In its programs and presentations, the 38th Annual Medical Alumni Weekend honored past accomplishments in health care and offered a preview of future proj-ects. The event, held February 18-19 at the Birmingham Marriott, drew alumni includ-ing Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and Alabama’s new Medicaid commissioner, R. Bob Mullins Jr., M.D.

Two lectures helped provide a fuller picture of key medical mo-ments. In the 32nd Annual Reynolds His-torical Lecture, James K. Kirklin, M.D., holder of the John W. Kirklin Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at UAB, discussed the history of heart trans-plantation and mechanical circulatory support. Finis E. St. John IV, president pro-tempore of the Uni-versity of Alabama Board of Trustees, focused on the story of Bryce Hospital and the evolu-tion of care for the mentally ill in Alabama in the 19th annual Constance S. and James A. Pittman Lecture. (View St. John’s full lecture at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org.)

Faculty from the UAB Department of Surgery presented an excellent CME program focusing on new advances in the field. The program was put together by UAB surgery chair Kirby Bland, M.D. ’68, and the CME

Informal RoundsThe Newsletter of the University of Alabama Medical Alumni Association

VOLUME 6 , ISSUE 1 • SPRING 2011

Medical Alumni Weekend Highlights Past and Future

Five leading physicians added a new accolade to their career accomplishments during the annual awards luncheon:

Distinguished Service Award

For superior accomplishments and contributions to the School of Medicine

Edward E. Partridge Jr., M.D. ’73

Hettie Butler Terry Community Service Award

For outstanding commitment to com-munity service

Christopher D. Truss, M.D. ’75

Garber Galbraith Medical-Political Service Award

For outstanding service to the medical profession

Philip W. Tally, M.D. ’82

Honorary Membership

For her commitment to child health and welfare

Marsha Raulerson, M.D.

Distinguished Alumnus Award

In recognition of outstanding contri-butions in the field of medicine and demonstration of the high principles of the medical profession

Governor Robert J. Bentley, M.D. ’68

Medical Alumni Weekend 2012February 3-4Save the Date

Above: (left to right) Martha Pugh, M.D. ’65; Doris Phillips, M.D. ’50;

and Jim Davis

Right: David McGiffin, M.D., resident ’83; and Arnold Diethelm, M.D.

Read more about the honorees and their achievements in the spring/summer issue of UAB Medicine magazine.

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continued on next page

Above: (left to right) Scotty McCallum, M.D. ’57; Walter Gay Pittman, M.D. ’64; Jim Kirklin, M.D., resident ’81; and Kirby Bland, M.D. ’68

Leaders Elected

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President-Elect: Norman McGowin, M.D.

Treasurer: Alan Dimick, M.D.

House Staff Representative: Kevin B. DeAndrade, M.D.

(a PGY-3 resident and president of the House StaffCouncil)

Second District: James H. Alford, M.D.

Fourth District: Lucian Newman III, M.D.

Seventh District: Rufus C. Partlow, M.D.

At Large: J. Noble Anderson, M.D.

At Large: Jim Argires, M.D.

At Large: Norman McSwain, M.D.

Ex-Officio: J. Max Austin, M.D.

Student Representative: Riley Carpenter (class of 2013)

Student Representative: Brittany Holley

(class of 2014 vice president)

committee, which includes Alan Dimick, M.D. ’58; Gerhard Boehm, M.D. ’71; Theodis Buggs, M.D. ’80; and Betty Ruth Speir, M.D. ’63.

Senior vice president and dean Ray L. Watts, M.D., shared his vision for the School of Medicine with alumni and discussed the strategic plans for research, education, and primary care, which have the potential to impact both the school’s growth and the future of health care around the state. Watts encouraged alumni feedback on the plans, which he intends to unveil this summer in partnership with the UAB Health System’s new strategic plan for clinical care.

