Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Med School Minute September 2023

A Note from Dean Cohen

Executive Leadership

CI MED is hosting a 20-member faculty delegation from NYCU-Taiwan led by NYCU President Chi-Hung Lin on Tuesday, October 3. Activities will take place in the MSB Lecture Hall, beginning at 9 am with a memorandum-of-understanding signing ceremony, followed by a faculty symposium.

Academic Affairs

The 2023 CI MED Curriculum Retreat will be held at the Hilton Hotel (1501 S Neil Street, Champaign, IL) on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 4-8 pm. The retreat will have two major areas of focus: (a) our progress in addressing accreditation citations from LCME, and (b) the launch of our curriculum transformation efforts. All members of the CI MED community are welcome to attend. Please register here by 5 pm on Friday, October 6, 2023.

Research & Innovation

<b>Manuel Hernandez</b> and his team have published EEG research offering new insight into brain activity involved in maintaining balance under challenging conditions as we age. Their findings could offer new strategies for managing fall risk in older adults. Read more <a href="/news/ci-med-research-offers-new-insight-into-brain-activity-and-balance-as-we-age">here.</a>
Manuel Hernandez and his team have published EEG research offering new insight into brain activity involved in maintaining balance under challenging conditions as we age. Their findings could offer new strategies for managing fall risk in older adults. Read more here.

Research co-led by BMTS faculty member Hua Wang has demonstrated a novel two-step strategy to label and eradicate cancer stem-like cells (CSC) to improve cancer treatment prognosis. Read more here.

Research by CI MED researchers Alexa Lauinger, Carlos Brown, and Simulation team members Shandra Jamison, Athena Ryals, and Mae Vogel reveals that escape rooms hold promise as a teaching technique for undergraduate medical education. The team found increases in student satisfaction and retention with using escape rooms as a form of medical simulation in a literature review titled “The Use of Escape Room Simulations in Undergraduate Medical Education.” The researchers say the method’s long-term effectiveness remains an unanswered question. Their article has been accepted for publication in the online journal STORM, published by The Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) to highlight exemplar work contributing to the advancement of health care simulation operations.

BMTS faculty member Charee Thompson's research reveals that having an illness that is stigmatized, not well understood, or not perceived as a priority by clinicians is uniquely burdensome for many women. Thompson and her team report that these women find themselves struggling to establish both the legitimacy of their medical problems and their credibility with clinicians, family members, and friends. The team's work is featured in a recent article by the Illinois News Bureau.

Advancement

CI MED’s tailgate prior to the Illinois-Penn State football game was a big success with about 200 people, including students, faculty, staff, and families attending. Special thanks to Kari Wallace, Lynette Cravens, and Jackie Newman for their work in setting up the Saturday, September 16 event at Grange Grove. Also, thanks to Shandra Jamison, Mae Vogel, Rosalind Garcia-Tosi, and the Culture Committee for planning the ‘Get-to-Know-You Bingo’ game. We hope for another great event next year!

Student Affairs

 

The 2023 Annual Student Wellness Retreat, held on Friday, September 15, was a great success! The retreat is a way for Carle Illinois students to take a break from their studies and connect with each other. The last few years, several of our students have shared their musical talents with the group. The Wellness Retreat helps students build community and showcase their diverse interests. Congratulations again to the Yalow pod for their victory in the Pod Olympics!

Faculty Affairs

Your opportunity to take an active role in the 2nd Annual Medical Education Experience (MEdX) Conference is open now. Breakthrough to Excellence: Innovation through Synergy is our theme for the MEdX Conference on January 25, 2024, at the I Hotel & Conference Center. We’re looking for presenters with innovative approaches to how we can catalyze breakthroughs in medical education at CI MED and beyond. We’re now accepting proposals for the following session types: 20-minute Lightning Round presentations; Workshops; Roundtable/Discussion Facilitator; and Med Student Mentor Match (think speed-dating for research mentors and med students). Submit your proposal here by Monday, October 30th, and watch your email for conference registration details!

The Office of Faculty Affairs & Development and MAR COM teamed up to launch a new web page, featuring the ways in which we support our outstanding faculty. Check it out here.

Diversity & Inclusion

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month! Campaña de Salud is sponsoring a free health fair to bridge the gap in care access for people in underserved communities, including people of Latino heritage. The fair will be held on Saturday, October 28, from 11 am - 3 pm at the Martens Center (1515 N Market St, Champaign).

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2023 – Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (illinois.edu)

A news report on WAND-TV on diversity in STEM fields featured Nicole del Castillo and Jona Kerluku. Jona described the Perry Initiative chapter being launched at CI MED to encourage women to explore careers in engineering and orthopedic surgery. See the report here.

Carle Pride is hosting a vital signs booth at the 2023 CU Pride Fest from 1-5 pm on Saturday, September 30, 2023, in downtown Urbana. The group will also provide educational materials and information affirming LGBTQ+ health care in the community.

Nicole del Castillo presented a talk titled “How did we get here? A historical look at Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities,” as part of Carle Health’s Health Equity Grand Rounds series. This monthly series is tailored to health care professionals and deals with a wide range of issues around health equity and DEI.   

