People

There will be a symposium on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 to honor the life and work of DR. JAMES FINDLAY WALLACE, who was director of our Internal Medicine Residency Program for 30 years. The symposium, “The Findlay Wallace Symposium: The Future of Graduate Medical Education” will be held from 1-5pm, in the Hogness Auditorium. Read more…

New Medicine Residency Program in Nairobi, Kenya

Starting fall quarter, DR. ALIZA MONROE-WISE, acting instructor and chief resident, will be the first to hold a new one-year chief residency at a rural hospital in Kenya – the Naivasha District Hospital – as part of the Clinical Education Partnership Initiative (CEPI). This new program will also offer a one-to-two month elective for current residents who will be matched with residents at the University of Nairobi. The program is funded by the Departments of Medicine and Global Health and a Programmatic Award from the NIH, "Strengthening Medical Education for Improved Health Outcomes in Kenya." PIs are Dr. James Kiarie (University of Nairobi) and DR. CAREY FARQUHAR, associate professor of medicine (AID), epidemiology and global health.

Taking a page from the WWAMI model of medical education, the Departments of Medicine and Global Health plan to extend clinical training to rural areas outside of Nairobi. So far, twelve UW residents from internal medicine, radiology, general surgery, OB/GYN, and family medicine are scheduled to spend at least four weeks in Kenya. DR. WILLIAM BREMNER, chair of the Department of Medicine, visited Naivasha, Kenya in May of this year and met with leaders at the University of Nairobi. He reported, “the hospital in Naivasha will be a great site for our residents to learn and there is high enthusiasm for this program both at that hospital and within the University of Nairobi. They plan to match one of their residents with one of ours each month, which I think is a great idea.”

Medicine Residency ‘Jeopardy’ Team Finishes 1st in State, 3rd in National ACP Competition

Naomi Diggs, Jason Harper and Pedro Teixeira, representing the UW Internal Medicine Residency program, won the Washington state ‘Medical Jeopardy’ competition in November, then in April travelled to San Diego where they placed third in the national competition at the American College of Physician's Internal Medicine 2011 conference.

Justin Schram Wins the 2010 HMC Housestaff Award

Out of 11 nominees representing the departments of medicine, general surgery, plastic surgery, psychiatry, anesthesia, pediatrics, and neurosurgery, Justin Schram was voted the recipient of the 2010 HMC Housestaff Award. As Dr. Brian Johnston stated, "through his work, Justin truly embodies the ‘highest standards of clinical and humanistic qualities.’" As an internal medicine resident, he has a primary care panel at our Adult Medicine Clinic. His preceptors attest to his truly outstanding clinical skill set—from his knowledge base, to his astute clinical judgment and ability to triage patients that are incredibly complex, both medically and socially. Justin gets rave reviews from his attendings, from the clinic staff, and from his peers and patients.

Justin’s work extends far beyond the clinic room. In the spare time he has, he is working on research studying the effects of indoor air pollution from cooking stoves in a small community in Guatemala—a community to which he has built ties over many years. His initiative to study the effects of toxic indoor cook stoves on local populations and to gradually replace them with clean–burning stoves reflects both his scientific curiosity and a profound humanitarian commitment. Later this year, the Harborview art program will feature Dr. Schram’s photographic images from Guatemala. He has also started a nonprofit organization, Ahuyu, to support his work there and to purchase clean cooking stoves for the residents of this community. You can (and should) see more about the work he's doing here: www.ahuyu.org.

His pragmatism, his initiative, his passion, and his compassion are truly exceptional. The scope of service to others that he's been able to accomplish in only 2 years of residency is humbling and inspiring to all who work with him. As one nominating faculty member wrote: "He is what Harborview stands for!" We concur, and are honored to present him to you as our selection for this year’s award.

Haiti After the Earthquake

Five days after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti, second year resident, Chris Vanderwarker, boarded a plane heading to Boston. His schedule had been cleared and he was set to join other relief workers in Haiti. However, when he arrived at the Partners in Health headquarters, it became abundantly clear that the relief efforts were in serious disarray. There was no functional communication with the Haitian government or their people. Text messaging was being used, but that was poor at best. Chris realized that the Haitian people were in immediate need of surgeons rather than additional medical doctors. This, coupled with the fact that he is still a resident in training and hasn’t done this kind of work before, made him realize he could offer far more assistance by organizing the relief effort from the United States. Read more…

Maryann Overland Receives 2010 Evans Award

Maryann Overland received the Robert S. Evans Award for 2010. This award is presented to the R2 in medicine and the graduating medical student who most clearly reflect the qualities of warmth, understanding, and concern for human welfare exemplified by Dr. Robert Evans, who was chief of medicine at the Seattle VA for many years. Dr. Overland, now an R3 in the Seattle Primary Care track, is a graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Debbie Fromstein Awarded GO Health Fellowship

Debbie Fromstein was awarded a GO Health Fellowship (Global Opportunities Health Fellowship) from the Department of Global Health to help support her Global Health Pathway project. She will be working with Joe Zunt in Peru. This is the first year that these awards were being offered. The purpose of the GO Health Fellowship is to provide financial assistance to a graduate student, professional student, or medical resident at the University of Washington so they may gain valuable international fieldwork experience in global health. The funds have been generously provided by donors committed to the education of global health professionals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

Past Medicine Residency Award Winners

Justin Schram Founds Ahuyu Non-Profit to Promote Healthy Indoor Cookstoves

What do you do in your spare time? After doing volunteer work in Guatemala for 10 years, second year resident, Justin Schram, decided he wanted to do more. This “more” was to set up Ahuyu, a non-profit agency that assists families in purchasing cookstoves for their homes in an attempt to reduce or eliminate the smoke from open flame cooking areas. The indoor air pollution that results from the open flame work areas leads to 1.8 million deaths a year.

“Over two billion people live immersed in the smoke of open cooking fires. The lack of clean and efficient cookstoves perpetuates a cycle of illness, poverty, and environmental degradation,” said Schram. “Ahuyu partners with developing world community organizations to expand access to improved cookstoves, thereby promoting a clean world and healthy people.”

News & Awards

Symposium to Honor Dr. Findlay Wallace