Informal Rounds - Alabama Medical Alumni

Five leading physicians added
a new accolade to their career
accomplishments during the
annual awards luncheon:
Distinguished Service Award
For superior accomplishments and
contributions to the School of Medicine
Edward E. Partridge Jr., M.D. ’73
Hettie Butler Terry Community
Service Award
For outstanding commitment to community
service
Christopher D. Truss, M.D. ’75
Garber Galbraith Medical-
Political Service Award
For outstanding service to the medical
profession
Philip W. Tally, M.D. ’82
Honorary Membership
For her commitment to child health
and welfare
Marsha Raulerson, M.D.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
In recognition of outstanding contributions
in the field of medicine and
demonstration of the high principles of
the medical profession
Governor Robert J. Bentley, M.D. ’68
Read more about the honorees and their
achievements in the spring/summer issue
of UAB Medicine magazine.
Informal Rounds
The Newsletter of the University of Alabama Medical Alumni Association
In its programs and presentations, the
38th Annual Medical Alumni Weekend
honored past accomplishments in health
care and offered a preview of future projects.
The event, held February 18-19 at the
Birmingham Marriott, drew alumni including
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and
Alabama’s new Medicaid
commissioner, R. Bob
Mullins Jr., M.D.
Two lectures helped
provide a fuller picture
of key medical moments.
In the 32nd
Annual Reynolds Historical
Lecture, James K.
Kirklin, M.D., holder
of the John W. Kirklin
Chair of Cardiovascular
Surgery at UAB, discussed
the history of heart transplantation
and mechanical
circulatory support. Finis E.
St. John IV, president pro-tempore of the University
of Alabama Board of Trustees, focused
on the story of Bryce Hospital and the evolution
of care for the mentally ill in Alabama in
the 19th annual Constance S. and James A.
Pittman Lecture. (View St. John’s full lecture
at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org.)
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 • SPRING 2011
Medical Alumni Weekend Highlights
Past and Future
Save the Date
Above: (left to right) Martha Pugh,
M.D. ’65; Doris Phillips, M.D. ’50;
and Jim Davis
Right: David McGiffin, M.D., resident
’83; and Arnold Diethelm, M.D.
Faculty from the UAB Department of
Surgery presented an excellent CME program
focusing on new advances in the field. The
program was put together by UAB surgery
chair Kirby Bland, M.D. ’68, and the CME
continued on next page
Medical Alumni Weekend 2012
February 3-4
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GRIFFIN
Above: (left to right)
Scotty McCallum,
M.D. ’57; Walter Gay
Pittman, M.D. ’64; Jim
Kirklin, M.D., resident
’81; and Kirby Bland,
M.D. ’68

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continued from cover
committee, which includes Alan Dimick, (Left to right) Former MAA
president Theodis Buggs,
M.D. ’58; Gerhard Boehm, M.D. ’71;
M.D. ’80, with Governor
Theodis Buggs, M.D. ’80; and Betty Ruth Robert Bentley, M.D. ’68,
Speir, M.D. ’63.
and Finis St. John IV
Senior vice president and dean Ray L.
Watts, M.D., shared his vision for the School of Medicine
with alumni and discussed the strategic plans for research,
education, and primary care, which have the potential to
impact both the school’s growth and the future of health care
around the state. Watts encouraged alumni feedback on the
plans, which he intends to unveil this summer in
partnership with the UAB Health System’s new
strategic plan for clinical care.
Alumni enjoyed plenty of opportunities to
catch up during the event. The classes of 1947,
1951, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966,
1971, 1981, 1986, 1991, and 2001 came
together for a reception and dinners to end the
weekend. Class chairs Robert Adams, M.D.; John
Ashurst, M.D.; Michael Bivins, M.D.; Kenneth
Bramlett, M.D.; Julius Dunn, M.D.; Cooper Hazelrig,
M.D.; Ron Henderson, M.D.; John McCarley, M.D.;
John Poynor, M.D.; Martha Pugh, M.D.; James Sawyer,
M.D.; Katrina Skinner, M.D.; Darlene Traffanstedt, M.D.;
and Frank Waldo, M.D., helped coordinate the reunions.
Leaders Elected
During Medical Alumni Weekend, the Medical Alumni
Association voted in new board members and reelected others:
President-Elect: Norman McGowin, M.D.
Treasurer: Alan Dimick, M.D.
