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Caduceus Newsletter: Fall 2009.11, Week of November 2

Dr. Stan Eisen, Director Preprofessional Health Programs Christian Brothers University 650 East Parkway South Memphis, TN 38104 Home page: http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ Caduceus Newsletter Archives: http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Caduceus.html

Death Warmed Over returns to CBU!

Table of Contents:

1. Events coming up.
2. The University of Memphis will hold its annual Pre-Health Sciences Day on Thursday, November 5, 2009.
3. Announcement of NIH-MD/PhD Programs.
4. Today’s podiatrist does it all; that’s what a new video developed by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is promoting. 
5. Robert Woods Johnson Foundation News Digest – October 30, 2009.
6. AAMC STAT: News from the Association of American Medical Colleges, October 26, 2009 edition.

7. Marginalia: Death Warmed Over returns to CBU!

1. Events coming up.

· Thursday, October 29, 2009 – University of Memphis Department of Biology, 4:00 p.m. Ellington Hall Auditorium, Dr. Stephan Secor (host, Dr. Simco), Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, -Bill Gutzke Memorial Seminar-"Evolutionary and integrative responses to feast and famine".

· Tuesday, November 3, 2009: Neuroscience Seminar Series at UTHSC, starting at 12 noon -- Ariel Deutch, Ph.D., Adult Psychiatry Research, Vanderbilt University, Host - Dr. Anton Reiner

· Thursday, November 5, 2009 – University of Memphis Pre-Health Sciences Day, 12-5 p.m. in the Rose Theatre. Admissions officials representing the following areas of healthcare will be available to discuss their programs: Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, Biomedical Engineering, Cytotechnology, Dental Hygiene, Dentistry, Diagnostic medical Sonography, Health Administration, Health Informatics, Medical Technology, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Public Health, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Radiological Sciences, Respiratory Care. (See article #2)

2. The University of Memphis will hold its annual Pre-Health Sciences Day on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

Interested in a career in health? Join us for Pre-Health Sciences Day on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from noon to 4 p.m. in the Michael D. Rose Theatre. This event is free and open to the public and includes lunch and a health sciences information fair. Please RSVP by Thursday, October 29 by calling 901.678.5454, sending an email to cywshngt@memphis.edu or stopping by 107 Scates to sign up.

Representatives from the following schools will be in attendance to field your questions about specific programs and admission requirements: Southern College of Optometry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, University of Arkansas College of Medicine, Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy, Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Meharry Medical College, University of Memphis School of Public Health, and more.

EVENT SCHEDULE

12:00 - 1:15 Luncheon. Available to students, admissions officials, program representatives, faculty, and staff. RSVP required.

12:30 Luncheon Address. Hiatt Family Lecture: “Characteristics of the Best Providers of Healthcare” by Gary Shorb, President and CEO of Methodist-Le Bonheur Healthcare System

1:15 - 2:00 Health Sciences Information Fair

2:00 – 4:00 Panel and small group discussion with admissions officials

3. Announcement of NIH-MD/PhD Programs.

Please Note:  This message is being sent as a service to the NIH; kindly direct your inquiries to them at the address below.  Thank you.

Dear Health Professions Advisors,

We would like to remind you and your advisees of opportunities for combined-degree training in the NIH MD/PhD Intramural Partnership Training Program (http://gpp.nih.gov/Prospective/InstitutionalPartnerships/MSTPatNIH/ ). This innovative program allows MD/PhD students to obtain all or part of their research training in one of the more than one thousand biomedical research laboratories in the NIH intramural research program and maintain eligibility for medical school training at most of the MSTP-funded M.D./Ph.D. programs around the country.

For most students in this program, the Ph.D. is obtained from one of  NIH’s graduate partnership Ph.D. programs (http://gpp.nih.gov). The  NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Ph.D. Program (http://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov ) , has been particularly popular among students pursuing M.D./Ph.D. training at NIH. This accelerated doctoral program allows students to set up dual-mentored Ph.D. research projects involving laboratories at NIH and at either Oxford or Cambridge universities in England. This program is also compatible with holders of Rhodes, Marshall, Gates or other international scholarships to study in the U.K.  The program has grown considerably, and we now have fifty MD/PhD students who are doing research at NIH in partnership with more than twenty medical schools across the country. Approximately forty of these students are in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge scholars program.  Graduates have gone on to top residencies at institutions such as New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and Children’s Hospital in Boston. While students are on our campus for their research, we have arranged for longitudinal preceptorships in our clinical center, the nation’s largest and most advanced research hospital.

