Welcome to the Medical Alumni Association!
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We would like to congratulate our 2021 MD, PT, PA, and GME graduates!
Once again this year, we celebrate these momentous achievements virtually. We applaud your phenomenal accomplishments, commitment, and dedication.
You now join an incredible network of alumni who once stood where you now stand. We look forward to watching your journeys unfold and are so proud to call you our alumni.
Welcome to the Medical Alumni Association!
Read more about Graduation 2021 on our website. |
MAA Names 2021 Viste Award Recipient
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Congratulations to Elsy Virginia Compres, ’21 MD, this year’s winner of the Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., ’66 MD, Student Service Recognition Award.
Held again as a special virtual ceremony this year, the Viste Award is presented in grateful recognition of outstanding volunteer service to Northwestern University |
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Dear Alumni, We hope that you enjoyed our special edition of the Medical Alumni Association newsletter last month. We are officially counting down to Alumni Weekend 2022, which will be held April 29–30, 2022. We are so excited to welcome back all alumni. We will have some fabulous programming by our world-class faculty, ways to engage with your fellow alumni and share reflections of your time at Northwestern, class dinners, and tours of Chicago and the campus. More information will be shared in the upcoming months, but please do reach out with any specific questions. We can’t wait to see you all in person again!
Thank you,
Babette
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Feinberg School of Medicine by the MAA at the annual Honors Day ceremony. Dr. Compres also was the recipient of the Daniel Hale Williams Diversity and Inclusion Award for her efforts in Feinberg’s pipeline programs and student groups, such as the Latino Medical Student Association. Congratulations to Dr. Compres and all of the awardees!
For the historical listing of all Viste Award recipients, please visit our website. |
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the online “Kudoboard” for the graduating Class of 2021. Your support, advice, encouragement, and words of wisdom show how connected we are as alumni and highlight the strength of our community. Kudos to the graduates and thank you to all of the alums who shared words of congratulations!
View the Kudoboard to read the inspiring messages from your fellow alumni. |
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Celebrating Our PT & PA Graduates |
On April 17, the Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences Department gathered virtually to celebrate the DPT Class of 2021. The students will officially celebrate their graduation on June 25.
View photos of the virtual celebration. |
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Babette Henderson, senior director of Alumni Engagement, recently welcomed the PA Class of 2021 to the MAA via Zoom. Congratulations to all the graduates!
Join us in celebrating the PA Class of 2021 by viewing our photo album. |
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Feinberg and the Medical Alumni Association have been pleased to provide numerous virtual offerings for alumni and friends of the medical school.
Learn more about some of our most recent events: |
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Thank you to all those who joined us on April 28 for our webinar, Build a Better Estate Plan. We hope that you enjoyed the opportunity to learn with fellow medical school alumni and friends about estate planning, taxes, and charitable giving through your estate. We are grateful to our speaker, estate planning attorney Shannon Hartzler, JD, for sharing her expertise with our group. If you were unable to join, or would like to revisit the conversation, please contact us to view a recording of the presentation and PowerPoint slides. |
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On May 5, Robert G. Kalb, MD, the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Endowed Professor and director of the Les Turner ALS Center, provided a helpful overview of the Les Turner ALS Center, as well as recent clinical and research accomplishments. Evangelos Kiskinis, PhD, shared a compelling presentation about how neuronal function is impaired in ALS patients and pediatric forms of epilepsy, and his goal to develop effective and targeted therapeutics for these diseases. Thank you to all who joined us virtually for this ALS and Pediatric Epilepsy webinar. |
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Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for medical affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean, along with Robert L. Murphy, MD, ’81 GMER, ’84 GMEF, executive director of the Institute for Global Health, John Philip Phair Professor of Infectious Diseases, and professor of Biomedical Engineering, recently delivered a webinar on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Read more and listen to the podcast. |
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Over 450 people registered for our virtual event on May 19, “High Performance Negotiation Skills for Women: Your Place at the Virtual Table,” with Northwestern alumnae and Leigh Thompson ’82, ’88 PhD, the J. Jay Gerber Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The Women in Medicine subcommittee of your MAA Board was pleased to partner with the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Alumni Association and the Northwestern Alumni Association to facilitate such an informative event. Thank you to everyone who joined us! |
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Have Technical Questions? Want to participate in one of our Zoom webinars or virtual events but aren’t familiar with the platform? Have some technical questions?
The Zoom Help Center offers a series of FAQs, live training webinars, tutorial videos, and recorded training sessions to help users learn how to get started and navigate the platform.
Our team also is happy to help! If you have questions about Zoom or any of our events, email us at medalumevents@northwestern.edu.
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The Class of 1976 Celebrates 45 Years |
Members of the MD Class of 1976 |
Members of the MD Class of 1976 joined us on May 8 for a virtual get-together on Zoom to mark 45 years since medical school graduation. It was wonderful to see so many members of the class!
