In The News
Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health: Connecting the Dots
Achieving health equity requires reaching beyond the clinic and into communities. In this short video, the AAMC’s Diversity Policy and Programs division shines a spotlight on the social determinants of health and how they shape an individual’s opportunity for quality health and healthcare. The goal is to inspire changes that lead to the elimination of health disparities. Clickhere for video.
The Cultural Awareness Committee has been hard at work this year and have two exciting announcements. First, They are having their third Melting Pot (Melting Pot III) in honor of Black History Month Monday, February 6, 2012 from 11-1 in Commons. We will have four great speakers and lots of great food, as always. See the flyer for more details.
Second, we are announcing a new scholarship opportunity targeted specifically at Wake Med Students. The CAC, with support from the MACHE, will be presenting two (2) $300 awards to students who are planning on or have recently participated in a cultural awareness activity. Details for the Cultural Awareness Activity Award can be found here and on the SGA website under CAC. Applications are due to Ms. Shirley Dockery in Medical Education by Monday, March 5th. If you have any questions, you can contact me or any of the CAC reps.
American Academy of Dermatology's Diversity Mentorship Program – Applications open!
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) invites first through fourth-year medical students from underrepresented* backgrounds to apply for the Diversity Mentorship Program. This is a great opportunity for those interested in gaining direct exposure and hands-on experience in the field of dermatology.
The program has been in place for over 11 years, and in the past three years, over 28% of the medical students who have participated in the program have subsequently entered residency training in dermatology.
Click here for program details.
Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, Named Director of American College of Surgeons Division of Member Services
CHICAGO: Patricia L. Turner, MD, FACS, will become the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Director of the Division of Member Services on December 1. She is succeeding Paul E. Collicott, MD, FACS, who retired in May 2011. A general surgeon from Baltimore, MD, Dr. Turner is an associate professor of surgery in the division of general surgery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
The ACS Division of Member Services is responsible for the evaluation process that ensures a surgeon’s education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct are consistent with the standards established and demanded for Fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. The division also administers the application process for surgery residents, medical students, and allied health care professionals who seek ACS membership. Moreover, the division is responsible for administering the activities of the ACS Board of Governors, the ACS Advisory Councils for the Surgical Specialties, and for liaison activities with local ACS chapters. Several scholarship and fellowship programs are administered through the Division of Member Services, as well as the ACS Operation Giving Back Program, a volunteerism initiative established to reflect the humanitarian tenets central to the profession of surgery. The Division is also responsible for maintaining all of the College’s international activities.
THE ALBERT SCHWEITZER FELLOWSHIP
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR A FELLOW
Wake Forest Schweitzer Fellow
Aldric Jones
Click here to read his interview.
Wake Forest Schweitzer Fellow
Tiffany Covas
Read her interview here.
Learn about the Albert Schweitzer Fellowhip.
Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD, and Mark Knudson, MD, Family and Community Medicine, take a moment to smile for the camera in between building a house with Habitat for Humanity .
National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine and Camp Med convene at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
One hundred twenty –one students from across the nation, as well as Forsyth County and the surrounding 17 counties of the Northwest NC Area Health Education Center (AHEC) convened at Wake Forest School of Medicine as part of the National Youth Leadership Forum (Medicine) and Camp Med. Coordinated by Diversity Development Initiatives, faculty, staff and students spent the day highlighting Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. (read more here)
NIMHD names first African-American scientific director at NIH
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) announced today the appointment of William G. Coleman, Jr., Ph.D., as the NIMHD’s first permanent scientific director and the first African-American scientific director in the history of the NIH Intramural Research Program. The appointment follows an extensive national search. Dr. Coleman is one of 23 scientific directors at the NIH.
Dr. Coleman has had a long career as a scientist in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Intramural Research Program and has held a number of positions within NIDDK including research microbiologist, staff fellow and senior investigator. Dr. Coleman’s research spans the realms of basic research and health disparities. His recent research emphasis has been on H pylori pathogenesis. H pylori infection is associated with several clinical pathologies including gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancers. About 10 percent of the U.S. population develops peptic ulcer disease during their lifetime, of which 90 percent of cases are related to H pylori infection. In the U.S. population, infection is much more common among Mexican Americans (62 percent) and non-Hispanic blacks (53 percent) than non-Hispanic whites (26 percent). Non Hispanic blacks are also more likely to be infected with virulent H pylori strains.
