Graduation is always a special time, and so it was this past weekend. UND general commencement was on Saturday, and the School graduated its medical students on Sunday—Mother’s Day. The festivities on Saturday started with a reception in the Vennes Atrium for the medical laboratory science and cytotechnology graduates, along with an open house for the occupational therapy students. And also the same morning (whew!) was the hooding ceremony for the physical therapy students, who graduate with a doctoral degree. Following a commencement luncheon at the Alerus Center, UND general commencement followed. The keynote speaker was North Dakota Lt. Governor Drew Wrigley who gave a spirited and entertaining address that challenged the students to excel and never blithely accept defeat. And on Sunday, the medical students first attended their Awards Luncheon prior to the Commencement Ceremony. A number of participants commented that the Awards Luncheon was very moving because Dr. Stephen Tinguely, after acknowledging the sacrifice and contributions of several of our students and faculty on a mission trip to Peru, gave a poignant account of the ultimately unsuccessful attempts of several students to save a young drowning victim.

The medical students selected Dr. Pat Carr to give the commencement address, and they were not disappointed. Pat demonstrated why he is such a revered teacher at the SMHS; he delivered a lecture, complete with PowerPoint slides, to the assembled crowd. Although the theme of his talk at first seemed enigmatic—you learn everything you need to know in gross anatomy—the meaning became clear as he progressed.

And to round out the celebratory spirit, on Tuesday many of us attended the 2013 UND Staff Recognition Luncheon that was held at the Memorial Union. Over four dozen staff employees at the SMHS were honored for outstanding service to the School and UND. Phyllis Tweton in the Office of Medical Education took home honors for the longest period of service to UND at 45 years! Jude Heit in the Office of Student Affairs and Admissions won special recognition for her outstanding service to our students. And Terri Lang in the Center for Rural Health won special recognition for her service to rural North Dakotans. Jude and Terri were among only ten UND employees to win this year’s Meritorious Service Award. Congratulations to Jude, Phyllis, Terri, and all of the other honorees at this year’s Staff Recognition Luncheon.

The Lloyd Ralston Lecturer at Altru Hospital this past Wednesday was our own Joycelyn Dorscher, MD, associate dean for Student Affairs and Admissions at the School. Dr. Dorscher's presentation was titled "Medical Students Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” and dealt with advising would-be medical students and assisting current medical students so that they can maximize their professional and educational development.

Finally, yesterday we said “so long for now” to the sophomore medical students who attended a Send-Off Party in University Park before they start their clinical rotations during their third year of medical school. The first-year students typically sponsor the event, and provide food and refreshments for all. As you may know, our students do their third-year clerkships at one of our four campuses (Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, or Minot), or in a rural location as part of the Rural Opportunities in Medical Education (ROME) program. Wherever they end up, they’re in for a real treat, as the clinical experience that our students get at UND typically is outstanding, thanks in no small measure to the efforts of our wonderful voluntary clinical faculty. I’ve pointed out before just how grateful we are for the efforts of these faculty members, and I try to recognize some of them at our Awards Ceremony at graduation. The recipients of this year’s Dean's Special Recognition Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Faculty include the following physicians:

• Douglas D. Berglund, MD, clinical associate professor of surgery, Bismarck.
• David A. Billings, MD, clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and alumnus (MD Class of 1992), Minot.
• Charles P. Dahl, MD, clinical associate professor of surgery, Bismarck.
• Christie A. Iverson, MD, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and alumna (MD Class of 1991), Bismarck.
• Eduardo E. Meza, MD, clinical assistant professor of clinical neuroscience, Fargo.
• Mahesh N. Patel, MD, clinical professor of pediatrics, Bismarck.
• Kamille S. Sherman, MD, clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine, and alumna (MD Class of 1999), Dickinson.
• Scott L. Stephens, DO, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, Fargo.
• Chi Kong Yeung, MD, clinical professor of surgery, Minot.

On behalf of the School, I’d like to extend our great appreciation and thanks to these outstanding clinician-educators who give so generously of their time and expertise. Thank you!

