36 minute read
Alumni News
CONTACT US: If you have news, announcements, or creative works you’d like to share with your fellow alumni, please write to the BUSM Alumni Association at 72 E. Concord Street, L120, Boston, MA 02118 or email us at alumbusm@bu.edu.
A message from Jean E. Ramsey, MD, MPH Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS,
When was the last time you visited the BUSM campus? Chances are, there have been changes since then. We hope you are receiving our BUSM Alumni e-Newsletter to help keep you up to date on what’s happening at BUSM in between your visits. If you don’t see it in your inbox, give us a call at 617-358-9525.
Recently, a number of alumni have returned. Class of 1969 reunioners joined us for Alumni Weekend and were honored at a special luncheon, during which the 2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Ralph Sacco (MED’83) [see page 35]. Many took the microphone spontaneously to talk about how they met their spouses at medical school and how they relied on their colleagues for support. It was wonderful for all of us to hear them share their heartfelt stories with each other.
The 25th reunioners told stories, too! During the Deans’ Town Hall event, Diana Perry (MED’94) expressed her excitement at being back on campus and offered these words of advice to students and others:
Her enthusiastic contingent of classmates wholeheartedly agreed. Many Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP) alumni also returned to BUSM during the three-day EMSSP Homecoming. A mix of social and mentoring time among alumni, current medical students, and EMSSP undergraduates made this a unique and exhilarating opportunity. We plan to continue these activities moving forward, so please stay tuned!
Our photos on pages 36–38 offer a glimpse of what it’s like to interact with students and alumni on campus today. Other photos from Alumni Weekend and EMSSP Homecoming can be found at facebook.com/ BUSMAlumniAssociation.
On behalf of the entire alumni team, we hope to see you at future events to experience the alumni community for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised!
Please stay in touch. We always welcome your feedback and ideas! n
Alumni Profile: Reshma Kewalramani, MD (MED’98) A force multiplier for advancing medicine in the interest of patients
Recently named the next president and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., Reshma Kewalramani (CAS’98, MED’98) will tell you she has lived a charmed life, despite the challenges she faced as an immigrant to the United States and in cultivating her work ethic, leadership qualities, and dedication to education and mentorship.
Currently Vertex’s chief medical officer and vice president, global medicines development and medical affairs, Dr. Kewalramani is the first woman to head a major biomedical company in the country. “Vertex is a company that tackles grave diseases with high unmet need where we understand causal human biology,” she says. “This is incredibly meaningful to me, becoming my life’s work. What really drives me is advancing medicine in the interest of patients. I am in awe of what this company has done. The scientists and clinicians of Vertex deserve enormous credit.” She previously spent 12 years at Amgen in research and development.
An honors graduate of the Boston University combined seven-year liberal arts/medical education program, she is an internist with a specialty in nephrology. Born in Bombay, India, she and her family immigrated to the US when she was 11 years old. Coming from what she calls “a typical, close-knit Indian family,” she notes, “As an immigrant, you learn to be resilient and comfortable with change. Even though I spoke English, no one knew it because of my heavy accent. My clothes were different. I wasn’t familiar with pop culture, but I learned to work really hard and be grateful for opportunities.
“There are many Indians in medicine, which I think comes from the investment in education and the belief that science, technology, and innovation are what is going to move the needle in giving back to society, and moving yourself from where you are to a better place.”
She credits her BU education with providing opportunities to experiment. “I had three glorious years as an undergrad,” she recalls. “I did a lot of work in the sciences, but I also took German and anthropology because I was interested in them.” The seven-year program made the transition to medical school easy, as her cohort lived and studied together, creating a strong support group. “It was hard work but fun too, so nurturing and supportive.”
Her experiences at the VA Hospital in Jamaica Plain and Boston Medical Center (BMC) gave her outstanding clinical training. “I had the best professors at the VA and the patients were so generous and understanding. Imagine learning how to draw blood—it takes a few tries. It was the same at BMC; the learning was exceptional with great teachers and such grateful patients. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.”
Working in BUSM labs heightened her interest in research. “What attracted me was starting with a problem no one knows the solution to,” she says. “Experimentation—beginning with an unknown and ending with something that was not there before—excited me.”
While taking a year out before residency to do research in ophthalmology, Dr. Kewalramani decided to pursue internal medicine. “I wanted to take care of the whole patient and to think more broadly about health and medicine,” she explains. While at BUSM and residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, the clinicians she most admired were nephrologists due to their bedside manner and critical thinking through medical problems. “It’s a very logical, first-principles–based discipline.”
