Office of Medical Education

Tulane University School of Medicine

Newsletter
Office of Medical Education
1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6
New Orleans, LA 70112 Spring2009 Volume 3, Issue 1
Tel 504-988-6600
Fax 504-988-6601
ome@tulane.edu
www.som.tulane.edu/ome The OME newsletter provides on-going professional development to faculty, residents,
preceptors, and others with direct responsibility for medical student education in the areas of:
 Methods of pedagogy
 Communication and assessment
MISSION
 Development and implementation of educational objectives
 Educational Technology
WE CONTRIBUTE  Competency-based Evaluation
TO THE MEDICAL
The ultimate goal of this resource is to enhance the teaching and evaluation skills of medical
STUDENTS’ educators at Tulane University School of Medicine.
EDUCATION BY (Read more on page 12, under Call for Submissions.)
PROVIDING Upcoming Events:
FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT, You are cordially invited to join us for:
EDUCATIONAL
SUPPORT AND
SERVICES TO
“TBL 102” Training
FACULTY AND
STUDENTS. June 12
See page 7 for details

CurrMIT Training
September 10-11
In this issue… See page 8 for details

Commentary.…………….….2
Med Ed Innovations…….….3 Grant Proposal Workshop
Evidence Based Med……....3 Effective In-Training Feedback
September 25-26
New Microsurgery Lab…....4
What Else is New……………5 See page 8 for details
Student Corner.……..……...7
Education Day...……………9
Commentary:
Research Opportunities.....10
OME Updates.…………….11
Upcoming Events…………11
Call for Submissions…..…12
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
Why Connect Undergraduate
Public Health with Medical
Education?
Excerpted from Academic Medicine, Vol. 83,
No. 4, April 2008
Almost a decade ago, the AAMC encouraged the
inclusion of a population health curricula as part of the
four years of medical school. The Healthy People
Curriculum Task Force, consisting of representatives
from seven clinical health professions educational
organizations, including allopathic and osteopathic
medicine, has since produced the Clinical Prevention and
Population Health Curriculum Framework. This
framework includes specific recommendations for
teaching the evidence base for medical practice, clinical
preventive services and health promotion, health systems,
and health policy and community aspect of practice as
part of the basic degree programs of clinical health
professions including medicine. Data from the AAMC
and an article by Garr and colleagues suggest that
medical schools are doing an increasingly good job of
teaching clinical prevention and health promotion. The
larger issues of instructing students about health
systems, health policy, and other aspects of population
health fare less well. In addition, a recent study of
residents from Yale indicates that their knowledge
of study design and statistical analysis is inadequate for
reading the medical literature. The authors attribute this
to inadequate, elementary, and one-shot
introductions of study design and data analysis to medical
students. They recommend that a more sophisticated and
integrated approach be incorporated into expanded
teaching of evidence-based medicine. Teaching evidence-
based public health to undergraduates should
make it far easier to teach evidence-based medicine to
medical students and residents. Under the assumption that
there is and will be only be a limited amount of time in
medical school to achieve these goals, an alternative is to
bolster these efforts with adequate preparation as part of
undergraduate or college education. One approach is to
rely on a growing list of prerequisite courses for medical
school. Given unlimited time for medical school
preparation, a comprehensive list of prerequisite courses
might be desirable. However, given the competing
demands of undergraduate education, we believe
that the alternative of defining competencies in evidence-
based public health as well as other key areas of
2
preparation for medical school seems desirable and
more acceptable from the perspective of medical
educators, college educators, and students.
The success of this competency-based alternative
requires
• defining competencies or learning outcomes that
candidates for medical school need to achieve and
providing a testing mechanism to ensure fulfillment;
and
• articulating these competencies with curricula in
medical school that build on basic understandings,
reinforcing the curricula throughout the four years
of medical school, and viewing these competencies
as an inherent part of the education of physicians.
How Can Competencies Serve as the
Basis for Connecting Evidence-Based
Public Health and Medicine?
Evidence-based public health needs to be solidly
grounded in epidemiology. Population Health
Education Although epidemiology may be taught
merely as a technical skill, it can and should be used
to develop in students a population or big-picture
perspective on health issues. These are foundations
for teaching evidence-based medicine as well
