Students enjoyed a night on the town at the SGU-sponsored Student Government Association Match Day party at the Bell House in Brooklyn.

More Than 860 Grads Match to PGY1 Residencies

Help SGU Recruit the Best and Brightest Students.

AAMP Alumni Admission Mentor Program

Volume 10 | Issue 2 | March/April 2017

St. George’s Universityc/o University Support Services, LLC The North American Correspondent 3500 Sunrise Highway, Building 300 Great River, New York 11739-9002

Match Day was yet another success for St. George’s University and its graduates, with more than 860 students and alumni—and counting—securing first-year residency positions at highly competitive programs across the United States through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).

SGU alumni will report to PGY1 residency programs in the following specialties this summer: anesthesiology, child neurology, diagnostic radiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine/neurology, internal medicine/pediatrics, neurological surgery, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, pathology, pediatrics, pediatrics/emergency medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, psychiatry, surgery, thoracic surgery, urology, and vascular surgery. Residencies were secured across the

MATCH, continued on page 3

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Featured AAMP Volunteers

Anna Maro, MD (expected)Class of 2017

Ms. Maro was overjoyed to learn that she matched into her top-choice program—the internal medicine residency program at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Originally from Tanzania, Ms. Maro and her family immigrated to the United States prior to college, allowing her to obtain a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Massachusetts. While completing her clinical rotations in New York City, Ms. Maro worked in the student call center on Long Island, providing guidance for students interested in attending SGU.

Matthew Wi, MDClass of 2016

Dr. Wi is a first-year general surgery resident at Kaiser Fontana/Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Southern California. He came to SGU from nearby University of California Riverside, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Upon completing residency, he hopes to enter into a plastic surgery fellowship. Dr. Wi enjoys his role as a mentor for SGU clinical students, especially those interested in surgery. He has also met with prospective SGU students at recent California information sessions.

Kimberly Kone, MDClass of 2013

Dr. Kone is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at University of Texas Health San Antonio, specializing in primary preventive medicine, pediatric and adolescent health care, and women’s health care. She earned her biomedical science degree at Texas A&M before enrolling at SGU, where she was active in student government, tutoring, and intramural sports. Upon graduating, Dr. Kone ascended to the role of Chief Resident in family medicine at UT Southwestern. As an AAMP volunteer, she meets with prospective students at area info sessions.

HELP GUIDE TOMORROW’S DOCTORS AND VETSAAMP volunteers can help in a variety of ways and on their schedule. Register at sgu.edu/aamp-form.

1. In person SGU hosts information sessions and Face-to-Face programs in major cities around the world. Grads can answer questions about the University, life at SGU, and their profession. In addition, we can arrange for alums to meet with pre-health advisors at area universities.

2. Online Webinars include a brief presentation, as well as a live chat Q&A with students, graduates, and admission counselors. AAMP volunteers can log on and provide a valuable perspective to interested students.

3. By phone Graduates can make themselves available to answer prospective students’ questions over the phone. They can also serve as grad mentors, for which they are paired with prospective and accepted students.

4. Alumni Volunteer Directory

Grads can submit their contact information and biography to this publication to connect with colleagues and prospective students in their area. The AVD indicates the breadth of area and expertise of our MD and DVM graduates.

A Successful 40th Anniversary CE

In March, the St. George’s University Alumni Association

welcomed more than 60 attendees to a four-day continuing education

conference in Grenada. The conference, titled “Advances in the Practice of Medicine in the Last 40 Years,” included seminars on topics ranging

from sepsis and opioid abuse to interventional

pulmonology and palliative care. Seminars were led by a wide range of experts in the field, including more than 10

SGU alumni.

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SGU Grads Eye Next Step—ResidencyMATCH, continued from page 1United States as well as in the District of Columbia. In addition to Match Day, one student matched in January’s San Francisco Match, and seven more through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS).

“We applaud the 2017 class for its dedication and drive, from the first day of basic sciences to their clinical rotations,” said Dr. G. Richard Olds, President and CEO of St. George’s University. “We look forward to seeing them enjoy long and successful careers, and in addition to the United States and Canada, I also wish to congratulate the hundreds of graduates who are planning to train internationally.”

Many SGU graduates obtained positions in their top-choice positions and at highly competitive programs. Among them was Sannoor Surani,

who described herself as “absolutely ecstatic” shortly after learning that she had secured an anesthesiology position at her top-choice program—Boston University Medical Center. Although she grew up in Texas, she looks forward to practicing in a city that she calls “the hub of medicine.”

“So many innovations come out of Boston, and the environment is so stimulating with so many brilliant minds,” she said. “It’s where I wanted to be, and I couldn’t be happier.”

On Match Day, Dan O’Connor discovered that he will return to his native Minnesota this summer to begin a family medicine residency at St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He

had enjoyed his medicine rotation at St. Cloud, and interviewed for a residency position before leaving. It was and has always been his top choice.

