ANNUAL SPRING BRUNCH - April 3, 2011
By Jane Reilly

“A new building, a new school, new enthusiasm” was the way Dr. Robert Amler (right) described his experience walking into Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 1972, but the lessons he learned in his four years at  then-called Rutgers Medical School, have served him well throughout his career.  The 1976 graduate is now Vice President for Government Affairs, Dean and Professor of Public Health, and Professor of Pediatrics and Environmental Health Science at New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY.  His focus, he told the 100 or so assembled in the Great Hall at RWJMS for the Annual Spring Brunch sponsored by the Association of Families and Friends and the RWJMS Alumni Association, has remained the same: “zoom in on the patient – the organ systems, tissues and cell and zoom out – to the patient’s family, neighborhood, town, region, and the world.”  That capacity – to see the full spectrum from molecules to public policy – he learned 40 years ago as a young and dedicated medical student at RWJMS.

“This extra dimension in medicine is a leveraging tool that enables us to save lives, and do so millions at a time,” he said.  “Louis Pasteur and Jonas Salk contributed knowledge and vaccines that continue to save millions today. Even large scale disasters, like the one in Japan recently, follow patterns that can be recognized and mitigated – just like in a patient – again saving millions.”

The former Regional Health Administrator for the US Department of Health and Human Services explained that while public health breakthroughs do not get the same publicity as a life-saving operation for a celebrity or a dramatic rescue in a mine shaft, as more people live healthier, there are more 80-year olds alive today than ever before, and more 90-year olds.  “In the long run, our most grateful patients, “ he noted, “may well be the ones we will never see. Think of the millions of babies today who will still be living in the 22nd Century.  Their future is literally ours to improve.”

For the first time at the annual event, RWJMS student s joined the keynote speaker at the podium.  The Class of 2013 students, who had received AFF funds to help defray the costs of their international travel, told the audience compelling stories of their clinical experiences in often impoverished circumstances.  Abigail Vanwyk spoke of her travels in Nicaragua; Turya Nair (left), in Rishikesh, India; and Andrew Butler, of sickle cell research and educational outreach in Ghana.

This year’s event was chaired for the first time by Mariya Brown and Lisa Lubitz who did an outstanding job. As always, Lu Penn and her dedicated Stitches committee had their merchandise tables overflowing with new RWJMS-logo apparel and gift items.  Jon Sterling, chair of the fundraising committee, and his wife Sheila ran the 50/50 raffle which raised an additional $155 for the AFF.  AFF co-chairs Jane Reilly and Patty Infantino roundly thanked Dr. Sonia Garcia Laumbach, assistant dean of student affairs and AFF liaison, for her constant and unflagging efforts and support and for Jean Martin, for keeping the AFF intact.

Dr. Laumbach presented this year’s match information which she called the best in the school’s history and Dr. David Seiden, former AFF liaison and Dr. Amler’s one-time teacher, concluded the program.  Dr.  Seiden, who will be retiring in June after more than 40 years at RWJMS, reassured the assembled that he would continue to play a role in the classroom and in student affairs at RWJMS.

AFF Annual Spring Brunch - April 2010
By Jane Reilly

“Pain has a poor memory,” said Dr. Scott Woska, a Pain Medicine, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation specialist and RWJMS graduate, class of 1997, “when you have pain, you can’t remember a time when you didn’t.”  It is, he told the more than 110 guests assembled at the Association of Families and Friends Annual Spring Brunch in the Great Hall at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School on April 25, 2010, “the number one reason why people go to the doctor.”  Dr. Woska then recounted the history of pain medication, started with opium first used as treatment 3,500 years ago and a version of acupuncture practiced 2,000 years ago, up until the present day. While significant advances in pharmaceuticals have been made in the last 20 years, it is not, he warned, without its downside.  It is estimated that as many 4.7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs, creating its own health crisis.  Abuse is up 94% and many young people have greater access to prescription drugs in their parents’ medicine cabinets than to illegal ones sold on the street.  Although the new pain medications will have a positive effect of the treatment of disease, it is important, he advised, that doctors be always mindful of the problems of addiction and the potential of abuse.  Dr. Wosko warns his patients about the pitfalls and conducts random urine tests to ensure his patients are using the medications appropriately.