Residency at Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital opened her eyes to the world of clinical research, and she became fascinated with the idea of changing medicine in a big way. “I had this desire to advance medicine by leaps and bounds versus step by step, and in drug development, that is what you do,” she says. She cites advances in cystic fibrosis treatment. “There were no medicines to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in 2010. Scientists and clinicians at Vertex worked on a heretofore unsolved problem and solved it in the past decade.”
Developing and supporting new generations of leaders, including those reflective of diversity, motivates Dr. Kewalramani; the outstanding mentors who opened opportunities for her drive her commitment to mentorship and inclusion. “If I were in a community and an environment where diversity wasn’t important, I’m not sure the opportunities would have been available to me,” she stresses.
She has linked the BUSM Early Medical School Selection Program to training programs at Vertex. “The BUSM program recruits young people of diverse backgrounds to learn about medicine and the sciences as potential career options and engage them early,” she says. “I’m delighted to be working with that program and Dr. John Polk (BUSM associate dean for diversity & inclusion) to ensure students of all walks of life have the opportunity to get involved in STEM professions.
“Vertex has a strong STEM program, including a learning lab where Boston Public School students have access to scientific knowledge and tools. Creating a pipeline is
”—Reshma
Kewalramani (MED’98)
key to unlocking innovation, and central to our mission. This is a powerful force. Vertex has been doing this for years, and so have I.” She is highly attuned to the gender gap in the sciences as well—“Women are attending college in ever-greater numbers and medical school enrollment of women has almost reached half, but the sciences and technology still lag behind in parity, including women holding leadership positions in these fields”—and recognizes that being a chief executive offers a platform to be a force multiplier. “The systems, processes, and structures we oversee must have values that include community, diversity, and inclusion.”
“Dr. Kewalramani has been a leader in advancing biomedical treatments for patients with rare and life-threatening diseases,” says Dr. Karen Antman, provost of BU Medical Campus and BUSM dean. “Her achievements directing clinical research and drug development and as a clinician, researcher, and mentor are outstanding. We are delighted that she is part of the BU community.”
Dr. Kewalramani lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with her husband and twin teenage sons. The family has been engaged in a decade-long quest to visit the seven new wonders of the world. n
1. Members of the Class of 1994 celebrate their 25th reunion by having some fun in Hiebert Lounge. 2. Seventeen alumni celebrated their 50th reunion,
receiving engraved medallions to commemorate the milestone.
Dean Karen Antman, MD, Jean E. Ramsey, MD (MED’90, MPH’08), and BUSM Alumni Association Immediate Past President George Waters, MD (MED’94), congratulate Ralph Sacco, MD (MED’83), on a distinguished career in neurology.
BUSM Alumni Weekend kicked off Friday, October 4, with an afternoon of celebration and recognition. Following an open house and grand rounds, the second annual Distinguished Alumni Award ceremony and luncheon honored outstanding alumnus Dr. Ralph Sacco (MED’83) with the Alumni Association’s highest accolade.
Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs Jean E. Ramsey (MED’90, MPH’08) opened the ceremony and welcomed esteemed guests, including Dean Karen Antman, MD, and George Waters, MD (MED’94), who served as Alumni Association president and Dean’s Advisory Board representative for the past year.
Before beginning the ceremony, Dr. Ramsey recognized the members of the Class of 1969, who celebrated their 50th reunion this year; current students Afternoon Accolades: BUSM Hosts Second Annual Distinguished Alumni Award Luncheon
circulated throughout the crowd with engraved medallions commemorating the special occasion. Class members shared tips for staying in touch (as they FaceTimed classmates who couldn’t be there), explained why they stay involved, and detailed what they learned from helping to prepare for such a big reunion.
Leonard Zwerling (MED’69), who played a key role in recruiting classmates to the event, noted, “Boston University has been very good to me. It is a great honor that I am able to see everybody here. I respect you all, love you all, and I respect Boston University for giving me a chance to become a doctor and fulfill my life’s dreams.”
Geri Feldman (MED’69) shared, “My kindergarten teacher knew I was going to be a doctor, which was why I had responsibility for the first-aid kit. The BU SixYear Program chose me as one of eight women in their third class. BU has forever changed my life.”
Dr. Waters introduced Dr. Sacco, an international expert in stroke epidemiology, prevention, and health disparities, chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine, and chief of neurology at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. A member of the National Academy of Medicine, he was the first neurologist to serve as the president of the American Heart Association (AHA).
Dr. Sacco is a fellow of both the Stroke and Epidemiology Councils of the AHA, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Neurological Association, and currently serves as president of the American Academy of Neurology. He also is a member of the American Association of Physicians and has been a member of the World Stroke Organization since 2008, serving on the board of directors.
