Med School Minute April 2024
Executive Leadership
Gary Beck Dallaghan has joined CI MED as our new Assistant Dean for Accreditation. He comes from the University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine where he currently serves as the Assistant Dean for Evaluation and Assessment. He is also a professor of medical education with educational research and scholarship interests in curriculum development, evaluation/assessment, statistics, and qualitative analysis. He previously held roles in medical education at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Beck Dallaghan is also active with the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs regionally and nationally. He begins his new duties on June 3, 2024.
Accreditation
CI MED and its Accreditation Tiger Teams continue to prepare for our limited site survey from the LCME. Here’s what’s new:
- We’ve learned who will be included on the LCME site survey team for our limited virtual visit on October 28-29.
- Many documented improvements show positive trend lines and student satisfaction is much improved in most areas.
- New student surveys are underway for the next couple of weeks. We encourage students to participate!
We’re communicating our continuous quality improvement efforts through the website and periodic emails.
- Mistreatment prevention and reporting processes are clearly explained on our Learning Environment page;
- Our new Research page provides a clear outline of the process of discovering research mentors and projects, funding, and connecting with Clinical Research Mentors and REDI mentors;
- Upgraded student spaces at Carle Forum and BroMenn are more comfortable and usable.
Research & Innovation
Two CI MED teams advanced to the finals of the Cozad New Venture Challenge, with team Auvi taking second place overall. Led by CI MED student Richie Li, along with team members Eric Moran and Szymon Kasperek, the team earned a start-up investment of $35,000 and accolades from entrepreneurs for their fistula-monitoring system to advance care of dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease. AmnioSense earned $10,000 in investment by advancing to the competition finals. Their non-invasive pH-sensitive underwear liner is designed to provide an objective and cost-effective indication of the onset of labor. AmnioSense team members include team lead Tessabella Magliochetti Cammarata, and co-founders Nellie Haug and Bhargavee Gnanasambandam. Healthcare Track Winning teams listed below:
Rural Health Innovation:
1st place and a $7,500 prize is AUVI; 2nd place and a $7,500 prize is AmnioSense; 3rd place and a $5,000 prize is Atlas Neurosurgical Navigation; 4th place and a $5,000 prize is AutoPap; 5th place and a $5,000 prize is VENA.
Sports Medicine:
1st Place with $10,000 to AMELIA; 2nd Place with $6,000 to FaMe; 3rd Place with $4,000 to Electrokare
Health Innovation Prize:
1st Place with $10,000 to CAPSLocks; 2nd Place with $7,500 to AmnioSense; 3rd Place with $5,000 to Lapsonix; 4th place with $2,500 to AUVI
About 180 people attended the 22nd Annual Health Innovation Research Day in early April. Congratulations to those who presented their work, including the following people who won awards for their poster presentations:
- Basic Science Innovation & Engineering: 1st Place-Maria Bederson (M3); 2nd Place- Jacob Prince (M2);
- Case Reports: 1st and 2nd Places - Muhammad Raheel Awan (Resident, Internal Medicine); 3rd Place- Tessabella Magliochetti Cammarata (M2);
- Clinical Research & Quality Improvement: 1st Place- Sharon Chao (M2); 2nd Place- Kathryn Tsai (M1); 3rd Place- Michael Pozin (M3);
- Humanities & Medical Education: 1st Place-Monica Bhagavan (M3); 2nd Place- Kelly Mullany (M3)
Anthony Bosshardt is presenting new research at two international conferences revealing insights into how the brain controls the swallowing process and how the process changes with age. The work is part of Health Innovation Professor Brad Sutton’s five-year NIH-Funded study aimed at improving the diagnosis and management of swallowing impairment, particularly for patients with Parkinson’s Disease or recovering from a stroke, using Sutton’s SimulScan system. Bosshardt presented a talk about the team’s work at the annual meeting of the Dysphagia Research Society in Puerto Rico in March. He will present a power pitch and a poster on the more technical aspects of the research to the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine annual conference in Singapore in May. Read more here.
Check out the new Research webpage on the CI MED website to learn more about research opportunities at CI MED and see the paths to finding research mentors and projects!
Academic Departments
BMTS:
Health Innovation Professor Brad Sutton was featured recently in Newsweek, in an article on yoga and the aging brain. Read more here.
Clinical Sciences:
The Department of Clinical Sciences welcomes the following faculty: Julius Bonello, Clinical Professor, Teaching; Tuesday Fisher, Clinical Assistant Professor; and Bethany Halloran, Clinical Assistant Professor.
