Dean's Newsletter
University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Building (CTSB): Dream to reality - April 17, 2008 Newsletter
In 1999, a task force on clinical research, chaired by Richard Reichman, MD and charged by Dean Lowell Goldsmith, presented its report on what was needed to promote clinical research at the University of Rochester Medical Center. This was at a time when the Kornberg Medical Research Building was nearing completion and we were in the midst of the 1996 Strategic Plan for basic research. A principal recommendation was the construction of a clinical research building to promote synergy among the many and diverse elements of the clinical research community at the University. There was tremendous enthusiasm for this recommendation among Task Force members and the clinical research community.
The dream was born. This newsletter tells the story of how the dream became a reality: On Thursday, April 10, 2008, we learned from President Seligman that the NYS Assembly and Senate voted to include $50 million for the University of Rochester Clinical and Translational Science Building (CTSB), and that Governor Paterson has indicated that he will sign the legislation. Read More.
Match Day 2008 - April 3, 2008 Newsletter
Of all the important milestones on the medical student calendar, there is none more exciting than Match Day.
We have a tradition of superb results on the Match, and for good reason. Starting with an entering class of 100 of the most talented medical students in the country, and immersing them in the special experience we call the Rochester curriculum for four years, an extraordinarily well-prepared group of Rochester medical students present themselves to residency programs around the country.
I have learned about the quality of our students' preparation for residency training from two sources. First, when I travel in the circle of medical school deans, they often let me know (without prompt!) that their residency program directors covet our students for their clinical maturity and professionalism. And second, when I visit with alumni around the country—both recent alumni still in training and those who have been in practice for some time—there is a recurring comment, which goes something like this: “I was nervous at first about starting my residency program, but I quickly learned that my Rochester medical education prepared me so well that it was a natural transition. I didn't truly realize how great our medical school is until I gained the perspective of being at another place.”
On March 20, the Class of 2008, along with friends and family, met in the Class of '62 Auditorium, where the next step in their medical career was laid out on a table in front of the room. You should check it out next time. The room is full to the rafters and the excitement is electric. Before the countdown to the big moment when the envelopes on the table would be opened, Dr. Lambert warmed up the group by calling Class of 2008 contestants in a version of the game show, “Power of 10” called “Power of 2008”. Then, the countdown to noon (OK, 12:05 pm this year) was done, and the students were invited to retrieve their envelopes. Some rushed to the front; some stayed back for a while. Some tore open their envelopes with their family and friends beside them; others found a quiet corner to have a more private moment of discovery. Read More.
School of Medicine & Dentistry Alumni Information
Join us for Alumni Weekend on September 25-27, 2008
We hope you will join us for a weekend filled with reminiscing, learning and lots of fun! This year's milestone reunions are for years ending in 3's and 8's - ALL ALUMNI, regardless of year of graduation, are invited to participate in the festivities. A tentative schedule of reunion activities can be viewed and printed from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD) alumni Web site: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/. Alumni Weekend registration packets will be mailed the end of May 2008.
Regional Alumni Events
The School of Medicine and Dentistry hosts regional events throughout the country. Check out the “Alumni Programs and Events 2008” listing each month in Rochester Pulse - we may be coming to your area soon!
All URSMD alumni attending the American College of Physician's (ACP) Annual Session in Washington, DC are cordially invited to attend a reception on Friday, May 16, 2008 at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. The reception will be hosted by William J. Hall, MD (FLW '72), ACP-Past-President (2001-2002), from 6 to 8pm. To RSVP or for more information about the reception, please call (585) 276-3803 or email QDouglas@admin.rochester.edu .
You may have noticed that you are receiving additional invitations to university-wide events. In addition to School of Medicine and Dentistry activities, the University of Rochester Alumni Office sponsors numerous events as well. All UR alumni are welcome to attend these activities. To view the UR Alumni Events Calendar click here. For questions about UR events, please call 877-MELIORA or 877-635-4672.
Photographers Wanted
In the last few issues of Rochester Medicine magazine, striking photographs of people, places and things have been included throughout the “Class Notes” pages. We are looking for your help to make this a regular feature in your alumni magazine. Have you taken up photography professionally or consider yourself an amateur enthusiast? Share your passion for pictures with fellow alumni! We are seeking alumni photographers to be featured in future issues of Rochester Medicine. To submit photographs, or for more information, please contact Kelly Nuccitelli in the Alumni Office by calling 585-273-4854 or e-mailing knuccitelli@admin.rochester.edu.
