Professor Leonardo Seoane, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Ochsner Health congratulated each UQ-Ochsner medical student on their achievement at our Culmination Ceremony earlier this month.
“Ochsner is proud to invest in you, the next generation of physicians, as we work collectively to make healthcare more accessible, compassionate, and equitable for all the communities that we serve, here in Louisiana and beyond. Together, we will all improve health outcomes and change patients’ lives.
“I am proud to have you join the UQ Ochsner alumni family.
“You will encounter new and difficult challenges as you progress into your residencies and throughout your careers, but always remember the lessons you learned these past 4 years; put patients first, embody professionalism, and take care of yourselves as you take care of others,” Professor Seoane said.
Professor Stuart Carney, Dean, The University of Queensland Medical School, emphasized the team behind each new doctor.
“It is also a time to thank those who have helped you along the way. Your family, friends, and loved ones, the teachers and others that have facilitated your learning,” Professor Carney said.
Nearing 1,000 graduates, the UQ-Ochsner program has been an inspiring partnership between The University of Queensland and Ochsner Health since 2009.
During the culmination ceremony, several UQ-Ochsner physicians, residents, and graduating students were recognized with awards.
The 2023 Teacher of the Year award – the highest individual award of excellence – was bestowed upon:
- Heather Owens, MD – Neonatology
The following teachers were shortlisted out of 170 nominations received:
- Michael Blanchard, MD - Psychiatry
- Freddie Joseph III, MD - Pediatric Neurology
- Marlon Joseph, MD - Med Peds
- David Kitchell, MD - Hospital Medicine
- Danielle Levy, MD - Psychiatry
- Ethan Rosenblatt, MD - Hospital Medicine
- Vu Vuong, MD – OBGYN
The Resident Teacher Awards are based solely on student votes and highlights residents who are both role-models and exceptional educators. Over 100 Residents were nominated this year.
The Resident Teachers of the Year for 2023 are:
- Mary Gabriel, MD – Internal Medicine
- Angela Conway, MD - OBGYN
- Zil Shah, MD - Pediatrics
- Andrew Silvera, MD – Psychiatry
- Reginald Du, MD – Surgery
- Brian Chen, MD – Transplant Surgery Fellow
Recipients of the 2023 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Award included:
- Abirami Balarajan - Identifying Targetable Cancer Stem Cell Biomarkers in Conventional Therapy Resistant Rectal Cancer
- Sayantanee Das - Goodbye Narcotics: Exploring Multimodal Care Alternatives for Pediatric Tympanostomy Tube Placement
- Kali Juracek - Effect of Continuous Glucose Monitoring on Glycemic Control in Pregnant Type 1 Diabetic Patients Living in High Deprivation Areas
- Taylor Ogden - Characterization of the Female Population Living with HIV in the Ochsner System
- Audrey Shawley - Quantifying the Impact of Ride-Share Services for Vulnerable Patients
- Sharon Shu - Can Implementation of Tighter Blood Pressure Control Targets Reduce Preterm Delivery for Patients with Chronic Hypertension?
- Marlie Winslow - The Impact of Diagnosis on Healthcare Utilization and Treatment Adherence in Patients with Functional Neurological Disorder at a Public Hospital
The following students were recognized with individual awards:
- Taylor Ogden - Student Excellence Award for OB/GYN
- Sophia Trinh - Student Excellence Award for Pediatrics
- Leah Feulner - Student Excellence Award for Psychiatry
- Vinayak Ganeshan – Internal Medicine-American College of Physicians Excellence Award
- Lily Morrison – Dr. E. Edward Martin, Jr. Family Medicine Award
- Linda Zhang – John Lockwood Ochsner Sr. Surgical Award
Acknowledgements were given to students working on a concurrent degree:
- Jonathan Hill – MD-PhD
- Gautam Dagur – MD-PhD
- Bryn Rubin - MBA
- Audrey Shawley - MBA
- Alekya Tummala - MBA
We are accepting applications for our 2025 cohort. As a quota program in high demand, we encourage applicants to apply early to secure their place. Our first interview round is scheduled for March 2024.