as evidence-based public health. The
recommendations of the Consensus Conference
include a series of competencies that may serve as the
basis for connecting undergraduate public health
education with medical education.
The Curriculum Guide also provides
recommendations on structuring curriculum to
achieve a coherent approach to evidence-based
thinking, including fostering “enduring
understandings” or concepts designed to be carried
away from the curricula and incorporated into future
education and practice. The Web-based Curriculum
Guide is being developed as an ongoing joint project
of APTR and AAC&U, and it is available at
(www.teachpublichealth.org). Thus, with the rapid
growth in undergraduate courses in public health
and epidemiology, it is will soon be possible to use
this educational content as solid grounding for
medical education.
Teaching of evidence-based public health as
preparation for medical school will greatly enhance a
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
coherent approach to teaching evidence-based medicine
in the four years of medical school. Students who come
to medical school with skills for reading the research
literature, an appreciation of the determinants of disease,
and an understanding the structure of the U.S. health care
system will be better prepared to incorporate
evidence-based thinking and a population perspective
into their education. Medical education built on
this foundation should provide invaluable service to
students, the medical profession, and society at large.
A population perspective on health issues and an
evidence-based approach to practice should be part of the
education of all future physicians, starting at the college
level and continuing throughout the four years of medical
school and beyond. An undergraduate public health
curriculum grounded in epidemiology provides a natural
way to introduce premedical students to key concepts that
they can use throughout their education and practice of
medicine. Early experience strongly suggests that
students are voting for undergraduate courses in public
health and epidemiology with their course registrations. It
is time for medical and undergraduate public health
educators to work together to strengthen the connections
between college and medical school.
Innovations in Medical Education
Conference 2009
A Review by Philip Walker
http://www.usc.edu/schools/medicine/departments/medical_ed
ucation/upcomingconf.html
The Innovations in Medical Education Conference is
an annual two-day event hosted by the University of
Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine,
Division of Medical Education. This year’s, the sixth
annual, was held March 14-15, 2009 in beautiful
(and exceptionally clean) Pasadena, California.
While the University of California System
dominated the attendee and presenter lists, there
were a few from as far away as New York and
everywhere in between. Presenters had the option to
present in categories such as: Educational
Innovations Research; Brief Communications on
Innovation; Cool, New and Far-Out Ideas, and a
Poster Session. Sessions were quite varied. Many
3
focused on such new hot topics as problem-
based learning, team-based learning, student
remediation and retention, cultural competence
and diversity. The vast majority of sessions
described new programs for students or
residents, discussed whether or not program
goals and objectives had been met, and indicated
any revisions necessary for the program or
intervention to continue within the curriculum.
Topics included diagnostic tool training,
OB/GYN, Family Medicine, Oral Health, and
End of Life Care.
Some of the more fascinating sessions discussed
the linking of patient outcomes to curriculum
intervention, the need for more publishing and
improved methodology in the field of medical
education, the use of problem-based learning to
improve clinical reasoning among third and
fourth year students, collaboration in the clinical
setting, interactive workshops on informal
learning and qualitative methods, and a very
entertaining discussion on the future of medicine
by Nancy Nielsen, M.D., current president of the
American Medical Association.
For more information on the conference or to
view the proceedings, please contact Philip
Walker, pwalker@tulane.edu or 504-988-2410.
EBM
During the Spring semester, the Office of Medical
Education initiated an Evidence-Based Medicine
seminar series. To date, sessions have been provided
by Pamela Wiseman, MD, of the Department of
Family and Community Medicine, and by Mr.
Neville Prendergast and Mr. Philip Walker of the
Matas Library.
The final EBM seminar for this semester will be held
on Wednesday, May 13, in the school of Medicine,
Rm. 1558, at 1430 Tulane Avenue. In this final
session of the academic year, Dr. Wiseman will
present on point of care applications of EBM, and
Mr. Prendergast will describe First Consult as a point
of care resource.
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 4

