2009 Dean's Report

147 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building College Station, TX 77843-1114 (979) 845-3431 medicine.tamhsc.edu 26920 0310 S10/1.5M

Dean’s Report 2009

Contents Vital Signs

2

Anatomy of Our New Facilities

5

The Heart of Our College

11

The Student Body

19

Health Report

27

Prognosis

35

After Care

43

Special Thanks Christina Gutierrez Gary Hansen Brian T. Hervey Jane Miller Summer L. Morgan Office of Educational Development Misty Olsen Cody Overstreet Kristen Rodriguez Veronica Sanchez, Ph.D.

2

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Vital Signs Looking Back I have been fortunate to be a part of this outstanding organization as dean for nearly seven years, and the past year especially is proof positive that our plans at the College of Medicine did not sit on a shelf. We strategically aligned our plans with our institutional, state and national resources, and we charted that course with diligence matched by enthusiasm. Quite simply, we planned it, and we did it.

I gratefully acknowledge and thank the faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the college for your service and commitment.

Your dedication to the college’s vision and goals have provided a foundation of support and a spirit of tradition that will propel the college through the next 30 years and beyond.

During my time here, we expanded our physical campuses with new facilities either completed or currently under construction and doubled our class size while maintaining the quality and diversity of the entering class. Our education capital nearly doubled from $4.5 million to more than $8 million in the past seven years. We established clinical rotations on the Bryan-College Station and Round Rock campuses; increased our number of research faculty and total research expenditures, including the establishment of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine; and developed Texas A&M Physicians, the College of Medicine Practice Plan. We also reorganized the basic science departments into a more interdisciplinary model and implemented a new medical education curriculum and curricular database.

In short, the faculty, clinicians and researchers have done more in the past 10 years than in the previous 30 years, and they will continue to advance the college toward new levels of success. The college has advanced all areas of its mission because the faculty, staff and students commit themselves to expanding the boundaries of medicine, maintaining our centers of excellence and elevating the level of care in our communities. Most importantly, the college will continue to educate students whose futures are bright with the results of its efforts.

May the College of Medicine continue to move forward in great fashion.

With lasting gratitude,

Christopher C. Colenda, M.D., M.P.H. College of Medicine Dean January 1, 2003–October 16, 2009

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Vital Signs Looking Forward What an exciting time. We are well-positioned to continue the positive trajectory of the past 10 years, and we show no signs of slowing down. The multiple milestones set forth by Dr. Colenda, the College of Medicine and the Texas A&M Health Science Center leadership will continue to be met by our exceptional physicians, scientists, faculty and students.

As the College of Medicine’s former associate dean for veterans affairs, I can appreciate how far we’ve come since 1971 when congressman, decorated veteran and Texas A&M former student Olin “Tiger” Teague crafted a bill to create medical schools in conjunction with established VA hospitals. With the help of Senator Alan Cranston of California, the Teague-Cranston Act created the College of Medicine and four additional new medical schools in five states to meet the needs of the medically underserved areas of the country. How fitting that some of our charter faculty, who were housed in the Teague building on Texas A&M’s main campus in the mid-1970s, will be around to witness our next era of growth.

In the next year, a half million square feet of new building space will come online in the form of the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s Round Rock campus, the Health Professions Education Building at the new Bryan campus, and a research building also on the Bryan campus. Every day, more bricks and mortar are laid as we build the infrastructure required to maintain and improve the rigors of clinical medical education.

From our auspicious beginning, we now have established the College of Medicine as a 21st century medical school, one that brings science to the bedside and turns our research into therapeutic practice, one that turns medical models into medical realities as you’ll see on the following pages.

If we are to continue to achieve excellence, if our teaching is to have impact, we must seek innovative ways to approach the world of medicine. Our path has been laid before us, and as we move onward and upward, we do so with thanks to the past and excitement for the future. Because organizations that believe they’re going places, do.

Sincerely,

Edward J. Sherwood, M.D. College of Medicine Interim Dean

3

4

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

COLLEGE OF MEDICINE At a glance

“

College of Medicine Research Expenditures Includes: College of Medicine (COM), Scott & White Healthcare (S&W) and Veterans Affairs (VA).

2008 Research Expenditures Millions $30

26.4

There are only nine existing and proposed medical schools in the United States with four-year branch campuses.

We are one of them, and we are up and running.

Dr. Mark Sadoski

College of Medicine Office of Educational Development Professor of Humanities in Medicine

”

Total Number of Faculty 1,260 1,052 905 743

795

’04–’05 ’05–’06 ’06–’07 ’07–’08 ’08–’09 Total Number of Faculty

70% increase in five years

25 20 15

12.8

12.9

10

.7 COM

S&W

VA

2009: 3.68

average MCAT score

average GPA

of entering medical students

5 0

2009: 30.0

2004–2008: 28.6

of entering medical students 2008: 3.65

Total

2008 Research Expenditures

2009 Research Expenditures

Millions $35

33.0

30

students or alumni

17.9

99% pass rate of 2009

13.1

15

190*

143 122

125

’07–’08

’08–’09

United States Medical

10

Licensing Examination

5 0

students and alumni

61% donors are former

25 20

1,550 total number of former

Total Number of Fourth-Year Electives

(USMLE) Step 1 exam

2.0 COM

S&W

VA

Total

2009 Research Expenditures

229 average score of USMLE Step 1

’09–’10

’10–’11* *Projected

Number of Fourth-Year Electives

5

Anatomy of Our New Facilities

6

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

ONWARD & UPWARD: Educational and Physical Growth Show Steady, Upward Trend in Bryan-College Station and Round Rock

S

ince first offering third- and fourth-year clinical rotations and electives in Bryan-College Station (B-CS) in 2007, and in Round Rock in 2008, the College of Medicine has grown both educationally and physically as it expands its academic offerings and increases its built environment in not just one, but two communities.

With 155 members of the Class of 2013, the largest entering class ever, the College of Medicine is now home to more than 470 medical students studying and training from Bryan and College Station to Temple, Round Rock, Houston, Corpus Christi, Fort Hood and Beeville.

Brick by Brick: New Bryan Campus Takes Shape It didn’t take long after breaking ground in January 2008 for drivers on State Highway 47 to notice two large structures inching skyward.

After 24 months of construction, those two structures are nearly complete and ready to be dedicated as the first buildings on the Texas A&M Health Science Center (HSC) Bryan campus.

The Health Professions Education Building is slated to open in fall 2010, and the Medical Education and Research Building is slated to open in 2011. With that, the HSC Bryan campus will mark the first time The Texas A&M University System will have a permanent physical presence in the city. The entire campus is scheduled for completion around 2020, ultimately allowing the HSC to consolidate its academic programs and administration currently located throughout Bryan and College Station onto a single campus.

Educational Milestones In addition to its largest clinical affiliates, The College Station Medical Center (The Med) and St. Joseph Regional Health Center, in 2008– 2009, the B-CS campus clinical affiliations grew to approximately 25, including Scott & White Clinic College Station, the Physicians Centre, the Texas A&M HSC College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency in Bryan and various clinics and groups.

In 2007–2008, approximately 20 B-CS students rotated in three clinical rotations—family and community medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.

Health Professions In 2009, both numbers grew, Education Building, left and the rotations expanded Medical Education and Research Building, right to include internal medicine, psychiatry and surgery, fulfilling the complete complement of core clerkships. The Part of a $6.6 million land gift of number of students more than doubled 200 acres from the City of Bryan in to approximately 45, including 10 2006, the HSC Bryan campus, and permanent, 25 visiting third-year specifically the Medical Education and students for clerkships and 10 fourthResearch Building, will be paid for year students for electives. through tuition revenue bonds and other Texas A&M System resources.

Additionally, from offering approxiFunding for additional phases is mately 10 fourth-year electives in 2008, expected from the Texas Legislature the B-CS campus roughly tripled the and philanthropic efforts. number to 30 electives in 2009, includ-

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

ing new ICU rotations led by Dr. Scott Spencer and Dr. Adan Mora with their partners at St. Joseph and The Med, respectively. The number of fourth-year electives is projected to grow to approximately 40 for the incoming class in 2010.

This marked growth is, in fact, translating directly to the students’ learning objectives and satisfaction. In 2009, the first group of third-year students completed their clerkships in B-CS and fared equally as well as peers at other campuses on the national board exams and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).

“The results—as measured by student evaluations and objective performance standards—continue to reflect our students’ satisfaction with the training they’re receiving here,” reports Dr. Jonathan Friedman, associate dean for the B-CS campus. “Subsequently, students are more often requesting to complete select rotations in Bryan and College Station because of the hands-on experience available here.”

Two thousand nine also saw the appointment of four faculty members to administrative leadership positions in B-CS. Dr. James Kirby, a faculty member in cardiothoracic surgery, was appointed director of fourth-year rotations. In this role, Dr. Kirby oversees all fourth-year rotations and related Bryan Campus

7

8

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

programs and provides leadership for the campus overall. Dr. Patrick Ryan was appointed regional department chair of anesthesiology, and Dr. Chris Cargile, a faculty member in psychiatry, was appointed regional department chair of psychiatry, providing local leadership for their respective departments.

