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GUSOM Medical Alumni Board Newsletter
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Letter from the Board Chair
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Dear Medical Alumni Board Members,
Many from across the University at the GUAA Awards Dinner last year were impressed by the talents and
diversity of the Medical School and Faculty awardees. This year, we will be virtually honoring another group of awardees on February 4, 2021. The University is still awaiting the lifting of COVID restrictions to allow the rescheduling of the John Carroll Award Ceremony, at which time Dean Emeritus Dr. Ray Mitchell will be honored.
Last year at this time, we began to assist the graduating Class of 2020 by enrolling them and alumni in our alumni outreach program, CURA (Connecting and Uniting Residents and Alumni), so that they could have mentors as they moved to residency programs in new cities. I vividly remember the call I received that MATCH and the remainder of the school year would be virtual. We pivoted after virtual Graduation and held ZOOM Welcomes to the top geographic areas for MATCHed graduates in addition to 1-to-1 mentoring.
This year, the need for Alumni assistance is stronger than ever since interviews for residency
programs have all been virtual. Many graduates may be headed to cities they have never
visited. We ask you all, please, to sign up for the CURA program when the registration opens.
Finally, four of the major leaders of our Board are scheduled to roll off in June 2021. The
Nominations Committee will be very busy during the period of time after our Board Meeting in February through
April. Please think about colleagues that may be interested in serving on the Board.
Many thanks to all of you,
Regina Torsney-Durkin, M.D. C'73, M'77
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| GUAA Alumni Service Recognition Awards |
Congratulations to Georgetown University School of Medicine alumni and Medical Alumni Board members Dr. Anthony Caggiano (M'64) and Dr. George Heyrich (M'89), and Georgetown Clinical Society past President Dr. Zahide Erkmen (M'93) on their selection to receive the Georgetown University Alumni Association Founders Award. Please join us in a virtual celebration on Thursday February 4, 2021 from 5-6:15 PM as the GUAA honors these and other outstanding alumni leaders for their contributions and service to the University. The event will be streamed via the GU Facebook Live page.
The Founders Alumni Award is named for the founders and first faculty members of the Georgetown University School of Medicine who provided leadership and vision to the school throughout its early years. The award is conferred annually upon those alumni leaders whose efforts and dedication to the School of Medicine have been truly remarkable.
Congratulations to all!
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Oppenheim Lectureship in Pediatric Orthopedics Established
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An e ndowed fund in Pediatric Orthopedics has been created by Dr. Bill Oppenheim (M'70) and his wife, the Honorable Patricia Schnegg, with the goal of supporting an annual lecture related to the subject of Pediatric Orthopedics. The Lectureship will also be used to support related activities, including student research, conferences, and other resident education opportunities. It is Dr. Oppenheim's hope that this gift will in some way honor the education and support he received during his time at Georgetown, while perhaps inspiring others to follow in his footsteps to a career Pediatric Orthopedics.
The inaugural guest lecture is being planned to start after the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Congratulations and thank you, Bill and Patty!
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Medical Reunion 2020 Recap
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Even with a virtually-held 2020 Med Reunion, the reunion classes resoundingly came through with their support for the school and for medical scholarships. The Reunion Cup, which is awarded to the class with the highest number of alumni in attendance at reunion, will be announced after next year's event, which will celebrate all the Classes ending in '0' & '5' as well as '1' & '6'. We are proud to announce the winners of the following Class Cups:
Alumni Cup (largest reunion gift): M'70
Dean's Cup (largest percent participation): M'85
Legacy Cup (highest percentage making a planned gift): M'75
Loyalty Cup (highest percentage given consecutively since last reunion): M'80
Reunion Cup (highest number in attendance): TBA 2021
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Nominations Committee News
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This April, the Nominations Committee will be accepting application packets of candidates
interested in filling open seats on the Medical Alumni Board for the 2021-2022 term. A complete nomination packet includes an online nomination form, the nominee's curriculum vitae and a letter of intent or letter of recommendation. Nomination packets must be submitted by May 1 and incomplete packets will not be considered. Election of candidates will be in the spring, and candidates will be approved at the June meeting.
If you or anyone you know is interested in applying for a position on the MAB , it is a self-nomination process described on the MAB website. Further information regarding the application process and deadlines will be forthcoming. Additional questions can be sent directly to me or to our staff.
There are five members who will be completing their second term on June 30, 2021:
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Michael Alexander, M.D. (C'74, M'78, W'83)
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Tamika Auguste, M.D. (M'00, R'04)
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Nancy Ripp Clark, M.D. (C'77, M'81), Communications Chair
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Daphne Keshishian, M.D. (M'93), Nominations Chair
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Joseph Panarelli, M.D. (C'03, M'07), Philanthropy Chair
There will be four new Chair appointments effective July 1, 2021: Chair-Elect, Philanthropy, Nominations, and Communications. Chair-Elect is an important elected position for a term of one year after which the Chair-Elect will assume the position of Chair of the Medical Alumni Board. Details of the process will be discussed at our February meeting.
Daphne Keshishian, MD
Chair, MAB Nominations Committee
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Be our next social media star on our @HoyaMedAlumni Facebook and Instagram pages! The Medical Alumni Board is showcasing medical alumni stories on the Med alumni Facebook and Instagram sites, and we want to hear  from alumni of all ages, specialties and locations. All you have to do is send us a few short "selfie" video clips taken on your phone introducing yourself and telling what you do, and we'll do the rest. Please contact Dr. Christine Hluchan, Dr. Nancy Ripp Clark or staff member Kathleen Ott for more information.
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Dine with a Doc is a program that connects current Georgetown Medical Students with our alumni, giving students an intimate opportunity to learn more about the field of medicine from a personal perspective. The conversations and camaraderie that result from these moments are important touchstones and milestones in students' lives.