Those who were unable to join us were dearly missed. We hope that you will save the date and plan to join us in Chicago during Alumni Weekend 2022: April 29–30, 2022 for a postponed in-person celebration. Look for more information coming later this year.
Thank you to Thaddeus Zamirowski, Jr., ’76 MD; Kathryn M. Andolsek ’74, ’76 MD, ’82 MPH; Gerald M. Casey, ’76 MD; and Jean H. Schott-Wagner ’74, ’76 MD for organizing this get-together! |
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MAA Digital Series:
Hosted by Joseph Gugenheim, ’72 MD |
“Men-Only Club with a Dirigible Port on N. Michigan Avenue; Strange but True”
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We’re thrilled to share with you the newest installment of the MAA digital series from our favorite historian, alum Joseph Gugenheim, ’72 MD!
Join Dr. Gugenheim for a virtual exploration through another fascinating point in Chicago history when the Medinah Athletic Club on North Michigan Avenue (now the InterContinental Hotel) was a men’s athletic club, complete with a dirigible port for docking transcontinental flights. Dr. Gugenheim presents “Men-Only Club with a Dirigible Port on N. Michigan Avenue; Strange but True.”
Thank you, Dr. Gugenheim! |
A Fond Farewell and a Warm Welcome... |
At our virtual spring Medical Alumni Association (MAA) Board of Directors Meeting on April 24, the presidential gavel was passed. We saluted Rishindra Reddy ’96, ’00 MD, for his outstanding service as president of the MAA. Dr. Reddy’s contributions and leadership as MAA president in the face of the pandemic was pivotal in our successful transition to virtual alumni and board engagement over the past year. We thank you, Dr. Reddy.
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It is with great pride that we now welcome Edward S. Kim ’93, ’96 MD, as our 16th MAA president. In his previous role as chair of the MAA Engagement Committee, Dr. Kim contributed to the expansion of several initiatives that have enabled us to connect with a larger portion of our alumni population through virtual events and offer an ever-increasing portfolio of opportunities for alumni to engage with their alma mater and fellow alums.
Congratulations to you both!
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Reflections From Our Half Century Club Members
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In this “Pearls of Wisdom” section of the newsletter, we share reflections, words of advice, and tales of the storied careers of our Half Century Club alumni members. In this month's feature, we’re pleased to share reflections from Courtland L. Munroe, ’65 MD (pictured above): “Patients want to be touched by their physician and have their physician look them in the eyes when talking. It is a sign of caring and that you are personally interested in the patient as an individual. In this age of electronic medical records and laptop computers entering data, these things do not happen. I am retired but when I was working, I always took my patient’s blood pressure myself. It took an extra 20 seconds but was a powerful action. During the flu season, I had my nurse draw up the influenza vaccine and have the syringe ready for me when I was through with my encounter, and then I gave the vaccine injection myself. Another 20 seconds. So in less than one minute, I was able to reinforce to the patient that I cared for them as an individual.
During most patient encounters the diagnosis can be made by the history alone, but when you examine the patient and actually touch them, you are again showing that you care for them as an individual.” Thank you, Dr. Munroe! |
Are you a member of our Half Century Club, our esteemed alumni who graduated 50+ years ago? Then we want to hear from you! Send us your "Pearls of Wisdom" for inclusion in an upcoming newsletter.
Email Jillian Kurtz Brubaker at jillian.brubaker@northwestern.edu. |
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National Nurses Day (May 6) |
This month, on May 6, we celebrated National Nurses Day. On this day and every day, we honor the incredible contributions that you have made to the field through your dedication, innovation, and phenomenal care.
Thank you to our frontline heroes! |
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Northwestern Medical Orchestra |
2021 Virtual Spring Concert
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On April 30, the Northwestern Medical Orchestra (NMO) performed its 2021 Virtual Spring Concert—an evening of livestreamed chamber music performances, including pieces by Piazzolla, Mozart, Brahms, Mendelssohn, and more. The NMO’s musicians are comprised of alumni, physicians, medical students, staff, and other members of the Northwestern community. If you were unable to join or would like to revisit the concert, please visit the NMO website to view a recording of the performance. |
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Dr. John J. Sciarra shared this wonderful photo “from the archives” with us. Pictured in front with Dr. Sciarra is Melvin V. Gerbie, ’60 MD, and behind them are the six Northwestern residents who graduated in 1975.
