Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Women in Medicine Students Weigh In
October is Breast Cancer Awareness, an annual international campaign by major breast cancer charities to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer.
As the world’s most prevalent cancer, according to the World Health Organization—it’s not uncommon to know a mother, a sister, a grandmother, aunt, or friend who has been affected by the disease.
At St. George’s University, the student organization, Women in Medicine, dedicates a month of activities toward the campaign, culminating with its annual 5K Pink Run. This year’s event on October 24 was held both in-person for those in Grenada as well as virtually—all part of an ongoing effort to enhance the quality of care for women battling reproductive cancers in Grenada. See the full photo album of the run in Grenada on SGU’s Facebook page.
Members of the Women in Medicine club recently shared what Breast Cancer Awareness Month meant to them.
Amrita Pandey, WIM co-president, School of Medicine, Term 5
“I lost my grandmother to breast cancer when I was very little. That was during a time when research and education on breast cancer was very minimal, so I believe it is important to take the time this month to educate ourselves, support those affected, and contribute to the ongoing research. As a student, my role this month is to empower the women around me to educate themselves on regular screenings, self-exams, and reducing their risks of breast cancer.”
Katie Stadheim, WIM co-president, School of Medicine, Term 4
“Over the last few weeks, it has been amazing to see our strong student body come together to support strong women impacted by breast cancer in some way. We all have a similar goal of increasing awareness and making a change, as we know simple acknowledgment is not enough.”
Taylor Schrunk, School of Medicine, Term 4
“Breast cancer awareness is very important to discuss when it comes to women’s health. By bringing awareness to the topic, we can try to educate women on the signs and symptoms to look for, which can lead to early detection of the cancer. An added benefit in bringing more voices into a discussion is the opportunity to discover new ideas regarding treatment options and possibly, in the future, a cure for breast cancer.”
Hope VanBuren, School of Medicine, Term 4
“During this month, as it is every month, it is so important that we recognize all of the strong women in the world fighting cancers and everyone working to better their treatments.”
Nicole Centazzo, School of Medicine, Term 5
“As a woman and future physician, I stand with all the women and their families that have gone through and that are still fighting against breast cancer. Let’s raise awareness on women’s health!”
Chanel Reid, School of Medicine, Term 4
“This quote says it best: ‘Communities and countries and ultimately the world are only as strong as the health of their women.’ – Michelle Obama”
Michelle Lui, School of Medicine, Term 4
“With Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I am grateful for the opportunity to co-host the Breast Exam Seminar, presented by the Women in Medicine Club, to help spread awareness and educate on the importance of breast self-exams in prevention and early detection of breast cancer with the Grenadian community.”
Emily Dale-Johnson, School of Medicine, Term 5
“One in eight women in the US will develop an invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime and, thankfully, I have not been affected by breast cancer. Yet. As women, the statistics are not in our favor and I worry about which of my family or friends will be the unlucky one. Every year, October serves as a reminder to do our screening tests, improve our overall health, and encourage other women to do the same.”
– Istra Bell and Laurie Chartorynsky
– Photos courtesy of Yuri Marryshow
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In the Community: SGU Faculty and Students Providing Crucial COVID Testing and Vaccinations in Grenada
As attempts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 continues, St. George’s University remains a trusted ally to the Government of Grenada, with several SGU faculty members and students stepping up to volunteer in the Government’s most recent initiative—hosting mobile testing and vaccination clinics throughout the island.
The team of SGU faculty volunteers was comprised of Drs. Nilo Alvarez Toledo, Sharmila Upadhya, Vivek Nuguri, Vajinder Singh, Kesava Mandalaneni, Karl Theodore, Subramanya Upadhya, Anthusia Hortance Pavion, Sheiban Shakeri, Edidiong Udoyen, Clayton Taylor, and Allister Rechea. They worked in close conjunction with the Ministry of Health’s team, including Drs. Carol McIntosh, Tyhiesia Donald, Nicole Forte, Nurse Audrey Lyons, and others, to reach out to the population in the countryside parishes of St. David, St. Patrick, St. Mark, St. John, and St. Andrew.
