Tag Archives: Awards and Recognition

Student National Medical Association welcomes UMKC student to BOD

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Fifth-year medical student Josephine Nwankwo has joined the Student National Medical Association Board of Directors (SNMA) as academic affairs co-chair.

She was elected to the role this spring during the 2022 SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference, the largest gathering of minority medical students in the nation. In her new position, she will work to further the SNMA mission of supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students by helping provide academic resources and opportunities to members.

Nwankwo has been active in the SNMA throughout her medical school career. She previously participated the organization’s National Future Leadership Program that provides training in leadership skills, networking and project development.

At the School of Medicine, Nwankwo has served as a mentor and assisted with the Saturday Academy and Summer Scholars programs. She is also is a member of the school’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council and serves as vice president of the UMKC chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association.

The SNMA is the nation’s oldest and largest independent student-run organization. With more than 7,000 members, it serves to focus on the needs and concerns of medical students of color.

White Coat Ceremony marks next step for UMKC med students

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Medical students at the UMKC School of Medicine’s campuses in Kansas City and St. Joseph participated in the annual White Coat Ceremony on August 6 and 7, an annual rite of passage as they begin a more intensive part of their clinical training.

The physician’s white coat, one of the most recognizable symbols of the medical profession, signifies a growing set of responsibilities such as the development of a formal relationship between physicians and their patients. It is also a reminder of the physician’s obligation to practice medicine with clinical competence and compassion.

“I encourage you to wear your coat with pride and integrity,” Jill Moormeier, chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, said during the ceremony for students on the Health Sciences Campus in Kansas City.

During the ceremony, students entering their third-year of the School of Medicine curriculum were coated by their new Year 3-6 docents.

Sharing how medicine has evolved over the years, Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., School of Medicine dean, called this a remarkable time in medical history for students to receive their white coats and continue their quest to become a physician.

“There is a constant over time, and that is, you affirm your commitment to medicine and embrace your coat as a symbol of compassion, of your professionalism and the honor and privilege of caring for patients,” she said.

At Mosaic Life Care, home of the School of Medicine’s St. Joseph campus, Jackson shared her message as family and dignitaries looked on while 21 students received their white coats. The students were coated by individuals they had identified as a supportive mentor or loved one in their pursuit of a medical career.

In addition to Jackson, the class received encouragement from Mosaic Life Care Chief Executive Officer Mike Poore and Edward Kammerer, Chief Medical Officer and Clinic President at Mosaic Life Care.

James Shackelford, manager the school’s admissions office, presented a special School of Medicine St. Joseph Campus award for Outstanding Community Engagement to the Missouri Northwest Area Health Education Center. The award is given to an outstanding individual or entity that has dedicated efforts to the betterment of the future academic medical community in Missouri and to the medical school in St. Joseph.

On the Kansas City Campus, the school recognized Valerie Rader, M.D., ’05, as this year’s Outstanding Years 1 and 2 Docent. A cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, Rader has served as a docent for first and second-year students for 11 years, is a lecturer for the School of Medicine’s physician assistant program and in 2020 received a teaching award from the Department of Internal Medicine.

School of Medicine alumni Michele Kilo, M.D., ’84, and Barry Gubin, M.D., ’84, also presented the Marilyn McGuyre scholarship to third-year student Krish Sardesai. The scholarship honors McGuyre, who served as long-time director of student affairs and career counselor.

Students at both campus ceremonies were read a compilation of their class reflections on the Philosophy of Medicine as well as the UMKC version of the Hippocratic Oath that they will recite when they graduate.

The School of Medicine conducted its first White Coat Ceremony for third-year students in 2003. The program is sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to emphasize the importance of compassionate care for patients and proficiency in the art and science of medicine.

School of Medicine celebrates 2022 graduates

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UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal congratulates the School of Medicine’s Russell Brown during the university’s 2022 Commencement ceremony at the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium.

SOM-50-YRS-1971-2021The UMKC School of Medicine returned to Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on May 13 to celebrate the graduating class of 2022, following a two-year absence due to the COVID pandemic.

