We are officially heading into a very busy time of year with commencement just around the corner! There are many exciting things going on at the college, and I am looking forward to working with all of you as we move ahead with implementation of various aspects of the strategic plan.

I spoke at the Houston A&M Club meeting in March, and will be speaking at several other A&M Club meetings throughout the state this month. The Houston A&M Club was very interested in what we are doing, and provided a $1,000 donation to our scholarship fund. Each time I make presentations to external groups I am struck by two things. First, I realize how little is known about the college, and second, I am thrilled to see how excited they are to hear our story. I am very serious about development and outreach, and will be increasingly focused on this area as our development strategic plan takes shape. These A&M Club meetings are an excellent opportunity for us to tell Aggies about our college and I am excited to get the word out.

Please join me in welcoming Lisa Rodriguez to the College of Medicine. Lisa is the new Assistant to the Dean and I am very excited to have her join us.

We are continuing to update the college website. Eventually, the entire website will reflect the “new” look and will be managed by our webmasters. If you have any information to be posted to the website, please contact Summer Morgan (slmorgan@medicine.tamhsc.edu) as all changes and updates must now go through her.

Dr. Sanders Appointed Humanities Department Head

Dr. Chuck Sanders, associate professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Humanities in Medicine, has been appointed department head as of April 1, 2005. Dr. Sanders joined the College of Medicine faculty in 1986 and has served as the course director for the Introduction into Obstetrics and Gynecology course for second year students since 1989. He is also on the OB/GYN staff at the Scott & White Clinic in College Station and the St. Joseph Regional Health Science Center in Bryan.

In addition to his duties as a physician, Dr. Sanders is an active educational researcher. His two latest research projects focus on the development of an educational evaluation instrument to measure medical students’ ability to perform simple suturing, and the identification of predictors for ethical and emotionally healthy physicians.

A Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Sanders holds a B.S. from the University of Houston and received his M.D. degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He completed his residency at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas.

Inaugural Meeting of the Dean’s Leadership Council

The inaugural meeting of the Dean’s Leadership Council was held Wednesday, March 30. The 12-member council was formed to assist the Dean in three primary areas of the college’s development: strategic partnerships with external constituencies, political constituencies and stewardship. The members of the council are individuals who have had successful careers in business, corporate management, medicine, finance and political and public service. The council members are: Mssers. Don Aviles, Jarrell Gibbs, William Heye, Royce Hickman, Michael Humphrey, Jack Matz, Frank Muller, Tim Bryan, Robert Smith and Wendell Williams, and Drs. Mary Pat Moyer and Nora Janjan.

Dr. Colenda opened the meeting by presenting a brief overview of the College from 1981 to present followed by current and future strategic issues and his vision for the growth and prominence for the College of Medicine.

Students Crista Benson, Susanne Carpenter, Brian Dixon, Heather Henderson, Jim Littlejohn, Anastacio Saenz and Elizabeth Ucheoma were invited to attend lunch as student ambassadors. They each spoke about their experiences at the College of Medicine and escorted the Council members on a tour of the College.

Following lunch, Drs. McCallum, Musser, Meininger, Samuel and Baker gave presentations on their respective signature research programs. At the conclusion of the day, the council members summarized the Dean’s goals and how they can assist in achieving them.

The meeting was followed by a dinner at Christopher’s World Grille. In attendance were council members, HSC President Dr. Nancy Dickey, College of Medicine department heads from College Station and Temple and the student ambassadors. The next meeting of the Dean’s Leadership Council is planned for this summer and will be held in Temple.

Research Commercialization Workshop Slated For May 18

The Office of Research is hosting a Research Commercialization Workshop Wednesday, May 18 from 1-5 p.m. in the Reynolds Medical Building. The workshop will feature presentations by ex-faculty and current faculty members from A&M and other university representatives who have commercialized their research efforts into successful businesses.

Guest speakers may include Dr. Paul DeAngelis of the University of Oklahoma and Hyalose, LLC; Mary Pat Moyer of INCELL, LLP, Dr. Gerald Cote, Department Head for A&M Biomedical Engineering and BioTox, Inc., and Guy Diedrich of the Technology Commercialization Center.
More details will follow in the May newsletter. 