House Staff Representative: Kevin B. DeAndrade, M.D.
(a PGY-3 resident and president of the House StaffCouncil)
Second District: James H. Alford, M.D.
Fourth District: Lucian Newman III, M.D.
Seventh District: Rufus C. Partlow, M.D.
At Large: J. Noble Anderson, M.D.
At Large: Jim Argires, M.D.
At Large: Norman McSwain, M.D.
Ex-Officio: J. Max Austin, M.D.
Student Representative: Riley Carpenter (class of 2013)
Student Representative: Brittany Holley
(class of 2014 vice president)
(Clockwise from center photo)
Wiley Truss, accepting the award for
his father, Christopher Truss, M.D.
’75; Philip Tally, M.D. ’82; Theodis
Buggs, M.D. ’80, and new MAA
president Gerhard A. W. Boehm,
M.D. ’71; Marsha Raulerson, M.D.;
Ed Partridge, M.D. ’73
Be Our Friend
Type in “UASOM Medical Alumni Association”
on Facebook, and you’ll discover 600 friends
representing different classes throughout the years.
You can also post photos to the group, join the
discussion on the Wall, and get updates and
information from the MAA.
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GRIFFIN

Best and Brightest
Argus Awards Honor Top Teachers and Programs
The 16th annual Argus Society Awards highlighted the best educators and
educational experiences in the School of Medicine as chosen by the
students. The February 28 event, presented by the Student Senate
and held at the Virginia Samford Theatre, carries on a tradition begun
in 1996 to honor faculty and departments exhibiting excellence
in medical training.
Equal Access Birmingham Awards
Dr. Christopher Truss Award for Service
James Taylor
Community Service Award MS-1
Anand Bosmia
Andrew Campbell
Pratik Patel
Community Service Award MS-2
Milner Owens
Patricia George
Brandy Milstead
President’s Award for Excellence
in Teaching
Joint Health Sciences
Nathaniel Robin
Clinical Sciences
Nancy Tofil
Class of 2014
Best Lecturer Awards
Intro to Clinical Medicine I: Harish
Doppalapudi
Patient, Doctor, and Society: Michael Saag
Fundamentals I: Dale Benos
Fundamentals II: Ken Waites
Web Connection Ambassador Program Links Referring Physicians
UAB Physician Services is spreading the
word about the success of its Ambassador
Program, a Web-based tool that enables referring
physicians to electronically view notes
and reports on their patients’ encounters
within the UAB Health System. According
to UAB communications specialist Christin
Brown, nearly 1,000 physicians were participating
in the program as of January 2011,
Overall Awards
Best Intro Module:
Fundamentals II
Best Intro Module
Director/Co-Director: Peter Anderson and
Ken Waites
Class of 2011
Birmingham Campus
Best Clinical Instructor: Kevin Leon
Best Clerkship: Internal Medicine
Tuscaloosa Campus
Best Clinical Instructor: Heather Taylor
Best Clerkship: Pediatrics
Huntsville Campus
Best Clinical Instructor: Parekha Yedla
Best Clerkship: Internal Medicine
Class of 2012
Best Lecturer for MS-2 Organ Modules
Reproduction: Carrie Elzie
Overall Awards
Best MS-2 Organ Module: Endocrine
Best MS-2 Organ Module Director/
Co-Director: Shawn Galin and Hussein
Abdullatif
and more than 15,500 patients had been
linked to the online portal.
The Ambassador Program’s secure site allows
physicians to view complete electronic
medical records for both inpatient and outpatient
visits, including notes, lab results,
procedure reports, and discharge sum-
The Dale J. Benos Award for Excellence in
Preclinical Medical Education: Carrie Elzie
Class of 2013
Best Lecturer Awards for MS-1 Organ
Modules
Cardiovascular: Barry Rayburn
Gastrointestinal: Brendon McGuire
Pulmonary: Kevin Leon
Renal: Ashita Tolwani
Overall Awards
Best MS-1 Organ Module: Cardiovascular
Best MS-1 Organ Module Director/
Co-Director: Barry Rayburn and Silvio
Litovsky
maries. Feedback has been positive, Brown
says. “The program eliminates the need for
the physician to request medical records
or test results after every patient encounter
at UAB.” She also notes that “Ambassador
2.0,” which will provide referring physicians
with additional resources, is in the works.
To register for the Ambassador Program, call UAB Physician Services at (205) 934-6890.