Dr. Sacco joined the Columbia faculty and started the Northern Manhattan Study (focused on underserved and understudied black and Latino populations), modeled after the Framingham study, publishing a
series of highly influential observations that transformed the field.
He has published extensively in the areas of stroke prevention, treatment, epidemiology, risk factors, vascular cognitive impairment, human genetics, and outcomes, and is listed among the 2017 and 2018 highly cited researchers in medicine.
As a medical student, he worked at the Framingham Heart Study under the mentorship of Dr. Philip Wolf, who was in attendance, which inspired his work in stroke and epidemiology. Dr. Sacco spoke on the importance of scholarships, mentorship, and alumni engagement.
“I am grateful to Boston University and Dr. Philip Wolf for being a mentor and giving me my start,” he said. “It’s important that we, as alumni, continue to be passionate to the place that gave us our start. I am grateful for that start and want to continue to give back.”
Jonathan Hickson (MED’15, MPH’15) catches up with Kari-Claudia Allen (MED’13, MPH’13) at EMSSP homecoming festivities.
Energy, Excitement, and Engagement: EMSSP Homecoming Weekend 2019
Students and alumni of the Early Medical School Selection Program (EMSSP) spent the final days of summer in Boston enjoying a memorable homecoming weekend sponsored by the BUSM Alumni Association. EMSSP alumni traveled from Washington, D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Massachusetts to attend the second annual event.
EMSSP is a nationally recognized, early assurance program that provides a supportive environment for a gradual transition into the medical school curriculum during the summer terms after sophomore and junior years as well as the final undergraduate year. Students who meet all program requirements can expect to enroll at Boston University School of Medicine upon completion of their undergraduate education. There are now 13 participating colleges and universities within this pipeline.
Today, BUSM’s EMSSP program includes 27 undergraduate students, 31 medical students, and more than 85 alumni (tracking began in 2010). Developed in 1982 with a consortium of historically black colleges and universities, the program has since expanded to include partnerships with schools that have large Latino and Pacific Island populations.
As the afternoon came to an end, Dr. Waters turned over the Alumni Association presidency to Dr. Frank MacMillan (MED’95), owner and president of Merrimack Valley Gastroenterology and a clinical instructor of Socio-Medical Sciences and Community Health at BUSM. Dr. MacMillan has been an active member of the Mass Medical Society since 1991 and a member of the Society’s House of Delegates since 2005. n
The weekend kicked off on Friday, September 20, with an evening reception of reflection, mingling, and music at Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen. The next morning, students and alumni gathered for breakfast, an open mic discussion, and roundtable chats. Facilitated by Jean E. Ramsey (MED’90, MPH’08); EMSSP Program Director Samantha Kaplan, MD, MPH; alumni Drs. Dallas Reed (MED’10), Michael Harrell (MED’14), and Jason Sherer (MED’16); and current student Vinson Cobb (MED’22), attendees discussed a wide range of topics, including: • transitioning from student to doctor, • enhancing wellness in residencies, • focusing and pushing yourself, • handling microaggressions, • improving financial literacy, and • finding ways to balance and recharge yourself. “This weekend is special because it gives current students an opportunity to network, unencumbered, with alumni young and old. We can get to know the younger students, build connections with them, and try to pass on some of the lessons we learned in an effort that they won’t have to jump as high over those hurdles as we did,” noted Dr. Harrell, a BMC ophthalmology resident. “It’s great to have people like Michael come back, share knowledge with us, and have that open-door communication, whether it’s call, email, or text, or even walk over if they’re local,” said Mr. Cobb, who’s helping to lead the current student initiative.
Following the open mic, attendees shared lunch grouped by specialty, ranging from ophthalmology to family medicine.
Sunday’s farewell brunch was complete with dancing, a DJ, and a special musical interlude by Lance Martin, administrative assistant, Diversity & Inclusion. Longtime EMSSP staff member Malissia Evans was presented with a special photo album to recognize her compassion, hard work, and lasting impact on the program for the past 35 years.
JoAnn Thomas-Lewis (MED'20), the Kenneth C. Edelin, MD, Scholarship recipient from the US Virgin Islands, recalled that although her parents encouraged her to go to medical school, the prospect of debt was daunting. She told the crowd how grateful she was for the financial assistance: “EMSSP changed my life forever; changed my life for the better. You enter as a stranger, but leave with lifelong friends and family.”
