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AAMPMarch/April 2013

Volume 6 | Issue 2

A l u m n i A d m i s s i o n M e n t o r P r o g r a m

When I take a step back and look at where our alumni have gone on to practice, it truly is astounding. The University was merely an idea in the mid-1970s. Now, Grenada is truly a hub for international

education. In my 20-plus years at SGU, it has been incredible to see it all unfold.

The University could not be in better shape. The 2012 USMLE 1 results were fantastic, and congratulations to all of our students and graduates who matched in March. The institutions to which our grads are going will no doubt be impressed with the doctors they are getting.

Thank you to those who visited with advisors at nearby colleges and universities to advocate for your alma mater. It

is meaningful when SGU grads not only go on to successful careers but also speak highly about their overall experience.

We still need your help spreading the word. We will be in dozens of major cities worldwide this spring and summer, and fall. In addition to the info sessions, we hold webinars regularly and appoint students and grads to answer questions via live chat or help present via phone or teleconference Lastly, we’re proud to have launched our Alumni Mentor Scholarship Program. Read more about it inside.

We hope you’re having a great spring. Our AAMP volunteers have helped the University grow by leaps and bounds, and we need your help to continue recruiting bright and driven individuals to become part of the SGU family. – Betsy Mills

Message from the AAMP Coordinator“We make a living by what

we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Congratulations, graduates! Thus far —and the list keeps growing—789 PGY-1 positions in 18 different specialties were secured in the US by our graduates in 46 of the 50 states. In addition to the 18 Canadian graduates who secured PGY-1 spots in Canada, many Canadian graduates obtained US residency positions this year.

While the majority of the graduates this year are fulfilling one of the University’s goals of meeting the American Medical Association’s call for more primary care doctors around the country, 25 graduates secured residencies in emergency medicine, 56 in surgery, and 22 in anesthesiology. Others matched in a variety of different specialties, including one graduate who secured a spot in orthopedic surgery.

Among the 2013 matches was Michael Melin, who looks forward to beginning his anesthesiology residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine this summer. “Matching at the University of Washington really was a dream come true,” said Mr. Melin, who had gone on 12

SGU Soars Once Again on Match DayMore Grads Placed in US Residency Posts Than Any Medical School in World for Third Straight Year

“Our AAMP volunteers have

helped the University grow

by leaps and bounds.”

interviews for anesthesiology and pegged UW as his top choice. “It will be really nice to go back west—my wife is from the west coast and all of my family is there.”

Catherine Murray obtained a highly competitive diagnostic radiology residency at the University of Ottawa through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). “It’s very exciting to be going back to Canada and to be going to a great program,” she said. “I felt very comfortable leaving Grenada with my knowledge base, and I think SGU students make a good impression wherever they go.” For the complete list of matches, visit sgu.edu.

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Featured AAMP VolunteersJacqueline Larson, MDClass of 2012Dr. Larson is a first-year pediatric resident at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ, working in the facility’s newborn nursery and neonatal intensive care unit. A native of Oregon, she came a long way to attend SGU, and since becoming part of the University’s family, Dr. Larson has offered guidance to countless prospective students. As a sufferer of three diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, she eventually hopes to specialize in pediatric gastroenterology. She has even written a cookbook for those afflicted with GI-related conditions. “SGU

works very hard at sculpting its students into leaders, and it really pays off by the time you’re into your clinical years,” Dr. Larson said.

Alex Drossos, MDClass of 2012An alumnus of the Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars Program (KBTGSP), Dr. Drossos is a psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto. He has an MBA in health services management, as well as an MEd in health professional education.

While at Northumbria University, Dr. Drossos reinvigorated the Physicians for Human Rights chapter, and also led SGU’s inaugural membership into the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFSMA). Dr. Drossos is passionate about aboriginal health, medical informatics, mental health, and human rights, and advocates for the KBTGSP and its global health focus.

Lydia Doyle, DVMClass of 2005Dr. Doyle is a staff veterinarian at Clerkin Veterinary Hospitals, a group with three locations throughout her native Ireland.

She was one of the first UK students to attend and graduate from the SGU School of Veterinary Medicine, during which time she completed her final clinical year at University College Dublin. Since the age of 13, Dr. Doyle has spent many hours working at Barn Lodge Veterinary Hospital in Lancashire, UK, in a variety of capacities.

Dr. Doyle frequently participates in SGU events throughout the UK and Ireland, encouraging future students to follow her path to Grenada to achieve their dreams.

THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP OUT

St. George’s University Wants Your Testimonials

With the Alumni Admission Mentor Program (AAMP), St. George’s University has a strong network of graduates who can connect with prospective students because they have experienced med and vet school as well as island life firsthand. There are a number of ways in which alumni can contribute. Here are a few:

What’s the latest? We want to know. We’re looking for alumni to tell the story of their experience at SGU so that prospective students can get a glimpse of the journey on which they may embark and the heights that they can reach. Contact AAMP Coordinator Betsy Mills at 800-899-6337 ext. 9 1213 or bmills@sgu.edu to get started.

1. Information Sessions Throughout the year we host information sessions in major cities around the world. Each session includes an in-depth 60-minute presentation by one of our administration, followed by Q&A with our current students and graduates.