clinical experience, she shadowed the

New Microsurgery Lab Opens neurosurgery team as well as worked in the lab
under the
The Department guidance of
of Neurosurgery, Dr. Alvernia.
in collaboration
with the
Department of
Plastic Surgery,
has opened a
Microsurgery
Lab in room
8704 at 1430
Tulane Avenue. Our microsurgical laboratory
provides opportunities for neurosurgery residents
and medical students who are seeking additional For more information, please visit
experience and research projects in anatomical http://tulanensurg.googlepages.com/
cadaveric dissections.
Located conveniently on the 8th floor of Tulane's What Else is New?
School of Medicine, our purpose is to advance
neuroanatomical knowledge in order to provide a
greater benefit for the field of medicine. From the office of . . .
Kevin Krane, MD
Currently, there are two projects underway: a Vice Dean for Academic Affairs
dissection of the Diploic venous channels and a Tulane University School of Medicine
dissection of the Facial Artery. Cadaveric heads are
fixed in a solution of alcohol and formaldehyde, and Tulane SOM has been asked to host the Team-Based
red and blue silicone is injected into the arteries and Learning Conference Meeting in March, 2010 and to
veins, respectively. Microsurgical tools and co-host the International Association of Medical
techniques are used to dissect out each artery in Science Educators Annual Meeting in July, 2010.
order to accurately describe the course of the
vasculature and important anastomoses. On April 22-24, TUSOM and LSUHSC co-hosted the
biennial NDOGS conference - National Directors of
The lab is under the direction of Dr. Miguel Melgar,
Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery, and
Dr. Jorge Alvernia, a Neurosurgery resident.
Student researchers currently include Raj Patel,
David Cai, Giancarlo Pierantoni, and Cyntrell
Crawford.

