- Graduate Medical Education, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will welcome six general surgery residents this summer. In 2014, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education approved Graduate Medical Education (GME) at AAMC. The GME program at AAMC provides training to doctors after they have completed medical school. This year’s cohort will be the first class of residents for AAMC. Post-graduate year one (PGY-1) 2017- 2022 residents Udai Sibia, MD, Avalon University School of Medicine (Curaçao); Abdel-Moneim Elfatih Salah Mohamed Ali, MD, University of Khartoum Faculty of Medicine (Sudan); and Whitney Davidson, MD, University of Kansas School of Medicine. Post-graduate year two (PGY-2) 2017-2021 residents Brandon Anderson, MD, Howard University College of Medicine; Shyam Jayaraman, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi)/Vanderbilt Medical Center; and Bernardo Diaz, MD, Ross University (West Indies)/UCLA Kern Medical Center. “Anne Arundel Medical Center is committed to excellence and innovation,” says Barry Meisenberg, MD, designated institutional official of Graduate Medical Education at AAMC. “Graduate medical education at Anne Arundel Medical Center helps us fulfill our role in the larger world of health and medicine. It ensures a future of talented and well-trained doctors. It’s also an opportunity to improve population health, provide better individualized care and help lower health care costs.” While AAMC has a long history of training medical students, visiting residents, fellows, nursing and medical tech students, this begins a new era for AAMC. The residents will begin residency in July. In addition to general surgery, AAMC will establish future GME programs to include Internal Medicine.
- Graduate Medical Education, News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAfter a successful Match Day, Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) will welcome six general surgery residents in July. General Surgery is AAMC’s first residency program, making this year’s resident cohort our inaugural class. What does this mean for AAMC? Alex Gandsas, MD, MBA, FACS, program director for the General Surgery Residency Program, answers this question and more. As the program director, how do you feel leading the first residency program at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC)? I am very excited to be the program director of our first residency [General Surgery] at AAMC. I think all eyes will be on us to set the example and expectation of future programs. It is extremely fulfilling to teach the next generation of young physicians, and we are ready to get started. How was our applicant pool? We had over 700 applications for our three first-year positions. We had to narrow that group, and actually reviewed about 100 applications, conducted 57 interviews and finally ranked 47 candidates. In addition, we had about 60 applications for our three second-year positions. We interviewed 17 candidates to fill those spots. How would you describe this year’s class of residents? We are fortunate to have six exceptional residents joining us on July 1. They have diverse backgrounds and excellent recommendations from their schools/former programs. Dr. Alex Gandsas How will our new residents become oriented with AAMC? Our new residents are already getting oriented and completing pre-requisites before they arrive. When they get here, they will have four full days of orientation to complete employment requirements, meet our leadership team, get Epic training, complete TeamStepps and other simulation as well as a meet and greet with our nursing team. The week will end with a surgical “boot camp.” It will be a busy week! Do you foresee the residency changing the culture at AAMC? Residents will support and enhance our culture of patient safety and performance improvement. They will be actively involved in research and evidence-based medicine, living on the cutting edge of innovation and technology. They will be integrated into our quality structure and provide even more eyes on the patient. How will the residents impact patient safety? Residents will be integrated into the established culture of patient safety at AAMC. We will establish complete transparency with the residents, and even require them to report any patient safety concerns. They will be involved in LEAN processes and root cause analyses, and be an integral part of leading patient-safety projects. How will residents enhance research activities at AAMC? As a part of their residency, our residents will be required to complete a research project that can be presented at a local or national forum. With the help of our excellent faculty, the director of surgical research and the Research Institute, our residents will be afforded every opportunity to participate in research. How would you generally describe our program curriculum, and how does our program stand out from others? We have put together an amazing curriculum that includes our required surgical rotations, conferences, and more. Residents will have structured clinical work and education hours that will provide them flexibility in the learning environment to care for our patients. We have also carefully developed a full day of educational time that will include conferences and simulation. Each Friday, they will also cover a curriculum in research, quality, wellbeing/leadership and bioethics/humanities. This is truly an educational environment where our residents will have both an excellent clinical and academic experience. To learn more about Graduate Medical Education at AAMC, www.askAAMC.org/GME
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWe experienced a technical difficulty with our cash register system. Purchases made between March 28 – May 19 were processed May 20-24. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please rest assured that the charge is valid and your information is secure. If you have questions or would like more information, please feel free to call 443-481-5202, Monday-Friday between 8:30 am – 5 pm.
