Harvard School of Public Health. For the past 38 years,
he has worked for the United States government and is
committed to expanding research capabilities in low- and
middle-income countries by providing research training
to create and support public health leaders. In 2007, he
received the NIH World AIDS Day award for his efforts
to build a cadre of international research scientists and
clinicians trained to join the global AIDS fight. He sees the
University of Chicago as integral to his decision to pursue
a career that has merged the fields of academia, public
service, and global health.
“Students are going to school at an amazing time when there
is a heightened awareness and desire to engage in your role
as a citizen of the world. If you look for ways to give back
now, share your common experiences, then you will make an
impact – the opportunities are endless.”
“The academic community not only has research
knowledge but more importantly has a willingness to
share their research with the greater community.”
—Dr. Kenneth Bridbord
At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of
interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker
School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students
of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in
science and medicine for the betterment of humanity.
“As I look back on things, I am more and more
appreciative of having had the opportunity to be at U of C
in such a supportive and understanding environment,” said
Dr. Bridbord.
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
6
Day in the Life
The Multi-Faceted Practice of Bruce Becker, MD’76
Each spring, the Medical & Biological Sciences Alumni Association sponsors the Day in the Life Experience, which gives
current medical students the opportunity to shadow Pritzker alumni in their professional lives during spring break. If you
would like to participate in the Day in the Life Experience or find out more information about other student-alumni
programs, please visit the Medical & Biological Sciences Alumni Association at bsdalumni.uchicago.edu.
By Dana Sun, MS1
W
hat do Lyme disease, Horner’s syndrome, and schistosomiasis have in common? All were
a part of a day in my life when I shadowed primary care physician and gastroenterologist
Dr. Bruce Becker in Waltham, Massachusetts as part of the Alumni Association’s Day in
Dana Sun, MS1
the Life experience. Dr. Bruce Becker, a Pritzker alumnus from the Class of 1976, asked me a variety
of questions covering some of these topics between patient visits, which subsequently became my “homework” for the next
day. I learned a tremendous amount through independent research and insightful discussions with him.
It is difficult as a first-year medical student to gain exposure to clinical settings outside of the
medical center and the South Side. The Day in the Life experience was a great opportunity to
see alternative ways medical practices can be structured. After my early morning drive through
several sleepy New England towns, Dr. Becker and I started the week off strong, rotating
through clinic rooms, chatting with patients about their children, discovering their reasons
for visiting, and helping them with their health concerns. The sheer diversity of the patients
was phenomenal; I met both an opera singer as well as a hunter who used a bow and arrow to
shoot the largest buck in Massachusetts. I shadowed Dr. Becker in his clinic from Monday
through Wednesday and on Thursday I went with him to Newton-Wellesley Hospital,
where I saw him perform colonoscopies and endoscopies. Dr. Becker spent a few of his days
Bruce Becker, MD ’76
performing procedures in the gastroenterology unit of neighboring hospitals, but also many
days in his office seeing patients as a general internist. It had never occurred to me beforehand that I could structure my
future practice like this, and I found the combination of having the opportunity to perform such specialized practices and
interact with a diverse patient population very appealing.
Of the many things I learned throughout the experience, one of the most influential points I gathered from shadowing
Dr. Becker was that there is nothing more valuable than taking extra time to communicate with patients and their family
members. One of the patients prepped and awaiting a colonoscopy had a very low heart rate, and Dr. Becker decided it
was not safe to perform the procedure. I witnessed Dr. Becker counsel and reassure the patient’s worried spouse in the
waiting room. In clinic, he consistently took the time to answer lists of questions about medications from patients and
educate patients about their chronic medical conditions. Even though we, as students, begin to develop these abilities in
our Clinical Skills class, I found it helpful to observe it in practice. Through Dr. Becker’s example, I witnessed the profound
importance of this fundamental aspect of a physician’s job. My Day in the Life experience brought the practice of medicine
to life at an early stage in my medical career, and I hope it will continue to evolve in the years to come.
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The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
2009 Senior Scientific Session
Graduating Students Cap off their Medical School Careers
with the 63rd Annual Senior Scientific Session
N
early 50 members from the Class of 2009 participated in the annual Senior Scientific Session, an event that gives
graduating students an opportunity to showcase their scholarly research through oral and poster presentations.
Dr. Neil Shubin from the Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy served as Chairman of the event,
which included presentations from both the basic and clinical sides of research. The afternoon concluded with an awards
ceremony, during which time the following students were honored for their scholastic research accomplishments.
