At the May 15 Annual Faculty Meeting, interim Dean Jerry Wolinsky announced the appointment of Dr. Kyle Dickson as the new chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

“Since Dr. Dickson’s arrival a little less than a year ago, he has taken charge of the orthopaedics trauma program with energy, commitment, and a team spirit,” Wolinsky said. “I am confident that he will use these same leadership traits as he moves the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery to its next level of development.”

Dickson, also chief of orthopaedic trauma at Memorial Hermann Hospital, replaces Dr. Arthur Jansa who had been leading the department on an interim basis since December 2006, as a search continued for a permanent chair of orthopaedic surgery.

“I will be forever indebted to Dr. Jansa who ably filled in the vacuum left when Dr. Tom Clanton resigned his chair to concentrate on the Roger Clemens Institute,” Wolinsky said.

Dickson received his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of California, San Francisco, which was followed by a trauma fellowship in acetabular/pelvic reconstruction at the University of Southern California. Additionally, Dickson completed an Ilizarov Fellowship in Lecco, Italy, and an AO International Fellowship in Germany and Switzerland.

He recently received an executive master’s degree in business administration from Tulane University Freeman School of Business.

His orthopaedic specialties include complex orthopaedic trauma; post-traumatic malunions, nonunions, and infections; disorders of the hip including periacetabular osteotomies, surgical dislocations, and complex hip revisions; acetabular fractures; pelvic injuries; plafond fractures; tibial plateaus; and complex intraarticular fractures.

Dickson is certified by The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

-C. Webb

Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Master Clinical Teaching Award –
Dr. Eugene Toy

Eugene C. Toy, M.D., clinical associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, has been named the winner of the Herbert L. and Margaret W. DuPont Master Clinical Teaching Award.

Established in 2001 and made possible by a gift from the DuPonts, the award recognizes and preserves the essence and quality of the master clinical teacher, reflecting the Medical School’s top priority of quality clinical medical education.

“I have the deepest respect for Dr. Herbert DuPont and just to be nominated for the award is a great distinction; to be the recipient of the DuPont Award is an incredible honor, and I am humbled by it. Having received the award, I will strive to live up to its high standards, and I will focus my energy even more on the teaching of medical students,” he said.

Toy, who has been on faculty at the Medical School since 1996, was nominated and selected for the award by the Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award Review Committee, which is comprised of representatives of the Faculty Senate, Curriculum Committee, and the Graduate Medical Education Committee.

“I was frankly speechless when I found out about the award. I see teaching as one of the highest callings by any physician. And even though I am the one receiving the award, I do it on behalf of all of the faculty and resident physicians of the department,” he said.

Toy has been the clerkship director of the obstetrics/gynecology junior rotation at St. Joseph Medical Center since 1997 and assistant course director for the third-year obstetrics/gynecology clerkship since 2000. He also is the residency program director of the Methodist Hospital obstetrics/gynecology program.

He received the McGovern Award in 2002 and is the creator and lead author of 15 books for the Case Files series, in which he has partnered with Medical School faculty in both clinical and basic science disciplines. “The books are an extension of my teaching worldwide as they have been translated now into nine languages,” he added.

Previous recipients of the award are John W. Sparks, M.D., 2006; Victor R. Lavis, M.D., 2005; Philip R. Orlander, M.D., 2004; Ian J. Butler, M.D., 2003; Patrick G. Brosnan, M.D., 2002; and Frank C. Arnett Jr., M.D., 2001.

“Students are our future, and it is an incredible privilege to be able to participate in teaching,” he said. “I am grateful to be part of a medical school that values education and rewards its teachers.”

-D. Brown

The Spring 2007 issue of UT-Houston Medicine magazine is now available! Pick up a copy in the Office of Communications, which is located in the basement of the Medical School Building, B.340.

The May 15 Annual Faculty Meeting provided faculty and staff with a full agenda of updates on the progress and state of the Medical School over the last year and some thoughts for the future.

