WWAMI Faculty Newsletter
News & Information from the University of Washington School of Medicine
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A Message from Dr. Suzanne Allen
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Happy New Year and thank you for the time and energy you give to educate and inspire the physicians of the future. Everyone at the UW School of Medicine is grateful to you.
While our first-year students continue their academic studies, our second-year students throughout WWAMI have enjoyed Foundations Celebrations to welcome the clinical training part of their medical school experience. To get an idea of what the White Coat Ceremony is like, take a look at this short video about the White Coat Ceremony in Seattle.
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It's hard to imagine that Match Day is approaching so swiftly — this year on Friday, March 17. It’s an exciting time for the students who are nearing graduation, and for many of us it’s a time to reflect on our own Match experiences and how our paths into medicine brought us to where we are today. I hope those are fond memories for you as they are for me.
In other news:
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day: All WWAMI campuses acknowledged and celebrated Dr. King’s legacy in different ways. As you’ll read below, the UW Medicine Office of Healthcare Equity and all UW Health Sciences schools celebrated with awards and a website that explores justice for all.
Mourning a loss, celebrating a life: You may have already heard that the world lost a great educator recently. Dan Graney, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Biological Structure, will always be remembered for his passion for education. He received so many teaching awards, Dan was officially declared a Teacher Superior in Perpetuity, and UW retired him from competing for further awards!
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Dan was known in many ways — as a dedicated educator who taught human anatomy, neuroanatomy, histology and embryology, as director of the Willed Body Program and as a leader of the American Association for Clinical Anatomists (AACA).
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U.S. News rankings: You may have heard that UWSOM and many other medical schools across the country have withdrawn from the U.S. News & World Report ‘Best Graduate Schools’ ranking process. This might catch you by surprise since we’ve been consistently rated No. 1 in many categories, over many years. Medical schools throughout the nation share our concerns that U.S. News rankings no longer measure what we feel are the most important aspects of medical school. UWSOM will work with other schools across the country to find a new way to provide information to prospective students and other stakeholders.
Below, you'll find a messaged drafted by myself and Tim Dellit, M.D., interim CEO of UW Medicine and interim Dean of UWSOM. We told students that this decision has no effect on their education. And we reiterated that our school remains committed to training future physicians who will go on to provide excellent care in their communities throughout the WWAMI region. Let’s tell the story of that.
In conclusion, I was re-reading my message to you from last year and was reminded how COVID was still so much on our minds. Of course, it still is. The pandemic and everything associated with it have added complexity to our personal and professional lives. Thank you so much for persevering on behalf of our students and your communities. I hope you enjoy a happy conclusion to winter and the start of a warm spring.
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Suzanne Allen, M.D., M.P.H.
Vice Dean for Academic, Rural & Regional Affairs
University of Washington School of Medicine
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In this Newsletter
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- Announcements
- Advancement & Alumni Relations
- Awards
- Opportunities to grow as an educator
- From the Center for Learning and Innovation in Medical Education (CLIME)
- From Continuing Medical Education (CME)
- From Faculty Affairs
- Learning Environment Committee
- WWAMI Roundup
- Important Links
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Announcements
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UW School of Medicine commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day through website and awards
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“Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.” That’s the title of a vibrant new website from the UW Medicine Office of Healthcare Equity and UW Health Sciences that honors the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrates community and the people who serve those in need.
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You’ll find music, photographs, quotes and other forms of inspiration on the page. Each of the UW Health Sciences schools honors someone who is serving others.
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Despite a rich history, UW struggles to enroll Black medical students
UW Magazine offers a deep look into what's going on with enrollment at UW School of Medicine (UWSOM) and other medical schools around the nation. The article begins with UWSOM alums Rayburn Lewis, M.D., and John Vassall, M.D. and their experiences in the mid-1970s. The article continues,
Their careers as doctors, teachers, administrators and leaders over the past 45 years have afforded them a broad view of Seattle’s health care community. They’ve seen how the contributions of Black physicians helped make Seattle one of the most advanced medical communities in the country, and they’ve seen how, over decades, Black physicians served people from all cultures, backgrounds and levels of economic need.