Thank you, Dr. Sciarra, for this fantastic walk down memory lane! |
Meet Your Feinberg Alumni Relations Staff
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It is our honor to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Saniya Abdulla. She recently has joined us as the assistant director of Reunion and Leadership Giving. Saniya will lead our efforts with Reunion and serve as the contact for next year’s class reps and reunion volunteers as we ramp up to Alumni Weekend 2022, April 29–30. She has been with Feinberg since 2019 on our Operations and Finance Team, and before that, she worked in Gift and Records Services on our Central campus. Many of you will hear from her in the coming months as outreach for our Reunion begins! She can’t wait to meet you, hear your ideas and stories, and help inspire you and your classmates to stay connected with your medical alma mater. |
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Fun Facts: Saniya is a foodie, loves to DIY, and has lived in four different countries.
We are thrilled to have her, so please join us in welcoming her to the Alumni Relations team! |
Reminder: Alumni Community Census |
Last month, the Northwestern Alumni Association announced the Alumni Community Census, a new initiative to help Northwestern obtain a more complete picture of our alumni. We’re seeking a better understanding of how our alumni identify. Northwestern doesn’t have demographic data for many of our alumni—particularly in areas like race, ethnicity, preferred language, and gender identity. The Alumni Community Census is an effort to change this so that we can deepen our understanding of Northwestern graduates and enhance our ability to serve all alumni. If you haven't already, please take five minutes to complete 10 questions. For more information on this census, read a recent message to the Feinberg alumni community from Babette Henderson, senior director of Alumni Engagement. Thank you for helping us build a welcoming community for ALL! |
Andrew D. Bunta ’64, ’67 MD, ’74 GMER, former MAA Board president, has been named a “Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession” by the American Orthopaedic Association. The honor recognizes orthopaedic surgeons for their significant dedication, leadership, and contributions to the field. From 1999 to 2015, Dr. Bunta served as vice chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and as associate program director of the orthopaedic surgery residency program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). Most recently, he served as medical director of the NMH orthopaedic unit in Feinberg Pavilion and currently serves as medical director of clinical documentation improvement at NMH and Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. Read more about this award and Dr. Bunta's career on our website. Congratulations, Dr. Bunta! |
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Stanley R. Frankel, ’85 MD, was recently appointed to the board of directors of Precision Biosciences, Inc., and also to its Science and Technology Committee. Additionally, he assumed the role of chief medical officer of Cytovia Therapeutics and joined the Scientific Advisory Board of Immunai. Dr. Frankel is an adjunct associate professor of Medicine at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine. Congratulations, Dr. Frankel!
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Elisa S. Gallo, ’99 MD, recently received a Presidential Citation at the annual American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) meeting for over a decade of mentorship and volunteer work both nationally and internationally. Dr. Gallo also was elected Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology section editor for the AAD podcast, Dialogues in Dermatology, which provides continuing medical education to 20,000 members. She also serves as an associate editor. Congratulations, Dr. Gallo!
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Sheila K. Gujrathi ’92, ’96 MD, was recently appointed to the board of directors of Janux Therapeutics. In 2020, she also was appointed chair of the ADARx board of directors. Dr. Gujrathi is the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Gossamer Bio, Inc. Congratulations, Dr. Gujrathi!
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Isaac Y. Kim, ’94 PhD, ’97 MD, was recently appointed chair of the Department of Urology at Yale School of Medicine and chief of Urology at Yale New Haven Hospital. Currently, Dr. Kim serves as professor and chief of the Division of Urology in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, chief of the Section of Urologic Oncology and executive director of the Prostate Cancer Center at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and medical director of robotic surgery at Monmouth Medical Center. Dr. Kim’s appointment at Yale will begin September 1. Congratulations, Dr. Kim! |
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Charles S. Modlin ’83, ’87 MD, recently authored the book It Isn’t Difficult to Do It IF You Know How to Do It. The soon-to-be-released book is described as a “must read for all of our kids and youth seeking success.” Dr. Modlin is the founder and chief executive office of the Dr. Modlin, MD Health & Wellness Group, as well as a kidney transplant surgeon, urologist, and minority health and community outreach leader. Congratulations, Dr. Modlin!
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Trent W. Nichols, Jr., ’69 MD, ’76 GMER, ’78 GMEF, has been named chief medical officer of the International Cancer Alliance for Research and Education, which is working to change the standard of care by providing a 90% survival increase through cancer banking using an organoid or mouse model for chemotherapy and immunotherapy testing. Dr. Nichols and his family also founded sanfec.org following the recent death of his wife, Sharon Ann, of carcinosarcoma. He oversaw a successful clinical trial of a transcranial NIR (tNIR) LED light helmet, which is being submitted for publication in Alzheimer’s and Dementia by invitation from the Alzheimer’s Association. Dr. Nichols is currently editing Nutrients and Directed Energy in Medicine for CRC Press and is a member of American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society and the Society of Neuroscience. Recently, he incorporated Photo-Bio Brain Mod Inc. for the manufacture and sale of tNIR LED Helmets. He also is planning a clinical trial of tNIR, combined with an antibiotic/methylation agent, which crosses the blood brain barrier in early Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s dementia. Congratulations, Dr. Nichols!