Dr. Friedman says giving physicians an opportunity, either in leadership or mentorship roles, to train the next generation of doctors creates a reciprocal process of teaching and learning.

“Furthermore, by training future physicians in Bryan and College Station, we add a new dimension of healthcare to the community,” notes Dr. Friedman.

He adds, “Every one of the BryanCollege Station doctors we asked to advise fourth-year students agreed to do so. More than just providing strong letters of recommendation, they are committed to preparing our students for residency training and the realities of a given specialty.”

Round Rock: “A Tremendous Success Story” A mere 30 months after initially receiving funding from the Texas Legislature to establish a new medical education campus in Williamson County, the Texas A&M Health Science Center secured its commitment to Central Texas this past fall with a ribbon Round Rock Campus

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

cutting for the first building on its Round Rock campus.

Michael D. McKinney, M.D., chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, said, “The opening of this building is a great first step in our commitment to the people of Central Texas to increase the educational offerings for healthcare professionals.”

The chancellor was joined by state legislators; Texas A&M System regents; members of the Avery family, who donated land for construction of the campus; State of Texas, Williamson County and City of Round Rock officials; community leaders; Texas A&M System administrators; and invited guests.

9

Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for The Texas A&M University System said, “From vision to reality, this project demonstrates a remarkable energy and an innovative use of collaboration. None of this would be possible without the support of our many partners—public,

8

10

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

private and academic—who have worked quickly and tirelessly to bring the Texas A&M Health Science Center to Williamson County so that we can help meet the needs of Central Texas’ rapidly growing population.”

The Texas Legislature appropriated $9 million in 2007 for an HSC Round Rock campus to offer medical education and provided additional funds in 2009 to support continued expansion efforts.

In January 2008, the Avery family donated property located west of Farmto-Market 1460 and south of County Road 112 in Round Rock. Construction of the inaugural building on the 50-acre campus began in mid-August 2008.

The new 134,000-square-foot facility will be used for clinical teaching and includes a simulation center equipped with computer-programmed manikins, student life and student service support, administrative offices and clinical research space.

“Our state-of-the-art facility, collaborative relationships with community and scientific partners, and innovative medical education turn our academic commitment into reality,” said Kathryn J. Kotrla, M.D., associate dean for the Round Rock campus.

Educational Offerings Expand to Fulfill Need in Williamson County In just two short years, the College of Medicine’s Round Rock facility has gone from a handful of visiting students and a few dozen faculty members to 49 full-time and visiting students and 160 faculty members. Since 2008, those numbers reflect 14 percent and 88 percent increases, respectively.

Of this year’s students, 11 are permanent student spots that the College of Medicine secured this year. Thirty-two full-time student spots are projected for next year. In total, more than 45 thirdand fourth-year medical students are scheduled to complete rotations under approximately 200 local physicianfaculty members during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Students are now completing rotations in the six core competencies: family and community medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery (with two weeks in Temple for pediatrics and surgery). Additionally, the college has implemented permanent fourth-year electives in orthosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine (acting internship) and cardiology. Currently, there are plans to add more competencies as the programs grow.

“We are actively building our leadership structure and recruiting clinical

9

affiliations to enhance our students’ experience,” Dr. Kotrla said. “Our faculty are established leaders of the Central Texas medical community. They share their wisdom with our students by modeling patient- and communitycentered care.”

In addition to their current affiliation agreements with Lone Star Circle of Care, Scott & White Healthcare-Round Rock, Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s HealthCare, in 2009, the Round Rock campus added an agreement with Austin State Hospital and with Austin Lakes Hospital for in-patient psychiatry rotations.

Two thousand nine also welcomed five faculty members to administrative leadership positions in Round Rock.

Dr. Steven L. Prenzlauer, a faculty member in psychiatry and behavioral science, was appointed as the regional chair of psychiatry, and Dr. Larry R. Fane was appointed as the regional chair of pediatrics for the Round Rock campus.

Dr. Virginia Garay, Dr. Lianne Marks and Dr. Daniel Richards were appointed as clerkship directors in psychiatry and behavioral science, internal medicine and pediatrics, respectively.

“Over the next few years, watch the College of Medicine grow in Round Rock,” Dr. Kotrla said. “We are really a tremendous success story.”

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

The Heart of Our College

11

12

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Dr. J. James Rohack: AMA President and Faculty Member Balances Life as a Doctor and a Leader

“

… providing our medical students with the real knowledge of how one practices the Code of Medical Ethics while being involved in public policy and still caring for patients.

T

”

he current leader of the nation’s largest and most active physicians’ group, the American Medical Association (AMA), has been

balancing multiple responsibilities for decades. For more than 20 years, Dr. J. James Rohack has been a faculty member at the College of Medicine and a cardiologist with Scott & White, and today he serves as President of the AMA. Since 1997, he has also served as the director of medical operations of the Scott & White Health Plan, and he currently serves as the director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Scott & White.

What makes his story all the more interesting is the fact that Dr. Rohack fulfills all his responsibilities as a faculty member, physician, administrator and leader while currently living in Bryan, Texas. For the past 12 years he has balanced his enviable and hectic schedule while making the 160-mile commute to Temple every day.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

In more than eight months as president, Dr. Rohack has logged thousands of miles traveling from coast to coast to meet with community leaders, physicians and medical students—all in the name of enhancing patient care.

Dr. Rohack said, “What started as an important conversation on what’s best for America has become caught up in partisan politics. In the remainder of my term, I will continue to push for keeping what is good and fixing what is broken in American health care.”

As president-elect in 2008, Dr. Rohack set four goals for his presidency: insuring the 47 million uninsured Americans by changing the tax code based on income levels; reforming the Medicare financing system; reforming the financing of medical education; and working to create tools to allow physicians to compare effectiveness of different therapies.

In response, the AMA has created a website to provide the latest updates on tax code changes, Medicare reform and medical education financing, and its Physician Consortium on Performance Improvement continues to develop, test and maintain evidence-based clinical performance measures and resources for physicians.

Additionally, the AMA has launched a pilot program in Michigan to help solo physicians and small practice groups with what Dr. Rohack describes as “the daily business and patient care needs” via a web-based platform.

Based on the success of this initiative, the program may be extended nationwide.

Some days he does all this while making the hour-and-a-half commute from his home in Bryan to Temple in his 2008 Toyota Prius.

He notes that, “Getting 40 miles per gallon has greatly reduced the carbon footprint and the annual cost of the 30,000-plus annual miles I drive.”

With all of the many initiatives in his care, Dr. Rohack says that the real challenge lies in finding the best strategy for uniting physicians.

“We recognize that our medical education model creates and fosters independent thinkers,” Dr. Rohack said. “The challenge is what strategy will be most successful at making physicians part of teams.”

So Dr. Rohack purposely makes time to encourage students, physicians and leaders to get involved and interact collaboratively.

“Ultimately,” he said, “to grow an organization, one must grow strong leaders first.” Dr. Rohack himself has undertaken this charge by, “… providing our medical students with the real knowledge of how one practices the Code of Medical Ethics while being involved in public policy and still caring for patients.”

Through it all, Dr. Rohack is quick to recognize his own support system.

“

At times, one has to choose what is the highest priority. I would not be able to balance all this without the support of those who work with me and who know the challenges of having to make difficult choices, including my wife, Charli, and daughter, Elisha, my colleagues at Scott & White, my fellow faculty at the Texas A&M Health Science Center, and of course, the medical students and my patients.

”

As for the commute: after 12 years, things are looking up.

“When the new HSC campus in Bryan is completed,” Dr. Rohack said, “it will be a closer commute for sure.”

13

14

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Jules B. Puschett, M.D.: Working Toward Personalized Medicine

“

Utilization of the human genome will allow us to discover methods of diagnosing a disease early, even in utero.

J

”

ules B. Puschett, M.D., is the College of Medicine’s vice dean for program development, a professor of medicine, and a professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics. Since 2006, he has served the College of Medicine in multiple capacities. He is a senior

staff member of the Scott & White Hospital and Clinic in the Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. He also serves as special assistant to the director at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

“My cousin, a physician and investigator, did research in membrane transport, and my mentors in medical school and during my residency specifically influenced me to become a nephrologist.”

Dr. Puschett trained in renalelectrolyte medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. From there, becoming involved in academic medicine was an easy step.

“I was always fascinated by research,” Dr. Puschett said. “During my fellowship, my mentors involved me in experimentation, which I very much enjoyed.”

After a lifetime of experience in the lab and behind a lectern, his teaching philosophy has been distilled to this pearl of wisdom: “Keep it simple,” Dr. Puschett said.

“Don’t try to do too much at any one time. Make sure your students, trainees and residents understand the basics before you proceed to more complicated matters.”

It’s no small feat, but Dr. Puschett estimates that he’s taught more than a thousand medical students and researchers with that philosophy throughout his career.

Ever searching for the next discovery, Dr. Puschett maintains a research laboratory that focuses on pathophysiologic mechanisms and novel treatments of volume expansionmediated hypertension. In fact, one

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

of his patents and all of his patent-pending applications concern novel diagnosis and treatment methods of hypertension and preeclampsia, a specific type of hypertension that occurs during pregnancy.

