Last spring, controversy swept across the country when the National Board of Medical Examiners changed outcomes reporting on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 exam from three-digit scores to simply pass or fail. This week, Dr. Craig Hoesley (SOM Sr. Associate Dean for Medical Education) and Dr. Lisa Willett (DOM Vice Chair for Education and IM Residency Program Director) teamed up to present the issue from both undergraduate and graduate medical education perspectives, as well as providing an update of COVID-19's impact on the medical training environment at UAB. If you missed the discussion, you can view the recorded session online. You can also find Dr. Willett's perspective article in the latest issue of the NEJM.
More Good News for June 17, 2020
Min Xie, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Disease) received a grant from the UAB Diabetes Research Center to study why diabetic patients have a larger heart attacks and worse clinical outcomes. His study hypothesizes that long term exposure to ketone bodies blunts the normal response to heart injury. Kudos, Dr. Xie!
Ellen Eaton, MD (Assistant Professor, Infectious Diseases) will serve as the UAB site Principal Investigator for an NIH-sponsored multi-center collaboration to assess opioid use disorder, HIV, and hepatitis C outcomes among hospitalized persons who inject drugs. Congrats, Dr. Eaton!
Ronit Elk, PhD (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) has published the results of a culturally based palliative intervention for elders living with serious illness in the rural South. The model, designed through community-based participatory research, addresses the unique cultural values and beliefs for both Black and White ethnic groups.
Surya Bhatt, MD (Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine) has edited a new book on "Cardiac Considerations in Chronic Lung Disease" with help from UAB colleagues Keith Wille, Victoria Rusanov, Mark Dransfield, Trisha Parekh, and Indranee Rajapreyar. Great work, Dr. Bhatt!
Rodney Tucker, MD, MMM (Professor, Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care) has received the Hastings Center Cunniff-Dixon Senior Physician Award in recognition of his exemplary service to patients near their end of life. Three cheers on this well-deserved recognition, Dr. Tucker!
Mona Fouad, MD, MPH (Professor & Director, Preventive Medicine) and Bill Curry, MD (Professor, General Internal Medicine) will present "Community Testing and Engagement" at Medical Grand Rounds next Wednesday, June 24, at noon, via Zoom. MGR will resume on September 2, 2020. Register here!
Over the past few weeks, we have had several opportunities to hear from Black faculty and trainees at UAB about their personal experiences and perspectives on systemic racism. In their wisdom and grace, some of our colleagues have offered their recommendations for learning and, for those so-inclined, for action.