About SMHS
Founded in 1825, the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences is the 11th oldest medical school in the country and the first in the nation’s capital. Since its establishment, the school has been at the forefront of medical education, and has grown to include highly-ranked programs in the health and biomedical sciences. With dozens of top-tier residency programs, SMHS is a competitive and esteemed destination for medical school graduates across the country.
Academics
Emphasizing education through cooperation and collaboration, and using state-of-the-art facilities, the MD curriculum prepares graduates for residencies in numerous concentrations.
Recognized as a leader in Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, and Clinical Research education, these programs develop clinicians and leaders for successful careers.
GME supports residents throughout their training at SMHS, and provides detailed information, resources, policies, and support for current residents at all stages of their programs.
Features
Beyond the Stethoscope
Residents and attending physicians in the Department of Internal Medicine published the third edition of Cuentos, their annual humanities magazine, June 14.
GW SMHS is Three for Three
At the 2013 graduation ceremonies, three generations of GW physicians came together.
M.D. Graduation Celebration
The sounds of bagpipes echoed throughout Lisner Auditorium as the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) M.D. diploma ceremony commenced, May 19.
Health Sciences Graduation Celebration
Health Sciences graduation ceremony was held May 18 in Lisner Auditorium.
SMHS Students Inducted into Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Gold Humanism Honor Society
Members from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) community gathered with friends and family to pay tribute to a select group for their induction into the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Gold Humanism Honor Society.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Graduation Awards Ceremony
The 33 students who make up the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) Class of 2013 Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, gathered in the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre to celebrate their accomplishments and recognize the program’s highest achievers during the Health Sciences program’s DPT Graduation Awards Ceremony, May 17.
M.D. Gala
The M.D. Class of 2013 donned their finest attire and headed out to the Fairmont hotel for an evening of recognition and fun, May 17.
PA White Coat Ceremony
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), Physician Assistant graduates received their long white coats during a ceremony May 17.
Health Sciences Honors the Best and Brightest
Every year the Health Sciences program honors an outstanding undergraduate student and graduate student for their excellence in academics, service, and leadership. Katherine Lemming was the recipient of the health sciences outstanding undergraduate student award.
GW Institute for Neuroscience Hosts 3rd Annual Symposium
The GW Institute for Neuroscience (GWIN) hosted its 3rd Annual Neuroscience Symposium May 2. GWIN Director Anthony-Samuel LaMantia, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and physiology at SMHS, says the event is "an acknowledgment of our commitment to continued progress in neuroscience at GW."
Stroke Screening Day
GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), the GW Hospital, and the GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) hosted Stroke Screening Day to help community members identify their risk factors for stroke on May 10.
From Patient to Physician Assistant
Commencement weekend is an exciting time for any graduate -- the rewarding culmination of what can feel like a long and grueling journey.
In Memoriam: Frank N. Miller, M.D. '48, B.S. '43
As a professor, mentor, and friend, Dr. Frank Miller was one of the most beloved faculty members at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He was an outstanding teacher, shaping the future careers of generations of medical students from 1944 until his retirement in 1985.
GW Community Bids for a Good Cause
Members of the GW community converged on Ross Hall to place their bids at the GW student-run HEALing Clinic’s 14th annual charity auction, April 11.
New Simulation Lab Provides Hands-on Training
Students, staff, and faculty gathered in Ross Hall for the grand opening of the Center for Otolaryngology Microsurgery Education and Training. The six station lab will be used as a surgical training and simulation center for otology and lateral skull-base surgery.
Josh D’Angelo Honored with National Scholarship Award
Josh D'Angelo, a third-year doctor of physical therapy (DPT) student at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences, is the first GW student to receive the prestigious Mary McMillan Scholarship Award.
GW Hospital Announces Defining Medicine Campaign
The George Washington University Hospital has been moving medicine forward for the benefit of the region and beyond since 1825.
GW Medical Experts Lead Effort to Improve Heart Health
Friends of the George Washington (GW) University gathered at the Jack Morton Auditorium for a discussion about women’s heart health led by a panel of experts from the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and the GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA).
University Hosts Food and Nutrition Expo
The George Washington University’s Urban Food Task Force hosted its first-ever “Research and Education in Food and Nutrition” expo March 28.
