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The medical school recently welcomed Abigail Solitro, PhD, to its Department of Biomedical Sciences. Read more at…

WMED SPOTLIGHT

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Robert W. Rebar, MD, founding chair and professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at WMed, was recently presented with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Lifetime Achievement Award during the ASRM Annual Scientific Congress in Anaheim, California. Robert W. Rebar, MD The award honors a member of ASRM who has made exemplary contributions to the field of reproduction during their career. Dr. Rebar was recognized for his “substantial and impactful contributions to reproductive biology and academic medicine,” which “have made a lasting impact on the frontiers of research in reproductive sciences and in the education of the scientific community. As Executive Director of ASRM for a decade, his leadership helped to advance the strategic initiatives of the Society, to facilitate relationships with key stakeholders, and to enhance the overall vibrance and relevancy of the organization.” Dr. Rebar received his MD degree from the University of Michigan, completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health. He served on the faculties of UCSD and Northwestern medical schools before becoming chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Cincinnati. He served as full-time Executive Director of the ASRM for 11 years. After retirement, Dr. Rebar became the founding chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at WMed where he recruited the initial faculty, and with them developed a medical school clerkship and a residency program in obstetrics and gynecology before stepping down to focus on teaching. Dr. Rebar is a member of numerous professional societies, including ASRM, served on the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Subspecialty Division of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and has served on the editorial boards of several journals. Dr. Rebar has authored over 300 articles on menopause, fertility, and reproductive endocrinology and has been the principal or a co-investigator on several NIH grants. His research focused on forms of hypothalamic chronic anovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian insufficiency, menopause, and contraception. Dr. Rebar has published peer-reviewed articles during seven consecutive decades, from the 1960s through the 2020s. He has published articles in many of the leading journals in his discipline, including Science, the Journal of the American Medical Society, the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrinology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Menopause, Fertility and Sterility, Human Reproduction, the Biology of Reproduction, and Contraception. He has previously received lifetime achievement awards from the International Federation of Fertility Societies and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics. ASRM is the largest and oldest society devoted to reproductive medicine in the world, founded in 1944 with over 8,000 members worldwide from over 100 different countries.
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RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT
When she decided to participate in a four-week international health elective that took her to West Africa, WMed General Surgery resident Raisa Gao, DO, hoped the experience would give her a global perspective of medicine and the ability to help patients with the skills she has learned through medical school and residency. Raisa Gao, MD, spent 28 days on a global surgery elective in Monrovia, Liberia. Nearly a month in Monrovia, Liberia, provided those things and so much more, Dr. Gao said recently. The experience was life-changing and “like nothing I have experienced before,” the third-year resident said. Dr. Gao traveled to the West African country in November 2022 with Marc Downing, MD, a clinical assistant professor in the medical school’s Departments of Surgery and Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, and a pediatric surgeon at Bronson Healthcare. The rotation, now in its third year after being paused for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, allows a general surgery resident to perform surgeries in the country with Dr. Downing, who has an established relationship with medical providers there. “This isn’t something that you can read in a textbook,” Dr. Gao said. “This is something you have to go and do. I knew I would gain a new perspective, but it was so much more and I’m going to be able to hold this for the rest of my life.” In their third through fifth years at WMed, General Surgery residents can choose to go abroad on an elective rotation. This year, Dr. Gao went for a full block – 28 days – which means she can use that time toward her minimum of 850 major operative procedures over the five years of residency as required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Surgery toward her residency completion. On average, WMed General Surgery residents perform 1,300 surgeries by the time they graduate residency. While Liberia isn’t a new global surgery elective for WMed general surgery residents, Dr. Gao is the first WMed resident to have stayed in the country for a full block, and she is the first WMed resident to get credit for the trip as a global elective. “What was different about this trip was it gave us a more in-depth understanding of the hospital environment