- News & Press Releases, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogThe Ultrasound Practice Accreditation Council of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has awarded Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialists accreditation in the areas of Adjunct Detailed Fetal Anatomic Ultrasound and Trimester-Specific Obstetric Ultrasound. AAMG Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialists achieved this recognition by meeting rigorous guidelines set by the diagnostic ultrasound profession. The practice was assessed and met superior quality standards on areas, including the training and qualifications of physicians and sonographers; ultrasound equipment maintenance; policies and procedures to protect patients and staff; and quality assurance methods. State-of-the-art ultrasound and diagnostic tests For more than 20 years, AAMG Maternal and Fetal Medicine Specialists have been serving the families of the greater Annapolis region. The practice offers a full spectrum of prenatal diagnosis and care, using state-of-the-art ultrasound and diagnostic tests, for mothers and their babies from conception to birth. The experienced team of physicians, genetic counselors, sonographers and nurses are experts in complicated maternal and fetal medical conditions, multiple gestations, fetal diagnosis and genetic disorders. They ensure the best possible care in a warm and caring environment. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 410-224-4442.
- Men's Health, Plastic Surgery & Skin Care, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogVashti Myers thought she was making the right choice when she decided to undergo cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic. Myers chose a doctor for her tummy tuck and Brazilian butt lift who had operated successfully on her aunt and cousin. Myers, a mom of three from Upper Marlboro, says she researched the doctor for a few years. She saw two negative reviews, but figured there are always disgruntled customers. Most importantly, getting the work done in the Dominican Republic would save her thousands of dollars. But when she flew to the island last September and prepared for the procedure, she felt something wasn’t right. She says the equipment looked outdated, and the doctor performed the operation in an area of the hospital that looked more like a basement. “To be honest, if I hadn’t been slightly sedated, I probably wouldn’t have gone through with it,” Myers says. She returned to the United States with what she says was a botched tummy tuck. She had major scarring, an off-center belly button, and a lot of pain. Myers went to the Emergency Room (ER) at Anne Arundel Medical Center where a doctor diagnosed her with a kidney infection. The ER doctor then referred her to Tripp Holton, MD, a plastic surgeon with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Plastic Surgery, to treat the large open wound on her abdomen. “I should have just saved my money and had it here,” Myers says. The risks of medical tourism Medical tourism — the practice of traveling out of the country for discounted medical procedures — may sound tempting. People want to combine an overseas vacation with that plastic surgery they’ve always wanted. Plus they can recover in a beautiful location. But consider the risks before booking those plane tickets, say Dr. Holton, a plastic surgeon with AAMG Plastic Surgery. A 2016 report in the Centers for Disease Control and Population’s Emerging Infectious Diseases journal identified 21 people in six states, including Maryland, infected with rapidly growing mycobacteria after traveling to the Dominican Republic for cosmetic surgery. Eight of these people were hospitalized, some more than once, according to the study. In 2014, a Long Island woman died from complications following a liposuction and tummy tuck that she got in the Dominican Republic, according to a news report. AAMG Plastic Surgery sees between five and eight cases of botched plastic surgery each year due to medical tourism. “We see the downside of it very often,” Dr. Holton says. A desire to save money is usually what prompts people to travel outside of the U.S. for plastic surgery. Experts say that plastic surgery has always been a cost-sensitive specialty. But when patients travel to another country for these procedures, they may pay for it in other ways. Dr. Holton says the surgeries patients seek out overseas run the gamut from tummy tucks to breast augmentations and liposuction. But they say patients are gambling with things including a doctor’s medical credentials, the outcome of the surgery, and their own safety. In America, surgeons follow a high standard of care. This includes the “time out” rule, meaning that before any operation, everyone involved must stop and double check that they are working on the right person and the right body part. Dr. Holton says that doesn’t always happen overseas. It’s also highly unlikely you will be able to see your plastic surgeon for regular follow up appointments unless you stay overseas for an extended period of time. The American Board of Plastic Surgery also cautions that patients should avoid typical “vacation activities” after surgery – including sunbathing, swimming and drinking alcohol. The board also says long flights or surgery can increase the risk of developing pulmonary embolism and blood clots. It suggests waiting five to seven days after most procedures before flying. The recommended wait after facial procedures, such as facelifts, eyelid surgery and nose jobs, is longer at seven to 10 days. How to find the right plastic surgeon Dr. Holton has some advice for finding the right plastic surgeon. Check out the doctor’s training and education. Make sure the doctor is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the only plastic surgery board recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties. Ask questions about the doctor’s experience. Has he or she done these types of surgeries before? You should be able to see before and after pictures of the doctor’s work. Review the doctor’s licensing history with your state’s medical board and see if he or she has received any disciplinary actions. Myers says people tried to warn her about the dangers of getting plastic surgery in the Dominican Republic, but she didn’t listen. “You are definitely going to get a higher level of care in the United States,” she says.
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