“As a physician, I know firsthand the importance of getting vaccinated,” said Dr. Vajinder Singh, deputy chair in the Department of Pathology at SGU. “With Grenada’s limited healthcare infrastructure and resources, I felt it was my duty to volunteer for the vaccination drive in the hopes that one day soon we can achieve ‘herd immunity.’ Our overall goal here is to reach the most remote parts of Grenada to spread awareness of the importance of getting vaccinated, and to test and vaccinate as many people as we can.”
“We are so proud of these initiatives and all of those who have been in the field to support our beloved host country with all-important testing and vaccinations,” said Dr. Charles Modica, chancellor of SGU. “The country and the citizens of Grenada have supported the University throughout our journey, every step of the way, and we’re glad to have people within our community who can lend a helping hand at this critical time.”
These mobile clinics are considered extremely beneficial in reaching the elderly and the most vulnerable on island, who by themselves would not have been able to go to the hospital or health centers to get vaccinated. The volunteers were able to administer hundreds of vaccines, provide education on the need to get vaccinated, and conduct testing for COVID-19.
“The country and the citizens of Grenada have supported the University throughout our journey, every step of the way, and we’re glad to have people within our community who can lend a helping hand at this critical time.”
“The need of the hour is to vaccinate as many people as possible against COVID-19,” stated Dr. Kesava Mandalaneni, assistant professor of neuroscience in the SOM. “As a proud Grenadian (at heart), and more importantly as a physician, I feel obligated to stand with my brothers and sisters in the healthcare fraternity, who are working tirelessly to contain the effects of COVID-19 in our communities.”
SGU Nursing Students Heed the Call to Volunteer
Also, eager to lend a helping hand were School of Arts and Sciences students in the SGU Nursing Program. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the future nurses have been volunteering at health centers across the country, providing Grenada’s healthcare professionals with much-needed assistance, a chance for a break, and camaraderie. As Grenada enters its second week of a two-week restriction of movements on weekends, the nursing students have also volunteered to work at pop-up testing and vaccination clinics in rural villages island wide.
“I choose to volunteer because I heard the call for help and I decided to answer it,” said Kayonna Jones, a second-year nursing student at SGU. “I also believe that volunteering will not only benefit me as a student in gaining hands-on experience working alongside other healthcare professionals in a pandemic, but also my hard work and commitment to educating, testing, and vaccinating will also help to ensure a safe environment for the Grenadian community.”
“The concepts of altruism and selflessness are synonymous with nursing,” said Dr. Jennifer Solomon, chair and director of the Department of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, SGU. “Many of our students have volunteered, working above and beyond to assist their colleagues, and local communities during the COVID 19 pandemic. Although students, they have the skills that are needed and, under supervision, can meaningfully contribute—giving support to their future colleagues on the front line. At SGU, we have a commitment to provide excellence in education, which in turn translates to excellence in care. I am so humbled and proud of our SGU nursing students.”
SGU and Grenada Partnership
As many countries, including Grenada grapple with the ramifications of the persistent coronavirus pandemic, St. George’s University has reaffirmed its commitment to its host country. From partnering with the Government of Grenada on managing donations to help combat COVID-19, to providing expert advice from its alumni on Grenada broadcast networks, SGU continues to be a loyal partner in helping to limit the spread of the virus.
In close collaboration with the Government, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), a research and education foundation based at SGU, one of the first diagnostic testing facilities in the Caribbean and was established at the True Blue campus. SGU’s testing site has since become a beacon of excellence for the entire region, with its diagnostic team helping to design and set up the Ministry of Health’s testing site at Grenada General Hospital, including training of lab staff and troubleshooting with initial qPCR lab testing.
