at workgifts

School of Medicine on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Campus

spring 2012

Putting Fourth Year to Good Use

Becauseofthepressuretofitmoretrainingintolesstimeduringresidency,thefourthyearofmedicalschoolisbecomingincreasinglyimportantfordevelopingskillsforinternship.OntheMCVCampus,studentsareputtingthattimetogooduse.Thisyear,amonth-longcoursewasintroducedtohelpM4stransitionfromtheroleofastudenttotheresponsibilitiesthatcomewithbeingahospitalintern. Inthecourse,studentsonICU,AnesthesiologyorEmergencyMedicinerotationsspendtimeintheCenterforHumanSimulationandPatientSafetyeachweek,encounteringscenariosdesignedtomimiccommonpatientsituations.Forexample,howdoyoubegintoassessapatientwhosuddenlybecomesunconscious?Orhowdoyoustarttorunacodewhenyourecognizeapatientisnotbreathingandhasnopulse? “Alongtheway,theylearnnotonlyhowtomanageasuddenlycriticallyillpatient,butalsohowtoworkinateam,delegateresponsibilityandknowwhentocallforhelp,”saidAlanDow,M.D.,H’04,assistantdeanformedicaleducation.“Ourgoalisforthemtobemorereadytotakecareofpatientsondayoneofinternship.”

ThesekindsofsimulationscenariosareahallmarkoftheMCVCampusexperience.U.S.Newsrecentlyspotlightedatwo-sessionworkshopinthesimulationcenterduringwhichstudentsfromtheMCVCampus’schoolslearnedwhatskillsdifferentprofessionals

bringtothetable.ThatapproachtointerdisciplinarytraininghasbeenmadepossiblethroughgrantsfromtheDonaldW.ReynoldsFoundationandJosiahH.MacyJr.Foundation.•••

Meet a few members of the Class of 2012

As they marched in graduation ceremonies and went forward to claim their medical degrees, the Class of 2012 had good reason to celebrate.

Match Day had brought the news that they had beaten the national average in terms of the percent of students who secured one of their preferred

matches. Primary care specialties proved attractive this year with 38 percent of the students matching into Internal Medicine, Family Medicine

and Pediatrics. Students also succeeded in placing into this year’s most competitive specialties, including Dermatology, Orthopaedic Surgery and

Otolaryngology. In addition, all of the M.D.-Ph.D. students got either their first or second choices at research-intensive programs that are among

the leaders in their specialties.

Goonlineforvideoandphotosaswellasalistofthestudents’matchdestinationshttp://go.vcu.edu/GAWSpring12

Match Day!

School

Class of 2012

Graduation

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Medical

http://go.vcu.edu/GAWSpring12

A former nurse midwife who dreamed of a career in surgery …. A cycler who rode across the

U.S. to raise money for cancer research … the student who decided to miss Match Day so that

she could go on a mission trip to El Salvador … the founder of a bioinformatics company who

sees similarities between being a CEO and a

multi-tasking family medicine physician.Goonlinefortheirstoriesat

ReunionWeekendisagreattimeforalumnitoplugintothelifeofthemedicalschool.Thisyear,themorethan200alumniwhoreturnedtotheMCVCampusnotonlycelebratedtheanniversaryoftheirmedicalschoolgraduation.Theyalsoreconnectedwithclassmates,advisedcurrentstudentsandgotafirst-handlookatnewfacilitiesliketheCenterforHumanSimulationandPatientSafety. TheClassGivingprogramgavealumnithechancetosupportschoolprioritieswithreuniongivingtotalingmorethan$825,000.AlumnifromtheClassesof1962,1972and1977chosetosupportthenewMedicalEducationBuilding,withtheclassof1972leadingtheway.Theother

Alumni Give BackReunion

Alumni of the medical school are making a difference on campus today. Their generosity with their time, expertise and financial resources shapes our students’ experiences.

The Outstanding Medical Alumnus Award went to Diane J. Sansonetti, M’77, H’85, who took what she’d learned under the tutelage of transplant pioneer Dr. Dick Lower to New Mexico, where she established that state’s first heart transplant program. Later, when joint deterioration forced her to make a career change, she chose the emerging field of hospice and palliative medicine as an avenue for continuing to care for patients including some who’d been her surgical patients decades before.

H. George White, Jr., M’62, was recognized with the Caravati Service Award. In the 50 years since his graduation, the school, medical center and university have benefitted from his leadership as Vice-Rector and Rector of the VCU Board of Visitors and as a member of the Executive Committee of the MCV Hospitals Authority. Dr. White remembers learning first-hand from Dr. Caravati the importance of listening to patients, working hard to provide the best care and seeking wisdom throughout life. When Dr. White accepted the award, he said he hopes his service to the School of Medicine was an opportunity to pass Dr. Caravati’s wisdom onto another generation of physicians.