and the cultural impact on medical care, and more longitudinal view of our patients,” Dr. Downing said. Dr. Gao gave a Grand Rounds on the history and future of women in surgery during her time in Liberia. Liberia, a historically stable and wealthy country, was decimated by a civil war that ended in 2003. The social and economic collapse resulting from the civil war have plunged the country into being one of the poorest countries in the world. Bronson Methodist Hospital provided charity care to Isaac Kolleh, a Liberian toddler with imperforate anus, in 2008. Dr. Downing performed a follow-up procedure on Isaac in 2019. The physician performed charity care surgery on a second Liberian infant, Blessing Brown, around the same time. Dr. Downing and his daughter traveled back to Liberia with Blessing, making connections at JFK Memorial Medical Center in Monrovia, which had restarted a surgical training program in 2012 to train Liberian physicians. In 2018, Dr. Robert Sawyer, chairman of the medical school’s Department of Surgery, asked Dr. Downing to develop a global surgical experience with WMed’s General Surgery residents. JFK Memorial Medical Center was an obvious partner based on Bronson and Dr. Downing’s established relationships with Liberians, demonstrable medical need, and shared English language. Dr. Downing took a senior resident to Liberia for the first time in 2019 to evaluate whether it would be an option. He returned with a resident in February 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from further trips until this past November. Each trip costs about $10,000 in travel costs, visas and food. A dedicated fund at WMed pays for the surgical resident’s expenses. Each trip includes educational trainings for Liberian physicians, residents, medical students and nurses. Dr. Downing said he hopes to expand the partnership to allow for Liberian surgical residents and surgeons to come to Kalamazoo for a month to give them a different perspective on medicine, recognizing there are cultural, physical and financial differences that make it impossible to replicate the American health care system. “We are embarking on collaborative research between our department and their department,” Dr. Downing said. “My personal goal is to enhance the education of Liberian surgical residents who will become future Liberian surgeons.” Overall, the trip was insightful and one of the most challenging life experiences she has had thus far, Dr. Gao said. The heat and operating conditions made it physically and mentally challenging, but Dr. Gao said she saw how resilient the healthcare workers are despite the healthcare system, its challenges, the country’s corruption and healthcare workers who sometimes don’t see a paycheck for months at a time. “When I signed up to do this elective, global surgery wasn't necessarily something that I was super involved in at all,” Dr. Gao said. “I knew that it was something that I was interested in, but I had never had a chance to go and actively be a part of it. This experience has really made my interest grow a lot more. Now I know that there really is this need around the world, and it makes me more thankful for the resources we have here in America.” Marc Downing, MD Liberian families in general have a distrust of health care and often cannot afford to pay for the services up front. By the time they take a family member to the hospital for treatment, the patient is in much worse condition, and the patient’s outcomes are worse, Dr. Gao said. Dr. Downing and Dr. Gao spent most of their time operating at two hospitals, JFK Memorial and ELWA Hospital, and rounding on patients who were recovering from surgery. Dr. Gao worked with Dr. Downing and a variety of other attendings.   “There were a lot of operative cases I was involved in while there that were certainly different than here because the people came in very sick.” Dr. Gao said. “We never knew what to expect because CT scans aren’t readily available and even basic ultrasounds or x-rays aren’t available at times. Sometimes the family doesn’t have the money to afford procedures. Sometimes the machines aren’t working. People in America have more trust in the health care system and they’ll come in, for example, when they start having abdominal pain. In my long conversations with the doctors in Liberia, people will come in after weeks of having pain because they think it will pass and only seek treatment when it becomes unbearable.” Dr. Gao performed surgeries on strangulated hernias, gangrenous foot infections that required amputations, exploratory laparotomies, perforated appendicitis and other conditions in children and adults. “I knew it was a very resource-limited area, and I was prepared for that, but going there and seeing the extent of how resource-limited it was truly eye-opening,” Dr. Gao said. “I write for the medications and then the patient’s family decides if they have enough to buy the medications and buy the labs, x-rays and ultrasounds that are needed. The care that you can provide as a doctor in a place such as Liberia is really based on what the family can provide up front. I saw that over and over again. While in my head I was like, oh, I’m not going to have this type of suture available or I might not have my glove size available, what I came to realize wasn’t available was truly so much more than that.” The government-funded, ward-based hospital environment shocked Dr. Gao, she said. Several patients share a small room and their beds are separated by curtains. The hospitals do not have air