Dr. Puschett and his colleagues are currently devising models to test a steroid treatment specifically for preeclampsia. If untreated, it can cause placental abruption and develop into eclampsia, a more serious condition characterized by seizures.

For Dr. Puschett, the next step is, “… to apply our discoveries in vitro—to apply them in animal models and then translate those applications to patients.”

Regarding the next evolution in medicine, Dr. Puschett hypothesizes, “Utilization of the human genome will allow us to discover methods of diagnosing a disease early, even in utero. Then a unique treatment can be applied based upon how a given drug will benefit a particular patient. Truly personalized medicine is the next step.”

Dr. Puschett by the numbers:

50 years as an AMA member (lifetime member since 2001)

300+

articles and abstracts

7 books published

3

1,000+

patents (5 pending) students taught

15

16

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Darwin J. Prockop, M.D., Ph.D.: A World Leader in Regenerative Medicine

“ I

Every day we ask a new question that leads us closer to understanding how the body repairs itself.

”

n fall 2008, Darwin J. Prockop, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed director of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Scott & White (IRM).

Today, Dr. Prockop leads the institute and a team of 30 researchers, scientists and technicians working in 40,000 square feet of research space that includes 28,000 square feet of research laboratory space and a 6,000-squarefoot clinical Good Manufacturing Procedures laboratory facility.

“On the way home I begin to wonder whether we were dreaming. But I come back the next day, and find it’s true,” Dr. Prockop said.

An internationally-recognized investigator and member of the Institutes of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Prockop is a pioneer in human bone marrow-derived stem cells, their biology and clinical applications. His group is recognized as a world leader in the production and characterization of adult stem cells.

“Thanks to the research of hundreds of scientists and doctors over many decades, we now understand the principles by which the body heals itself,” Dr. Prockop said. For the first time, we can plan to use cells that are part of the natural system of tissue repair to treat devastating diseases.”

Dr. Prockop and his team are currently preparing for clinical trials using adult stem cells for regeneration of knee cartilage defects in athletes.

“We’re looking for a football player—a halfback to be precise,” Dr. Prockop chuckles.

Among other projects slated for launch next is the use of adult stem cells on diabetes patients.

“The recruitment of Dr. Prockop’s team of talented investigators will ensure that the College of Medicine and Scott & White are at the forefront of regenerative medicine and research,” said Dr. Christopher C. Colenda, former dean of the College of Medicine.

“This will benefit the citizens of Texas who will have the potential to access leading health care.”

Dr. Prockop is the inaugural holder of the William and Dorothy Stearman

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Professorship and Chair in Genomic Medicine founded by the generosity of Bill (Texas A&M University Class of ’42) and Dorothy Stearman. When they founded the chair in 2007, Dorothy said, “We believe research is extremely important because it’s basic to understanding life. We’re hopeful that the initial research we supported will serve as a basis for additional findings.”

A Shot in the Arm In February 2009, Governor Rick Perry announced a $5 million investment through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) to recruit leading scientists focused on regenerative medicine technologies to the IRM.

“Commercialization of adult stem cell research will provide much needed solutions for Texans suffering from various tissue and organ disorders while protecting the unborn from exploitation,” Gov. Perry said. “This investment will promote innovation and commercialization in this evolving biotechnology sector and attract top researchers and outside investment to the Institute for Regenerative Medicine.”

The ETF is a $200-million initiative created by the Texas Legislature in 2005 and reauthorized by the 80th Texas Legislature, making more than $185 million available during the 2008–2009 biennium. To date, the ETF

Right: Texas Govenor Rick Perry, February 2009 Below: From left, Dr. Nancy W. Dickey; Dr. Darwin Prockop; Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus; The Honorable Ralph Sheffield, Texas State Representative for District 55, September 2009 Opposite page: Clockwise from left, Bill ’42 and Dorothy Stearman, founders of the William and Dorothy Stearman Professorship and Chair in Genomic Medicine, February 2009; Bill ’42 and Dorothy Stearman with Gov. Perry, February 2009; Dr. Darwin Prockop at IRM open house, November 2008

has allocated $140 million in funds to 16 universities, attracting more than 40 top researchers and their teams to the state and creating industry capital investment.

17

18

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

This investment by the state in the expansion of the Texas A&M Health Science Center ensures that Texas will continue to serve as a leader in medical research and innovation,” said Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., president of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor for health affairs for The Texas A&M University System.

“Formation of the IRM and recruitment of these world-class researchers will facilitate the growth of science, creation of new discoveries and expansion within the biotechnology industry.”

Dr. Prockop was awarded a $4.3 million grant by the National Institutes of Health in 2003 to establish the first laboratory for the preparation and

distribution of adult stem cells from bone marrow stroma to academic scientists at centers in the United States and abroad.

To date, shipments have been made to approximately 250 research centers worldwide, and they were awarded $5.4 million for a five-year renewal of the grant in June 2008.

“We are not certain that all our efforts will succeed, but as we examine the results that we and others have produced in the laboratory, we cannot find any convincing reasons why the therapies will not work,” Dr. Prockop said. “We still do not know the limits of the cells, but we will begin to test those limits, proceeding as carefully as possible.”

There are two types of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Embryonic stem cells are harvested from embryos four to five days after fertilization and can develop into any type of tissue. Adult stem cells, the kind Dr. Prockop’s team studies, are in tissues throughout the body and provide a reservoir for replacing damaged or aging cells, as they develop into just one or two different kinds of tissue.

At the IRM, researchers use adult stem cells to develop new therapies to combat osteoarthritis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiac, kidney and pulmonary diseases. Furthermore, the IRM will also provide academic programs for career development and job training and serve as an engine of new scientist development for the State of Texas.

The Student Body

20

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Patient Advocates: Today, Tomorrow and Always TMA-AMA student organization offers leadership, policymaking and service opportunities for tomorrow’s patient advocates.

T

oday’s College of Medicine students soon will be the doctors of tomorrow, and to prepare them for the challenges of patient care and the rigors of navigating the health care system, the College of Medicine’s Texas Medical Association-American Medical Association (TMA-AMA) student organization offers leadership, policymaking and service opportunities for tomorrow’s patient advocates.

To fund their activities, the TMAAMA student organization relies on volunteers, donations and financial support from the College of Medicine’s Annual Fund for travel expenses to Chicago for the national AMA conference and to San Antonio for the TMA conference. At both, students participated and voted as representatives of the TMA-AMA Medical Student Section. In 2009,

students received $4,000 from the Annual Fund, thanks to the support of the college’s generous donors.

On November 15, 2008, the TMAAMA members held their second annual Healthy Heart 5K for medical students and the community with 120 participants at the starting line. The run wrapped up a week in which firstand second-year medical students were challenged to live healthier lifestyles by taking at least 10,000 steps a day.

“It went really well,” said Ellen Ngo, ’08–’09 TMA-AMA vice president.

“We had around 50 race-day registrations, so it was great to have so many more runners than we were originally counting on. Many of our classmates were there to support us.”

All proceeds from the race, totaling $2,400, were donated to Health for All, Inc., a clinic in Bryan, and Martha’s Clinic in Temple.

In 2009, the TMA-AMA students also organized a helmet giveaway called Hard Hats for Little Heads in BryanCollege Station to fit children with bike helmets, inform the community of local programs that offer care for indigent patients and help participants fill out applications for CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Nathalie Nguyen, ’08–’09 TMAAMA president and a third-year student currently rotating in Temple, originally joined with TMA-AMA to be more involved and aware of the policymaking process in health care.

“As future physicians, it is important for us to understand and be aware of the changes that need to be made to our health care system,” Nguyen said.

“We must be aware of health care policy, and if we are aware, we can work to make positive change.”

Like Nguyen, Diana Tran, ’08–’09 TMA-AMA Alternate Representative (College Station) and third-year student currently rotating in Temple,

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

got involved in TMA-AMA because she was interested in the process behind the legislation affecting medicine.

“I want to educate myself about how laws and policy would affect my classmates and me as students, future residents and future doctors,” Tran said. “It’s important for medical students to understand that the TMA and AMA are the unified voice for physicians.”

Gavin Roddy, ’08–’09 TMA-AMA representative (Temple) and an M.D./ Ph.D. student in Temple, joined the TMA to add his voice as an advocate for patients, for health care delivery and for informed patient decision making.

“As a future M.D./Ph.D. clinicianscientist, I will have the unique opportunity to care for the patient from the clinic bedside as well as from the research laboratory,” Roddy said. “I believe that serving in the TMA during my training as an M.D./Ph.D. student affords me the understanding of policymaking and relevant issues necessary to be a great physician. As a result, I will be able to better serve my future patients, bring about positive change, improve health care access and delivery, and advance novel disease therapies.”

“

I believe that medicine is a calling. If I can come home from work and feel like I have reached out to someone and helped them, even in a small way, I feel like I accomplished what I’ve been called to do.

”

Nathalie Nguyen, ’08–’09 TMA-AMA president

21

22

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Lauren Muckleroy: A Character with Character

“ L

I don’t want kids to be afraid of everyone in scrubs.

”

auren Muckleroy is not the type of student you see clowning around the hallways of the College of Medicine. Instead, she leaves the clowning to Dr. Bobo, an alter ego she created complete with wired pigtails and cape.