Dr. Sohrabji to Speak at Magnolia Tea

The Office of Institutional Advancement is hosting a Magnolia Tea featuring guest speaker, Dr. Farida Sohrabji. The purpose of the tea is to educate ladies in the local community about hormone replacement therapy issues, as well as raise funds for Dr. Sohrabji’s research. Other special guests at the tea will include Brenda Sims, KBTX anchorwoman and HSC President Dr. Nancy Dickey.

The tea will be held Wednesday, May 11 at 2 p.m. at the Astin Mansion in Bryan. Attendance to the tea is by invitation only.

COM Relay for Life Team Hosts Luncheon for American Cancer Society

The College of Medicine Relay for Life team will be hosting a luncheon to benefit the American Cancer Society Friday, April 8 in the lobby of the Reynolds Medical Building. The menu will include fried chicken strips, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, corn, green beans and salad. To-go boxes will be available.

The lunch line will open at 11:30 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $7 each (cash or check only) and must be purchased in advance. For tickets, call 845-3431 or see Rikki Hockenberry in the Dean’s Office.

Medical Mission Spring Break Trip to Mexico

Sixteen students from the College of Medicine, along with 37 others (five area doctors and their families, translators, undergrads and two cooks) headed for Nuevo Laredo over Spring Break for a medical mission trip, March 12-16. Organized by second-year student Paul Burns, the Christian Medical and Dental Association-affiliated group set up four clinics - one in Laredo and three across the border in Nuevo Laredo.

Each day the clinics were held in different locations to reach the maximum local population. Medical students and physicians saw patients at their makeshift sites, which were set up in churches, schoolhouses, primitive homes and an orphanage. The group saw approximately 350 people over the course of two and a half days, and performed histories and physicals, made diagnoses and distributed medication. They took more than 50,000 pills, with medications ranging from antibiotics to pain relievers and vitamins. Congratulations to the group on a job well done!

Houston A&M Club Donates Scholarship Funds

Dr. Colenda visited the Houston A&M Club to serve as guest speaker at a club luncheon Monday, March 21. He spoke to the group of A&M former students about the college’s history, our current state of affairs and plans for the future.

Following Dr. Colenda’s talk, the club presented him with a $1,000 contribution to the College of Medicine’s new Medical Education Diversity Scholarship (MEDS) fund. The Houston group was the first A&M Club to give to the MEDS. The gift was also the first contribution to this new scholarship fund.

2005 Residency Match Results

Fourth-year medical students breathed a collective sigh of relief at the residency Match Day Thursday, May 17 in Temple. Just two months before graduation, members of the class of 2005 learned where they are headed next to continue their medical education.

The 2005 Match Day saw 100 percent of the 66 fourth-year students match with residencies of their choosing through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). Forty-two percent selected residencies in primary care, with 47 percent staying in-state. Twelve students will complete residencies in pediatrics, followed by eight in family practice, and seven each in internal medicine, OB/GYN and general surgery. Sixteen M4s, or 24 percent of the class, were matched with residencies at Scott & White and will remain in Temple. College of Medicine graduates will move all over the country, with students accepting positions in 23 states and the District of Columbia.

GSO Symposium Slated For April 14

The 10th Annual Graduate Student Organization (GSO) Symposium will be held Thursday, April 14 at the Reynolds Medical Building. This year’s event includes students and post-doctoral fellows from all HSC components. The organizing group has arranged for posters, talks, vendors, food and a keynote lecture by Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, Professor of Neurology and Anatomy & Neurobiology, director of the Center for Defense for the Northeast and director of the Center for Immunopathogenesis and Infectious Diseases at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Lipkin is internationally recognized as an authority on the use of molecular methods for pathogen discovery and the role of immune and microbial factors in neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases.

In regards to the judging of the posters, the organizers made a decision to create a new category under which the medical (MD), dental (DDS) and public health (MPH, MSPH) students will compete. The graduate students of the GSBS, which includes all those pursing a Masters or PhD at the COM, IBT, and BCD, will have junior and senior categories. There will be only one oral presentation category that will include everyone choosing this mode of delivery. Thus, there will be four categories total, each with a 1st ($300), 2nd ($200), and 3rd ($100) place.
For more information, Email: hscgso@medicine.tamhsc.edu. 

M2 Student Kamran Hamid Featured in AAMC Reporter

Second-year COM student and comedian Kamran Hamid was featured in the March issue of the AAMC’s magazine, Reporter. The article highlighted Kamran’s comedic pursuits, especially his opportunity to open for Bill Cosby at an A&M First Yell. Check out the article here (PDF file).

