Dean's Newsletter
The other side of the residency experience:
The League of Ordinary Gentlemen and the Strong HouseStaff Auxiliary
Most of what's written about residency training focuses on professional education. "When I was a resident" stories abound, along with other commentaries on the "good old days." Many articles have been written about the rationale and implications of the 80-hour work rules, and the core competencies of graduate medical education.
There is another side, however, to the residency experience--the side that pertains to life outside the hospital and clinic. This non-professional side of residency education has particular importance for residents who enter their training with a spouse or significant other, especially if children are added to the equation along the way.
Back when house staff were truly "residents"—i.e., living in the hospital—they were provided with meals and uniforms and received little pay. Their entire lives were consumed by medical training--marriage was not a practical consideration. Even a few decades ago, when on-call schedules were typically every other or every third night, few residents married during their residencies, and even fewer had children.
Times have changed. Since half of our medical students are now women, it follows that half of our residents are women, recognizing substantial variation across specialties. And male or female, the new work rules have made it possible to "have a life" while a resident. Marriage and family have become realistic options. The "couples match" for married resident applicants is increasingly prevalent. Thus, when choosing a residency, considerations beyond professional training become important, and factors pertaining to the domestic side of the residency experience play an important role in the perceptions of house officers about their overall experience.
I was therefore intrigued when I heard about the "League of Ordinary Gentlemen," a (predominantly male) support group for (predominantly female) ob-gyn residents. Ruth Anne Queenan, MD, MBA, Associate Professor of Ob-Gyn and Program Director of the ob-gyn residency, told me that the League of Ordinary Gentlemen has become a critical part of the overall residency experience in the Department, and suggested that I publicize this in case other Departments would like to mount similar programs for spouses and significant others. As I looked into this, I learned about the Strong House Staff Auxiliary, and I also canvassed our various residency programs about their efforts to support the non-professional side of the residency experience. Here's what I found. Read More.
School of Medicine & Dentistry Alumni Information
Save the Date for Alumni Weekend 2008
Alumni Weekend 2008 planning is well underway. 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 School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD) Alumni Web site: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/ .
School of Medicine and Dentistry Alumni Awards Nominations
The Alumni Association of the School of Medicine and Dentistry bestows three awards each year, which are presented during the Alumni Weekend in the fall. The Distinguished Alumnus(a) Award recognizes achievement that has had an impact on a national and global scale by individuals whose lives and work exemplify the standards and objectives of the school. The Alumni Service Award recognizes outstanding support, commitment, and service which have furthered the interests of the school. The Gold Medal Award recognizes outstanding teaching by a faculty member of the medical school (nominations are recruited from the student body and administration for this award).
Please submit nominations for the Distinguished Alumnus(a) Award and the Alumni Service Award by March 15, 2008. Further information about the awards and nomination forms can be found on the SMD Alumni Web site: www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd/alumni/alumniawards.cfm.
Update your Contact Information
We need your help! Alumni Weekend preparations are underway and reunion committee members are contacting classmates about attending reunion 2008. Please submit any updated contact information to the Alumni Office so we can provide your classmates with current contacts. We encourage all alumni to update contact information when appropriate, so that we can assist classmates with reconnecting on both reunion and non-reunion years. Have you moved lately or changed practices? Will your phone number or e-mail be changing in the future? Please help us keep you connected by providing updates about yourself and classmates.
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.
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!
In addition to School of Medicine and Dentistry events, the University of Rochester Alumni Office sponsors numerous activities 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).
Journey with the School of Medicine & Dentistry to Spain
Enjoy an exciting and informative tour of Spain with fellow University of Rochester alumni. While experiencing the beauty of Barcelona, Penedes &Montserrat, Zaragoza, San Sebastian and Bilbao, seasoned traveler and University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry alumnus, Paul F. Griner (MD '59), will enhance your itinerary with insightful presentations on 21st Century Medicine, informative patient interactions, and Universal Health Insurance facts and fiction.
March 6, 2008 April 28, 2008 May 1, 2008 June 25, 2008 September 25-27, 2008 October 16-19, 2008 October 21-November 1, 2008 |
School of Medicine & Dentistry News
UR Well Student Outreach Hosts 4th Annual 5K Run/Walk
School of Medicine and Dentistry student volunteers in conjunction with the St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center, located in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood, run the UR Well health center which serves area residents who lack health insurance. They currently are organizing their 4th annual 5K run/walk on April 19, 2008 to help defray costs incurred by patients at the medical center. This year they hope to recruit runners and walkers of all ages to participate in the run as well as a newly added 1K Fun Run. For more information about participating in or sponsoring the 5K Run/Walk, please visit the UR Well site at www.urwellstudentoutreach.org.
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
URMC Unveils New Identity and Logo
On January 31, 2008 the University of Rochester Medical Center unveiled a new comprehensive branding strategy to establish a more cohesive identity for the institution and its affiliates, and to celebrate its rich legacy as one of the nation's first academic medical centers. The new brand strategy includes a new logo, a unified name for all of the Medical Center's diverse components, and a new advertising campaign that will communicate the changes to the Rochester community. View Advertisements.
According to CEO Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D., the Medical Center's recently completed strategic planning process identified the need to more clearly define the Medical Center as a nationally respected magnet for research, education, patient care, and community service.
"Our strategic plan has set ambitious goals for the University of Rochester Medical Center, and part of our success hinges on our ability to build a national reputation," Berk said. "To achieve this, we need one consistent identity that not only ties together and amplifies the diverse components that comprise our institution, but one that visibly communicates our link with the University of Rochester."
The University of Rochester Medical Center name, which underscores its academic approach to medicine, will now serve as the unifying brand for all of the Medical Center's entities and affiliates. In particular, University of Rochester Medical Center will be adapted as the new name for its clinical enterprise, replacing Strong Health (which includes Strong Memorial Hospital, the University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group, Eastman Dental Center, Visiting Nurse Service, Highland Hospital, the Highlands at Pittsford and the Highlands at Brighton). This name change will not affect the name of the Medical Center's main teaching hospital, Strong Memorial Hospital.
As part of the new URMC identity and logo creations, the School of Medicine and Dentistry has also adopted a new logo.
URMC Evaluating New Device for Parkinson's
The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) is one of a handful of sites nationwide testing a new device for patients with Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, a neurological movement disorder. The study will help determine whether a new Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) technology is effective in providing relief for patients who are unable to adequately control symptoms of their disease with medication.
URMC is one of 12 locations nationwide participating in the study of the new Libra DBS system. The trial is being funded by the device's manufacturer, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), a division of St. Jude Medical Company.
The DBS system is a surgically implanted medical device that delivers an electrical stimulation to areas of the brain that control movement. The system consists of a neurostimulator - a pocket-watch-sized device that is implanted under the collarbone - and wires, or leads, which run from the neurostimulator under the skin and into the brain through an opening in the skull. The leads are surgically guided to one of two areas in the brain depending upon the patient and the condition being treated. The system then functions in a manner similar to a heart pacemaker by delivering mild electrical pulses that disrupt or block the irregular nerve signals responsible for symptoms of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. 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% 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
Mary Ann Kiely, Director of Advancement and Medical Alumni Relations
Carmen Aiezza, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts
Leslie Chambers, Assistant Director of Advancement/Alumni Council Liaison
Kelly Nuccitelli, Assistant Director of Advancement/Class Agent 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/February2008.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