Greetings from the Chairman
Seth Landefeld, MD, Department of Medicine Chair
Welcome back to Letters to Tinsley. I am deeply saddened to lead off this issue with the news that William E. Dismukes, MD, died last month. In his 21 years as director of our residency program (1981-2002), Bill was directly responsible for over 500 physicians who were selected by and trained in our residency program—nearly 1% of the internists between the ages of 45 and 65 years who practice in the U.S. today.
On a much brighter note, six of our faculty were just named Dean’s Excellence Award winners; five faculty from other departments were also selected. These outstanding faculty inspire us. I invite you to read more about each of the 2017 winners and their accomplishments.
In Memoriam: William E. "Bill" Dismukes, MD
The UAB Heersink School of Medicine has lost a beloved colleague and an incomparable role model in William E. “Bill” Dismukes, M.D., MACP. He died June 19 at age 78.
Dr. Dismukes’ remarkable impact reverberates throughout the School of Medicine, where he wore many mantles of leadership during his 35 years of service to the school. He was the second director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and vice chair for the Department of Medicine, serving twice as its interim chair. Perhaps his greatest legacy rests in his two decades as director of the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program. While in this role from 1981-2002, he trained and helped shape the minds of over 500 physicians — nearly 1 percent of the internists between ages 45-65 who practice in the U.S. today.
Resident Spotlight: Global Health
by Shannon Booker, PGY-3
The Global Health Track is an exciting opportunity for residents interested in international health. This track introduces important topics in global health such as the identification and treatment of tropical diseases as well as ethical issues related to practicing medicine in other cultures. One of the Track's most exciting features is actually participating in an international rotation. We asked three residents about their Global Health Track projects this academic year to find out more about where they went, what they learned, and what they hope the experience brings to their practice of medicine.
National Duty Hour Changes
by Daniel Ontenient, PGY-3
Starting this summer, first-year residents across all medical specialties in the Unites States will be permitted to work 24-hour shifts, revising the current duty hour restriction that limits interns to 16 consecutive hours of patient care. On March 10, 2017, the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced this controversial decision, in hopes of improving the balance between patient care and resident education. A recent study analyzing the effect of a 16-hour work limitation on patient safety and physician well-being showed that current work hour restrictions were disadvantageous to resident education and, in turn, had no positive impact on patient safety. Moreover, a survey showed that trainees favored a more flexible schedule allowing them to work longer hours, to enhance their knowledge and foster better relationships with their patients and colleagues.
2017 Trainee Research Symposium
by Joanna Zurko, PGY-2
The 33rd Annual Department of Medicine Trainee Research Symposium (TRS) was a huge success this year. The event, which took place on March 1, had a record high number of submissions this year with 108 abstracts submitted for review. All trainees of the Department of Medicine (Residents, Associate Fellows, Post-doctoral Scholars and Graduate Students) were eligible to submit an abstract describing their original basic, clinical, or population research.
Birmingham's Role in Recruitment
by Madeline Eckenrode, PGY-2
At the beginning of the 2016 – 2017 residency recruiting season, several residents and chief residents were considering an important question: how do we show prospective residents just how awesome Birmingham is? Especially in the last five to ten years, as Birmingham has entered into a Renaissance period of revitalization, there were so many things we wanted to communicate about the city we lived in. In post-interview surveys from prior recruiting years, applicants had noted that Birmingham was a downside to being at UAB. The perception was that there wasn’t very much to do in Birmingham, and its historical legacy was also something that gave some people pause. Unfortunately, this was a barrier that we were going to have to try to overcome.
It's Nice to Have You in Birmingham
by Allison Rogers, PGY-2
Moving to Birmingham, Alabama, and not sure what to expect? I caught up with several of the interns to hear their tips, tricks, and takeaways from moving to Birmingham this year. Included is where in town they live, you’ll see that residents live all over this terrific city.
Interview with an Alumnus: Martin Rodriguez, MD
by Eduardo Mulanovich, PGY-1
I sat down with Dr. Martin Rodriguez, UAB Internal Medicine alumnus and current director of the resident Global Health Track, to discuss the role that global health has played in his career and in the developing careers of many UAB residents.
Final Words from Chief Medical Residents 2016-17
by Will Benton, MD
What to say from the chiefs? I think this year is special for most, and spending it with three of my closest friends has made it all the better. We have enjoyed the honor of attending on wards with our incredible residents, learning each day from them as well as the other fantastic faculty that we have in our program. We attended the fifth annual Legacy Dinner at the Cobbs’ house, graded more intern H&P’s than we care to count, and tried our darndest each Wednesday morning to stump Dr. Rodriguez and the rest of the Tinsley attendings with our best cases. It has been a privilege.