The Medical and Biological Sciences Alumni Prize for the best
overall presentation of research done in medical school
Erwin Bennett
Title: Osteogenic BMPs Promote Tumor Growth of Human Osteosarcomas
that Harbor Differentiation Defects
Mentor: T. C. He, MD, PhD
Erwin Bennett, MS4
The Leon O. Jacobson Prize, for the best oral presentation given
by a non-PhD student in the area of basic science investigation of
research done in medical school
Adam Schmitt, MS4
Adam Schmitt
Title: Nfkb1/p50, a Novel Tumor Suppressor in the Methylator-Induced
DNA Damage Response Pathway
Mentor: Bakhtiar Yamini, MD and Ralph Weichselbaum, MD
The Catherine Dobson Prize, for best oral presentation given by a
non-PhD student in the area of clinical investigation of research
done in medical school
Faraz Ahmad, MS4
Faraz Ahmad
Title: African American Men Significantly Underestimate Their Risk of
Having Prostate Cancer at the Time of Biopsy
Mentor: William Dale, MD, PhD
2009 Senior Scientific Session Award Winners
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Chairman Dr. Neil Shubin discusses student research
with Pritzker faculty
8
2009 Senior Scientific Session
Shakirat Oyetunji, MS4, discusses her work with
Dr. Marshall Chin
Jami Rothe and Jason Koob, both MS4s with
Blanca Camoretti-Mercado, MD and Cadmn Leggett, MS4
The Award for the Best Clinical Research Poster by a senior
medical student
Alexandra Briggs
Title: Molecular Profiling of Pancreatic Cystic Neoplasms
Mentor: Kevin Roggin, MD
Alexandra Briggs, MS4
The Award for the Best Basic Science Research Poster by a senior
medical student
Deborah Guris, PhD, MS4
Deborah Guris, PhD
Title: The Genetic and Developmental Basis of 22Q11 Deletion Syndrome:
Insight from Novel Mouse Models
Mentor: Elizabeth McNally, MD, PhD
The Leon O. Jacobson Basic Science Prize for the most meritorious
basic science research performed by an MD/PhD student
Robert Hsieh, PhD
Title: Novel Ligands with Unique Structures Shed Light on Mechanisms of
Estrogen Receptor Subtype Selectivity
Mentor: Geoffrey Greene, PhD
Robert Hsieh, PhD, MS4
The Franklin McLean Medical Student Research Award, for a senior who has performed the most
meritorious research
Erwin Bennett
Title: Osteogenic BMPs Promote Tumor Growth of Human Osteosarcomas that
Harbor Differentiation Defects
Mentor: T. C. He, MD, PhD
and
Adam Schmitt
Title: Nfkb1/p50, a Novel Tumor Suppressor in the Methylator-Induced DNA
Erwin Bennett, MS4
Adam Schmitt, MS4
Damage Response Pathway
Mentor: Bakhtiar Yamini, MD and Ralph Weichselbaum, MD
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The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Headline
Honors and Awards
Title
Faculty
and Student Achievements
The APAMSA group featured in
the Sing Tao Daily
The Asian Pacific American
Medical Students Association’s
Hepatitis B screening
program, which recently
received funding from the
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical
Student Service Project, has
also received funding from
the University of Chicago’s
Community Service Fund.
Their work has been featured in
the Sing Tao Daily, one of the
largest Chinese newspapers in
the country.
Anshuman Das, MS2
Anshuman Das, MS2, is the recipient of a 2009
AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research
Fellowship. The award will help support his
research on the therapeutic benefits of induced
hypothermia in the setting of ischemiareperfusion injury, which he will conduct with
with Drs. Terry Vanden Hoek and David Beiser
from the Section of Emergency Medicine.
The Pritzker Mammography Access Partnership (PMAP) was awarded Best Abstract in
the category of Health Services, Medical Education, Bioethics at the 2009 Department
of Medicine Research Day. PMAP was represented by Laura Dilly and Jeanie Paik, both
MS1s. Their submission “Mammogram Access and Awareness in the South Side Chicago
Community,” was judged alongside posters submitted by junior faculty and fellows across
the DOM.
Laura Dilly, MS1
Vishal Saxena, MS3
PMAP students include: Laura Dilly, Jeanie Paik, Kevin Chang, Sarah Horvath, Kyle
Karches, Rebecca Levine, Ajay Sampat, Geoffrey Stetson, Ming Zhong, Jamal Benhamida,
Zainab Mohiuddin, and Sara Foley. Faculty members Dr. Monica Vela, Dr. Lisa Vinci and
Dr. Janice Phillips also contributed.
Vishal Saxena, MS3 has been selected to participate in the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars
Program. He will spend the 2009-2010 academic year at the National Institutes of Health in
Bethesda, Maryland, conducting research with senior NIH scientists. Shashank Sinha, MS4 was
recently interviewed for the Science Careers website, an affiliate of the journal Science, about his
experiences as an HHMI Research Scholar.
Te l l Us What You’re Doing!
