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May 14, 2024

Medical School Celebrates Class of 2024 as Newest Alumni!

The Robert Wood Johnson Medical School community is proud to welcome the Class of 2024 as physicians! The 160 graduates celebrated the end of their medical journey during Convocation last night at the State Theatre New Jersey, in downtown New Brunswick.

The class was welcomed and congratulated by Amy P. Murtha, MD, dean, and Brian L. Strom, MD, MPH, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences.

Reflecting that the graduates entered medical school at the height of the pandemic, during lock-downs and remote learning, Dean Murtha noted, "Because of your pandemic entrance, you have become highly adaptive and resilient. You have made lifelong friends despite barriers to connection. You persevered through isolation. That 'adapt and overcome' spirit will serve you well for a lifetime."

Convocation speaker Roberto Muñiz, president and CEO of Parker Health Group (pictured with Sonia Garcia Laumbach, MD, assistant dean for student affairs), shared his inspiring journey and how three caring healthcare professionals changed his life, urging the graduating class to take action when they are in a position to help others.

"As doctors, you will have the power to mend broken bodies, to heal the sick, and to save lives. There is another dimension of your profession that often goes unnoticed: You will also have the power to change lives. ... My humble request to you is this -- when an opportunity presents itself, take action. Even a small gesture can transform someone's future, and have a ripple effect you cannot even imagine, as it did for me," Muñiz said. "You are the leaders of tomorrow. You will develop new medical procedures. You will launch new innovations in technology. You will make groundbreaking discoveries in medical research. You will save lives. As I stand here before you on this most important day, I want you to remember that changing a life is just as meaningful and impactful as saving one. I encourage you to go out there, and do just that."

John Avendano, president of the Class 2024, provided the student address prior to Senior Associate Dean for Education and Academic Affairs Carol A. Terregino, MD's presentation of the graduates for hooding.

Replacing the traditional Hippocratic Oath this year was the recitation of the RWJMS Physician's Oath, created by members of the Class of 2024 for the ceremony and as a gift to future classes. Siobhan A. Corbett, MD, associate professor of surgery, led the students in the first recitation of this new oath. And, the medical school offered a special tribute to the alumni of our first graduating class of MDs -- the Class of 1974, several of whom were on hand to welcome our latest graduates with a personalized gift from the medical school's Alumni Association.

Three faculty members were presented with awards during the Convocation ceremony as well:

• Excellence in Research Award -- Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, associate director for translational science, section chief of Molecular Oncology, and Omar Boraie Chair in Genomic Science at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the medical school
• Excellence in Teaching Award -- Brad Kamitaki, MD, assistant professor of neurology, and Shilpa Pai, MD, assistant dean for student affairs, who also serve as the co-directors of the Health Equity Thread for our medical students

Please join us in congratulating this newest group of physicians and medical school alumni, the Class of 2024! View highlights of the evening's festivities in this brief video.

If you missed the event, or want to relive the ceremony, you can watch the recording of the live broadcast here. Check out our social media sites for additional photos and video highlights from the event!

Class of 2024 Celebrates Great Times

The medical school's Class of 2024 celebrated in style this past weekend with a semiformal Graduation Banquet, held May 11 at the Heldrich Hotel in New Brunswick.

Kicked off with a special awards presentation (see article below), the evening was a chance for the soon-to-be-graduates to kick back, relax, and celebrate the accomplishments of their years at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, with dinner, dancing and a video remembrance created by members of the graduating class.

Thanks for the fun, and the great memories! View a slideshow of images here. And be sure to stay tuned for a video recap of the evening's festivities.

Students, Faculty Honored during Annual Excellence Awards Presentation

More than two dozen members of our graduating class were honored during this year's Graduation Banquet for their academic excellence, leadership, community service and humanism.

The presentation began with the Stanley S. Bergen Medal of Excellence, awarded to Krystle I. Vera (pictured right). Named in honor of the 1971-1998 president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (now part of Rutgers Health), the medal celebrates exceptional scholarly achievements across the biomedical sciences.

