Fall 2004 - VCU School of Medicine

Volume 13, No. 1
WOMEN IN SCIENCE, DENTISTRY &
MEDICINE FACULTY ORGANIZATION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President ([email protected])
Cecelia Haines Boardman, MD
President-elect ([email protected])
M a ry Helen Hackney, MD
Secretary ([email protected])
Susan DiGiovanni, MD
Treasurer ([email protected])
Joann N. Bodurtha, MD, MPH
Past-President ([email protected])
John Priestley, MA
Newsletter Editor and Webmaster ([email protected])
COMMITTEES
Sherry D. Ceperich, PhD ([email protected])
DeborahA.Lebman, PhD ([email protected])
Co-Chairs, Membership Committee
Cynthia Heldberg, PhD ([email protected])
Wendy S. Klein, MD ([email protected])
Co-Chairs, Medical Student Committee
Joann N. Bodurtha, MD, MPH ([email protected])
Chair, Nominating Committee
Diane B. Wilson, EdD, MS, RD ([email protected])
Chair, Professional Development Committee
Catherine M. Kelso, MD ([email protected])
Chair, Housestaff Committee
SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY REPRESENTATIVES
Carol N. Brooks, DDS ([email protected])
B. Ellen Byrne, DDS, PhD ([email protected])
DEPARTMENT LIAISONS
Elizabeth Huber,
•
Linda Meloy,
Catherine Nichols,
•
Jeanne Savas,
Laura Sim-Selly,
Fall 2004
Profile on Dr. Ellen Byrne, Assistant Dean in the SoD
Bela Sood, MD, FAACAP
Linda Abbey, MD
•
Colleen Jackson-Cook, PhD
Sara Monro e, MD
•
Marga ret Roberson, MD
Diane Schroeder, MD •
Sandra Welch, PhD
www.womeninmedicine.vcu.edu
MD
MD
MD
MD
PhD
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Carol L. Hampton, MMS
Associate Dean for Faculty & Instructional Development
([email protected])
Cynthia Heldberg, PhD
Associate Dean for Admissions ( c m h e l d b e @ vcu.edu)
Wendy S. Klein, MD ([email protected])
Ka ren Cropsey, PhD ([email protected])
Co-chairs, SOM Committee on the Status of Women & Minorities
PAST PRESIDENTS
Joann Bodurtha, MD, MPH • Lenore Buckley, MD, MPH
Karen Sanders, MD • Dawn Mueller, MD • Wendy Klein, MD
Ellen Byrne, DDS, PhD, appointed Assistant Association of Endodontists (AAE). She has
Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of served as Chair of the Continuing Education
Dentistry in April 2004, considers herself one Committee for the Virginia Dental Association.
of VCU’s biggest fans – and rightfully so, with She is a past member of the Research and
3 degrees and two certificates from VCU. She Scientist Affairs Committee for the AAE. She
completed her BS in Pharmacy in 1977. For the is a past member of, and current consultant to,
next two years she was an instructor in the the ADA’s Council of Scientific Affairs – the
School of Pharmacy. She then enrolled in the council responsible for product reviews and setSchool of Dentistry, graduated in 1983, and ting the research agenda for the ADA. In addiwent on to complete a
tion she is chair of the
General Practice residency
Dentistry Panel for the
at McGuire Veterans
United States PharmaHospital. She returned to
copoeia.
the School of Dentistry in
In her new role as Assisthe
Department of
tant Dean of Academic
Restorative Dentistry.
Affairs, Dr. Byrne overWanting to combine her
sees and manages the
dental and pharmacy backDDS and BS in Dental
grounds, she applied to
Hygiene programs. She is
the NIH for a Dentist
leading the development
Scientist Award. The
of a preclinical curricuaward helped her to conlum using simulation, eartinue her education, and
lier entry to direct patient
over the next five years she
care, elimination of didacEllen Byrne, DDS, PhD, Assistant Dean for
combined her training to Academic Affairs, VCU School of Dentistry tic courses in the fourth
receive a PhD in Pharmayear and implementation
c o l ogy and Tox i c o l ogy and a cert i f i c ate in of preceptorship rotations. She also oversees
Endodontics.
and manages the matriculation and course regAfter a brief time in private Endodontics istration, academic performance, and remediap ra c t i c e, she returned to the School of tion of students in the DDS program.