Almost 150 students participated in the Achievement Ceremony that recognized nearly 100 doctor of medicine graduates and those earning their master’s degrees or graduate certificates in the anesthesia assistant, bioinformatics, health professions education and physician assistant programs.

Two days later, School of Medicine graduating students were part of the more than 2,300 UMKC graduates who participated in the university’s Commencement ceremony at the Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium.

During the Achievers Event, School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., ’78, congratulated and sent the class off with encouragement to make difference in the lives of those they will be caring for.

“I know from experience that the investment you make in caring for patients, engaging in research and service will fuel and inspire you throughout your careers,” Jackson said. “The world needs you. Go out and change the world.”

Jackson also recognized Scot Ebbinghaus, M.D., ’79, this year’s recipient of the prestigious E. Grey Dimond, M.D., Take Wing Award. Ebbinghaus, the vice president of clinical research at the pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Merk, said the graduates entering the health care professions have a unique opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of their patients.

“Patients are the center of everything we do,” he said.

2022 Senior Awards and Recognitions

Samar Azzaidani | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Avleen Kaur Bhandal | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Michael Ryan Brancato | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Anna Elizabeth Davis | James F. Stanford, M.D., Patient Advocate Scholarship; Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Kartik Depala | Bette W. Hamilton Memorial Award for Excellence in Immunology
Courtney Dorris | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Lauren Gresham | Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation
Anna Yung-hua Hwang | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Shubhika Jain | Thomas R. Hamilton, M.D., Memorial Award for Excellence in Pathology; Thomas R. Hamilton, M.D., Memorial Award for Excellence in Microbiology; Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation
Anya Joyo | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Morgan Kensinger | Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation; Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Valerie Rita Louise Kirtley | Outstanding Senior Partner
Eshwar Kishore | Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award; Richardson K. Noback Founders’ Award for Clinical Excellence
Caitlyn Marie Kohake | Master of Science in Anesthesia Program Student Ambassador
Vijay Letchuman | Friends of UMKC School of Medicine Award for Research
Milan Ravidev Malhotra | Ratilal S. Shah Medical Scholarship Fund
Laura Katherine Mann | Laura L. Backus Award for Excellence in Pediatrics
LeiLani N. Mansy | Pat D. Do, M.D., Matching Scholarship in Orthopaedics; Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation
Abigail M. Murphy | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Caroline Grace Olson | Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation; Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Dakota James Owens | Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Michael Adebowale Oyekan | Friends of UMKC School of Medicine Basic Science Award
Andrew Michael Peterson | Friends of UMKC School of Medicine Award for Research; Lee Langley Award for Academic Excellence; UMKC School of Medicine Alumni Association Endowment Fund: Excellence in Medical Education; Merck Manual
Geethanjali Rajagopal | ACP Senior Student Book Award; Women in Medicine Scholarship Achievement Citation
Casey E. Rose | J. Michael De Ungria, M.D., Humanitarian Award; Dean of Students Honor Recipient
Benjamin Spector, M.D. | Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics Award for Excellence
Elizabeth Hartanti Theng | J. Michael De Ungria, M.D., Humanitarian Award; Friends of UMKC School of Medicine Harry S. Jonas, M.D., Award
Sejla Turnadzic | Malhotra Family Scholarship for Academic and Clinical Excellence; Merck Manual
Isabelle Bruner Ulloa | Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics Award for Excellence
Megan Anne Weber | Malhotra Family Scholarship for Academic and Clinical Excellence
Jacob T. Williamson | Pat D. Do, M.D., Matching Scholarship in Orthopaedics

Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
Alaya Bodepudi
Kartik Depala
Lauren Gresham
Rishabh Gupta
Shubhika Jain
Varsha Kandadi
Morgan Kensinger
Valerie Rita Louise Kirtley
Vijay Letchuman
Milan Ravidev Malhotra
LeiLani N. Mansy
Caroline Grace Olson
Michael Adebowale Oyekan
Andrew Michael Peterson
Geethanjali M. Rajagopal
Megan Anne Weber
Jacob T. Williamson

Gold Humanism Honor Society
Jessica Anyaso
Kartik Depala
Jason Egberuare
August James
Frank Adam Habib
Varsha Kandadi
Morgan Kensinger
Eshwar Kishore
Shruti Rani Kumar
Jordan Jean Longabaugh
Caroline Grace Olson
Nikhila Pokala
Casey E. Rose
Laraib Sani
Elizabeth Hartanti
Theng Kabir
Antonio Torres
Jacob T. Williamson

Pi Alpha Honor Society
Molly Ray Arand
Samar Azzaidani
Stephanie Kathryn Rieger

Eight inducted to SOM chapter of AOA honor society

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The School of Medicine chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha welcomed eight new members into the medical honor society as the Class of 2022 inductees.