Additionally, responding to the need of the General Hospital, which had just two ventilators, designed to mechanically assist patients with breathing, for the entire population of more than 100,000 people—St. George’s University utilized its international resources to facilitate the acquisition and delivery of 18 additional ventilators.
SGU also secured tens of thousands of pieces of personal protection equipment, ranging from gloves and gowns to goggles and facemasks, for medical personnel as well as members of the community. In addition, the University was able to bring in 18 combination defibrillator monitors, two handheld ultrasound machines, two portable X-ray machines, as well as blood gas analyzers and supplies.
“The people of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique are extremely resilient,” added Dr. Mandalaneni. “They have overcome many challenges in the past and will do so once again. With the help from our SGU community, we will all do our part to overcome this challenge together, so that we advance and prosper as one people and one community.”
– Ray-Donna Peters
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SGU Welcomes Inaugural April Class
Siblings Stephan and Beatrice Attilus began their medical studies together at SGU this April.
Last week, St. George’s University welcomed its inaugural April class of aspiring doctors with a virtual White Coat Ceremony. Each term, the ceremony is held for first-term students, representing an important milestone marking their entry into the medical profession.
“I want to welcome the students from the first April start for the School of Medicine,” said Dr. Charles R. Modica, chancellor of SGU. “Forty-five years after our first charter class—and in the middle of a pandemic—you’ve decided to take upon yourselves the rigorous studies to pursue a medical degree. We’re here to help you succeed in any way we can, and if you’re anything like your predecessors, I think you’ll do just fine. We’re excited to have you as the newest charter class of the University.”
The 2025 April class joined its fellow incoming students from the August 2020 and January 2021 classes from St. George’s University of Grenada School of Medicine/Northumbria University Four- and Five-Year Program and the School of Medicine, who had their White Coat Ceremonies in March. The April class welcomed students from 22 countries, including the United States, Ecuador, Canada, Argentina, India, Algeria, China, Grenada, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cuba, Guyana, Haiti, Fiji, Republic of South Korea, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, El Salvador, Ghana, Rwanda, and Ukraine.
In his welcome remarks to the latest incoming class, Dr. Marios Loukas, the dean of the School of Medicine, encouraged the medical students to strive for excellence in their pursuit of knowledge and to heed the oath they were about to pledge.
“As you don your white physician’s coats, you pledge an oath of professionalism and service,” said Dr. Loukas. “Professionalism is a commitment to integrity, altruism, competence, and ethics in the service of others. We must endeavor to honor the sacred trust and privilege society places on medical professionals—cognizant that the standard is an ideal that we must continuously aim to achieve. I welcome you to the noble profession of medicine.”
In his keynote address, Dr. G. Richard Olds, president of SGU and a tropical disease specialist, shared his knowledge and expertise about the fight against COVID-19. He focused on the history of the white coat and the place physicians held in society.
“We have an opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic to reestablish what’s important in physicians,” said Dr. Olds. “By taking on great personal risk and sometimes becoming surrogate loved ones while caring for patients, this global health crisis has shined a light on healthcare professionals on the frontlines and created a new opportunity for all healthcare workers to be appreciated by greater society.”
After sharing a touching story on what it means to be a good physician, Dr. Olds left the newest class of future doctors with a few additional words of wisdom.
“You will learn a lot of medical facts from your faculty—facts about the body and how it breaks down in disease,” he said. “You’ll learn how to diagnose difficult illnesses and how to treat them. But if you’re open to it, you’ll learn how to become a better doctor largely from your patients. So, as you don your white coat today, welcome to the noble profession of medicine.”
– Ray-Donna Peters
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SAS and SGS grads encouraged to “profoundly impact the world”
On June 12, students from 44 countries came together with family, friends, and well-wishers for their last virtual meetup and to celebrate their academic achievements at the annual School of Arts and Sciences/School of Graduate Studies commencement ceremony.
