Tag Archives: Student

UMKC students take the lead with community health fair

-PRN,

Jada Ohene-Agyei didn’t know what to expect when she led a team of nearly 70 student and faculty volunteers from UMKC’s health sciences schools this summer in a one-day community health and wellness fair at the Kansas City Health Department.

Ohene-Agyei, a fifth-year UMKC School of Medicine student, and her team weren’t disappointed when nearly 100 people from the community showed up.

“A lot more people came than had registered,” she said. “I was surprised.”

Students from the schools of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy manned 30 tables where they offered a wide range of health screenings and education from blood pressure and cholesterol checks to dental screenings and education on opioids, the safe storage and disposal of drugs and individual medication advice.

Student and faculty from the School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences were on hand as well to help where needed.

“We tried to make it interprofessional and do as many things as we could,” Ohene-Agyei said. “We wanted to run the gamut and do as many things as we could possibly do that would be conducive to each of the students’ areas of study.”

The idea for free public event came to Ohene-Agyei’s while serving as president of the medical school’s chapter of the Student National Medical Association. Where members of the organization had discussed the idea previously, Ohene-Agyei was determined to make it happen as a student-led event with assistance and necessary oversight from health sciences schools faculty.

Beginning nearly nine months in advance, Ohene Agyei reached out to other student organizations on the health sciences campus. Before long, she had recruited a team to lead various committees in everything from marketing and finance to logistics, as well as a research team that conducted patient surveys to record their responses to the event.

“It started with SNMA but grew into a collaboration with other student organizations,” Ohene-Agyei said. “There are dental students, pharmacy students, so it’s SNMA and all these other groups. I feel like we all share a piece of that pie now.”

Those who attended the health fair came away with a positive experience and said the student volunteers had addressed their individual questions and needs.

“That was something that our students did a really good job of,” Ohene-Agyei said.

Now, she said, the hope is that a next wave of UMKC health sciences students can come together to make the health fair more than a one-time event.

“I have this renewed hope that students from the health sciences schools can come together and do something for the community and be super successful,” Ohene-Agyei said. “I’m excited to do this again next year. I think we can do it even better.”

UMKC PA student inspired by emergency room care

-PRN, PA,

Roos don’t just dream, they do. Our students turn ideas into action every day. Get to know our people and you’ll know what UMKC is all about.

Name: Kevin Du
Anticipated graduation year: May 2023
UMKC degree program: Master of Medical Science – Physician Assistant
Hometown: Kansas City, MO

When Kevin Du, MMS, ’23, lost his father to an acute myocardial infarction three years ago, he was numb, but he remembers that a care provider in the ICU stopped to comfort him.

“I remember how kind she was and how heard I felt,” he says. “Looking back on that is what initiated my interest in the physician assistant profession, and I know that I want to be that type of provider in my career.”

Du is currently enrolled in the physician assistant program at the UMKC School of Medicine. He says the pace of the program can be a challenge, but he loves the small class sizes and the support he receives from the staff members.

“Also, we are a smaller cohort, so we receive more personalized attention from our amazing, supportive faculty when we need it.”

“UMKC is culturally diverse and encourages students to be understanding of others’ backgrounds. I admire the commitment to the community.”

Du is a first generation college student. His parents immigrated to the United States following the Vietnam War and settled in Kansas City. While his parents’ goals for him were more focused on having a happy life than the pursuit of an advance degree, Du would like his achievements to inspire future generations in his family and make his mother proud.

“I want to pay my mom back for all the sacrifices she made for me and validate my parents’ choice to immigrate here,” he says.

Du believes his confidence has allowed him to learn new things and expand his opportunities.

“We are a smaller cohort, so we can receive more personalized attention from our amazing, supportive faculty when we need it.”

“I will always be the first one to volunteer or answer a question,” Du says. “Whether I answer correctly or perform well does not matter to me. I take all my successes and failures in stride and just treat everything as a learning experience.  After every experience I ask, ‘How did I do that, and can I do it better?’ This has given me a positive outlook on life and more perspective on how I can improve on myself.”