We are asking for your help in encouraging exceptionally high achieving, independent and focused students to apply for partnership training at NIH in conjunction with M.D./Ph.D. programs that participate in the MSTP. Your advisees applying to M.D./Ph.D.  programs for Fall 2010 admission are eligible to apply for NIH partnership training in parallel with their current applications to medical schools. The free application can be accessed from the GPP web site: http://gpp.nih.gov. Applicants not currently enrolled in medical school should select track 1 of the NIH MD/PhD partnership training program in addition to their choice of Ph.D. program. The program web site explains the different training tracks supported by this program. This year’s application deadline is January 4th, 2010.

I have attached program flyers for the M.D./Ph.D and OxCam programs, and I would appreciate your passing these on to your colleagues and advisees. We have a teleconference scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 8 PM EST and other recruitment events this fall. Please direct your or your advisees’ inquiries and RSVP for the teleconference to a central email address we have set up for this purpose: mdphd@mail.nih.gov.

Sincerely,

Richard

Richard Siegel, M.D.,  Ph.D.
Senior Investigator, and Acting Chief, Autoimmunity Branch, NIAMS
Chief, Immunoregulation Section
Director  NIH MD/PHD partnership training program
National Institutes of Health
Bldg 10 Rm 13C103A
Bethesda MD 20892-1930
Office: 301  496-3761
Lab: 301 496-5767
Fax: 301 451-5394
Cell: 301 675-3258
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Research/Ongoing_Research/Branch_Lab/Autoimmunity/irg.asp
http://gpp.nih.gov/Prospective/InstitutionalPartnerships/MSTPatNIH/
Email: rsiegel@nih.gov

Disclaimer: The information in this e-mail and any of its attachments is confidential and may contain sensitive information.  It should not be used by anyone who is not the original intended recipient.  If you have received this e-mail in error please inform the sender and delete it from your mailbox or any other storage devices.  National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shall not accept liability for any

4. Today’s podiatrist does it all; that’s what a new video developed by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is promoting. 

Today’s podiatrist does it all; that’s what a new video developed by the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is promoting.  Set to a driving musical backbeat, the “MTV-style” video shows clips from educational, surgical, and practice settings and drives home the point that a career in podiatric medicine is challenging, diverse and rewarding.  Students can view the video and then choose to learn more at their leisure.  The video can be viewed on the APMA website at www.apma.org or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/theAPMA#p/a.

The APMA has recently created exciting, informative, and new ways for students to learn about careers in podiatric medicine.  Last month, another new “testimonial” video was released.  This short video has interviews with podiatrists, students and residents and explores the reasons why they each chose a career in podiatric medicine and what they like best about the profession.  This video can also be viewed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/theAPMA#p/a/u/1/fvDu7oeAzRE or on the APMA career page at www.apma.org/careers .  

 I hope you will view the videos yourself and, most importantly,  send these links to your students. 

 For more information, feel free to contact the APMA at careerinfo@apma.org. 

 Jean DeSaix, NAAHP liaison to Podiatric Medicine

  %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    Jean DeSaix, Ph.D.
    Department of Biology    Coker Hall CB#3280
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280
    Work Phone: 919-962-1068  Home Phone 919-929-1580
    FAX 919-962-1625   email  jdesaix@email.unc.edu
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

5. Robert Woods Johnson Foundation News Digest – October 30, 2009.

RWJF News Digest: Public Health

This frequently updated news digest on the subject of Public Health highlights key articles from major journals and news publications. The digest is a free service of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, by The Advisory Board Company.

Obama Declares H1N1 Outbreak a National Emergency
President Barack Obama has declared the H1N1 flu outbreak a national emergency, giving the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to "waive or modify certain federal requirements involving Medicaid, Medicare, and health privacy rules to speed treatment," the Wall Street Journal reports.

FDA Launches Investigation Into Food Packaging Nutrition Claims
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will launch an investigation into whether the nutrition claims posted on food packaging violate federal food labeling laws, Reuters reports.

