Category Archives: Medical School

Eric J. Shelton/Reporter-News Abilene Christian University graduate Kate Huggins was recently accepted into the University of Tennessee's medical school.

Throughout her year-plus odyssey to enroll in medical school, Kate Huggins' faith was challenged continually.

After the 2011 Abilene Christian University graduate received the news she had been accepted into Texas A&M her first medical school of choice she learned the university had overfilled its class by 80 students.

To soften the blow, Texas A&M officials offered incentives to students who were open to deferring for a year, including a "significant tuition scholarship." Since Huggins graduated from ACU when she was 21, she was open to waiting a year.

"I decided to take this option and move to Tennessee to explore my relationship with my boyfriend, who is attending medical school at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tenn.," said Huggins, who took her GED to graduate a year early from Abilene Christian Schools.

"I moved to Memphis and after a few months of living there, had decided that I would like to stay if I could. I spoke with the dean of admissions at the University of Tennessee and he encouraged me to sort out the issue with the dean of admissions at A&M."

Huggins, now 22, spoke with the dean at A&M and he agreed to let her apply to Tennessee without losing her spot at A&M within a set time frame. Besides the fact that Tennessee's medical school had 20 fewer spots than A&M's 200-student school, Huggins took a leap of faith by applying on the final day applications were being taken.

"Against huge odds including being told there was 'absolutely no way' by an adviser that Tennessee would accept an out of state med student she applied on the last possible day," said Huggins' father, Dan.

Kate Huggins added: "I had come so far, I was under so much stress that I thought there was at least a very slim chance."

But the allotted two-month time frame came and went without Huggins' hearing from Tennessee. She would now forced to give up her A&M acceptance and "waited in faith" to be accepted at Tennessee.

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Medical school journey tests ACU grad's faith

Public release date: 1-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Janice Guhl janice.guhl@uhhospitals.org 216-844-3825 University Hospitals Case Medical Center

Cleveland, Ohio University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute has launched a new program aimed at supporting physician-scientists seeking to move their research into therapies that will improve patients' lives. Goutham Narla, MD, PhD, formerly at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has been named the first Harrington Distinguished Scholar (Early Career Award). Dr. Narla's research includes the identification and characterization of key genes and pathways involved in human cancer development and progression, and the development of novel drugs to target these genes in various cancers.

The UH Harrington Discovery Institute, launched in February, is the not-for-profit academic medical engine of the Harrington Discovery and Development Project - a first-of-its kind, $250 million initiative that also includes a mission-aligned for-profit commercialization and development company. Aligning these entities, for the first time at an academic medical center, provides a comprehensive model to advance discoveries into development and create novel drugs and therapies for patient care.

Through the Harrington Distinguished Scholars Program, a physician-scientist is chosen to practice medicine at UH Case Medical Center and to hold a faculty position at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Physician-scientists with potential breakthroughs are able to tap into grant funding and a peer network of innovators and mentors within the UH Harrington Discovery Institute's infrastructure to support their discovery efforts. Over the next decade, the UH Harrington Discovery Institute will recruit 10-20 physician-scientists of outstanding promise and with a determined interest in advancing the treatment of patients.

"We will be bringing physician-scientists with a wide range of experience to UH Case Medical Centerthose who have already made exceptional contributions to their research field and others at the beginnings of their research and patient care careers who show extraordinary promise," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, the Institute's Director and Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Narla's research involves a previously unrecognized signaling network of genes that is disrupted in lung cancer. This network can be turned on by a novel combination of two drugs previously approved by the FDA and that may also help to regulate lung cancer progression. The research has just been published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, a prestigious journal for physician-scientists. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.

"My training as a physician-scientist did not prepare me to move clinical discoveries from my laboratory toward commercialization," said Dr. Narla, a medical geneticist at UH Case Medical Center who specializes in the care of high risk cancer patients.

"The added guidance and resources that come with being a Harrington Distinguished Scholar will enable me to bring my discoveries to patients more quickly," added Dr. Narla, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Scholar-Innovator Grants

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Distinguished Scholars Program launches at UH Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute

CLEVELAND, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute has launched a new program aimed at supporting physician-scientists seeking to move their research into therapies that will improve patients' lives. Goutham Narla, MD, PhD, formerly at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has been named the first Harrington Distinguished Scholar (Early Career Award). Dr. Narla's research includes the identification and characterization of key genes and pathways involved in human cancer development and progression, and the development of novel drugs to target these genes in various cancers.

The UH Harrington Discovery Institute, launched in February, is the not-for-profit academic medical engine of the Harrington Discovery and Development Project - a first-of-its kind, $250 million initiative that also includes a mission-aligned for-profit commercialization and development company. Aligning these entities, for the first time at an academic medical center, provides a comprehensive model to advance discoveries into development and create novel drugs and therapies for patient care.

Through the Harrington Distinguished Scholars Program, a physician-scientist is chosen to practice medicine at UH Case Medical Center and to hold a faculty position at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Physician-scientists with potential breakthroughs are able to tap into grant funding and a peer network of innovators and mentors within the UH Harrington Discovery Institute's infrastructure to support their discovery efforts. Over the next decade, the UH Harrington Discovery Institute will recruit 10-20 physician-scientists of outstanding promise and with a determined interest in advancing the treatment of patients.