Get to Know Dr. Lotrecchiano
Gaetano "Guy" Lotrecchiano, Ph.D., Ed.D., assistant professor of clinical research and leadership, and of pediatrics at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his latest research and his road to GW.
Lessons from the Past
Retired physicians work one-one-one with third year medical students for the Observed History and Physical Examination requirement.
March Match Up
GW fourth-year medical students gathered in Ross Hall March 15, for a pivotal moment of their medical education: Match Day.
Michelle Obama: ‘We’re Beginning to Turn the Tide on Childhood Obesity’
Before the White House, a trip to the grocery store required First Lady Michelle Obama to be armed with a “finely honed plan of attack” to get in and out in 30 minutes.
Cultivating Collaborations to Innovate
In an effort to break down barriers and achieve greater innovation across all departments of the GW medical and engineering communities, several prominent organizations teamed up to host the “Second Leadership Summit: "Teaming Up to Innovate".
First of Many Matches
Gearing up for Match Day 2013. Take a look back at Match Day 2008, through the eyes of Sigrid Bairdain, M.D. '08, M.P.H.
Supporting PT Students in Singapore
Kenneth J. Harwood, Ph.D., PT, recently returned from an educational initiative in Singapore where he was a member of an international team of experts teaching management and leadership to physical therapy students.
Lights, Camera, Action: Sneak Peak at the 2013 Follies
Each spring, medical students at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) embark upon an annual rite of passage, taking their talents from the classroom to the stage to perform parodies, skits, and choreographed dance numbers in a time-honored tradition known as the follies.
Heart to Heart
GW SMHS participated in the Sister to Sister Foundation's annual heart screening event on Capitol Hill. The event offered free heart screenings and heart-healthy education to legislators and their staff members.
How to Keep Your Heart Healthy
It's American Heart Month. Richard Katz, M.D., Bloedorn Professor of Cardiology, offers tips to GW Today to avoid dangerous heart problems.
Road to Oncology Rehabilitation
Addressing the GWU medical community, Julie Silver, M.D., assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, discussed the importance of cancer rehabilitation, specifically its role in the cancer care continuum, during a conference hosted by the GW Cancer Institute (GWCI) with the support of the NIH Federal Credit Union (NIHFCU), on Jan. 18.
The Ultimate Gift of Science
Students at GW SMHS plan annual memorial service for families of body donors, a key part of medical education.
Advocating Her Way to Wellness and a Better Education
Ask medical students what is most important to them and you get similar responses— support for their education and overall well-being. That’s certainly the case for Amy Waldner, a third-year medical student at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), who will use her new leadership role to advocate for her fellow medical students. As of January, Waldner is the GW student representative to the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR), and she was elected as a national delegate to the OSR Administrative Board. Founded to represent medical students nationwide, the OSR ensures that students actively participate in directing their education, while working with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to improve the nation’s health. Waldner will represent students in the AAMC by providing feedback on programs and services the organization sponsors, then disseminating that information to her fellow students.
Upward Bound: Forging Ahead for Community Empowerment and Support
The Upward Bound Program in GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) is rolling into 2013 with high energy and purpose.
How to Avoid the Flu This Season
This year’s flu season is in full swing, with District health officials reporting 310 cases since September.
SMHS Student Elected to National Leadership Role
The new year often symbolizes new beginnings and that couldn’t be more true for Kelsey Young, a third-year dual-degree physician assistant (PA)/M.P.H. student, at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), who will begin her duties as chief delegate for the Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (SAAAPA).
Leaders of the Pack
With a new year comes new leadership. Taking a lead role in 2013 are two George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) students: Josh D’Angelo, a third-year doctor of physical therapy (DPT) student and Pete Tooley, a second-year DPT student. Both students were elected by their peers to serve in national leadership positions for the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
Remembering His Commitment to Education and Advocacy
Driven by his passion to promote psychiatric education and awareness of mental health issues, Jerry M. Wiener, M.D., held many titles during his medical career at the George Washington University (GW). Arguably, his most important role was that of professor, advisor, and mentor to countless medical students and psychiatry residents.
The Art of Teaching Professionalism
Sometimes lessons are learned in ways that we’d least expect – information delivered in a unique and meaningful way tends to resonate more with students and faculty and makes the instruction stick.
