Spring is Here!

By Dr. Doug Bacon

The last quarter of the academic year is a wonderful time.

Driving to work, the bright colors of the annual and perennial flowers glow in the headlight beams. Dawn breaks during my commute, splashing a bright palate across the sky. Our residents are at the end of their learning curve and the seniors are ready to be independent anesthesiologists. The medical school moves slowly toward graduation and summer is literally right around the corner.

The department is also doing well. Three faculty members were promoted this spring: Dr. Harris Baig, Dr. Ramarao Takkallapalli and Dr. Lakshmi Kurnutala will each become associate professors on July 1. Please send them hardy congratulations.

On June 16, the fourth annual Dr. Brunson’s Teaching Day will take place beginning at 8 a.m. The senior residents will present their research projects in front of a series of judges. The contest has two parts: half is for their written presentations and the other half is on their presentations at Teaching Day. First prize is $500, second prize is $300 and third prize is $200. All alumni of the department are welcome to participate and CME credit is awarded.

Graduation is the evening of June 16. Dr. David Zvara, chair of anesthesiology at the University of North Carolina, will be our visiting professor. Nine residents will graduate this year. They are a very successful group with seven of the nine going on to fellowships.

The department had one of the most successful matches in recent memory. We were able to attract many of our top candidates. We look forward to welcoming them to the Medical Center in July and at an informal meet-and-greet in September.

We have also received notice of commendation from the Residency Review Committee for our program’s demonstrated substantial compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Program Requirements and/or Institutional Requirements without any new citations. While commendation is rare, our residency program has obtained it for several years in a row. Congratulations to the education staff!

While June can be bittersweet with the graduation of residents who have become dear friends, April and May are special times to savor. I want to personally thank each and every person who has donated to the departmental fund, which has helped us to recruit the finest residents and faculty. It is truly an honor to serve this department, the Medical Center and the state of Mississippi.

Also, please welcome our new CRNAs: Megan Bass, Jacob Millwood, Nikki Vaught, Ashley Rigdon and John Woods!

Enjoy your spring, and I look forward to greeting you at Brunson Teaching Day!