WIXLIB

Sloss is Boss, continuedPhoto Credit: Grace Oliver Sloss Metal Works: a group ofworkers from the furnace weremelting down and pouring ironso close to you that you couldfeel the heat (For 20, youcould design your own mold forthe iron and they would pour itfor you with same-day pickup!)5. The PeopleThe only thing that couldpossibly make this festivalany better was the people. Igot to better know my MSTPclassmates during my first monthin Birmingham, before classeshad even started. Of the eightstudents in my cohort (MS1), seven of us made it outto Sloss Fest. A good number of the upperclassmenwere around as well, convincing me that my nexteight years with such an exciting and cohesive groupwill be balanced well spent!Suffice it to say, I will be at the 2nd annual SlossFest (July 16-17, 2016), and I hope to see you there!SEMSS 2015, continuedMSTP Insider: Get in the KnowIn addition to student research presentations,two keynote speakers and a number of “breakout”sessions were offered to provide students withopportunities to receive commentary on currentbiomedical issues and gain valuable insight ontopics specific to various levels in training. The firstkeynote speaker, Dr. James HIldreth, hopped overfrom Meharry Medical College in Nashville to discusshis research in HIV transmission and replicationpathways. His CV boasts accomplishments such asNIH Director’s Pioneer Award and his training wascompleted at renowned institutions such as Harvardand Johns Hopkins. The second keynote followedsuit with Vanderbilt’s own Dr. Ellen Clayton from theVanderbilt Dept. of Pediatrics—who also happens tohave a law degree—speaking on the intersection oflaw, medicine, and public health. She also did herIvy League rounds with degrees from Stanford, Yale,and Harvard. Breakout sessions included advice forundergraduates in applying to MD/PhD programs,early MSTPs on transitioning to graduate schoolyears, and late MSTPs on transitioning to clinicalyears and interviewing for residencies.Overall, SEMSS was an informative andcollaborative experience, providing studentswith an opportunity to mingle with studentsin all levels of training and explore VanderbiltUniversity and the great city of Nashville.Nashvegas, we look forward to seeing you soon,and welcome all next year to SEMSS 2016 at UAB!2015-2016 Applicants 48 applicants interviewed 20 states represented 43 colleges/universitiesCurrent Students 63 students (42 male, 21 female) 27 states represented Average MCAT—33 Average GPA—3.73 Average Step—233 Awesome pets (see pgs. 6-7)University of AL @ Birmingham MSTP running 24 years strong (since 1991) Top 30 rankings in multiple clinical specialties Newly developed Physician Scientist DevelopmentOffice headed by Dr. Lorenz Highest Level of Accreditation by LCMEBirmingham, AL Forbes 2015 #1 Most AffordableCity in the US Zagat’s #1 Next Hot Food City MAJOR downtown developmentin the works Outdoor recreation to the max