COM Students Attend SNMA Conference

Ten College of Medicine students and their advisor, Wanda Watson, attended the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) National Conference, March 24-27 in St. Louis. This year’s SNMA’s annual medical education conference celebrated its 40th annual event with a program entitled “Show Me Success: Transforming Healthcare through Prevention, Intervention and Education.”

Attending the conference were M3 students Brian Dixon, S. Kemi Nurudeen, Ibironke Adelaja, Virginia Smith and Collins Obioha. Representing the class of 2007 were Nakita Moore and Tamara Thomas, as well as M1 students Sam Heardmon, Abby Sokunbi and Che Ornelas.

Texas Medical Association May Meeting

Don't miss out! Be a part of TexMed 2005, the Texas Medical Association's annual meeting, expo and educational showcase, held May 11-14 in Grapevine, Texas.

More than 2,000 Texas physicians attend TexMed, taking advantage of networking opportunities with physician leaders across the state. This year, TexMed offers special programs for medical students - and it's all FREE! Register online at www.texmed.org

Torrington Joins CTVHCS

Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) is pleased to announce that Kenneth G. Torrington, M.D., has joined our staff as Associate Chief of Staff for Education. Dr. Torrington will oversee all educational activities at CTVHCS and will concentrate on medical education programs sponsored by the College of Medicine and Scott and White Memorial Hospital.

While this is Dr. Torrington’s first assignment with the Veterans Affairs, he has a long history of government service, having retired from the U.S. Army September 30, 2004. Some of Dr. Torrington’s military assignments included Chief of the Department of Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center, Director of Education and Training at Tripler Army Medical Center, Deputy Commander for Clinical Services for the 18th Medical Command and 121st General Hospital (Seoul, Korea) and Chief of the Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Service and Program Director for the Pulmonary Fellowship training program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Dr. Torrington is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and American College of Chest Physicians. Since January 2003, he has been an American Medical Association appointee to the Internal Medicine Residency Review Committee. Dr. Torrington’s research interests include fiberoptic bronchoscopy and the diagnosis and treatment of intrathoracic malignancies.

Alexi Person Named COM Employee of the Month

Alexi Person, research assistant in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, has been named the Employee of the Month for April. Alexi graduated from Texas A&M University in May 2000 and has worked in the laboratory of Gregg Wells since October of that year. Her research is focused on the structure and function of ion channels in the nervous system involved in addiction, epilepsy, mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases. Her love for animals is evident in the care she provides for a frog colony as part of her research, and for 14 horses and many pets at her home.

According to Dr. Wells, Alexi is a dedicated researcher who truly enjoys her work and takes great care with every experiment. Her enthusiasm keeps the laboratory running smoothly.

Winners of the Employee of the Month honor receive a congratulatory letter, a reserved parking space for the month and a free portrait package from HSC Communications.

Department of Humanities

Medical Ethics Grand Rounds and Humanities Consultations

The Department of Humanities in Medicine and Internal Medicine will host the April 2005 Medical Ethics Lecture in Temple April 4, in the Sid Richardson Auditorium. The speaker will be Josie Williams, M.D. Dr. Williams is the Director of Quality Patient Safety Initiative at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. Her topic of discussion will be “Ethical Issues in Patient Safety.” Completion of this program will help the participants understand the aspects of a successful patient safety program and describe the ongoing challenges of maintaining patient safety goals. Dr. Williams will also be the facilitator for the April 4, 2005 Medicine and Humanities Consultations. The consultation is a faculty development conference, which will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Halley House in Salado, Texas. The wrap up session and dinner will be provided at the Stagecoach Inn. The Consultation will engage clinicians of medicine and academic humanists in an in-depth exposure to “Ethical Issues in Patient Safety.”

The Gold Humanism Honor Society

The first 10 members of the new Texas A&M Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society have been chosen. Faculty members of the Department of Humanities, several clerkship directors, and the student affairs deans comprised the selection committee. Congratulations to the following ten students from the Class of 2005: Crista Benson, Brad Burns, Rajesh Daftary, Marci Ernsberger, Christopher Kneip, Jared Lund, Lakshmi Nair, Trichelle Newman, Sarjita Shukla, and Rebecca Wiatrek. On March 25, 2005 they were honored at the BAC IV Luncheon in Temple.