3

4
No Boundaries
Medical Student Enrichment Program Opens Doors and Minds
Becoming a physician involves
accepting challenges. For some
School of Medicine students,
however, the Medical Student
Enrichment Program (MSEP)
enables them to go thousands
of miles beyond their comfort
zone—to Latin America, Asia,
and Africa.
Supported by the Medical
Alumni Association and the Caduceus
Club, the MSEP fosters
humanitarian attitudes and crosscultural
understanding among future physicians through
international research or patient interactions. Kathleen
Nelson, M.D., senior associate dean of faculty development,
founded the summer program in 1995 to encourage
students to take an interest in underserved populations,
learn about global medicine, be resourceful, and hone their
problem-solving, observation, and communication skills.
Laura Kezar, M.D., associate dean for students and current
MSEP director, says the program provides students
with the opportunity to stretch themselves and open their
minds to learning so that they can become better doctors.
However, she says, students also should be “open to the fact
that what they get from the experience may not be what
they expected.”
MSEP participant Frank B. “Will” Williams got such a
surprise in the summer of 2008. After his first year of medical
school, he chose to go to San Jeronimo, Peru, to work in a
two-room clinic built by an American physician who was
part of a missionary organization.
“My experiences in Peru revised my perceived framework
of what it means to be a physician and what health
care means,” he says. They also shifted his perspective on
poverty. Seeing firsthand the stark reality of daily life for
people living in an underdeveloped country, Williams realized
that “telling someone to wash their hands doesn’t really
make sense if they don’t have access to clean water. The big
thing I learned is how much infrastructure issues factor
into health care and how those combine to limit people’s
opportunities for success.”
After returning from Peru, Williams enrolled in the
M.D./M.P.H. program offered by the schools of Medicine
and Public Health at UAB. He
wants to specialize in obstetrics/
gynecology “because it’s a field
where I can make a difference,”
he says. “I want to work with a
poor population and do my part
to address health inequities.”
This year, more than 20
students applied to the MSEP,
Kezar says, and about 10 to 15
will go overseas this summer. An
advisory committee of faculty
and MSEP/School of Medicine
alumni helps select students for the program and assists
them in preparing for their travels. The students decide
where they want to go and what they want to do there; the
committee reviews each overseas program and tries to make
sure it matches up well with each student.
The students spend at least four weeks out of the country,
and when they come back, “they don’t talk about what
they gave; they talk about what they got from the experience,”
Kezar says. She finds it particularly gratifying to
see so many students willing to expand their horizons in
their quest to become physicians. “Although many medical
students today have traveled extensively, we still had six students
this year who had never traveled outside the United
States, and some
who hadn’t traveled
outside the Southeast.
Those are the
students who really
have the potential
for personal growth.”
Top: Williams cares for a young Peruvian patient. Middle: A street scene
in San Jeronimo. Bottom: The clinic where Williams worked in Peru.

From Anticipation to Celebration
Match Day 2011
The class of 2011 received good news on March 17: All of the 168
graduates matched to a residency, exceeding the national average on
the most competitive Match Day ever.
More on the Match:
• 43 percent of School of Medicine students will
train in a primary care field.
• 22 percent matched in a surgical field, 6 percent
will pursue emergency medicine, and nearly 6 percent
will concentrate on obstetrics and gynecology.
• Graduates will do their residencies at 69 hospitals
in 29 states.
• 41 percent of graduates in all specialties
will remain in Alabama; 74
percent will train in the Southeast.
Showing Support
Skit Night Helps Fund Endowment
The time-honored tradition of Skit Night took on a new
twist March 4. Hosted by the School of Medicine’s Student
Senate and the class of 2013 and sponsored by the Medical
Alumni Association and the School of Medicine dean’s office,
this year’s event raised funds to help create an endowment for
Equal Access Birmingham, the nonprofit organization run by
School of Medicine students that provides free health care to
underserved patients in the Birmingham area.
Medical students provided the evening’s entertainment,
which included comedy, musical acts, dance, and more. Some
were filmed previously, but most were performed live on stage
at the historic Alabama Theater.
Experience the
excitement of
Match Day through
a video of the event
at Medicine.uab.
edu/matchday.
If you would like to help support Equal Access Birmingham,
Skit Night DVDs and T-shirts are available for sale at Medicine.
uab.edu/skitnight.
5
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL GRIFFIN

6
Class Notes
Neil E. Christopher, M.D. (1958
graduate), received Auburn University’s
Lifetime Achievement Award in March.