Open Access Articles: Changing Custom vs. Established ExclusionAnna Joy Graves, Josh CohenA scientist’s productivity is objectively measuredby their publications, both via quality and quantity.Appropriately, a myriad of academic journals havebecome available for scientists, and physicians, topublish their work and stay up-to-date on the latestfindings in their area of interest. For academicianswith university affiliation, access to these articles isreadily available via university-funded subscriptionsand interlibrary loan systems; however, the generalpublic is generally excluded from these articles (savethose with open access). There is currently a debateas to whether this doctrine of public exclusionis the best means of scientific communication.Two of our MSTP students in the graduate schoolphase, in which this issue is particularly relevant,offer opposing views in the debate of whether allscientific research should be made open access.Proposition: In its most noble form, thegoal of science is to light the world, tounderstand and explain nature and usethat understanding to better humanity. Sharingdiscoveries and results with other scientists andlaypersons is an integral part of this mission,yet too many are left without access to scientificresearch, which is held behind publisher pay-walls.The majority of scientific research is publishedin journals that require exorbitant subscriptionfees or may charge over 30 for access to singlearticles. This leaves those without a major universityaffiliation virtually cut off from scientific discourse.Not only does this go against the highest ideals ofscientific endeavor, it is wholly unfair. Most basicscience research is paid for with US tax dollars.The public has a right to access the results ofresearch they funded. Indeed, in 2013, the Obamaadministration issued a memorandum requiringfederally-funded research to be made open accesswithin one year of publication. However, I believewe can—and should—do better than this by makingall published scientific research freely accessible,immediately. Open access journals have proventhat his can be a viable model by passing the costof publishing from the consumers/readers to theresearchers/authors. The claim against widespreadadoption of such a system is that it would be toocostly for researchers. At a time when researchbudgets are already stretched thin, we can’t affordto spend money on publishing. I find this argumentunconvincing. While I am always a proponent formore science funding, I think we can make dowith this added cost. We spend thousands or tensof thousands of dollars on animals, cell cultures,antibodies, assays, and next-generation sequencing,surely we can budget 2000 for the publicationof our efforts. Additionally, the money saved onjournal subscription fees by universities could bere-invested in research or used to offset the cost ofpublishing for faculty. Publishing open access is notonly affordable, but it is also the right thing to do.Josh Cohen, GS3Opposition: More information is not alwaysbetter. If the quality of the informationis suspect – or worse still, manufacturedand distributed for a price – then we should bewary of supporting any process that produces thatinformation. In order for open access journals tomake their articles widely available to readershipwithout charging a price, the manuscript authorsare levied a fee. Many respected journals with arigorous review process do this legitimately; feesare used to cover the costs of hosting their journalsonline and hiring expert editorial and administrativestaff. The trouble is, a growing number of predatoryjournals have seized upon this publication methodto make a quick buck – and are successful in doingso. One librarian, Jeffrey Beall, has compiled a listof over 400 such publishers (http://scholarlyoa.com/publishers/). These journals often have namesthat are nearly identical to those of reputablejournals and are thus sometimes indistinguishableto academics, much less the general public. Somemanuscript authors unknowingly submit theirarticles and are later hit with a hefty fee uponacceptance; others consciously select these journalsand are willing to pay the fee in order to pad theirresume or publish pseudo-science. More worryingis the concern that the untrained public readershipmay not be able to disentangle quality from junkscience. They may seize upon articles that supporttheir stance (need I say the word “vaccine”?) orbe genuinely beguiled into thinking that everyarticle published in a research journal is legitimate.Ultimately, the current model of institutions orindividuals paying for the right to read a scientificarticle – while subsidizing or waiving fees forresearchers in developing countries who may nothave the resources to access it – puts scientificinformation in the hands of people who knowhow to use it. It also severs the direct financial tiebetween author and publisher, either of whom mayhave underlying motives for supporting a pay-forpublication model.Anna Joy Rogers, GS3

Ruff day? There’s a dog for thatPaige Souder and the MSTP pet parentsMan’s best friend is an understatement. If youhave a pet, you know the bond that forms betweenyou and your canine (or feline, or other) companionis distinct, singular.exceptional. I can attribute tothe rewarding experience of having a pet—even inmedical school—and felt it necessary to give theother MSTP pet owners a chance to show off theirpride-and-joys (cue Stevie Ray Vaughn sound-track).Brahm Weaver: the Country-ClubberBrahm is a 4.5 year-old German Rottweiler whoenjoys sunbathing, spectating tennis, tug o’ war, andMuhan’s dog, Shadow (see below). Brahm’s proudowner is Alice Weaver, a GS3 who enjoys sunbathingand tennis-spectating with him.Shadow Hu: the TravelerShadow is an almost 6 year-old flat coatretriever who is a proud alumni of “Adopt a GoldenBirmingham.” She has been with her owner Muhan(GS1) for 2 years and in that time has tranformedfrom a scaredy-cat to a lovable attention-seekingcompanion. Her favorite activity is hiking; she’scompleted her exploration of the Southeast and haseven walked across the border at Niagara Falls!Mars Zipperly-McLean: the KingMars Maximilian Zipperly-McLean is a rescue dogfrom Charleston, SC. He is approximately 5 yearsold, and he is believed to be a rottweiler/bordercollie mix. Known to his subjects as “King Mars,” heenjoys taking long walks around his ever-expandingkingdom, running wild in the mountains, trying newethnic foods, and modeling his extensive bandanacollection. He also loves pawing through the worksof Ernest Hemingway, and considers himself anavid soccer player. A ferocious warrior, he fearlesslydefends his kingdom from the daily onslaught ofthreats, including the mailman, the pizza deliveryguy, neighborhood cats, and an army of squirrels.Maya Souder: the Free-SpiritMaya is a 1 year-old schnauzer-mix who uses all ofher 8 lbs of weight for optimal trouble-making andplaytime. She enjoys hiking, escaping from the yard,eating carrots, and playing with Mars, Shadow, andKona (coming up). Don’t let her small size fool you,she’s spunky to the core and will stand her own nomatter the challenge. And don’t expect to beat her ina foot race—she can run.