conditioning, and flies buzz around the patients. These critically ill patients are at the mercy of the procedures and tests their families can afford. On the other hand, at ELWA, the private hospital, the care team efficiently performed wound care and daily patient care, she said. “I live my life needing to know that I’ve been able to have a lot of different perspectives,” Dr. Gao said. “Time is fleeting, and soon I won’t be able to have these opportunities where I can pick up for an entire month and go to a low-income country and practice medicine there. I wanted to make sure I went while I had the chance to experience this, learn from it and gain a new perspective.” As part of the effort to establish and promote a mutually beneficial academic relationship between WMed and the department of surgery at JFK Memorial Medical Center, Bronson has partnered with Dr. Downing and WMed to donate medical equipment to Liberia in conjunction with the trips. This equipment and medical supplies no longer meet the United States’ criteria for use, but can be used in foreign aid. For this most recent trip, Bronson donated 18 cots for emergency COVID-19 care, 45 pallets of excess personal protective equipment including gowns, gloves, masks, booties and goggles, and expired hospital supplies. Jon Moyle, the chief financial officer at Mattawan-based Ralph Moyle Inc., offered to transport the materials to Atlanta, Georgia, at no charge, so it could be shipped to Liberia. Included in the donations were two esophageal dilators that had been replaced due to age. Dr. Downing trained Liberian surgeons to use the equipment so they can evaluate caustic esophageal injuries. Liberians make their own soap and on an almost daily basis a child drinks the solution that looks like water but causes esophageal burns, he said. Medical school leaders hope to expand the global elective so that more of the program’s 24 residents have an opportunity to attend, said Saad Shebrain, MD, program director of the medical school’s General Surgery residency. The rotation would be impossible to do without the help and connections established by Dr. Downing, Dr. Shebrain said. “Dr. Downing arranges the trip from his heart because he wants to take our residents to do good things for people, and be able to work in an environment with very limited-medical resources, and still provide the best patient care possible,” Dr. Shebrain said. “He works with Bronson to donate medical supplies. He goes above and beyond. “The surgeons in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Bronson Methodist Hospital are really invested in our residency. They are dedicated to teaching and they have an intrinsic drive to help our residents. We can see that based on the feedback from our residents.”
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SIMULATION CENTER SPOTLIGHT
In early August, while working with first-year Emergency Medicine residents in the Simulation Center at the W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus, Dr. Emily Rozin used a short break in her teaching to learn something new of her own – how to perform an advanced intubation technique known as the ice axe method. In early August, Dr. John Hoyle, left, and Dr. Emily Rozin, practiced the ice axe intubation technique in the WMed Simulation Center. “We had some down time and he said, ‘Do you want to learn something cool?’” said Dr. Rozin, referring to Dr. John Hoyle, the medical school’s assistant dean for Simulation. “So, he used that opportunity to share this advanced technique with me.” The interaction that day was a spur-of-the-moment training session as Dr. Hoyle demonstrated the ice axe method and Dr. Rozin observed. Then, she got the chance to hone her skills at the face-to-face intubation technique several times. Side-by-side photos capturing the impromptu training were shared that day on the WMed EM Residency & EMS Fellowship Facebook page. As it turned out, her time that day with Dr. Hoyle equipped Dr. Rozin, a co-chief resident in the Emergency Medicine residency program at WMed, with a new skill she would use less than 24 hours later to save a patient’s life. That next day, Dr. Rozin was working a shift with West Michigan AirCare when she responded to a call in the region for a patient with severe facial injuries. She was part of a team that boarded an AirCare helicopter and flew to a rendezvous point where they met up with EMTs and began treating the patient in the back of an ambulance. “It was by far one of the worst potential airways that I’ve ever encountered,” Dr. Rozin said. “I won’t be surprised If it ends up being one of the worst I see in my career. It’s not something you see very often.” Additionally, Dr. Rozin said the limited space in the ambulance proved challenging as she and the flight nurse, Chris Mullen, assisting her assessed the patient. As it turned out, Mullen had spotted the photos on the EM Facebook page of Dr. Rozin practicing the ice axe technique. Mullen hadn’t used the technique since his time in the military but he believed Dr. Rozin could put the method to use to help the patient. After they laid the patient down, Dr. Rozin knew they only had so much time to secure the patient’s airway. The flight nurse sat at the head of the stretcher and Dr. Rozin straddled the patient’s chest, doing her best not to put her weight on the patient. “We both had a fantastic view from above to secure the patient’s airway,” Dr. Rozin recalled. “With most airways, you have time and other backup things you can do if you don’t get it the first time. In this