OF ALPHA OMEGA ALPHA HONOR MEDICAL SOCIETY Autumn 2008 ALPHAof Alpha OMEGA Omega ALPHA Alpha HONOR honor MEDICAL medical SOCIETY society AUTUMNSUMMER 20082008 ´"YJP7XKFMF ´ ˆJOUPV7` BMHP´ VOUB7ˆ Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society “Worthy to Serve the Suffering” Founded by William W. Root in 1902 Officers and Directors at Large Editor: Edward D. Harris, Jr., MD Rae-Ellen W. Kavey, MD Editor Emeritus: Robert J. Glaser, MD President Associate Editor and Managing Editor Bethesda, Maryland (in memoriam) Edward D. Harris, Jr., MD Helen H. Glaser, MD Executive Secretary Menlo Park, California Managing Editor Art Director and Illustrator Donald E. Wilson, MD Debra M. Lancaster Jim M!Guinness Vice President Baltimore, Maryland Administrator Designer Ann Hill Erica Aitken C. Bruce Alexander, MD Secretary-Treasurer Birmingham, Alabama Michael V. Drake, MD Editorial Board Irvine, California N. Joseph Espat, MD Jeremiah A. Barondess, MD Faith T. Fitzgerald, MD Eric Pfeiffer, MD Providence, Rhode Island New York, New York Sacramento, California Tampa, Florida David A. Bennahum, MD Daniel Foster, MD Richard C. Reynolds, MD Ruth-Marie Fincher, MD Albuquerque, New Mexico Dallas, Texas Gainesville, Florida Augusta, Georgia John A. Benson, Jr., MD James G. Gamble, MD, PhD William M. Rogoway, MD Douglas S. Paauw, MD Omaha, Nebraska Stanford, California Stanford, California Seattle, Washington Gert H. Brieger, MD Dean G. Gianakos, MD Shaun V. Ruddy, MD Baltimore, Maryland Lynchburg, Virginia Richmond, Virginia Don W. Powell, MD Richard Bronson, MD Jean D. Gray, MD Bonnie Salomon, MD Galveston, Texas Stony Brook, New York Halifax, Nova Scotia Deerfield, Illinois John C.M. Brust, MD David B. Hellmann, MD John S. Sergent, MD Joseph W. Stubbs, MD New York, New York Baltimore, MD Nashville, Tennessee Albany, Georgia Audrey Shafer, MD Charles S. Bryan, MD Pascal James Imperato, MD Medical Organization Director Columbia, South Carolina Brooklyn, New York Stanford, California Marjorie S. Sirridge, MD Robert A. Chase, MD Elizabeth B. Lamont, MD John Tooker, MD, MBA Kansas City, Missouri Stanford, California, and Chicago, Illinois American College of Physicians Jaffrey, New Hampshire Clement B. Sledge, MD Kenneth M. Ludmerer, MD Marblehead, Massachussetts Henry M. Claman, MD St. Louis, Missouri Councilor Directors Denver, Colorado John H. Stone III, MD James B.D. Mark, MD Atlanta, Georgia Robert G. Atnip, MD Fredric L. Coe, MD Stanford, California Chicago, Illinois Jan van Eys, Ph.D., MD Pennsylvania State University J.Joseph Marr , MD Nashville, Tennessee Hershey, Pennsylvania Jack Coulehan, MD Broomfield, Colorado Stony Brook, New York Abraham Verghese, MD, DSc Stephen J. McPhee, MD (Hon.) Eric P. Gall, MD, MACP, MACR Ralph Crawshaw, MD San Francisco, California Stanford, California Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Portland, Oregon Sherman M. Mellinkoff, MD Steven A. Wartman, MD, PhD Franklin University of Medicine Peter E. Dans, MD Los Angeles, California Washington, DC and Science Baltimore, Maryland Robert H. Moser, MD Gerald Weissmann, MD Chicago, Illinois Scott K. Epstein, MD Madera Reserve, Arizona New York, New York Amy Goldberg, MD Boston, Massachussetts Edmund D. Pellegrino, MD David Watts, MD Lawrence L. Faltz, MD Washington, DC Mill Valley, California Temple University School of Medicine Sleepy Hollow, New York Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Student Directors Natalia Berry Dartmouth Medical School Manuscripts being prepared for The Pharos should be typed double-spaced, submitted in triplicate, and conform to the format outlined in the manuscript submission guidelines appearing on our website: www.alphaomegaalpha.org. They are also available Kara Maria Cavuoto from The Pharos office. Editorial material should be sent to Edward D. Harris, Jr., MD, Editor, The Pharos, 525 Middlefield Road, University of Miami Suite 130, Menlo Park, California 94025. Smeeta Sinha, MD Requests for reprints of individual articles should be forwarded directly to the authors. UMDNJ—New Jersey Medical School The Pharos of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (ISSN 0031-7179) is published quarterly by Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, 525 Middlefield Road, Suite 130, Menlo Park, California 94025, and printed by The Ovid Bell Press, Inc., Fulton, Administrative Office Missouri 65251. Periodicals postage paid at the post office at Menlo Park, California and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 525 Middlefield Road, Suite 130 © 2008, by Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. The contents of The Pharos can only be reproduced with the written Menlo Park, California 94025 permission of the editor. (ISSN 0031-7179) Telephone: (650) 329-0291 Circulation information: The Pharos is sent to