MSTP DogsKona Stoyka: the DestroyerKona is a 1 year-old shepherd mix. She wasadopted her from the Humane Society when she was4 months old, who thought she was a shepherd/lab mix, but stopping growing once she hit 40pounds. Her parentage is as unknown as the limitsof her energy. Her favorite things to do are to learnnew tricks (this month’s trick: army crawl), destroy“ indestructable” dog toys, play with other pups, andgo hiking. Her owner, Lindsay, loves trying to keep upwith her in her spare time.Asa Cohen: the RevolutionaryAsa is a 2.5 year-old pit bull. Her interests includetug o’ war, food, and testing the limits of modernbehavioral theory. Her owner, Josh, is grateful for herhelp in training him to become the best behavioralneuroscientist he can be.Kobe Bean Lever: the All-AmericanKobe is a 2 year-old boston terrier. Jeremierescued him last year and it’s been true love eversince. Kobe loves to play in the yard, play in thehouse, play in the park, and play anywhere elseJeremie dares to venture.Callie Robert: the PrincessCallie is a 6.5 year-old maltese that weighsa whopping 4.5 lbs, winning the award for oursmallest pup. Her favorite thing, besides her ownerStephanie, is her “Bug.” Pictured below with Callie,Bug is a blue ball with bug eyes (hence the name)that she has loved ever since they met when she was7 weeks old and they were about the same size. Eventhough Callie has outgrown Bug, she has remainedloyal, refusing to go anywhere without him or loveany other toys.Hank Stanley: the HeartbreakerHank is a 5(ish) year-old Australian Shepherd. Hewoos all the ladies with his dashing blue eyes andenjoys playing fetch and running around outside. Heis oh so fluffy and oh so lovable.

Grant Writing: Tackling the F30/F31Anna Joy RogersBeing a physician scientist means being a masterof many trades. Some lessons are best learnedin the classroom, like statistics and molecularpathways. Others skills, like scientific reasoningand experimental techniques, can only be properlylearned in a lab. Writing a manuscript is a skill thatcomes after reading many papers and co-authoringa few before serving as a lead author. Writing agrant, however, is a different ball game. You onlylearn to hit when you’re up to bat.I had that opportunity this spring when I decidedto submit an F30 Predoctoral MD/PhD IndividualFellowship grant proposal to the National Institutesof Health. (In reality, the decision was made for me;the MSTP rightly requires that every student submita grant proposal precisely because that’s the onlyreal way to learn this essential skill. We do have aclass that teaches the mechanics of grant writing,but there is nothing like trial by fire.)The first step to grant writing is knowing the“why.” If you aren’t convinced that your projectis worthwhile, the reviewers won’t be either. Thesecond step is to have a good overview of all themoving parts of the grant application. For the F30/F31, this is how I broke it down:1. The Research PlanThis is the meat of the application. It is comprisedof the “Specific Aims” page and the six-page“Research Strategy.” The former is the equivalentof a manuscript abstract in that it contains asuccinct project justification and outline. The latteris where you get to expound on your project usingseveral standard categories: scientific significance/rationale, innovation, design/methods, and expectedoutcomes.2. The Training PlanThis section is unique to research trainees whohave yet to achieve independence as investigators.This section is easily relegated to being written afterthe research plan, but in reality reviewers are toldto place almost equal weight on both sections. Theywant to know that they are funding someone whohas long-term potential, not just a great dissertationproject. The training plan is comprised of youroverall goals for this fellowship and your careerand the activities other than research that youhave planned with the grant money (such as takingclasses, assistant teaching, and attending seminarsand conferences). Make sure to weave this trainingjustification throughout your application.3. Supporting Documents that You WriteReviewers need to know that you have thesupport system in place to conduct your research.This section comprises mundane, but necessary,components such as a cover letter, ethicalconduct of research/institutional review boarddocumentation, and a description of the mentorship,facilities, equipment, and institutional supportsystems in place that will ensure your success.4. Supporting Documents that Others WriteIn any application, it is crucial to know upfrontwhat you have to wait on others to assist youwith. This section has three components thatother parties write entirely: letters of reference, adocument written by the training program director(in our case, Dr. Lorenz) describing how the programis suited to meet the objectives of the fellowship,and biosketches of your mentors describing theiracademic qualifications. This section also has onecomponent that you write in conjunction with yourmentors to describe how their skill set will guide youthrough your training plan. In my experience, it wasan iterative process that took much more time thanexpected.5. MiscellaneousFinally, there are a lot of minor pieces ofinformation that you’ll need. These include howmuch money you should be asking for and yourmentors’ eRA Commons IDs among others. Don’tworry too much about these aspects of your grant,but do recognize that because of them the NIH“due date” of the application isn’t your deadline.UAB needs time to process your grant and take careof these details for you, so they will require thatyou submit it to them at least ten business days inadvance. Make sure to plan for this buffer time!In conclusion, there really is nothing like writingyour first grant application. It requires you tosharpen your research question to a point, thinkclearly about how your project and training plancontribute to your career plans, and performa balancing act between boasting about pastsuccesses and demonstrating how you need thefunding to build on your weaknesses.I could give you pages of advice, but ultimatelythere’s only one way to learn grant writing. Just do it.