2. Webinars Students can log on and learn about St. George’s University from anywhere in the world. These web-based information sessions include a brief 30-minute presentation by one of our administrators as well as live chat and Q&A with current students and graduates. Webinars are scheduled to accommodate different regions around the world.

3. Backstage at SGU Students, alumni and administration talk to prospective students at these informal meet-and-greets, giving them a firsthand account of what life is like at SGU. These small receptions typically coincide with some of our information sessions.

If you are interested in attending a presentation, you can register online. Visit sgu.edu/infosessions or call 1 (800) 899-6337 ext. 9 1280 in the US and Canada or 0800 1699061 ext. 9 1380 in the UK. From all other areas, please call +1 (631) 665-8500 ext. 9 1380.

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On the topic “Viruses and Epidemics with a Focus on HIV/AIDS: Our Attempts to Control Them,” renowned physician and scientist Dr. Robert C. Gallo was the keynote speaker at the fifth annual Keith B. Taylor Memorial Lecture/13th Annual WINDREF Lecture.

In 1980, Dr. Gallo discovered HTLV-1, which was the first of the human retroviruses causing a malignancy to be discovered. Later in the decade, he discovered HTLV-2 and co-discovered HIV. Dr. Gallo provided the first clear evidence that HIV caused AIDS, and he and his team developed the first HIV diagnostic test. In the ’90s, Dr. Gallo and his co-workers also discovered the first natural inhibitors of HIV, which was instrumental in developing treatments for the infection. In addition, in 1986 he and his team also discovered the first human herpes virus in more

than 25 years, HHV-6, which proved to cause the infantile disease, roseola.

Dr. Gallo spoke on how the work of he and his team shattered many medical misconceptions of the time. He also focused on HTLV-1 and HIV and what it will take to control these viral pandemics. “There are approaches to finding a cure, but as yet, no one has a cure for HIV or HTLV-1 … but we have good diagnostic tests today and treatment at least for HIV is having a positive impact on many people’s lives.” His mantra is to “test a lot, treat early and we can control the HIV pandemic—do it for the world, do it forever, until we find a preventive vaccine. This approach will take a tremendous commitment by governments and policy makers.”

St. George’s University students who took the USMLE 1 for the first time in 2012 achieved a 97 percent pass rate, marking the fourth straight year that the rate surpassed 90 percent. These students have come to SGU from 37 countries, with Canadian students achieving a stellar 100 percent pass rate.

The University’s 2012 pass

rate topped the 2011 results, a year in which SGU first-time test takers achieved a pass rate of 95 percent overall and 96 percent among those from the US and Canada. By contrast, the first-time pass rate for students at US and Canadian schools was 94 percent in 2011, according to the USMLE website. US and Canadian schools’ pass rate for 2012 is still unavailable.

HIV Research Pioneer Delivers KBT/WINDREF

Lecture

St. George’s University Excels on USMLE Step 1

You have experienced the international education and experience that is St. George’s University, and now through the St. George’s University Alumni Mentor Scholarship Program, you have the opportunity to nominate a prospective medical student to receive a partial-tuition scholarship to SGU.

If your nominee is chosen, SGU will fly you down to Grenada at the beginning of the term to witness your student’s participation in the White Coat Ceremony, formally marking their induction into the medical profession. You will have the opportunity to stand with your future doctor as he or she begins their medical career in Grenada—just as you once did.

The program is limited to SGU alumni and is for School of Medicine students. To apply, visit sgu.edu/alumnimentor or contact Betsy Mills at 1 (800) 899-6337 ext. 9 1213 or bmills@sgu.edu.

The deadline is June 1 for the August class and November 1 for the January class.

To learn more about this and other scholarship opportunities at SGU, visit sgu.edu/financial-services.

University Launches Alumni Mentor Scholarship Program

St. George’s University, University Centre, Grenada, West IndiesUniversity Support Services, LLC c/o The North American Correspondent 3500 Sunrise Highway, Building 300 Great River, New York 11739-9002

SGU Spring/Summer Events

4/23 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

4/24 Singapore

4/26 Bangkok, Thailand

4/28 Taipei, Taiwan

4/29 Seoul, South Korea

4/30 Hong Kong

5/1 Macau

5/20 Stockholm, Sweden

5/21 Manchester, England

5/22 London, England

5/23 Istanbul, Turkey

5/24 Izmir, Turkey

5/30 Los Angeles, California

6/19 Tampa, Florida

6/20 Nashville, Tennessee

6/26 Great River, New York

6/29 Chapel Hill, North Carolina

7/10 Salt Lake City, Utah

7/10 Trenton, New Jersey

7/10 Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

7/11 Los Angeles, California

7/22 Chicago, Illinois

Join us! St. George’s University webinars, information sessions, and Backstage at SGU events scheduled throughout the coming months, and SGU graduates are important resources for prospective students. Below is a list of where

we’ve been and where we’ll be. It is always being updated so check the SGU website for the complete list, and e-mail bmills@sgu.edu if you would like to help us bring in the world’s best and brightest students.

facebook.com/StGeorgesU

twitter.com/StGeorgesU

youtube.com/StGeorgesU

gplus.to/StGeorgesU

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