NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY OF HEALTH DIGITAL COLLECTION Medical Alumni Bulletin [1977-2002] Volume 33 (1987) DOCUMENT NO. NCHH-44-033 || http://hsl.lib.unc.edu/specialcollections/nchealthhistory || This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). For more information about the collection, or to search other volumes, please visit: || http://hsl.lib.unc.edu/specialcollections/nchealthhistory || Vol. 33, February 1987 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine medical alumni BUUfllN medical alumni BIIUfUN On the Cover ADVISORY BOARD Gerald W. Fernald, M.D., '60 Donald C. Fidler, M.D., '75 Thomas R. Griggs, M.D., '69 George Johnson Jr., M.D., '50 Noel B. McDevitt, M.D., '64 Paul L. Munson, Ph.D. William B. Wood, M.D., '56 Chainuau Richard A. Boyd, M.D., '56 ex officio Daniel L. Crocker, M.D., '70 ex officio Luther W. Kelly Jr., M.D., '46 ex officio John W. Stokes ex officio EXECUTIVE EDITOR John W. Stokes ]anuary 7 was a gala day for the medical school. Students pireseiitcd papvrs for Medical Director, Student Research Day, then attended an Awards Dinner at the Carolina Inn. Institutional Relations Participating in Research Day events were, from left, Dr. Ralph Landes, a Danville, Va., urologist u'lio endowed the annual Ralph R. Landes Lecture; Dr. Pedro CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Cuatrecasas, vice president of research and developnnent of Glaxo Corp., who delivered Dick Broom the Landes Lecture: Stan Watson, MS-Ill, vice president of the Whitehead Medical Kathy Neal Society; Prof. Emeritus John B. Graham; R.G. Elgin, MS-II, ivlio icon third prize for his Katherine Smart research; Art Shepard, MS-U, who won first prize; and Dudley Hudspeth, MS-IV, co-president of the John B. Graham Student Research Society. Not pictured is second-prize winner Sameh Toma, MS-IIL The events toere sponsored by the Whitehead The Medical Alumni Bulletin is published six times per year by the UNC-CH Medical Medical Society and the fohn B. Graham Research Society. Alumni Association, Chapel Hill, N.C. —Photo by Dan Crawford 27514. Postage is paid bv the non-profit association through U.S. Postal Permit No. 24. All correspondence should be addressed to the editor at N.C. Memorial Hospital 204H, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514. rnciiicnl alumni BULLETIN A Story of Pride and Accomplishment The Medical Education Development Program is a success story that is still being written—but it already has hundreds of happy endings. This may be one of the best disadvantaged backgrounds "It was really rewarding to see before-and-after stories in improve their chances of a lot of fellow blacks working medical history, but it has becoming physicians, dentists toward the same goal," said nothing to do with a patient. and other health professionals. In Beamon, reflecting on his MED It has to do with Dr. Ronnie fact, more than 80 percent of its experience. "I'd never had the Beamon, M.D. '82, who defied a participants have matriculated in role models before—never had lifetime of social and educational health professional schools, most any idea what it took. By the end deprivation to become one of the notably at UNC-CH, and of the summer, it was not a School of Medicine's outstanding graduated at rates well above question of whether I could do it, graduates, now a physician in national averages. but rather if I was willing to private practice just north of The formula behind the work hard enough to do it." Charlotte. program's success is an intense Other graduates reaped similar Beamon grew up in a small farming community in eastern North Carolina, a member of a large black family whose income was below poverty level. Despite his disadvantaged upbringing, he ''It was not a question of whether I was the first in his family to go could do it, but rather if I was willing to college and the first black from his county to go to medical to work hard enough to do it." school. Obviously Beamon has himself to thank for his accomplish­ educational experience that benefits. ments, but he also credits a capsulizes, in a supportive "MED gave me a good unique preparatory program, setting, the academic, social and feeling," said Frances Owle offered by the Schools of psychological realities of the first Smith, '87, the first Cherokee Medicine and Dentistry, for year of medical and dental Indian to attend a medical school giving him the psychological and studies. Courses, taught by in this state. "It let me know educational footing he needed to senior faculty, include more than what the atmosphere in medical make it through medical school. 190 hours of instruction in the school would be." Developed in 1974 as the MED or basic medical sciences. Work­ "Perhaps most of all," noted Medical Education Development shops, seminars, individualized Dr. John Rennick, M.D. '82, "the Program, the eight-week summer labs and counseling focus on the MED program provided me with experience has helped more than learning skills essential for the incentive and confidence I 700 students from minority and professional studies. needed, as well as an excellent background. The familiarity with serve, for example, as a valid obtained the D.D.S. from what to expect enabled me to measure of motivation, academic UNC-CH between 1978 and 1982. concentrate without the anxiety discipline and maturity. Dr. Ben Barker, dean of the associated with novelty." Rennick The program also has been a School of Denistry, says that by completed his residency in family powerful recruitment device. redressing the imbalance of medicine at Charlotte Memorial Hospital and is fulfilling a service commitment in Henderson. From the inception of the MED '\..a vital action that has given program. Dr. Edith MacRae, professor of anatomy, and Dr. organization and substance to a goal Frederic Dalldorf, professor of pathology, have served as whose time had come. voluntary course directors. With the help of dedicated faculty, staff and professional students contributing to UNC-CH's minority professionals practicing who serve as teaching assistants, national reputation since 1970 of in North Carolina communities, their leadership has fostered a enrolling minority students at the MED program is "a vital strong support system for rates nearly double the national action that has given organization participants. average. The medical school, for and substance to a goal whose MacRae believes that without example, has graduated 227 time had come." such a positive educational minority students, primarily climate, many MED students black and American Indian, with "would not have had the more than 90 enrolled as of the assurance that they could make it fall of 1986. into medical or dental school, nor But the significance of the This article was adapted from a would they have attempted to go preparatory program is perhaps report published in a recent issue into these professions." best reflected in the number of of The Educational Inquirer, the Besides providing valuable former participants who have newsletter of the medical school's exposure to the professions, the obtained their professional Office of Research and MED program "gives the degrees and established practices Development for Education in admissions committee a very in this state, particularly in the Health Professions. The important additional piece of previously underserved areas. report was written by Evelyn data" when evaluating students Studies through 1982 show that McCarthy, director of the MED whose abilities may not be at least 50 percent of the 92 program, and Donna Harward, adequately represented by the former MED students who research assistant. traditional criteria, said Dr. obtained their medical degrees William Bakewell, associate dean from UNC-CH and have and chair of the admissions established practices are settling committee for the medical school. in the state. So have nearly all of A student's MED record may the 23 former MED students who 'Tamiliarity with what to expect enabled me to concentrate without the anxiety associated with novelty.'' medical alumni BULLETIN Dr. Fleming Fuller, who died in Kinston on October 3, 1986, gave much to North Carolina medicine. He was in many ways the epitome of a physician. He Dean's was not an alumnus of our school. Indeed, he was one who shaped the development of North Carolina Baptist Hospital page and the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Dr. Fuller also was a pillar of the Board of Directors of North Carolina Memorial Hospital from its creation in 1971 and, in this capacity, his contributions to our school and to all of the groups served by Memorial Hospital were considerable and will be lasting. Fleming was justly proud of great tragedy. But as he In appreciation and as a tribute, I his professional accomplishments discussed his patients and want to use this Dean's Page to but, whether helping one person practice with me, I saw that his. share with our alumni the or serving a great cause, his practice was a great celebration of remarks which I made at concern was entirely with results, life in all its wonder and Fleming's funeral at the request with the benefit to the person or mystery.