In 2009, when she began volunteering at the Health Circus, a free health fair offering immunizations, Muckleroy wanted to administer the shots. After all, she rather enjoyed taking on the “doctor” role as a first-year student.

That changed when she saw the children’s fear of the shot-givers in scrubs. “I don’t want kids to be afraid of everyone in scrubs,” Muckleroy said. “It’s my goal to show them that doctors are friendly and to build their trust with any medical professional.”

That’s where Dr. Bobo comes in. After the children receive their immunizations, this Pippi Longstocking-style clown brings comfort and laughter in the form of—balloon swords.

As Muckleroy tells it, on her first day as Dr. Bobo, she was given one task: balloon animals. Having never made a balloon animal before, she quickly improvised by making a simpler but effective balloon sword.

“Kids just can’t help but smile when they see me with my pigtails standing on end, swordfighting with five other kids,” she reports.

“As a doctor, I want to improve the quality of people’s lives, not just fix them and send them on their way.”

To Muckleroy, Dr. Bobo isn’t just a character she invented. Dr. Bobo is a model for developing a healthy doctor-patient relationship at the earliest age. And, it’s that kind of creative problem-solving that thrives at the College of Medicine.

“What sets the College of Medicine apart from other medical schools is the goal to graduate doctors with character who truly know how to communicate with their patients, not just dictate their line of treatment,” she said.

The College of Medicine also has taught her that working with her fellow classmates, rather than competing with them, will propel her to her goals more quickly and effectively. This foundation of teamwork and trust led Muckleroy to her special role at Health Circus.

And, that special role has proven that Muckleroy accomplishes her mission: to connect with young patients.

After receiving her immunization at the last Health Circus, a quiet little girl ran not to her mother, but to Dr. Bobo, tugging on her scrub pants with a smile.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Jim Littlejohn: A Fabulous Ride—Seven Years in the Making

“ ” T

We are really unlocking medical mysteries. his year marks the seventh year that James “Jim” Littlejohn has been a graduate medical student. Yes, seven years may seem a bit more than the average medical student, but there’s nothing average about Jim. As a student in the College of Medicine’s M.D./Ph.D program, his approach to medicine is as enthusiastic as it is tenacious: to “accept what we don’t know and try to explain it.”

This passion and his desire for a relatively small M.D./Ph.D. program drew him to the College of Medicine, and of his choice he said, “The College of Medicine was the most open to developing the

student into a complete physicianscientist, promoting a holistic approach to medical education and prioritizing the ‘human’ side of medicine.”

applications in complex and applied physiology. This combination has afforded him the best route to become a critical care physician and scientist.

Although medical school was not his original plan, Littlejohn found that he was intrigued by the human body and even more, the emerging field of molecular medicine. So in addition to four years of medical school, he committed to three more years of scientific study that will train him to be a medical scientist with unique insights into human disease processes.

“We have really only begun to understand the molecular and physiological pathways that govern current treatments,” he said. “So the field is full of opportunities to take research findings and translate them into more effective interventions.”

“I liked parts of all the clinical rotations, and because of that, I wanted to connect the dots,” he said. “I wanted to put all the pieces together because I was attracted to the complex cases that no one had the answers to.”

The M.D./Ph.D program allowed him to do just that. Littlejohn honed his studies of the body while exploring molecular medicine simultaneously, ultimately choosing to specialize in critical care and anesthesiology for its exciting

As a physician, Littlejohn aims “… to work hard every day helping individuals understand a little bit more about their own body and how to keep it well.”

His training and passion compel him to constantly learn more, research more and work hard to find new ways to improve the quality of patients’ lives.

As his studies draw to a close, Littlejohn urges his fellow medical students to remember that practicing medicine “ … is not a right earned by highly achieving students, but rather a privilege that must be earned from each patient every day.”

With seven years behind him, his outlook remains bright.

“Through it all,” he said, “I’ve had a fabulous ride.”

23

24

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

2009 Commencement

T

he College of Medicine held commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2009 and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences students on May 8. Seventy-seven medical students and 23 graduate students received their degrees.

Former dean, Dr. Christopher C. Colenda, kicked off the ceremony with a welcome,

21

followed by a moment of reflection from graduating medical student David Galloway. Health Science Center President Nancy W. Dickey, M.D. introduced the stage party, and Chancellor Michael McKinney, M.D., brought greetings from The Texas A&M University System.

Then-president-elect of the American Medical Association, Dr. J. James Rohack, served as the commencement speaker. Dr. Rohack is a professor of internal medicine and humanities in medicine, the director of the Center for Healthcare Policy at Scott & White and medical director for system improvement in Temple.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Dr. Rohack drew from his 20 years of experience to stress the importance of strong leadership when building organizations, such as the AMA and a growing health care system. The graduate students received their degrees first and were hooded by their chairs.

Dr. Darla Lowe, assistant professor of internal medicine, and Dr. Gary McCord, associate dean for student affairs, were selected by the medical school class to bestow their hoods.

Dr. Pratheesh Sathyan received the 2009 Graduate Research Excellence Award.

The award, first presented in 2007, was created to recognize exceptional research achievement by a graduating Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. student.

Dr. David Pham received the 2009 Helen Salyer Anderson Award, presented to the outstanding senior for the highest achievement during medical school. The award was established in 1980 by Dr. Frank G. Anderson Jr. in honor of his mother, Helen Salyer Anderson.

Class of 2009 class president, Dr. Jessica Barnes, gave a response on behalf of her classmates and was followed by Dr. Kathleen Fallon, associate dean of student affairs, who was selected to administer the Oath of Hippocrates.

25

26

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Class of 2009 Matches to Residencies in 20 states and D.C. On March 19, 2009, members of the College of Medicine Class of 2009 participated in the nationwide Match Day in Temple.

Of the 76 students in the class, 37 matched to residencies in Texas (48.7% of the class), followed by seven in Arizona, four in both California and Tennessee, and three each in Minnesota and Ohio. In all, students matched to residencies in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

The most popular specialty was internal medicine with 13 students, followed by 11 in pediatrics, eight in OB/GYN, seven each in emergency medicine and family medicine, and four in surgery.

Fifteen students matched with residencies at Scott & White in Temple, two with military residencies on both coasts (San Diego and Washington, D.C.) and one with the College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency program in Bryan.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Health Report

27

28

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

News and notes A Helping Hand: Students Volunteer at Shelters for Hurricane Ike Evacuees More than 100 College of Medicine students volunteered their time to help evacuees in the local area after Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston, Houston and surrounding communities in September 2008. In College Station, students visited patients from Galveston’s Shriners Hospital and assisted federal medical teams in caring for more than 300 special needs patients housed at Texas A&M University’s Reed Arena. In Temple, students volunteered at the Bell County Expo Center.

“The students worked all shifts, including some during the height of the storm,” said Associate Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Gary McCord. “The federal medical teams were really in a teaching mode and were grateful for the help.

The students saw a lot and really enjoyed the experience.”

Students had this to say: “The night shift from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. went very well.

The staff was incredibly grateful for our presence.”

“The patients were very grateful to have us around. We really bonded as classmates too. I definitely didn’t expect to be taking patient histories and delivering them to doctors.

Not to mention how eager the doctors were to teach us amid the chaos. The experience made me appreciate all the stuff we are learning in school.”

“Last night was such an amazing experience. Even though I was scheduled for only part of the shift, I didn’t leave and ended up staying the entire time.”

Top: College of Medicine students volunteered at the Bell County Expo Center in Temple. Bottom: 300 special needs patients at Texas A&M University’s Reed Arena.

“I think every medical student should have this experience, and I hope that as a physician, I never forget what I have seen here.”

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Johnson Named Regents Professor

M3 Students Receive Scott & White Scholarships for Clinical Training

The College of Medicine’s own Arthur E. Johnson, Ph.D., was one of just 13 faculty members throughout the Texas A&M University System to receive the prestigious Regents Professor Award in December 2008.

Scott & White awarded $2,000 scholarships to a select group of third- and fourth-year medical students at the College of Medicine on June 17, 2009. The two-year scholarships are based in part on high academic achievement and a commitment to community service. Each year, two third-year medical students are selected to receive the two-year scholarship for the remainder of their clinical training.

Established in 1996, the Regents Professor Award is bestowed annually by the Board of Regents in recognition of awardees’ exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas. As of 2009, the College of Medicine has been honored with five of the Health Science Center’s 23 Regents Professor Awards. The HSC is second in number of regents professors to only Texas A&M University’s 26.

Recipients are designated as regents professors for the duration of their service or employment with the Texas A&M University System, provided a stipend, and receive a special medallion.

“I very much thank the regents for this honor,” Dr. Johnson said. “I am very fortunate to have had a number of outstanding students, postdoctoral trainees and technicians work with me at HSC, and it is essentially their talents, accomplishments and research successes that are being recognized by this award.”

Dr. Johnson is the Wehner-Welch Foundation Chair and a distinguished professor of molecular and cellular medicine at the College of Medicine. He also is a distinguished professor of chemistry and professor of biochemistry and biophysics at Texas A&M University.

The third-year scholarship recipients for 2009 were Ben Martino and Cody Quirk. Fourth-year students Evan Hardegree and Ravi Kumar received their second-year scholarships.

