Deaf History Month is celebrated each year from March 13 to April 15 to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The month is celebrated over these dates in recognition of three key events in the history of the deaf community in America.
For practicing Muslims, the evening of Monday, April 12, marks the beginning of Ramadan which continues through May 12. The pillars of Islam include: Declaring belief in one God (Allah), Prayers (Salah); Fasting (Saum); Charity (Zakah) and Pilgrimage (Hajj). Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for Muslims and those who observe, fast from dawn until sunset. Fasting is both physical and spiritual. Charity is also very important in Islam, and even more so during Ramadan. Extra prayers are recited and Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Quran during Ramadan.
To all who are celebrating, may you have a peaceful Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak.
Mitch
Please join us in welcoming our Pediatrics Intern Class of 2024, our Med-Peds Intern Class of 2025, our Pediatrics-Genetics Intern of 2025, and our Child Neurology Intern Class of 2026! We are so proud to have these incredibly strong, academically talented interns joining our residency programs in June.
Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This observance occurs during Holy Week on the Friday before Easter Sunday. In the Christian religion, Holy Week consists of five days of special significance that commemorate the events leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The week begins with Palm Sunday and is celebrated with a blessing and procession of palms. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, and many churches host special services in observance of this day. Observances of this day may also include a foot washing ceremony in remembrance of Jesus washing the feet of his 12 disciples at the Last Supper. Good Friday is observed with a service that is often solemn. Holy Saturday, or Easter Vigil, commemorates the time between the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection and is usually observed with a service held after sundown. Holy Week concludes with Easter Sunday which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar and is the culmination of the religious period of Lent – a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice. Holy Week and Easter symbolize forgiveness, rebirth, and God’s saving power.
To all people, may this be a time for renewal, repair, and reflection. Happy Easter.
Mitch
The UAB Department of Pediatrics hosted the 6th Annual Pediatric Science Day last Thursday, March 25 with as an opportunity to illustrate research activities in the department and support collaboration between young investigators. The event included in-person presentations and a simulcast on Zoom for attendees to participate virtually. Presentation topics included clinical research, basic/translational research, clinical case reports, and quality improvement.
Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, professor in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been appointed an associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO). In this role, Dr. Bhatia will assist the editor-in-chief in selecting the scientific and editorial content of JCO. She will also oversee and participate in the peer review process. JCO is a premier journal in oncology, with an impact factor of 32.9.
Congratulations Dr. Bhatia!
The Pediatric Fellowship office is seeking applications for the Chu Family Educational Scholarship for Fall 2021. Candidates will be selected on a competitive basis and upon a Review Committee’s analysis of the written application. For the academic year starting in July 2021, one to two candidates will be selected to receive a $5000 scholarship for their chosen educational endeavor.
Applications should be emailed or delivered to Ronda Chandler in the Sergio Stagno Center, 3rd Floor West McWane, no later than Friday, April 16. Scholarship recipients will be announced late May or early June.
Questions? Contact Ann Klasner, M.D. or Ronda Chandler.
Deadline for application: Friday, April 16
The Department of Pediatrics is now seeking applications for the Dixon Fellowship Training Program for the 2023 academic year. The Dixon Foundation endows this Pediatric fellowship training program to prepare, train, and support fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with research emphasis in approved Pediatric subspecialties. Proposals can range from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research. As part of this prestigious award, recipients benefit from salary support and an additional $5,000 per year discretionary funds to support research and continuing education activities.
Sunday March 28- Monday March 29 is Holi, the annual spring festival of colors. Holi is celebrated on the day after the spring full moon on the Hindu calendar. It is observed by many who live in, and those who trace their roots to South Asia. Traditionally, during Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the end of winter. For many it is a day to enjoy, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. Last year, in early March, days before the COVID shutdown, we celebrated Holi at a local Indian restaurant. I look forward to being able to do this again. Although I was quite reserved in the face painting ritual, I would now be much more uninhibited to celebrate Holi.
Saturday, March 27, 2021 is the first night of Passover, the weeklong Jewish holiday that celebrates the re-telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. On this holiday, Jews eat unleavened bread (matzah) to recall when they left Egypt in haste – before the bread had time to rise. The Passover Seder begins by welcoming anyone who is hungry. There are frequent reminders to the participants that through their ancestors, they too were slaves in the land of Egypt. Even though that was more than 3000 years ago, the story of the Exodus resonates with all free people and those who are still striving for freedom and civil rights. The Seder concludes with the remembrance of the meaning of freedom in each generation: “No one is free unless all are free.” This is the second Passover during COVID. Extended families may choose not to travel but rather to unite by Zoom with all of its technical potentials, e.g., “Uncle Harry you’re still muted.”