This year’s inductees include junior members Joe Bean, Sidharth Ramesh, Neal Shah and Kevin Varghese. The senior members are Alaya Bodepudi and Milan Malhotra. Two residents/fellows were also selected, Ain Ejaz, M.D., and Erin Murray, M.D.

The AOA officers include Andrew Peterson, student president, Kartik Depala, student vice-president, Madhavi Murali, student secretary, and Yen Luu, student treasurer. John Foxworth, Pharm.D., serves as the School of Medicine’s AOA counselor and David Wooldridge, M.D., is the faculty officer.

Selection to AOA membership is an honor recognizing one’s dedication to the profession and art of healing. It is based on character and values such as honesty, honorable conduct, morality, virtue, unselfishness, ethical ideals, dedication to serving others and leadership. Membership also recognizes excellence in academic scholarship.

School of Medicine announces Student Research Summit winners

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UMKC students presented 46 posters during the 2022 Health Sciences Student Research Summit.

The annual UMKC Health Sciences Student Research Summit returned to an in-person event on March 2 at the UMKC Student Union after two years as a virtual event. Students from the schools of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, biological and chemical sciences, and computing and engineering presented 46 research posters.

Four students from the School of Medicine and one each from the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and the School of Pharmacy received awards for their presentations.

In the undergraduate division, third-year medical students took the top two awards. Suman Manek won first place in poster presentations. Nikitha Damisetty placed second and second-year med student Cooper Bassham placed third.

Fifth-year medical student Joseph Bean placed first in the graduate division. Jon Bell, from the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences was second, and sixth-year medical student Nicholas Yeisley placed third with his presentation.

A panel of faculty judges selected the top presentations.

The summit promotes collaborations across disciplines and schools to produce economic, health, education and quality of life benefits for the Kansas City community in a forum that brings the UMKC health sciences community together to highlight student research.

2022 UMKC Health Sciences Student Research Summit

Top Scoring Posters and Presentations

1st Place – Suman Manek BA/MD Student: Multivariate Prognostic Biomarkers of Covid-19: The Relationship Between Patient Demographics and Presenting Signs and Symptoms.
Mentor: Dr Wail Hassan, School of Medicine

2nd Place – Nikitha Damisetty, BA/MD Student: Modulating Glucocorticoid Function In-Utero to Reduce Complications of Pre-Term Birth.
Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, School of Medicine

3rd Place – Cooper Bassham, BA/MD Student: Glucocorticoid and Cannabinoid Signaling Interactions: Implications for Neural Stem Cells.
Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, School of Medicine

Winners by Category

Undergraduate Posters

1st Place – Suman Manek BA/MD Student: Multivariate Prognostic Biomarkers of Covid-19: The Relationship Between Patient Demographics and Presenting Signs and Symptoms.
Mentor: Dr Wail Hassan, School of Medicine

2nd Place – Nikitha Damisetti, BA/MD Student: Modulating Glucocorticoid Function In-Utero to Reduce Complications of Pre-Term Birth.
Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, School of Medicine

3rd Place – Cooper Bassham, BA/MD Student: Glucocorticoid and Cannabinoid Signaling Interactions: Implications for Neural Stem Cells.
Mentor: Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols, School of Medicine

Graduate Posters

1st Place – Joseph Bean, BA/MD Student: Active Targeting of Glioblastoma Through Phage Display.
Mentor: Dr. Kun Cheng, School of Pharmacy

2nd Place – Jon Bell, PhD Student: Foxg1a is Required for Hair Cell Development and Regeneration in the Zebrafish Lateral Line.
Mentor: Dr. Hilary McGraw, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences

3rd Place – Nicholas Yeisley, MD Student: Characterizing Social Determinants of Health of TMC ED Patients with Chronic Disease.
Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Ellison, School of Medicine, University Health

School of Medicine’s Peter Koulen honored for achievements, advocacy in vision research

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Koulen, Peter
Peter Koulen, Ph.D.