"Dr. Coleman brings a wealth of knowledge and notable scientific contributions to meet the challenges of an evolving health disparities environment. His extensive research repertoire and reputation within the science community will make him a great addition to the NIMHD team. Dr. Coleman’s appointment exemplifies one of the major objectives that we seek to achieve through the NIMHD intramural research program, and that is to add to the diversity of individuals and research disciplines in the NIH intramural program," said John Ruffin, Ph.D., NIMHD director.
As scientific director, Dr. Coleman will direct the overall portfolio of trans-disciplinary research conducted by the NIMHD through its newly established Health Disparities Intramural Research Program. The goals of the intramural program are to:
- Conduct state-of-the-art research focusing on the linkage between biological and non-biological determinants of health in health disparity populations
- Create training and mentorship opportunities to increase the number of intramural researchers focusing on health disparities research including those from health disparity populations
- Contribute to a pool of early stage and experienced investigators that would enhance the diversity of the NIH Intramural Research Program in terms of scientists and research disciplines
- Utilize its successful Centers of Excellence and Community Based Participatory Research Program models to expand health disparities intramural research into urban and rural health disparities communities in order to respond to urgent public health needs, examine high-risk/high impact research opportunities, and establish collaborations for long-term complex research efforts
Prior to joining NIH, Dr. Coleman served as a lecturer at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind. and biology teacher in Atlanta. He brings over 45 years of experience to NIMHD. Dr. Coleman received his doctorate from Purdue University. He holds a master’s degree from Atlanta University and a bachelor’s degree from Talladega College in Talladega, Ala. He has written nearly 30 journals and publications. In 2005, Dr. Coleman received the Dr. Philip J. Browning Scientific Pioneer Award.
NIMHD is a part of the NIH that promotes minority health, conducts and supports research, training, research infrastructure, fosters emerging programs, disseminates information, and reaches out to minority and other health disparity communities. For more information on the NIMHD, see http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program Graduates Attend Dinner/Networking Event
Post Baccalaureate Premedical program graduates attended a dinner with the current Post Baccalaureate program students on January 15, 2011. The event was hosted by Shasta Henderson (MS 2013) and funded by Dr. Latham-Sadler and the Post Baccalaureate Premedical Program. The event was organized by Jennifer Gastelum (MS 2013). This dinner was a great event for current and former students to meet and share their experiences about the program and medical school.
Student Group Provides Cultural Awareness at School of Medicine 
Between the clinical rotations and other rigors of medical school, Shalini Bumb carves out a little time for dancing. For the past few years, Bumb has joined in a performance of Indian folk dances for the Wake Forest School of Medicine’s Oasis Talent Show. “It’s kind of our extracurricular fun activity on the side,” she says.
But there’s more than fun behind the bright costumes, lively music and rhythmic movements of the group’s performances. They’re part of Bumb’s efforts to broaden cultural awareness at the School of Medicine - which she hopes, in the long run, will make her and her classmates better doctors.
A fourth-year student, Bumb is one of four members of the Cultural Awareness Committee, which was created in spring 2008 to educate students in the School of Medicine about cultural differences and their impact on medical care. The group is composed of one representative from each class and is supervised by Dr. Brenda Latham-Sadler, Associate Professor, Family & Community Medicine, and Director of Minority Affairs.
“It’s very important that we tie cultural awareness into medicine,” said Bumb. “We’re beginning training to treat diseases of all kinds, but we treat people of all kinds, too.”
During a visit to India as part of the Himalayan Health Exchange program, Bumb worked with impoverished people in a remote area and found that many had suffered corneal damage – a common occurrence in the “very windy, sandy” region where they lived. Knowing that the patients had limited access to medicines, Bumb’s group taught them how to purify water that could be used as a rinse in place of eye drops.
“You have to understand that their lifestyles are different from ours,” she said. “Cultural awareness is a lot more subtle than having to know pathology and the interactions of certain drugs.”
It’s an awareness that the group is working to pass on to other medical students. The CAC provides a variety of educational and social events that promote recognition of other cultures. The committee coordinates presentations by third- and fourth-year medical students to first- and second-year students, presenting cultural issues the upperclassmen have encountered in medical units. The group also works in conjunction with the Office of Multicultural Affairs to promote cultural events within the community.
On Dec. 6, the CAC presented a “Melting Pot” event that featured an international lunch and presentations by faculty members who are from or have worked in other countries.
"I think cultural competency should be a priority, as we will encounter people from a variety of backgrounds on a daily basis,” said Pavani Thotakura, a third-year student. “It is important for us to be knowledgeable about different backgrounds so that we can better understand and relate to our patients, which will inevitably lead to better patient care.”