Alumni enjoyed plenty of opportunities to catch up during the event. The classes of 1947, 1951, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991, and 2001 came together for a reception and dinners to end the weekend. Class chairs Robert Adams, M.D.; John Ashurst, M.D.; Michael Bivins, M.D.; Kenneth Bramlett, M.D.; Julius Dunn, M.D.; Cooper Ha-zelrig, M.D.; Ron Henderson, M.D.; John McCarley, M.D.; John Poynor, M.D.; Martha Pugh, M.D.; James Sawyer, M.D.; Katrina Skinner, M.D.; Darlene Traffanstedt, M.D.; and Frank Waldo, M.D., helped coordinate the reunions.

continued from cover

During Medical Alumni Weekend, the Medical Alumni Association voted in new board members and reelected others:

(Clockwise from center photo) Wiley Truss, accepting the award for his father, Christopher Truss, M.D. ’75; Philip Tally, M.D. ’82; Theodis Buggs, M.D. ’80, and new MAA president Gerhard A. W. Boehm, M.D. ’71; Marsha Raulerson, M.D.; Ed Partridge, M.D. ’73

Type in “UASOM Medical Alumni Association” on Facebook, and you’ll discover 600 friends representing different classes throughout the years. You can also post photos to the group, join the discussion on the Wall, and get updates and information from the MAA.

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(Left to right) Former MAA president Theodis Buggs, M.D. ’80, with Governor Robert Bentley, M.D. ’68,

and Finis St. John IV

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UAB Physician Services is spreading the word about the success of its Ambassador Program, a Web-based tool that enables re-ferring physicians to electronically view notes and reports on their patients’ encounters within the UAB Health System. According to UAB communications specialist Christin Brown, nearly 1,000 physicians were partici-pating in the program as of January 2011,

and more than 15,500 patients had been linked to the online portal.

The Ambassador Program’s secure site al-lows physicians to view complete electronic medical records for both inpatient and out-patient visits, including notes, lab results, procedure reports, and discharge sum-

maries. Feedback has been positive, Brown says. “The program eliminates the need for the physician to request medical records or test results after every patient encounter at UAB.” She also notes that “Ambassador 2.0,” which will provide referring physicians with additional resources, is in the works.

Web Connection Amba s s ado r Pro g ram Link s Re f e r r in g Phy s i c i an s

Equal Access Birmingham AwardsDr. Christopher Truss Award for ServiceJames Taylor

Community Service Award MS-1Anand BosmiaAndrew CampbellPratik Patel

Community Service Award MS-2Milner OwensPatricia GeorgeBrandy Milstead

President’s Award for Excellence in TeachingJoint Health SciencesNathaniel Robin

Clinical SciencesNancy Tofil

Class of 2014Best Lecturer AwardsIntro to Clinical Medicine I: Harish DoppalapudiPatient, Doctor, and Society: Michael SaagFundamentals I: Dale BenosFundamentals II: Ken Waites

Overall AwardsBest Intro Module: Fundamentals IIBest Intro Module Director/Co-Director: Peter Anderson and Ken Waites

Class of 2011Birmingham CampusBest Clinical Instructor: Kevin LeonBest Clerkship: Internal Medicine

Tuscaloosa CampusBest Clinical Instructor: Heather TaylorBest Clerkship: Pediatrics

Huntsville CampusBest Clinical Instructor: Parekha YedlaBest Clerkship: Internal Medicine

Class of 2012Best Lecturer for MS-2 Organ ModulesReproduction: Carrie Elzie

Overall AwardsBest MS-2 Organ Module: EndocrineBest MS-2 Organ Module Director/ Co-Director: Shawn Galin and Hussein Abdullatif

The Dale J. Benos Award for Excellence in Preclinical Medical Education: Carrie Elzie

Class of 2013Best Lecturer Awards for MS-1 Organ ModulesCardiovascular: Barry RayburnGastrointestinal: Brendon McGuirePulmonary: Kevin LeonRenal: Ashita Tolwani

Overall AwardsBest MS-1 Organ Module: CardiovascularBest MS-1 Organ Module Director/ Co-Director: Barry Rayburn and Silvio Litovsky

The 16th annual Argus Society Awards highlighted the best educators and educational experiences in the School of Medicine as chosen by the students. The February 28 event, presented by the Student Senate and held at the Virginia Samford Theatre, carries on a tradition be-gun in 1996 to honor faculty and departments exhibiting excellence in medical training.