 

Du is the president of the UMKC Physician Assistant Student Association and appreciates the inclusivity of the UMKC environment.

“UMKC is culturally diverse and encourages students to be understanding of others’ backgrounds. I admire the commitment to the community.”

Med student uses TikTok to inspire others

-PRN,
Dumebi Okocha leverages her unexpected ‘medfluencer’ platform for good

Roos don’t just dream, they do. Our students turn ideas into action every day. Get to know our people and you’ll know what UMKC is all about.

Dumebi Okocha
Anticipated graduation year: May 2024
UMKC degree program: B.A./M.D.
Hometown: Waxhaw, North Carolina

As the daughter of a physician and a nurse practitioner, pursuing a medical career was a natural path for Dumebi Okocha.

“I always saw my dad coming back from work and I was always interested in the cases he was seeing, even though I didn’t know what he was talking about. My mom is a nurse practitioner, so I come from a strong health sciences background,” she said.

She applied to UMKC because of its six-year accelerated B.A./M.D. program, which would allow her to become a physician faster and save money. When she found herself stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Okocha did what many people her age do when boredom strikes: she made a TikTok video. She noticed there was not much awareness about accelerated medical programs like hers, so posted about it.

“I was just trying to show there were other, quicker, more cost-affordable options without the MCAT,” she said.

To her amazement, it racked up more than 50,000 likes.

“I was surprised. I just didn’t think anything of it at the time. When I started, I probably had 30 followers,” she said. “I was like, ‘Who are all these people?’ That’s when I was like, okay, if I post consistently, I think I can get a following.”

Dubemi Okocha, a student in the accelerated B.A./M.D. program, posing in a white coat

Soon her inbox was flooded with direct messages from students who had never heard of accelerated programs. It was then that Okocha saw an opportunity to change the face of medicine. She decided to expand her platform to talk about the medical field more broadly and encourage other people who are Black, first-generation Americans, first-generation college students or an under-represented minority to pursue medical careers, no matter if they chose a six-year track or another path.

“My goal overall is to be a face for what is possible and to use my privilege to help those who are not as privileged,” said Okocha. “Once they see a Nigerian-American girl in medical school doing her thing, I think it helps them say, ‘Okay, she’s doing it. She’s not perfect but she’s doing it, which means I can do it. I just have to find my way to success.’”

Okocha has since expanded her reach, with her highest-viewed video now reaching one million views. At first, she was nervous about her classmates and professors seeing her videos, but she says the feedback has been largely positive.

“I was getting too self-conscious thinking that if people are watching, I had to be perfect. But once I heard from administration that they liked my TikToks, I knew I was doing a good job,” she said.

In addition to being a medfluencer, Okocha is a UMKC School of Medicine ambassador, Region 2 secretary and the local chapter secretary of the Student National Medical Association, public relations representative for the OBGYN Interest Group and a member of Students Training in Academia, Health and Research (STAHR). Between her studies and her extracurricular commitments, Okocha said her social media presence can be a lot to balance, but she tries to keep things in perspective.

“I have to remember this is not my job, this is a hobby. When I place it like that, it’s not an obligation, it’s just for fun,” she said. “I think I laid the expectation that I’m not going to post every day and that’s okay. Around finals, I don’t really post. If I’m changing classes, I tend not to post in the beginning just so I can get my footing. I always put being a student first.”

Dumebi Okocha, a student in the accelerated B.A./M.D. program, posing outside in a white coat.

Through it all, Okocha said she has learned how to manage multiple tasks, find creative solutions and appreciate all the professions of medicine. She hopes by sharing her journey, it will inspire others.

“You can have a life, you can go to med school and even if you have disadvantages stacked against you, there are ways around it, you just have to know those ways.”

Okocha said she plans to continue and expand her social media presence when she becomes a doctor.

“I feel like social media is the new way of getting information out to your patients and educating people,” she said. “My dream is to have a podcast. After I take my boards, I want to start working on that.”

STAHR program changing lives of UMKC’s underrepresented health profession students

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Members of UMKC’s STAHR (Students Training in Academia, Health, and Research) program participated in a kickoff event to start the school year.