Summer may have come to an end on this weekend, but the EMSSP program will continue to prepare students for medical school and create a supportive network of peers year-round. n
1
EMSSP students and alumni gather for a celebratory three-day reunion.
2
Undergraduate school affinity brought a strong sense of pride to the weekend!
1. Michael Harrell (MED’14) and Jean E. Ramsey (MED’90, MPH’08) help facilitate the open mic discussion, where students and alumni asked questions and received advice on career paths, resiliency, and medical education. 2. Planning Committee members gather at the welcome reception: Dr. Jason Sherer (MED’16, MPH’16), Dr. Dallas Reed (MED’10), Vinson Cobb (MED’22), and Dr. Michael Harrell (MED’14).
Don’t Wait to Come Back: BUSM Alumni Weekend 2019
Falling leaves. Cooler weather. Autumnal spices. Alumni returning to campus. All represent the best parts of the season and perfectly complement BUSM Alumni Weekend.
This year’s festivities included an open house, student-led campus tours, the Distinguished Alumni Award ceremony and luncheon, and, of course, the alumni reception and class dinners held at the Sheraton Boston.
The Saturday afternoon Deans’ Town Hall was new to this year’s schedule of events. The forum offered an opportunity for alumni to discuss the state of the school with key leadership, including Dean Karen Antman, MD; Priya Garg, MD, associate dean for medical education; and Kristen Goodell, MD, associate dean for admissions, as well as two current students, Madhura Shah (MED’23) and Stuart Armstrong (MED’20). The informal
Alumni and guests were encouraged to ask questions during the town hall. Diana Perry, MD (MED’94), poses a question to Kristen Goodell, MD, regarding the admissions process and what makes a good candidate.
Alumni look at the Class of 1969 yearbook at brunch before the Deans’ Town Hall.
Returning members of the Class of 2014 have a special message for Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Karen Symes: “We miss you!”
get-together aimed to update alumni on the exciting changes and challenges in medical school and campus life.
Dean Antman recapped the Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation, touted the success of the overall University development campaign, and urged the importance of BUSM’s scholarship efforts in the midst of the free tuition trend at other medical schools.
Diana Perry (MED’94) addressed the students in the crowd and on the panel: “I am so proud to be sitting here with my classmates from 1994—we haven’t been back to this campus for 25 years. My advice to the students sitting up there: once you leave and go off to do your residencies, don’t wait 25-plus years to come back!” Dr. Perry brought her daughter, a junior in high school, and asked for words of wisdom on becoming a future doctor.
“Do whatever you can to get yourself into an environment where you are taking care
Alumni celebrated their 20th reunion with lots of laughs and entertaining stories.
of patients in some way,” recommended Dr. Goodell. “When I’m reading applications, some truly meaningful, sincere words of clarity come from students who have these experiences.”
Dr. Garg explained the intricacies of today’s curriculum and where she sees it going: “We’re hoping that in 2022, we’ll have more of a case-based, integrated curriculum. Our doctoring curriculum is focused on communication skills, physical exams, and clinical reasoning. We are thinking about how to embed the mission of the school into the curriculum.”
Other topics of discussion included patient simulation, clerkships, student and faculty demographic breakdown, class attendance and flexible learning, electronic health records and patient interaction, and the importance of coming back to campus. The event closed with a special performance from the student a cappella group, The Doctors’ Notes.
After the afternoon on campus, attendees regrouped at the Sheraton Boston for an elegant evening reception and class dinners— the perfect way to celebrate with friends on a crisp, fall night in New England! n
IN Memoriam
1952 Frank Pettinga, 92, of Holland, Michigan, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2019. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Suzanne; children Deb (Ron), Jane (David), Fred (Jayne), and Cindy (Mark); 12 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. Frank is now with his parents Rhine and Adriana, and his brothers Cornelius and Paul, who all preceded him in death. Frank loved God, his family, and serving his patients. He enjoyed worshipping with believers around the world and, upon moving to Holland, became a member of Third Reformed Church. Frank was born in Beaverdam, Michigan, graduated from Holland Christian High School, and served in the US Navy for two years. After graduating from Calvin College, he earned his MD degree from Boston University and later, an MPH from the University of Michigan. He thoroughly enjoyed the practice of family medicine for 19 years in Muskegon, Michigan, where many affectionately called him “Doc.” He then joined the US State Department, where he served as embassy physician for 13 years, enjoying assignments in Afghanistan, Austria, Egypt, Washington, D.C., and the Dominican Republic. When Frank returned to the United States, he served for seven years as the medical director of Hackley Hospital in Muskegon and six years in Hackley’s Occupational Medicine department.
