Issue No. 42 | October 2015
Inaugural Installation
Alumnus Named Mohamad E. Allaf Director in Minimally Invasive Urology

School of Medicine alumnus Mohamad E. Allaf, M.D. (Med '00) will soon be installed as the inaugural recipient of the Mohamad E. Allaf Directorship in Minimally Invasive Urology.
 
The Oct. 29 dedication and installation will honor the extraordinary philanthropic contributions of an anonymous donor.

Allaf and Alan Partin, M.D., Ph.D. (Med '87,'89), the Jakurski Family Director and Chairman & Urologist-In-Chief of the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, express their gratitude for the donor's generosity.
 
For more information about this directorship, please email [email protected]. 
Captured Legacy
Alumna Presents Son With Stethoscope At 2015 Ceremony

"The only thing better than attending Johns Hopkins Medical School is having your child attend! It was a joy presenting Eric with his stethoscope, and I'm grateful to the office of alumni relations for allowing me to participate."  

~Debbie Weaver, M.D. (Med' 86)
 
>Read more.  
Prosthetic Progress
SOM Study Aims To Turn Stump Skin Into Sole Skin

The Department of Dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is conducting a study that aims to improve the lives of veterans and others with limb amputations.
 
While there have been great strides in the improvement of prosthetics, skin at the stump was not meant to withstand the pressure and friction of prosthetics.
 
This study- funded by The Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases-is the first step in trying to convert stump skin to palm/sole-like skin. School of Medicine faculty member Luis Garza, M.D., Ph.D., is the principal investigator.
 
Volunteers are needed to donate normal, healthy skin samples; up to $320 is available for time and travel compensation.
 
For more information, contact 410-502-SKIN or [email protected] .
Poll Results
 
In our September issue, we posed the question  "Is it ever OK for a doctor to accept a patient's friend request on social media?"
 
This comes after a study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that almost 20 percent of patient respondents reported trying to contact doctors through Facebook, and almost 40 percent through email. 
 
Here are our poll results:
Answer
Response Ratio
No! It crosses boundaries, and the security risk is too great.
33%
Yes, it is a great way to connect with patients.
0%
Generally, no. Though, there are some exceptions.
67%
Upcoming Events
Johns Hopkins High-Value Practice Research Symposium
Many faculty and trainees are engaged in research to  generate evidence that certain tests and procedures can be safely reduced to improve value and reduce cost. In recognition of these efforts, the School of Medicine is hosting the first High Value Practice Research Symposium on Feb. 1, 2016, noon- 5 p.m. in Albert H. Owens Auditorium in the Koch Cancer Research Building. A reception will follow.

40th Anniversary Symposium of the Johns Hopkins University Medical Scientist Training Program
The 40th Anniversary Symposium of the Johns Hopkins University Medical Scientist Training Program will update physicians from diverse specialties in major advancements in a variety of fields of medicine. Internationally known experts will cover scientific advancements that have led to changes in clinical care. 

The symposium begins Oct. 30, 8 a.m. in the Thomas B. Turner Auditorium. A reception for registrants and faculty will be held Oct. 29, 6-10 p.m. at the Admiral Fell Inn. Guests are invited to attend at an additional charge of $25. 

Registration deadline:  Oct. 23, 2015
Working at Abbvie: A Pharma Company with One Mission but Many Careers
Scott Brun, M.D. (Med' 93),
Vice President, Pharmaceutical Development, AbbVie, and Gary Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. (Med '77, '81), Vice President, Oncology Development, AbbVie, will present on the role of the pharmaceutical industry in transforming research to reality via a review of the steps involved in drug research and development. Emphasis will be placed on specific roles M.D. and Ph.D. scientists play in the process, both within R&D and other areas supporting market access and commercialization. The event takes place Thursday, October 29, 3-4 p.m. at the Johns Hopkins Wood Basic Science Building.

Institute for Excellence in Education (IEE)  Featured Event
Herbert L. Fred, M.D., M.A.C.P., Visiting Professor of Medical and Biomedical Education Lecture
 
Diane M. Hartmann, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Rochester Medical Center School of Medicine and Dentistry, will present "A Current and Future View of the GME Clinical Learning Environment" on Oct. 28, 4-5 p.m. at Strauch Auditorium East, Anne and Mike Armstrong Medical Education Building 

For more information about SOM alumni events, please email [email protected].
To view the JHU Alumni Association events calendar, click here.