Sayra Nieto Gomez realized there would be challenges as an underrepresented minority student at the UMKC School of Medicine. More important, the fourth-year med student also discovered a program that has helped her, and others like her, rise to meet the challenges that many underrepresented minority students deal with in the health care field.

The Students Training in Academia, Health, and Research (STAHR) Partnership is a collaborative of the UMKC schools of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. The program is designed to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds entering health care programs and better prepare them for success academically and professionally.

Sayra Nieto Gomez

“As a student, the STAHR program has provided a safe environment for me to be myself and to learn from students and physicians facing similar challenges,” Gomez said. “The most impactful thing that I’ve gained from this program is knowing that challenges persist through a person’s career. But as students and future physicians, we learn to adapt and grow from those challenges.”

STAHR is a two-pronged initiative that was started in 2018 to build and expand on the medical school’s highly successful high school Summer Scholars program and the dental school’s Admissions Enhancement Program.

Today, in addition to a greatly expanded scholars program that offers multiple tracts for high school and college students to learn about and prepare for careers in health care, STAHR encompasses an ambassador program that provides current UMKC health professions students with meetings and mentorship opportunities. Ambassador workshops take place several times a year to help students learn and develop pertinent skills such as overcoming self-doubt and develop strategies to achieve academic success.

It’s also vital in helping students create a community of like-minded peers, said Scott Guerrero, director of the STAHR program.

“We use the Thomas Principles that focus on academic support, psychological support, identity development, leadership, sense of belonging and professional development,” Guerrero said. “Our first workshop was on academic support where we talked about what it means to be academically successful and how to overcome challenges in the classroom or within their setting.”

A November workshop focused on mental health and wellness and how to cope with the stress of being a health professional student and burnout.

Natinael Mamo

“Being part of the STAHR program has helped me get to this point in my pharmacy degree,” said fourth-year pharmacy student Natinael Mamo. “The most impactful thing for me has been the numerous resources introduced to help me attain my academic and professional goals.”

He’s not alone. Students from economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds typically succeed in attending and completing health professions degree programs at a far lower rate than students from strong schools in thriving communities. But at UMKC, as many as 150 students and more than 130 staff and health professionals across the UMKC Health Sciences Campus and community are participating in the STAHR Ambassador and Scholars programs that are changing that dynamic.

Now in its fourth year, STAHR initially received a five-year $3.2 million grant from the United States Health Resources and Services Administration. Guerrero said he will soon be applying to renew the grant while also working on other sustainability efforts.

In the meantime, he has a broader vision for STAHR, which is already helping many students succeed in preparing for careers in health care.

“Our recruitment efforts and outreach efforts need to ramp up,” Guerrero said. “We’d love to do STAHR Days – have students come and learn about each of our programs. We’d like to recruit more economic or educationally disadvantaged students and just share our story, the benefits of a mentorship program and the success of the students in our program and their sense of belonging.”

Mamo is one of those success stories. He said the Ambassadors program has helped him through the rigors of pharmacy school in part by fostering a better relationship with faculty members and peers that may not have occurred otherwise.

“I would tell students that you should join STAHR to further enhance your experience within your program,” he said. “The STAHR program is led by many supportive and uplifting people who are here to guide you in utilizing your resources and to succeed in your profession. You grow through the support of all the faculty and professionals who contribute to STAHR and interactions with students in other health professions.”

Guerrero admits the growth of STAHR is stretching him and his staff. But the payoff, he said, is worth the effort.

“At times, it’s pushing us to our limits,” he said. “But I go back to our students need it. They’re going to grow and learn more when we can make the experience as individualized as possible, but also cater to what they’re looking for.”

Gomez said the STAHR program is making it possible for young people who are passionate about becoming a physician like her to attain that dream.

“The STAHR program creates a community of people who support us and help us throughout our challenges, which is very important to our success,” she said.

SOAP Notes

-PRN, ,

SOAP Notes
for August 2021

Peter Koulen, Ph.D., director of the UMKC Vision Research Center, has been named to the editorial board of the journal, Neurochemical Research. He will serve a permanent appointment on the board after previously serving as a peer-reviewer and contributing author. He has also been selected to chair a National Institutes of Health panel that reviews neuroscience research in general and neuropathology, new therapies and diagnostics for neurodegenerative diseases in particular.