Best and BrightestArgus Awards Honor Top Teacher s and Programs

To register for the Ambassador Program, call UAB Physician Services at (205) 934-6890.

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Becoming a physician involves accepting challenges. For some School of Medicine students, however, the Medical Student Enrichment Program (MSEP) enables them to go thousands of miles beyond their comfort zone—to Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Supported by the Medical Alumni Association and the Ca-duceus Club, the MSEP fosters humanitarian attitudes and cross-cultural understanding among future physicians through international research or patient interactions. Kathleen Nelson, M.D., senior associate dean of faculty develop-ment, founded the summer program in 1995 to encourage students to take an interest in underserved populations, learn about global medicine, be resourceful, and hone their problem-solving, observation, and communication skills.

Laura Kezar, M.D., associate dean for students and cur-rent MSEP director, says the program provides students with the opportunity to stretch themselves and open their minds to learning so that they can become better doctors. However, she says, students also should be “open to the fact that what they get from the experience may not be what they expected.”

MSEP participant Frank B. “Will” Williams got such a surprise in the summer of 2008. After his first year of medical school, he chose to go to San Jeronimo, Peru, to work in a two-room clinic built by an American physician who was part of a missionary organization.

“My experiences in Peru revised my perceived frame-work of what it means to be a physician and what health care means,” he says. They also shifted his perspective on poverty. Seeing firsthand the stark reality of daily life for people living in an underdeveloped country, Williams real-ized that “telling someone to wash their hands doesn’t really make sense if they don’t have access to clean water. The big thing I learned is how much infrastructure issues factor into health care and how those combine to limit people’s opportunities for success.”

After returning from Peru, Williams enrolled in the M.D./M.P.H. program offered by the schools of Medicine

and Public Health at UAB. He wants to specialize in obstetrics/gynecology “because it’s a field where I can make a difference,” he says. “I want to work with a poor population and do my part to address health inequities.”

This year, more than 20 students applied to the MSEP, Kezar says, and about 10 to 15 will go overseas this summer. An advisory committee of faculty and MSEP/School of Medicine

alumni helps select students for the program and assists them in preparing for their travels. The students decide where they want to go and what they want to do there; the committee reviews each overseas program and tries to make sure it matches up well with each student.

The students spend at least four weeks out of the country, and when they come back, “they don’t talk about what they gave; they talk about what they got from the experi-ence,” Kezar says. She finds it particularly gratifying to see so many students willing to expand their horizons in their quest to become physicians. “Although many medical students today have traveled extensively, we still had six stu-dents this year who had never traveled outside the United States, and some who hadn’t traveled outside the South-east. Those are the students who really have the potential for personal growth.”

No BoundariesMedi ca l Stud en t Enr i chmen t Pro g ram Open s Doo r s and Mind s

Top: Williams cares for a young Peruvian patient. Middle: A street scene in San Jeronimo. Bottom: The clinic where Williams worked in Peru.

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The time-honored tradition of Skit Night took on a new twist March 4. Hosted by the School of Medicine’s Student Senate and the class of 2013 and sponsored by the Medical Alumni Association and the School of Medicine dean’s office, this year’s event raised funds to help create an endowment for Equal Access Birmingham, the nonprofit organization run by School of Medicine students that provides free health care to underserved patients in the Birmingham area.

Medical students provided the evening’s entertainment, which included comedy, musical acts, dance, and more. Some were filmed previously, but most were performed live on stage at the historic Alabama Theater.

If you would like to help support Equal Access Birmingham, Skit Night DVDs and T-shirts are available for sale at Medicine.uab.edu/skitnight.

The class of 2011 received good news on March 17: All of the 168 graduates matched to a residency, exceeding the national average on the most competitive Match Day ever.