Achievements

Dean Cohen was the featured speaker in an online presentation on the "Applications of Mixed Reality in Clinical Collaborations and Training the Next Generation of Physicians" at the medical XR Bootcamp and Accelerator, medVR. You can access the recording here.

Ryann Monahan was selected to receive the 2023 Silver Dollar Advancement Leadership award from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. This award recognizes marketing and communications achievements in relation to front-line fundraising at UIUC. The award also recognizes excellence in embodying OVCIA’s core values of Exemplify Integrity, Practice Empathy, Embrace Collaboration, Inspire Innovation, and Enable Impact. Ryann was nominated by Paulanne Jushkevich, Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Health Sciences & Research Initiatives at Illinois.

Hyun Joon Kong has been elected Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineers (IAMBE), class of 2023.

Carle Illinois Spotlight

 

Rachel Spaide

Manager, Standardized Patient Programs

 

How long have you been at Carle Illinois, and where were you before?
I started at Carle Illinois in January 2022.  Prior to that I served as the Rehabilitation Director at a hospital in Decatur, Illinois.  I am a trained Occupational Therapist and just celebrated my 30th year working at Carle Foundation Hospital. I also enjoy teaching at Parkland College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program and hold a part-time position there.

Tell me something interesting about yourself.
My husband, Steve, and I have two kiddos.  Jacob is 21 and is studying Computer Science at Illinois State University and Ella is 13 and is an eighth grader at Mt Zion Jr. High School. When I am not working, I am usually attending or driving Ella to dance, theater, and Showchoir events.

What do you like most about working at Carle Illinois? 
We hands-down have the best group of Standardized Patients here at Carle Illinois! I thoroughly enjoy getting to know them, listening to their stories, and learning from their life experiences.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
We are taking a family vacation to Arizona in October. The Grand Canyon has been on my bucket list, and I hope to hike there this fall.

Human Resources

CI MED’s Wellbeing Committee invites you to sign up for the UIUC Minutes to Monuments physical activity wellness challenge in October. You can take part regardless of your fitness level, and registration is open until October 2, 2023. If you have questions, please contact CI MED team captain Shandra Jamison, or email the Wellbeing Committee.

Active Searches

  • Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
  • Academic Surgical Oncologist
  • Teaching Specialized Faculty (Medical Education Facilitator)
  • Director Faculty Development
  • Director of Curricular Operations
  • Director of Programmatic Assessment
  • Associate Director/Director of Development
  • Coordinator of Student Recruitment
  • Office Support Specialist, Administration

Promotions/Reclassifications and New Hires

Jackie Newman has been promoted to Associate Director of Student Success in Student Affairs. Jackie will assist the Director of Student Success with the case management of CI MED students, manage the residency application process, and sustain the career advising program.

Scott Bartlett is now the Associate Director of Student Success in Student Affairs. Scott will assist the Director of Student Success with the case management of CI MED students, manage the residency application process, and sustain the career advising program.

Events

Important upcoming events:

  • Minutes to Monuments wellness challenge registration closes – Monday, October 2, 2023.
  • CI MED and NYCU-Taiwan MOU Signing Ceremony and Faculty Workshop – Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 9 am at MSB Lecture Hall.
  • CI MED Student Awards Ceremony - Friday, October 6, 2023, at 5:30 pm at Illini Rooms A/B/C, Illini Union.
  • Academic Affairs Fall Curriculum Retreat – October 11, from 4-8 pm, at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Neil Street.
  • A Visit from the Provost – October 26, 3-4 pm. MSB Lecture Hall.
  • RISE Seminar with Kenny Zhang – Friday, October 27, 2023, at noon. Register here to attend in person, or attend Virtually via Zoom call-in.
  • Campaña de Salud Health Fair - October 28, 2023, from 11 am - 3 pm at the Martens Center (1515 N Market St, Champaign).
  • CI MED Faculty Assembly – November 1, 2023, from 5:15-7:30 pm at MSB Lecture Hall.
  • Fall 2023 Student Health Make-a-Thon – Saturday, December 2, 2023, at MSB.
  • CI MED Holiday Party – Saturday, December 9, 2023, at the I-Hotel. Save the date! Details TBA.

2024 Events:

  • Medical Education Experience (MEdX) Conference – Thursday, January 25, 2024.
  • Match Day Class of 2024 – Friday, March 15, 2024, at the I-Hotel.
  • Health Innovation Research Day – April 5, 2024, from 10 am-6 pm at the I Hotel & Conference Center.
  • CI MED Class of 2024 Convocation Ceremony - Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Foellinger Auditorium for Ceremony with Reception at the Illini Union.

External Events:

  • The Graduate College Celebrates Graduate Student Appreciation Week - October 9 - 14, 2023.
  • The IGB Core Facilities is hosting a Fall 2023 seminar series, “Lunch with the Core,” covering the instrumentation in the Core and some of the research taking place in the Core. Seminars are typically from noon to 1 pm in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Room 612 (Concourse level). See the fall schedule here.
  • 10th Year Anniversary Health Care Engineering Systems Symposium:  Celebrating a Decade of the Jump ARCHES Partnership - October 16, 2023, at the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center. Please register here to attend.
  • Carle Health Foundation Day 2023 – Thursday, November 2, 2023, from 8 am-4 pm. Register here by October 30.