1953 Louis M. Geller, 96, of Auburndale, Massachusetts, and formerly of Brookline, Massachusetts, passed away on August 16, 2019. He was the husband of Mona and father of Lynne and Gary. Lou worked all his professional life as a private practice psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, a field he loved. He was a proud member of the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute and created and managed original art displays for their Back Bay office. This was truly a labor of love, as he treasured the visual arts and collected artwork all his life. He was also a World War II veteran. Born in New York, he moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, as a teenager, where he lived with his parents and brother, William, and sister, Selma, with extended family close by. Family was the single most important thing in his life.
1960 Ann Hallman Pettigrew, 84, of Santa Cruz, California, died peacefully at home on November 18, 2018, with her husband and son beside her. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Thomas Pettigrew, professor of social psychology and sociology at Harvard for 25 years and now a research professor at UC-Santa Cruz; her son, Mark; two grandchildren, Aysha and Yousif; her brother, G. Victor Hallman III; and a niece, Susan Hallman Leeds. In 1952, Ann graduated valedictorian of Moorestown High School and entered Radcliffe College, then the women’s division of Harvard. Told that medical doctor was not an “appropriate” profession for “ladies,” Ann nonetheless enrolled in premed courses, where men vastly outnumbered women. Ann was the only one in her Radcliffe class of 233 to go on to medical school and one of only five women in a class of 66 at Boston University Medical School. She graduated in 1960 near the top of her class, and after an internship began a residency in pathology.
Gross inequities in healthcare for the poor, minorities, elderly, women, and children— plus the 1960s new health programs—led to her lifelong commitment to improving care for these underserved groups. She entered the joint residency program of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
She was among the first group of women physicians to receive a Josiah Macy, Jr. scholarship from the Radcliffe Institute for Independent Study. Ann earned her master’s in public health in 1966 and was elected to the Delta Omega Honor Society.
As director of Massachusetts’ health facilities licensure and certification programs, she was most proud of revising and establishing perinatal and pediatric programs throughout the commonwealth that led to a significant reduction in premature and newborn deaths. She also promoted and developed neighborhood health centers to bring high-quality healthcare to poor and minority communities.
This work became a model for other states and led to her appointment to a National Academy of Sciences Commission. She served as a consultant for the US Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate other state programs. She was also appointed to the Women’s Advisory Committee of the Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, D.C., and was listed in Who’s Who of American Women. In 1976, Ann became assistant director of the Cancer Control Program of Boston’s Sidney Farber Cancer Center. She organized and served as executive secretary of a committee to coordinate cancer programs, and evaluated cancer control programs throughout the nation for the National Cancer Institute. Later, Ann worked for several years as a health careers coordinator at Harvard. Based on both her undergraduate and medical experience, she developed a guide for premed students with special materials for women and minorities and counseled hundreds of students on opportunities in health careers.
In 1980, Tom accepted a professorship at UC-Santa Cruz, and the family moved west. Ann obtained a federal grant to organize the Pediatric Intensive Care Network comprising 10 major pediatric centers in Northern and Central California, with specialized services for critically ill children. The network developed comprehensive regional pediatric emergency and critical care systems throughout the region; California’s Emergency Medical Services recognized Ann with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. In 1991, the American Academy of Pediatrics had commended her for her “unrelenting and exemplary efforts to reduce unneces
IN Memoriam
sary harm and death to California children by creating systems of pediatric emergency and critical care.” Ann retired in 2000 and the network established an annual Ann H. Pettigrew Pediatric Critical Care Lectureship in her honor.
Ann published numerous articles, including an early comprehensive review of the incidence, prevalence, and causes of disease by racial and ethnic origin. She served on the Perinatal Welfare Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Society and as president of the Division of Adult Health of the Massachusetts Public Health Association. An ardent supporter of women’s reproductive rights, she also served on the Executive Committee of Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts and in California, on the Hospital Care Committee of the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and as executive secretary of the California Pediatric Critical Care Coalition. Locally, she served on the Board of Directors of Hospice of Santa Cruz County.
1963 Victor I. Hochberg, 87, of Newark, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on January 18, 2019, at his home in Delray Beach, Florida, with his loving partner, Bevi Schram, at his side. A registered pharmacist, Victor graduated from Rutgers University College of Pharmacy. He served two years in the US Army before beginning medical school in Amsterdam, Holland, and graduating with honors from Boston University School of Medicine. After an internship at University Hospital in Boston, he completed residency programs in neurology at Mt. Sinai Hospital (New York) and University Hospital in Boston. In 1967, Victor moved to Florida to begin his medical practice and became the first neurologist at Hollywood Memorial Hospital (now Memorial Regional Hospital). He served with distinction as chief of neurology and later, chief of staff. Throughout his career, he was a dedicated and highly respected physician. Those who knew Vic
tor will also remember him as a gentleman and good friend with a keen sense of style who was kind, warm, and witty and enjoyed all genres of music. He also had an endless thirst for knowledge of science and medicine, finance, and food and wine. His beloved wife of 34 years, Femme (Lustiq), whom he met in Holland, passed away in 1997. He is survived by his nephews and nieces.