Dentistry as an Assistant Pro fessor in the
As Associate Professor of Endodontics she
Department of Endodontics. She has served as will continue her teaching and patient care in
Interim Chair of Endodonics and is now an the Department of Endodontics. She is one of
Associate Professor.
t h ree women Assistant Deans out of f ive
Dr. Byrne has used her pharmacology back- Assistant Deans in the School of Dentistry.
ground to provide phar macology continuing The Dean is Ronald J. Hunt, DDS, MS.
education to the dental community. She has
Ellen is from Bedford, Virginia, and lives in
e n j oyed nu m e rous local, state and nat i o n a l Midlothian with her husband Mel and three
speaking engagements, including the American children: Bridget, 14, John Michael, 13, and
Dental Association (ADA) and the American Tyler, 8.
NEWS FLASH: VCU Health System ranked in the Top 100
Best Companies for Working Mothers by Working Mother magazine
(Oct. 2004). WISDM cited as a significant factor in the selection.
See the press release, linked to our site at www.womeninmedicine.vcu.edu/news.html
Women in Science, Dentistry, & Medicine Newsletter
2
President’s piece
by Bela Sood, MD, FAACAP
She gives up all she struggled to achieve over
13 years of post high school training and ten
years in private practice. In the balance
hangs her passion to deliver other women’s
babies and the competing demands of her
own children and husband. Is this 1964,
1974, or 1984? Is this some dark corner of
the world that the media often cites when
talking of how oppressed the women of third world countries are? It
is none of these; we are talking of a trained Ob Gyn Physician, the
year is 2004 and yes, it is the United States of America. This snapshot
is from an article by Lauren Plante MD, from the Annals of Internal
Medicine: “Obstetricians wanted: No mothers need apply” (2004;
140:840-841). A profession that is well suited to women has created
a “man-made” circumstance that puts women in a position of having
to make untenable choices. A 24-hour, 7-days-a-week specialty competes with the 24-hour 7-days-a-week role of parenting.
“A woman who puts off having any children until she is finished
training finds that starting a practice and a family simultaneously
leaves her wondering where she falls short. A woman who waits until
her practice is established winds up staring down her biological clock.
The infertility specialist is up against the same constraints as her
patients.” As professional women we are often put in the uncomfortable position of having to choose between our work and our children. Creative solutions are few. The time to have children is a very
personal decision. Each phase holds both joys and impediments. As
professionals, both men and women attempt to work through these
dilemmas and honor our responsibilities. The choice does not come
in tidy packages. If we pretend that these are easy choices, we silently support a system that is failing women.
High malpractice costs stop women from taking up part-time
jobs that do not cover salary, overhead and liability insurance. Exit
from the workplace is natural if the economics of the family allow it.
Our patients lose excellent care and the field loses women's valuable
contributions. Interestingly, senior men appear to have more choices,
as they have left obstetrics in larger proportion than women—not to
stay at home, but to take up a surgical gynecology practice.
As the face of medicine is changing, with more women entering
medical school, the field will have to take a serious look at what honest choices we provide 51% of our entering classes. Covering services and finishing residency in the expected time frame is our traditional model. However, flex-time, shared positions, team care with nonphysician providers, or a hospitalist model with shifts on the labor
floor, are possible creative solutions to allow women tenable choices.
Could we not make it mandatory to have child care facilities within
medical school/hospitals that do not have mile- long waiting lists, or
ask for tax breaks to families that use extended family (grand parents)
to provide child care?
