March 24, 2016
Hello,
I can still feel the energy and excitement throughout this medical school from last week’s Match Day. I am pleased to report that our programs and students had a strong Match, with many matching to their top choices.
Of the 237 members of the graduating class, 49 percent will stay in Texas for their first year of postgraduate training, and 24 percent matched to McGovern Medical School programs. The top specialty choices for our students were Internal Medicine (15 percent), Anesthesiology (10 percent), and Pediatrics (8 percent). And if you missed Match Day or want to relive the highlights, please see this video from our Office of Communications.
This week I attended a two-day retreat with our clinical chairs. The retreat was a great opportunity for the chairs to better understand each other’s departments and to get together in an informal setting. The occasion reminded me how fortunate we are to have wonderful chairs. They are mission-driven and committed to the well-being of our patients. They care for each other, they care about their departments, and they are committed to excelling in all missions of this school.
UT System Chancellor William McRaven made an impromptu visit to the clinical chairs retreat, detailing some of the priority initiatives that he outlined in his vision, taking questions, and interacting with the chairs one-on-one. I was delighted to meet our Chancellor and am impressed by his leadership and plans.
A few more “wow” accolades of note for this week:
Congratulations are in order for Dr. Pedro Mancias, assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, assistant dean for admissions and student affairs, and Adriana Blood Professor in Neurology. He may now add Distinguished Teaching Professor of The University of Texas System to his list of titles. Dr. Raymond Greenberg, executive vice chancellor for health affairs, recently approved this appointment as recommended by President Colasurdo.
Hats off to two of our GSBS graduate students for receiving NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowships. They are Microbiology and Molecular Genetics student Carrie Graham (faculty adviser, Danielle Garsin, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) and Neuroscience student Leandra Mangieri (faculty adviser, Qingchun Tong, Ph.D., associate professor at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine’s Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Disease).
Congratulations also to Dr. Dianna Milewicz, who earlier this month received the Visiting Professorship award from the Fondation Cardiologique Princesse Liliane of the Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium. In a first for UTHealth, Dr. Milewicz gave an inaugural lecture to the Belgian royal family as well as to the public. The award is bestowed on a well-respected scholar to support positive exchanges between Belgian researchers and international experts.
I cannot think about Belgium this week without thinking about the innocent people who lost their lives or were injured in the terrible attacks in Brussels this week—and their families. I hope we each take a moment to reflect on this tragedy and on our place in the broader world.
I hope to see you at 3:30 p.m. Monday in the Leather Lounge as we gather to celebrate the career of Officer L. E. Simmons. Officer Simmons has served UTHealth for 32 years–a watchful and friendly presence, keeping all of us safe. We wish him the best in his retirement.
Warm regards,
Barbara
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