March 16, 2017
Hello,
I wrote this week’s Study Break after last Thursday’s AOA celebration—a wonderful and uplifting event highlighting the promise of medicine and science and professionalism.
In sharp contrast to AOA day celebrating the future of science and medicine is today’s troubling news from Washington about the proposed federal budget. The President’s budget request to Congress calls for substantial cuts to science, including an almost $6B reduction in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget (~20% cut). If implemented, a reduction in funding of this magnitude could have a devastating impact on our nation’s collective scientific pursuits and could put U.S. leadership in science at risk. I’ve included the link to an article in today’s Washington Post.
At McGovern Medical School, we are committed to the missions of clinical care, research, education, and health advocacy. The NIH budget has a direct and indirect impact on all of our missions. Our scientists are working to increase the understanding of fundamental science and to translate basic discoveries into new intervention strategies, drugs, and devices that improve health. Our ability to provide novel and cutting-edge therapies to patients at the Texas Medical Center, and beyond, is dependent upon a healthy research infrastructure and a continual pipeline of new young scientists. It is critical that our local and national elected officials understand the importance of the NIH to our missions as we work to benefit our communities.
Now for some good news:
I was delighted to welcome our newest class of AOA inductees this past week. The Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society is a professional organization that recognizes and advocates for excellence in scholarship and the highest ideals in the profession of medicine. Established more than a century ago, its members have a “compelling drive to do well and to advance the medical profession and exemplify the highest standards of professionalism.”
This year’s AOA inductees include medical students, trainees, faculty, alumni, and a volunteer faculty member. They are:
Students: Erik Albach, John Ayers, Alixandra Baycroft, Sunil Bellur, Courtney Chang, Parsha Forouzan, Micah Gibson, Daniel Gonzales-Luna, Alexandra Grand, Nadia Haj-Ismail, Jonathan Harding, Spencer Hayes, Nourhan Ismaeel, Victoria Jackson, Helena Jenkinson, Alixandra Kale, Ross Kennamer-Chapman, Rachel Landgren, Robert Lorenz, Christopher Martin, Mitchell McAlpine, Elizabeth Mengis, Matthew Mitchell, Mitchell Myers, Hunter Nolen, Adam Park, Alexander Phan, Samuel Ruder, Mary Sallman, Blaine Smith, Kari Smith, Adam Smithee, Swaminathan Sundaresan, Amy Trott, Y-Vu Van, Farrukh Virani, Richard Wawrose, Jacob Wilkerson, Charlie Wilson, Michael Wilson, and Yunfeng Xue;
House staff: Drs. Chris Downing, David Meyer, Christopher Kannady, Ahmed Salahudeen, Ignacio De Cicco, and Manoj Thangam;
Faculty: Drs. Tim Achor, John Byrne, Michael Van Meter, and Ruckshanda Majid;
Alumni: Drs. Victor Ursua and Clifford Moy;
Volunteer faculty: Dr. Dan Gombos from the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The AOA banquet featured an amazing guest speaker, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, a New York Times bestselling nonfiction writer and poet. She talked about Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter and her book, “Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine.” Dr. Mutter, born in 1811, was a surgeon who pioneered the use of anesthesia, championed handwashing and sterilization of equipment, and advocated for compassionate care—for even the most hopeless of patients. Cristin Aptowicz was born and raised in Philadelphia where she was introduced to Dr. Mutter at Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. With her engaging speaking style, she made several simple but important points, guided by Dr. Mutter’s life and work:
- Don’t let the past define your future.
- Find value in your work by seeking places where you are needed most.
- Stand up for your convictions – even in the face of widespread resistance.
- Try to turn your rivals into allies.
- Turn your patients into partners.
- Constantly seek out new information but make sure you make it your own.
- Always be guided by your curiosity.
- Remember there are no such things as “cases” but only human beings. Always remember that medicine has the goal to alleviate human suffering.
- The world is not a place of rest.
I was so pleased that she gave me a copy of her book—inscribed with her favorite Mutter quote, “Come forth to charm, enlighten and dazzle the world.” What a lovely sentiment to end a great evening.
Warm regards,
Barbara
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