As a psychiatrist, why do I choose to discuss Ob? It provides a
metaphor for all fields of medicine based on paradigms of training
and practice that were never created with women in mind. The fact
that the Annals of Internal Medicine is beginning to showcase real
problems of real people is a step in the right direction. The author
suggests, and I agree, that as we approach these highly controversial
subjects, it will be our willingness to experiment—or even to fail—
that will define how truthful and authentic is our search for solutions.
A candid look aimed at the reform of our current rules of employment is not for the fainthearted, but is essential to effecting change.
As women become professionals, our current system is limping along
trying to keep pace. We must push for a system that allows women to
have children as well as satisfying professional lives.
Who are these women? Our colleagues, students, employees,
and patients. The choice to work full-time, part-time, or not at all
must in fact be a real choice, not an ultimatum.
“All men dream: but not equally. They who dream by night in
the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day and find that
all is vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for
they act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
— T E Lawrence.
The time has come to dream with our eyes open, make our wishes real and change the pronoun in this famous quote to include
women as well.
Welcome the new WISDM officers
Cecelia Haines Boardman, MD
President-elect
Asst. Prof. Obstetrics &
Gynecology
Mary Helen Hackney, MD
Secretary
Assoc. Prof. Internal
Medicine (Hem/Onc)
Susan DiGiovanni, MD
Treasurer
Assoc. Prof. Internal
Medicine (Nephrology)
The new officers were elected in the Spring and will serve a
two year term: September 2004 – August 2006.
Special thanks to Dr. Bela Sood, who was elected President
last year for a 2-year term, and will serve a third year to bring
our elections back into sync. Thanks also to those who stood
for election and to all who voted.
The WISDM Faculty Organization Executive Council meets
the 4th Monday of each month, Sept – June (except for December), 4 – 5 pm, Sanger 1-050, and is open to all faculty. The
meeting is linked via videoconference with McGuire VAMC
(rm 5B 175). We encourage you to attend, participate in committees, and serve as a WISDM liaison to your department.
The WISDM Committees and their Chairs are listed in the
sidebar on the front page of this newsletter. Join us and be
involved. For more information about WISDM faculty organization, see www.womeninmedicine.vcu.edu
Women in
in Science,
Science,Dentistry,
Dentistry,& &
Medicine
Newsletter
Women
Medicine
Newsletter
Kudos
Cheryl S. Al-Mateen, MD, Associate Professor, Psychiatry and
Pediatrics. Accepted into the Harvard Macy Institute Program for
Health Science Educators. Appointed M3 Clerkship Director for
Psychiatry.
Diane Biskobing, MD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine (Endocrinology). Appointed M1-M2 Curriculum Director. Also serves as M2
Endocrinology Course Director & Chair of the SOM Curriculum
Council.
Joann Bodurtha, MD, MPH, Professor, Human Genetics, Pediatrics,
Obstetrics-Gynecology, and Past-President, WISDM. Awarded a
$460,000 grant from the Maternal Child and Health Bureau of HRSA
for 5 years' funding for the Virginia Leadership Education in
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program. This is a collaborative, interdisciplinary
effort involving seven schools and colleges at VCU.
Lisa K. Brath, MD, FCCP, Associate Professor Medicine, Program
Director, Pulmonary-Critical Care Fellowship, Assistant Professor of
Internal Medicine (Pulmonary). Recognized as the 2004 MCVP
Distinguished Clinician of the year by peer vote. Also appointed
Medical Director of Respiratory Care.
Lenore Buckley MD, MPH, Professor, Internal Medicine
(Rheumatology/Immunology). Named Medical Director of Stony Point
medical facility. Also serves on the boards of the American College of
Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation.
Sherry Dyche Ceperich, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry.
Appointed as Clinical Psychologist/Behavioral Scientist with the CDC,
continuing her work on Project CHOICES, a counseling research program now being implemented nationally.
Karen Cropsey, PsyD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry. Publications:
• Haller DL, Miles DR, Cropsey KL. Smoking stage of change is associated with retention in a smoke-free residential drug treatment program for women. Addict Behav. 2004 Aug;29(6):1265-70.