In addition, the lab enjoyed the opportunity to work

with Catherine Binet, a medical student on rotation
from Faculté de médecine Lyon-Nord located in
Lyon, France. Recently graduating from medical
school, her interests are focused on the
neurosciences and ophthalmology. Wanting to
expand her medical knowledge and gain more
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
Graduate Studies in Pharmacology. NDOGS, consisting
of directors of Pharmacology graduate
programs and department chairmen, meets every two
years to discuss graduate and postdoctoral training in
Pharmacology. Next year the organization will expand to
include Physiology graduate directors as well. For
information contact Dr. Craig Clarkson
(cclarks@tulane.edu) or visit the NDOGS website.
http://www.aspet.org/ndogs/index.html with LSU on 4/23
What’s New in the Matas
Library?
The Matas Library has a new director, Neville
Prendergast, who assumed library leadership here at
Tulane in January of 2009. Prior to arriving at Tulane,
Mr. Prendergast was the Associate Director for Health
Information Resources at the Becker Medical Library at
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Under Mr. Prendergast’s leadership, strategic three year
planning has begun and a number of innovations have
already been implemented. There is a new Matas
Liaison Program to establish a clear channel of
communication between the academic and research
components of the Health Sciences and the Matas
Librarians. There is also development underway for a
new library website with instant messaging to be made
available and a new cross-database search engine (called
MetaLib).
For PubMed users, the Matas Library is happy to
announce that the TULink (green icon) is now available.
Full text access, catalog access for print, and Interlibrary
Loan request may be initiated from this icon. Please let
us know if you have problems or questions regarding this
newly implemented feature in PubMed. PubMed
seminars will be scheduled on a regular basis to inform
users about upcoming changes in the interface.
The Matas Librarians are also working toward
developing subject guides in all of the health science
disciplines that are part of the curriculum and research
initiatives at Tulane. Please review the new “Subject
Guides” on our website. Hopefully the guides will assist
users to locate current journals in specific specialties.
Please let us know your suggestions to improve the
Subject Guides.
5
We’ve increased the number of desktop computers
available for public use within the Library. All of the
computers are less than a year old and have the
following applications installed: Productivity
Software: Adobe Acrobat Professional, MS Office
2007 Enterprise, Photoshop Elements. Medical
Science Software: Bones of the Skull, Brainstorm,
EpiInfo, ISIS Draw, MacBaby, SciFinder Scholar,
Virtual Radiograph. Public Health Statistical
Software (available on a limited number of
computers): SAS, SPSS, STATA, ARC-GIS.
Rooms on the mezzanine level of the library may be
reserved for certification exams or presentations;
email medref@tulane.edu for further information.
We offer flatbed scanning and color printing in room
M209.
In case you have not seen the newly renovated
Rudolph Matas Library, please stop by and take a
tour. It has a bright, open, and clean new look. A
long time dream to renovate the library was realized
with a donation from a former student, Dr. James R.
Doty. Dr. Doty is a neurosurgeon currently
practicing in Mississippi. He remembered getting
research help from the library staff, among other
memories of his time at Tulane, and he wanted to
give back to the school. The library did not change
in size but it looks larger due to the new service desk,
improved lighting, ceiling tiles, carpeting, window
shades, and fresh bright paint. The main entrance is
much more inviting with the turnstiles removed and a
new door. Comfortable furniture was donated by the
Tulane University Health Sciences Center Auxiliary.
Probably the biggest change is the 24-hour access
door with ID card-swipe access. The 24/7 area also
has two new group study rooms with whiteboards.
More computer stations were recently added and an
outside phone has been made available in the
commons area with coffee and popular reading
materials.
The results of the renovation have been exactly what
was intended-- an increase in library usage. Students
can study in the late hours and print off class notes
before an early morning class begins. All are
welcome to relax in the commons area to read and
use the computers or ask a librarian for help. The
library staff would like to express their gratitude to
all the donors and those who worked to make
possible the new Rudolph Matas Library--a dream
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
realized, and a major improvement for Tulane University
Health Sciences Center.
Come by and visit the Rudolph Matas Library,
Room 2520 of the SOM Building, or contact us at
988-5155 or medref@tulane.edu.
Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI):
New Options for the Clinical Years
Louisiana has continuously ranked in the bottom rung of
America’s Overall Health Rankings, and 2008 was no
exception when LA was again titled the nation’s
unhealthiest state. A lot of Louisiana’s poor health
outcomes are related to its large rural population and the
severe decrease in health professionals in those
communities. More than 27% of the population in
Louisiana lives in rural areas, compared to a national
average of 21%, and over 90% of the state is designated
as a Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area.
Shortly after Dr. Ben Sachs accepted his position as Dean
of Tulane University School of Medicine, he recognized
the urgency of addressing Louisiana’s health needs. The
Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI) is a comprehensive plan
developed by the dean’s office to address health needs in
the rural Gulf South. ROI is a top strategic priority that
designed to make a positive difference in both the
alarming deficiency of physicians and the poor health
indicators found throughout the region.
The Rural Outreach Initiative (ROI) has three defined
goals: medical education, healthcare-workforce
development and enhancement, and community-based
wellness and prevention. Among activities identified to
help achieve these goals are: expanding rural rotations in
all medical disciplines, rural preceptor recruitment,
medical student recruitment and admissions processes
targeting rural students (TRuMEd Program), partnerships