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) has recognized Peter Koulen, Ph.D., director of basic research at the UMKC School of Medicine’s Vision Research Center, with a major honor, its 2021 Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award.

ARVO is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. As part of its annual Advocacy Awards, the Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award recognizes members who have dedicated the core of their careers to advancing eye and vision research.

Koulen, a professor of ophthalmology and biomedical sciences, is the School of Medicine’s Felix and Carmen Sabates Missouri Endowed Chair in Vision Research. He is an internationally recognized expert in biophysics, biochemistry and physiology of nerve cells with more than 50 extramural grants totaling more than $15 million. His focus on the retina as part of the central nervous system has resulted in peer-reviewed publications in more than 100 prestigious journals. He has also received three patents.

Koulen said the award from ARVO is an “amazing honor” that underscores the importance of his research efforts.

“The many opportunities ARVO has afforded me during my professional career taught me early on that service and giving back are not just integral to research, but are the key ingredients to growing research programs and maximizing their impact,” he said. “The award will also serve as a constant reminder to me that the important work of advocating and providing outreach opportunities for eye and vision research is never done.”

Koulen is a review panel member for national and international funding agencies including the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institutes of Health. While chair of ARVO’s Advocacy and Outreach Committee, Koulen participated in Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of increasing funding for the NIH and the National Eye Institute.

This is the latest major award Koulen has received for his research at UMKC. The university Board of Trustees also honored Koulen in 2020 with its Trustees’ Faculty Fellow Award given to an established faculty member for a nationally and internationally recognized record of research and creative achievements at UMKC.

InDOCtrination ceremony welcomes first-year students to School of Medicine

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The UMKC School of Medicine recognized a new class of 103 first-year medical students during the school’s annual InDOCtrination ceremony on Aug. 20 at the UMKC White Recital Hall.

The ceremony has been a long-standing tradition for the School of Medicine. Brenda Rogers, M.D., associate dean for student affairs, told students and their families that this was a special day to remember. 

“This ceremony affirms for each of you that you are entering the challenging and exciting world of medicine – a world that will demand a lot from you, but will reward you greatly for your efforts,” Rogers said. 

Demi Elrod was announced as this year’s Richard Garcia Memorial Award recipient. The honor is presented annually to a student entering the Year 2 class who best exemplifies the qualities of compassion, concern and academic excellence. The recipient is selected by classmates. 

Speaking to the Year 1 class, Elrod said, “In a few days you will start one of the most difficult journeys of your life. I know it may seem daunting, but I can promise you it’s worth it.” 

Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine, also spoke to the class, describing how it is entering the field of medicine at unique time as the world continues to battle the COVID pandemic. She said the responsibility of medical professionals is a duty of care with an ethical duty to place patient’s health first. She encouraged the students to be role models in helping families and loved ones emerge from the pandemic. 

Each student was recognized individually as they were introduced as members of their Year 1 docent teams.  

School of Medicine begins new tradition of White Coat Ceremony on two campuses

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Students at the UMKC School of Medicine Mosaic Life Care campus in St. Joseph were recognized during the White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 8.

UMKC School of Medicine recognized students at the school’s two campuses in a rite of passage that marks the next step along their journey to becoming physicians.

An inaugural class of 16 students from the school’s new Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri, campus participated in that campus’ first White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 8. The event, sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, emphasizes the importance of compassionate care for patients and proficiency in both the art and the science of medicine.

UMKC School of Medicine students at the Kansas City campus participated in the annual White Coat Ceremony at the university’s White Recital Hall.

In Kansas City, the School of Medicine welcomed 125 new third-year students during the annual White Coat Ceremony one day earlier at the UMKC White Recital Hall.

The White Coat Ceremony has been a tradition at the School of Medicine since 2003. For UMKC medical students, it marks a transition in training from an emphasis on classwork to the final four years of more intensive clinical training.