• Cropsey K, Eldridge GD, Ladner T. Smoking among female prisoners: an ignored
public health epidemic. Addict Behav. 2004 Feb;29(2):425-31.
Shobha Ghosh, PhD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine.
Poster Presentation at the 5th Annual Conference of Atherosclerosis,
Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. Outstanding Poster Award at the
Gordon Research Conference in June 2004. Collaborator on an NIH
RO1 Grant (July 2004 - June 2009) awarded to Vijay Lyall, PhD, Physiology.
Cynthia Heldberg, PhD, Appointed Chair of the Committee on
Admissions, the advisory group for the Association of American
Medical Colleges.
Ana Espinel-Ingroff, PhD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
(Infectious Diseases). Publications:
• Espinel-Ingroff A. Antifungal Agents. In: Schaechter M, ed. The desk
encyclopedia of microbiology. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2004:47-67.
• Espinel-Ingroff A. In vitro activities of andilafungin and micafungin, licensed
agents and the investigational agent posaconazole as determined by NCCLS methods for 12,052 fungal isolates: Review of the literature. Rev Iberoam Micol. 2003;20:
121-136. (It is dated 2003, but it was published this year!)
• Espinel-Ingroff A, Pfaller M, Messer SA, Knapp CC, Holliday N, Killian SB.
Multicenter comparison of the Sensititre YeastOne colorimetric antifungal panel
with the NCCLS M27-A2 reference method for testing new antifungal agents
against clinical isolates of Candida spp. J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Feb;42(2):718-21.
• Espinel-Ingroff A, Montero D, Martin-Mazuelos E. Long-term preservation of
fungal isolates in commercially prepared cryogenic microbank vials. J Clin Microbiol.
2004 Mar;42(3):1257-9.
5
3
Edited by Wendy Klein, MD
• Canton E, Peman J, Gobernado M, Viudes A, Espinel-Ingroff A. Patterns of
amphotericin B killing kinetics against seven Candida species. Antimicrob Agents
Chemother. 2004 Jul;48(7):2477-82.
• Ghannoum MA, Chaturvedi V, Espinel-Ingroff A, Pfaller MA, Rinaldi MG, LeeYang W, Warnock DW. Intra- and interlaboratory study of a method for testing the
antifungal susceptibilities of dermatophytes.J Clin Microbiol. 2004 Jul;42(7):2977-9.
Vidya Jayawardena MD, Staff Physician at the Spinal Cord Injury Unit
at Hunter Homes McGuire VA Medical Center, Assistant Professor,
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Received the 2004 Ernest Bors
Award for Scientific Development from the American Paraplegia
Society for her paper on bacteriuria in neurogenic bladder in spinal cord injured
patients, published in The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.
Catherine Kelso, MD, Division of General Medicine (Geriatrics).
Awarded a five-year Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) from
HRSA to focus on Geriatric Palliative Care. This highly competitive
award is one of 31 granted nationally.
Birgit Kettenmann, PhD, Assistant Research Professor, Radiology.
Wiesmann M, Kettenmann B, Kobal G. (2004) Functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging of Human Olfaction. In: A. Taylor, D. Roberts
(eds.) Flavor Perception. Blackwell Publishing, Ames IA
Karen A. Kurdziel, MD, Associate Professor, Radiology/Nuclear
Medicine. Selected to participate in the American Association for
Cancer Research/American Society of Clinical Oncology Workshop:
Methods in Clinical Cancer Research, July 2004. Also received a
Department of Defense Prostate Clinical Trial Development Award studying multimodality image-guided HDR/IMRT and an industry-sponsored Bracco
Diagnostics Award studying optimization of Rb-82 PET imaging protocol.
Suzanne Lavoie, MD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine and
Pediatrics. Awarded a continuation of her Ryan White Title IV grant
for 3 years at $309,777 per year, providing services to women, children
and families infected or affected with HIV.