Report Suggests New York City Nutrition Labeling Law is Effective at Promoting Health Changes
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has released a report suggesting that a menu-labeling law has helped city residents make more healthful food choices, Reuters reports.

Congress Approves Measure to Extend Ryan White HIV/AIDS Funding
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a measure that will extend for four years funding for the Ryan White Program, which provides primary care and other assistance to individuals with HIV/AIDS, AHA News Now reports.

CDC Leverages Technology to Prepare for H1N1 Pandemic
In anticipation of an H1N1 influenza pandemic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials are leveraging technology to improve the speed and efficiency with which data regarding the virus is collected, Federal Computer Week reports.

California and Nevada RNs Plan Strike Over H1N1 Precautions
Saying that hospitals are not providing workers with adequate protection against the H1N1 virus, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) has announced plans for a major strike involving as many as 16,000 nurses at 39 hospitals in California and Nevada, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Rhode Island Taps E-Prescribing Data to Track H1N1 Outbreak
Rhode Island health officials have tapped electronic pharmacy prescription data to monitor the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus, the Associated Press reports.

Joint Commission Identifies Top 10 Smoking Cessation Programs
The Joint Commission has identified the top 10 smoking cessation programs in the United States, the Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum reports.

Groups Launch Effort to Promote Smoking Cessation Among American Indians
The University of Kansas Medical Center has helped develop a program aimed at reducing smoking rates among residents of Native American Indian reservations, Indian Country Today reports.

RWJF News Digest: Quality/Equality

This frequently updated news digest on the subject of Quality/Equality highlights key articles from major journals and news publications. The digest is a free service of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, by The Advisory Board Company.

HHS Announces Funding for Projects to Target HAIs
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced plans to award $17 million to fund projects aimed at preventing health care-associated infections (HAIs), Modern Healthcare reports.

Some Health Care Workers May Be 'Superspreaders' of Infection
A study published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that health care workers, such as radiologists and physical therapists, may play a disproportionate role in spreading hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), suggesting the need for hospitals to evaluate hand-hygiene compliance "individually, rather than globally," MedPage Today reports.

Study Suggests Electronic Tools Can Improve Patient Outcomes
A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) suggests that consumer health IT applications can help improve outcomes for a variety of diseases and health conditions, Government Health IT reports.

Errors More Common in Teaching Hospitals at Start of Academic Year
A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests that the rate of medical errors among medical interns and residents at teaching hospitals is significantly greater at the beginning of the academic year regardless of trainees' level of clinical experience, Reuters reports.

Rhode Island Taps E-Prescribing Data to Track H1N1 Outbreak
Rhode Island health officials have tapped electronic pharmacy prescription data to monitor the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus, the Associated Press reports.

RWJF Awards Funding for Projects Designed to Reduce Care Disparities
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has awarded grants of up to $258,500 each to seven organizations to support the development and testing of interventions aimed at reducing racial and ethnic care disparities, AHA News Now reports.

Pilot Project in Texas Determines MRSA Reporting to be Burdensome, Costly
A trial study in several Texas counties concludes that requiring health officials to track cases of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is both burdensome and costly, Amarillo.com reports.

Insurer to Reimburse Physicians for Web-Based Patient Consultations
Schenectady, N.Y.-based health insurance provider MVP Health Care has announced plans to begin reimbursing network physicians for conducting Web-based patient consultations, Health Data Management reports.

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6. AAMC STAT, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges: October 26, 2009 edition.

News from the Association of American Medical Colleges

October 26, 2009

• Medical school enrollment continues to rise to meet physician demand
• AAMC helps make the case for research funding
• President signs VA health care funding bill
• Senate tables physician payment deliberations
• On the move

Medical school enrollment continues to rise to meet physician demand

Enrollment in both new and existing U.S. medical schools continues to expand to meet the nation’s need for more doctors, according to new AAMC data. First-year enrollment in the nation’s medical schools rose this year by 2 percent over 2008 to nearly 18,400 students.  Four new U.S. medical schools—Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, The Commonwealth Medical College in Pennsylvania, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, and the University of Central Florida College of Medicine—seated their first entering classes this year, accounting for half of the 2009 enrollment increase. AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., said “the nation’s medical schools are working hard to meet the growing demand for more physicians by boosting their enrollment, but we must also increase the number of residency training slots to prevent a bottleneck in the pipeline of new physicians.”