The 2024 Alumni Award, presented by the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Alumni Association, went to Kevin Wang. This award is given to the student who best demonstrates the high ideals of the medical profession, maintains the highest standards of personal integrity, and has made a significant contribution to the medical school class; awardees are chosen by their classmates for this honor.

A full list of this year's awards and recipients can be viewed here.

In addition to the student academic excellence awards, the graduating class presented Excellence in Teaching awards to the following faculty members: Lily Bayat, MD, MPH, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences; Deborah Kim, MD, assistant professor of medicine; Glenmarie Matthews, MD, MBA, assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences; and Igor Rybinnik, MD, associate professor of radiology.

The event also acknowledged students who were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Gold Humanism Honor Society, as well as the Rutgers Health/RWJBarnabas Health Rising Stars.

Congratulations to all the awardees on their achievements!

Kevin Wang was chosen by the Class of 2024 as this year's Alumni Award recipient.

Michael Enich was selected for this year's Community Service Award.

This year's recipients of the Glasgow-Rubin Certificates of Commendation for Academic Achievement, presented by the American Medical Women's Association to women who graduate in the top 10% of their class, celebrate with Student Affairs assistant deans, Daniel J. Mehan Jr., PhD; Shilpa Pai, MD; Sonia Garcia Laumbach, MD; and Charletta Ayers, MD, MPH, assistant dean for multicultural affairs.

PharmD/MD Program Marks 10th Anniversary

The medical school and Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy are marking 10 years of our dual degree program in pharmacy and medicine (PharmD/MD).

So far, this rigorous course of study has produced 21 graduates who have completed or are participating in medical residencies across the United States.

"This program has been a springboard for amazing professional growth opportunities in clinical care, service to the community, research and innovation during and after medical school," said Carol A. Terregino, MD, senior associate dean for education and academic affairs.

Producing leaders in the health care professions is the goal, she added.

Learn more in this Rutgers Today feature.

'Dr. Mom': Rutgers Shares Stories of Med Student Mothers

With graduation -- and Mother's Day! -- just days away, Rutgers Today shared on Friday the stories of some upcoming graduates who had also been balancing their medical school studies with the challenges of motherhood, including our very own Nnenna Ukenna-Izuwa.

Dr. Ukenna-Izuwa, a member of the Class of 2024, is among the 5% of U.S. medical students who also are parents.

"These graduating students bring the same strengths to parenting that they have brought to their medical studies: the ability to multitask at a high level, a strong affinity for nurturing and caring for life, and an always helpful sense of humor and resilience," Carol A. Terregino, MD, senior associate dean for education and academic affairs, told Rutgers Today.

Read the full article here.

The American Urological Association's (AUA) Young Urologists Committee awarded Sammy Elsamra, MD, associate professor and section chief of General Urology, the Young Urologist of the Year for the AUA's New York Section.

Dr. Elsamra, who also serves as director of Robotic Surgical Services at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, is passionate about robotic urologic surgery and recently completed his 1,000th robotic procedure!

In its award announcement, AUA praised Dr. Elsamra for his immense dedication to promoting, developing and educating fellow early-career urologists and trainees. He previously served as the New York Section representative to the AUA Young Urologists Committee, where he was chair from 2021-2022, leading the committee in its efforts to develop young urologists. He also has organized a number of hands-on training courses regionally for New Jersey-area program residents, as well as nationally through directing and proctoring courses as the AUA Annual Meeting. In addition, he developed a statewide Intern Boot Camp for New Jersey residents and spearheaded a national AUA virtual intern boot camp, "Gearing Up for Residency." A faculty/course director for the AUA Fundamentals of Urology Intern Academy and faculty for curriculum from the Society of Endourology and the Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons, he has given more than 60 lectures and presentations and published 60 peer-reviewed publications, as well as numerous written and video abstracts, review articles and book chapters.

Congratulations, Dr. Elsamra, on this recognition!

Medical student Anna Dos Santos, who just completed her M1 year, is a 2024 Clinical Awardee in the American Society for Radiation Oncology's ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship Awards. This program introduces medical students to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education. Launched in 2010, this awards program has grown into ASTRO's premier research and training program for medical students from groups underrepresented in medicine.