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“Subm i t yo ur Puls e up d a te! ”
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
10
Jeanie Paik, MS1
Shashank Sinha, MS4
Honors and Awards
Julie Oyler, MD
Vineet Arora, MD
Lisa Vinci, MD
Drs. Lisa Vinci, Julie Oyler, and Vineet Arora were featured in the Academic Internal Medicine Insight newsletter.
Their article, “Empowering Internal Medicine Residents to Improve Quality in their Continuity Clinics,” outlines the
UCMC Internal Medicine residency program’s quality improvement curriculum. This curriculum was designed to
address the core competencies of practice-based learning and improvement and system-based practice as outlined by
the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
These three physicians were also recognized for their work with quality improvement and residency training. Along
with Lynda Hale from the Department of Medicine, Drs. Vinci, Oyler, and Arora received a Society of General
Internal Medicine (SGIM) Clinical Innovation Award at the SGIM Annual Meeting in May.
Dr. Vineet Arora was awarded the Walter J. McDonald Award for Young Physicians at the
American College of Pysicians National Conference in April. The award recognizes outstanding
achievement by a physician member who is within 16 years of graduating medical school and who
has demonstrated great achievement in areas such as leadership or academics, including publishing,
teaching, mentoring, and volunteerism.
Vineet Arora, MD
The Pritzker Career Advising Team – Drs. Herbert Abelson, Vineet Arora, Brian
Gehlbach, David Howes, Elizabeth Kieff, Nanah Park, Shalini Reddy, and Mindy
Schwartz – were highlighted in the AAMC publication Choices, the Careers in
Medicine newsletter. The team was featured in the “Ask the Advisor” section,
providing guidance and insight about what to do when a student decides to change
career paths after a clinical rotation.
Rashad Belin, PhD, MS2
The Pritzker Career Advising Team
Rashad Belin, PhD, MS2, was recently selected as one of just 12 medical students nationally to receive
the 2009 American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s Minority Scholars Award. According
to guidelines, the award serves to recognize “scholastic achievement, financial need, and personal
commitment to improving minority health.” Rashad was acknowledged for his outstanding service and
mentorship, both within the University community and throughout the Chicagoland area.
Shashank Sinha, MS4 won the Clinical Vignette Student Poster Award at the
national American College of Physicians Conference, held in Philadelphia
in April. His poster, entitled “Is All Angina Really Chest Pain?” represents a
case of Ludwig’s angina he saw in the MICU as a 4th year with residents Drs.
Shantanu Nundy and Nathan Sandbo.
11
Shashank Sinha, MS4 receives the award for
Best Clinical Vignette
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
Rosita Ragin
Pritzker Honors Rosita Ragin for 20 Years of Service
T
his spring, the Pritzker School of Medicine celebrates the outstanding – and
longstanding – accomplishments of Rosita Ragin, Assistant Dean for Multicultural and
Student Affairs. Rosita joined the Pritzker School of Medicine in 1989 after spending
nearly a decade working at Rush Medical Center and in the Mayor’s Office under Mayors Harold
Washington and Eugene Sawyer.
Rosita Ragin
Dean Ragin’s entrance to the world of medical education was not at all expected: “I came at a time
when there was much change in the air and diversity
issues were at the fore, as they are now. It was quite by
accident,” she said. “I thought I’d go into business.”
The successes achieved and lives touched by the work of Dean Ragin have been
anything but “by accident.” Her work at the Pritzker School of Medicine has
revolved around helping students succeed. “The currency of your life is your time,”
Dean Ragin notes. “I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with young
people who are going to contribute to the betterment of humanity.”
Dean for Medical Education, Holly J. Humphrey, MD clearly articulated one of
Dean Ragin’s most remarkable traits: “Her hallmark warmth and welcoming spirit
have helped countless students thrive.”
Rosita Ragin with James Bowman, MD and Walter
Conwell, MD’07 at the Bowman Lecture Series
Congratulations, Dean Ragin, and Thank You!
Calendar of Events:
June
10th • Senior Skit
12th • Divisional Academic Hooding Ceremony
12th • Convocation
15th • Summer Research Program Begins
16th • NorthShore University HealthSystem Reception
17th-19th • Introduction to the Clinical Biennium
18th • Student Clinician Ceremony
July
August
P r t z k e rP
The
16th • MS4 Class Meeting: ERAS Overview
U
• Published quarterly by the University of Chicago
• Pritzker School of Medicine
• 924 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637
• Phone: (773) 702-3333
• E-Mail: ckraft@bsd.uchicago.edu
• http://pritzker.bsd.uchicago.edu
6th • Class of 2013 Orientation
8th • White Coat Ceremony
10th • Classes Begin for the Class of 2013
27th • MS4 Class Meeting: ERAS Updates
The Pritzker Pulse, Graduation/Summer 2009
A Quarterly Publication of the Pritzker School of Medicine
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