During his community practice experience, Tao Cui, a first-year student, encountered an Islamic woman who brought her child in for immunizations. The woman was concerned about whether the vaccines contained pork gelatin, which is considered impure in Islamic law.
“It helped make me aware of this issue for the future,” Cui said. “I think it’s important for med students to recognize that different views exist and learn how to negotiate with patients so that they can benefit from western medicine without compromising their cultural values.”
Jason Bonomo, a second-year student, grew up experiencing different cultures, with most family vacations spent in other countries. “My mother, who moved to the U.S. from Lebanon when she was 28, always wanted my siblings and I to understand that there is an incredible amount of variety in the world that needs to be appreciated and understood,” he said.
“I hope the CAC will be able to increase the exposure medical students have to cultural and socioeconomic diversity so that when we are practicing physicians we are able to communicate effectively, empathically and respectfully with future patients,” he said.
The Student National Medical Association Chapter of Wake Forest School of Medicine was presented with an award by the Old North State Medical Soceity as future leaders in healthcare on November 12-13, 2011. The event was held at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, North Carolina.
Candice Roberts Wins First Place at the 2010 Medical Student Research Day!
Candice Roberts, Class of 2013 won first place at the 2010 Medical Student Research Day held October 13th. Her poster presentation was titled "Stability and Selectivity of the SV5-G3A Oncolytic Vector". Read her poster.
Winston Salem Journal Article dated October 7, 2010 Titled "Doctors Appreciate Recognition" by Dr. Brenda Latham-Sadler. Read the article.
Dr. Latham-Sadler Wins National Award for Distinguished Service in the Health Field
Dr. Brenda Latham-Sadler has been selected as the 2010 winner of the National Association of Medical Minority Educator's Award (NAMME) for Distinguished Service in the Health Field. Dr. Latham-Sadler is an Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Assistant Dean for Student Services and Director of Diversity and Development Initiatives at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She unanimously won the award very capably demonstrating distinguished service in the health field to minority and disadvantaged citizens; excellence in the practice of medicine; a demonstrated commitment to the health of minority and disadvantaged citizens; an exemplary record of financial support of programs that undergird minority access and retention; and a demonstrated commitment to equal opportunity practice and goals of law relating to minorities. Candidates were required to demonstrate service excellence in only one of the areas mentioned above; Latham-Sadler documents a mastery of all requirements. Click here to read more)
This was a first in a 35-year history of the National Association of Medical Minority Educators, Inc. (NAMME), that the Nominator was extended the honor of presenting The Award for Distinguished Service in the Health Field. The 2010 award was presented to Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD at the NAMME Awards Luncheon, Omni Richmond Hotel, Richmond, Virginia, September 17, 2010.
NAMME’s mission is to develop and sustain productive relationships and action-oriented programs among national, state, and community stakeholders working to ensure racial and ethnic diversity in all of the health professions.
Mrs. Shirley Dockery, presenting award
Latino Medical Student Association Approved at Wake Forest School of Medicine
A Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) chapter initiated by Jennifer Gastelum (MS 2013) and Pedro Cardama (MS 2014) has been approved at Wake Forest School of Medicine. LMSA has several goals which include expanding exposure to all medical students regarding Latino health issues, providing a voice for underrepresented students in medicine, establishing a course in medical Spanish, and providing mentorship and networking with Latino health professionals. Dr. Jorge Calles will serve as the faculty advisor for LMSA.
Bryant Cameron Webb Takes Reins of SNMA
A Wake Forest School of Medicine student recently took office as the 40th president of a national organization for medical students of color. Bryant Cameron Webb, a MD candidate at the medical school, took the helm of the Student National Medical Association (SMA) in April. (read article)
Carmen T. Robinson was elected 2010-2011 SNMA National Chairperson of the Board of Directors at the 47th Annual Medical Education Conference in Chicago, IL. Carmen has been an outstanding student leader in SNMA for several years and her service to SNMA is an enormous commitment. Congratulations Carmen!
Dr. Harvey Allen Sr. retires. Dr. Harvey Allen Sr. opened his practice in Forsyth County in 1964, after a two-year stint as a U.S. Army surgeon in France. Read the entire Winston Salem Journal article.
Rev. Calvin Runnels, Faculty Supervisor in the Department of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Education at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, had no idea that he was about to be faced with the biggest health challenge of his life. (read entire article).