with undergraduate rural colleges, rural student
scholarships, and medical and public health student
projects in rural communities.
ROI has begun establishing partnerships in several
communities including Morgan City, Winnsboro, Pierre
Part, Franklin, Thibodaux, Pointe Coupee Parish, and
Bunkie. If you are interested in getting involved with the
initiative and its mission to help build a healthier
6
Louisiana, contact us. Email: tulaneroi@tulane.edu
Office: (504) 988-2838.
Murphy Building Renovations:
New Simulation Center Opens
Sim-Man gets CPR
Under the leadership of James R. Korndorffer,
MD, the Tulane Center for Advanced Medical
Simulation and Team Training opened on January 2,
2009. Located on the third floor of the Murphy
Exploration Building, at 131 South Robertson St., the
center offers training to improve the quality and
efficiency of healthcare and healthcare education.
Goals of the Sim Center are to reduce medical error
and improve patient safety; allow for
multidisciplinary research; provide an environment
for healthcare development; and set a standard for
national education, training and certification.
Jennifer Calzada oversees day-to-day operations of
the Sim Center. Jennifer Daniel is the Senior
Program Coordinator.
A multi-disciplinary educational consulting team has
been meeting to align center development with the
needs of the students, departments, and various health
professionals. A member of this planning group, Dr.
Annie Daniel, has requested that all departments
notify the Office of Medical Education about the
goals, objectives and assessment methods for their
simulation modules—for inclusion in the curriculum
mapping process currently underway.
In the three months since opening, the Sim Center
has trained more than 500 medical students,
residents, physicians and other healthcare
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
professionals. The General Surgery, Internal Medicine
and Pediatrics clerkships all visited the Sim Center during
the most recent rotation to practice procedural skills like
lumbar puncture, central line placement and neonatal
resuscitation. Fourth year medical students preparing for
an Internship in OBGYN also came to the Sim Center to
practice delivery skills using the NOELLE birthing
simulator. Learners from Tulane University and
Hospital, Delgado Charity School of Nursing, and Xavier
University College of Pharmacy have participated in
TeamSTEPPS, an evidence-based teamwork program
designed to improve communication and teamwork skills
among health care professionals. Recently, the Sim
Center organized a Rapid Response Team Training
course for Tulane medical students and residents, and
Delgado nursing students. In addition to the trainings
organized by the Sim Center, Tulane Life Support now
holds BLS, ACLS, PALS and ATLS courses in the
facility. The Sim Center has also hosted tours, meetings,
and a CME conference on thyroid and parathyroid
diseases.
To schedule training, a meeting, or a tour at the Sim
Center, call 504-988-9150, email simcenter@tulane.edu
or visit the website http://simcenter.tulane.edu/.
New TBL Center Opens
Named for famed surgeon and Tulane SOM alumnus, Dr.
Michael DeBakey, the DeBakey Educational
Center, located on the 2nd Floor of the Murphy Building
on S. Robertson St., opened for classes on May 11, 2009.
Dr. DeBakey was instrumental in relocating Tulane’s
medical program to Baylor SOM for the academic year
following Hurricane
Katrina. The center will
be used as the primary T2
teaching site, and will be
available for T1 course
directors and faculty to
conduct sessions
using active learning
formats.
The facility is designed to stimulate active learning, even
in large groups, and to enhance the learning process.
While the room can be used for traditional lectures; it is
primarily intended to support Team-Based Learning,
JiTT, and other modern and highly effective new
approaches to medical education.
7
The 200-seat facility is high tech and completely
digital. It can be divided to accommodate two groups
of 100 students on each side. Seating is provided,
small group-style, in tables of six. Power outlets are
distributed throughout, and internet access is totally
wireless. Both sides offer the same remarkable
features: high-quality speakers and sound system,
Tegrity, audience response systems, six portable
microphones for audience use, and a tablet-PC
feature that allows the instructor to walk around the
room while controlling all the technology and having
what is written appear immediately in front of
everyone.
Introductory sessions have been offered to familiarize
faculty with TBL center facilities and operation. In
addition, “TBL 101” sessions have been held to
provide faculty with the basics of implementing
TBLs throughout the curriculum. A“TBL 102”
training is scheduled for June 12, conducted by a
member of the National Team Based Learning
Collaborative (details follow).
Upcoming
Events:
“TBL 102”
Workshop
Scheduled
Advanced training for
Tulane faculty who have
completed the TBL 101
sessions, will be provided
via a special workshop on June 12, 2009, given by
Ruth Levine, MD, a member of the National TBL
Collaborative and the faculty of UTMB (Galveston).
Dr. Levine has used TBL in the Psychiatry clerkship
since 2002, in the Neuroscience and Human Behavior
course since 2003; and has provided numerous
workshops on the use of Team-Based Learning in
medical student and resident education. She conducts
research in team-based learning and has several
publications documenting the impact of team-based
learning on student NBME test scores.
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
Tulane to Host 2010 GRIPE Meeting
The Winter 2010 GRIPE Meeting (January 14-17) will be
hosted by Tulane University Medical Center, Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Dr. Byron
Crawford, MD.
Registration will be available in Fall, 2009.
Reservations: Ritz Carlton Hotel, New Orleans,
Louisiana. $179 s/d expires December 23, 2009.
1-800-826-8987. NEW!
Resident Scholarship Application Form for 2010 GRIPE
Meeting
Call for Proposals for 2010 GRIPE Meeting - NEW!
CurrMIT Training
A special program offered by AAMC
representative, Terri Cameron, will assist
departments with compiling their course/clerkship data in
AAMC’s CurrMIT electronic database for export to the
LCME forms required for our accreditation site visit in
2011. Cameron will also update administrators on the
CurrMIT functionality. This two-day event will be held
September 10-11, 2009 in the SP Center on Poydras St.