Healing Hearts in Honduras
For the third year in a row, Tracy and her team of cardiologists from the GW Heart & Vascular Institute traveled to the city of Comayagua, Honduras to bring specialized cardiac care to people in need.
1,000 Hours and Counting
It was an unseasonably cold late-October afternoon, with Hurricane Sandy churning up the East Coast. Ominous skies threatened to unleash a downpour at any moment, but that didn’t keep the 13 members of the Challenger team off the baseball diamond at Barcroft Park in Arlington, Va.
The Makings of an Effective Mentor
Aiming to promote mentorship and its importance to the academic community, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children’s National Medical Center (CTSI-CN), in collaboration with the George Washington University, hosted “Building the Next Generation of Academic Leaders: A Mentor Development Conference.
A Growing Consensus on the Power of Compassionate Care
In an effort to create compassionate health care systems driven by dignity-based, person-centered care, The George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish) hosted the first National Consensus Conference on Creating Compassionate Healthcare Systems, Nov. 28-30.
A Flawless Delivery: After 42 Years of Service Larsen Steps Down as Chair of OBGYN
It’s a typical Thursday for John Larsen, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN) at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
On Track: Focused on Community Health
Utsha Khatri’s first exposure to medicine was from the perspective of treating the underserved. She believes that multiple factors influence a patient’s prospects for good health — education, stress, access to healthy foods, etc.
Honoring Excellence in Physical Therapy
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) honored second- and third-year PT students who exemplify those essential skills, recognizing their achievements at the Physical Therapy Program 2012 Excellence Awards on Nov. 8.
GW Breast Care Center Annual Luncheon Supports Breast Cancer Survivors
Women in pink scarves, hats, and jackets filed into the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Oct. 24. They registered and received nametags, but few needed them; they were at home.
GW Office of International Medicine Programs Offers Unique Medical Research Fellowship Opportunity
Early this fall, GW’s Office of International Medicine Programs (IMP) launched the Medical Research Fellowship Program (MRFP).
Free Cancer Screening Day and The Foggy Bottom Block Party
The School of Medicine and Health Sciences, along with the GW Medical Faculty Associates and the GW Hospital, hosted a free cancer screening day on Oct. 19 from 9 am to 2 pm.
NSF Director Discusses the Future of Science and Engineering Research and Innovation
Science and engineering research is entering a new era where global challenges require global solutions. Subra Suresh, Sc.D., director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with this new era of science and engineering research and development (R&D) before an audience of George Washington University researchers Oct. 4.
Partnered for Successful Pregnancies
School of Medicine and Health Sciences Student Interest Group Pairs Medical Students Eager for Experience with Expectant Mothers for Better Outcomes
GW Vascular Surgeon Anton Sidawy, M.D., Becomes University’s Fifth Lewis B. Saltz Chair of Surgery
On the 50th anniversary of the installation of the first Lewis B. Saltz Chair of Surgery, the George Washington University medical community turned out to honor Anton Sidawy, M.D., M.P.H. ’99, on the occasion of his installation as the Lewis B. Saltz Chair of Surgery, Sept. 19.
New GW Initiative Advances Efforts Toward Understanding Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
One out of every 88 children in the United States will develop autism sometime during the first three years of life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SMHS Faculty Members Awarded Medical Research Grants
In August, The George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) received three federally funded research project grants (R01s) and one federally funded cooperative agreement research
Hope and Healing to Haiti
Students, faculty, and alumni from SMHS, the School of Public Health and Health Services, and the School of Nursing saw more than 1,100 patients and treated everything from malnutrition and respiratory issues in children to adults with diabetes, arthritis, and hypertension, during a medical mission to Haiti.
GW’s Physician Assistant Program Turns 40
The 1960s was an era of social change, a time when a number of medical corpsmen were returning home from the Vietnam War searching for a way to re-enter the medical practice arena.
The Community’s Home for Healing
Change can be a good thing, especially at the George Washington University student-run Healthcare, Education, and Active Living Clinic (HEALing Clinic), where new plans are being put in place that promise more than just healing. The clinic is in the process of launching new initiatives, expanding current programs, and establishing new goals aimed at providing better health care for underserved populations in the Shaw and Anacostia neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.
