Cooper's annual Research Week, held each spring at Cooper for the past 15 years, has been revamped to accommodate a broader definition of scholarly work to reflect current standards for continuing success in the fields of research and performance improvement. Renamed the Annual Camden Scholars' Forum, the biggest changes involve the inclusion of the new Performance Improvement category as well as oral presentations.  

"Starting this year, in addition to our usual display of posters, the category winners will give short oral presentations and field questions," explains Harry Mazurek, PhD, Associate Dean for Research at CMSRU. "The organizing committee feels this model more closely resembles national conferences. Participation in the Camden Scholars' Forum provides valuable experience to our students, residents, and fellows. "

The new poster category, Performance Improvement, highlights the many valuable Quality Improvement, Quality Assurance, and Patient Safety projects being conducted across the health system. As in prior years, other categories include Clinical, Basic, Case Study, Medical Student, Allied Health and Nursing Research.

More than 90 abstracts for posters were submitted in February to participate in the Scholars' Forum, and participants are busy finalizing their posters for display. Posters will be on display from Monday, April 21 at 8 a.m. through Wednesday, April 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Cooper's 10th Floor Pavilion, room 1014.

The event will conclude with The Winner's Forum, where the top three posters in each category will be announced and the 1st place winners will provide short oral presentations of their work. This event will be held Thursday, May 8 from Noon to 1 p.m. in the CMSRU Auditorium; a luncheon reception will immediately follow in the Learning Commons.

We look forward to your participation and your help in making the First Annual Camden Scholars' Forum a great success.

Focus on Faculty: Michael O'Leary, PhD  

CMSRU/CUH Psychiatry Residents Defend Their Championship Title

The Philadelphia Psychiatric Society Colloquium of Scholars (COS) 2014 recently held its 5th Annual Mind Games, where eight residency programs from the tri-state area, including University of Pennsylvania, Temple, Jefferson, Einstein, Drexel, Penn State Hershey and Cooper, competed in a Jeopardy format competition. Categories included "Pills" (Psychopharmacology), "Talk" (Psychotherapy), "Stages" (Developmental Stages), History of Psychiatry, and Others/Miscellaneous. The Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Mind Games team and Champions for a SECOND year in a row were Mason Chang, MD (PGY 4), Amanda Gorecki, MD (PGY 3) and Laura Hesselink, DO (PGY 3).  

Their coach and Mind Games mentor was Basant Pradhan, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. The COS also held its annual Residents poster contest. This year Chris Winfrey, MD (PGY 2) won first place out of over 30 submissions. Cooper Psychiatry residents submitted eight posters this year. Congratulations to the CMSRU/Cooper Psychiatry team!

CMSRU Students Earn National Leadership Posts

Joshua Weinstock and Gita Byraiah, second year students at CMSRU, were recently elected to national leadership positions for two prestigious medical student organizations.

Mr. Weinstock was named to the board of The American Medical Student Association (AMSA), which represents nearly 40,000 physicians-in-training from throughout the United States. Ms. Byraiah was appointed American Association of Medical Colleges' (AAMC) Organization of Student Representatives (OSR) liaison to the Group on Women in Medicine and Science.

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First Ever Simulation Society Event a Huge Success

Dozens of CMSRU students turned out for the first ever Simulation Event, hosted by the Student Simulation Society. Second-year medical student Rebecca Lee, president of the Student Simulation Society, worked with student presidents of the different specialty interest groups, their faculty advisors, and the Sim Center team to organize the event.  

The faculty included eight attending physicians, two nurse educators and three resident physicians, all of whom helped teach more than 30 students who rotated through the stations. There were six different simulation stations: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Surgery, and Internal Medicine/Cardiology Exam.  

"The students all remarked that this was a terrific session and look forward to additional simulation events in the future," said Amanda Burden, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Simulation Program director. "On behalf of our students, I thank all of the faculty, residents and nurses who participated."