The University of Queensland (UQ) Ochsner Clinical School honored its class of 2017 at its sixth Culmination Ceremony on Nov. 18 at the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie, La., marking the completion of their medical school training. As the largest class to-date, with 111 students completing the program, UQ – Ochsner Clinical School has given each student the tools they need to continue their professional growth. Dr. Gary Roubin, a UQ graduate and pioneer in cardiac stent technology, gave the keynote address.
In January of 2018, it will be the UQ – Ochsner Clinical School’s ninth year of providing medical education through a unique training, academic, and clinical experience across two continents. Over the course of the four-year program, students complete two years of medical school curriculum in Brisbane, Australia (consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the world), and two years of clinical study at Ochsner Health System (recognized as one of the top academic medical centers in the United States).
“The UQ – Ochsner Clinical School program provides an opportunity for our students to learn from some of the best medical professors in the world while gaining a global perspective on the industry,” said William McDade, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Ochsner Health System. “We have the utmost confidence in this class as they continue to learn, grow, and flourish as medical professionals.”
During the ceremony, top teachers and residents were honored with Awards of Excellence in Clinical Teaching. Dr. Caley McIntyre, MD, received the evening’s highest Award of Excellence, which is Teacher of the Year.
Dr. McIntyre received a Doctor of Medicine degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and completed an Internal Medicine Internship and Residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. McIntyre has been an inspiration to many students in the UQ – Ochsner Clinical School program. He takes the time to work students through rigorous clinical reasoning and is a role model of professional behavior.
“The Culmination Ceremony is a special day to honor not only our students, but those select teachers who go above and beyond to make this program truly meaningful for each class,” said Leonardo Seoane, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Head of School, University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School. “We are thrilled to honor Dr. Caley McIntyre as Teacher of the Year and proud to have many educators that serve as mentors for our students.”
Additional honors during the event included Resident Teaching Awards in Medicine (Guy Handley, MD); OBGYN (Amanda Henee, MD); Surgery (Hayden Jahn, MD); Pediatrics (Micah Karasov, MD); and Psychiatry (Alden Littlewood, MD). Also given were Post-Graduate Research Fellowship Awards for Patient Activation with Stress Echocardiography (Bhargavi Chekuri); COPD Patients Transition of Care Factors Associated with Hospital and Emergency Department Utilization (Derek Corpus); Stratifying Contralateral Recurrence Rates by Age in Breast Cancer Patients (Phillip Feliciano); Helping Ochsner Clinic Foundation Patients at Risk of HIV Acquisition (Mae Lindner); Predicting Pregnancy Complications: Implications of Exosomal miRNA Profile in the Detection of Pregnancy Outcomes (Angela Nakahara); Developing a Tool for Validating Medical Virtual Reality Models (Theresa Nguyen); and Outcomes in Patients Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy (Caitlyn Sullivan).
Six classes have graduated from the UQ – Ochsner Clinical School. The Class of 2016 celebrated 2017 Match Day with an impressive 95 percent match rate in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP), which is above the national match rate for United States medical schools. In addition, 33 percent of matched residents from the class remained in Louisiana for medical training, with 20 percent continuing training within the Ochsner Health System.
A selection of graduates also chose to participate in the Ochsner Post Graduate Research Fellowship Program, which provides an opportunity to remain engaged in clinical and health services research.
For more information on the UQ – Ochsner Clinical School, visit https://education.ochsner.org/clined/uq-ochsner-clinical-school.