Anna's project will focus on "Correlating Genetic Mutations Found on Next-Generation Sequencing with Tumor Recurrence Following Radiation," under the mentorship of Matthew Deek, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology at the medical school and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Dr. Deek is the recipient of one of the inaugural ASTRO-BCRF Medical Student Fellowships Mentor Awards, which recognize the impact ASTRO members and quality mentors have on students' professional development and pursuit of radiation oncology careers.

Congratulations to you both!

RWJMS Makes a Splash at NJAFP Conference

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School was front and center at this year's Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians in Atlantic City this month.

A particular highlight of the event was the recognition of Jennifer Amico, MD, associate professor of family medicine and community health, who was selected as NJAFP's Family Physician of the Year for her work in education, advocacy, and service for women's reproductive freedom.

Several members of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health will represent the association as board members:

• Sara B. Leonard, MD, incoming faculty in the department's Parker Health Geriatrics Division, was inaugurated as president of the 4,000-member statewide organization.
• Zeeshan Khan, MD, associate professor of family medicine and community health, was elected as secretary.
• Zachary Bloom, DO, a family medicine resident at Rutgers' CentraState Medical Center residency program, was elected as a resident member of the board.
• Karen Wei-Ru Lin, MD, professor and associate dean for global health, was re-elected to the board.
• Maria Ciminelli, MD, associate professor and vice chair, was elected as speaker of the house for the NJAFP Congress of Delegates.

In addition, two student e-board leaders from the Family Medicine Interest Group were elected to be student board members: Paolo Abiad and Phillip Glaessner (pictured above with Dr. Lin). Class of 2024 alumni Michael Enich and Drym Oh previously served as student board members.

Faculty and students also presented at the event, including Jeffrey P. Levine, MD, MPH, professor and current NJAFP board of trustee member, who provided a workshop on Nexplanon Clinical Training; Anna Sliwowska, MD, whose workshop focused on Gender-Affirming Care in Primary Care; Dr. Leonard, who discussed "Working Together: Improving Early Diagnosis and Management of Alzheimer's Disease in Primary Care"; and Dr. Khan, who discussed "Striking a Balance: Understanding Pain Management and Opioids." Third-year medical students Affan Aamir, PharmD, RPh, and Afra Guia Antoi Trinidad presented a poster entitled "How Project ECHO Enhances Clinical Care in a Student-Run Free Clinic."

We also would like to wish a hearty congratulations to our family medicine residents, who came in second at this year's NJAFP Resident Knowledge Bowl!

Dr. Karen Wei-Ru Lin (center), pictured with third-year students Afra Guia Antoi Trinidad and Affran Aamir during their poster presentation.

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health faculty and residents celebrate the second-place Resident Knowledge Bowl win.

Dr. Jennifer Amico (pictured holding the award) celebrates her 2024 Family Physician of the Year recognition with (l-r) Dr. Alfred F. Tallia, department chair; Dr. Maria Ciminelli; Dr. Anna Sliwowska; Dr. David Swee, former department chair; Dr. Jeffrey Levine, who nominated Dr. Amico for the award; and Dr. Karen Wei-Ru Lin.

Anil Nanda, MD, MPH, professor and Peter W. Carmel, MD, Endowed Chair of Neurological Surgery, was named the inaugural editor-in-chief of the WFNS Journal, the official journal of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. "This journal will be a true global vehicle for publishing high-impact articles of interest to all neurosurgeons," Dr. Nanda said. The publication began soliciting articles this year.

In addition to this appointment, Dr. Nanda recently assumed the role of vice president of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. Learn more here.

Congratulations, Dr. Nanda!

Two Robert Wood Johnson Medical School students have been named to the 2024-2025 editorial board of in-Training, an online peer-reviewed publication specifically for medical students. Congratulations to Marissa Millwater, who was named one of the editors-in-chief, and Sabeen Rokerya, who was named a managing editor of the digital publication. Founded in 2012 by two Albany Medical College students, in-Training features content exclusively contributed by medical students worldwide, with an editorial board consisting entirely of volunteer medical students. Class of 2024 alumna Jennifer Geller also served as a member of the most recent editorial board.

Congratulations to you all!