all dues-paying members of Alpha Omega Alpha at no additional cost. All correspondence Fax: (650) 329-1618 relating to circulation should be directed to Ms. Mara Celebi, Webmaster, 525 Middlefield Road, Suite 130, Menlo Park, California 94025. E-mail: E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] POSTMASTER: Change service requested: Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Post Office Box 2147, www.alphaomegaalpha.org Menlo Park, CA 94026. Time for change in AΩA Edward D. Harris, Jr., MD David P. Hill “We know that AΩA exists, but no one really knows who distinction of election to AΩA in medical school. is a member.” —Recently elected student *UIBTCFFOïîôZFBSTTJODFUIFTPDJFUZXBTGPVOEFE4IPVME not the enormous changes in both the science and therapeu- AΩA’s Board of Directors recently sent a brief ques- tics in medicine as well as in the organization and structure tionnaire to junior AΩA members at many different medical of medical care be factors in having a national honor medical schools. We wanted to find out how much current students TPDJFUZUIBUJTSFMFWBOUGPSUIJTOFXDFOUVSZ on various campuses know about AΩA. The results from one Some of the questions open for debate and consideration question were particularly interesting: include: t 4IPVMEUIPTFFMFDUFEBTNFNCFSTXIPIBWFOPUQBJEEVFT t *T"ώ"BDUJWFBOEWJTJCMFBUZPVSTDIPPM CFDPOUJOVFEBTiBDUJWFwNFNCFSTPG"ώ" *ONBOZQSPGFT- – Yes: . sional societies, nonpayment of dues results in a physician’s – Somewhat: . name being dropped from membership. Failure to play AΩA – No: . dues does not lead to any other classification than “inactive” status, meaning that these “members” receive no further com- These numbers got us thinking . if AΩA is perceived as munication from the national office. only “somewhat” visible (“almost like a secret society,” wrote t )PXDBOUIFNBOZ"ώ"QSPHSBNTQSPWJEFEUPDIBQUFST one student) at medical schools, how can we expect the gen- including the Distinguished Teacher Award, Medical Student eral community, our patients, to know of its existence and Service Projects, Visiting Professorship, and Student Essay XPSUI and Poem contests, be announced and publicized beyond the AngiesList.com now ranks doctors. Who are the judges, DIBQUFSTBOEJOEJWJEVBMXJOOFST 'PSFYBNQMF FBDIZFBSBUUIF BOEXIBUBSFUIFDSJUFSJBPGFYDFMMFODF 5IFHMPTTZDJUZQFSJ- AAMC annual awards banquet, the four AΩA Distinguished odicals, such as SF Magazine, already rank Top Doctors each Teachers chosen from faculty nominated by their deans are year. Basically, this is free advertising, often by peers, based on HJWFO˸ïî îîîBXBSET#VUCFZPOEUIPTFQSFTFOUBUUIFEJO- undisclosed criteria. State medical societies, bound by prin- ners, there is rarely any publicity. ciples of impartiality, cannot rank physicians, although their t )PX EP XF JODSFBTF VTF CZ NFNCFST JO QSBDUJDF BOE publications identify those who have been determined, for BDBEFNJBPGUIFTPDJFUZTXFCTJUF one of many reasons, to have been disciplined or judged unfit t 5PDPOUJOVFUPHSPXBOEFYQBOEQSPHSBNT UIFTPDJFUZ for active practice. Nevertheless, those with responsibilities needs more revenue than that generated by dues. Should other for monitoring as well as paying for medical care, including TPVSDFTPGJODPNFCFJEFOUJGJFE insurance companies, federal watchdog organizations, and t )PXDBOJOEJWJEVBMDIBQUFSTJOWPMWF"ώ"NFNCFSTOPU Medicare, expect the highest standards of quality care from POUIFJSDBNQVTFTJODIBQUFSBDUJWJUJFT the nation’s physicians. t $BO QSPHSBNT CF JOTUJUVUFE GPS "ώ" NFNCFST EVSJOH A logical extension of these observations is that a good case UIFJSSFTJEFODZZFBSTUIBUXPVMECFVTFGVMBOEBQQSPQSJBUF can be made for giving ready access to the public of names of QIZTJDJBOTXIPBSFBDUJWFNFNCFSTPG"ώ"*UJTJNQPSUBOU Returning to the results of the questionnaire, responses we feel, to inform the public about the mission and goals of showed that students were both pleased and proud to be AΩA, the only national honor medical society. Our patients elected. Although scholarly achievement is a prime and basic could and should learn that in addition to academic achieve- criterion for election, so are the other components of profes- ment, a student’s commitment to service, professionalism, sionalism, service, and leadership. We, those elected in earlier fairness in dealing with colleagues, compassion, integrity, and years, must be proud of the new generations of AΩA mem- capability of leadership are important criteria for election. bers, and support and encourage them. *OTUFBEPGSFGFSSJOHUPUIFHMPTTZQIPUPJOUIFDJUZNBHB[JOF B patient looking for a primary care or specialty physician could, Please send your questions, comments, and suggestions to at AΩA’s own web site, find those doctors who achieved the me at [email protected]. The Pharos/Autumn 2008 1 The Pharos • Volume 71 In This Issue Number 4 • Autumn 2008