SMHS Student Awarded Summer Medical Fellowship
For most people it’s not uncommon, after a busy week or a long day of strenuous work or exercise, to fall asleep a little earlier than usual. It’s often a one-time thing and following a good night of sleep they return to their normal routine. For a small segment of the population, however, it’s a life-long problem.
Onward and Upward
“Is this going to be on the final?” Mykia Washington eagerly asked her instructor during a fierce round of math Jeopardy.
CLS Welcomes Marcia Firmani
Marcia Firmani understands the importance of mentorship for budding scientists. During her graduate training at UC Berkeley, Daniel A. Portnoy, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry, played an influential role in encouraging her dissertation research. “He once told me that there are two kinds of scientists,” she said. “He said that ‘There are good scientists and bad scientists. Bad scientists try to prove themselves right and good scientists try to prove themselves wrong.’ Because of Dr. Portnoy’s influence and support, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as a good scientist.”
Rethinking Evaluation
Anyone who has taken a course in higher education is familiar with end-of-semester evaluations. They typically come in the form of surveys that employ Likert scales, which score responses along a range that spans from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” Students are presented with statements such as Instructor demonstrated knowledge of subject matter and check a box to indicate their level of agreement.
METEOR Program Shines Spotlight on Clinical Research
Historically minorities have been underrepresented in the science and research fields.
Advancing Whole-Person Care
Healing involves much more than just treating a disease. For many patients, spirituality plays an integral role in the journey through illness and healing.
M.D. White Coat and Honor Code Ceremony
Family and friends of the newest class of medical students at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) packed the aisles of Lisner Auditorium Aug.18 to celebrate the symbolic
Legacy Brunch Honors Decades of GW SMHS Families
Legacy families and adopt-a-doc families from 1975–96, gathered for the second annual Medical Legacy Brunch at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, D.C. Aug. 18.
A Summer to Remember
For many students in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), summer is a time away from training when they can embrace unique experiences through internships, some of which were organized by the Office of Student Opportunities. These experiences, whether abroad or state-side, vary from clinical settings to offices to laboratories – and they often influence students’ decisions on the road to becoming medical professionals. Read on for a glimpse of these summers of discovery.
Physician Assistant White Coat Ceremony
While most students are reporting to campus to begin their coursework, fall marks a different kind of beginning for the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Physician Assistant (PA) class of 2012.
Welcome Home, Barry Wolfman
By his junior year at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1978, Barry A. Wolfman already knew that he wanted to become a hospital administrator. His very deliberate career was a result of what he calls the meshing of his interests in medicine and business. “It was crystal clear,” he says. “And I’ve done it ever since.”
Learning On the Go
For the 40 residents in the Department of Emergency Medicine at GW Medical Faculty Associates, the pace of life is frenetic. Their demanding schedules at GW Hospital, Inova Fairfax Hospital, and the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center leave limited time for weekly lectures.
Dominic Raj, M.D., nominated to prestigious NIH Integrated Review Group
Dominic Raj, M.D., Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and of Biochemistry and of Molecular Biology at SMHS and Director of the Division of Renal Disease and Hypertension at the GW Medical Faculty Associates has been nominated to be a standing member of the Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section (CICS), a subcommittee of the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences Integrated Review Group of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review.
SMHS Hosts GO GIRL Summer Program
For high school students, making the decision about how to spend the summer months can be difficult. But for the 16 girls who attended the Genomic Opportunities for Girls In Research Labs (GO GIRL) summer program, held from June 11-14, the choice was easy.
Carol Smith, M.S., Retires After 31 Years as Coordinator of Clinical Laboratory Science Program
In the fall of 1981, fresh from the Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned a Master of Science in Medical Technology, Carol Smith joined the faculty of the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) as the education coordinator of the Clinical Laboratory Science program.
Master Teacher Leadership Development Program Provides Life-Long Learning Opportunities for Faculty
Life-long learning is a commonplace, throwaway line that seems to work its way into nearly every graduation ceremony. Every graduation that is, except for the 10th Cohort of the Master Teacher Leadership Development Program (MTLDP).
Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., Elected to Advisory Board of Russian National Research Center
Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., professor and Catharine Birch & William McCormick Endowed Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been elected as the foreign member of the Advisory Board of the Russian National Research Center’s Institute of Immunology in Moscow. Kumar has also been elected as a member of the Editorial Board of the Russian Academy of Sciences journal Physiology and Pathology of Immune System.
Nobel Laureate Advises D.C. High School Students
During his childhood in Indiana, Ferid Murad had a habit of memorizing license plate numbers. At the restaurant his parents owned, he would keep customers’ orders in his head and tally their bills without pen or paper. He admits these exercises seem “crazy,” but says they helped him a great deal with the memorization required in medical school.
SMHS M.D. Diploma Ceremony
After a bagpipe procession set the tone for the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) M.D.
Clinical Laboratory Science program celebrates 70 years
In Hippocrates’ ancient Greece, uroscopy, the visual examination of a patient’s urine, was a common diagnostic practice. Dark urine was considered to indicate acute illness and light urine suggested chronic disease. Even until the 1800s, diabetes was diagnosed by tasting urine to determine if it was sweet. To the relief of lab technologists everywhere, the health sciences have progressed dramatically since that time.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Commencement Awards Ceremony
On May 18, the GW Doctor of Physical Therapy program held its annual Commencement Awards Ceremony.
SMHS Gala
The M.D. Class of 2012 was decked out in formal attire and headed to the Ritz Carlton to attend the 2012 Class Gala, on Friday evening.
GW SMHS Celebrates New Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society Members
Develop the right mentors, continue to learn, and be open and alert. These were words of advice given by Jonathan Himmelfarb, M.D. ’83, professor of Medicine and Joseph W.
GW Medical Community members inducted as Fellows in the American College of Radiology
GW Faculty member Esma A. Akin, M.D., and alumnus Roger S. Eng, Jr., M.D. '91, M.P.H. ‘92, have been inducted as Fellows in the American College of Radiology (ACR).
These Hands Save Lives
Two dozen 9th and 10th graders, dressed smartly in their school uniforms, gathered on the cafeteria floor. Each student kneeled in front of a Mini-Anne – an inflatable, portable mannequin – and used the palms of their hands to pump its chest to the beat of the 1970s Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive.”
Stroke Screening Day
“I’m here for my test!” exclaimed Sammie Whiting-Ellis as she strode below the “Free Stroke Screening” banner that hung across the entrance to the Eye Street Mall outside of the Foggy Bottom Metro station.
Vision, Cognition, and Autism
In late March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report estimating that about one out of every 88 children was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in 2008. That’s a more than 20 percent increase from 2006 and a spike that’s dominated recent headlines nationwide.
We're All in This Together
Gloria Wilder, M.D., M.P.H., president and CEO of Core Health, arrived more than an hour late to the Interdisciplinary Student Community-Oriented Prevention Enhancement Service’s (ISCOPES) end-of-year celebration at the George Washington University, April 17. Despite leaving her home near Manassas, VA, at 5:30 AM, she couldn’t defeat the traffic.
Grow DC
Alex Fortenko, M.P.H. ‘11, a first-year medical student in the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), says it’s a minor miracle when he catches a meal outside of Ross Hall. Between classes, exams, and studying, grocery shopping sinks to the bottom of the to-do list.
A Voice for Medical Students
Match Day was different this year for Elizabeth Wiley, J.D., M.P.H., a fourth-year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS).
The Disease that Whispers
It’s called “the disease that whispers.” Its incidence is relatively low, its symptoms are easily misattributed, and when it’s discovered, it’s often too late.
A Day of Service
It would be easy to spend Match Day Eve — the day before fourth year medical students learn where they will be completing their residency — pacing, nail-biting, playing “what-if,” and indulging other nervous compulsions.
For the Love of the Lab
From the diagnosis of acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage to the awareness of urban pests and pesticides to the epidemiology of dengue fever in St.
Match Madness
Raphael Karkowski, a fourth-year medical student at GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), wasn’t sure if it was nerves or just a sugar rush from brunch. Whatever it was, he knew his heartbeat was picking up its pace.
From Curiosity to Cure
Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the George Washington University’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), says the goal of his department’s Nobel Laureate lecture series “is to bring th
Technology in the Emergency Department
In the popular media, emergency departments (ED) are usually associated with long wait times and uninsured patients.