Information:  AAMC news release

AAMC helps make the case for research funding

On Oct. 21, leaders of the nation's medical schools and teaching hospitals joined with patients, scientists, doctors, and industry leaders to thank Congress and the Obama administration for the medical research funding included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and to urge sustained and significant annual budget increases for the National Institutes of Health. The event helped marked National Medical Research Day and was organized by ResearchMeansHope.org—a campaign to raise public awareness for federal medical research funding. The AAMC is a founding sponsor of the campaign.  During the event, AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., emphasized the importance of a sustained investment in medical research. "The stimulus was the right thing to do, and it came at the right time, but it was a short-term intervention,” he said. “If we think the stimulus has done it all, that would be devastating .”

Information:  AAMC news summary or  http://www.researchmeanshope.org/news.html (event video)

President signs VA health care funding bill

Last Thursday, President Obama signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009, authorizing “advanced-year” funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care programs.  The bill authorizes Congress to appropriate discretionary funds for certain programs like Medical Services and Medical Facilities for one year ahead of the current budget process, starting with fiscal 2011. 

Information: VA summary of legislation

Senate tables physician payment deliberations

The Medicare Physician Fairness Act of 2009, which proposed to increase Medicare payments to doctors by repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) methodology, failed to gain enough Senate support due to Republican budgetary concerns. The bill would also have ended cuts amounting to a 21.5 percent SGR deficit of $245 billion over 10 years.  Majority Leader Harry Reid assured physicians that the Senate would “take care” of Medicare beneficiaries and providers by passing multi-year physician payment relief “after health care reform.”

Information: Official Senate voting summary

On the Move

James Madara, M.D., stepped down as CEO of the University of Chicago Medical Center and Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine effective Oct. 1.  Everett Vokes, M.D., will take on the role of interim dean and CEO.

Elizabeth Nabel, M.D., announced this week she is stepping down as director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to become president and CEO of Brigham and Women’s and Faulkner hospitals in Boston, effective Jan. 1. She replaces Gary Gottlieb, M.D., M.B.A., who became CEO and president of parent organization Partners HealthCare.

Jay Alan Gershen, D.D.S., Ph.D., vice chancellor for external affairs for the University of Colorado Denver, has been named president of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, effective Jan. 15. He will succeed Lois Margaret Nora, M.D., J.D., in the position.

Edward J. Sherwood, M.D., has been chosen as the interim dean and vice president for clinical affairs at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. The appointment took effect Oct. 16.

Academic Medicine online

Caring for patients. Mentoring trainees. Conducting research. Reviewing articles. Those in academic medicine know that these and myriad other necessary duties take much time and effort and often challenge the work–life balance. Recent articles in Academic Medicine, including one in this issue, discuss this topic in the context of a part-time career path. A commentary in this issue also addresses the topic of part-time careers, but warns that simply reducing the hours one is expected to work does not address unrealistic professional expectations heaped on those in academic medicine. www.academicmedicine.org

7. Marginalia: Death Warmed Over returns to CBU!

After a 6-year hiatus, Death Warmed Over returned to CBU on Friday, October 30, for a Lunchtime Benefit Concert for LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center. Here are some photos:

[L-R: Steve Ritter (drums); Dr. Seafarin’ Stan Eisen (keyboard, gong & backup vocals); Screamin’ Matt Vincent (lead vocals); Kathleen “Grace O’Malley” Nelson (flute, cowbell & backup vocals; Rex Browning (guitar & backup vocals); Larry Werewolf Anderson (electric bass, backup vocals)]

Dr. Eisen sounding the gong (which looks a lot like an aluminum frying pan lid) to start AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells”:	Matt Vincent singing lead on Highway to Hell:
Kathleen Nelson leading the line dance for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”:	OOH! GHOULISH!!
Some folks couldn’t attend, but were certainly there in spirit:

Dr. Stan Eisen, Director
Preprofessional Health Programs
Biology Department
Christian Brothers University
650 East Parkway South
Memphis, TN 38104
E-mail: seisen@cbu.edu
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/
Caduceus Newsletter Archives: http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Caduceus.html