from 9 am-4 pm.
Grant Proposal Workshop
September25-26, 2009
In the works . . . a free grant proposal writing workshop
to assist faculty and staff with developing their proposals
and effective grant seeking. See the Fall 2009 issue of
the OME Newsletter for details.
KUDOS
Byron E. Crawford, MD
Professor of Pathology, and Associate Director of the
Office of Medical Education, is now Assistant Dean for
Academic Affairs. The OME staff would like to
congratulate Dr. Crawford on his well-deserved
promotion!
Dr. Crawford is also current president of the Group for
Research in Pathology Education (GRIPE), and Chair of
8
the Association of Pathology Chairs/Course Directors
section of GRIPE.
The mission of the Group for Research in Pathology
Education is to advance the quality of pathology
education through scholarly research and activities
related to the definition of educational objectives
appropriate to the learner, the development of
effective modern teaching and learning techniques,
and the accurate assessment of learner performance.
GRIPE's membership includes 78 institutions and
236 individuals representing many different
countries.
Craig Clarkson, PhD
On April 22-24, TUSOM and LSUHSC co-hosted the
biennial NDOGS conference - National Directors of
Graduate Studies in Pharmacology. NDOGS,
consisting of directors of Pharmacology graduate
programs and department chairmen, meets every two
years to discuss graduate and postdoctoral training in
Pharmacology. Next year the organization will
expand to include Physiology graduate directors as
well. For information contact Dr. Craig Clarkson
(cclarks@tulane.edu) or visit the NDOGS website.
http://www.aspet.org/ndogs/index.html with LSU on
4/23
STUDENT CORNER
Student Creates Guide to Free
Health Clinics
Richard Brucker (T2) is the creator of
NolaFreeHealthCare.com, an online listing of local
clinics that offer free or low-cost medical care to the
non-insured and under-insured. The listing is also
distributed in pamphlet form at area homeless
shelters and community centers.
Brucker regularly updates the website with input
from readers, and is expanding the list to include
non-medical resources. For his work, Brucker
recently received a 2009 American Medical
Association Foundation Leadership Award.
Excerpted from kbrannon
http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/012809_nola_free_c
linic.cfm
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
Katrina Class Graduates!
The class of 2009 spent their first year of medical school
at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Despite the
challenges of adjustment in the aftermath of the hurricane
and the transition to Houston, the majority of them
returned to Tulane to complete their program of study.
They are the only class in Tulane history to have been
evacuated three times during their program of study
(from New Orleans in 2005 and 2008, from Houston in
2005). Prior to Katrina, Tulane School of Medicine had
not closed since the Civil War. We salute all the students
who weathered Katrina and have gone on to serve
humanity!
EDUCATION DAY and
Teaching Scholar Award
The Third Annual Health Sciences Society of Teaching
Scholars’ Education Day, held May 7, focused on new
concepts for improving medical education and was
highlighted by the naming of renowned trauma surgeon,
Dr. Norman E. McSwain Jr., as recipient of the 2009
Senior Vice President’s Teaching Scholar Award.
Dr. Benjamin P. Sachs, dean of the School of Medicine
and senior vice president of Tulane University, presented
the award to McSwain and also honored this year’s
finalist, Dr. Elma I. LeDoux, associate professor of
medicine.
McSwain, a professor of surgery, served as trauma
director at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, worked with
the U.S. Department of Defense to develop the Combat
Casualty Care program for wounded servicemen, and
assisted with development of a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life
Support program. This program has since trained more
than half a million people in 45 countries and is
considered the world standard for pre-hospital trauma
care.
Education Day showcases innovative developments in the
classrooms of SOM educators. According to Annie
Daniel, assistant professor of clinical medicine and
director of the Office of Medical Education, “The
education part is the teaching part — but the scholarship
part goes a little bit further, because you are not only
teaching, but you are thinking about how you are
teaching, about what it takes for students to actually learn
the content, what you can do differently to help students
retain the information, understand it, or apply it.”
9
LAGNIAPPE:
In the News . . . Did You Know?
DID YOU KNOW that . . .
According to Dr. David Blask in the Tulane
Department of Structural and Cellular Biology, late-
night exposure to light may reduce levels of a natural
cancer-fighting hormone.
Shift workers have been shown to have higher risks
for breast, prostate and other cancers. Dr. Blask has
advised Congressional staffers on the implications of
environmental light pollution as part of an effort to
get the Environmental Protection Agency to address
this problem.
Blask is available to speak about the implications of
shift work and cancer risk, and to suggest ways that
people can minimize their risk when required to work
late nights.
Excerpted from Tulane Daily News online 3-23-09
[TULANENEWS-L@tulane.edu].
FURTHER EVIDENCE (2008) of the dangers
of exposure to night light comes from research
published in Chronobiology International.
Exposure to light at night is the most powerful factor
in breast cancer besides genetic defects, according to
a University of Haifa study. The researchers suggest
that people stop using computers and watching TV
late at night, and refuse to do shift work. It is
advisable to close the shutters when you go to bed,
wear eye shades if you can't darken the bedroom,
avoid night lights and lower lights in working
environments after sunset.
Retrieved from
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=12035185
56682&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
DID YOU KNOW that . . .
We live in “Cancer Alley” — the Mississippi River
area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is home
to more than a hundred chemical plants and oil
refineries. So far, no link has been documented
between the local industry and occasional reports of
rare-cancer clusters along Cancer Alley. However,
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 10