On grandpa’s farm For 36 years, the Class of 1969’s A. W. “Gus” Lewis practiced out of his father’s office and lived on his grandfather’s farm, where he built a lifestyle that included milking goats and making chèvre. Along the way he’s been a resource for countless medical students, serving as a preceptor for 35 years as well as on international medical missions trips and most recently on the Admissions Committee. “Some of my colleagues have said they think having students in the office would be a distraction, but for me it was always a pleasure. Teaching is helpful to me because it keeps me on my toes.” In his retirement, he’s interviewing applicants, helping to spot students who are good candidates for the school’s new FM STAT program, a specialized Family Medicine track. Chair of Family Medicine Tony Kuzel, M.D., said “Thousands of patients are now receiving care by well-trained family physicians because of Gus Lewis’ devotion to medical education.”

Metal-sculpting physician forges scholarship A 1962 ad in Life magazine inspired Dr. E. John Saliba to enter medical school. Shot on the MCV Campus, the ad touted the rigors of drug testing in the A. H. Robins labs, but it was the medical field’s inherent chal-lenges that sparked Dr. Saliba’s imagination. To his surprise, he had the chance as a medical student to star in his own Robins ad, this one describing the costly burden of medical training – and this at a time when an in-state student like Dr. Saliba would have paid less than $2,000 in yearly tuition and fees. Fast forward forty-plus years. Dr. Saliba has retired from a 30-year emergency medicine career in Chicago and found a passion for metal sculpture. Meanwhile, graduating students face an average debt of more than $156,000. Dr. Saliba has helped out on this front for many years by making leadership-level gifts to the Annual Fund. But last year, he raised the bar and endowed a $25,000 scholarship fund that will bear his name. “I expect to add to it every year as conditions allow,” Dr. Saliba said, “so that it will be truly helpful to students in need.”

Two alumni from the Class of 1969 have stayed engaged with their alma mater. Here’s a snapshot of how they’ve made a difference. You can go online to read the rest of their stories at http://go.vcu.edu/GAWSpring12.

Alumni Profiles

Reunion Award Winners

TheDisneyfilm“RemembertheTitans”chroniclesthestoryofthestatechampionT.C.WilliamsfootballteamanditscaptainGerryBertierwhowasparalyzedinacaraccidentaftertheseasonended.Whatmovie-goersdon’tknowisthatBertierlivedfor10moreyearsinawheelchair,becomingknownforbothhisadvocacyworkaswellasapersonaltouchwithfellowspinalcordinjurypatients. HisfamilyhaspreservedthatlegacythroughtheGerryBertierNo.42Foundation.Inthepastsevenyears,theFoundationhasraisedmorethan$130,000insupportofspinalcordinjuryresearchandtreatmentintheDepartmentofPhysicalMedicineandRehabilitation. NooneattheFoundationgetspaid,butthey’vebecomeprosathostinggolftournaments,“RemembertheTitans”movienightsand

meet-and-greetswiththeoriginalTitanplayersandcoaches.Inreturn,they’veseentheirhardworktranslateintoimportantequipmentforpatientrehabilitationaswellasthedisseminationofresearchfind-ingsfromstudiesconductedintherehabilitationdepartment.Lastyeartheyhelpedpurchaseafullyequippedvanwithapower-liftthattherehabilitationprogramusestotakepatientsonoutings.FoundationpresidentBuckSuttonlearnedfromGerryhowimportantitisforpatientstolearnhowtonavigateinaworldthatcanbefilledwithobstaclestowheelchairs. “Wewanttogivethespinalcordinjuryprogrameveryopportunitytohelptheirpatients,”Suttonsaid.“Atthesametime,itgivesusaplatformtokeepGerry’slegacyalive.”

Moreonline http://go.vcu.edu/GAWSpring12

Foundation continues work of Gerry Bertier

If you’d like to make a difference for the students, faculty and programs on

campus, you can go online to Make a Gift. www.support.vcu.edu/give/medicine

The White House Comes to Richmond Ourmedicalstudentssatshoulder-to-shoulderwithservicemembersfromnearbyFortLeeasFirstLadyMichelle

Obamaannouncedthenation’scommitmenttoitsveteransandparticularlytoconductingnewresearchintheareasof

Post-TraumaticStressDisorderandTraumaticBrainInjury.TheWhiteHousechoseVCUasthesiteofitsJoiningForces

announcementbecauseoftheDepartmentofPhysicalMedicineandRehabilitation’sstatureasanationalleaderinTBI

researchandasastrongpartnerwiththeHunterHolmesMcGuireVAMedicalCenter.

Alumni Give BackAlumni of the medical school are making a difference on campus today. Their generosity with their time, expertise and financial resources shapes our students’ experiences.

H. George White, Jr.

Diane J. Sansonetti

Getting Involved Richmond-areaalumnicanberesourcesforcurrent

studentsbyservingontheAdmissionsCommitteeor

withtheFoundationsofClinicalMedicinecoursethat

givesM1sandM2searlyclinicalexposure.Depending

onwheretheyliveandpractice,alumnicanalso

participateinotherprogramsby:

•representingthemedicalschoolasanAlumni

Ambassadoratregionaleventsforpre-medstudents.