Over 420 graduates were encouraged to achieve outside the box as they start their new journey into the workplace around the world. Degrees were conferred to the SAS and SGS Class of 2021, as well as the SAS Class of 2020, which could not hold its ceremony last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a profound keynote address, Dessima Williams, ambassador for Grenada and permanent representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013, challenged SGU’s newest alumni to live a life of service and to commit to doing something special and impactful.
“Go from SGU into the world and help to transform everything that you can—make it better,” said Ambassador Williams. “You are graduating, so you must have gotten some good marks. Go now and make good marks on the world.”
Jonathan Silwanes, BSc ’20, class speaker for the SAS Class of 2020, added that success is not only about achieving your goals, but about being triumphant when faced with hardships.
“As we embark on our respective paths, there will be harder challenges to come, but as long as you persevere, you will be an unstoppable force.“
“As we celebrate our successes together today, I challenge all my fellow graduates to appreciate the journey you’ve been through, applaud yourselves for your accomplishments, and remember the adversity you’ve overcome to reach this point,” he said. “Continue to believe in yourself amidst the challenges that await you in the future. Continue your quest to your dreams and continue to succeed every day.”
Namratha Guruvaiah Sridhara, BSc ’20, class speaker for the School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2021, shared a short story that alluded to the importance of turning one’s struggles into positive learning outcomes.
“Standing here today, our perseverance and willpower to endure has proven to be stronger than any obstacle. Hence, I urge you all to remember this time, not just as a period of difficulty, but look at it as a way to see what you have achieved and what you have overcome. As we embark on our respective paths, there will be harder challenges to come, but as long as you persevere, you will be an unstoppable force.”
Samantha Antoine-Purcell, MEd ’21, class speaker for the School of Graduate Studies, thanked her predecessors for paving the way and implored her fellow classmates to think beyond the assignments and projects and step into alumni roles to pay it forward.
“Today, our graduation is not just the end of the journey,” she said. “Indeed, it is the beginning of our commitment to learning and growing, our commitment to leading lives of purpose and intent. It is our commitment to embracing that which we are—the embodiment of phenomenal thought and action. We have a responsibility to use our collective experiences to profoundly impact our world and positively do so as change agents.”
– Istra Bell
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2021 MD class overcomes obstacles on way to residency
Their journey may have been different than the classes before them, but the St. George’s University School of Medicine Class of 2021’s commitment to excellence and their future profession was very much the same.
In a virtual ceremony held on June 6, SGU conferred Doctor of Medicine degrees to graduates from 47 US states and territories, as well as 35 other countries around the world. The SOM’s newest alumni forged ahead despite hurdles and wrinkles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged on the other side with a bright future in front of them.
“With your new MD degree, you join the ranks of thousands of physicians, including our proud SGU alumni, and other healthcare workers fighting this pandemic,” said Dr. Marios Loukas, dean of the School of Medicine, in his address. “In joining this fight, you will need to call upon the same perseverance and commitment that carried you through four years of medical school.
“Go forth and do good by taking care of millions of people who will look toward your humanism in science to keep them safe and healthy,” he continued. “Remember that your positive attitude and determination have brought you this far, and life is as much about living the journey as much as it is about eventually reaching your destination.”
This summer, more than 1,080 newly minted SGU physicians will enter residency at hospitals across the US. These positions span 21 specialties, including anesthesiology, emergency medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, urology, and more.
“I’m sure many of you have been dreaming of this moment for many years, and I do hope that you’re all taking a moment to stop and reflect and celebrate your success,” said Dr. Lucy Clunes, dean of students at SGU. “As you transition from student to physician, and embark on the next phase of your career, I encourage you to reflect on the values and experiences throughout your tenure at SGU that have led to the success we are celebrating today.”
SGU is the largest source of physicians for the entire United States workforce, with more than 11,600 alumni licensed to practice in the US in 2019 according to the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Faculty members honored
Dr. Charles Modica, chancellor and co-founder of SGU, also bestowed the St. George’s University Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Stephen Weitzman, former dean of the School of Medicine, and Dr. Vishnu Rao, longtime dean of students and the current dean of university alumni affairs.
