FAU Internal Medicine Residency Welcomes 30 New Students

The FAU Internal Medicine Residency Program welcomed thirty new residents on July 1, 2016. This diverse grou p of interns range in age

from 25 to 39 years old, represent nine states (NY, CA, CT, IL, WI, DE, TN, TX) with 19 from Florida and graduated from local, domestic and international medical schools including: University of Miami, University of South Florida, Johns Hopkins University, Texas A&M, Ponce Health Sciences University, San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, St. George's University, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), American University of Antigua, Medical University of Lublin, Government Medical College Amritsar, and Jordan University of Science & Technology.

FAU training efforts targeting end-of-life communication were recently highlighted by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and by the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare. At the communication group's annual meeting, FAU faculty led a team of learners in addressing this emotionally challenging topic, identified in 

2014 by the Institute of Medicine as one of the greatest psychological challenges facing modern healthcare. While Medicare will now reimburse physicians for conversations about advance care planning, formal communication training in medical school is rare. Fortunately, FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is filling this gap. A weekly simulated patient encounter targeting end-of-life communication is being conducted by Dr. Benjamin A. Bensadon, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the internal medicine residency's Geriatrics and Palliative Care rotation, with all 3rd year medical students. Joining Bensadon at the communication conference were 4th-year FAU medical students Katie Hemingway, Michael McGarry, and Scott Leiser, as well as Dr. Gene Posca, Chief Resident of FAU's Internal Medicine Residency Program. Also included was Yale geriatrician colleague Dr. Chandrika Kumar, with whom Bensadon spent the past year as part of a 15-member cohort of national geriatrics leadership scholars, a leadership development  program co-sponsored by several leading academic geriatrics organizations. The program is fueled by an overarching mission to help better prepare the healthcare workforce to confront all aspects of what has become a demographic imperative.

Focus on FAU's humanistic training efforts will continue this fall at the annual meetings of the AAMC and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine where Bensadon will present related data on advance care planning.

The Office Of Research Compliance and Quality Assurance in collaboration with FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs Florida District Office and the FDA Office of Minority Health is pleased to invite you to a Clinical Trial Symposium entitled: "Improving Clinical Research in the Age of Precision Medicine."

The event will take place on Wednesday, September 14 and Thursday, September 15, 2016, from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM at The University of Miami Bank United Center located at 1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146. The cost of registration for the two-day seminar is $175.00 (breakfast, lunch and refreshments for both days are included in the registration fee).

The symposium will focus on scientific, regulatory, and ethical aspects of clinical trials as well as quality assurance practices. It will provide important updates on FDA regulatory requirements for clinical trials and perspectives from the front lines of clinical research.

The informational sessions will cover a series of topics to the scientific community such as Compliance in Clinical Research, Regulatory Perspective: Recruitment Challenges, and Understanding the Principal Investigator's Responsibilities among other exceptional topics. The event will close with a networking session on day 2.

CME and/or CEU's credits will be provided to all registered participants. Registration started Friday, July 1, 2016, and will close on Friday, September 9, 2016. To register, please visit the University of Miami website.

For more information, please contact Johanna Stamates or Patty Tate.