September 2023
Global Pediatrics Program Newsletter
Cindy Howard, MD, MPHTM
Hello Everyone! The scent of fall is in the air today as temperatures cool, children return to school and campus is all abuzz with young people heading to class. Transition is in progress here in the Global Pediatrics Program as well! I am thrilled to be handing over leadership of the program to my friend and colleague Dr. Nadia Sam-Agudu, who is arriving today from West Africa. You will soon meet her and hear all about her. Dr. Risha Moskalewicz, who has led residency education within our program for several years has decided its best to focus on her growing family. I will step into this role until we recruit a new educational lead faculty. Welcome to Dr. Sam-Agudu and thank you to Dr. Moskalewicz! Exciting changes are happening within our educational program too as we move to monthly, in person teaching sessions in Wilf, with dinner served. Together we will study things we need to know about global child health as outlined in the the PASSPORT, your online curriculum guide for the track. Our first evening meeting is this coming Monday, September 11th in Wilf - details below.
See you there!
Cindy
Welcome to the University of Minnesota to All Pediatrics and Med-Peds Interns!
If you would like to be part of the Global Pediatrics Track, fill out the application. Visit our track website at z.umn.edu/pedsgh to learn more. If you have questions about the Global Pediatrics Track feel free to reach out to one of us or another faculty member.
Emily Danich, Coordinator, Global Pediatrics Program - edanich@umn.edu
Dr. Cindy Howard, Global Pediatrics Program - drcindy@umn.edu
Bilal Jawed, MD, PGY-1
Although I was born in Indiana and completed my medical training at IU, I've known the UMN Global Pediatrics Program well after joining a UMN project in Kampala in 2015 and am excited to return. Since 2015, I've spent extended time in Kenya with AMPATH working on Infection Prevention initiatives and spending time in the HIV resistance clinic. I have interests in Infectious Disease, socio-economic factors to health, and especially the intersection between the two. Long term I'm committed to developing sustainable infrastructure and programming in areas that need them most. In my free time I love to rock climb, spend time with my (eight) nieces and nephews, tinker with my motorcycle/car, and run --I ran a marathon in Kenya in 2019 and didn't finish last (but it was close).
Suanur “Nur” Kayaalp, MD PGY-1
I am originally from Turkey but grew up here in Minnesota. Coming from a diverse background, I have a deep appreciation for the Global Pediatrics Program, which is designed not only to address health disparities internationally but also those within our diverse local communities. I firmly believe that global networks can be tapped into for local initiatives aimed at addressing the unique healthcare needs of our diverse communities, promoting equitable access to healthcare, and building bridges within our communities.
Sydney Vahling, MD, PGY-1
Hi everyone! I am originally from a small town in Western Kansas, and have done all my education in Kansas. I am so excited to be living in Minneapolis with all the new cultures and great opportunities for involvement with underserved populations. I have spent some time in Uganda, and am interested in pediatric primary care overseas, as well as preventive medicine and mother/newborn education with families. I am also interested in social determinants of health and healthcare access to children in the United States. In my free time I love to read, bake, spend time outside with my adorable dog, and play board games!
Updates on Events
The track nights have a new name: Global Resident Acquiring Pediatrics Education Series (GRAPES)!
The GRAPES calendar invites include a lot of information. Here is a picture that explains everything on the calendar invite.
Upcoming Events
Global Resident Acquiring Pediatrics Education Series (GRAPES)
Monday, September 11 | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Topic: Malnutrition with Dr. Cassidy Huun
Passport #: 18: Micro and macro Malnutrition
Location: Wilf 1 & 2
Dinner served
Global Pediatrics Grand Rounds
Wednesday, September 13 | 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.
Topic: While They Were Away: Faculty Edition - Global Neonatology
Passport #: 3: Neonatal Survival
Location: Via Zoom
Global Resident Acquiring Pediatrics Education Stateside (GRAPES)
Wednesday, September 20 | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Topic: Research in diabetes management in Uganda with Dr. Toni Moran and Ugandan Colleagues
Special presenters from Uganda:
Dr. Cathy Nyangabyaki, Site PI at Nsambya Hospital
Dr. Jemima Nambooze, Medical Officer who is the primary coordinator
Ms. Jane Nakyejjwe-Nsambya, Nurse Coordinator
Passport #: 33: Diabetes
Location: Wilf 1 & 2
Global Child Health Research Series
Thursday, September 28 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Topic: Next Generation Sequencing in Human and Vector Surveillance Studies with Dr. Judith Oguzie
Location: Via Zoom
Global Resident Acquiring Pediatrics Education Series (GRAPES)
Monday, October 16th | 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Topic: with Dr. Judith Oguzie
Passport #: TBD
Location: Dr. Thielen's House - address is in the Google Invite. Let Emily Danich know if you don't see this event on your calendar. edanich@umn.edu
Global Child Health Research Series
Wednesday, October 18 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Topic: Hypothesis Testing Revisited: How to Interpret the Main Outcome from Randomized Controlled Trials with Dr. Burt Lee
Location: Via Zoom
Global Instructor Update
Cassidy Huun, MD
Hello, my name is Cassidy and I am one of the Global Pediatrics Instructors this year. The past two months have been great and it has been exciting to meet some of the newcomers to the global pediatrics track. This summer has been full of fun global health events including journal clubs, welcome picnics, pre-departure orientation, and having visiting physicians from other countries. The more that I learn about the extensive global health resources at UMN, the more excited I am to have my current position. Being a part of the pre-departure orientation on the organizational/teaching side this year (I took part as a resident last year) was a wonderful learning experience for me. This has inspired some of us in global pediatrics to pursue creating more opportunities for pediatric residents to learn about global pediatrics and to practice with hands on simulations and procedural trainings. I look forward to continuing to work on this project throughout the year. We have also been working on setting up the Global Resident Acquiring Pediatric Education Series (GRAPES) that will be a monthly opportunity for global track residents to learn about important topics in global pediatrics. This series will include journal reviews and lectures from some of our amazing global health faculty. Taking part in this series will also provide residents with another way to check off items on their global pediatrics passports.