“Our advocacy at the local, regional and national levels, and the changes we’ve advocated for in patient safety have measurably improved outcomes for all patients,” says Dr. Vassall.
Still, more than four decades later, they see the same low numbers of Black medical students and continued disparities in health care for the Seattle area’s Black residents...And today’s lack of doctors with the cultural competency to understand the experiences, challenges and medical needs of Black patients is a national concern.
The article includes comments from Paula Houston, Ed.D., Chief Equity Officer and Vice President for Medical Affairs at UW Medicine and Bessie Young, M.D., Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for UW Medicine’s Office of Health Care Equity
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Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Deanship created at UWSOM
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A historic endowed deanship will honor retired Dean Paul G. Ramsey, M.D., with leadership gifts from Steve and Connie Ballmer and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Each donated $10 million to advance research discoveries, train medical leaders and further excellence and equity in healthcare. The $20 million in philanthropic support makes this the largest, publicly announced medical school deanship in the country.
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Dr. Ramsey served as CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine from 1997 to 2022.
“We are deeply grateful to Steve and Connie Ballmer and the Gates family for their visionary investment in the UW School of Medicine,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “Through this endowment, future School of Medicine deans will have valuable resources to help improve health for everyone, here in our community and around the world.”
“Dr. Ramsey has been an extraordinary leader, a trusted physician, a dedicated mentor, and a cherished friend. We are pleased to be able to honor Paul’s contributions to advancing health equity in our community in this way,” said Bill Gates.
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Dr. Paul G. Ramsey retired this past summer after 25 years of service as CEO of UW Medicine and dean of UWSOM.
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The endowment will provide a stable source of funding to advance the mission, goals and reputation of the UW School of Medicine, including research projects, medical education and student support programs and initiatives that further excellence and equity in healthcare. Several generous families in the region have made additional philanthropic commitments to the deanship.
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Candidates sought for Native American Health professorship
The Department of Family Medicine is eager to find candidates for the Native American Health Endowed Professorship. This associate professor or professor will spend time focused on research, patient care, and/or healthcare education that will help improve healthcare delivery for Native American and Alaskan Native communities across the region and the country. Time would also be devoted to a combination of clinical practice, teaching, and/or research, depending on expertise, interests, and funding availability.
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NameCoach tool offers help with name pronunciation
How names are pronounced is important. Research shows that correct name pronunciation helps people feel respected and included. Research also shows that our brains “light up” when we hear our name, while mispronunciation can lead to feelings of isolation and alienation.
Since 2020, the School of Medicine has been using NameCoach as a tool for you to create an audio recording of your name, pronunciation text and pronouns. The recording can then be accessed by other students, faculty and staff. This has been used primarily by students in the Foundations Phase using the NameCoach tab in each Canvas course.
Recently, the team created a new Canvas course where all students, including those in clerkships, can go to manage their NameCoach information. In addition to being available to students, faculty and staff who use Canvas, this information is regularly updated in eValue for use by clerkship administrators and faculty.
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If you're interested in the topic of name pronunciation and why it's important, the Department of Family Medicine posted a great story about the subject that quotes several physicians.
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Advancement & Alumni Relations
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You're invited to the next "Inside Admissions" webinar on Feb. 28
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You and the aspiring medical student(s) in your community are invited to join LeeAnna Muzquiz, M.D., Associate Dean for Admissions, for an information session about the UW School of Medicine’s admissions process.
RSVP by Feb. 21, 2023,
for the two-hour online presentation, which will be held Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. AK, 5 p.m. PT and 6 p.m. MT. Dr. Muzquiz will share her perspective on the experience and personal qualities that the admissions committee looks for in applicants. There will be time for questions, and you can also submit your questions in advance on the registration page. Please submit your questions to Dr. Muzquiz by Feb. 21.
Zoom instructions for joining the presentation will be sent to you in advance. This event is open to all, so please help spread the word!
If you have questions about the event or would like more information, contact medalum@uw.edu or 206.685.1875.
