Dear colleague: 

I am writing this message as usual on a Sunday afternoon, but this time, it’s at the conclusion of the nicest weekend I may have ever had – other than the ones that featured marriages in our family. The Bow Tie Balldrew nearly 1,000 people who braved awful weather to the downtown Marriott. This third big gala in this century to benefit the School of Medicine was a terrific opportunity to highlight the School, our students and faculty and raised a significant amount of money for our School. Since we began planning this event last year, and because I thought that my successor might already be in place, the event also commemorated a few of my milestones over the past 24 years. I had a lot of emails this morning from folks who missed the event because of the weather, other family events or they tried to get tickets after the event sold out. There were two videos shown during the evening which will be posted for those who may have missed it. Matt Iseman, MD, who completed his residency here, was the emcee for the evening and he did a really good job. The Dogs in the Yard and the Arapahoe Philharmonic Quartet performed and, as always, were wonderful. Thanks to all who made it a memorable evening.

Nichole Zehnder, MD, assistant dean for admissions, reported last week that we had 7,000 applicants for the class of 184 MD students who will matriculate at the School of Medicine next summer. That’s a 5 percent increase in applications from the previous year. That’s a remarkable number of applicants and a reminder that maintaining our commitment to academic excellence is a virtuous cycle.

Each year the Colorado Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program Office at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus hosts a health screening booth at the National Western Stock Show in January. The program expects to offer more than 3,000 health screenings during this year’s stock show, which runs from Jan. 10-25, 2015. AHEC needs 350 volunteers to cover all days and shifts. All faculty, staff and students are welcome. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get hands-on practice in administering health screenings and education and you get to go to the stock show to boot. For more information and to register as a volunteer visit the AHEC’s stock show website.

An auction of art and sculpture from Zimbabwe will be held Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Fulginiti Pavilion for Bioethics and Humanities. The auction supports the University of Zimbabwe AIDS Research Center, where faculty and staff from our Division of Infectious Diseases have consulted over the years. During the past decade, the ZATA (Zimbabwe AIDS Treatment Assistance) Project has raised more than $300,000 for AIDS medications, staffing support at the AIDS Research Center and other improvements. The artwork for the auction will be displayed in the Fulginiti’s art gallery prior to the auction. You can register to attend the auction at the ZATA Project website. 

Congratulations to: 

• The student team that won the top prize at the Rocky Mountain Region Public Health Case Competition on our campus last week. The teams were tasked with developing solutions to emerging public health issues related to unintended pediatric exposure to marijuana edibles and prevention of marijuana use among teens. The students on the team won $750 scholarships per student and an all-expense paid trip to Emory University to the Global Public Health Case Competition next March. The students on the team are Emily Berry, Meagan Cain, Laura Fischer and Maria Ulloa from the Colorado School of Public Health, Chevaun Hammer from the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Sally Peach from the School of Medicine. 
• Stuart Linas, MD, professor of medicine and chief of nephrology at Denver Health Medical Center, who  received the Robert G. Nairns Award at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) annual meeting in Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 15. Stuart was recognized for his leadership in the fight against kidney disease during ASN’s Kidney Week 2014. 
• Roberta Capp, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine, who received the Herbert W. Nickens Faculty Fellowship award at last week’s meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The award recognizes an outstanding junior faculty member who has demonstrated leadership in the United States in addressing inequities in medical education and health care, demonstrated efforts to address the educational, societal and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities and is committed to a career in academic medicine. 

The Foundations of Doctoring Curriculum (FDC) is seeking applicants for the associate director for physical exam position. This 25 percent position requires a faculty appointment and a doctoral-level degree. The position develops and administers physical exam curriculum for first- and second-year medical students and will be responsible for integrating that curriculum with the overall FDC. Interested applicants should submit a letter of interest and CV by Friday, Nov. 21, to Tina Roquemore, FDC Coordinator.

I also must pass along some sad news. Marion Downs died last Thursday. Marion became the School of Medicine’s first director of audiology in 1959 and was a distinguished professor emerita. Family and friends are planning a memorial service and I will pass along the details when they are available. 

Have a good (and warmer) week,

Richard D. Krugman, MD
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine

"What’s Going On Here" is an email news bulletin from Richard Krugman, MD, Dean of the CU School of Medicine, that is distributed to inform University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty members about issues pertaining to the School’s mission of education, research, clinical care and community service. See the UCH-Insider →

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