Scholarship recipient Ben Martino at the Scott & White clinic in Temple.

29

30

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Brandt Appointed Assistant Dean for Academic Technology Paul C. Brandt, Ph.D., associate professor of neuroscience and experimental therapeutics, was named the assistant dean for academic technology in November 2008. A member of the faculty since June 1999, Brandt’s current research focuses on dry eye diseases and Sjögren’s syndrome, a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease.

In addition to his research and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Brandt has been an active member of the college’s curriculum committee and other educational technology groups for several years. Soon after stepping into his new role, Dr. Brandt began forming a small working committee to manage all college-related technology projects and monitor the status of existing systems.

“There are a lot of exciting things we’ll be working on in the coming months. My job is to not only promote the best academic technology within the college, but to establish improved communications with the existing technology professionals we have working with us,” Dr. Brandt said.

Chavis Joins COM as Assistant Dean for Planning and Evaluation Karan Chavis joined the College of Medicine in December 2008 as assistant dean for planning and evaluation. In this role, Chavis’ responsibilities include planning, project management and reporting. Her initial efforts include charting the many projects and initiatives already under way within the College of Medicine and supporting the college’s strategic planning effort.

Chavis is a graduate of Texas A&M University and worked for the university for 24 years.

Her initial employment began in human resources, where she managed retirement and benefits programs, special projects, employment and recruitment programs, employee relations, mediation, employee/supervisor conflict and grievances, disciplinary actions, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity grievance responses, and policy interpretation and development.

After 11 years as a human resources professional, Chavis moved to an administrative role within the Division of Finance, where she directed activities related to policy development, compliance, risk assessment and management, process improvement and development, property valuation, and risk transfer administration.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Huston Elected to American Board of Internal Medicine Board of Directors David P. Huston, M.D., vice dean for the Center College of Medicine and chief academic officer of its Houston campus, has been elected to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) board of directors. ABIM sets the standards and certifies physicians practicing in internal medicine and its subspecialties who possess the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to provide high quality care.

The board of directors, composed of physicians who are board certified in internal medicine and one of its subspecialties, guides ABIM’s overall mission and direction as it works to improve health care quality. As an ABIM director, Dr. Huston will participate in ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification program, which promotes ongoing learning and in which doctors demonstrate their commitment to the board’s standards.

Huston is the representative of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI), a board jointly sponsored by ABIM and the American Board of Pediatrics.

“Both organizations share the same commitment to health care quality, and I am honored to represent ABAI on the ABIM Board of Directors,” Dr. Huston said.

5th Annual Mini-Medical School Welcomed More Than 500 Total Participants In January and February 2009, the College of Medicine hosted the increasingly popular MiniMedical School, a community outreach program designed to teach residents of Bryan-College Station about current, relevant medical and research information from some of the College of Medicine’s leading experts.

The fifth annual Mini-Medical School ran for six consecutive Thursday nights in January and February. Faculty members lectured on interventional pain management, lung infections, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, arthritis, fatty liver disease, viruses and cancer.

During its five-year run, 30 basic science and clinical faculty members have presented lectures in their areas of expertise to approximately 3,000 total participants of all ages. Mini-Med School 2010 kicked off on January 22.

31

32

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Kumar Receives $10,000 TMLT Scholarship Out of 112 applications from students at eight Texas medical schools, fourth-year student Ravi Kumar received one of four $10,000 Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) Memorial Scholarships in August 2009. Kumar was the only student from the College of Medicine to receive the scholarship. Other recipients included one student from The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and two from the Baylor College of Medicine.

Launched in 2005, the TMLT Memorial Scholarships award $40,000 annually to Texas medical students who are interested in finding creative and effective ways to enhance patient safety. Recipients are chosen based on each student’s financial need and a written essay analyzing the risk management considerations for a closed claim study provided by TMLT.

Perry One of 20 Selected Nationally for Summer Institute in Geriatric Medicine College of Medicine M.D./M.B.A. student Ben Perry was one of 20 medical students nationally to attend the Summer Institute in Geriatric Medicine (SIGM) at Boston University Medical Center on June 1–5, 2009.

The SIGM is a weeklong conference designed for medical students who are interested in pursuing careers in academic geriatric medicine and research. Faculty members include nationally recognized academic geriatricians and Boston University faculty conducting aging research.

The SIGM was established in 1986 as a means to address the shortage of academic geriatricians available to train health care professionals in the principles of geriatrics.

The institute is sponsored by the American Geriatrics Society and the Boston University School of Medicine, with additional funding from the National Institute of Aging.

“I encountered the most current developments in clinical and research aspects of geriatric medicine,” Perry said. “Attending the institute provided important opportunities to meet and network with clinicians, researchers and other medical students who share my interests and passion for geriatric medicine.”

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Magnolia Tea 2009 On April 29, 2009, Farida Sohrabji, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the College of Medicine, was the featured speaker of the Magnolia Tea 2009 benefiting women’s health research. The event was hosted by Mrs. Lou Ann McKinney, wife of Texas A&M University System Chancellor Dr. Michael D. McKinney, at the Reed House, their home in College Station.

More than 100 women participated in the event.

Since 2005, Magnolia Tea has highlighted women’s research initiatives at the College of Medicine and has provided a venue for sharing the latest information gained from this research. A social and educational event, the Magnolia Tea draws women of all ages together from the Bryan-College Station area to raise both scholarship money and funds for research in women’s health at the College of Medicine.

Top: College of Medicine supporters show off their hats, a tradition at Magnolia Tea. Bottom: From left, Dr. Farida Sohrabji, Mrs. Lou Ann McKinney and Dr. Nancy W. Dickey

HSC and COM Host Women’s Health Luncheon with Drs. Dickey, Sohrabji At the annual Women’s Health Luncheon on October 29, 2008, Texas A&M Health Science Center President Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., and Farida Sohrabji, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics at the College of Medicine, presented critical issues in women’s health and aging at the Park City Club in Dallas.

Drs. Dickey and Sohrabji discussed cutting-edge women’s health research, how the decline of hormones at menopause affects brain function, and the impact of hormone replacement therapy on cognitive function in the aging female brain.

The annual event is hosted by Dr. Dickey and an expert from one of the Texas A&M Health Science Center’s colleges and schools.

33

34

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Virology Expert Combats H1N1, Flu and Today’s Emerging Viruses As of September 2009, there have been more than 340,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1, originally referred to as “swine flu,” and more than 4,100 deaths reported worldwide to the World Health Organization.

No longer a strictly animal-borne virus, laboratory testing has confirmed that H1N1 has two genes from a flu virus that normally circulates in pigs, avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

The College of Medicine’s Dr. John M. Quarles explains further, “Influenza’s genetic material is in pieces. So it ‘reassorts’ or rearranges itself to form newer, more resistant strains.”

Since 1976, Dr. Quarles, chair of the Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis and charter member of the faculty, has been researching H1N1 and other viruses. Today, his work has come a long way, even building upon and improving work that was done less than five years ago.

“We isolated H1N1, the so-called ‘swine flu,’ here at Texas A&M 20 years ago. Now we’re studying the immune responses to H1N1 and working with a human geneticist to examine and compare responses between study participants,” he said. “It’s now possible to look at genetic components much more closely than even a few years ago.”

FORMER STUDENTS, ALUMNI, FRIENDS: WE’d LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please update your information, share your big news or contribute to Class Notes by visiting medicine.tamhsc.edu/update-info. If you have questions, or if you want to deliver that good news over the phone, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (866) 645-8492 (toll-free) or (979) 862-3992.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Prognosis

35

36

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

The Honorable Mark Shelton, M.D.: Hospital Halls to Capitol Corridors

“

My time at the College of Medicine made me realize that a medical school is not a building. It’s the students and faculty that make the difference.

F

”

or The Honorable Mark Shelton, College of Medicine Class of ’83 and Texas State Representative for District 97, the progression from practicing medicine to serving in the Texas Legislature came quite naturally.

What began as a simple act of service grew to become his avenue to Austin.

“I have served on the board of the Lena Pope Home, a place that provides counseling and alternative education for children and families in Fort Worth, for fifteen years,” Dr. Shelton said.

“Throughout my time as a board member, I would go to Austin to talk about the home and foster care issues.”

His interest and involvement in the state legislative process grew from there. Dr. Shelton was elected to office in November 2008 and is one of only three physicians serving in the Texas Legislature. For his legislative efforts to improve health care for Texas children, Dr. Shelton was awarded the Health Care Hero Award by the House Republican Caucus in 2009.

From 1988 until taking office, Dr. Shelton served as the director of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Program at Cook Children’s Medical Center, where he was in charge of the Hospital Infection Control Program, the Pediatric AIDS Program, the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Program and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consultation

Service. He remains a full-time practicing physician at Cook Children’s Hospital.

It all began with a phone call from Dr. Shelton’s father.

“When I was researching medical schools, I applied to all the ones in Texas like any good Texan would.

Then one day my father saw something in the newspaper, called me and told me to apply to Texas A&M,” he recounts. “The interview process back then was a bit different than it is today.

I interviewed on a Friday and was accepted the next week. In a matter of days, I was going to medical school.”