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Meet our new Director of Alumni Affairs for UWSOM
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Name: Piper Reynolds
Title: UWSOM Director of Alumni Affairs
Why did you come to UW? I have long dreamed of working at the UW and hoped to find a position that would enable me to continue collaborating with healthcare providers, an aspect of my previous job that I greatly valued and appreciated. So the director of alumni affairs role is a dream come true.
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What were you doing before this? I come to UWSOM with 15 years of nonprofit experience, having served as the director for physician and healthcare provider engagement with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I cultivated relationships with physicians and healthcare providers across the western United States, coordinated continuing medical education programs, facilitated professional volunteer committees and created mentorship opportunities for students interested in the field of neurology.
What are you most looking forward to in this role? I have personally seen and felt the transformative power of a community that comes together behind a strong and inspiring mission. By working together as a united community, I am certain we can realize our mission of creating a robust and thriving network of alumni, faculty and students who connect with one another and support each other and their UW School of Medicine through advocacy, volunteerism and celebration.
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Engage with alumni!
If you come across people who are alumni who want to engage, we’d love to connect with them. We’ve drafted this short blurb you can use with others to encourage students/alumni to reach out to us:
Your UW School of Medicine Alumni Association is the place to connect with your classmates, your school and the next generation of medical professionals. Learn here how you can get involved and make a lasting impact on future leaders in healthcare.
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Awards
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The UW School of Medicine is fortunate to include many talented and award-winning leaders and faculty. Congratulations to the most recent award recipients! We urge you to read more about award winners here. If you know of other award winners, let us know
so we can applaud them here.
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Nicole Meissner, M.D. (Montana)
Montana WWAMI lead for Infections & Immunity; Cancer, Hormones, & Blood; and the Pathology thread
Montana WWAMI Excellence in Teaching Award
E-21 student cohort
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Cat Pittack, Ph.D. (Seattle)
Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Biological Structure
Outstanding Lecturer Award
E-21 Seattle student cohort
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Jeffrey Seegmiller, Ed.D. (Idaho)
Assistant Dean Foundations Phase, Idaho WWAMI
Powerlist - Healthcare
Idaho Business Review
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Kurt Weaver, Ph.D. (Seattle)
Associate Professor, Radiology
Outstanding Lecturer Award
E-21 Seattle student cohort
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Opportunities to Grow as an Educator
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From the Center for Learning and Innovation in Medical Education (CLIME):
Conversation Cafés
Join us for our upcoming “CLIME Conversation Cafés!”
“Student-Led Small Groups” with Charlie Charman, M.D., Paula Silha, M.D., and Mike Stephens, M.D., Spokane Foundations Educators on Friday, Feb. 24, starting at noon AK, 1 p.m. PT and 2 p.m. MT via Zoom. RSVP here.
Grand Rounds
Join us for our upcoming “CLIME Grand Rounds!”
“The Learning Environment is Key for Equitable Assessment” with Justin Bullock, M.D., M.P.H., on Friday, March 3, starting at noon AK, 1 p.m. PT and 2 p.m. MT via Zoom. RSVP here.
“How Competency-Based Education is Changing Training Everywhere” with Jason Frank, M.D., on Tuesday, March 28, starting at 8 a.m. AK, 9 a.m. PT, 10 a.m. MT via Zoom. RSVP here.
Clinical Teaching Certificate
CLIME offers a certificate program designed to help teachers maximize learning in the clinical environment. Those who teach students, residents, or fellows while providing clinical care will benefit. All educators are welcome to join any sessions. The next session is Friday, March 17, 2023. Sign up here. Learn more about our program faculty, goals, and outcomes by reading
our 2021-2022 Executive Summary here.
Small grants awards program
CLIME is pleased to announce a funding opportunity for UW faculty interested in pursuing education scholarship. A total of $20,000 is available for funding. Apply here by March 31, 2023.
CLIME Clip:
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This CLIME Clip! was collaboratively developed by CLIME with UW Department of Emergency Medicine educators Alex Garrett, M.D., and Max Griffith, M.D. Interested in developing a CLIME Clip? Reach out to CLIME@uw.edu.