1969 Nancy H. Dawber, of Naples, Florida, passed away peacefully on March 22, 2019. She was the daughter of the late Dr. Thomas R. and Eleanor (Ronimus) Dawber of Naples and Wellesley, Massachusetts. A graduate of Wellesley High School and Vassar College, she was a research assistant at Harvard Medical School’s Thorndike Laboratories before taking up the study of medicine. She received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed her internship at the University of California Hospital in San Francisco before moving to Belleair Beach, Florida, where she partnered to form Clearwater Pediatrics.
Nancy was outgoing, fun-loving, and adventurous. Her travels took her on safari in Africa, sailing around the Greek isles, and backpacking throughout Europe—including Knutsford, England, where she reconnected with relatives.
A multifaceted artist, Nancy’s many interests included photography, quilting, jewelry making, stained glass work, music, and gardening. She treasured time spent with family and friends and took pleasure in hosting luncheons and dinners. Perhaps her greatest joy of all came from her many beloved Boston Terriers. and the intellectual challenge that inspired his desire to become a doctor. Receiving his MD from Boston University, he completed his surgical residency at Boston City Hospital, followed by residency at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City (1970) and University Hospital in Boston (1971). He then served as exchange registrar at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Wales (1972).
Falling in love with heart surgery, Bob returned to Boston as chief resident at University Hospital, followed by chief cardio thoracic resident at Harlem Hospital and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. His training led him to serve as senior registrar of the thoracic unit at the Hospital for Sick Children (now the Great Ormand Street Hospital) in London. This final post deepened his love for pediatric heart surgery, a then-developing field serving and saving babies born with congenital heart defects. In 1977, Bob came to San Francisco to build the adult and pediatric heart program at Pacific Presbyterian Medical Center, which eventually became California Pacific Medical Center, now Sutter Health.
With more than 200 regional, national, and international publications and more than 100 lectures on adult and pediatric cardio-thoracic surgery, he ended his career as a pioneer and leader in a field that decreased patient morbidity from 95 percent to 5 percent within a 20-year period. Bob is survived by his wife Mary, children Anna and Tim, and daughter-in-law Megan. n
Robert Joseph Szarnicki of San Francisco, California, died August 1, 2019. Bob attended The Pontifical College Josephinum seminary prior to graduating from HarBrack High School. He went on to Columbia College in New York, finding great friends
CLASS NOTES
1958 Yi-Chuan Ching of Honolulu, Hawaii, writes, “Currently I am in reasonable health, though I lost my wife to breast cancer recurring after 34 years. I ocean-swim three times a week, walk, and tai chi. I volunteer at a seniors program at U. Hawaii facilitating a writing group, and also at a marine nature preserve. I put out a fiction blog with a completed med novel (at a fictionalized BCH) at storieslongnshort.blog and am continuing with another.”
1959 John M. Bennett of Pittsford, New York, writes, “Still actively working as a hematopathologist, signing out cases at University of Rochester Medical Center. Served on WHO/ Blue books for hematopathology for the last three issues; 600 publications on classification and prognosis of leukemias. Editor of Leukemia Research for 21 years, up to 2013.”
Sandra S. Kaplan of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, writes, “I graduated in 1959, have been retired for over 10 years, and am about to celebrate my 85th birthday. If circumstances had permitted, I would still be enjoying a part-time commitment in an academic setting. Except for being almost completely deaf and balance-impaired, I celebrate each day. I resumed piano studies 10 years ago after a long hiatus and have remarried. At our lakeside retreat, even cloudy days are beautiful.”
1961 Stafford Cohen of Newton, Massachusetts, writes, “Amazon has just posted a medical memoir that I authored around my 51 years as a Boston-based clinician and cardiologist, Doctor, Stay By Me. Between the covers are 45 tragic, humorous, and uplifting short stories about encounters with memorable patients and other medically related experiences. I was fortunate to have practiced medicine when there was time to know my patients well. Most of the stories took place before visits were abbreviated, before clinicians had to advocate for multiple entities in addition to their patient, and before the physician-patient relationship was devalued to the dissatisfaction of both the majority of clinicians and patients.”