Louisiana does have a major cancer problem. In 2005, the
state had 214.9 cancer deaths for every 100,000 people.
The national average is 184.1.
In response, Maureen Lichtveld, head of Tulane
University's department of environmental health sciences,
and her colleagues, have created an environmental
oncology program. The program includes faculty
members from Tulane's expanding cancer center, from
Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and from
Xavier University in New Orleans.
play a key role in improving health professions
education at their schools. The program is designed
to teach education methods and leadership skills, as
well as to develop strong professional bonds with
other health professions educators around the world.
If you are interested in applying, go to:
https://faimeronline2.ecfmg.org/
Retrieved from:
http://www.faimer.org/education/institute/index.html

Based on H. Ledford, Nature, vol. 458, April 8, 2009 Research Anyone?

Retrieved from
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/2009/090409/full/nj72
39-792a.html

Love Your NSAIDs?

According to Stephen D. Dow, MD, NSAIDs are
responsible for 16,500 deaths per year, constitute the 15th
leading cause of death in our country, and lead to more
than 107,000 hospitalizations each year. Recently, the
journal Immunology reported that inhibition of COX-2
has the long term effect of increasing the cytokines TNF-
a and IL-b, both of which have been shown to promote
cartilage destruction.
Tulane University invites students to join with faculty in the
search for new knowledge and creative expression.
While COX-2 inhibitors may decrease inflammation in
the short-term, they also may cause serious
gastrointestinal and cardiovascular complications and Tulane University is known for its active research
cartilage damage over the long-term. Dr. Dow concludes environment. The newly formed Center for Research
that it is important to become more knowledgeable about Education-Activities at Tulane is designed to
and provide safer and more physiologic options for facilitate and encourage student participation in
managing inflammatory problems in patients. research and creative expression.

The website provides guidance to students on seeking

http://www2.aaos.org/aaos/archives/bulletin/aug04/acdn
ws4.htm
Have you heard of
FAIMER?
The FAIMER Institute is dedicated to creating a “global
faculty of health professional educators to effect change
in health care.”
The Foundation for Advancement of International
Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) offers a
two-year fellowship program designed for international
health professions educators who have the potential to
out and applying for research positions, getting credit
for research, publishing and presenting research, and
finding funding for research opportunities off
campus. Opportunities for research fellowships and
grants will continue to be added to the website as an
ongoing project.
The Graduate Alliance for Education in Louisiana
(GAELA) is a program for substantially increasing
the number of minorities entering Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) doctoral degrees and joining the ranks of
the professorate.
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008
Alliance partners include: Tulane and Louisiana State
University (the two Carnegie Research I universities in
Louisiana and the institutions responsible for 94% of the
minority STEM doctoral degree production in the state
between 1994-2001), Xavier University of Louisiana,
Dillard University, and Southern University at Baton
Rouge and New Orleans.
The project aims to achieve this objective by building
upon existing minority STEM research training programs
at alliance institutions and affecting significant change in
the culture of graduate education at the state's two top
research universities. The GAELA program is supported
by the National Science Foundation.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s
program –
Grand Challenges in Global Health:
Explorations offers seed grants of up to $100,000 for
research on new tools to fight 11 diseases that result in
millions of deaths annually in developing countries.
This accelerated grant program requires only a two-page
application, and no preliminary data is needed. Anyone
with an innovative idea can apply online. Grant
recipients are chosen approximately four months after the
submission deadline, and initial grants of $100,000 are
awarded twice yearly. Successful projects may be
selected for follow-up grants of up to $1million or more,
and might result in a Grand Challenges project.
The Foundation’s Global Health Funding Priorities
include:
 Diarrhea
 HIV/AIDS
 Malaria
 Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health
 Neglected Diseases
 Nutrition
 Pneumonia & Flu
 Polio
 Tobacco
 Tuberculosis
 Vaccines
For more information, go to:
http://www.grandchallenges.org/Explorations/Pages/Intro
duction.aspx
11
OME UPDATES
Active Learning Techniques
There is a lot of talk these days about “active
learning.” Teachers are continually encouraged to
implement novel techniques in the classroom to
stimulate student engagement and improve learning
outcomes. Where does this pressure to change
teaching practices come from? Why is active
learning important?
Here is the short answer to these questions:
Where from?
 The public
 The internet
 The government
 Regulating Agencies
Why?
 Increasing information access
 Change in public’s expectations
 Changes in student characteristics
 Changes in culture of teaching and learning
Look for more information about this topic in the
Fall 2009 OME Newsletter.
“10 Megatrends in Medical Education”
 Globalization
 Simulation
 Rising Cost of Medical Care/Education
 Redefining Desired Traits for Physicians
 Continuous Measurement of Core
Competencies
 Interdisciplinary/Interprofessional Education
 Med Ed as Part of the Health Care Enterprise
 Life-Long Learning & Professional Support
 Increasing Education in the Ambulatory
Setting
 Technological Innovation
Medical Education is experiencing a paradigm shift.
Over the past decade, physician educators and basic
science educators have labored to adapt to changes in
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 12