UMKC opened its medical school campus at Mosaic in January with a focus on rural primary care medicine. Davin Turner, M.D., chief medical officer for Mosaic and associate dean for the St. Joseph campus, addressed the students, faculty and guests and spoke about the need for physicians in rural areas.

School of Medicine Dean Mary Anne Jackson, M.D., and Steven Waldman, St. Joseph campus dean, also spoke about becoming a physician and the significance of the physician’s white coat, symbolizing professionalism, caring and the trust between physicians and their patients.

Jessica Halla, a medical student at Mosaic, also announced the Dr. Kanga Friends of UMKC School of Medicine Outstanding Community Engagement Award, which was presented to Missouri state Rep. Brenda Shields, who played an integral role in obtaining the grants to open the school’s St. Joseph campus.

On the Kansas City campus, third-year medical student Audrey Otwell also honored William Ritter, M.D., a staff cardiologist at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, with this year’s Outstanding Years 1 and 2 Docent Award. Each third-year class nominates a Year 1-2 docent for the award based on their pursuit of teaching excellence in medicine.

Students at both campus ceremonies were read a compilation of their class reflections on the Philosophy of Medicine and were each individually recognized and presented their white coats by their docents.

SOM event puts focus on Quality and Patient Safety

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Click on the image to watch the 2021 Quality Patient Safety Day event.

More than 50 students, residents and fellows participated in the 8th annual Vijay Babu Rayudu Quality and Patient Safety Day with poster and oral presentations on May 21 at the School of Medicine.

The event provides an opportunity to present research and learn from experts in the field of patient safety.

Mallika Joshi, MS 3, and Kayla Reifel, MS3, captured the top student honors for their abstracts, while Megan Hamner, M.D., and Cree Kachelski, M.D., received the top awards for residents and fellows. The four were selected to give oral presentations of their research.

Joshi presented on “Improving the Sleep Quality of UMKC Medical Students: A Quality Improvement Project.” Reifel presented a project titled “Improving Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema Detection – Creating a Standard Practice for Preoperative Arm Measurements.”

In the resident/fellows category, Hamner, a second-year pediatric infectious disease fellow, gave an oral prestation on her winning abstract, “Improving Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Antibiotic Duration Concordance with National Guidelines in Pediatric Urgent Care Clinics.” Kachelski, a second-year pediatric emergency medicine fellow, presented “Improving time to antibiotics in open fractures in the Children’s Mercy Emergency Department.”

Three students, Parth Patel, MS3, Lakshmi Pryiya, MS5, and Aarya Ramprasad, MS3, and three residents/fellows, Bemjamin Hoag, M.D., Raed Qarajeh, M.D., and Ray Segebrecht, M.D., received honorable mention  for their poster presentations.

A complete list of student and resident/fellows oral and poster presentations and videos of the oral presentations are available on the School of Medicine research web site.

Jennifer S. Myers, M.D., professor of clinical medicine and the director of Quality and Safety Education for the Department of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, gave a keynote address. She is the Director of Penn’s Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety (CHIPS) fellowship program and oversees all aspects of quality and safety education for the Department of Medicine.

Myers talked about the history of the quality improvement and patient safety movement and its influence on medical education. She also discussed health and health care equity as a cornerstone of quality health care.

She said the health care delivery system has several goals for providing quality care in that it be safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered. However, she said that “equity has been the forgotten name of health care quality until very recently.”

“I do think academic medicine is evolving to embrace clinical quality and safety, but I think we still have work to do,” Myers said. “Achieving health equity and health care equity are integral to this work.”

Seven inducted to SOM chapter of AOA honor society

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The School of Medicine chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha welcomed seven new members into the medical honor society as the Class of 2021 inductees.

This year’s inductees are juniors Kartik Depala, Yen Luu, Madhavi Murali and Andrew Peterson, and seniors Charles Burke, Jacob Gowan and Sara Wells.

Selection to AOA membership is  an honor recognizing one’s dedication to the profession and art of healing. It is based on character and values such as honesty, honorable conduct, morality, virtue, unselfishness, ethical ideals, dedication to serving others and leadership. Membership also recognizes excellence in academic scholarship.