Sixth-year medical student Divya Jain is participating in the Jerome H. Grossman, M.D., Graduate Fellowship in the Healthcare Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Recipients of the highly competitive award are selected on the basis of potential for and commitment to contributing to the shaping of health care policy in the United States. Licensed physicians are given first preference for the award but consideration may also be given to accomplished candidates currently pursuing their medical degree. Fellowship recipients receive full tuition and fees to pursue a two-year master’s degree in public policy or administration. As part of the curriculum, fellows are invited to participate in symposia, workshops and other activities at Harvard that explore health care policy.

We want to know what is going on at the UMKC School of Medicine. Send us your story ideas and we will consider them for publication in “SOAP Notes,” a new feature on our School of Medicine PRN news page that will include short, interesting tidbits about our students, faculty and staff.

To submit a note or story idea, email edwardske@umkc.edu:
Your name:
Your email:
Student ___ / Faculty ___ / Staff ___
Story idea or note (150 words or less):

Match Day 2021

Student Affairs, TopLevel, ,

Congratulations
Class of 2021!

Name Specialty Program Name and Location
Saniya “Sunny” Ablatt General Surgery St. Joseph’s Hospital — Tacoma, WA
Noor Aftab Internal Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Sara Agha Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Chris Ahlering Emergency Medicine St. Louis University School of Medicine — St. Louis, MO
Suma Ancha Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Samatha Ankireddy Internal Medicine Penn State Hershey Medical Center — Hershey, PA
Grace Arias Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Sarah Atallah Family Medicine Altru Health Systems — Grand Forks, ND
Yicheng Bao Ophthalmology University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Roski Eye Institute — Los Angeles, CA
Benjamin Bernard Otolaryngology University of California-San Diego Medical Center — San Diego, CA
Rico Beuford Emergency Medicine Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Shawn Boehm Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Charles Burke Pediatrics Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Tom Chen Internal Medicine St. Louis University School of Medicine — St. Louis, MO
Julia Marie Clem Family Medicine Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Anna Curtis Internal Medicine University of Michigan Hospitals — Ann Arbor, MI
Vijaya Dasari Neurology Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, OH
Lauren R. Davidson Internal Medicine University of Rochester Strong Memorial — Rochester, NY
Tejal Desai Internal Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center — San Antonio, TX
Nikhil Dhall Ophthalmology Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Anthony Esswein Transitional Year Orange Park Medical Center — Orange Park, FL
Interventional Radiology (Integrated) Medical College of Georgia — Augusta, GA
Vishwanath Ganesan Internal Medicine Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, OH
Manuela Garcia Family Medicine Texas Tech University — El Paso, TX
Sarthak Garg Family Medicine University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix, AZ
Karuna Gausper Pediatrics University of California-Irvine Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Orange County — Orange, CA
Nina Govalla Psychiatry University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson, AZ
Jacob Gowan Surgery-Preliminary Orlando Health — Orlando, FL
Naseem Hamidi Internal Medicine Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Namara Haq Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Rochester Strong Memorial — Rochester, NY
Vishnu Harikumar Transitional Year HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Brandon, FL
Dermatology University of Miami Jackson Health System — Miami, FL
Mohammed Hasan General Surgery Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Saqib Hassan Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/TriStar — Nashville, TN
Nikhil Havaldar Urology University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Sarah Jacob Internal Medicine Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Jonathan Jalali Internal Medicine Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Madeline Johnson Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Radiology-Diagnostic University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Ethan Johnston Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Nila Jones Internal Medicine Kettering Health Network — Kettering, OH
Andrew Jozwiakowski Family Medicine Central Iowa Health System Allen Hospital — Waterloo, IA
Ankit B. Kadakia Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Texas Medical School — Houston, TX
Ophthalmology University of Texas Health Science Center — Houston, TX
Sharika Kaula Surgery-Preliminary Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Raga Kilaru Pediatrics Phoenix Children’s Hospital — Phoenix, AZ