“During my second year, I got sick enough to miss class for two or three days,” Dr. Shelton remembers. “When I was well enough to go back, Dr. Joyce Davis, chairwoman of the pathology department, stopped me in the hall and chided me for missing her class.

When I explained that I’d been seriously ill, she said, ‘That’s fine … but don’t miss anymore.’”

But Dr. Shelton needed no encouragement. By the end of that year, he had decided wholeheartedly to specialize in pediatrics, specifically pediatric infectious diseases.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

“The realm of infectious diseases is the only medical specialty that has new diseases,” Dr. Shelton said. “When I was a student, AIDS did not exist.

Now we have new and emerging infections.” In response, Dr. Shelton notes that medicine is advancing toward molecular techniques, early and more accurate diagnosis, more technology-based imaging, and noninvasive procedures.

“The future is bright with the results of science and technology. But we still need people to sit down and talk to patients,” Dr. Shelton said.

Those people will most definitely come from the College of Medicine.

Regarding the College of Medicine’s growth in response to Texas’ need for more health care professionals,

Dr. Shelton says that with the class expansion at Texas A&M and other Texas medical schools, the state should have plenty of medical students, and the planned growth for undergraduate medical education is on track.

“We will have enough medical students,” he said. “What we need, however, are more residency spots in Texas. During the last legislative session, Dr. Dickey and I developed a proposal for an innovative funding stream for family practice and specialty residencies. In the upcoming session, we will continue to promote this as a creative solution to an urgent need.”

For all his accomplishments, legislative and otherwise, Dr. Shelton notes just how far he and the College of Medicine have come in the past 25 years.

“You know, we used to be in the basement of the Teague Building on main campus, a space so small we were practically on top of each other,” Dr. Shelton remembers. “The smell of the gross anatomy labs permeated everything.”

Despite the accommodations in the early 1980s, Dr. Shelton remembers his time here fondly. However, there is one thing that he missed. When he graduated in 1983, the Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building had just opened, but Dr. Shelton never got a chance to see it.

Well, Dr. Shelton, the next time you’re in town, we’d be happy to give you a tour of the new Bryan campus—and the Reynolds Building too.

37

38

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

from the Front Line: Alumnus and Soldier Puts Military Medicine in Action FALLUJAH, Iraq (April 6, 2009)

“I just wanted to send you an email with a picture of the College of Medicine banner in Iraq. I always had a good time visiting with interviewing medical

students and explaining how special the College of Medicine truly is. My training served me well as an intern and continues to do so as I wrap up my first tour in Iraq. I am currently the primary care physician for approximately 1,200 Marines responsible for the security of Fallujah. Although we have had some urgent surgical evacuations, things are much better over here. That has allowed us to implement some basic health care programs—one of which was modeled after the College of Medicine’s Health Circus—which have been very successful.”

U.S. Navy Lt. Brett Chamberlin ’06, Battalion Surgeon, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines (on far left)

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

A

fter completing his undergraduate degree at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland, Dr. Brett Chamberlin, Class of 2006, was automatically committed to a few years of military service.

Truthfully, he says, he would have signed up to serve anyway.

Dr. Chamberlin soon found himself in charge of the health care rebuilding efforts in Fallujah, a city of 400,000 people and site of one of the biggest battles of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

There, he worked closely with local physicians and helped establish many successful health care programs.

“I strongly believe that the global war on terror is the calling of our generation,” said Dr. Chamberlin. “I wouldn’t want my grandkids thinking that I didn’t do my part.”

Additionally, Dr. Chamberlin and a few colleagues on base were responsible for training corpsmen. Dr. Chamberlin himself directly advised the battalion commander on all medical issues and was responsible for all the health care needs in the battalion including general sick call, mental health, physical screening, preventative medicine, initial trauma triage and management, and coordination of medical evacuations.

Before heading to Iraq, Dr. Chamberlin made time to travel extensively. During his time as a College of Medicine student, he spent some time in Europe, Asia and even Australia. At the end of his fourth year of medical school, Dr. Chamberlin travelled across China into Tibet and then hitchhiked his way to Mount Everest.

After a long but exhilarating trip, Dr. Chamberlin laughs, “I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it back in time for graduation!”

Upon arriving in Iraq in October 2008, Dr. Chamberlin and the 1st Battalion operated out of Camp Baharia on the outskirts of Fallujah, where their efforts were focused on rebuilding the infrastructure of Iraq and supporting the Iraqi government so that it could provide essential services to its people.

“I feel like a throwback to the days of the old western doc,” said Dr. Chamberlin. “Since all of the other supporting units on base—smaller units, contractors, interpreters—don’t have a doctor, we are essentially ‘local docs’ for a small town of 3,500 people.

And that’s enough to fill up a morning with fairly routine patients.”

Dr. Chamberlin attributes his success to his College of Medicine education, his clinical experience at Scott & White in Temple and his rural medicine rotation in Beeville. He was the first College of Medicine student

39

to participate in the Beeville rural medicine rotation in 2005.

“The rural medicine rotation was great preparation to be a small town doc in a rural area, and the hands-on experiences with the Scott & White surgery department gave me the confidence it takes to handle the truly stressful situations,” Dr. Chamberlin said.

Those stressful situations and difficult times reward Dr. Chamberlin the most.

“

Personal growth is never easy, but leading the very people whom I respect the most is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of my life. I am constantly impressed by the young Marines and Sailors in my care. Being around their true character is awesome, inspiring and humbling all at the same time.

”

Of his time in Iraq, Dr. Chamberlin concludes, “The educated people that I met are truly thankful for everything that we are doing and realize the sacrifices that we have made for their country. I just hope that my contribution was being a good doctor.”

Dr. Chamberlin returned home in April 2009. He continues to serve the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines as a battalion surgeon at Camp Pendelton, California.

40

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Reunion ’09 Recap

“

… it is my sincere hope that all of you find the same passion for medicine that I and the other physicians in this room have.

T

”

he College of Medicine hosted Reunion ’09 the weekend of July 31–August 1 to welcome back former students and alumni from the classes of 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004. The weekend also capped orientation for the Class of 2013, whose 155 members are the largest ever incoming class.

Festivities kicked off Friday evening with the dean’s welcome dinner, held in the courtyard of the Reynolds Medical Building. Alumni and their families, faculty, staff and students were treated to a family-friendly dinner, tours of the medical school and simulation center, children’s activities and musical entertainment by the college’s own Bill Bertrand and his Country Magic Band with a special solo by Assistant Dean for Planning and Evaluation Top right: Dr. Randy Eckert ’84 welcomes students, families and faculty to the Class of 2013 White Coat Ceremony. Top left: From left, former dean Dr. Christopher C. Colenda, Dr. Gary McCord and Dr. Randy Eckert ’84 help the first-years into their white coats. Bottom: The College of Medicine’s largest class ever of 155 entering students gathers in Rudder Plaza with former dean Dr. Christopher C. Colenda for their class picture.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Karan Chavis. Several second-year students served as tour guides and facilitated the children’s activities.

Saturday began with the Class of 2013 White Coat Ceremony, held for the second time in Rudder Auditorium due to the growing number of incoming students. Class of 1984 member Randy Eckert, M.D., a pathologist in Austin, was the event’s featured speaker.

“Let me be the first to welcome you into the medical profession,” he said.

I truly love what I do, and it is my sincere hope that all of you find the same passion for medicine that I and the other physicians in this room have.”

Dr. Eckert told the incoming class, “Medicine is a journey, not a

destination. Becoming a physician is just the first step in a long walk that will last your entire lifetime.

Medicine will change drastically over the course of your medical career, one that hopefully will be long and gratifying, and you will need to continually learn to be able to practice medicine in a way that makes a meaningful difference in your patients’ lives.”

Following Dr. Eckert’s address, the students received their white coats and took an Oath of Commitment.

The Reunion ’09 Gala, held Saturday at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, celebrated the 25th reunion of the Class of 1984. Former Dean Dr. Christopher C. Colenda served as emcee, while Health Science Center President Dr. Nancy W. Dickey gave remarks. Guests were entertained by the musical stylings of College of Medicine former student Dr. Mike Middleton ’84 on the accordion.

Dr. Middleton’s performance included five songs from around the world and culminated with his own awardwinning composition. The event concluded with a “then and now” photo slideshow of alumni.

Top: Former students and alumni from the classes of 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2004.

Left: Dr. Mike Middleton ’84 on the accordion.

41

42

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Dr. Sue Rudd Bailey ’81: Former Student Leads Texas’ Largest Medical Association

“ S

I believe that TMA’s understanding of the needs of Texas physicians is the key to its success.

providing more care for more people; producing more physicians; and increasing graduate medical education opportunities for physicians.

usan “Sue” Rudd Bailey, M.D. ’81 has come a long way since being one of three women admitted to the College of Medicine’s charter class in 1977. Dr. Bailey, a former Association of Former Students board member and former Texas A&M University System regent, currently serves as the president-elect of the Texas Medical Association (TMA), the largest state medical society in the country.

“I believe that TMA’s understanding of the needs of Texas physicians is the key to its success,” Dr. Bailey said. “It is truly a grassroots organization, and as thousands of new physicians come to Texas because of its favorable practice climate, TMA must be creative in finding new and more effective ways to communicate with its members.”