Our hosting engagements this year with students are virtual: consider sending a group of students a gift card to a local restaurant and hosting a Zoom meal with them, or meeting online during Happy Hour. Please contact student co-chairs Elizabeth Duquette and Stephanie Michaels if you are interested in hosting a virtual gathering.
Thank you to MAB members Dr. Bill Oppenheim, Dr. Bill Licamele, Dr. Frank Palumbo, Dr. John and Cathy Roohan and other physicians who have already hosted gatherings for students this year.
Read Dr. Roohan's inspiring account of his virtual dinner with six M1-M3 students on November 29th:
After introductions, we began the event with a "mindfulness moment" of brief guided reflection/meditation. That is something we do at the beginning of our workplace meetings to help participants focus and calm their minds during these stressful times. Afterward, students had the opportunity to access meditation practices available for those working on the frontlines of the pandemic through a partner organization to our community clinic, Insight in Action.
Since it was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, everyone took the opportunity to share (virtually) some of their holiday traditional foods/beverages as well as some of their experiences during the pandemic. Students mentioned that they enjoyed getting to interact with those from other classes and learn about their experiences.
After the event we sent all the students an Amazon gift card to use in lieu of being able to provide them an in-person dinner. We received some nice feedback from the participants!
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Alumni Basketball Happy Hour
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Dr. Bill Licamele*(M'68) and Dr. Regina Torsney-Durkin*(M'77) were featured in a GU 
Hoya Hoops event before the game against Syracuse on January 9 that featured a presentation on GUSOM students and their participation in social justice activities.
Other medical/dental school attendees included Drs. Nancy Ripp Clark*(M'81), Matthew Cooper*(M'94), Jonathan Dehner (M'68), Charley Ferrara (D'71), David McGroarty (M'76), James Spies (M'80), Bill Oppenheim*(M'70), and Sean Pinney*(M'94).
* denotes Medical Alumni Board members
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Saturday Feb. 6, 2021
2:30-4 pm
Sunday Feb. 14, 2021
Friday March 19, 2021
October 29 - 31, 2021
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Match Day
Medical Reunion, celebrating the Classes ending in '0' & '5' and '1' & '6'. Let your classmates know you hope to be there by completing this form today! Are You Coming?
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Dr. Tamika Auguste (M'00, R'04)
Tamika has been named Interim Chair of OB/GYN at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and started her term on January 4, 2021.
She is the Steering Committee Co-Chair for the Racial Justice Committee for Change (RJCC) at the GU School of Medicine, and helped to spearhead the GUSOM student response for creating racial equity noted by Dr. Healton in his letter in the MAB Fall Newsletter. In addition, Tamika is a Board Member for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Nicholas Theodore (MS'87, M'91) Nick was awarded a $13M grant from DARPA (Defense Advanced Research & Projects Administration) to develop state-of-the-art implantable devices for acute spinal cord injury. He is leading a team of 40 clinicians and  scientists working on this project with a goal of having an implantable device within the next five years. A new biography published by actor Michael J. Fox revealed that Dr. Theodore was the surgeon who removed a large tumor from within his spinal cord, preventing paralysis. "All the wonderful things I can say... start with Dr. Theodore. He was just so impressive... and he had a sense of humor," Fox is quoted in his book about his surgery. Read more. Dr. William L. Oppenheim (M'70) Bill was a host panelist for the "Then and Now" presentation during 2020 Medical Reunion weekend, giving alumni a fascinating look back at life as a medical student. Though formally retired, he continues to work on recall assignment at UCLA, and also as the Historian for the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.
 Dr. Jay Crosson (C'66, M'70)Jay has recently had two articles published:
-Jain S, Lucey C, Crosson FJ. The Enduring Importance of Trust in the Leadership of Health Care Organizations, 2020 JAMA (Viewpoint), 324 (23): 2363-2364
-Crosson FJ. Addressing the Cost of Biologic and Specialty Drugs. 2021 JAMA Intern Med. (Invited Commentary),181(1) 22-23
Dr. Christine Hluchan (C'08, M'17)
Christine is a current fourth year resident in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins,
and recently matched into a primary care sports medicine fellowship. She will complete her fellowship at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Hluchan was engaged in November 2020, and plans to be married In Georgetown's Dahlgren Chapel in May prior to moving to California for fellowship.
 Dr. Eric Vallone (M'97)Eric has been selected for inclusion in the February 2021 "Top Doctors" issue of "Northern Virginia" magazine in their listing of Internal Medicine physicians. "With expanded ability to teach using ZOOM, I have spent more time teaching Georgetown Medical students in small group classes this year, but I very much miss not having the usual group of Ambulatory Care students with me in the office." Eric has also been serving as a mentor for medical students as part of the District of Columbia Area Health Education Center (AHEC) primary care mentorship program hosted by the Georgetown University Medical Center.
 Dr. Bill Licamele (C'68, M'72, R'74) Bill has continued to be an active instructor for GUSOM students. He recently gave students in the Harvey Learning Society (of which he is a faculty leader) a lecture on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. During early Fall 2020, he conducted a course with M1 students, teaching them the art of history taking and patient interviewing. "It went much better than I ever imagined. The staff did great work with actor patients!!
Dr. John Roohan (MS'86, M'90)  John and Cathy and their son Connor arrived in DC in early January from the sunny climes of southern California as Connor starts his career as a Hoya. "He is a freshman at the GU School of Foreign Service and for some reason wanted to spend the second semester with other students instead of in his room at home!"
Dr. Ranit Mishori (M'02)
Dr. John Barasso (C'75, M'78) Wyoming's Sen. John Barrasso was sworn into the 116th Congress on January 3rd, continuing Georgetown's long legacy of alumni serving the public.
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