More on the Match:• 43 percent of School of Medicine students will train in a primary care field.

• 22 percent matched in a surgical field, 6 percent will pursue emergency medicine, and nearly 6 per-cent will concentrate on obstetrics and gynecology.

• Graduates will do their residencies at 69 hospitals in 29 states.

• 41 percent of graduates in all spe-cialties will remain in Alabama; 74 percent will train in the Southeast.

From Anticipation to CelebrationMatch Day 2011

Showing SupportSki t Night Help s Fund Endowment

Experience the excitement of Match Day through a video of the event at Medicine.uab.edu/matchday.

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Neil E. Christopher, M.D. (1958 graduate), received Auburn University’s Lifetime Achievement Award in March. Four Auburn alumni are selected to receive the award each year.

R. Bob Mullins Jr., M.D. (1968 graduate), was named Alabama Medicaid commissioner in January. He now oversees the agency responsible for providing health coverage to more than 900,000 Alabamians.

Edward E. Partridge Jr., M.D. (1973 graduate, 1977 resident, 1979 fellow), has been named president of the Ameri-can Cancer Society National Board of Directors for 2010-2011. He also serves as director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and chairs the cervical cancer screening guidelines panel for the National Comprehesnive Cancer Network.

Hugh W. Barrow Jr., M.D. (1974 graduate), has retired after 31 years of ob/gyn practice in Spartanburg, S.C., and is now a full-time whitewater kayaker and cave diver. He has been married to Susan for 38 years.

John E. Godwin, M.D. (1978 gradu-ate, 1981 resident, 1982 fellow), has been appointed to the Leukemia Steer-ing Committee of the National Cancer Institute, representing community oncologists. He is professor of inter-nal medicine and associate director of clinical services at the Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University.

Marie E. Beckner (1980 graduate) and her team recently published “Identifica-tion of ATP citrate lyase as a positive regulator of glycolytic function in glio-blastomas” in the International Journal of Cancer.

Charles W. Rush, M.D., P.A. (1980 graduate), has been appointed to the Board of Trustees for HCA Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, Fla.

Peter D. Waite, M.D. (1983 graduate, 1985 resident), is editor of Alveolar Bone Grafting Techniques for Dental Implant Preparation and Principles of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, second edition, volumes 1 and 2.

Georganne Wells Long, M.D. (1984 graduate), serves on the board of Pare-des Breast Imaging Foundation and the board of St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, Va.

Alan L. Schooley, M.D. (1997 gradu-ate), is the chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, N.M. He also serves as executive director of the Malawi Children’s Fund, a nonprofit he

started to fund education and medi-cal care in Malawi. He volunteered at Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi in 2009 and 2010.

Christopher R. Duggar, M.D. (1998 graduate), was named chief of staff for 2009-2010 at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, Ala.

Julia Boothe, M.D. (2002 graduate), has been appointed director of the Tus-caloosa Experience in Rural Medicine at the School of Medicine’s Tuscaloosa campus. She also is president of the medical staff at Pickens County Medical Center.

MEMORIALSWilliam Mayberry Hinson, M.D. (1959 resident), of Selma, Ala., Oct. 18, 2010

Harry Goodgame Collins, M.D. (1961 graduate), of Jemison, Ala., Oct. 28, 2010

Frances Lester Smith, M.D. (1974 graduate, 1977 resident), of New Orleans, La., Feb. 11, 2011

6

Class Notes

Your CME ContactThe Alabama Board of Medical Examiners has increased the continuing medical education requirement for physicians and physician assistants licensed in Alabama to 25 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ or equivalent annually. The UAB Division of CME can help you fulfill your professional development needs with education activities that fit your budget and sched-ule. To learn more, visit the division’s Alabama Practice-Based CME Network Web site at www.alabamacme.uab.edu.

ALABAMAMEDICALALUMNI.ORG

Visit the MAA’s official Web site to access an online alumni directory, pay

dues, learn about upcoming events, make award nominations, and sign

up for the electronic version of Informal Rounds.