AwardsNew Members of the Homeowners Club! Elizabeth Ma: 2 place StudentInvestigator, Obesity Week 2015& Pat Simons Travel Award Alice Weaver & Tyler McCaw:Winning poster, UAB Researchand Innovations in MedicalEducation Week Brian Warmus & Kristin Olson:2015 Gold Humanism HonorSociety Inductees Morgan Locy*, Anna JoyGraves*, Heather Allen,Vincent Laufer: UAB MedicalStudent Research Day OralPresentations (*Winner) Carson Moseley, Muhan Hu,David Figge: UAB MedicalStudent Research Day PosterAwardsnd Garrett Brinkley Crestwood Sushma Boppana Highlands Emma Dean Crestwood Ryan McMonigle Homewood Jacelyn Peabody Vestavia Brandon Pope Pinson Paige Souder Crestwood Morgan Zipperly CrestwoodWe have new doctors in thehouse! Congratulations to themboth.onWARD they go! Jennifer Stanley, PhD Jarrod Meadows, PhDAmelie PepinDaugher of Mark PepinDissertationsMaisha Meifong RogersDaugher of Anna Joy RogersCome on over, BabyCurriculum Changes, continued.Though the structure of organ modules is largelythe same, input from student course reviews hasbeen taken into account to improve the details ofcourse implementation. These include keeping goodlecturers and course directors, replacing less goodlecturers and course directors, improving quiz andtest questions, and targeting content to Step 1 (thesuper important board exam) relevant topics.Further, lecture hours were reduced by 50% toprovide more space for self-directed and teambased learning. These modes of learning providestudents with an opportunity to identify, analyze,and synthesize information relevant to their currentlearning needs and assess the credibility of variousresources—this is an important skill considering thewealth of resources available to medical students.They also stimulate collaboration between studentsby allowing them to share information with peersand supervisors, and to receive constructivefeedback. The previous year, lecture attendance wasmade non-mandatory, giving students the freedomto attend lectures or listen to lecture recordingsvia Echo360, an online lecture capture system.All lectures are available for online streaming ordownload within a few hours of the original lecturerecording (bonus: recorded lectures can be spedup, paused, or slowed-down to fit the viewer’spreference).Lastly, grading was restructured to a purelypass/fail (P/F) system in the first semester (PDSand Fundamentals) without percentiles or honors,and a P/F Honors system for the eight organmodules. Several medical schools across thecountry have adopted similar grading systems,which promote an environment of cooperation,rather than competition, among students. Look foran upcoming student debate on the incorporationof the P/F grading system at our blog, Unabridged—unabridgedmstp.wordpress.com (shameless plug).Overall, these curriculum changes have enhancedthe preclinical experience for MD and MSTP stu

UAB and our city can fit in with your future training plans. We will be interviewing 48 applicants this year and our currently scheduled interviewees include students from 20 different states and 33 different colleges/ universities. Our interview process is similar to last year. The UAB School of Medicine evaluation will