In a couple of weeks I will also begin working at a pediatric clinic on the White Earth Reservation. This will be an amazing opportunity and I look forward to learning a lot while I am there. In the second half of the year I will be returning to Tanzania. I plan to spend more time at Selian Hospital and plan to work on a malnutrition outreach program. I also look forward to seeing the two pediatric registrars, Godbless and Eunice, who were in Minnesota this past May/June. As the year goes on I hope to continue meeting with more pediatric residents in the global health track. Please reach out to me if you have any questions about the global pediatrics track or if you just want to grab a cup of coffee.
Global Child Health Literature and Awards
Howard CR, Gbadero DA, Slusher TM, Bode Thomas F. Evidence-based medical care of hospitalized children with local adaptations in low-resource settings. Front Pediatr. 2023 Jul 26;11:1198673. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1198673. PMID: 37565241; PMCID: PMC10411718.
Diala UM*, Usman F*, Appiah D, Hassan L, Ogundele T, Abdullahi F, Satrom K, Bakker CJ, Lee B, Slusher T. Global Prevalence of Severe Neonatal Jaundice among Hospital Admissions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Clin Med. 2023 May 29;12(11):3738. doi: 10.3390/jcm12113738. PMID: 37297932; PMCID: PMC10253859.
Catch up on Past Events
We hosted two Noon reports in July with our visiting doctors from Uganda; Dr. Irene Kinera and Sharon Achen. It was such a great opportunity to learn from them both.
We held Pre-departure orientation on August 25th for residents participating in a global peds elective this year. Pre-departure orientation covers logistics, safety, ethics, as well as hands on learning.
Global Pediatrics Track Resident Spotlight
Ashwini Arugugam, MD - MP4
Hey guys, My name is Ashwini Arumugam and I’m a current MedPeds PGY4 resident. I was born in Chennai, India and moved to the UK and then to the US at a young age. While 10 year old Ashwini couldn’t fathom why her family chose to settle down in this tundra called Minnesota, now there is nowhere else I would rather call home; so much so, that I’ve been at the UofM for undergrad, med school, and now residency! Having studied Spanish and spending time in South America during high school and college, I fully expected to have a career doing work ABROAD in some form. However, my lens completely changed after working as a high school Biology teacher in a low-income community of Dallas, TX. Most of my students were Latino/Latina or new immigrants, with many health concerns and disparities that impacted them on a daily basis in the classroom. Soon my path pivoted towards Medicine with a focus on global LOCAL health. Having my continuity clinic at The Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC) and participating in the global health track has given me many opportunities to address disparities and cultural barriers that Non-English speakers face. I look forward to carrying these skills into by future career as a MedPeds Hospitalist.
Favorite quote: “Keep growing quietly and seriously throughout your whole development; you cannot disturb it more rudely than by looking outward and expecting from outside replies to questions that only your inmost feeling in your most hushed hour can perhaps answer.” —Rainer Maria Rilke
Favorite travel destination: Tough one… Chennai, India or Singapore for the food and Angel Falls, Venezuela for the views
What the world needs more of: Human connection
If you weren't a physician you would be: A baker
Update from Emily Danich
This summer, Emily participated in her first marathon swim event, completing a 10k swim. Swim to the Moon is a swim through a chain of lakes in Michigan, starting on Halfmoon Lake. This was a fun event at the end of another great camping trip with her family (pictured in the Porcupine Mountains).
Global Pediatrics Track Passport - Don't forget to Log-It!
You need to complete 75% of the passport to graduate on the Track. Make sure to log into Canvas.umn.edu to document your progress.
Please consider a tax-deductible donation, if possible. We use these funds to bring trainees and faculty here from our international partner sites. The trainees do four to six week electives during the summer in our hospitals and clinics. We are grateful that we have been able to bring faculty here as well to present their research and collaborate with colleagues here in Minneapolis.
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