Juan Kim Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Connor King General Surgery University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Sunita Kolareth Family Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Rachana Kombathula Internal Medicine University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center — Memphis, TN
Komal Kumar Obstetrics and Gynecology Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Meghana Kumar General Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Rebecca Kurian Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/Kansas City — Overland Park, KS
Sree Lanka Internal Medicine Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Alex Luke Neurology University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Shafaa Mansoor Neurology University of Texas Medical School — Houston, TX
Thomas Mathews Internal Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Adiba Maisha Matin Emergency Medicine Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Shrushti Mehta Pediatrics Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center — Cleveland, OH
Vishal Mittal Emergency Medicine Cook County Health and Hospitals System — Chicago, IL
Adrianna Morse Internal Medicine Providence Health-St. Vincent — Portland, OR
Nina Muddasani Anesthesiology University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics — Iowa City, IA
Faith Mueller Obstetrics and Gynecology Zucker School of Medicine-Northwell North Shore Hospital/Long Island Jewish Medical Center — Great Neck, NY
Varsha Muthukumar Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Isabella S. Nair General Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Saja Necibi Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Brian Nwokeji Psychiatry Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Ginikachukwu Osude
 Family Medicine University of Texas at Austin-Dell Medical School — Austin, TX
Naleen Patel Emergency Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Prarthana Patel Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Jacob Perera Transitional Year Mercy Hospital St. Louis — St. Louis, MO
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Ethan Peterson Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Brandon, FL
Shirene Philipose Internal Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
John (Tony) Phillips Family Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Deanne Pisarkiewicz Psychiatry Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services — Grand Rapids, MI
Amudha Porchezhian Family Medicine Ventura County Medical Center — Ventura, CA
Akhil Pulumati Internal Medicine Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, IL
Rose Puthumana Internal Medicine University of Miami Jackson Health System — Miami, FL
Rawan Rajab Internal Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Karishma Raju Internal Medicine Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Hussain Rao Internal Medicine-Preliminary New York Medical College-Metropolitan Hospital Center — New York, NY
Ophthalmology New York Medical College — Valhalla, NY
Lyna Rehan Anesthesiology University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Kavelin Rumalla Neurological Surgery Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center — Phoenix, AZ
Abdullah Said Plastic Surgery (Integrated) Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Alisha Shah Anesthesiology University of Florida College of Medicine Shands Hospital — Gainesville, FL
Binoy Shah Internal Medicine University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine — Reno, NV
Koral Shah Internal Medicine Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Kunal Sutaria Internal Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine Shands Hospital — Gainesville, FL
Darya Tajfiroozeh Pediatrics Loma Linda University — Loma Linda, CA
Nicole Tamer Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Radiology-Diagnostic University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Shveta Thakkar Internal Medicine Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, IL
Rashmi Thimmapuram Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Siddhant Thukral Surgery-Preliminary Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Interventional Radiology (Integrated) Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Catherine Tran Child Neurology Children’s Mercy Hospital — Kansas City, MO
Taylor Tran Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Maggie Urschler Pediatrics St. Louis Children’s Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Debra Wekesa Internal Medicine University of Nebraska Medical Center — Omaha, NE
Sarah Wells Emergency Medicine University of Texas Southwestern Medical School — Dallas, TX
Brandon Wesche Internal Medicine/Pediatrics University of Minnesota Medical School — Minneapolis, MN
Andrew Williams Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Neurology Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Claire Wolber Family Medicine University Hospitals — Columbia, MO
Alex Wu Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Oak Hill, FL
Kara Zweerink Emergency Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO

 

Match Day 2021

Student Affairs, TopLevel, ,

Congratulations
Class of 2021!