“From when I first went to SGU, this has always been my dream,” O’Connor said. “I’ll be around my family and friends, and I’ll be doing what I love, so I’m very happy about it.”

In March, more than 850 SGU students matched in 44 US states, Washington DC, and Canada, across a wide range of specialties.

Another Match Day has come and gone, yet the elation never subsides, for us or for the hundreds of graduates who will take the next step in their careers this summer. We celebrated with many of them at our annual Match Day Luncheon at Brooklyn Hospital in New York, and it was wonderful to see and hear the jubilation when the news arrived. Best of luck to all of our soon-to-be physicians. Your commitment to becoming a physician paid off, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for you in this incredible profession.

It’s gratifying that our mission to supply the United States and Canada with highly qualified primary care physicians continues. More than 40 US states —from Alabama to Wyoming—will welcome an SGU graduate to begin his or her primary care residency this summer. The 2017 class will also address the shortage of doctors in urban and rural areas. Meeting the needs in these

communities has been a hallmark of the University’s 40-year history.

We are looking for the next success story everywhere we go, including in the US, Canada, Caribbean and overseas. As graduates, you once were curious about SGU, but now, you have seen its many benefits firsthand. Please join us at any number of our scheduled events, including information sessions, webinars, and more, in the coming months, and be sure to check sgu.edu/infosession for the most up-to-date list. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions via email at jvastola@sgu.edu or by calling (631) 665-8500 ext. 1395.

“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.” – Plato

Message from the AAMP CoordinatorThroughout 2017, St. George’s

University is hosting a One World, One Health, One Medicine

Seminar Series, which explores the inextricable link between humans,

animals, and the environment.

In May, Hugh Sealy, a Professor in SGU’s Department of Public

Health and Preventive Medicine, will host a seminar titled “Changing

the Environment and Health: A Small Island States Perspective,”

touching on how climate change is disproportionately affecting small island developing states. A month

later, the “One Health, One Medicine Community Clinics” seminar will be

led by MD/MPH student Judy Wong.

The courses are free to the public, and include interactive discussion

forums and exercises. To learn more about these or upcoming installments of the series, or to register, visit online.sgu.edu/

anniversary.

One Health Seminar Series Marches on

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Spring/Summer 2017 Schedule of Events

4/17 Colombo, Sri Lanka4/19 Chennai, India4/21 Mumbai, India4/22 Hyderabad, India4/23 New Delhi, India4/24 Dublin, Ireland4/25 Belfast, Northern Ireland4/26 Manchester, England4/26 Washington, DC *4/28 London, England5/18 Portland, Oregon6/4 Johannesburg, So. Africa6/5 Durban, South Africa6/6 Cape Town, South Africa6/8 Nairobi, Kenya

* Match Tour: Short presentation and Q&A session featuring recently matched grads, including the Class of 2017

SGU Grad Honored by British Monarchy for Service to GrenadaBeverly Nelson, MD SGU ’86, an Associate Professor at SGU and a pioneer in pediatrics in Grenada, was awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Charles, Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Dr. Nelson is the founding Chairperson of the Children’s Health Organization Relief and Educational Services (CHORES) support group in Grenada, which has arranged physician visits to provide sub-specialty care for the community since 1989. CHORES collaborated with the Grenada Heart Foundation to eradicate rheumatic fever, which once had a high incidence in Grenada.

Dr. Nelson also serves as Co-Chair of Pediatrics and Consultant Pediatrician for Ministry of Health Grenada, while also teaching SGU medical students as a Clinical Associate Professor.

Dr. Nelson attended SGU on full scholarship beginning in 1982, and graduated in June 1986. She

completed her pediatrics residency at Brooklyn Hospital in New York, finishing as Chief Resident, before returning to Grenada to begin her pediatrics career. For a five-year period, she was the only pediatrician practicing on the island.

Dr. Nelson helped arrange the first CHORES visit to Grenada, and four years later, CHORES Support Grenada was formed, with Dr. Nelson serving as Chair. More than three decades later, CHORES continues to welcome specialists to Grenada three times per year, providing no-cost health care—including cardiology, surgery, pediatrics, prosthetics, and more. It also raises funds for patients to fly to the United States for additional care.

Her honor comes a year after Dr. Chamarthy Subbarao, Professor of Clinical Skills at SGU, was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to Grenada.

Beverly Nelson, MD SGU ‘86, is awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Charles, Prince of Wales. Jonathan Brady/PA Archive/PA Images

Download the New AAMP App!The Alumni Admission Mentor Program (AAMP) now has an app!

It’s your new guide to:

• Timely payment for events (information sessions, match tours, conferences, etc.)

• Event expense submissions

• Viewing and volunteering for upcoming events

• Accessing the Event Debriefing form

The SGUAAMP mobile app is available in both the Android Marketplace and Apple Store and can be accessed via both cellular and Wi-Fi internet connections. After downloading, simply create an account and you’re ready to go! Currently, the app is

available for all United States/Canada events and will soon be expanded to cover the rest of the world.

Download SGUAAMP today!