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Volume 1 - Number 3 - Winter
2002
We hope that you'll enjoy these quick
highlights from the MCV Campus. Please forward
this newsletter to friends who might like to learn more
about the School of Medicine! In this issue...
 Medical School Applications on the Rise
As this year's
pool of prospective students increases – for the first
time in four years – so does the anxiety level among
applicants. The total national numbers are up slightly
with over 32,000 applications in the national data base;
a four percent increase had been predicted, but final
figures will not be available until after Dec. 15. Our
own school has seen an even greater increase: so far,
we've received 3,874 applications – an upswing of 11.6
percent. Everyone wants to know why numbers are
on the rise, and theories abound – including linking
graduate school applications to the economy. Our Office
of Admissions prefers the lighthearted view that renewed
interest in medicine on TV is really what drives the
applicant pool! Maybe they all just love NBC-TV's
Scrubs.
 Sniper Victim Treated at MCV Hospitals
When the D.C-area
sniper struck in Ashland, Va., the victim was rushed to
MCV Hospitals' Level I Trauma Center. Rao Ivatury, M.D.,
directed the series of five surgeries that saved the
man's life. Regarded as a pioneer of today's
"damage-control" technique of doing trauma surgery in
stages, Dr. Ivatury and his trauma center colleagues
were interviewed for a feature
on National Public Radio about how they approached
the treatment of the sniper victim, who has since been
released from the hospital.
Brachytherapy for Breast
Cancer
Massey
Cancer Center physicians helped develop brachytherapy
for breast cancer patients, which "enables radiation
treatments to be completed within five days, as opposed
to the standard six weeks," says radiation oncologist
Douglas Arthur, M.D. He hopes that the advance will
combat the findings from a recent NCI study that found
that time and convenience are the primary reasons many
women don't receive recommended radiation following
tumor removal. Read
more about the approach.
Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming
CME offerings
The
Women in Medicine and Science Pathways to Leadership
Conference: Preparing to Lead, now in its 11th year,
promotes professional development through enhancement of
leadership skills. To be held Feb. 21 in Richmond, the
conference offers up to 5.5 hours in AMA category 1
credit and Type 1 or Type 2 CME credits required by the
Virginia Board of Medicine. Last year, the conference
attracted more than 350 participants from 15 states and
the District of Columbia.
Women's Health
2003: Clinical Insights for the Practitioner will be
held April 11-13 in Williamsburg. Offering up to 16.75
hours in AMA category 1 credit and Type 1 or Type 2 CME
credits required by the Virginia Board of Medicine, the
conference provides updates on a broad range of topics
relevant to women's health. Begun just three years ago,
the event has evolved into a premier regional
conference, last year selling out with more than 400
attendees.
Learn more about these and other CME
offerings that are available through the medical
school's Office
of Continuing Medical Education.
 Chemistry Professor Honored with Nobel
Prize
Professor
John B. Fenn, Ph.D., is one of three recipients of this
year's Nobel Prize in chemistry. He was honored for his
invention of electrospray ionization, a pioneering
technique in the field of mass spectrometry. An
important advance for the field of medicine, the
technique is used in chemistry labs around the world to
rapidly and simply reveal what proteins a sample
contains, contributing to the development of new
pharmaceuticals. Link to news about Dr.
Fenn's research, an account of a celebratory
press conference, or his acceptance
of the prize, including audio and video clips.
National Fertility Study Sparked by Medical
School Researcher
Endocrinology and Metabolism Chief John Nestler,
M.D., serves as co-principal investigator on a clinical
trial underway at 13 medical centers across the country
that aims to discover which treatment holds the most
promise for pregnancy among women suffering from
polycystic ovary syndrome, the leading cause of female
infertility in the U.S. Dr. Nestler's team is one of the
foremost research groups investigating the disorder's
connection to insulin resistance and the role that
diabetes drugs can play in its treatment. Read about the
clinical
trial.
Missing Molecules Could Hold Key to Reduced
Immunity in the Aged
It's commonly accepted that our immune system
slowly loses its ability to fight disease and sickness
as we age. It's less clear, however, which cellular
changes in the body cause the aging immune system to
make fewer, less-potent antibodies to fight viruses and
diseases. A team of immunologists has discovered a
decline in the numbers of a critical molecule on the
surface of follicular dendritic cells in older
individuals and linked that shortage to immune
deficiency. The finding is an important step in
unlocking the secrets of the immune system, particularly
in the aged. Read about the
discovery.
Higher Education Bond Bill Passes - Medical
School Benefits
In November, Virginians approved $846 million in
bond funds for higher education in the commonwealth. A
vital issue for the School of Medicine, the passage of
this referendum will provide more than $40 million
toward projects in the School of Medicine, including
construction of a Medical Sciences Building that will
house instructional and research space, an addition to
the Massey Cancer Center that will provide
state-of-the-art clinical research labs, and much-needed
Sanger Hall renovations.
 "Alumni College Abroad" - Adventure to
Normandy - July 21 - 29, 2003
Join Dean of Medicine Dr. Dickie
Newsome and his wife, Jerome, as they host their second
trip for alumni and friends of the medical school. Next
summer's destination is Normandy, France. Our
seven-night, eight-day adventure will begin in the
ancient town of Lisieux. Day excursions will include
Monet's home and studio at Giverny, Mont-St. Michel,
Omaha Beach to walk in the footsteps of Allied heroes,
and more. The all-inclusive price for this trip is
$2,395 per person. For a complete brochure, please call
the School of Medicine at (800) 332-8813 and ask for
Erin Lucero. And for a sneak preview, visit the Alumni
Association's Travel
Program Web page.
Dr. Wyndham Bolling Blanton Jr.
Honored
By
gubernatorial proclamation, Nov. 15 will forever be Dr.
Wyndham Bolling Blanton Jr. Day in Virginia, recognizing
the numerous community and civic contributions made by
the School of Medicine's 1950 alum and long-time faculty
member who served as rector on the university's Board of
Visitors from 1969 to 1980. Dr. Percy Wootton, M'57, a
former member of the university's Board of Visitors,
said "Dr. Blanton is the epitome of a Virginia gentleman
and physician, an unsung Virginian." Read more about Dr.
Blanton and see pictures from the proclamation
ceremony.
Request for Veterans'
Stories
For an
upcoming story, the editor of The Scarab -- the
MCV Campus alumni magazine -- would like to hear from
alums who were involved in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and
Desert Storm who saw how wartime experiences influenced
medical practice and/or our School of Medicine. Please
send an email describing your experiences to MedAlum@vcu.edu.
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This year the medical
school will be asked to absorb millions of dollars from
state budget cuts. Your dollar is becoming increasingly
precious to us. Learn about how your Annual
Fund gift impacts the medical school and find a link
to online giving via the university's secure site.
Video and audio clips can
be accessed with the RealOne Player plug-in. If you do
not already have this plug-in installed, click here to download
your free copy.
Remember to Mark Your Calendars for Reunion Weekend
- April 25-27 - for class years ending in '3s and '8s,
beginning in 1953
For More Information:
School of
Medicine
MCV Alumni
Association
MCV
Foundation
VCU
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