The UAB Office of International Medical Education at the Heersink School of Medicine is proud to announce the launch of the Recognition of Distinction in Global Health, an innovative program designed to empower future physicians to think globally, act locally, and lead boldly. Conceptualized by Majd Zayzafoon, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, professor of Medical Education and assistant dean for International Medical Education, the program combines experiential learning with real-world impact to prepare UAB medical students to make lasting changes in healthcare and public service.

This December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sought to connect with the medical community by learning about the season’s rich variety of holidays. In part three of our holiday series, we explore Christmas, celebrated worldwide for its message of love, generosity, and joy. To capture the spirit and significance of the holiday, we spoke with Monica Henderson, Administrative Director in Clinical Simulation, and Dominique McCray, Clinical Program Manager II in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, to learn more about how Christmas' themes of giving and togetherness resonate in their lives and work.

This December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sought to connect with the medical community by learning about the season’s rich variety of holidays. In part two of our holiday series, we explore Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African heritage, community values, and cultural reflection. To better understand the holiday’s significance, we spoke with Kim Ayers, nurse manager at the UAB Center for Psychiatric Medicine, who shared how Kwanzaa’s principles inspire her approach to health care and community building.

For December, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement set out to learn more about this season’s holidays by connecting with our faculty, staff, and students. In part one of our holiday series, we explored the history and traditions of Chanukah, celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev (the ninth month of the Jewish religious year) in the Hebrew calendar, as light triumphing over darkness. To capture the spirit and significance of the holiday, we spoke with Rabbi Levi Weinbaum from the Chabad of Alabama, first-year social work student David Kirby, postdoctoral fellow Anna Stoll, and former Jewish Medical Student Association President Ben Honan.

The fight against breast cancer is about more than just treatment—it’s about empowering patients to live their best lives throughout their journey. The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement sat down with Gabrielle Rocque, M.D., a breast cancer specialist at UAB, to discuss how her work goes beyond traditional treatment to enhance resilience and quality of life for patients.

In 2015, Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., an associate professor in the Division of Pediatrics, pioneered the idea for the COACHES Program—an initiative that is now transforming pediatric care in Alabama through education and simulation training. The Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement is excited to host Rutledge for this month’s American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) lecture, where she will share insights about the inception and impact of this groundbreaking program.

Faculty, staff, students, and their families gathered for an evening filled with cultural traditions, lively music, and a strong sense of community as the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement hosted its inaugural Hispanic Heritage Month Commemoration at University Tacos, located on 5th Avenue North.

The Heersink School of Medicine is looking forward to hosting the next lecture in the Step AHEAD series, “Voices For Our Fathers.” This important panel discussion will feature family members of men who were unwittingly involved in the U.S. Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis in the African American Negro Males, conducted in Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama, from 1932 to 1972.

Caroline Harada, M.D., associate dean for strategic initiatives in the Heersink School of Medicine Department of Medical Education, has been awarded the 2024 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

On September 28 and 29, 2023, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) held the inaugural UAB Global Health Symposium with a mission of “promoting equity in global health partnerships.” One year later, we reflect on the lasting impact of the symposium by recognizing collaborations that have seen continued success because of the event, including an ongoing partnership between UAB and Alexandria University.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine announces the opening of a new office: the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement (OAE). The office will advise the dean and lead the strategic direction of the school’s programs and policies intended to identify and address barriers to success. It will promote an open and accessible environment for all students, faculty, and staff, ensuring every individual can thrive and contribute meaningfully to excellence in health care and science at UAB.

In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Heersink School of Medicine Office of Access & Engagement, in partnership with the UAB Office of Access & Engagement, gathered with members of the community to celebrate the achievements of Hispanic health care providers.

UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 22 individuals in its ninth cohort of Institute for Leadership in August 2024.

The UAB Master of Science in Global Health (MSGH) program is uniquely offered by the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and the UAB School of Public Health. The degree connects students with cutting-edge global health research and practice through collaborations amongst the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health, the Sparkman Center for Global Health, the Global Health Consortium, and several international partners. Camryn Durham and Divya Annamalai, two recent graduates of the program, share their experience.

The Association for Hospital Medical Education (AHME) declared every third Friday in August the annual GME Professionals Day to recognize program coordinators and GME administrators who help make residency and fellowship training programs successful. This year, GME Professionals Day is celebrated on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.In recognition of GME Professionals Day, get to know several staff leaders working in residency and fellowship programs across UAB.

Megan Saalwaechter is an MS1 student at the Heersink School of Medicine. The first year is always an adjustment, so the Heersink communications team met with her during orientation last July and again during the second semester to see how her first year of medical school was going.

Jordan Beam, a third-year medical student at the Heersink School of Medicine, recently completed an international research elective at Oxford University in the United Kingdom as part of the Medical Student Enrichment Program (MSEP), sponsored by UAB’s Office of International Medical Education.

The UAB Medicine Leadership Competency Model features five domains and 19 competencies. In this series, we’ll examine this model and how it can be used to empower leadership.

Twenty-eight UAB employees recently graduated from the Emerging Leaders Series (ELS) Spring 2024 program. In its pilot year, the program, presented by UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office (LDO), recognized its first cohort of graduates at a ceremony on May 23, 2024.

Twenty exceptional faculty members were honored with the 2024 Dean’s Excellence Awards for their outstanding contributions across service, teaching, research, diversity enhancement, and mentorship within the School of Medicine.