7

Gerhard A. W. Boehm, M.D., has always believed that the School of Medicine is one of the nation’s best. Now the newly elected president of the Medical Alumni Associa-tion is eager to share that sentiment during his two-year term.

“I will vigorously promote the interests of the school,” Boehm says. “It’s a true re-source in the Southeast. Many people don’t realize that UAB receives NIH funding. Some neighboring states don’t have that.”

Boehm also looks forward to working with senior vice president and School of Medicine dean Ray Watts, M.D. “He is an inspiration and a really positive per-son,” Boehm says. “I share his enthusiasm and his goals, such as promoting areas of strength for the school.”

Rather than coming in with a new agenda, Boehm intends to support the Medical Alumni Association’s existing pri-orities and current goals. “We already have many fine programs supporting students in the medical school,” he says. He also plans “to increase membership and get people involved.”

Boehm, an Alabama native, originally went to college with plans to become a law-yer. However, “I found it difficult to write good papers,” he says. He also preferred interacting with people and working with his hands, which led him to join the School of Medicine’s class of 1971.

“When I graduated from Duke, the medical school in my home state was one of the premier schools in the country, with names like Champ Lyons, John Kirklin, and Tinsley Harrison,” Boehm says. “The faculty drew me back to Alabama.”

The challenge and diversity of surgery led him into that field, and Boehm moved to Mobile in 1976 to teach surgery at the Uni-versity of South Alabama College of Medi-cine and to open his own practice. “It’s hard,

coming to a new town with a funny-sounding name,” he says. “It takes a while to get a practice going.” Today, he continues to balance roles in academic and clinical medicine, teaching students and residents at the college while perform-ing endocrine and breast surgery in private practice.

Boehm enjoys spending time with his wife, Linda, his three children, and his three grandchildren. He also likes hunting and being outdoors. “I take an annual trip

to England with a group of friends,” he says. This year, “we’re going to North Yorkshire. We usually stay for a week at the start of the pheasant season,” spending some

time in the field and equal time in the city, seeing the sights.

He has no plans to retire anytime soon, however. “I enjoy surgery,” says Boehm, who is marking 40 years since he received his medical degree. “It doesn’t feel like work. It’s very fulfilling.”

Meet the President GERHARD A. W. BOEHM, M.D.

Fellow alumni,

This year’s Medical Alumni Weekend was a great success in more ways than one. The event showcased the positive impact that School of Medicine alumni have made—and continue to make—on our state and nation. For me, it was an exciting beginning to my presidency and a reminder of the legacy that we must uphold.

I am proud to be serving as president and am eager to work with each of you as we come together to support medical students. I also want to thank Dr. Theodis Buggs for his leadership of the Medical Alumni Association over the past two years. His accom-plishments have laid the foundation for continued growth.

I look forward to a continued partnership between the MAA and School of Medicine dean Ray Watts, M.D. One new avenue of collaboration is an exciting new opportunity to help deserving students: the MAA/Dean of Medicine Scholarship Fund. Dean Watts has offered to provide matching support for gifts to the MAA that are designated for School of Medicine scholarships. The combined fund will provide annual awards for students demonstrating solid academic promise. I hope that you will consider contributing to the fund and help strengthen the MAA’s commitment to students. To learn more, contact the MAA office at (205) 934-4463.

Please be sure to take a moment and renew your MAA membership, either with the form included in this newsletter or online at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org. Your dues provide key resources for MAA programs and, in turn, the medical students who will become our future medical leaders.

Let us hear from you. The board, staff, and I are ready to listen to your ideas and feedback.

Best regards,Gerhard A. W. Boehm, M.D. ’71President

From the President

University of AlabamaMEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

MAB1530 3RD AVE S • 811 20th Street SouthBIRMINGHAM AL 35294-2140(205) 934-4463 Fax: (205) 975-7299www.alabamamedicalalumni.org

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Complete and return by mail or fax to the address/number listed at the bottom of this page. You may also contribute online at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org.

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