1962 G. G. Gascon of North Falmouth, Massachusetts, writes, “Retired from Brown University Medical School, now called Alpert School of Medicine, in 2002, and technically remain on the faculty as Professor Emeritus, Clinical Neuroscience and Pediatrics. Retired from active clinical practice in October 2017 as a pediatric neurologist for Massachusetts General Hospital. A professional autobiography was published in the Journal of Child Neurology: ‘A Clinician’s Odyssey,’ 2009; 24; 379 Generoso G. Gascon. I have published two memoirs with limited-print books, more personal than professional and for private distribution rather than commercial sale, in the last three years: From Sea to Shining Sea, Oahu to Old Silver, an autobiographical memoir, starting with my childhood in Hawaii to retirement in North Falmouth, Cape Cod; An American in Arabia, That was then, This is now, is about my 15 years, off and on, living, working, and teaching in Saudi Arabia. All this relates to what ultimately led me to medicine, and what I’ve been doing since graduation from BUSM.”
1964 Lawrence A. Yannuzzi of New York, New York, was named the winner of the 2019 American Society of Retinal Specialists Founders Award. Dr. Yannuzzi received the lifetime achievement medal in the field of retinal diseases at the group’s annual meeting, where he presented the Annual Founders Award Lecture, “The Legend of Cuticular Drusen.”
1969 William H. Frishman of Scarsdale, New York, writes, “I am completing my 22nd year as chairman of medicine at New York Medical College and director of medicine at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York. From 1982 to 1997, I was chief of medicine at the Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center and associate chairman of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. I continue to be active in the clinical practice of internal medicine and cardiology, clinical research, journal editing, and writing. My most recent book, Triumph over Tragedy (Science International), is a scientific memoir. I also have been an AOA (American Osteopathic Association) chapter councilor for over 40 years at both New York Medical College and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. My wife of 48 years, Esther, and I have three children and seven grandchildren who all live close by our home in Scarsdale.”
Marc F. Hirsch of Bowling Green, Kentucky, writes, “Retired from medical practice. Between 2012 and 2018 I self-published three books in a series of detective fiction set in the 1950s NYC, called the Alice White Investigator Series: The Case (2012), Hard Case (2014), and The Con Case (2018). I’m working on my fourth. They’re all available as paperbacks and Kindles on Amazon, and the third book also is an audiobook on Audible.com. I am currently being considered for a role in a local theater production for which I auditioned.”
Michael Salcman of Baltimore, Maryland, writes, “This has been a very busy and conflicting year. Ilene and I met at Boston University and celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with a May trip to Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Amsterdam. I was invited by the Hippocrates Society to give a lecture about the construction of Poetry in Medicine, my anthology of classic and contemporary poems on doctors, patients, illness, and healing. The evening before, I gave a joint poetry reading at Newcastle University with noted poet and activist Carolyn Forche. After 50 years of medicine and neurosurgery, I
CLASS NOTES
retired from practice on the 30th of September and attended our reunion the following week in Boston.”
1979 Karen Brown of Salt Lake City, Utah, writes, “After spending 45 years on the East Coast, I accepted a position as chief of interventional radiology at the University of Utah last year, and am now acclimating to the Mountain West. The position has been challenging and exciting at the same time. One of my daughters lives in Salt Lake, and I appreciate getting to see her more often. My other daughter is in medical school and, as a result, I don’t see her that much anyway. You may understand if you can remember back to medical school.”
1982 Ron Ragland of Washington, D.C., writes, “There’s not a lot to say about the life of a retired neuroradiologist, except that the disciplines BUSM solidified in me informed my practice of medicine; such continues to inform my daily life. I’m probably a bit more introspective than some people—that, along with the attributes noted by Dr. James, are quite significant for any good neuroradiologist. And, I would posit that these qualities are often useful in the life of most who strive to be decent/good persons. Nope, I’ve not written any new (nor old) books. I, however, was so driven in my former practice that the reports of neuro-imaging studies/procedures my team and I churned out were said to be of such high quality that I wish I had been wise enough to merely retain my articulations of radiologic studies/procedures. If they had been correctly compiled and edited, they would have been an excellent foundation for a textbook. Ah, hindsight: it’s 20/20!”
1984 Marcia Katz of Winter Park, Florida, writes, “After serving for 16 years as the medical director of the Maconda Brown O’Connor Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at Baylor College of Medicine, I moved to Orlando, Florida, to become the associate dean of clinical affairs and professor of medicine at the University of
”—Ron Ragland (MED’82)
Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine. It has been a great adventure building an academic health science center at UCF. The most exciting news is that my daughter Rebecca is a member of the BUSM Class of 2022!”