Four Auburn alumni are selected to
receive the award each year.
R. Bob Mullins Jr., M.D. (1968
graduate), was named Alabama
Medicaid commissioner in January. He
now oversees the agency responsible for
providing health coverage to more than
900,000 Alabamians.
Edward E. Partridge Jr., M.D. (1973
graduate, 1977 resident, 1979 fellow),
has been named president of the American
Cancer Society National Board of
Directors for 2010-2011. He also serves
as director of the UAB Comprehensive
Cancer Center and chairs the cervical
cancer screening guidelines panel for
the National Comprehesnive Cancer
Network.
Hugh W. Barrow Jr., M.D. (1974
graduate), has retired after 31 years
of ob/gyn practice in Spartanburg,
S.C., and is now a full-time whitewater
kayaker and cave diver. He has been
married to Susan for 38 years.
John E. Godwin, M.D. (1978 graduate,
1981 resident, 1982 fellow), has
been appointed to the Leukemia Steering
Committee of the National Cancer
Institute, representing community
oncologists. He is professor of internal
medicine and associate director of
clinical services at the Simmons Cancer
Institute at Southern Illinois University.
Your CME Contact
Marie E. Beckner (1980 graduate) and
her team recently published “Identification
of ATP citrate lyase as a positive
regulator of glycolytic function in glioblastomas”
in the International Journal
of Cancer.
Charles W. Rush, M.D., P.A. (1980
graduate), has been appointed to the
Board of Trustees for HCA Doctors
Hospital of Sarasota, Fla.
Peter D. Waite, M.D. (1983 graduate,
1985 resident), is editor of Alveolar
Bone Grafting Techniques for Dental
Implant Preparation and Principles of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, second
edition, volumes 1 and 2.
Georganne Wells Long, M.D. (1984
graduate), serves on the board of Paredes
Breast Imaging Foundation and the
board of St. Michael’s Episcopal School
in Richmond, Va.
Alan L. Schooley, M.D. (1997 graduate),
is the chair of the Department
of Pediatrics at the Northern Navajo
Medical Center in Shiprock, N.M. He
also serves as executive director of the
Malawi Children’s Fund, a nonprofit he
started to fund education and medical
care in Malawi. He volunteered at
Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi in 2009
and 2010.
Christopher R. Duggar, M.D. (1998
graduate), was named chief of staff
for 2009-2010 at Jackson Hospital in
Montgomery, Ala.
Julia Boothe, M.D. (2002 graduate),
has been appointed director of the Tuscaloosa
Experience in Rural Medicine
at the School of Medicine’s Tuscaloosa
campus. She also is president of the
medical staff at Pickens County Medical
Center.
MEMORIALS
William Mayberry Hinson, M.D.
(1959 resident), of Selma, Ala., Oct.
18, 2010
Harry Goodgame Collins, M.D.
(1961 graduate), of Jemison, Ala., Oct.
28, 2010
Frances Lester Smith, M.D. (1974
graduate, 1977 resident), of New
Orleans, La., Feb. 11, 2011
ALABAMAMEDICALALUMNI.ORG
Visit the MAA’s official Web site to access an online alumni directory, pay
dues, learn about upcoming events, make award nominations, and sign
up for the electronic version of Informal Rounds.
The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners has increased the continuing medical education requirement for physicians and
physician assistants licensed in Alabama to 25 AMA PRA Category 1 credits or equivalent annually. The UAB Division
of CME can help you fulfill your professional development needs with education activities that fit your budget and schedule.
To learn more, visit the division’s Alabama Practice-Based CME Network Web site at www.alabamacme.uab.edu.

Meet the President
GERHARD A. W. BOEHM, M.D.
Gerhard A. W. Boehm, M.D., has always
believed that the School of Medicine is one
of the nation’s best. Now the newly elected
president of the Medical Alumni Association
is eager to share that sentiment during
his two-year term.
“I will vigorously promote the interests
of the school,” Boehm says. “It’s a true resource
in the Southeast. Many people don’t
realize that UAB receives NIH funding.
Some neighboring states don’t have that.”
Boehm also looks forward to working
with senior vice president and School of
Medicine dean Ray Watts, M.D. “He is
an inspiration and a really positive person,”
Boehm says. “I share his enthusiasm
and his goals, such as promoting areas of
strength for the school.”