Asha S. Mishra, MD, Professor, Psychiatry, Medical Director,
Chesterfield Community Services Board. Voted President-Elect of
Indo American Psychiatric Association and appointed to AAPI-India
Mental Health Council.
Kathleen L. McCoy, PhD, Professor, Microbiology and Immunology.
• Hartmann CB, McCoy KL. Gallium arsenide exposure impairs processing of particulate antigen by macrophages: modification of the antigen reverses the functional defect. Life Sci. 2004 Jun 11;75(4):485-98.
• Chuchawankul S, Shima M, Buckley NE, Hartmann CB, McCoy KL. Role of
cannabinoid receptors in inhibiting macrophage costimulatory activity. Int
Immunopharmacol. 2004 Feb;4(2):265-78.
Janet P. Niemeier, PhD, ABPP, Assistant Professor, Physical Medicine
and Rehabilitation. Publications:
• Niemeier JP, Taylor LA, Kreutzer, JS. First steps acute neurobehavioral and
cognitive intervention: Implementation manual. Richmond (VA): National
Resources Center; 2004.
• Niemeier JP, Kennedy R, McKinley WO, Cifu DX. The Loss Inventory:
Preliminary reliability and validity data for a new measure of emotional and cognitive responses to disability. Disabil Rehabil 2004;26:614-623.
Margaret Roberson, MD, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine,
Division of Primary Care and General Medicine. Appointed Interim
Director of University Student Health Services, VCU.
Women in Science, Dentistry, & Medicine Newsletter
Kudos
(continued)
Jeannie Savas, MD, Assistant Professor, Surgery (General and Trauma),
M3 General Surgery Clerkship Director. Four posters accepted at
Association of VA Surgeons' annual meeting, 2004:
• Savas JF, Litwack R, and Miller TA. “Regional Anesthesia as an
Alternative to General Anesthesia for Abdominal Surgery in Patients with Severe
Pulmonary Impairment.”
• Najjar S, Savas JF, and Miller TA. “Colovesical Fistula: Spectrum of Disease and
Management Paradigm.”
• Jamal MK, Savas JF, Miller TA, and Lippman R. “Intra-abdominal Malignant
Mesenchymoma: Case Report and Review of the Literature.”
• Jamal MK, Miller TA, Savas JF, and Lippman R. “Duodenal Villous Adenoma:
Case Report and Review of Literature.”
Bela Sood, MD, FAACAP, Associate Professor, Psychiatry, President,
WISDM. Appointed the VCU SOM representative to the American
Medical Association
Elizabeth Waterhouse, MD, Associate Professor, Neurology. Named
Assistant Dean for Medical Education, encompassing current M3
Clerkship directorship as well as the coordination of the M3 curriculum
at the new Inova campus.
Zendra E. Zehner, PhD, Professor, Biochemistry. Awarded
CDMRP, Department of Defense-prostate grant as PI with
Joy Ware, PhD, Professor of Pathology, as collaborator. The
grant is entitled "Novel Role of Vimentin's Regulatory
Factors in Prostate Tumor Metastasis."
Submit your accomplishments to share with the VCU community to Dr. Wendy
Klein ([email protected]), editor of the Kudos section.
4
Update on SoM Dean search
On July 30, 2004, Sheldon M. Retchin, MD, MSPH, announced the
membership of the Search Committee for the Dean of the School
of Medicine. It comprises a broad representation of individuals
from clinical and basic sciences, MCV Hospitals, both campuses of
VCU, the VA Hospital, the MCV Alumni Association, Boards of
VCU and the VCUHS, and the Office of the VP for Research.