Faculty members from the College of Medicine have judged these students as having demonstrated characteristics of the most humanistic physicians. On agreements with the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, humanism is defined as “those attitudes and behaviors that emanate from a deep sensitivity and respect of others, including full acceptance of all cultural and ethical backgrounds. Further, humanism is exemplified through compassionate, empathetic treatment of all persons while recognizing each one’s needs and autonomy. Implicit in this description of humanism is the presence of attributes that include integrity, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and service.”

The Arnold P. Gold Foundation is a public foundation fostering humanism in medicine. The Gold Foundation initiated this national society in medical schools to recognize fourth year medical students who have demonstrated exemplary attitudes and behaviors characteristic of the most humanistic physicians. When medical educators and residency program directors in the late 1990’s expressed the need for a mechanism to identify applicants for internships and residencies that had both outstanding clinical and interpersonal skills, the inspiration for the GHHS began.

OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

USMLE STEP 2 Student Forum

The Office of Education Development (OME) and Office of Student Affairs held a student forum for the third year students on February 22 in Temple. The purpose of the forum was to provide information to assist the students in their preparation for Step 2 of the USMLE. Dr. Kate Fallon, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, presented the results of a survey of fourth year students who took the exam last summer and discussed the past College of Medicine performance on the exam. A panel of fourth year students then shared with the attendees their experiences in preparing for and taking the exam. The students’ evaluation of this first time event was extremely positive so consideration is being given to making this program an annual event similar to the USMLE Step 1 Forum held annually for the last four years.

OME Exam Question Item Writing Workshop

The OED has developed an Exam Question Item Writing Workshop based on the faculty development workshop that was presented last Fall by representatives of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). This OED workshop was recently presented to one of the Basic Science departments at their faculty meeting. Other departments or course faculty interested in having the OED present this workshop should contact Tom Peterson in College Station or Ben Green in Temple.

Audio Seminar Series on “Learner Centered Education”

The International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE) is currently offering a webcast audio seminar series on “Learner Centered Education.” These types of programs are offered on a regular basis by IAMSE and provide valuable and useful information on various topics in medical education. The remainder of the series consists of these one-hour presentations on the following topics and dates: April 5 - “Learning Styles,” April 21 - “Analyzing Learners and Learning Context,” May 3 - “Concept Mapping as a Student Learning Tool” and May 17 - “Student-Centered Academic Counseling.” All of the presentations are at 11 a.m. (CST). The OED has subscribed to this series and any interested faculty may attend any or all of the presentations. Those unable to attend a particular program may still access the PowerPoint presentations of each of these seminars on the IAMSE website at www.iamse.org/development/2005/was_2005_spring.htm. Please contact the OED for more information and locations of the webcasts.

Faculty Review of NBME Shelf Exams

For the last several years the OED has organized a biennial faculty review of the NBME Shelf (Subject) exams in the basic and clinical sciences on both the College Station and Temple campuses. This year we will again be arranging exam reviews for sometime in August. The OED will be sending out announcements and instructions about the program later this spring. Faculty are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity to review the construct, breadth and depth of the NBME Shelf exams.

Undergraduate Medical Education

COM Faculty Active Participants in the Harvard Macy Institute Programs

Kudos to Drs. Rachel Bramson, Department of Family Medicine and Charles Sanders, Department of OB/GYN, who have been accepted into the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Leaders in Health Care Education, June 12-17, at the Harvard Medical School. Drs. Bramson and Sanders have been accepted as a Faculty “Team” who will explore the feasibility of development and implementation of third and fourth year clerkships for our students in the Bryan/College Station area as their project at Harvard.

Dr. Kathleen Jones attended the Harvard Macy Institute Program for Health Care Educators in January and will be returning later this year for the second part of the program. Dr. Jones is actively soliciting faculty input and assistance for her project on developing an integrated 4-year curriculum on Renal/GU disease. For further information, contact Dr. Jones by email (kajones@swmail.sw.org).