Rather than coming in with a new
agenda, Boehm intends to support the
Medical Alumni Association’s existing priorities
and current goals. “We already have
many fine programs supporting students in
the medical school,” he says. He also plans
“to increase membership and get people
involved.”
Boehm, an Alabama native, originally
went to college with plans to become a lawyer.
However, “I found it difficult to write
good papers,” he says. He also preferred
interacting with people and working with
his hands, which led him to join the School
of Medicine’s class of 1971.
“When I graduated from Duke, the
medical school in my home state was one
of the premier schools in the country, with
names like Champ Lyons, John Kirklin,
and Tinsley Harrison,” Boehm says. “The
faculty drew me back to Alabama.”
The challenge and diversity of surgery led
him into that field, and Boehm moved to
Mobile in 1976 to teach surgery at the University
of South Alabama College of Medicine
and to open his own practice. “It’s hard,
coming to a new town with
a funny-sounding name,” he
says. “It takes a while to get
a practice going.” Today, he
continues to balance roles
in academic and clinical
medicine, teaching students
and residents at the college while performing
endocrine and breast surgery in private
practice.
Boehm enjoys spending time with his
wife, Linda, his three children, and his
three grandchildren. He also likes hunting
and being outdoors. “I take an annual trip
From the President
Fellow alumni,
to England with a group
of friends,” he says. This
year, “we’re going to
North Yorkshire. We
usually stay for a week at
the start of the pheasant
season,” spending some
time in the field and equal time in the city,
seeing the sights.
He has no plans to retire anytime soon,
however. “I enjoy surgery,” says Boehm,
who is marking 40 years since he received
his medical degree. “It doesn’t feel like
work. It’s very fulfilling.”
This year’s Medical Alumni Weekend was a great success in more ways than one. The
event showcased the positive impact that School of Medicine alumni have made—and
continue to make—on our state and nation. For me, it was an exciting beginning to my
presidency and a reminder of the legacy that we must uphold.
I am proud to be serving as president and am eager to work with each of you as we
come together to support medical students. I also want to thank Dr. Theodis Buggs for
his leadership of the Medical Alumni Association over the past two years. His accomplishments
have laid the foundation for continued growth.
I look forward to a continued partnership between the MAA and School of Medicine
dean Ray Watts, M.D. One new avenue of collaboration is an exciting new opportunity to
help deserving students: the MAA/Dean of Medicine Scholarship Fund. Dean Watts has
offered to provide matching support for gifts to the MAA that are designated for School
of Medicine scholarships. The combined fund will provide annual awards for students
demonstrating solid academic promise. I hope that you will consider contributing to the
fund and help strengthen the MAA’s commitment to students. To learn more, contact the
MAA office at (205) 934-4463.
Please be sure to take a moment and renew your MAA membership, either with the
form included in this newsletter or online at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org. Your
dues provide key resources for MAA programs and, in turn, the medical students who
will become our future medical leaders.
Let us hear from you. The board, staff, and I are ready to listen to your ideas and
feedback.
Best regards,
Gerhard A. W. Boehm, M.D. ’71
President
7

University of Alabama
MEDICAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
MAB
1530 3RD AVE S • 811 20th Street South
BIRMINGHAM AL 35294-2140
(205) 934-4463 Fax: (205) 975-7299
www.alabamamedicalalumni.org
2011 Membership
ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP: $100
(Current Interns and Residents: $10)
SILVER MEMBERSHIP: $250
GOLD MEMBERSHIP: $500
PLATINUM MEMBERSHIP: $1,000
Contributions are tax-deductible. Your total
contribution determines your membership level.
Visit www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org for
information on membership levels.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 1256
BIRMINGHAM, AL
Complete and return by mail or fax to the address/number listed at the bottom of
this page. You may also contribute online at www.AlabamaMedicalAlumni.org.
2011 dues $________
Contribution for maintenance of the Medical Alumni Building $ ___________
Contribution to The Jimmy Beard Medical Alumni Scholarship $ ___________
Contribution to the Medical Student Assistance Fund $________
Contribution to the Medical Alumni Association/Dean of Medicine
Scholarship Fund $________
Contribution to the Medical Alumni Association
Endowment (Perpetuity) Fund $________
(This fund has been established to ensure the financial future of the Medical
Alumni Association.)
Total $________
For contributions by credit card: MasterCard Visa Discover AmEx
Name as it appears on card _________________________________________
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