Dr. Weitzman joined SGU in 1978 as a visiting professor and remained on the faculty as a professor, chair of medicine, dean of clinical studies, and dean of the SOM.
“Dr. Weitzman really is a special person, but I think the most special thing about him is that his name is on the diplomas of more physicians in the US—having signed them—than any other person in the world,” Dr. Modica said. “He helped set up the clinical programs, he nurtured them, and he became involved with each and every student’s education through them.”
Dr. Rao started at the University at its inception, joining as a professor of anatomy before serving as the University’s Dean of Students for more than three decades. He will stay on as a member of SGU’s alumni affairs department.
“I’m so proud to be able to work with him in the future to make sure we are involved with and look after the thousands of graduates of the University, in all fields,” Dr. Modica said.
– Brett Mauser
High-Achieving SVM Students and Faculty Honored at Spring Virtual Awards Ceremony
Screen shot courtesy of SVM student Briana Kinsey.
The School of Veterinary Medicine recognized students and faculty who exhibited academic excellence, outstanding work ethic, and a strong commitment to the field during last month’s SVM Spring 2021 awards ceremony.
“Students who were named during the awards ceremony are the best of the best when it comes to exemplifying the qualities needed to become exceptional veterinarians,” said Dr. Neil Olson, dean of the SVM. “With the added challenge of learning during a global pandemic, the honorees have especially excelled, and we are so proud of their accomplishments at SGU.”
Dr. Olson, Mr. Brendon LaGrenade, SGU’s vice provost for institutional advancement, and Dr. Anne Marie Corrigan, associate dean of academics, addressed the online crowd. In addition to a wide range of traditional awards acknowledging the best students in all classes, student organizations could nominate students and faculty/staff for an award.
Two new awards were presented this semester:
- Dean Olson’s Award for Academic Excellence, given to Term 3 students with the highest GPA (as of the end of Term 2) and who embodies professionalism. The award has a combined value of $2,000 EC, split among the nominees.
- SGA SGU Awards of Excellence is a new award given by the Student Government Association recognizing SGU faculty and staff members who play an integral part in vet students’ success.
During the virtual event, the SVM also held its Phi Zeta Honor Society inductions as well as the traditional Term 6 student slideshow sendoff, a compilation of photos taken to highlight students’ time at SGU before they head into their clinical year. It was the first time that all three events were held together.
Dr. Rhonda Pinckney will retire on June 30 after 17 years at SGU.
The awards event also acknowledged retiring faculty member Dr. Rhonda Pinckney, a professor of veterinary parasitology within the Department of Pathobiology, and one of the longest serving SVM faculty members. Dr. Pinckney has been with SGU since 2004 and will retire on June 30.
The SVM hopes to be able to resume the award ceremony in person for the fall term.