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More Opportunities: Continuing Medical Education
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CME offerings are coming up
Spring is on the way! Join UW Continuing Medical Education for
opportunities that fit your needs. UW CME has live webinars, hybrid, and fully in-person sessions scheduled for the upcoming spring. You can enjoy accredited education from the comfort of your home or visit CME in person while networking with your peers. If you do not see a conference applicable or in the best learning format for you, join the mailing list to stay current on all upcoming offerings.
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More Opportunities: Faculty Affairs
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Spring faculty leadership development series workshops: Conflict and communication
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Walking Through Conflict: Mindsets and Skills of an Everyday Leader
March 20, 2023 | Noon AK, 1 p.m. PT, 2 p.m. MT | Zoom
This workshop provides tools and strategies for working through interpersonal conflicts in the workplace with colleagues. Learn about your own personal approach to conflict and communication, and set ground rules and intentions for difficult conversations with others. This session will be interactive. Attendees will prepare for a conflict dialogue, practice the conflict management skills with a dialogue case, and apply the skills learned in the session.
This workshop is led by Sara Kim, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement, and Trish Kritek, M.D., Ed.M., Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Medicine.
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Strategies for Effective Communication
May 15, 2023 | Noon AK, 1 p.m. PT, 2 p.m. MT | Zoom
This session will focus on strategies to enhance effective communication in a variety of different venues. Whether it is being a member of a team, giving performance related feedback, or simply sharing your observations and concerns with a colleague or patient, learning (or reinforcing) the tools for having these challenging conversations is useful for all of us. Attending this session will allow you to gain additional skill and confidence in having difficult conversations by:
- Understanding the role of fundamental attribution error
- Learning a set of core dialogue skills
- Creating a plan to apply these skills to specific challenges
This workshop is led by Anne Browning, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Well-Being, and Trish Kritek, M.D., Ed.M., Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Medicine.
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Learning Environment Committee
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WWAMI PRO awards honor professionalism
WWAMI Pro is a medical student-driven recognition program, created to empower students to honor professionalism in the University of Washington School of Medicine community. UW medical students can recognize any individual who contributes to a positive, respectful, and supportive learning environment. The WWAMI Pro Awards program is administered by the Committee for Continuous Professionalism Improvement (CPI).
The UW School of Medicine is committed to the promotion of professionalism throughout our community. To support this, CPI was created in 2007 and charged with overseeing and promoting professionalism throughout the medical school and at all teaching sites.
WWAMI Pro Honorees, September - December 2022
- Patricia Andrea dela Cruz, M.D., Ph.D., Seattle, WA
- Winter Forsyth, medical student, Seattle, WA *(2)
- Sarah Gibbs, medical student, Cataldo, ID
- Armita Norouzi, medical student, Seattle, WA
- Kim O'Connor, M.D., Seattle, WA
- Nadia Popovici, medical student, Seattle, WA
- Bella Stokes, medical student, Seattle, WA
- Jacob Tadje, medical student, Eagle, ID
- Richard Tu, medical student, Seattle, WA
- Carson Walker, medical student, Laramie, WY
*Denotes the number of awards the honoree received for this recognition period.
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WWAMI Roundup
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Students honor Service Learning Program Manager
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The Seattle-based E-21 cohort presented the Medical Student Association Outstanding Staff Award to Leonora Clarke, UWSOM Service Learning Manager.
Students spoke of her patience, expertise, commitment, and willingness to find creative solutions. MSA leaders said:
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"She attends regular activity meetings, reduces barriers for students, and always refocuses efforts on the community needs. Several other students noted her dedication both to students and to the communities we serve. ...Without her integral work in our community, we would not be as connected to those around us or as confident in our ability to make a difference through service. She is always willing to offer advice, a listening ear, and energetic support."