Name Specialty Program Name and Location
Saniya “Sunny” Ablatt General Surgery St. Joseph’s Hospital — Tacoma, WA
Noor Aftab Internal Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Sara Agha Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Chris Ahlering Emergency Medicine St. Louis University School of Medicine — St. Louis, MO
Suma Ancha Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Samatha Ankireddy Internal Medicine Penn State Hershey Medical Center — Hershey, PA
Grace Arias Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Sarah Atallah Family Medicine Altru Health Systems — Grand Forks, ND
Yicheng Bao Ophthalmology University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Roski Eye Institute — Los Angeles, CA
Benjamin Bernard Otolaryngology University of California-San Diego Medical Center — San Diego, CA
Rico Beuford Emergency Medicine Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Shawn Boehm Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Charles Burke Pediatrics Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Tom Chen Internal Medicine St. Louis University School of Medicine — St. Louis, MO
Julia Marie Clem Family Medicine Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Anna Curtis Internal Medicine University of Michigan Hospitals — Ann Arbor, MI
Vijaya Dasari Neurology Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, OH
Lauren R. Davidson Internal Medicine University of Rochester Strong Memorial — Rochester, NY
Tejal Desai Internal Medicine University of Texas Health Science Center — San Antonio, TX
Nikhil Dhall Ophthalmology Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Anthony Esswein Transitional Year Orange Park Medical Center — Orange Park, FL
Interventional Radiology (Integrated) Medical College of Georgia — Augusta, GA
Vishwanath Ganesan Internal Medicine Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, OH
Manuela Garcia Family Medicine Texas Tech University — El Paso, TX
Sarthak Garg Family Medicine University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix, AZ
Karuna Gausper Pediatrics University of California-Irvine Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Orange County — Orange, CA
Nina Govalla Psychiatry University of Arizona College of Medicine — Tucson, AZ
Jacob Gowan Surgery-Preliminary Orlando Health — Orlando, FL
Naseem Hamidi Internal Medicine Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Namara Haq Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation University of Rochester Strong Memorial — Rochester, NY
Vishnu Harikumar Transitional Year HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Brandon, FL
Dermatology University of Miami Jackson Health System — Miami, FL
Mohammed Hasan General Surgery Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Saqib Hassan Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/TriStar — Nashville, TN
Nikhil Havaldar Urology University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Sarah Jacob Internal Medicine Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Jonathan Jalali Internal Medicine Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Madeline Johnson Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Radiology-Diagnostic University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Ethan Johnston Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Nila Jones Internal Medicine Kettering Health Network — Kettering, OH
Andrew Jozwiakowski Family Medicine Central Iowa Health System Allen Hospital — Waterloo, IA
Ankit B. Kadakia Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Texas Medical School — Houston, TX
Ophthalmology University of Texas Health Science Center — Houston, TX
Sharika Kaula Surgery-Preliminary Loyola University Medical Center — Maywood, IL
Raga Kilaru Pediatrics Phoenix Children’s Hospital — Phoenix, AZ
Juan Kim Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Connor King General Surgery University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Sunita Kolareth Family Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Rachana Kombathula Internal Medicine University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center — Memphis, TN
Komal Kumar Obstetrics and Gynecology Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Meghana Kumar General Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Rebecca Kurian Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/Kansas City — Overland Park, KS
Sree Lanka Internal Medicine Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Alex Luke Neurology University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Shafaa Mansoor Neurology University of Texas Medical School — Houston, TX
Thomas Mathews Internal Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Adiba Maisha Matin Emergency Medicine Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Shrushti Mehta Pediatrics Case Western/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center — Cleveland, OH
Vishal Mittal Emergency Medicine Cook County Health and Hospitals System — Chicago, IL
Adrianna Morse Internal Medicine Providence Health-St. Vincent — Portland, OR
Nina Muddasani Anesthesiology University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics — Iowa City, IA
Faith Mueller Obstetrics and Gynecology Zucker School of Medicine-Northwell North Shore Hospital/Long Island Jewish Medical Center — Great Neck, NY
Varsha Muthukumar Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Isabella S. Nair General Surgery University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Saja Necibi Psychiatry University of Missouri-Kansas City/Center for Behavioral Medicine — Kansas City, MO
Brian Nwokeji Psychiatry Tulane University School of Medicine — New Orleans, LA
Ginikachukwu Osude
 Family Medicine University of Texas at Austin-Dell Medical School — Austin, TX
Naleen Patel Emergency Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Prarthana Patel Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Jacob Perera Transitional Year Mercy Hospital St. Louis — St. Louis, MO
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Ethan Peterson Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Brandon, FL
Shirene Philipose Internal Medicine University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
John (Tony) Phillips Family Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Deanne Pisarkiewicz Psychiatry Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services — Grand Rapids, MI
Amudha Porchezhian Family Medicine Ventura County Medical Center — Ventura, CA
Akhil Pulumati Internal Medicine Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, IL
Rose Puthumana Internal Medicine University of Miami Jackson Health System — Miami, FL
Rawan Rajab Internal Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Karishma Raju Internal Medicine Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis, IN
Hussain Rao Internal Medicine-Preliminary New York Medical College-Metropolitan Hospital Center — New York, NY
Ophthalmology New York Medical College — Valhalla, NY
Lyna Rehan Anesthesiology University of Kansas School of Medicine — Kansas City, KS
Kavelin Rumalla Neurological Surgery Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center — Phoenix, AZ
Abdullah Said Plastic Surgery (Integrated) Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Alisha Shah Anesthesiology University of Florida College of Medicine Shands Hospital — Gainesville, FL
Binoy Shah Internal Medicine University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine — Reno, NV
Koral Shah Internal Medicine Barnes-Jewish Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Kunal Sutaria Internal Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine Shands Hospital — Gainesville, FL
Darya Tajfiroozeh Pediatrics Loma Linda University — Loma Linda, CA
Nicole Tamer Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Radiology-Diagnostic University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Shveta Thakkar Internal Medicine Rush University Medical Center — Chicago, IL
Rashmi Thimmapuram Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, TX
Siddhant Thukral Surgery-Preliminary Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Interventional Radiology (Integrated) Duke University Medical Center — Durham, NC
Catherine Tran Child Neurology Children’s Mercy Hospital — Kansas City, MO
Taylor Tran Obstetrics and Gynecology University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Maggie Urschler Pediatrics St. Louis Children’s Hospital — St. Louis, MO
Debra Wekesa Internal Medicine University of Nebraska Medical Center — Omaha, NE
Sarah Wells Emergency Medicine University of Texas Southwestern Medical School — Dallas, TX
Brandon Wesche Internal Medicine/Pediatrics University of Minnesota Medical School — Minneapolis, MN
Andrew Williams Internal Medicine-Preliminary University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO
Neurology Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education — Rochester, MN
Claire Wolber Family Medicine University Hospitals — Columbia, MO
Alex Wu Internal Medicine HCA Healthcare/University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine — Oak Hill, FL
Kara Zweerink Emergency Medicine University of Missouri-Kansas City — Kansas City, MO