case, because of the way the injuries had occurred, that was not an option. It was a lot of pressure but I did exactly what Dr. Hoyle taught me, and it was helpful that the flight nurse was familiar with the technique and trusted me, and we were able to work together as a team and do what was best for the patient.” Dr. Rozin said she has no doubt that using the ice axe method that day saved the patient’s life. “The teaching in ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) is airway, breathing, circulation,” Dr. Rozin said. “Airway is the most important thing and you use that for every trauma that comes into the emergency department. The patient’s airway was at such high risk of deteriorating that it was so important to secure it. It was one of those things where having the experience we had and knowing what could go wrong, we didn’t have a choice. Once we had committed to getting that airway, if we couldn’t have gotten it for any reason, the patient would have died.” Dr. Rozin said that after the AirCare helicopter landed at a local Level 1 trauma center, she texted Dr. Hoyle to let him know how she had used the ice axe method to help the patient in need. “We do a lot of stuff in the simulation lab and many of those things I’ve ended up doing in real life in the field,” Dr. Rozin said. “I’m incredibly appreciative for the training. That was one of the things I looked for when I interviewed at Emergency Medicine residency programs. Some places would say they used their simulation labs once or twice a year but here at WMed, we use the Simulation Center monthly in addition to tons of other trainings we take part in.” For Dr. Hoyle, who was named the new assistant dean for Simulation at WMed in July, Dr. Rozin’s story serves as a real-life, tangible example of why the types of trainings that take place in the WMed Simulation Center are so important for residents, medical students, and faculty. “The whole idea behind simulation is giving trainees – whether they’re students, residents, or faculty – the opportunity to deal with rare cases and procedures, as well as common cases and procedures, in a safe environment where they can practice repeatedly,” Dr. Hoyle said. “It helps your confidence and when you’re thrown into a real-life situation, you say, ‘I’ve done this.’” Dr. Hoyle said he was overwhelmed with joy and pride after he received the text message from Dr. Rozin in early August and then, later, as he got the chance to debrief with her over the phone. “I was really proud of her,” Dr. Hoyle said. “There’s definitely an extreme sense of pride in what they were able to accomplish for that patient. I really was floored after getting the text and then hearing the story from her and how well the technique worked.”
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
After they arrived at WMed in 2020, a mutual passion for biking helped John Bradtke, James Burton, and Victor Hung form a quick bond and friendship as they began taking on the rigors of medical school as first-year students. This May, students from the WMed Cycling Interest Group will take part in “Coast to Coast for Cancer” and pedal more than 300 miles from Port Huron to South Haven to raise $5,000 or more for the West Michigan Cancer Center. They spent weekends together on their bikes and planned rides for after class. They formed a cycling interest group and for the last two years they’ve coordinated an annual bike ride on the Kal-Haven Trail and overnight camping trip at the Kal-Haven Outpost in South Haven. The latest trip this past fall attracted 30 people. “It’s really about getting outside and doing something that keeps us healthy and brings us together,” Bradtke said. Now, as third-year students at the medical school, the three friends want to use their love of cycling to benefit the community and a worthy cause. This May, Bradtke, Burton, and Hung plan to take part in what they’ve named “Coast to Coast for Cancer” and pedal more than 300 miles from Port Huron to South Haven to raise $5,000 or more for the West Michigan Cancer Center. During the east-west trip across the Lower Peninsula, which is scheduled for May 4-7, they’ll touch three of the Great Lakes – Huron, Erie, and Michigan, respectively. “For us, it’s something where the money we hope to raise can make a huge difference in the lives of patients at the cancer center and we want to support those patients in any way possible,” Bradtke said. For the last two years, the Cycling Interest Group has coordinated an annual bike ride on the Kal-Haven Trail and overnight camping trip at the Kal-Haven Outpost in South Haven. Both Bradtke and Hung have personally witnessed the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on person and their family with Bradtke’s grandfather and Hung’s father both having battled prostate cancer. Bradtke's grandmother also battled lymphoma. Those experiences fueled their desire to put together a fundraiser for the cancer center. Bradtke, Burton, and Hung said they’ve also each been inspired during their clinical rotations at the West Michigan Cancer Center by Drs. Anna Hoekstra, Laurence McCahill, and Gitonga Munene. “They work with a lot of complex cases and they just do amazing work supporting patients,” Burton said. “They’re really inspirational surgeons and it’s a privilege to be able to work with them and also find another way through our fundraiser to support the patients they help.” When it came time to put a plan for the benefit ride into action, Bradtke and Hung, along with Burton, turned to fellow M3 Kira Couch to