”

“I joined TMA as a first-year student in the College of Medicine and, with several of my classmates, went to the TMA annual meeting in San Antonio right after finals in May 1978,” Dr. Bailey recalls. “I was elected to represent the TMA Medical Student Section at the American Medical Association Student Section meeting that summer and have been involved in organized medicine ever since.”

Today, Dr. Bailey cites the challenges ahead for TMA: advocating reasonable reforms to help Americans get insurance coverage; increasing access to care; controlling soaring costs;

societies to lobby on health reform proposals in Washington, D.C. She and her colleagues continue to prepare for the Texas legislative session next year and devise insurance and payment reforms for the state level.

For Dr. Bailey, even as an Aggie undergraduate, going to Texas A&M for medical school wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Being part of a developing college and being in the charter class appealed to her. “I had no qualms about going to a brand new medical school,” she said. “I had faith in Texas A&M’s educational quality, and I had no doubt it would be a wonderful educational experience. And it was.”

Dr. Bailey applied to the Texas A&M College of Medicine as a junior undergraduate like many others in the charter class.

With all that to consider, it’s been a busy year for Dr. Bailey. She’s met with the TMA Board of Trustees and participated in the American Medical Association State Legislative Conference in January 2010. Dr. Bailey also has developed a small informal coalition with other large state medical

“We decided to wait until 1979 and graduate together as a group,” she said.

“We had already moved to Temple and started our clinical rotations, but we drove back to College Station on a Saturday to get our undergraduate degrees, then drove right back to Temple to get back to work!”

She’s been hard at work ever since.

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

After Care

Rapport, 1993 Dr. Joseph Smith’s abstract sculpture depicts a human figure with outstretched arms.

The design was inspired by the quote, “Nature is the handmaiden of healing."

43

44

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Britney Prince: The Greatness of Gratitude

“

It’s been a lot of fun finding my passion at a place that is truly a student-centered environment where faculty and staff members are devoted to students’ best interests.

Thank you so much for the

”

scholarship. I am grateful for the support and the vote of

confidence in my future as a

T

he cost of medical school can add up fast, but one College of Medicine student was able to do a little subtracting with the help of scholarships. Britney Prince is a fourth-year medical student, the chair of the Texas A&M Health Science Center Student Government Association and, above all, a grateful scholarship recipient.

medical students. Prince was the recipient of a Dean’s Excellence Fund Scholarship, the George D. and Hesta Mulloy Endowed Scholarship, and the James Weldon Birdwell Endowed Scholarship.

Even with financial assistance, medical school wasn’t without its challenges.

Prince compares medical school to a marathon, especially during the first two years when she felt as though the diligent working and studying didn’t yield much in the way of recognizable accomplishments. So she countered that sentiment by getting involved.

always be a shared one by those

Prince counts the financial assistance provided through the College of Medicine as a blessing that offset what could have been quite a large amount of debt when compared to other Texas

funded my way through medical

Britney Prince during her interventional radiology rotation at Scott & White in Temple

physician. Any accomplishments or success in the field of

medicine that I may obtain will

who have taught, supported and

school. Thank you again for your kind generosity.

To the current and potential

supporters of the College of Medicine, thank you for your

generosity and for investing in

my fellow students and me. I

truly believe that we are not only receiving an excellent education, but that we are being trained

in an environment that exemplifies having moral integrity and devotion to our fellow human beings.

—Britney

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

“Volunteering in the community gave me a sense of accomplishment during those first two years,” she said. “That and my leadership activities allowed me to develop skills outside of the realm of textbooks and tests.”

“It’s been a lot of fun finding my passion at a place that is truly a studentcentered environment where faculty and staff members are devoted to students’ best interests.” Prince goes on to say that the College of Medicine is committed to providing excellent education and excellent care to the people of Texas through cutting-edge technology, curriculum and facilities as part of a dynamic and growing health science center.

That excellent education certainly prepared her for her most memorable clinical experience.

“During my third-year surgery rotation, there was no resident available to cover one of the cases, so it was just the attending physician and me,” she said. “So I scrubbed in and stood on the opposite side of the table … and next thing I knew, I had my hands in the open belly of the patient. It was my first time to actually put my hands into a patient. I could feel the pulses through my gloves. I was amazed … and hooked.”

After such an experience, it’s no surprise that Prince is applying for a residency in general surgery and plans to specialize in thoracic surgery or surgical oncology.

“I want to be a compassionate, skilled physician who is engaged in my patient’s health care and who empowers them to be well. I don’t ever want to lose sight of the fact that I am where I am because of individuals who were willing to go out of their way to mentor

and teach me. I am indebted to them, and I hope that someday I can help someone in the same way,” Prince said.

“I want to always remember that I was chosen to serve others—that most of the cost of my education was offset by others because they believed that I could go back to my community and meet health care needs.”

For information on how you can establish a named scholarship at the College of Medicine, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement, at (866) 645-8492 (toll-free), (979) 862-3992 or visit medicine.tamhsc.edu/ institutional-advancement.

Britney Prince with the first baby she helped deliver during her OB/GYN rotation

45

46

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Dr. Sam H. Black Legacy Society As of August 31, 2009

I

n March of 2007, one of the college’s dearest faculty members and friends, Dr. Samuel Harold Black, passed away. A faculty member since 1975, Dr. Black served in many roles at the college, including: professor and head of medical microbiology and immunology from 1975 to 1990, assistant dean for curriculum and undergraduate medical education from 1985 to 1987, interim dean for the College of Medicine from 1987 to 1988, associate dean of the College of Medicine from 1988 to 1990, associate dean for academic affairs from 1990 to 1991, and professor emeritus of medical microbiology and immunology and humanities in medicine from 1991 to 2007.

As the first head of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Dr. Black’s vision shaped the personality of the department as it exists even today. He was said to have an unending passion for both the college and the students as one of the greatest stewards in the college’s first 30 years.

Today, the Dr. Sam H. Black Legacy Society recognizes individuals, corporations and organizations whose cumulative giving at the College of Medicine totals $25,000 or more.

Dr. Frank G. Anderson, Jr. Dr. H.W. Betress Dr. J. Weldon Birdwell Dr. Samuel H. Black Mrs. Charlotte S. Bouw Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bricker Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bruce Mr. Timothy Bryan The Wofford Cain Foundation

Dr. Kathleen Fallon and Mr. Casey Jones

The Bernadine M. Lewis Foundation

Family Practice Foundation of the Brazos Valley

Mrs. Mercedes F. Lipscomb

Dr. and Mrs. Jay O. Franklin

The Mallinckrodt Foundation

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Mary Rhodes Gibson Hemostasis-Thrombosis Foundation

Mrs. Eunice G. Carman

Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Hart

Dr. and Mrs. Christopher C. Colenda, Jr.

Dr. Mary Elizabeth Herring

Mr. Joseph B. Collerain

The Hillcrest Foundation

Mr. Richard N. Conolly, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. William Huffman

Dr. and Mrs. O.C. Cooper

Mr. Joseph D. Jamail

Mr. and Mrs. John L. Cox

Dr. Carroll C. Jones

Mr. Charles L. Davidson

Dr. Robert M. Jones

Dr. Nancy W. Dickey

Dr. and Mrs. James A. Knight

The Dreyfus Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kruse

The ExxonMobil Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Guindal S. Lemke

Mrs. Lillian Herbelin McKibben

The David Malcolm Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Clark A. Mathews Mr. and Mrs. Jack Matz Dr. W. W. Maxwell Frank W. Mayborn Foundation Mrs. Sue Mayborn The McGovern Foundation The Bruce McMillan, Jr. Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Tom McMullin Dr. Howell Douglas Miller Mrs. Marjorie J. Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Neiderer Mr. and Mrs. Joe H. Reynolds Mr. William B. Roman, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Saba Dr. Sam Houston Sanders Ms. Ann Schmidt Scott & White Health Plan Mr. Joseph H. Shelton Mr. and Mrs. William C. Stearman, Jr. Texas A&M University Class of 1957 Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine Charter Class of 1981 Mrs. Charlotte M. Tompkins Mr. William A. Triche Mr. Homer Triche The Damon-Runyon Walter Foundation The Roger and Kimberly Ward Foundation The Welch Foundation

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine | Dean’s Report 2009

Caring for the Best Investments

“ ” L

You’re the best investment I’ve ever made.

ong before a scholarship was established in his name, Bernard Fallon was supporting medical students, specifically his daughter Dr. Kathleen Fallon, now the senior associate dean of student affairs at the College of Medicine.

Of her father, Dr. Fallon said, “He was always very supportive of me as a woman going to medical school. He said that as long as I worked hard, he would do everything he could to help me succeed.”

To honor that promise, Dr. Fallon and her husband, Mr. Casey Jones established the Bernard F. Fallon Memorial Scholarship in 2006 in honor of Mr. Fallon to continue his legacy of support.

“He was always asking about the students,” Dr. Fallon recalls. “He would ask, ‘How are the first-years? How did they do meeting their cadavers?’”

“He and my mother, Barbara, were both very involved with the students. They loved visiting with them, hearing their stories, and getting to know them.”