The Department of Clinical Sciences has elected the following people to the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee: Richard B. Berlin Jr., TsungYen Chen, Japhia Jayasingh-Ramkumar, Zheng George Liu, Sanjay Mehta, Kendrith Rowland, Jr., and Blake Weis.
Advancement
A substantial and generous gift from University of Illinois alumnus Thomas Cycyota (LAS ’80) and his wife Cynthia Cycyota will support the work of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Center, a partnership between CI MED and The Grainger College of Engineering. The gift will establish two initiatives: the Cycyota Family Endowed Professorship in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and the Cycyota Family Endowed Student Support in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Fund. Both efforts advance the translation of the University of Illinois’ ongoing research into the use of biologics to develop new ways to treat, maintain, or restore damaged tissue or cells, including new drug delivery systems and scaffolds.
Student Affairs
Diamond Ruby Coleman has been elected to serve a two-year term as the Regional Director for Region 2 of the Student National Medical Association. In her new role, she represents SNMA members in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. As part of her duties, Coleman will serve on the SNMA policy committee. She is the immediate past president of CI MED’s chapter of the SNMA. Gregory Ridgel succeeds her as president of the CI MED chapter.
CI MED hosted 36 accepted applicants during our annual Second Look recruitment event on April 18-19. Applicants heard from college leadership, current students, and the offices of DEI and Research. They also learned about financial aid opportunities and toured CI MED facilities, including the Anatomy Lab and the Jump Simulation Center. A total of 88 accepted applicants seeking admission to the class of 2028 were invited to attend. Thanks to everyone who assisted the admissions team in ensuring a successful event.
Registration is now open for iTEAM (Innovative Teaching to Excel and Advance MedEd), an innovative partnership with the ACGME guided by the ACGME Medical Educator Competencies. This is an academic year program that explores essential components for effective teaching. The series is approved for ACCME continuing education credit. Information is available on the OFAD intranet page. Registration is open here.
All Faculty are invited to register for the Leadership Development Institute cohort that will begin 2024-2025 academic year. Each academic cohort is limited to 12 participants from Carle Illinois. The Institute is designed to develop your leadership style to promote a positive work environment, develop high-performance teams, and to contribute to innovations in health care. This is a year-long cohort-style program which includes developmental experiences, self-directed learning activities, a monthly half-day workshop sessions and a monthly optional evening leadership book club discussion. Register here
Watch your email for a Call for Nominations for CI MED Faculty Awards!
Faculty Development Events:
- CI MED Monthly FacDev Mingle: 05.08.24 Trauma Informed Care/Education with Dr. Christopher Veal at MSB 320-322 Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 12:00 PM
- Save the date! Fall Faculty Pain Symposium on September 13, 2024
- Save the date! MEdX 2025 on January 30, 2025
Diversity & Inclusion
CI MED’s DEI Newsletter highlights various observances, and awareness and heritage months for May, including Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn more about them here.
Nobel Laureate Richard Roberts visited on March 23 as part of the Communiversity Actions to Renew Engagement (C.A.R.E.) Talks. Ruby Mendenhall, Steven Bentz, Matthew De Venecia, Vivian Dixon, and other team members and partners hosted the event. Also in March, Black billionaire Michael Roberts visited campus and met with CI MED’s students, faculty, staff, and the Black Physicians of Carle. Medical student and entrepreneur, Mohamed Odeh, participated on a panel as part of the launching of the Youth DREAM Incubator™ celebrating entrepreneurship, innovation, and inventions.
Diversity Events:
- The Family Reunion BBQ - Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 4-7 pm | BNAACC (1212 W Nevada St, Urbana, IL 61801) - hosted by BNAACC and the Black Joy Project. A healing dance is planned at 5 pm.
- Nominations Open for 2024 Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Awards - The awards celebrate the achievements of faculty, academic professionals, and civic service employees who made significant contributions in creating and sustaining an inclusive living, learning, and working community at Illinois. Nominations until May 23, 2024. Learn more here.
- AAMC Webinars: Developing Diverse and Inclusive Leaders within Academic Medicine Series (IDEAS)
Community Outreach
The CI MED Chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) organized a "Doctor for a Day" event last week, allowing high school students with an interest in medicine to get a first-hand look at our facilities and ask questions of our students. Read more here.
Achievements
Nellie Haug has been chosen as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Fiddler Innovation Fellowship. The award recognizes Haug’s contributions in innovating patient-centered solutions, including co-founding CerviCare, a new at-home cervical cancer screening test. The Fiddler Innovation Fellowship comes with an award of $10,000 and a trophy. She is the third CI MED student awarded this honor (previous CI MED recipients were Ariana Barreau in 2021 and Bara Saadah in 2023). Jermaine Chambers was a finalist for the 2024 Fiddler Innovation Fellowship. MD/PhD Candidate Al Smith was a finalist for the Illinois Innovation Award from The Grainger College of Engineering. Read more here.