Ron Sunog of Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, writes, “I had an article about the early introduction of allergenic foods to infants published in Contemporary Pediatrics in September 2019. The article is an excerpt from a book I had published earlier this year, Eat The Eight: Preventing Food Allergy with Food and the Imperfect Art of Medicine. The book was inspired by the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015, that showed the early introduction of peanuts to high-risk infants prevents peanut allergy. Still practicing pediatrics, I have seen guidelines for infant feeding of the allergenic foods come full circle over the past 20 years. My curiosity about how the changing guidelines were established, how physicians and patients alike have received and responded to these guidelines, and how evidence for guidelines is understood and implemented, motivated me to do the research that resulted in Eat The Eight.”
1986 David X. Cifu of Midlothian, Virginia, writes, “David X. Cifu, MD (CLA’86, MED’86), associate dean for innovation and system integration at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, has been awarded a five-year, $50 million Long-term Impact of Mild Brain Injury award from the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to study the short- and long-term effects of repeated combat- and blast-related concussions on service members and veterans. This grant represents a continuation of the six-year, $62.2 million Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium award initiated in 2013. Dr. Cifu is leading a nationwide team (including from Boston University) of more than 50 researchers from 13 states, including 12 Veterans Affairs hospitals, six military treatment facilities, five Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers, and 15 academic universities, to enhance understanding of the role of repeated concussions in disability and neurodegeneration. The consortium, based at Virginia Commonwealth University, is following the largest, prospective, longitudinal cohort (>1,700), is serving as a nidus for intervention trials for, and has developed the largest epidemiological database (>2 million unique individuals) of, service members and veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.”
2017 Jamie Weinand of Tucson, Arizona, writes, “I was just accepted for a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the University of Arizona-Tucson Program and will be starting in July 2020, immediately after my graduation from my family medicine residency program in southern New Mexico.” n
We All Stand on the Shoulders of Others. “
”
Sarkis J. Kechejian (MED’63) was born and raised in Queens, New York. His parents were immigrants and survivors of the Armenian genocide who worked hard, were involved with their church community, and were happy with their new life in America.
“I have memories of cracking and preparing walnuts for 100 trays of my mother’s baklava donations to the church,” recalls Dr. Kechejian. His parents’ hard work and dedication to others would be instilled in his way of doing things, and ultimately, his inspiration for giving.
After attending NYU, Dr. Kechejian made his way to Boston University for medical school. He worked summer jobs, received financial aid, and ended up graduating with only $10,000 in debt. In the ‘90s, Dr. Aram Chobanian invited him to be a member of the School of Medicine Board of Visitors to provide guidance and support for students and the school.
“I couldn’t believe how much tuition costs had risen. Dedicated students shouldn’t be burdened with a mountain of debt.”
By the 2000s, Dr. Kechejian made two generous $1 million donations. Recognizing the significant need for student financial assistance, he established the Kechejian Family Scholarship Fund—the first of its kind for BUSM students. “We all stand on the shoulders of others—we didn’t get here alone. I have always been very grateful for the excellent education I received at the medical school. It truly is one of the many shoulders I still stand on today. I hope my scholarships, in turn, will inspire students to do the same when they are able,” he said. Students who receive funds from Dr. Kechejian are encouraged to write to him about themselves so he can learn more about their background and journey to becoming a doctor.
Today, Dr. Kechejian is a cardiologist, president of K Clinics, located in North Texas, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Alliance Health, Inc., and president of the Kechejian Foundation.
At 81 years young, Dr. Kechejian has a few words of advice for his peers who may be on the fence about donating: “Don’t give until it hurts . . . give until it feels good. Also remember, the last suit we wear doesn’t need any pockets.”
72 East Concord Street Boston, Massachusetts 02118
Calendar 2020
MARCH 20 APRIL 30 MAY 1
MAY 14 OCTOBER 1 OCTOBER 1
OCTOBER 2–4
Match Day
Keefer Society Dinner Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Spring Dean’s Advisory Board Meeting 8:30 am–2:30 pm Hiebert Lounge
GMS Commencement 10 am MD & PhD Commencement 3 pm Track & Tennis Center, BU Charles River Campus
Fall Dean’s Advisory Board Meeting Noon–4:30 pm Hiebert Lounge
Scholarship Dinner 6–9 pm Hotel Commonwealth/Fenway Foyer, Terrace, and Ballroom
School of Medicine Alumni Weekend
