20th annual Talbert symposium an impressive success
Student presentations, mentorship and research breadth wow visiting professor
April 12, 2022 — While fourth-year medical students at the University of Florida College of Medicine were celebrating Match Day March 18, the college’s rising medical students and a few residents and fellows were busy presenting research for a visiting professor at the 20th annual James Lewis Talbert, M.D., Lectureship and Mini-Symposium.
Named for Talbert, a professor emeritus and founding chief of the UF division of pediatric surgery when it launched in 1967, the lectureship has hosted distinguished pediatric surgeons from across the U.S. and Canada for two decades. For about 10 years, it has also included a research symposium, allowing members of the college to present their work to the visiting guests.
Because of COVID-19 pandemic considerations, it was not known until last-minute whether visiting professor Marjorie J. Arca, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, New York, and division chief of pediatric surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, would be able to attend this year’s events in person, said Saleem Islam, M.D., M.P.H., a UF professor and division chief of pediatric surgery who helped organize and moderate the symposium. But at the drop of a hat, he said, 15 students coordinated to present for Arca and answer her questions on their research. And despite the fast-paced timeline, they all excelled.
Visiting professor Marjorie J. Arca, M.D., surgeon‐in‐chief at the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, New York, and division chief of pediatric surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, takes a picture of the 20th Annual James Lewis Talbert, M.D., Lectureship participants on March 18.
Photo by Saleem Islam, M.D., M.P.H.
Students sometimes stumble when delivering big talks or divert difficult questions to their faculty mentors, Islam said. But this year, “They just did it as if they were faculty themselves,” he said. “They were outstanding. There was this immense feeling of pride among all the faculty and residents in the room.”
Islam, who mentored seven of the 15 presenters, said Arca, an “icon in pediatric surgical education,” was blown away by the students’ professionalism, depth of understanding and wide variety of research and opportunities. Talks ranged from pediatric burns, trauma and basic science to neonatal problems, education and gastrointestinal topics. See a full list of presenters and their project titles below.
- Grace Thompson, M.D., first-year surgery resident: “Comparison of Postoperative Pain Control Regimens After Repair of Pectus Excavatum”
- Gwen Gillies, M.D., third-year surgery resident: “Outcomes in Multiple Runs of ECMO in Neonates”
- Michelot Michel, third-year medical student: “Functional Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children”
- Angela Arata, second-year medical student: “Assessment of Head CT Scans in Children with Traumatic Injuries”
- Esther Blondeau, third-year medical student: “Social Determinants of Health and Postoperative Opioid Usage”
- Caroline Lamoutte, second-year medical student: “What is the Role of Abdominal Distention in Diagnosing NEC?”
- Faidah Badru, M.D., pediatric surgery fellow: “Neonatal ECMO – How Long Should We Go?” and “A Case of Massive Chest Tube Output on ECMO”
- Rylie Frayman, third-year medical student: “Management of Breast Masses in Children and Adolescents”
- Madison Wnuk, first-year medical student: “Gastric Electrical Stimulation in Patients with Dysautonomia, EDS and Gastroparesis”
- Vanessa Rodriguez, third-year medical student: “Understanding Health Care Utilization after Gastrostomy Tube Placement in Children”
- Gisele Juru Bunogerane, M.D., COSECA pediatric surgery fellow, Kigali University Teaching Hospital: “A Perspective on Neonatal Surgery (Abdominal Wall Defects) in Rwanda”
- Joe Calpin, third-year medical student: “Creating a Pathway for Children with Possible Appendicitis”
- Juan P. Santana, second-year medical student: “Impact of Language Barrier in Children with Burn Injuries”
- Alya Barq, third-year medical student: “Understanding Presentation and Outcomes in NEC Totalis”
- Lindsay Wald, second-year medical student: “Management of Pneumomediastinum in Children and Adolescents”
- Daniel Reich, third-year medical student: “Interobserver Reliability in Diagnosing NEC Radiologically”
- Omar Sharaf, third-year medical student: “Hepatitis B Vaccination and Reduced Infectious Complications in Preterm Neonates”
- Melanie Justice, third-year medical student: “Laparoscopic vs. Open Repair of Inguinal Hernias – Comparing Outcomes”