A Physician Assistant’s Many Roles
Robert Wooten, P.A.-C., president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, often tells fellow physician assistants (P.A.) that they are leaders. And just as often, they deny it.
A Passion for Scientific Discovery
Nobel laureates Aaron Ciechanover, M.D., Ph.D., and Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., had a number of lessons to offer George Washington University students earlier this week.
A Home Away from Home
The Nash twins have a routine. It plays out in their Pentagon City apartment on the occasional nights when their schedules overlap. Rachel prepares dinner and Leah packs tomorrow’s lunches.
Joining Forces
Since launching “Joining Forces,” a national initiative to support military families, last spring, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, Ed.D., have successfully recruited the participation of numerous businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals
An Ounce of Prevention
Now that classes are back in full swing, so are coughs and sniffles. And the viruses that cause the common cold and influenza are everywhere – on keyboards, on doorknobs, on elevator buttons, and especially on your classmates and co-workers.
A Profession to Put on the Map
In many ways, patient navigation has gotten ahead of itself. The relatively modern profession has grown so widely and rapidly that patient navigators now vary in education, skill set, role, responsibility, and even name.
A System that Cares
John Sargent M.D., professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, vice chair for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine, went through residency training thre
Prescriptions for Sanctuary
A lot of things seem to walk away from Katalin Roth’s office, which, she admits, is “due for a clean.” But a simple greeting card isn’t one of them. She locates it swiftly, plucks it off the bulletin board, and reads it aloud.
University Helps GWCI Along the Road to a Cancer Cure
Braving morning temperatures below 40 degrees and a freak blast of winter weather the day before, a team of 61 George Washington University alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends joined more than 21,000 others to run in the 36th Annual Mari
Emergency Care GPS
If you want to assess a nation’s healthcare system, take a good look at its emergency medicine departments, said the speakers at “Emergency Care GPS,” a recent seminar at GW’s Jack Morton Auditorium.
Accelerating Answers
Around the emergency department, it’s known as “testing creep.” Conventionally, it’s called human nature — the more you have, the more you use, the more you want.
GW Breast Care Center Celebrates the Inspiration, Dedication and Commitment to Beating Breast Cancer
Christie Teal, M.D., assistant professor of Surgery in the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) and director of the GW Breast Care Center, arrived at the Center’s annual luncheon, Oct 20, with a newly cropped
Mental Health at War and at Home
At its best, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is “the common cold of psychiatric illness,” according to Robert Ursano, M.D. Like a cold, its symptoms are common and usually temporary.
A Snapshot of Care
At first glance, the physician workforce in Washington, D.C. looks robust: about one licensed physician for every 60 residents. That’s far higher than the nationwide ratio of about one doctor for every 300 Americans.
A Coat, a Code, and a Commitment to Service
Margaret Plack, P.T., Ed.D., interim senior associate dean for the Health Sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), says her passion for education is attributable in part to her father, who loved t
Scratching the Surface
Saba Ghorab, a second year medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), remembers the day in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti.
Adopt a Doc
Allison Hoff had nearly exhausted her five minutes at an internet café when the e-mail arrived.
Around the Clock
Lauren Finely’s iPhone alarm buzzes. Finely, a 26-year-old first-year medical resident, slips on baby blue scrubs, grabs some fruit, and makes a coffee-to-go for her 15-minute commute to GW Hospital, where a long day is about to begin.
Whole Person Healing
According to Christina Puchalski, M.D., F.A.C.P., director of the George Washington Institute of Spirituality and Health (GWish) and professor of Medicine in the GW School of Medicine in Health Sciences (SMHS), what hospital patients report wantin
H. George Mandel, Ph.D. June 6, 1924 - July 15, 2011
Everybody knew H. George Mandel, Ph.D., a faculty member in The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Department of Pharmacology and Physiology for over 60 years.
Leading and Healing
It was Mary Kaldas’ first trip to the Boston area and Zach Wegermann’s second. The city, they said, was “awesome,” but sightseeing wasn’t their first priority.
Starting Over
Kathryn Boling was not the conventional medical student. At 53 years old, she has raised two daughters, been through a divorce, had a 30-year career, and moved across the country to pursue her “life’s dream.”