 

SOM’s Angela Nwankwo serving national leadership role with SNMA

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Third-year medical student Angela Nwankwo has been selected to a national leadership position with the Student National Medical. She is serving as co-chair of organization’s national publications committee.

She took on her new role earlier this year during a virtual meeting of the annual SNMA Medical Education Conference. The educational and networking event is the nation’s largest gathering of underrepresented minority medical students and professionals.

Nwankwo has previously participated in the SNMA’ s National Future Leadership Fellow program. She has served as vice president of the School of Medicine’s group chapter. She has been secretary of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interest Group and a student representative on the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and the Council on Evaluation.

She serves a clinic manager for the school’s student-run Sojourner Health Clinic and the Kansas City Free Eye Clinic.

SNMA is the national oldest and largest student-run organization that focuses on the needs of medical students of color. With chapters across the country, it has a membership of more than 7,000 medical and pre-medical students and physicians.

In place of KC Marathon, Million Mile Challenge makes every mile count with free and discounted entries for SOM

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The Garmin Kansas City Marathon is not alone in canceling its fall event because of the coronavirus, but its organizers are challenging runners and supporters in a new way.

UMKC School of Medicine and its hospital affiliate Truman Medical Centers are gold sponsors of the MILLION MILE CHALLENGE, KC Marathon’s running alternative for 2020. School of Medicine has 10 FREE entries available on a first-come, first-served basis, and all UMKC students, staff and faculty who register can receive a discounted entry fee.

“It was a tough call, but canceling the race was best for the safety of race participants, partners, staff and volunteers,” said Dave Borchardt, director of corporate and community relationships at the Kansas City Sports Commission, the non-profit organization that organizes the Garmin Kansas City Marathon. “Now, we are excited about the Million Mile Challenge and encouraged by the interest it’s received.”