figure out the coordination and logistics of such a venture. She was happy to support the effort. DONATE HERE Couch, a native of Lisle, Illinois, lost her best friend to cancer while in high school and later became a junior board member of the Swifty Foundation, which was launched by her best friend before his death at the age of 15. In that role, Couch took part in fundraisers, at one point shaving her head along with her best friend’s sister to raise money for the foundation. While in college at IUPUI, she was also heavily involved with Dance Marathon, an effort that raises money for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. “It’s really nice that I can do this with three of my close friends,” Couch said. “I have zero interest in cycling but I am just really glad that they wanted to have this huge undertaking for such a great cause and that I can be a part of it.” The students have set up a GoFundMe page where visitors to the site can donate and show their support for the upcoming charity bike ride. For anyone who isn't interested in making the entire 300-mile trip, there will be an option to meet up with the Cycling Interest Group at the Kal-Haven trailhead on 10th Street in Oshtemo Township on the afternoon of May 7 to take part in the final leg of the ride to South Haven. Burton said he and his classmates have their trip mapped out already. They plan to take a train from Kalamazoo to Port Huron on May 3 and will begin their trek the following morning, traveling from Port Huron toward Lake Erie. The second day they’ll ride to a stopping point in central Michigan and head from there on day three toward Kalamazoo. By the fourth day, they plan to make the final leg of the trip and finish at South Beach in South Haven. So far, Bradtke, Burton, and Hung are the only riders who have committed to making the 300-mile bike trek across the state. However, anyone interested in joining them can send an email to Bradtke, Burton, Hung, or Couch. For those who aren’t interested in making the entire trip, there will be an option to meet up with the trio at the Kal-Haven trailhead on 10th Street in Oshtemo Township on the afternoon of May 7 to take part in the final leg of the ride to South Haven. Couch said the group is also working on an event at South Beach to cheer the riders as they finish on May 7 and take part in a celebration. For now, Bradtke, Burton, and Hung are focused on their preparation for the ride. They’ve each done long rides before, ranging from 80 to 100 miles, but not four days in a row. They each said they’re spending time now indoors staying fit on their bike trainers. Once the snow melts though, Burton said he and his friends will start logging miles outdoors. “I’m really looking forward to being on the bike in the sunshine this spring with my best buds and seeing parts of the state I’ve never been to,” Burton said. Said Bradtke: “I’m really excited for that last day of the ride. It’s going to be amazing and I’m excited to meet up with members of the cycling interest group, community members, and other classmates and do that last leg of the journey together.” As he looks ahead to May, Hung said he is excited to see how it all turns out and he’s hopeful that the fundraiser for the West Michigan Cancer Center will meet or exceed the $5,000 goal. “We want to have a positive impact on our community and raise awareness about the impact of cancer,” Hung said. “We’re going to have an adventure and it will be a great feeling to cross that finish line.”
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT
We formally recognize Mr. William D. Johnston and Mrs. Ronda E. Stryker alongside Mr. William U. Parfet and Mrs. Barbara A. Parfet for their leadership in co-chairing the medical school’s tenth anniversary gala WMed Live: A First Decade Celebration. Their leadership played an instrumental role in honoring Dean Emeritus Hal B. Jenson for his decade of leadership as the founding dean of Kalamazoo’s premier medical school and in welcoming our new dean, Dr. Paula Termuhlen. We appreciate their ongoing enthusiasm to celebrate the achievements of the medical school and our future Clinicians, Leaders, Educators, Advocates, and Researchers of tomorrow. Bill and Ronda have been tireless in their advocacy to encourage members of our regional community to support medical education diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Bill and Barbara have shown generous support for the mission of the medical school, the development of the medical school’s physical facilities, and encouraging philanthropy through the WMed Philanthropy Advisory Council, the Dean’s Circle Leadership Giving Society, and the planned giving programs of the medical school. We proudly recognize these two couples for their bold leadership, inspiring vision, and generous financial support to advance the mission of WMed and its place in the field of global medical education.
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LATEST NEWS & EVENTS

New Rave Panic Button App Enhances WMed’s Emergency Notification System

WMed MLK Day Celebration 2023

WMed, Bronson Healthcare honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day with event at W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus

Abigail Solitro, PhD

Medical school welcomes Abigail Solitro, PhD to the Department of Biomedical Sciences

10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites

Class of 2023 Commencement

4:00-6:30 p.m., Miller Auditorium

All WMed campuses closed

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