Rithika Ginjupalli, a six-year B.A./M.D. student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, has made her mark at the intersection of medicine and public health. Ginjupalli, originally from India and raised in Colorado, found her love for orthopedic surgery and community public health at UMKC.
All posts by Ann Aylward
UMKC School of Medicine Receives High National Rankings From U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report announced its 2024 Best Graduate Schools for Medicine and ranked the UMKC School of Medicine as a leader in two categories. The school was ranked No. 20 in the nation in “Serving Medically Needy Areas” and No. 75 in “Most Diverse Medical Schools.”
Five Questions with School of Medicine Dean Alexander Norbash
Alexander Norbash (B.A./M.D. ’86) has returned to his alma mater as the dean of the School of Medicine. Previously, he served as the chair and professor of radiology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, where he continued to hone his extensive background in research and health-care collaboration.
Catherine Spong (B.A. ’91/M.D. ’91) honored with 2024 E. Grey Dimond, M.D., Take Wing Award
Students, faculty and staff gathered at the School of Medicine Friday, May 10, for the annual E. Grey Dimond, M.D., Take Wing Award lecture given by this year’s recipient, Catherine Spong (B.A. ’91/M.D. ’91). Each year, the honor is given to a graduate who has demonstrated excellence in their chosen field and exceeded expectations of peers in the practice of medicine, academic medicine or research.
Spong refers to herself as a physician-scientist with a career dedicated to advancing women’s and children’s health. A graduate of UMKC’s signature six-year B.A./M.D. program, Spong specialized in obstetrics and gynecology for her residency at UCLA before completing a maternal-fetal medicine fellowship at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland.
Spong served as the deputy director for the National Institute of Health for 23 years, until she accepted a position as chief of maternal fetal medicine and vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT-Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Spong has published more than 290 peer-reviewed papers and cemented herself as a leading voice in women’s health, child health and pregnancy.
“She is emblematic of the best and brightest of us,” said School of Medicine Dean Alexander Norbash (B.A./M.D. ’86), M.S., FACR.
Spong’s Take Wing Award lecture, titled “The Importance of Inclusion, Research and Lessons Learned,” showcased her spirit of curiosity and resilience that she brings to her work in a new era of medical research for pregnant and nursing women.
According to Spong, more than 59% of the United States population is commonly not represented in research. Children, elderly, pregnant and disabled people often receive care that is not beneficial to them.
“Are we comfortable with 59% of our population not even being studied?” Spong asked.
The mission of her career is to change that. Her goal is to lower that percentage through research that informs medical practices. For example, she performs studies that help rewrite precision care practices for marginalized groups.
Spong capped off her lecture with her top five pieces of advice to any young medical student:
- “Find opportunities for yourself.“
- “Communicate with intent. Explain why you’re asking a question. It’s unfair to make someone assume.”
- “Your job is not your life, nor should it be. Anyone can do your job. Only you get to be the family, spouse, parent and friend to the people in your life.”
- “Leverage opportunities. See what others are doing. How can you model their work to do your own?“
- “Remember that as a leader what you talk about matters. What a leader says in a group carries ‘a different weight.’ What you say, and how you say it, is important. “
Play Ball! This UMKC Jackie Robinson Scholar is Hitting Home Runs in the Medical World
Emmanuella Alawode, Dallas native and fourth-year student in the B.A./M.D program is a Jackie Robinson Scholar. Through this program, Alawode not only gets to participate in career-readiness opportunities, but also receives support from the Kansas City Royals Foundation.
Monumental Match Day for UMKC Medical Students
Excited cheers poured out of the UMKC Student Union on Friday, where more than 100 medical students tore open envelopes to discover where they would spend the next few years doing their medical residency training.
The students participated in the National Resident Matching Program, also known as Match Day, when medical students learn what residency program they matched with, as well as the specialty they will practice.
UMKC School of Medicine Recognized for Excellence in Diversity for Second Year in a Row
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine has received the 2023 Health Professionals Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
In a letter to 2023 winners, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine said the school’s efforts “significantly advance” the core values of diversity, equity and inclusion as evidenced through mentoring, teaching, research, hiring and promotion, recruitment, retention and many other campus priorities deserving of this national recognition.
UMKC Alumnus Named Dean of School of Medicine
Alumnus Alexander Norbash, M.D., M.S., FACR, has been named the new dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He will begin March 11.
Norbash will be coming from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) where he serves as chair and professor of radiology at the School of Medicine. His personal and professional experiences uniquely position him to lead the School of Medicine during this time of rapid advancement in the health-care enterprise at UMKC.
UMKC Recognizes Outstanding Alumni
The University of Missouri-Kansas City Class of 2024 Alumni Achievement Award recipients include a national ABC News anchor, a nonprofit founder and Kansas City trailblazers.
Each year, UMKC recognizes a select group of alumni for their inspirational accomplishments. The event offers a chance to celebrate the achievements and successes of graduates UMKC sends out into the world each year at Commencement, and raises funds to support their fellow Roos.
UMKC School of Medicine Receives National Award for Community Engagement
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine has received the prestigious Spencer Foreman Award for Outstanding Community Engagement from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The award highlights the university’s longstanding commitment to supporting the Kansas City area and its underserved populations. According to the AAMC, UMKC has displayed unwavering dedication to reaching community members through nontraditional avenues of health care with low- and no-cost clinics, community events, education opportunities and more.