Zoetis Awards
Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholars Award: April Perez, Sonali Desai, Pricilla Leinberger
Zoetis Revolution Awards
Small Animal Surgery Award: Kristie Armas
Small Animal Internal Medicine: Montana Loveday
Equine Medicine Award: Amanda Broeder
Production Animal Medicine Award: Haley Embleton
Scholarship of Service Award: Elizabeth McGarvey
Student Research Award: Glenna Raycroft Maur
Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award: Dr. Nicki Wise
Outstanding Colleague Awards
Term 1: Stephanie Nickerson
Term 2: Maureen Kruhlak
Term 3: Leandra Margolies
Term 4: Sheridan Nichols
Term 5: Adriana Kalaska
Term 6: Krystal Mendoza
Dean Olson’s Award for Academic Excellence Recipients for Spring 2021
Letty Bonilla, Daria Ehrenberg, Melissa Ferguson, Lauren Fleming, Acacia Johnson, Jennifer Memleb, Teylor Nealy, Cristians Rivas Morales, Aleeka Roberts, Samuel Ruch, Valerie Savino
Adrienne Lotton Memorial Award
Nakia Sweetman
SVM Alumni Scholarship Award
Cody Cragnolin
Giant Paws Giant Hearts Foundation “Hercules” Award
Cody Cragnolin
PAWS Recognition for Term 6 Facilitators
Krystal Mendoza, Collin Leisz, Camille Ogden, Anna Ritz, Elizabeth McGarvey, Amanda Broeder
Veterinary Public Health Committee “One Health One Medicine” Community Leader Award
Caitlin Nay
Student Organization Awards
SGUSVM Large Animal Society Most Valuable Sixth Term LAS Member Award
Maggie Pratt Isgren
Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists Most Valuable Pathologist Award
Taryn Paquet
Wellness Committee MVP Award
Chandler Case
TherioHERO Award (faculty award)
Dr. Firdous Khan
Student Chapter of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Awards
Student Winner: Vittoria Lipari
Faculty Winner: Dr. Anne Corrigan
Student Chapter of the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society
Student Winner: Tasha Faletti
Faculty Award: Dr. Anne Corrigan
Student Government Association Awards
SGUSVM Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients
Term 1-3: Dr. Rhonda Pinckney
Term 4-6: Dr. Firdous Khan
**NEW** SGA SGU Awards of Excellence (faculty award)
Terms 1-3: Ms. Tandy James
Terms 4-6: Ms. Naudia Dundas
George B. Daniel Award
Maria Coppola
The Pinckney Parasitology Award
Brianna Shepke, Lance Shen Kenny
Alpha Delta Chapter of the Society of Phi Zeta
Spring 2021 Inductees
Term 5 Inductees
Alexa Albam, Richard Brown, Devin Curtsinger. Briana Howard, Adriana Kalaska, Nadine Pearsall, Elizabeth Russell. Dawson Ruschkowski Tess Talmage, Kiersten Yndestad
Term 6 Inductees
Taylor Adams, Marisa Curro, Erica Foster, Annelise Godau, Krystal Mendoza, Hannah Narburgh, Camille Ogdon, Alexa Pensabene, Sarah Quinlan, Anna Ritz, Jaren Rodier, Sofija Todorovic, Katherine Williams
Term 6 Students Inducted Last Term
Jacqueline Compta, Cody Cragnolin, Molinaro Goode, Kyra Gore, William Holl, Cullen Kurgan, Abigail Kenly, Vittoria Lipari, Taryn Mooney, Romina Morgan, Kelly Ramos, Jaimie Remillard, Yu Wang
Phi Zeta Specialty Faculty Recognition for Their Work in Promoting Research and Scholarship
Dr. Firdous Khan, Dr. Heidi Janicke
Screen shot courtesy of SVM student Briana Kinsey.
– Laurie Chartorynsky
SGU, WINDREF co-host climate intervention webinar with UN, WHO, and PAHO
Continuing its longstanding collaboration with national, regional, and global organizations that drive discussion and improvements related to climate change, St. George’s University co-hosted an interactive webinar to address the importance of climate intervention in the Caribbean and how the region can benefit from increased data collection.
The webinar, titled “Calculating the Health Co-Benefits of Climate Interventions Using the CaRBonH tool in the Caribbean,” was co-organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre at St. George’s, SGU’s Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM), the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Small Island Developing States, which include the islands in the Caribbean, have a high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change despite the region’s low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Calum Macpherson, SGU’s dean of the School of Graduate Studies and director and vice president of WINDREF. “These impacts include more frequent and increasingly severe storms; unpredictable weather patterns, which impact agriculture and the incidence of vector borne diseases; increasing sea levels; and increasing temperatures, all of which adversely affect human and animal health.”
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The April 28 webinar introduced the current status of the data collection process in the Caribbean and explored the potential advantages of adapting the WHO’s Carbon Reductions Benefits on Health Tool (CarbonH) tool to assist in calculating the health benefits of climate interventions.