When Mr. Fallon passed away, Dr. Fallon and her family agreed that

a scholarship was the best way to allow her father, in essence, to keep putting students through medical school.

In fact, this spring, Mr. Fallon’s first great-grandchild will be delivered by a College of Medicine alumnus, thus continuing the cycle of care and support through the College of Medicine.

“As we cared for him in his later years,” Dr. Fallon recalls, “he made sure to tell me, ‘You’re the best investment I’ve ever made.’”

From left: Bernard and Barbara Fallon, Dr. Kathleen Fallon and Casey Jones

47

Our donors September 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009

Platinum

Ms. Cheryl A. Odom*

Dr. Dionel Aviles

Dr. and Mrs. Paul E. Ogden*

Dr. and Mrs. Mark D. Barhorst

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Paup

Dr. and Mrs. Jody Barnard*

Dr. William F. Price

Dr. Brent W. Bost

Drs. Robert A. Probe and Barbara Weiss Probe*

Mr. Timothy N. Bryan

Dr. Darwin J. Prockop

Bryan Broadcasting

Dr. Mark Rahm

Mrs. Kylan Bunker

Dr. and Mrs. William L. Rayburn*

Dr. Richard L. Byrd Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Castro*

Dr. J. James Rohack

CenterPoint Energy

Dr. Gul A. Russell

Mr. Evan Cherry

Scott & White

Dr. George C. Chiou

Dr. Edward J. Sherwood

Dr. Michael Cohen* Dr. and Mrs. Christopher C. Colenda

The RApport Society is an exclusive organization of alumni and friends dedicated

Dr. Nancy W. Dickey Dr. Kathleen M. Fallon and Mr. Casey Jones

Texas A&M Health Science Center College of

Dr. Larry R. Fane

Medicine. Members coordinate with the college’s

Dr. George S. Fidone

administration and faculty to identify critical medical education issues and attract resources to support these opportunities.

Members of the Rapport Society serve as

St. Joseph Regional Health Center Dr. Ian Steele-Russell

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Dusold*

to advancing the stature and reputation of the

Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Sicilio*

Dr. and Mrs. Jason P. Fisch* Dr. and Mrs. Jay Franklin* Dr. Alice D. Friedman Drs. Jonathan and Jennifer Friedman

Dr. David Vander Straten Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust Estate of Travis Joe Weems Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. White Dr. and Mrs. Eric K. Wilke* Gold Newberry Associates Mr. Harless Benthul

advisors to and ambassadors for the

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis H. Goehring*

Dr. Amalia Cochran

College of Medicine. They eagerly communicate

Dr. J. Ben Green

Dr. Sherri Durica

the College of Medicine’s exceptional educational experiences, ground-breaking research in human medicine, and the important values of public service and social responsibility in its students.

Through its mission, the Rapport Society

Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Hart Dr. Pamela D. Holder Dr. James Larry Holly Mr. and Mrs. William Huffman Mr. and Ms. Robert A. Lacey Mrs. Brenda Long

proactively supports and promotes the

Dr. Robert Luedecke and Ms. Anne Foster*

College of Medicine to become a world-class

Dr. and Mrs. Alan Martin*

teaching, research and outreach institution by attracting outstanding faculty and students and providing them with premier facilities.

Dr. Christopher N. Mason Mr. and Mrs. Jack Matz* Dr. and Mrs. Bryan Maupin* Dr. J.T. Lamar McNew

For more information on the Rapport Society, visit medicine.tamhsc.edu/rapport.

Mr. Jack M. Dreyfus Dr. Walter P. Dyck Mr. and Mrs. Brian D. Eckhart Dr. William H. Griffith Mr. Tedford E. Harrod Dr. Joseph R. Kilianski Mr. John W. Lewis Dr. Stephen S. Luk Mr. Charles K. Orr Mr. Pete Perialas Dr. Fiona R. Prabhu Dr. Larry K. Routh Dr. Robert J. Shepherd St. Joseph Foundation Texas A&M University

*Rapport Society Members

Silver

Dr. Eric Bradburn

Dr. Andrew L. Laurel

Mr. George H. Vincent

Dr. and Mrs. Clark H. Cobb

Dr. C. Mart Buchanan

Dr. Julian Leibowitz

Ms. Linda Waite

Ms. Joycelyn Cooper

Ms. Ann M. Calvert

Dr. Fei Liu

Lt. Gen. and

Dr. and Mrs. Edward R. “Randy” Eckert

Dr. Kristina Carnevale

Dr. Paul W. Loeffler

Mrs. Joseph F. Weber

Dr. Christopher B. Hearne

Ms. Karan Chavis

Dr. Vincent M. Lubrano

Dr. Thomas Wenger

Dr. David O. Childers

Dr. Gregory Marchand

Dr. and Mrs. Joe West

Mr. and Mrs. Royce Hickman

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Christiansen

Ms. Randi Mays-Knapp

Dr. Paul D. Whitt

Mrs. Nina Hopkins

Dr. Larry D. Claborn

Dr. Robert M. Milman

Dr. Bradford J. Williams

Mr. Joe T. Janica

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Conlee

Dr. Tim A. Mixon

Dr. Glenn N. Williams

Dr. Kathleen A. Jones

Dr. John T. Dang

Dr. Stephen C. Montamat

Dr. Kimberly Williams Watson

Dr. Angela C. Latham

Dr. Joyce S. Davis

Mr. Sherman Law

Dr. Abraham Delgado

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Mattei

Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. DeVaul

Dr. and Mrs. Michael D. McKinney

Mr. Wayne Dickens

Dr. Robert C. McLean

Dr. Michael Dragutsky

Mrs. Amanda G. Henson

Drs. Michael L. Middleton and Darla Lowe Dr. Rebecca E. Mouser Dr. John D. Myers Dr. Gregory S. Neal Dr. Pamela A. Overmyer Dr. JoAnne Pham Dr. Daniel J. Scroggins Dr. Barry Solcher Dr. David W. Spinks Dr. John M. Strayhorn Mr. Jules Viterbo Dr. Kenneth P. Vonder Porten Bronze Dr. Karen Agler Ms. Pat Allen Dr. Kenneth M. Alo Dr. Michele Arnold Mrs. Janice Ashley Mrs. Dorothy H. August Mrs. Jo Berg Dr. Charles A. Borrell Dr. Robert L. Boyne

Dr. Alicia Dorsey Dr. Kimberly Eakin-Wegener Dr. Roger Feldman Dr. Katherine H. Fiala Dr. Allison R. Ficht Dr. Caroline E. Fife Ms. Gina Flores Dr. Henry Galan Mr. and Mrs. David Gardner Mrs. Tina Gardner Ms. Cynthia A. Gay Mr. Henry Gilchrist Ms. Carol Grairs Mrs. Sandra R. Griffith Ms. Susan Hackney Mr. Brian T. Hervey Dr. James M. Jackson Dr. Melinda K. Jezierski Dr. Mavis P. Kelsey Dr. Emily J. Kirby Dr. D. Craig Klump Dr. Alfred B. Knight Dr. William D. Kottman Mr. Michael C. Krueger

Dr. Nahille Natour Dr. Beth W. Nauert

Dr. Sherilyn A. Willis

Dr. Darren L. Nelson

Dr. Van G. Wilson

Dr. Lori L. Palazzo

Active

Ms. Lila B. Palmer Dr. Langdon P. Pegram Mr. Robert B. Penland Dr. and Mrs. Leonard Ponder Ms. Nancy Powe Mrs. Lou Presnal Mr. and Mrs. James R. Redd Dr. Ellen J. Remenchik Ms. Suzanne Rhomberg Dr. Mendell Rimer Dr. Michael D. Ross Mrs. Cherry Ruffino Ms. Dianne Ryder Dr. Edward Rydman Ms. Kathryn D’Ann Scamardo Mrs. T.J. Sera Dr. Paul D. Sherry Dr. Phillip A. Shlossman Mr. John C. Slattery Ms. Nel Slocum Dr. and Mrs. Elvin E. Smith Dr. Paul E. Stoufflet Ms. Bonnie Tittle Ms. Cynthia Torno Mr. and Mrs. Emmitt Trant

Dr. Aaron A. Anguiano Dr. Alejandro C. Arroliga Ms. Janet K. Booth Dr. William A. Bradshaw Dr. Rachel Bramson Mr. Jesse N. Burditt Dr. Christian Cable Mr. Steve Chamberlin Dr. Nancy J. Clay Dr. Robert B. Hash Dr. Mary Elizabeth Herring Dr. Walter K. Howard Ms. Judy Jones Mr. Frank E. Larkin Ms. Evelyn T. Matcek Dr. Edward A. Morgan Dr. Roque P. Ruggero Dr. Saba Razi-Syed Mrs. Ruth Samson Dr. Sanjaya Soori Mr. Richard Stark Dr. and Mrs. Ed Uvacek Mr. Donald E. West Dr. Rong Zeng

Mrs. Mary J. Ufema

Every effort has been made to ensure the accurate recognition of donors. However, if your information is incorrect, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (866) 645-8492 (toll-free) or (979) 862-3992.

147 Joe H. Reynolds Medical Building College Station, TX 77843-1114 (979) 845-3431 medicine.tamhsc.edu 26920 0310 S10/1.5M

Dean’s Report 2009