The Million Mile Challenge is a fun and engaging way to support your local community while staying fit through training and running. Between now and Oct. 17, participants can track and log miles anytime and anywhere they walk or run, both as they train and complete their race miles (5k, 10K, half marathon or full marathon). The goal is to reach one million cumulative miles among all registered in the challenge, with key mileage benchmarks celebrated with randomly selected gift winners announced along the way.

The event concludes with a two-day, drive-through Finishers Fest Oct. 16-17 with fun photo opportunities, sponsor booths and other activities. There, participants can pick up their participant items in person, including a race-branded shirt, finisher’s medal, commemorative race bib and finisher’s certificate, Million Mile Challenger finisher item and the ultimate KC swag bag. Registrants may also have their race packets mailed directly to them (additional fees apply).

If interested in a FREE entry, contact Lisa Mallow (lmallow@umkc.edu). Registration is open through Oct. 15, and the cost is $40. UMKC students, staff and faculty save 10 percent when using the discount code UMKCMED10.

To sign up and start logging your miles today, click here.

UMKC’s Som Singh invited to present research on sports injuries at international conference

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Med student Som Singh, left, is helping lead a study group that monitors injuries to U.S. rugby players. He is pictured with Dr. Victor Lopez Jr., Dr. Alex Metoxen (UMKC Orthopedic Surgery Resident), Dr. Sean Bonnani (UMKC Orthopedic Surgery Resident), and Chizitam Ibezim (2020 UMKC medical school graduate).

Like many young, aspiring athletes, Som Singh saw his football career end early with an injury during high school. Yet, his love for sports never waned. Now, it could be taking the fourth-year UMKC medical student to the European College of Sports Science in Spain next fall to present as lead author of a research project on rugby player injuries.

His work is part of a project affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and the Rugby Research and Injury Prevention Group (RRIPG) that has been monitoring U.S. Rugby Club-Sevens player injuries and performance.

“The culture of sports has always had an impact on me and I wanted to stay around sports,” Singh said.

When he first came to the School of Medicine, Singh used what free time he had to help as a volunteer assistant football coach at a local high school. While coaching, he realized the hunger to be connected to sports still burned.

“Coaching players was cool, teaching, talking to the players,” Singh said. “That aspect of teaching sports was unique and it led me to seek out other things I could do to combine sports and medicine.”

About a year ago, a national rugby tournament came to Kansas City. Dr. Victor Lopez Jr., founder and executive director of the RRIPG in New York, arrived as well to study the players on the field, monitoring their injuries and the effects on their performance. Lopez was also looking for medical students and residents to help with his project. A UMKC orthopaedic surgery resident who knew both Lopez and Singh introduced the two.

Singh began working on the sidelines in the medical tents and soon became the assistant national study coordinator for the group, attending countless rugby matches and collecting injury data.

His report, which was based on a five-year analysis of medical costs related to player injuries sustained in U.S. Rugby-Sevens regional tournaments, caught the eye of the European College of Sports Sciences.

He said his findings could serve as a profile of the financial impact that sports injuries have on both men and women players. Much like the National Football League has done in developing its concussion protocols, Singh said his data could also serve as a tool for national U.S. Rugby-Sevens to improve player welfare and safety.

“It is a growing collision sport,” Singh said of rugby.

Singh also is co-author of two other group abstracts that were selected for presentation at the international conference in Seville, Spain – assuming limitations brought by the novel coronavirus are lifted and allow the conference to take place.

In addition to Lopez, the project has Singh working closely with Dr. Richard Ma, Gregory L. and Ann L. Hummel Distinguished Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery Missouri Orthopaedic Institute at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Dr. Answorth Allen, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and team doctor for the NBA’s New York Knicks.

Singh said he doesn’t plan to let up on his injury prevention research with the group anytime soon.

“We have plenty of studies coming up,” he said. “I’m booked for the next couple of years. We’re continuing to grow and understand more about sports injuries.”