•preceptingthird-yearstudentsforamonth’s

rotationinfamilymedicineorinternalmedicine

orfortwoweeksinpediatricsorsurgery.

•openingtheirpracticetofourth-yearstudentsfora

community-basedspecialtyelective.

•hostingfourth-yearmedicalstudentswhoare

travelingaroundthecountryfor residencyinterviews.

•advisingstudentsattheannualCareerFair.

•offeringshadowingexperiencesinresearchlabs.

ContactJodiT.Smith,directorofalumniengagement

fortheSchoolofMedicine,atjtsmith@vcu.eduor

(804)628-2248togetinvolved.

sevenclassesinvestedinstudentscholarships,directingtheirgiftstotheAnnualFund. Youcangoonlinetoseephotosfromclasspar-ties,breakfastwithDeanJerryStrauss,campustourswithmedicalstudentsandtheall-classreceptionontheEgyptianBuildingCourtyard.

ScanthisQRcodewithyourmobiledeviceforexpandedcoverageandphotogalleries.

GerryBertier(left),captainofthe1971T.C.Williamsfootballteamwhosestorywastoldinthefilm“RemembertheTitans.”Golfoutings(right)provideopportunitiesformembersoftheDepartmentofPhysicalMedicineandRehabilitationtogatherwiththeoriginalplayersandcoachesfromtheTitansteam.

PostOfficeBox980234 RichmondVA23298 (804)828-9734 www.mcvfoundation.org

ServingtheMedicalCollegeofVirginiaCampusofVirginiaCommonwealth

Universitysince1949andproudtobeapartnerwiththeSchoolofMedicine.MCVF O U N D A T I O NServing the MCV Campus of Virginia

Commonwealth University Since 1949

VCUVirginia Commonwealth UniversityMedical College of Virginia CampusSchoolofMedicineP.O.Box980022Richmond,Virginia23298-0022

Address Service Requested

If you have questions about Gifts at Work, please contact the medical school Development Office, (804) 828-4800, toll-free at (800) 332-8813, or by email at MedAlum@vcu.edu.

Associate Dean for Development: Tom Holland Editor: Erin LuceroContributing Writers: Kristen Coulter and Nan JohnsonPhotographers: Charlie Archambault, Cabay-Fine Photography, Allen Jones, Tu Nguyen, Marc Piscotty, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Kevin Schindler and VCU Creative Services Graphic Design: Kevin Schindler

at workgifts

InthefirstsurgeryofitskindontheMCVCampus,dualdegreealumnusDavidLanning,M.D.,Ph.D.,leda45-memberteamin

asuccessful22-hoursurgerytoseparateconjoinedtwinsinNovember.ItisestimatedthatfewerthansixconjoinedtwinsareseparatedeachyearintheU.S.,andthiscasewasmadeparticularlycomplexinthatthetwinssharedlivers,bileducts,pancreasglands,duodenumandjejunums.Extraordinarycoordinationandinterdisciplinarycooperationwasrequiredfortherareprocedure,separatingallofthesestructuresandthenreconstructingthem.

DenverAlumniGather

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S.Postage

PaidRichmond,VAPermitNo.869

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Dr.LanningrecentlyhadthechancetovisitthetwinsintheirnativeDominicanRepublic,wherePresidentLeonelFernandezReynabestowedthecountry’shighestcivilianhonor,theOrderofChristopherColumbusrankofKnight.ItisanhonorusuallyreservedforDominicancitizensormilitary.“Itwasajoytoseethemandtoseethemdoingsowell,”Dr.Lanningsaidofhisvisitwiththetwins. NowonthefacultyoftheDepartmentofSurgery,Dr.Lanningissurgeon-in-chiefoftheChildren’sHospitalofRichmondatVCU.ButhebeganhisMCVCampuscareerinmedicalschool,firstearninghismedicaldegreein1995andthenaPh.D.inAnatomyin2000.Hestayedontocompletehissurgeryresidencyin2002.

TheSchoolofMedicinehostedacocktailreceptioninDenverlastfall.HeldinconjunctionwiththeAssociationofAmericanMedicalColleges’annualmeeting,facultyandstaffhadthechancetosharethelatestnewsfromtheMCVCampus.

1 Sara L. Trigero, M’11, talks with assistant dean for medical education Alan Dow, M.D., who is a housestaff alumnus of the Department of Internal Medicine.

2 The Class of 2004’s Christine Bong.

3 Every other year, the AAMC meeting gives the medical school the chance to visit a new city and connect with the alumni there.

4 Classmates Gary Bong, M’04, and Long Huynh, M’04.

5 Richard Lane, who earned his Ph.D. on the MCV Campus in 1981, is now professor of neurosciences and assistant dean for admissions at the University of Toledo’s College of Medicine.

Alumnus, now on faculty, leads team

Photo: Richmond Times-Dispatch

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Rare surgery to separate conjoined twins