DOD Medical Scholarships Going Unclaimed

The Department of Defense was able to award only 162 Health Professions Scholarships last year, falling far short of its recruitment goal of 291 medical and dental students.

Health Professions Scholarships are the means by which the U.S. military services recruit most of their medical and dental professionals. In the past, 70 per cent of Navy physicians and 80 per cent of Navy dentists have entered the service through the HPS Program, according to an article in the Army Times.

Health Professions Scholarships pay for recipients' tuition and textbooks and provide a montly living stipend of $1,292. Recipients agree to perform one year of active military service for each year of schooling that was funded under the program.

The DOD is considering expanding enrollment at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine in order to make up for the medical recruiting shortfall, the Army Times says.

The USU's Edward Hebert School of Medicine currently enrolls about 170 first-year students each year, making it the 15th largest medical school in the U.S. The proposal now under consideration by the DOD could increase its enrollment to as many as 350 students.

Source: "Medical School Could Expand," by Chris Amos. The Army Times, August 22, 2006.

3rd-Year Clerkships Introduced in Montana

Medical students enrolled in the University of Washington's WWAMI program now have the opportunity to pursue their third-year studies in Montana.

The program, being introduced this fall, is open to up to 12 students who are either from Montana or interested in practicing medicine in Montana.

The students will pursue rotations in family medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, and psychology. 6 students will be based in Billings and 6 will be based in Missoula.

Montana is one of five states that support and fund the WWAMI program. Montana students accepted to it complete their first year of medical studies at the Montana State University in Bozeman and their second year at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle.

Source: "Doctors-to-Be Can Spend More Time in State," by Ed Kemmick - the Billings Gazette, August 19, 2006

Case Western Dean Moving to Stanford

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Dean Ralph I. Horwitz, M.D., has been chosen to head the Department of Medicine at Stanford University's medical school, effective December 1.

During his tenure at Case, Dr. Horwitz helped create and implement an innovative curriculum that integrates medicine and public health. He also increased the number and quality of Case's teaching, research, and clinical staff, and oversaw the establishment of the new Case Medical Center.

Prior to joining Case as Dean, Dr. Horwitz taught at the Yale University School of Medicine. His achievements there include nearly doubling the amount of funding for research and establishing the first Ph.D. program in the clinical department of a U.S. medical school. As long-time co-director of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program, Dr. Horwitz encouraged physicians to work across disciplinary lines and to take an active part in setting health care policy.

Dr. Horwitz's own research into cancer, vascular diseases, and other conditions is seen as ground-breaking. He is credited with helping to formalize the field of clinical investigation and outcomes research.

A press release from Stanford University Medical Center cites Dr. Horwitz as saying that he cares deeply about "civic professionalism." He believes that physicians should respect the social contract between the medical profession and the general public and take an active part in restoring public trust in physicians. His many professional memberships and activities include being recently named to the advisory committee to the director of the National Insititutes of Health, a group that focuses on public policy concerning medicine, biomedical research, and biomedical communications.

Source: "Case Western Med School Dean to Chair Stanford Department of Medicine." Press release, Stanford University Medical Center (Stanford, CA), August 21, 2006.

New Dean Praises 'Internal Collaboration' at U of Buffalo

Michael E. Cain, M.D., has been named Dean of the University of Buffalo's School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, effective November 1.

Cain comes to Buffalo from Washington University in St. Louis, where he is currently the Tobias and Hortense Lewin Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Program. He has also served as a professor of biomedical engineering.

Cain is highly regarded for his accomplishments as a researcher, clinician, manager, and educator. Satish K. Tripathi, UB provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, told a local paper that Cain is expected to "provide the vision and leadership to realize the goal of [turning the UB School of Medicine into] a top-tier, nationally ranked medical school recognized for its integrated health-sciences approach to medical education and innovative biomedical research."

Dr. Cain was impressed by UB's commitment to excellence and internal collaboration. He hopes that these strengths can be combined with strategic planning to promote innovative, inter-disciplinary approaches to medicine and science.

UB is part of the State University of New York system. The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is committed to training both researchers and practitioners. The goal of its M.D. program is to prepare "undifferentiated" graduates who are prepared to enter and excel in any existing or emerging medical field.

Source: "Michael Cain Named Dean of UB Medical School" - press release, University of Buffalo, August 16, 2006

Wake Forest Students Honored for Research

Five doctoral candidates in the molecular medicine program at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine were recently honored by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health for their research. Each student received a cash award to further their work.

The students are:

- Lan Coffman - for research into the development and growth of blood vessels that nourish tumors

- Dawn Delo - for research into cardiovascular regenerative medicine

- JaNae Joyner - for research into the interaction between pregnancy and blood pressure

- Manisha Nautiyal - for research into the role of enzymes in muscle wasting

- Jill Wykosky - for research into anti-cancer drugs that will target brain cancer cells

Wake Forest's MD/PhD program is taught jointly by the University's School of Medicine and its Graduate School. The program's philosophy is to provide students with a thorough education both as clinicians and as researchers. The program seeks applicants who have outstanding academic records and who show the potential and enthusiasm to conduct research beyond the college level.

Sources:

"WFU Student Researchers Win Awards" - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area, August 14, 2006

"MD-PhD Program: Medical Research for the New Century" - webpage, Wake Forest University School of Medicine (www1.wfubmc.edu/PTCR/MD+PhD+Program/)

Planned UC Med Schools Get $5m Boost

UnitedHealth Group has made matching $5 million donations to support the planned establishment of medical schools at UC Merced and UC Riverside.

The funds will be used over three years to help develop medical and health science education programs at the two UC campuses. Specific uses of the money include paying for initial studies and faculty salaries.

UC Merced hopes to establish a medical school providing first- and second-year classes to 32 students within the next ten years. Students would complete their medical studies at the Fresno campus of UC San Francisco. Ultimately, it is hoped that the Merced school would teach all four years of the medical curriculum and graduate as many as 1oo students each year.

Source: "UC Merced Medical School Gets $5M Infusion," by Denny Boyles of the Fresno Bee - carried by the Modesto Bee, July 28, 2006.

Florida Hopsitals Plan to Add Teaching Residencies

Five Palm Beach County hospitals plan to add teaching residencies over the next three years, according to a local newspaper.

The Palm Beach Post says the new residency programs are being planned in coordination with the expansion of Florida Atlantic University's Miller School of Medicine. Miller opened a satellite campus in Boca Raton in 2005 and has been using the facilty for 3rd- and 4th-year students. Beginning in 2007, medical students will be able to take all four years of classes at the Boca Raton campus.

The hospitals planning to add residencies are:

• Boca Raton Community Hospital
• Delray Medical Center
• JFK Medical Center (Atlantis, FL)
• Bethesda Memorial Hospital (Boynton Beach, FL)
• St. Mary's Medical Center (West Palm Beach)

The JFK Medical Center hopes to have 48 residents on staff, beginning in 2008. Bethesda Memorial Hospital and Boca Raton Community Hospital hope to have residents by 2o10 at the latest.

As many as 300 residency positions could be available in Palm Beach County by 2012, a Florida Atlantic University official said.

Columbia Hospital in West Palm Beach currently has a small residency program in internal medicine and dermatology. Officials there say that about half of their residents decide to remain in the county and practice medicine after completing their residencies.

Source: "Local Hospitals Take on Task of Teaching," by Phil Galewitz. The Palm Beach Post, August 7, 2007.