Dr. Richard Castriotta, chair of the Faculty Senate, highlighted the senate’s goals and the creation of the following sub-committees: faculty compensation plan; conflict of interest and outside activities; allocation of Relative Value Units (RVUs); governance and administrative affairs; and commercial interest/influence in the Medical School. Castriotta said the Faculty Senate has become an effective force within the school because of greater attendance at meetings to equal a quorum.

Dr. Patricia Butler, associate dean for educational programs, gave an overview of educational programs and highlights of the year, including undergraduate and graduate medical education (GME), continuing medical education, the Learning Resource Center, and the Surgical and Clinical Skills Center. She noted changes affecting the third- and fourth-year undergraduate curriculum and called attention to the expansion and success of the Standardized Patient Program. Graduate medical education statistics and information on residents, fellows, fellowship programs, internal reviews, and site visits also were reported. Other GME topics included maintaining accreditation of programs and monitoring resident duty hours.

Dr. Margaret McNeese, associate dean for admissions and student affairs, thanked those who helped make the first year of merging the Offices of Admissions and Student Affairs so successful. She noted the 2007 entering class is the first class with a targeted enrollment of 230 students. Of the 2007 residency matching program, 124 graduates will stay in Texas, and 46 will complete their residencies at the Medical School. McNeese also noted that students scored above the national average on Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination.

Dr. Michael Bungo, vice dean for clinical affairs, detailed clinical and business operations for UT Physicians – the nonprofit physician corporation affiliated with the practice plan of the Medical School. Patient wait time studies and other surveys were conducted in an effort to provide better patient care. On the business side, a database was developed to monitor claims denial and trend issues. Bungo noted the clinics will be paperless by the end of the year.

On behalf of Dr. John Byrne, assistant dean for research affairs, Dr. Diane Hickson-Bicks reported on research and postdoctoral affairs, including interim grant assistance to faculty, the annual research retreat, the Graduate Student Education Committee, and implementation of the following lectures: Dean’s Lecture Series, Ernst Knobil Distinguished Lecture, and the inaugural Cheves Smythe Distinguished Lecture. The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs provides frequent communication to postdoctoral fellows via a weekly newsletter, Web site, and social events; it also initiated a postdoctoral certificate training program. Hickson-Bicks is associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine.

Dr. Nancy McNiel, executive director of administration, provided facility updates. She noted the damage resulting from the Feb. 17 fire in the Replacement Research Facility (RRF) and that assessments were being made on whether a complete move-in would be possible at one time or over time. The dean’s office relocated to the ground floor of the Medical School Building, while the Office of Finance and Travel moved to the Jesse H. Jones Library Building. The new grab ‘n’ go establishment is set to open shortly.

Kevin Dillon, executive vice president of administration and business affairs and chief financial officer, gave the school’s financial report and a forecast of the 2008 fiscal year budget, along with comparisons of the budgets of previous years.

Interim Dean Jerry Wolinsky concluded the meeting with the state of the school and plans for the future. He highlighted the ribbon cutting that signaled the opening of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and noted that ground will break soon for more new buildings – a dental school, stem cell facility, and neurosciences institute. He called attention to leadership changes, ongoing recruitments, and budgetary and practice plan issues. He said he looks forward to the day the RRF will officially open and that he remains optimistic about the future of the Medical School.

For those who missed the meeting, a videocast may be found online via a link from the Medical School’s homepage, med.uth.tmc.edu.

-C. Webb

Students selected for summer externship

The Division of Cardiology selected Firdous Khan, Stephen Harding, Maura Leahy, and Wonchon Lin to participate as this summer’s Mary Ann Lunsford Student Externship participants. These talented undergraduate students were selected from a vast applicant pool based on their grade point average, interest in pursuing a medical career, and commitment to public service.

The Division of Cardiology and the Medical School sponsor the Mary Ann Lunsford Student Externship. It provides an in-depth exposure to all aspects of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. The externship offers two six-week periods with two positions each, and a $1,000 stipend is provided to each student.

Faculty members in the Division of Cardiology are pleased to announce the appointments of Drs. Charlie Gnaim and Carmen Landrau Adorno, the 2007-2008 chief fellows. Cardiology members also wish to express their sincere appreciation to outgoing chiefs, Drs. John LeDoux and Peter Tran, for their hard work and dedication.