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Amy Paller, MD, ’83 GMER, has been named the recipient of the prestigious 2021 David Martin Carter Mentor Award by the American Skin Association (ASA). The award honors members of the dermatology community who embody the characteristics of the late Dr. David Martin Carter, who “worked tirelessly to grow the [ASA] into a leading force to defeat melanoma, skin cancer, and other skin diseases.” Dr. Paller is the Walter J. Hamlin Chair and Professor of Dermatology, a professor of Pediatrics, and principal investigator of the NIH-funded Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center at Feinberg. The naming of the award can be viewed virtually. Congratulations, Dr. Paller! |
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Lynn A. Steffes (née Meerschaert) ’81 PT, DPT, has been selected as an American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Centennial Lecture Series speaker. Dr. Steffes is president/consultant at Steffes & Associates Consulting Group, LLC. She served on the board of directors for the APTA Private Practice Section and is a frequent speaker at section meetings. Dr. Steffes also is a contributor to PPS Impact Magazine, serves as the Wisconsin Physical Therapy Association payment specialist, and has been on faculty and involved in the curriculum development for the APTA Executive Program in Practice Management, serving as a lead instructor. For more information, visit the APTA website. Congratulations, Dr. Steffes!
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Do you have news to share with us or know of an alumnus/a we should recognize in the newsletter? Post it on our Facebook page or email us at medalum@northwestern.edu. |
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Did you know that the MAA has its very own Plan It Purple calendar? With the Plan It Purple calendar, you'll never miss a Medical Alumni Association event! You can register for events, download a save-the-date reminder to your calendar, and learn more about all the other University-wide events and offerings. Bookmark the MAA calendar or visit the MAA home page to keep tabs on all of our upcoming events. |
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Wednesday, June 9, 2021 | 4:00–5:00 p.m. CST
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The Northwestern Pritzker Law Alumni Association, along with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Medical Alumni Association and the Northwestern Alumni Association, invite you to a discussion reflecting on the first one hundred days of the COVID-19 vaccine with Northwestern experts. This panel features Richard T. D’Aquila, MD, director of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute and Egon A. Ozer, MD, PhD, ’09 GMER, ’11 GMEF, ’12 GMEF, director of the new Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution in the Institute for Global Health, in a conversation moderated by Emily Gibellina ’10 JD, assistant vice chancellor for Health Affairs Advocacy and Government Relations at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. Advance registration required. |
Monday, June 14, 2021 | 4:00–5:00 p.m. CST
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Amazing possibilities at Northwestern Medicine are within our reach. Northwestern physicians and scientists are using cutting-edge data methods to develop more accurate diagnostic tests and precise treatments for patients. By building these on a solid foundation of better data and a commitment to principles of responsible use, they are assuring these innovations will transform medicine for all.
The Institute for Augmented Intelligence in Medicine (I.AIM), newly established by Feinberg, is the launching pad for these exciting developments. Join us to hear a dynamic discussion between four accomplished senior I.AIM leaders as they share the results they seek, the challenges they must overcome, and their collaborative plan for finding answers. Featuring Abel Kho, MD, MS, FACMI; Lee A. Cooper, PhD; Sanjiv Shah, MD, and Kelly Michelson, MD, MPH, ’04 GMEF. Advance registration required. |
Monthly; Dates Below | 5:00 p.m. CST
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Women physicians face unique challenges and obstacles throughout their professional careers. These challenges may affect leadership development and opportunities for women in medicine, resulting in a gender gap in the governance of academic medical centers. The third annual Northwestern Women in Medicine Conference will help to identify the obstacles that contribute to gender inequity and start the discourse to bridging it by hosting a virtual lecture series monthly.
Thursday, June 17, 2021 | “Leveraging Social Media for Education and Professional Development”
Thursday, July 22, 2021 | “Building a Pipeline of Women Leaders Through Promoting Gender Equity”
Advance registration required. CME credit available. |
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Stay in tune with Feinberg faculty through candid interviews in the Breakthroughs podcast archives. Listen to their insights, explore recent episodes, claim continuing medical education credit, and subscribe to the show so that you can stay up-to-date with the latest discoveries. Recent episodes feature alumni Emily Miller, MD, MPH, ’11 GMER, ’14 GMEF, and Shuai “Steve” Xu, MD, MSc, ’18 GMER. Claim CME Credit—At the bottom of every podcast story page, you’ll find the eligible credit amount and a “claim your credit” button, which will take you to Feinberg’s CME website. Just sign in and fill out the form. Feinberg School of Medicine podcasts are available on: iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Stitcher. |
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Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Medical Alumni Association
420 East Superior Street, Rubloff Building, 9th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60611
medalum@northwestern.edu
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