Submit Class Notes for Rochester Medicine Magazine
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry wants to hear from you! Share new and exciting things happening in your life with fellow alumni. To submit a class note for publication in the Rochester Medicine magazine, e-mail alumni@admin.rochester.edu. Submissions can also be entered online by visiting: www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/signupForm.cfm.
May 1, 2008 May 16, 2008 May 20, 2008 May 20, 2008 June 5, 2008 June 16, 2008 June 25, 2008 September 25-27, 2008 October 16-19, 2008 October 16-27, 2008 |
School of Medicine & Dentistry News
School of Medicine and Dentistry Gets Rave Review by LCME
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) has granted the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry a full eight-year accreditation, the maximum length of accreditation awarded.
The LCME cited a culture of collegiality, connectedness and collaboration at the School of Medicine and Dentistry. In listing the strengths of the school, the LCME described the Double Helix curriculum as a successful longitudinal integration of the basic and clinical sciences. The LCME accreditation report highlighted several programs, including the third-year basic science blocks, the Process of Discovery course and the Community Health Improvement Clerkship, as innovative elements of the curriculum. It called the depth and breadth of the school's research enterprise exemplary.
The LCME commended the School of Medicine and Dentistry for providing students with numerous opportunities to pursue areas of special interest beyond the standard curriculum, such as international health experiences, often with financial and logistical support. Read More.
URSMD Profile: Admissions
Due to our long tradition of excellence and innovation in medical education, and our well-respected curriculum that blends the art and science of medicine over all four years of medical school, over 4,000 students annually from across the country apply for admission to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry (URSMD). The following is a profile of current admissions data as reported by John Hansen, PhD, associate dean for admissions.
Out of over 4,000 applications (rising ~11percent annually), the School of Medicine and Dentistry accepts approximately 200 student applications. Each entering class consists of 100 to 104 students - the national average is currently 140 students per class. Approximately 8 percent of each class are MD PhD students.
“A strong academic record is a necessary but not sufficient criterion for acceptance,” says John Hansen. Academic measures considered by URSMD admissions include GPAs (3.70+), MCATS of 33-34 (85th percentile), undergraduate education from top colleges/universities, research, outreach to underserved populations, clinical volunteer experience, letters of recommendation, and personal essays. Common personality traits of URSMD students include being accepting, altruistic, intellectually curious, empathetic, professional, reflective, and resilient. Over 70 percent of URSMD students pursued science majors in their undergraduate studies. The average age of a first-year URSMD students is 24; with 85 to 95 percent of them requiring financial aid.
Although the School of Medicine and Dentistry has adopted the new Double Helix Curriculum, Rochester continues to stress the importance of the Biopsychosocial Model of philosophy of clinical care. Clinical exposure begins during the first week of medical school. A wide variety of electives are available during all four years of the curriculum and include not only clinical electives but electives in research (basic and clinical), International Medicine, Community Outreach, and Medical Humanities. Approximately 50 percent of URSMD students receive international experience before graduating. On average, one third of each graduating class goes into academic medicine. To learn more about URSMD admissions, please visit http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/md/admissions/.
Turtlequill Journal of Literary Arts
Founded in the fall of 2006, Turtlequill is the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry's Journal of the Literary Arts. The journal provides an outlet through which students can express themselves through writing and, as importantly, provides a medium through which they can share these expressions with others in the community. Turtlequill is run, organized, and edited entirely by School of Medicine and Dentistry medical students. Turtlequill's publication is made possible through grants from the Division of Medical Humanities and the University of Rochester Interdisciplinary Cluster for Human Values in Healthcare.
One-year subscriptions are available for $10 (fall 2007/spring 2008). Sample copies are available in the Miner Library and the Office of Medical Humanities. To subscribe to Turtlequill, please e-mail turtlequilljournal@gmail.com.
Publication consideration in this journal is open to all medical students, graduate students, residents, faculty, and staff of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Submissions may be e-mailed to turtlequilljournal@gmail.com.