Nine of the 21 Committee members are women. The position
announcement is being placed in national journals, such as JAMA
in the September medical education issue, and is posted on the
VCU website (among SOM Faculty Vacancies):
http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/facjobs/facjob.asp?Item=1585
The Search Committee Chair is Gordon Ginder, MD, Director,
Massey Cancer Center, and Co-Chair is David Sarrett, DMD,
Associate VP for Academic Affairs (Health Sciences). A complete
listing of the Search Committee members and their titles is found
in the SOM Deans’s Newsline, August 2004, at
http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/faculty_staff/newsletter/newsline704.pdf
Spencer Stuart of Atlanta, a professional search firm experienced
in medical school dean searches, has been engaged to assist, with
lead consultant Ira Isaacson, MD. Interested applicants should
send a letter of intent and curriculum vitae. The search process is
open; you are encouraged to nominate candidates. Send a letter of
nomination to: Search Committee for School of Medicine Dean,
VCU, PO Box 980549, Richmond, VA 23298-0549.
Institute for Women’s Health promotes research scholarship and collaboration
VCU established an
Interdisciplinary
Women's Health Re search (IWHR) Scholars Program in 2000
that is designed to
increase the number of investigators involved in research on issues
related to women's health or gender differences. The primary aim of
the program is to provide a structured environment to encourage the
development of junior faculty into independent researchers with
ex p e rtise and commitment to interdisciplinary women's health
research.
IWHR scholars are required to spend a minimum of 75% of
their full-time professional effort in research training related to
women's health. While in the prog ram, they will be mentored by
established senior faculty working in the women's health research
field. Research training will be provided in five areas relevant to
women's health: substance abuse, psychiatric genetics, reproductive
health, cancer, and diseases associated with aging. Interdisciplinary
research is especially encouraged. Over 25 mentors participate.
A K12 training grant award from the National Institutes of
Health supports the program. The IWHR scholars program is
administered by the VCU Institute for Women's Health. For more
information, see: http://www.womenshealth.vcu.edu/research/
Current BIRCWH Scholars and their research interests:
Charles D. Cook, PhD, Pharmacology and Toxicology, is examining the role of gonadal hormones in mediating pain sensitivity and
responsiveness to opioid analgesics in male and female arthritic rats.
Lynne Elmore, PhD, Pathology, studies the role of telomerase and
telomere dysfunction in breast cancer development and recurrence.
Paulina A. Essah, MD, Internal Medicine studies insulin resistance
syndromes, particularly polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity, in women, in order to understand the mechanisms that control
these syndromes.
Maria Iuorno, MD, Internal Medicine, is studying the relationship
between leptin pulsatile secretion and the polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS).
Robert McKallip, PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, is examining the effect of cannabinoid exposure on tumor growth and the
anti-tumor immune response.
Donna Miles, PhD, Human Genetics, is examining gender differences in the etiology of substance abuse.
Gayle Roux, PhD, Nursing, is examining inner strength in women
living with chronic health conditions.
Inquiries about the program should be addressed to:
Roy W. Pickens, Principal Investigator ([email protected])
Joann Bodurtha, Program Director ([email protected])
Robert Downs, Chair, IWHR Advisory Cmte ([email protected]
Women in Science, Dentistry, & Medicine Newsletter
5
Report from the VCUHS Board
At the August Executive Committee meeting
and September Board of Directors Meeting
of the VCUHS, Drs. Eugene Trani and
Sheldon Retchin reviewed the vision statement for the VCUHS: “Improving the health of
all people as the preeminent academic health center in
the region with national recognition for specialty care,
innovative research and workforce development.”
The financial status of both the hospital and the practice plan
has been positive and improving. Productivity at the practice plan is
up 10%. The building plans for the health system, including the plans
for the new bed tower, were reviewed. The new bed tower will meet
the hospital’s need for improved and updated intensive care units, and
will add private patient rooms, which enhance customer satisfaction
WIM Student Organization activities
The Women In Medicine interest group presents a new lunch lecture series, "How to Treat a Woman: Caring for the Female Patient,"
October 18th through the 22nd, 2004. Topics and guest speakers:
Dr. Andrea Pozez:
Breast Reconstruction
Dr. Wendy Klein:
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Dr. Catherine Nichols:
Women's Sexual Health
Dr. Robert K. Schneider: Depression
Shannon Freeman:
Treating Women Victims of
Domestic Violence
Students attending 4 of the 5 lectures will receive elective credit in
women's health.
