The 51st Annual Medical Alumni Weekend began Friday, Feb. 23 at Volker Hall, where the Medical Alumni Association (MAA) and UAB Heersink School of Medicine Advancement staff greeted the many alumni for the activities planned for Friday afternoon.
First up was a quick stroll across the plaza to Lister Hill Library’s Historical Collections for a tour. The items on display focused on the history of transplantation and surgery, serving as a topical precursor to the Reynolds-Finley Historical Lecture given by Jayme Locke, M.D., Arnold G. Diethelm Endowed Chair in Transplantation Surgery of the UAB Department of Surgery.
Locke served as the 45th Reynolds-Finley Historical Lecturer and presented “Surgery, Science & Advocacy: Promoting Health Equity Across the Continuum of Transplant Care.”
Following her lecture, alumni attendees and guests were invited to attend the Welcome Reception hosted on the second floor of Volker Hall where they were able to see the recently renovated spaces including the Heersink Family Active Learning Center. Heersink School of Medicine faculty and staff were on site to give attendees the opportunity to experience the Heersink Family Active Learning Center in action through some group QAB activities. Current medical students were also present to show alumni and guests through the other renovated spaces in Volker on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors.
After the activities at Volker Hall, attendees went their separate ways to offsite dutch treats at local Birmingham hot spots. Members of the classes of 1974W and 1974S classes celebrated their 50th Reunion with Friday’s 50 Year Class Recognition Dinner and Pinning Ceremony hosted at the UAB National Alumni Society’s Alumni House on the UAB Campus. Photos from the dinner can be found here.
Welcomed by P. Michael Caruso, M.D., president of the University of Alabama Medical Alumni Association, as well as Senior Vice President for Medicine and Dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Anupam Agarwal, M.D., class members enjoyed a night of dining together. Each was ceremoniously pinned with their 50-year class pin.
View photos from Friday’s activities here.
The second full day of activities began with the opportunity to reminisce about days passed over mimosas through the Mimosas and Memories display which featured memorabilia from the UAB Heersink School of Medicine over the decades. Alumni were able to tour the display, share a drink, and view and bid at the Equal Access Birmingham’s Silent Auction tables.
A newcomer to the Saturday schedule was “Breakfast with the Dean,” giving all alumni attendees the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with Dean Anupam Agarwal, M.D.
“Breakfast with the Dean was an incredible time to network with medical school alumni and get to know their stories,” said Agarwal. “Engaging with our alumni strengthens the commitment to excellence in health care at Heersink School of Medicine. At this year’s event, it was invaluable to meet in-person in this setting to learn from their wisdom and discuss the future of our Academic Medical Center.”
Following breakfast, alumni were able to meet and visit with vendors and purchase UAB branded items from the UAB Bookstore. Mid-morning, a large group of alumni gathered in front of the Hilton to load buses and go on a riding bus tour of campus guided by UAB Heersink School of Medicine staff and members of the UAB Facilities Division’s Planning, Design, and Construction team.
Following the bus tours, alumni gathered for the Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon and the 32nd Annual Constance S. and James A. Pittman Lecture. Welcomed by President Michael Caruso, M.D., lunch attendees participated in voting in the new slate of officers led by President-Elect and nominating committee chair, Becky Byrd, M.D. Dean Anupam Agarwal gave an abbreviated State of the School presentation touching on the importance of medical student scholarship giving and then the annual Alumni Awards were presented.
William Shane Lee, M.D., from the Class of 1987 received the Distinguished Service Award. F. Darlene Traffanstedt, M.D., from the Class of 2001 received the Hettie Butler Terry Community Service Award. John B. Waits, M.D., FAAFP, from the Class of 2000 received the Martha Myers Role Model Award. Charis Chambers, M.D., from the Class of 2014 received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award and Oladipo Kukoyi, M.D., from the Class of 1999 received the Distinguished Alumni Award.
After the awards presentation Irfan M. Asif, M.D., the inaugural recipient of the Heersink Endowed Professorship in Sports and Exercise Medicine, and the chair of the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine took the stage to present the 32nd Annual Constance S. and James A. Pittman Lecture, “The Resurgence of Primary Care in Alabama: Progress and Future Directions.”
To close out the afternoon, members of the classes of 2009 and 2014 gathered for their Young Alumni Family Mixer at Monday Night Brewing Social Club in downtown Birmingham. This is the second year for the family-focused laid-back event that provides a way for young alumni to gather in an informal setting to socialize while also introducing their young families to old friends. Photos from the Young Alumni event can be found here.
The final chapter of the weekend has been the longstanding combined reunion reception and individual class dinners. Over 200 alumni were gathered for the reception including classmates that came back to Birmingham from states as far away as Washington and Montana to celebrate milestone reunion years. Milestone reunion dinners were held for the Golden Reunion (alumni of the Class of 1973 or earlier), and the classes of 1974W, 1974S, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, and 1999.
View photos from Saturday’s activities here.