Facing Life After a Cure
One day, it will all be over, thought Lauren Antognoli when she was 17 years old and undergoing treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma.
No Ordinary Moments in Life
It was not an ordinary day for graduating medical students at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), as they followed the bag-piped procession to their seats at their Medical School Diploma and Hooding ceremony—this day was definite
The Next Generation of Leaders in Health Sciences
“You are all a part of a community working together to improve health care,” said Margaret Plack, P.T., Ed.D., interim senior associate dean for Health Sciences, as she welcomed graduates, faculty, family and friends to the Lisner Auditorium at Th
Striking Down Stroke
The line for free stroke screenings in the Ross Hall courtyard, May 6, provided a snapshot of Washington, D.C.’s eclectic foot traffic.
Distinguished Teaching
At The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), excellence in teaching is not an exception — it’s the rule.
An ISCOPES Institution
What do the New York Subway system, the Peace Corps, and GW’s Interdisciplinary Student Community-Oriented Prevention Enhancement Service (ISCOPES) have in common?
The Developing Brain and Cancer
Just a few decades ago, the connection between neurobiology and cancer biology was suspected, but unspoken.
A Deadly Prescription
The thought first struck what Vinayak Jha, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine, calls his “ridiculous nerve.”
Hope for HEALing
Since its founding in 2006, the GW HEALing (Healthcare, Education and Active Living) Clinic has helped expand healthcare access to vulnerable populations in Washington D.C.
Living the Medical Student Life
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) welcomed 600 new students on Saturday. Some held human body parts in the gross anatomy lab. Some learned how to suture. And others were shown how to deliver a baby.
A Legacy of Learning
It’s not surprising that Karin Kuhn, a first-year medical student at The George Washington University, decided to become a doctor.
Packing a Punch to Primary Care
Move over, Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Primary Care is where the excitement is these days, a group of 20 students in GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences came to believe during a special hands-on event at the GW Hospital in January.
Technology without Borders
In just a fraction of the 5,100 square feet that used to swell with patient files at the GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA), a digital x-ray machine, a nuclear reading room, and the Dr.
The Power and Promise of Research
The best way Bert O’Malley, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Baylor College of Medicine, knows how to describe a career in research is by comparing it to a detective’s work.
Matched for Success
Surprisingly, Kofi Essel, a fourth year medical student at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), was able to sleep through the night, March 16.
Paying Back before Packing Up
Less than 24 hours after discovering where they will be continuing their medical education in residency, a group of fourth-year medical students at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) was not quite ready
Eliminating Breast Cancer Disparities
Some people tell Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) that she is lucky to be alive. But Wasserman Schultz, who battled a particularly lethal type of breast cancer, attributes her survival to more than luck.
Examining Medicine's Spiritual Side
During medical school, the majority of students’ curriculum is centered around the biomedical sciences and how to relieve a patient’s physical pain.
What's in a Name?
The bar has been set high for Anton Sidawy, M.D., M.P.H., who became chair of the Department of Surgery in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences in December 2010.
GW Medical Student Wins Prestigious AMA Leadership Award
Rahul Vanjani claims he has a hard time acting normal. In fact, it’s a leading reason the third-year medical student is attracted to a career in pediatrics. Around kids, he explains, “you can be goofy.”
When Psychiatry Meets Oncology
The vital signs — pulse, blood pressure, temperature, respiratory rate, and sometimes pain — are the ABCs of the health care professions; the building blocks upon which future decisions and communications are based.
A Nobel Past, A Colonial Future
The world according to Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., is a place where rules are made to be broken.
Heartening Therapies
The concept once seemed futuristic: medical decision-making hinged on an individual’s genetic makeup rather than population statistics.
Are the Mind and the Brain One and the Same?
For thousands of years, philosophers have gappled with the ideas of determinism and free will. Does human nature abide by the laws of physics — that actions are no more than reactions?
A Healthy Affair
With programs and projects spanning the world, The George Washington University Medical Center’s influence is increasingly global. But at the eighth annual Foggy Bottom/West End Block Party, October 17, its mission stayed close to home.
A Walk in My Shoes
Playing the role of a 46-year-old African American woman with a lump in her breast was a trying experience for Ireal Johnson, a first-year medical student at the GW Medical Center, who found herself shuffled between examination rooms and specialis
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