Rashid Bashir – Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering and part of the team that founded CI MED – has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the oldest honorary societies in the United States. He is one of 250 inductees nationwide for 2024, and one of five honorees from Illinois. His research focuses on integrating engineering and technology with biology and medicine, from the molecular scale to tissues and systems. Read more about this year’s inductees here.
Several CI MED instructors have received campus-wide awards recognizing excellence in teaching, mentoring, and instruction. BMTS faculty members Matthew Wheeler and Qian Chen are recipients of the Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. This year’s recipients of the Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, recognizing excellence among faculty, specialized faculty, and teaching assistants, include Health Innovation Professor Charee Thompson. Read more here.
Carle Illinois Spotlight
MAE VOGEL
Curriculum Content Developer
Jump Simulation Center
How long have you been at Carle Illinois, and where were you before?
I have been employed with UIUC since 2022, but recently joined CI MED in 2023 with Jump Simulation Urbana. Before entering the field of medical education, which began with a few years at Carle Foundation with the Neuroscience Institute, I was a public school teacher in the field of special education for over a decade.
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
Before transitioning from public education, I earned a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. This academic background fuels my commitment to creating memorable learning experiences for every student.
What do you like most about working at CI MED?
I enjoy seeing the students bring the medicine to life in simulation. Simulation is the student’s opportunity to apply their didactics in a safe setting while continuing to grow in confidence and competence.
What are you most looking forward to in the next few months? Professionally, I am looking forward to the opportunity to present about simulation at two different conferences this summer: Central IL Simulation Summit in June and SimOps 2024 in July. Personally, I am looking forward to going to Dollywood with my girls and husband this summer.
Human Resources
Active Searches:
- Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
- Director of Educational Assessment
- Assistant/Associate/Director/Sr. Director of Development
- Director of Student Wellness
- Registrar
- Clerkship Manager
- Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Senior Visiting XR Developer
- Office Administrator, Global Consortium
Promotions/Reclassifications and New Hires:
Kristen Allen joins CI MED as Coordinator of Student Recruiting on May 6, 2024. Kristen will be responsible for the implementation and execution of the college recruitment plan. Kristen previously taught at the Mahomet-Seymour and Rantoul school districts.
Effective May 9, 2024, Kelsey Marsh joins CI MED as Office Administrator supporting the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer (CDEIO), the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and other faculty and staff. Kelsey was previously an Office Manager at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Wellness:
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health can involve several areas, including social, emotional, and psychological well-being. This month of awareness is a great time to focus on the promotion of tools, resources, and education to us and our communities while ensuring it becomes an all-year effort. Resources available here: 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit | Illinois Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services | Illinois Counseling Services
Events
Important Upcoming Events:
- Capstone & Data Science Innovations Day - Thursday, May 2, 2024, 10 am to 3:15 pm, Medical Sciences Building, Auditorium Room 274.
- CI MED Class of 2024 Convocation Ceremony - Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Foellinger Auditorium for Ceremony. Reception to follow at the Illini Union. Join the Convocation Ceremony livestream here.
- RISE seminar with Annie Tigranyan, Medical Sciences Building (MSB) Auditorium 274, Friday, May 10, 2024, at noon. Register here to attend in person, or attend virtually.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Spring Commencement - May 11, 2024, at 9:30 am at Memorial Stadium.
- CI MED Curricular Review: Academic Affairs is conducting a formal review of the curriculum as a whole at the I Hotel on June 3 and June 10, 2024, from 5–10 pm. RSVP here by May 3.
External Events:
- Quenching Toddlers’ Thirst Healthily presented by Rand Kittani is part of the Illinois Extension’s Nurturing Foundation webinar series – May 2, 2024, at noon. Register here.
- Carle Foundation Hospital: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Multicultural Forum, on Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at noon.
- Doughnuts & Dialogue Meetup for Community-Engaged Researchers - This series aims to build and enhance the experience of community-engaged researchers across campus and provide them with the skills and resources needed to impact research in this space. May 10, 2024, from 10 AM to noon at the Siebel Center for Design East Terrace. Register by May 7.
- Avicenna Open House – May 11, 2024, from 1-2 pm. 201 West Kenyon Road, Champaign. Learn more here.
- Carle Foundation Hospital Health Equity Grand Rounds: Disrupting Bias in Healthcare - May 30, 2024, at noon - Register here.