curricula, teaching styles, and expectations. These
changes, reflected in the “Megatrends” listed above, have
come about in response to increasing public demand for
improvement in physician performance and
accountability and demands for greater fiscal productivity
to help sustain the healthcare enterprise. These and other
factors have influenced AAMC and AMA policy with
regard to educational approaches, measurements, costs,
goals, and professional self-monitoring requirements.
1
Lazarus, C. J. (2009). Ten megatrends in medical
education. Academic Physician and Scientist, January.
 features short articles summarizing research
on current issues, concerns, and innovations
in medical education
 offers guest commentaries on relevant topics
in medical education
The editor welcomes short articles from the faculty
that introduce or inform others about a unique
teaching strategy or method currently being used for
teaching. Submissions may include:

Look for more information about this topic in the Fall  Announcements
2009 OME Newsletter.  Short medical education articles (up to 500
words)
 Teaching Strategies and Tips
 Descriptions of research in progress
Call for Submissions:  Reviews of research
 Book reviews
OME Newsletter  Letters to the editor or faculty
 Events of interest
Fall 2009  Research ideas for collaboration
 Publication notices and requests
The Office of Medical Education Newsletter is published
twice a year as an Adobe Acrobat file delivered by email
and posted on the OME website: Materials/manuscripts should be submitted in
http://www.som.tulane.edu/ome/ Microsoft Word (hard copy or email) to:

Questions or comments regarding the Fall 2008 issue

should be addressed to current editor, Deborah Larimer, Deborah Larimer, Ed.D
in the Office of Medical Education at: Office of Medical Education
504-988-3328 or 504-988-6600 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6
dlarimer@tulane.edu Suite 1730
Previous issues of the newsletter can be viewed at: New Orleans, LA 70112
http://www.som.tulane.edu/ome/newsletters/ Tel: 504-988-6600
Guidelines for future submissions are as follows: Fax: 504-988-6601
dlarimer@tulane.edu

The OME newsletter:

 provides general information on events, support
services and activities sponsored by the Office of
Medical Education
OME Newsletter, Fall 2008 13

Office of Medical Education Our Staff is available to support faculty in

educating and assisting students to ensure their
1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-6
academic success and their development of professional
Suite 1730
New Orleans, LA 70112 competencies.
Tel 504-988-6600
fax 504-988-6601 The Office of Medical Education’s missions align with
ome@tulane.edu and support TUSOM’s institutional goals.
www.som.tulane.edu/ome

Staff OME Missions:

Annie J. Daniel, PhD  Consultation on Teaching

Director
Phone: (504) 988-6600
Fax: (504) 988-6601
Email: adaniel@tulane.edu
Byron E. Crawford, MD
A Director of the Office of Medical
Education
Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
Phone: (504) 988-6603
Email: bcrawfo@tulane.edu
Jennifer Gibson PhD
Assessment/Evaluation Specialist
Phone: (504) 988-6600
Email: jwgibson@tulane.edu
 Curriculum Development
 Evaluation of Medical Student Performance
 Program Evaluation
 Medical Education Research
 Publication of Scholarship in Medical
Education
 Proposals for Medical Education Grants
 Evidence Based Medicine
 Faculty Development
 Educational Technology
 Academic Counseling for Students and
Residents

Jeanne Samuel, MEd

Instructional Technologist
Phone: (504) 988-6600
Email: jeanne@tulane.edu

Deborah Larimer, EdD

Instructional Specialist
Phone: (504) 988-6600
Email: dlarimer@tulane.edu

Trenise Thomas
Executive Secretary
Phone: (504) 988-6600
Email: tthomas1@tulane.edu