Curriculum Coordinating Group “P&G” Document Endorsed by the Curriculum Committee

On March 2, the COM Curriculum Committee endorsed the Curriculum Coordinating Group’s “Principles and Guidelines for Curriculum Development” document. The P&G document and a proposed model for curricular revision will be submitted to the Academic Council for approval later this year. Faculty review and input is crucial to curriculum development. Copies of the P&G document and proposed curriculum model (still under development) can be obtained by contacting Pam Wilson in the Office of Education Development (pwilson@swmail.sw.org or 254-724-6190).

Upcoming Faculty Development Programs

May 23, 2005, 1-5 pm, College Station, Site TBA
“Developing an Integrated Course” and “Use of Non-Traditional Classroom Teaching”
Facilitator: Dr. Dee Silverthorn, University of Texas at Austin, Former Chair of the Teaching Section of the American Physiologic Society.

June 17, 2005, 1-5 pm, Scott & White Education Center Room R110
“Curriculum Development Seminar” (focus on ACGME competency-based curricula)

August 19, 2005, 1-5 pm, Scott & White Education Center Room R110
“The ACGME Outcome Project”
Facilitators:
Paul E. Ogden MD
Director of Faculty Development/Scott & White

Kenneth G. Torrington MD
Member Internal Medicine RRC
ACOS for Education at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

RESEARCH

Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Dr. David McMurray received a Notice of Award from NIH for the next seven (7) years (2004-2011) of funding for his subcontract (N01 AI-40091) to Colorado State University, entitled “Tuberculosis Vaccine Testing and Research Materials.” The total award to his laboratory (direct plus indirect) is $2,094,966.

Robb Chapkin and Dr. McMurray were informed that an intramural application for one year of funding from the USDA-CSREES Designing Foods for Health Program has been approved. They will receive $49,000 for the collaborative project, entitled “Anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids: potential enhancement by citrus flavenoids.”

FACULTY

Academic Affairs

Dr. Jose Pliego, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and Medical Director for Clinical Simulation, is presenting a poster at the AAMC’s SGEA/SGSA 2005 annual meeting April 6-9, 2005 in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The title is "Teaching Medical Students How to Perform Technical Procedures" and the investigators are Dr. Pliego and Dr. Sandra Oliver, Director of Educational Research and Development.

Human Anatomy and Medical Neurobiology

Terasa Prock, a MD/Ph.D. student in Dr. Rajesh Miranda's laboratory, was awarded a NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship from The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, to support her research on the impact of alcohol abuse on stem cell fate in the developing nervous system.

Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Dr. David McMurray chaired the 32nd Annual Texas Human Nutrition Conference which took place in Rudder Theater on February 3-4. The conference is organized and sponsored each year by the Intercollegiate Faculty of Nutrition. This year’s conference, entitled “Going for the Gold: Optimal Nutrition for Sports and Exercise Performance,” was co-sponsored by the Huffines Institute for Sports Medicine and Human Performance and the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Approximately 250 attendees from around the state heard talks by international experts. Dr. McMurray's three-year term as the Chair of the planning committee has ended, and he has left the committee after a total of 22 years of service.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Harrison LM, Cherla RP, van den Hoogen C, van Haaften WCE, Lee S-Y, Tesh VL. (2005) Comparative evaluation of apoptosis induced by Shiga toxin-1 and/or lipopolysaccharides in human monocytic and macrophage-like cell lines. Microbial Pathogenesis 38:63-76.

Harrison LM, van den Hoogen C, van Haaften WCE, Tesh VL. Chemokine expression in the monocytic cell line THP-1 in response to purified Shiga toxin-1 and/or lipopolysaccharides. Infect. Immun. 73:403-412 [2005].

Switzer KC, McMurray DN, Chapkin RS. (2004) Effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on T-cell membrane composition and function. Lipids 39: 1163-1170.

• April 8 - COM Relay For Life Luncheon, Reynolds Lobby, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

• April 14 - GSO Symposium, Reynolds Medical Building

• May 11 - Magnolia Tea, Astin Mansion, 2 p.m.

• May 14 - First Annual Dean’s Golf Tournament, Texas A&M University Golf Course, 7 a.m.

• May 18 - Research Commercialization Workshop, Reynolds Medical Building, 1 - 5 p.m.

• May 21 - College of Medicine Commencement, Rudder Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.

Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H.
Dean, College of Medicine
The Texas A&M University Health Science Center
147 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building College Station, TX 77843-1114
Phone:979-845-3431
Fax:979-847-8663
Email: Colenda@medicine.tamhsc.edu