Online Community
Join the Online Community
Online Community membership is FREE and exclusive to alumni. Search for friends and make new connections with the University of Rochester Medical Center Alumni Network. The Online Community offers an online directory of all URMC School of Medicine & Dentistry and School of Nursingalumni where you can search by geographic location or specialty. Network with classmates, quickly update your information, and much more with the Alumni Online Community. Register now.
Do you know that you could have the same e-mail address forever?
With the use of the permanent e-mail forwarding feature available through the Online Community, you can have the same e-mail address no matter what Internet Service Provider you use! To sign up for your free @alumni.urmc.rochester.edu address, register for the Online Community today! Visit www.alumniconnections.com/URMC/ to connect to the online community. If you are not sure of your unique alumni ID, please contact us at alumni@admin.rochester.edu.
University of Rochester Medical Center Updates
Genetic Disorder May Hold Key to Heat Stroke Cure
Researchers at URMC, three other universities, and the U.S. Army may have found the key to curing heat stroke in a genetic disorder that causes people under general anesthesia to suffer a deadly rise in body temperature. Robert Dirksen (MS '88, PhD '92), associate professor of pharmacology and physiology, shared the recent discovery with U.S.News & World Report. The findings, published in the April 4th issue of Cell, also suggest that certain antioxidants may help protect people genetically prone to heat stroke.
"Along with cardiac abnormalities, heat stroke is a major culprit in unexpected sudden deaths of otherwise fit, young athletes and soldiers," study co-author Robert T. Dirksen, an associate professor of pharmacology and physiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York, said in a prepared statement. "With a better knowledge of these mechanisms, we can begin to better diagnose and treat both disorders, and hopefully, save some lives." Read More.
Researchers Investigate Development of Lou Gehrig's Disease
Leaky blood vessels that lose their ability to protect the spinal cord from toxins may play a role in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, according to research published in the April issue of Nature Neuroscience.
The results mark the first time that scientists have witnessed molecular changes occurring long before key nerve cells start dying. The unexpected finding opens up a new front in studies of ALS, a disease in which motor neurons in the spinal cord die off for unknown reasons, resulting in dramatically weakened muscles. Patients lose their strength, their ability to move or swallow, and eventually lose their ability even to breathe. Most patients live only a few years after diagnosis.
Dr. Berislav Zlokovic, University of Rochester professor of neurosurgery and neurology, led the research team, and the first author was post-doctoral researcher Zhihui Zhong (MS '05, PhD '07). Read More.
News & Information About Other Divisions of URMC
What's Happening at URMC
Learn more about the latest from the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, Highland Hospital, Strong Memorial Hospital, School of Nursing and Visiting Nurse Service. Learn more.
University of Rochester Programs
Always Better Adult Continuing Education
Enroll in fun and exciting noncredit courses through the UR's Always Better Adult Continuing Education program. Classes are held on River Campus in the evenings and weekends to accommodate your busy schedule.
Highlighted 2008 Spring Semester courses include:
- America in Red and Blue: The Transformation of Party Politics, 1948-2008
- Creative Writing Workshop
- History of the Book in the Western World
- America and the World: The City on the Hill from Across the Border
- The Godfather: Novel and Film
- Discovering the Wine of Europe
- The Money Maze: How to Navigate through the Financial Aid Process when Applying to College
To register or for more information, please call the Office of Special Programs at (585) 275 -2344 or visit http://www.rochester.edu/college/osp/apply/contStudies_courses.html . All alumni and their spouses are eligible to receive 20 percent off their tuition for most Always Better classes! Be sure to mention your University of Rochester alumni status to receive the UR Community discount. We encourage you to take advantage of this lifelong learning opportunity. Welcome back to campus!
School of Medicine & Dentistry Alumni Office Contacts
Chad Gobel, Associate Vice President of Medical Center Advancement
Mary Ann Kiely, Director of Advancement and Medical Alumni Relations
Carmen Aiezza, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts
Kelly Nuccitelli, Associate Director of Advancement/Medical Alumni Relations
Leslie Chambers, Assistant Director of Advancement/Alumni Council Liaison
Paula Smith, Director of Student Services
Rochester Pulse is a publication of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Alumni Relations Office.
This month's issue can be viewed online at www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/rochesterpulse/april2008.html.
Visit the School of Medicine and Dentistry's Web pages:
www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd | www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni
300 East River Road, Suite 208, PO Box 278996, Rochester, NY 14627-8996