Rutgers University Libraries named Tony Nguyen as associate university librarian for Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences/Rutgers Health. He most recently served as the executive director of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. In announcing Nguyen's appointment, Rutgers University Libraries noted the new opportunities it will have as the university's two medical schools integrate into Rutgers School of Medicine. Learn more here.

Join us in welcoming him to this new position!

We're counting down the final weeks to a new and improved Robert Wood Johnson Medical School website!

Look for a more modern design, faster site exploration, and a whole new way to attract learners, faculty, staff, patients, and our community.

Training is now being offered for departmental content managers. If you have a new content manager or need more training or clarification for your current one, please email Beth Salamon, director of communications and public affairs, at es753@rutgers.edu.

This Week is National Hospital Week!

Join us in celebrating our hospital and health system partners, including our principal clinical affiliate, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. Thanks to all members of the hospital health care team who care for us and our communities!

Be sure to share your thanks on social media with the hashtag #WeAreHealthCare from May 12-18. And, if you're participating in the hospital festivities, be sure to share your photos with us and the hospital team!

Is There a Doctor in the House? Is There a Doctor on Board?

Wednesday, May 15, 8 - 9 a.m.

Children's Health Grand Rounds will feature Steven M. Selbst, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of Graduate Medical Education at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and attending physician in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Nemours Children's Hospital, Philadelphia. For virtual access, please contact, Ashley Henriquez.

Interstitial Lung Disease in 2024: Where Do We Stand with Diagnosis and Therapy?

Wednesday, May 15, 8 - 9 a.m.

The Department of Medicine's Grand Rounds Annual Joseph and Suzanne Seidemann Lecture in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine will feature Fernando J. Martinez, MD, MS, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College. It will be held in hybrid format in the Clinical Academic Building, Room 1302, and via Zoom (Meeting ID: 956 7735 1891; password: 683636). For more information, please contact Debra Claybrook.

INAUGURAL VIRTUAL SPECIAL CME EVENT:

A Collaborative Approach to Oral Health and Medicine

Thursday, June 13, 1 - 2 p.m.

The Rutgers Center for Continuing and Outreach Education, in conjunction with the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (RSDM), will feature Annie Truss, MD, instructor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; and Ioanna Tsolaki, DDS, assistant professor and assistant director of periodontics, and Kenneth Markowitz, DDS, associate professor and director of oral biology, RSDM. This fully virtual special and complimentary symposium requires advance registration via this link. For more information, contact Patrick Dwyer or Elizabeth Ward at ccoe@rbhs.rutgers.edu.

For more information on upcoming CME events, contact Paul F. Weber, MD, RPh, MBA, associate dean, Continuing Medical Education.

MEDICAL EDUCATION RESEARCH SERIES

Clinical Academic Building, Room 3403/3404

Light refreshments will be served

Exploring Qualitative Data  

Wednesday, May 15 at 5 p.m.

Hanin Rashid, PhD, associate director, Office for Advancing Learning, Teaching, and Assessment (ALTA) and assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, Cognitive Skills Program

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube, and X (Twitter)

and tag #rwjms in your posts!

Neuropathy very common, but underdiagnosed, study says -- Ashley Weng, MD -- UPI

Adopting These 4 Habits Might Add Up to 5 Years to Your Life, Study Finds -- Alfred F. Tallia, MD, MPH -- Prevention

Oral microbiome 'has the potential' to be a noninvasive biomarker for gastric cancer -- Shruthi Reddy Perati, MD -- Healio Gastroenterology

Oral Rinse Might Alert Doctors to Stomach Cancers -- Shruthi Reddy Perati, MD -- The Central Virginian, Fort Bend Herald, KPVI-TV, WFMZ-TV, Plain Dealer, and multiple media outlets

A novel multi-task machine learning classifier for rare disease patterning using cardiac strain imaging data -- Partho P. Sengupta, MD, and Navenna Yanamala, PhD -- Scientific Reports

How Some Common Medications Can Make People More Vulnerable to Heat -- Soko Setoguchi, MD, DrPH -- Scientific American

The residents of N.J. deserve nothing less than quality health care | Opinion -- Denise V. Rodgers, MD -- Mosaic

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