The WIM interest group, in conjunction with the David Hume
Society, is also co-sponsoring a discussion on the life of a female
surgeon with guest speaker Dr. Jeannie Savas in November.
by Lenore Buckley, MD, MPH
and give more flexibility for finding beds and avoiding ER diversion.
The new bed tower will also include a faculty dining room.
Safety and quality issues, including work to improve infection
control, and patient satisfaction data were discussed. The board is
very interested in the implementation and impact of the CERNER
system and future opportunities for collaboration between the
VCUHS and the Cerner Corporation for quality initiatives.
The implementation of the HIPPA and documentation guidelines was also discussed. The new subcommittees chairs of the
VCUHS board include Dr. John O’Bannon for the Quality, Safety,
Risk, and Credentials Committee; Steven Markel for the Audit and
Compliance Committee; Dr. Retchin for the Strategic Planning
Committee; Dr. Trani for the Executive Committee; and Robert
Rigsby for the Finance and Property Committee.
by Julie Sullivan, M2
Additional planning is currently underway for a panel discussion
in the spring to provide information to the students about residency choices and to promote the women's health residency program.
We are also organizing a clothing drive for women's shelters in
Richmond this winter.
Continuing M2 members Julie Sullivan and Susan Tuck would
like to welcome M1s Tiffany Beck, Tiffany Kelly, Blaise Lovell, and
Veronica Sikka to the group, as well as our newly appointed
MD/PhD program re presentative Alexandra Racanelli to help
incorporate scientific research into the group. Special thanks to Drs.
Wendy Klein and Cynthia Heldberg for all their help getting our
program up and running this year. Please direct any questions or
comments regarding the program to Julie Sullivan at
[email protected]. And please come out and see us this year!
WISDM book club
So many books. So little time, but
would you have any interest in a book
club with your colleagues? We have
done this in a variety of ways in the past and are pro posing to try this again. So....
This was the introduction to an e-mail
survey which went out to all women faculty
in the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry on
September 9, 2004. At press time, we have
heard “yes” from 34 faculty, with preferences
for “other non-fiction,” “at dinnertime,” “at
somebody’s house or restaurant near by.” An
e-mail with details will be sent shortly to
those faculty interested in participating. If
you are interested and haven’t responded, you
are still welcome. Let us know by e-mail:
Dr. Joann Bodurtha, [email protected]
Carol Hampton, [email protected]
Drs. Lynne Elmore, Pathology, Michelle Meade, Physical Medicine and Rehab., and Paulina Essah,
Internal Medicine (l-r), having fun at the Welcome to WISDM professional development luncheon,
Sept. 14. The seminar provided an overview of WISDM programs and an opportunity for faculty and
students to meet colleagues and the new officers. Thanks to Dr. Diane Wilson, Internal Medicine,
(behind Lynne), and Kathy Kreutzer and Debbie Stewart from OFID, for arranging the program.
Women in Science, Dentistry, & Medicine Newsletter
6
Calendar of events
Date/Time/Location
Event
Description
Monday, October 25, 2004
12-1:30pm MSB 104-5
Promotion and Tenure: Overview
and Lessons Learned.
Facilitated by Ian Nixon, MD, Professor of Internal Medicine and
Cardiology, and a panel of recently promoted faculty.
Monday, October 25, 2004
4 - 5 pm Sanger 1-006
WISDM Executive Council meeting
This is an open meeting. Please join us, share your interests, and
get to know other faculty members. Linked via 2-way video to VAMC.
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005
12 - 1:15 pm MSB 104-5
Gathering Data for Salary
Negotiations
Facilitated by Cecelia Boardman, MD, WISDM President-Elect,
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Friday, March 4, 2005
8am - 5pm Richmond Marriott
13th Annual Pathways to
Leadership conference
Our topic is “Balancing the Equation.” Mark your calendar and watch
for the brochure, coming soon.