Joshua Wynne, MD, MBA, MPH
UND Vice President for Health Affairs
Dean, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences

"Amputations and their prostheses—the evolution of the oldest major surgery," Grand Rounds today

Brady Mullin, MD, PGY IV surgery resident in the Department of Surgery, will be presenting her talk titled "Amputations and their prostheses—the evolution of the oldest major surgery” from Room A at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks today from 8 to 9 a.m.

The objectives of her talk are the following:

1. Explain the challenges faced by early surgeons performing amputations.
2. Understand the varying indications for amputation historically.
3. Discuss the evolution of thought in regards to ideal timing/location of amputation.
4. Recognize some of the names of surgeons that played a critical role in the evolution of the amputation throughout history.

This Surgery Grand Rounds Conference, sponsored by the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences Department of Surgery, is broadcasted via videoconference to many sites in North Dakota and Minnesota.

All are welcome to attend.

Geralyn Lunski
Administrative Assistant, Faculty and Conference Coordinator
Department of Surgery

Farewell Reception for Anita Brazier

 

 

Information Resources invites you to a reception for Anita Brazier to thank her for her dedicated service as an IT Support Specialist. Come and wish Anita well at a reception from 1 to 3 p.m. on Monday, May 20, in Room 1917 at the SMHS in Grand Forks.  

SMHS Information Resources

 

 

 

 

Geiger to present during Cellular Interaction and Signaling in NeuroAIDS webinar

 

Jonathan Geiger, PhD, Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics, and interim chair of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, will participate in the “Cellular Interaction and Signaling in NeuroAIDS” Emerging Issues Webinar at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on Thursday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The webinar is free, but registration is required.

Deb Kroese
Administrative Officer
Pharmacology, Physiology, and Therapeutics

 

Dakota Conference is June 5–7 in Mandan

The Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health is June 5–7 in Mandan. For a registration brochure and to register online or with a printable form, please read more.

Kylie Nissen
Senior Project Coordinator
Center for Rural Health

UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences announces Doctor of Medicine Class of 2013 Award Winners

Medical students of the M.D. Class of 2013 and faculty of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences were recognized by the School at the Commencement Awards presentation on Sunday, May 12. Read more.

UND Doctors honored with Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards

Charles E. Christianson, M.D., Sc.M., associate dean for clinical education and associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was honored with the prestigious Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Faculty Award at the medical school’s commencement on May 12. Kendra Lystad, M.D., a 2013 UND medical school graduate, received the Tow award for graduating medical students. Read more.

“Hypertension: Detect, Connect, Control"—CDC Grand Rounds

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Grand Rounds is a monthly webcast created to foster discussion on major public health issues. Each session focuses on key challenges related to a specific health topic, and explores cutting-edge scientific evidence and the potential impact of different interventions. The Grand Rounds sessions also highlight how the CDC and its partners are already addressing these challenges and discuss the recommendations for future research and practice. May's presentation is titled “Hypertension: Detect, Connect, Control.” All of the webcasts are archived for later viewing.

Social Media: Congratulatory posts and photos of grads and faculty

Read congratulatory posts to SMHS graduates and faculty and view photos on our Facebook and Flickr pages. 

On our Facebook page, you will also find Dean Wynne's latest Health Matters column, which can be found in the Grand Forks Herald every other Monday. Please submit any general health-related questions to healthmatters@med.und.edu.

You can also get the latest SMHS news by following the School on Twitter.

University Letter: UND recognizes staff for employment milestones, meritorious service

UND honored staff members for years of service and a select few for going above and beyond Tuesday, May 14, at a special luncheon at the Memorial Union.

More information about this and other UND news can be found in the University Letter. Published on Tuesdays, it is distributed electronically to the University community and is always available online. For more information, contact editor Jan Orvik at (701) 777-3621.

Library of the Health Sciences Memorial Day holiday hours

Library of the Health Sciences hours for the Memorial Day holiday May 24 through May 27 are the following:

• Friday, May 24—8 a.m.–5 p.m.
• Saturday, May 25—1 p.m.–5 p.m.
• Sunday, May 26—Closed
• Monday, May 27–Closed

Summer hours are the following:

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—8 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday—8 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Saturday—1 p.m.– 5 p.m. 
• Closed on Sunday.

If you have any questions, please contact Jan Gunderson (701) 777-2603.