"We will be bringing physician-scientists with a wide range of experience to UH Case Medical Centerthose who have already made exceptional contributions to their research field and others at the beginnings of their research and patient care careers who show extraordinary promise," said Jonathan S. Stamler, MD, the Institute's Director and Director of the Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine at UH Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Dr. Narla's research involves a previously unrecognized signaling network of genes that is disrupted in lung cancer. This network can be turned on by a novel combination of two drugs previously approved by the FDA and that may also help to regulate lung cancer progression. The research has just been published online in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, a prestigious journal for physician-scientists. The work highlights how understanding the basic mechanisms regulating cancer development and progression can lead to new uses for existing FDA approved drugs in the treatment of cancer.

"My training as a physician-scientist did not prepare me to move clinical discoveries from my laboratory toward commercialization," said Dr. Narla, a medical geneticist at UH Case Medical Center who specializes in the care of high risk cancer patients.

"The added guidance and resources that come with being a Harrington Distinguished Scholar will enable me to bring my discoveries to patients more quickly," added Dr. Narla, who is also an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Institute of Transformative Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Scholar-Innovator Grants In addition to the Distinguished Scholar program, UH Case Medical Center has recently launched a grant competition to physician-scientists across the country. The Harrington Scholar-Innovator grants will offer to support the translation of research from laboratory to early development stages.

Up to 10 physician-scientists each year will be supported with Harrington Scholar-Innovator grants of up to $200,000 over two years. Guiding the selection of the grant winners are seven prominent physician-scientists who have recently joined the UH Harrington Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board, among them Dr. Stamler.

"These grants are intended to ensure that physician-scientists can advance their discoveries and their careers that are dedicated to furthering University Hospitals Case Medical Center's mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover," added Dr. Stamler.

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Distinguished Scholars Program Launches at University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Harrington Discovery Institute

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(From left to right) Dr. Michael Richards, Dr. Robert Churchill, Dr. Kenneth Rall

COLUMBIA, MO -- Updated, 1:25 p.m.: Possible billing fraud in the Department of Radiology in the University of Missouri School of Medicine prompted the university to hire an outside law firm to investigate in November of last year. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Kansas City had told the university that a federal investigation was underway.

Harold A. Williamson Jr., M.D., vice chancellor of the University of Missouri Health System, announced Friday that health system officials are making substantive changes in the School of Medicines Department of Radiology as the result of an internal university investigation.

In addition, Williamson announced that Robert Churchill, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, has officially announced his plans to retire and will leave the university in October.

"As the result of our investigation, we believe that two radiologists, Dr. Kenneth Rall and Dr. Michael Richards, violated Medicare and hospital rules by certifying that they had performed services that were actually performed by resident physicians," Williamson said.

"We were shocked and disappointed to learn about this, because any kind of fraud is entirely inconsistent with our health systems values, our mission, and our commitment to patient care," said Williamson, who has served as a physician at MU for 30 years, including 10 years as chair of MUs nationally recognized Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Williamson said the top concern of health system officials throughout the investigation was the possible impact on patients.

"Although we are in the early stages of the investigation, we have reviewed millions of lines of computer data and conducted lengthy interviews with many medical professionals. Thus far we have found no evidence that patient care was compromised," Williamson said.

Health system officials made the preliminary findings public today because "the finding of fraudulent billings was troubling enough that we felt we needed to act immediately," Williamson said.

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Major announcement at MU's medical school

The Irish Times - Friday, June 1, 2012

SEN FLYNN, Education Editor

THE NEW entry and selection test for entry to medicine known as the Hpat has done little to widen access to the profession, according to a draft review for the Higher Education Authority.

The review also concludes that students who can afford to take expensive preparatory courses for the Hpat (Health Professions Admission Test) outperform others despite claims the exam presents a level playing field for all students. More than 50 per cent of Hpat candidates take commercial coaching courses, the review states.

The review by the medical schools and other experts concludes that students who repeat the Hpat perform significantly better.

In all, one-third of successful applicants in the past two years were actually repeat candidates, with many of them dropping out of other much-coveted college courses. More than 85 per cent of students who repeated the exam improved their scores.

The findings are unlikely to be welcomed by the Department of Education, which has promoted the Hpat as a new-style exam where compared to the Leaving Cert there is less reliance on rote learning.

But medical schools will be under pressure to make changes before the 2013 exam next February.

Education sources say possible changes include:

* Hpat scores will be valid for a period of one year only;

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Medical school entry test fails to widen access to profession

CLEVELAND, June 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --In a Phase 2 study presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), clinical researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center developed a more effective way to treat gynecologic cancers, shortening radiation treatment time from five weeks to three days.The new method, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), has been used on other types of cancer, but University Hospitals Case Medical Center is the first treatment facility to apply it to gynecologic cancers.

"Unlike traditional radiation therapy, SBRT uses focused radiation beams and targets well-defined tumors," says Charles Kunos, MD, study co-author and Director of Gynecologic Radiation Oncology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "The highly specific nature of the procedure not only shortens treatment time, it limits the effect of the radiation on healthy tissues."

Dr. Kunos will present the study's findings during a general poster session on gynecologic cancer at ASCO on Sunday, June 3 from 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

Researchers from University Hospitals Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will present new research findings in 29 presentationsat ASCO, taking place June 1-5 in Chicago.

"The breadth and depth of this innovative cancer research presented at ASCO is truly outstanding," says Stan Gerson, MD, Director of the Seidman Cancer Center at UH Case Medical Center and the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. "Our faculty members are making tremendous advances in hematology and oncology which is reflected in their being chosen for oral and poster presentations."

Other presentations of note include:

Sunday, June 3

General Poster Session: Gynecologic Cancer

Association of smoking with pulmonary recurrences among women with intermediate- to high-risk early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Abstract #5089: 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

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University Hospitals Case Medical Center Experts Present at ASCO Annual Meeting