UVA School of Medicine

47th Annual Meeting T hanks to everyone who attended our 47th Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, Feb. 22-24. More than 150 alumni, faculty, current and former housestaff, students and their families enjoyed a winter weekend getaway featuring social events, a Continuing Medical Education (CME) seminar, student and housestaff poster exhibit, and a MedConnect networking session for physicians and students. One of the highlights of the meeting was the CME session. Mary Kate Worden, PhD, associate professor of medical education and neuroscience, led participants in a team-based learning (TBL) exercise focused on the diagnosis, pathophysiology and management of patients with mild traumatic brain injury. TBL was one of the first new active learning techniques the UVA School of Medicine decided to implement when it initiated the NextGen Curriculum in the fall of 2010. Meeting participants enjoyed the exercise, which gave them insight into today's student experience. The CME session continued with a discussion on the UVA Health System's Clinical Strategy. Dean Steven T. DeKosky, MD, explained that the strategic plan is focusing new resources primarily on three Clinical Centers of Excellence in Cancer, Cardiovascular Medicine and Neurosciences. Center of Excellence leaders Gilbert Upchurch, Jr., MD, interim director for the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence, and 2 Vitals Spring 2013 Margaret Shupnik, PhD, Cancer Center of Excellence representative and senior associate dean for research, shared highlights on their areas and how the new resources are being used to enhance clinical investigation. Dean DeKosky gave the Neuroscience Center of Excellence overview and opened up a discussion with the audience on the clinical strategy. The weekend concluded with the Mac Roy Gasque, MD, Memorial Reception and Black Tie Gala. Elizabeth A. Carr, MD '88, presented the Outstanding Research Poster Award to MSTP student Eve Privman for her poster on the detection of neurotransmitter release and uptake in adult drosophila, using fruit flies. The Outstanding Alumnus Award was presented to our first-ever female recipient, Mary Witt, MD, '78, for her many years of service and dedication to the school and alumni association. Board President Dearing Johns, MD '77, gave the Medical Alumni Association and Medical School Foundation Year in Review, highlighting the many accomplishments of the organization, and Dean DeKosky provided updates on recent successes of the UVA School of Medicine and Health System. We're already making plans for next year, so save the date and plan to join us for our 48th Annual Meeting at The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., Feb. 20-21, 2014.

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