Dr. Sonia Garcia Laumbach, an assistant dean of student affairs at RWJMS and the AFF liaison, reported on the results of matching for the RWJMS, Class of 2010.  As a whole, the class had a match rate of 98 percent, exceeding the 93 percent for all medical school students nationwide.  The match rate for RWJMS indicates that nearly the entire class received a residency in their chosen field at one of the top residency programs of their choice.

Brunch chair Ginny Olive oversaw a menu that featured traditional breakfast fare – eggs, bacon, bagels – as well as roasted vegetables and potatoes, chicken salad, fruit, various muffins and croissants, and a wide range of desserts.  She graciously turned over the reins for next year to Mariya Brown and Lisa Libitz.  Stitches Chair Lou Penn introduced some new products of RWJMS-logo merchandise including aprons, umbrellas, tote bags, gym bags and a new line of embroidered sweatshirts and sweat pants.  She reported that the new line of Woody teddy bears are big sellers.  Both Ginny and Lou received flowers from the association.  Former AFF liaison Dr. David Seiden, associate dean of student affairs, won the raffle and generously donated his winnings to the AFF.

2009 Annual Spring Brunch
By Jane Reilly

“Unlike medical school, where there is always one right answer to the question at hand, in practice there are usually many treatment options,” Sonia Garcia Laumbach, MD, assistant dean for students affairs at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told the more than 130 family members and students who attended the Annual Spring Brunch sponsored by the Association of Families and Friends on April 26, 2009, in the Great Hall on the medical school’s Piscataway campus. 

Dr. Laumbach who entitled her keynote address “Uncertainty in Medicine” said, “We like to think of medicine as a science with answers.  However, the more we know about medicine and disease and health the more we become aware of how little we do know.  Nothing is medicine is 100 percent certain.”  She added, “Part of a doctor’s education involves learning to cope with the anxiety that uncertainty in decisions affecting life and death inevitably produces.”

A family medicine practitioner, Dr. Laumbach relies on the Hippocratic Oath - to do no harm - and the commitment she first made nearly 15 years ago to guide her in those moments of uncertainty. She concluded, "I look forward to learning something new and being fascinated by the art of medicine each day."

Dr. Laumbach will be taking over the position as faculty liaison to AFF, previously held Dr. David Seiden, associate dean of students, who introduced Dr. Laumbach as his former RWJMS student, class of 1999.  Stephanie Meister, administrative analyst in the student affairs office, is also from retiring from her position as administrator to the association.  She will be replaced by Jean Martin, management assistant.  Both Dr. Seiden and Ms. Meister received thank-you gifts for their long years of service to the association.

After attendees enjoyed the full brunch buffet of eggs, salads, breads, fruit, and desserts, the formal program began with a welcome address delivered by Dr. Salvo Infantino for his wife AFF co-chair Patty Infantino, who had laryngitis.  Her co-chair, Mike Nussbuam, was in the hospital recovering from emergency surgery.

Dr. Seiden closed the program with a detailed explanation of the medical school process known as Matching.  Students begin the matching process in the summer between their third and fourth years, attend interviews at various teaching hospitals, and list their favorite programs and specialties – in the hope that their selections “match” the lists that residency programs are also creating that rank their top choices for their programs.  He also explained that while the number of medical students has increased in the US the number of residency programs has not, largely because they rely on federal funding which has remained the same.

Virginia Olive, who chaired the event, was thrilled with the turnout and personally thanked the committee members for their good work and effort.  Lou Penn, who chairs Stitches, the committee that provides RWJMS-logo merchandise, was on hand with a full complement of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and pants, including a new embroidered-logo line of work-out wear.