Letter from Sarah Creekmore Woodall
Greetings, Vandy Med alumni!
The Vanderbilt Medical Alumni Association continues our “on the road again” tour, with stops at the Radiology Society of North America in Chicago with the Vanderbilt Radiology Society; American College of Cardiology in New Orleans with the Friesinger Society; regional event in Los Angeles; American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Los Angeles with our Meacham Society; joint regional event at the American College of Physicians in San Diego with our Brittingham Society; American Pediatric Surgical Association in Orlando, Florida, with our newest specialty society, the Wallace “Skip” Neblett Society; a visit to American College of Obstetrics & Gynecologists in Baltimore with our Burnett Society; and a regional event in Washington, D.C.
We closed out our spring with two June stops in Chicago at the American Society of Clinical Oncology with our Hematology/Oncology Society and Endocrine Society meeting with our Liddle Society.
Closer to home, this spring we supported several programs for our current trainees and current students including the Tabula Rasa humanities journal, a House Staff night out at a Vanderbilt men’s basketball game, a Shade Tree Clinic Benefit concert and 5K run, a dinner for the Pride in Medicine student group, Match Day, and several graduation events where we welcomed our newest group of VMAA alumni to the ranks, with 191 graduates across 10 programs graduating from VUSM in May. We also welcomed our newest VUMC trainees in June and July.
Plans for the second half of 2023 and early 2024 are already in the works, so please be on the lookout for emails, and check our website for when we’ll be in your area. More details will be announced soon for upcoming stops in Houston, Boston, Seattle, and Atlanta…just to name a few!
In fall 2022, we also welcomed new members to the VMAA Board of Directors: Mary Laird Warner, MD’90 – President; Elise Fallucco, MD’04 – President-Elect; Kristin Ancell, MD – Hematology/Oncology Society Representative; Amy Boyd, MD’95 – Tennessee Regional Director; Benjamin Citrin, MD’89 – Friesinger Society Representative; Michael Czorniak, MD’82 – Northeast Regional Director; Steven Eskind, MD – Scott Society Representative; Timothy Kuo, MD’00 – Southeast Regional Director; Randy Saliares, MD’81 – Midwest Regional Director; Monique Simpson, MD’14 – Young Alumni Representative; and Melissa Wellons, MD – Liddle Society Representative.
Those of you who have current email addresses on file with us should have received our new e-newsletter that rolled out in late April – “VMAA Vitals.” This new quarterly publication allows us to connect with you on a regular basis and gives us an additional opportunity to highlight alumni accomplishments, promote events and programs, and help each of you stay connected to each other and the Association. If you didn’t receive it, please reach out to our team at medalumni@vanderbilt.edu or scan the QR code below to update your contact information.
I would like to close this update with sincere gratitude to my predecessor, Ann Price, MD’78, who for the past two years has served the VMAA in a part-time physician liaison role. For nearly two decades, she has been integral to the success of the VMAA and established lifelong connections between the school and its alumni. She retired in June, after receiving emerita status and has been a wonderful partner as we transitioned VMAA leadership. We are thankful for her service and look forward to her always being part of our VMAA family.
Hope to see you “on the road” soon!