UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 18, May 16, 2005
Investing in future surgeons
UAB's Arnold G. Diethelm Student Scholar in Surgical Sciences program offers medical students insight into a surgeon's daily life. "Students often receive little exposure to surgery in their first years of medical school," Director of Undergraduate Surgical Education Paul Gardner, MD, says. "The program is designed so students spend about 2 weeks in diverse areas: anatomy, surgery, and surgical pathology. They can follow the comprehensive flow of surgical work, from seeing patients in clinic to observing in the operating room to pathological assessment and postoperative management."
This year, 27 applicants applied for five positions. Scholars were selected by evaluation and scoring of student abstracts by a panel of three judges. The program begins June 20 and runs through July 29.
The five 2005 Diethelm scholars are Sarah Fulghum, Christopher Dywayne Key, Jinnie Kim, James Timothy O'Neil, and Jessica Zarzour.
In 2003, Department of Surgery Chair Kirby I. Bland, MD, initiated the program in conjunction with UAB's Department of Pathology. It was named in honor of Dr. Kirby's predecessor, Arnold G. Diethelm, MD, who was recruited to UAB in 1967 by John W. Kirklin, MD, to develop the organ transplantation program. Dr. Diethelm, who trained a generation of UAB surgeons during 35 years of service and built the nation's largest renal transplant service, succeeded Dr. Kirklin as Department of Surgery chair in 1982, heading the department for 18 years. He continued his work in the Division of Transplantation until he became professor emeritus in 2002.
By 2020, the United States will need at least 50% more surgeons, the Annals of Surgery reported in 2003.