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
12 - 1:30 pm MSB 104-5
Optimizing Your CV for
Promotion & Tenure
CV Overview and small-group discussion.
Facilitator: Diane Wilson, EdD, MS, RD
April 29 - May 1, 2005
Williamsburg Marriott
2005 Women's Health Conference: Mark your calendar and watch for the brochure, coming soon.
Clinical Insights for the Practitioner
Announcements
Goal: to promote professional development through enhancement of leadership skills.
Audience: Community practitioners; academic physicians, dentists and scientists; administrators; other health care professionals; medical, dental, and graduate students; residents, and community leaders.
Keynotes:
• Regina Barreca, PhD, Professor, English Literature and
Feminist Theory, University of Connecticut. Author of the bestselling They Used to Call Me Snow White, But I Drifted [now in its
19th printing]; Perfect Husbands (and Other FairyTales); Sweet
Revenge: The Wicked Delights of Getting Even; and a collection
of essays, Too Much of a Good Thing is Wonderful. Dr. Barreca has
served as an advisor to the Library of Congress for work on humor
and the American character. An award-winning columnist, she has
regularly published articles in The New York Times, the Chicago
Tribune and dozens of magazines.
• Molly Carnes, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and
Industrial Engineering, Director, Center for Women’s Health
Research, and Co-Director, Women in Science and Engineering
Leadership Institute (WISELI), University of Wisconsin. Dr.
Carnes is committed to transforming the academic culture to bet-
ter welcome women and support their career advancement. She
is using women’s health research as a venue to accomplish this
goal, and a theme of research on health differences and disparities among women to increase the diversity of women entering
academic careers.
Workshops:
• Owning Your Own Practice
• Effective Negotiation
• Leadership Skills and Equity in the Workplace
• How, When, and Why to Make Trouble
• Mentoring
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Choosing and Negotiating That First Job
• Liked or in Charge?
Registration: download a brochure
from www.medschool.vcu.edu/cme/calendar.html or contact Conference
Manager Carole Hettema, 804-828-5416, [email protected].
Financial aid: Scholarships are available to residents and students in the School of Medicine (contact Debbie Stewart, 804828-6591, [email protected]) and in the School of Dentistry
(contact Dr. Carolyn Booker, 804-828-9953, [email protected]).
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, MCV Campus, Richmond, Virginia
Mission: Established in 1992, the Women in Science, Dentistry& Medicine Faculty Organization (WISDM) seeks to further the professional goals of women physicians, dentists, scientists, and others at the VCU Schools of Medicine and Dentistry. As a sponsor of forums for open communication, the organization facilitates networking, mentoring, and collaboration among women faculty,
housestaff, and medical, dental, and graduate students.
Membership: All women faculty (clinical, basic science, administrative, full-time, part-time, any rank) , students, housestaff, fellows, and post-docs in the VCU Schools of Medicine and Dentistry are
considered members of WISDM and invited and encouraged to participate in any and all events and meetings. Our men colleagues are welcome to participate in our professional development programs as well. Any faculty member, student, housestaff, fellow, post-doc, retired faculty, alumni, or interested colleague who pays an annual contribution to sustain and support our various programs
is a sustaining member. These names will be listed in the WISDM newsletter and/or website. Sustaining members may be recognized in other venues. Funds are used to support profeesional development activities of the VCU WISDM program. Sustaining membership fees ($30/year) are requested and collected each academic year, July 1- June 30. Checks should be made out to WISDM
and sent to Dr. Susan DiGiovanni, Treasure r: P.O. Box 980160, Richmond, VA 23298-0160, phone: (804) 828-9682 or e-mail: [email protected].
Newsletter: The newsletter is published 2-3 times annually by the Women in Science, Dentistry & Medicine Faculty Organization at the VCU School of Medicine. We welcome your questions and
comments. Contact President Bela Sood at [email protected] or (804) 828-4371, or Newsletter Editor John Priestley at [email protected] or (804) 828-3919.
Web site: For additional information, vist http://www.womeninmedicine.vcu.edu