“Ultimately the data collected in the region will be part of the discussions at the Global Climate Change, COP26 meeting to be held in Glasgow in November 2021,” Dr. Macpherson said.
The CaRBonH tool was initially developed by WHO to quantify the potential health and economic benefits that could be achieved by climate policy implementation in Europe. RCC St. George’s, WINDREF, PAHO, WHO, and SGU have been working in collaboration to apply the CaRBonH tool in the Caribbean by conducting a preliminary analysis of data availability in the region.
“Small Island Developing States, which include the islands in the Caribbean, have a high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change despite the region’s low contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.”
Webinar participants included 24 representatives of the UNFCCC National Focal Points, and chief environmental health officers and national statistical officers from 16 Caribbean countries. The session was moderated by Dr. Lindonne Glasgow, SGU’s deputy chair and assistant professor of the DPHPM.
Presenters included Dr. Vintura Silva, regional lead of UNFCCC RCC St. George’s; Jonell Benjamin, consultant of UNFCCC RCC St. George’s; and Dr. Daniel Buss, advisor for climate change and health in PAHO, with opening remarks given by Dr. Macpherson,
St. George’s University hosts the UNFCCC RCC in the DPHPM, one of six global Research Collaborating Centers in the world. In an effort to assist in the development of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects in the region, the UNFCCC secretariat created a partnership agreement with WINDREF, which is based on the SGU campus, as well as St. George’s University to establish a regional collaboration center in St. George’s, Grenada. The RCC St. George’s is available to support countries interested in applying the CaRBonH tool to calculate the health co-benefits of climate interventions.
The group plans to reconvene on June 1 and 2 for a virtual conference titled, “Making the Case for Health Co-Benefits of Climate Change Mitigation in the Caribbean.”
Dreams Realized: Future Physicians Secure Residencies on Match Day 2021
At a time when the world needs more physicians, St. George’s University graduates are prepared to answer the call. On Match Day 2021, more than 1,025 SGU students and alumni learned of where they’ll begin their residencies this summer, joining a vast network of physicians who have made an indelible impact on healthcare worldwide.
The newly matched residents will train in specialties that include neurology, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and more. Dozens more will secure residency positions in the days and weeks to come.
“Match Day marks an important step in the life of every doctor,” said Dr. G. Richard Olds, president of St. George’s University. “The entire SGU community is proud of the hard work our students have put in, and we wish them the very best as they prepare to start their careers officially.”
SGU continues to assist the US in addressing the projected doctor shortage of up to 139,000 physicians across primary and specialty care, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). On average, one in three St. George’s graduates work in medically underserved areas, which have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Many SGU alumni have bravely served on the front lines throughout the pandemic.
“The resilience and skill of countless SGU alumni has been on full display over the course of this pandemic,” Dr. Olds said. “We look forward to sending another talented group of students into the world to make a difference in the lives of patients.”
The 2021 match class shared their excitement as the next chapter in their careers came into focus.
SGU Instagram Takeover: Emergency Resident Says “Be Willing to Be Open, Take Risks, and Invest in Yourself”
What’s it like to be an emergency medicine resident?
In a recent takeover of St. George’s University’s Instagram page, Chris Reilly, MD ’20, unveiled what life is like as a PGY-1 in emergency medicine at HCA’s Brandon Regional Hospital in Brandon, FL.
Dr. Reilly also answered viewers’ questions in a follow-up live Q&A for which he addressed topics like:
- Why he chose emergency medicine as a specialty;
- Tips to help students secure an EM residency;
- How to study and be successful in med school; and
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth in emergency medicine.
His biggest piece of advice for students? Keeping an open mind about what specialty to enter.
“You’re going to have so many different experiences from first year through fourth year,” Dr. Reilly said. “Really try to enjoy every rotation you are on and try to really envision yourself being in that specialty because that will give you perspective. If you can have an appreciation for and perspective for that specialty, then it was a successful rotation.”
The Instagram Q&A has been viewed by more than 2,300 people as of early December.