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Western Washington update: Students are going strong
An update from Devin Sawyer, M.D., Assistant Clinical Dean, Western Washington WWAMI and Stacey Erdahl, Administrator of Program Operations: "The Olympia Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) is going strong with our smart and energetic core of six, as seen from left to right above: Jesse Tonkinson, Sarah Lee, Amanda Lee, Sophia Elias (via phone), Hailey Briseno and Neilla Dorvall.
As they approach the end of their time in Olympia, their focus shifts to planning their Explore and Focus time and applications to residency. Favorite moments with this group have been our impromptu conversations about their plans for their future. Seeing them grow as future physicians and figure out where they belong in the profession has been such a privilege.
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Recording of Next Generation Medicine webinar about diabetes is available
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It’s estimated that more than 34 million people in the U.S. live with some form of diabetes, and more than 7 million have not yet been diagnosed. Roughly 90 million U.S. adults have prediabetes, and every year 1.5 million more Americans receive a diagnosis.
In January, the UW-GU Health Partnership presented the latest Next Generation Medicine webinar, "What You Need to Know about Diabetes." You would be very welcome to refer people to this informative video about Diabetes Type 1 and Type 2.
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Among those speaking: diabetes expert Irl Hirsch, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Diabetes Treatment and Teaching Chair, UWSOM. Inland Northwest experts and panelists include Carol Wysham, M.D., Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Specialist at MultiCare Rockwood Clinics and Anneke Van Slote, ARNP, BC-ADM, Diabetes Management Nurse Practitioner at Providence Health Care.
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Sponsors of the presentation included Inland Northwest Behavioral Health, MultiCare, Providence Health Care, Spokane County Medical Society, Spokane Regional Health District and UW Population Health Initiative.
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Montana State University has awarded a Pure Gold honor to Kayla Ouert, Program Manager for the WWAMI Medical Education Program at MSU Bozeman (Gold is one of MSU's colors).
People who nominated Ouert for the award, including Martin Teintze, Ph.D., Director of the program, wrote:
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"Kayla has been doing an extraordinary job as WWAMI Program Manager. She is incredibly efficient and talented. As the only staff member here, she has to wear many hats: managing the students' enrollments at two universities, scheduling, faculty appointments, budgeting, payroll, classroom IT support, and so much more."
"Not only is she instrumental in the day-to-day operations of Montana WWAMI and ensures that a complicated program with many moving parts runs seamlessly, she provides academic and curriculum advising, helps coordinate the many extracurricular activities the students are involved in, and is always available for sound advice and reassurance during the many stressful events and exams throughout medical school."
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How about this for a headline: "The physician who saved my life is now my medical school mentor"
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A medical student who'd been badly hurt at age 16 in a car accident will be mentored this summer by the physician who helped to save her life.
Koessl is from Glasgow, Montana, a town of just under 5,000 people. After the accident, Koessl was rushed to the town's small clinic. It was evident they were not equipped to care for her injuries. Kevin Ross, M.D., the ER provider that day, stabilized her injuries and arranged for Koessl to be air-lifted from Glasgow to Billings.
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“Without [the Billings] physicians, I probably wouldn’t have made it,” she said. “After that experience, I knew I wanted to be a person that could help others."
The accident changed her life dramatically. It solidified her mission to serve a greater purpose for her community and Koessl started down the path to becoming a physician.
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Most people do not have the chance to thank the physician that saved their life, let alone be mentored by them. Koessl considers herself lucky to be working with Dr. Ross as he starts his new position as the Glasgow Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST) site preceptor.
Later this year, Dr. Ross and Koessl will reunite (under much better circumstances) as she continues a portion of her medical education in Glasgow as a TRUST Scholar. And in what could have been a great post just talking about herself, Koessl makes a point in the article to remind Montana students that they can learn medicine at home, for home:
"Montana WWAMI prepares students to become well-rounded physicians who can thrive in rural settings."
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Got news?
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Ideas for this newsletter are welcome
If you have content that you'd like to share in our next Faculty Newsletter, please email uwsomcom@uw.edu. We'd love to hear from you, and don't forget pictures and video if you have them. The deadline for our next issue is tentatively March 15, 2023.
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Important Links
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