FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:

BARBARA JACOBSON

Our Faculty Spotlight celebrates the institutional partners who are the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) 

Join us this month in celebrating esteemed Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) faculty member and MVA Interprofessional Education (IPE) faculty mentor Barbara Jacobson, PhD, CCC-SLP. With planned retirement in May 2022, we’re proud to highlight her contributions and engagement throughout the years.

“I’ve been so privileged to watch the evolution of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance,” she said. “Especially under Jessica Jones.”

More here. 

WHOSE CENTRAL LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

IS BACK!

For an aspiring medical student, how important is attention to detail when spelling the names of hit songs from the early 2000s? As students from Meharry Medical College (MMC) and Vanderbilt University (VU) discovered earlier this month, it’s actually pretty important.

In the final seconds of a make-or-break round of “Name That Tune,” hurrying to type their answers during the virtual event, one team accidentally entered “In the Club by 59 Cent.” The correct title is, of course, “In Da Club” by 50 Cent—the answer submitted by the winning team moments later.

This was just one of the highlights from the sixth annual Whose Central Line Is It Anyway? hosted by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Student Alliance (MVSA).

Held on Saturday, March 5, the get-together featured a series of game show-style competitions between students from both institutions, gathered via Zoom, vying for Amazon gift cards as well as headphones and JBL speakers donated by Electronic Express.

As in previous years, Whose Central Line Is It Anyway? also collected donations for local charities. This year’s recipients were the Shade Tree and Salt Wagon clinics. These student-run clinics provide free, high-quality care to the Nashville community, while developing a generation of socially minded medical practitioners.  

“I think that, for the challenges the pandemic has had for all of us, and especially the mental strain that this has had on our medical community, it’s good to still just get together and be able to do something silly and laugh, and have fun,” reflected Jack Wong, MVSA staff advisor. “And maybe do a little good with that as well.”

The IPE student project provides an opportunity for students from various health profession programs to collaborate with local partners in a real-world setting.

"This year the students received great direction and influence on what they should be accomplishing,” explained Jessica Jones, MS, Interprofessional Education Program Manager.

"We emphasized the equity and sustainability of the deliverables." 

STUDENTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES BRAINSTORM WAYS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY

On January 28, 2022, more than 30 students from local institutions participated in the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) Interinstitutional Interprofessional Education (IPE) student project. Gathering via Zoom, they met with faculty mentors and Nashville-based organizations to brainstorm ways to improve the community.

Since its inception in 1999, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance has sought to create innovative avenues for interprofessional education (IPE) collaboration that allows students and faculty to leave a lasting impact. 

Students reconvene for two more meetings with community partners on February 24 and March 24, 2022, before presenting these deliverables.

Previous IPE student projects included developing summer learning curriculums geared toward empowering young girls of color, publishing a booklet on accessing healthcare for low-income individuals, and conducting surveys to help organizations better address the needs of underserved populations.

“These projects let students know that the work they do goes beyond the clinic,” Jessica said. “It allows them to see the patients they serve in their environment and reinforces their understanding of the importance of what they do.”

More here. 

SUNITHA VUNGARALA JOINS THE MVA

We’re pleased to welcome Sunitha Vungarala, PGDCC, to the Meharry Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA). Dr. Vungarala joins the MVA as a Clinical/Translational Research Coordinator, focusing primarily on coordination of population health science, community engagement, and outcomes research conducted within the Meharry-Vanderbilt-Tennessee State University Cancer Partnership (MVTCP).

EDUCATION

In her college years, Dr. Vungarala resolved to use her medical training for a greater cause—and that’s exactly what she did.

“My passion towards patient care and patient outcomes led me to get a medical degree and become a physician,” she explained.  

After receiving a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Degree from Rajiv Gandhi University, India, in 2005, she went on to earn a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Cardiology from Indira Gandhi University in 2012.

COMMUNITY ENGAGED RESEARCH

“Very early on I was exposed to diverse populations and disparities in healthcare,” she said.  “I soon realized through research, these disparities can be removed from the communities for better patient outcomes.”

During her undergraduate studies, Dr. Vungarala worked with an ophthalmologist at the R L Jalapa Hospital and Research Center to screen elderly patients for cataracts and refer them for treatment and follow up.

As a postgraduate, she volunteered at a health screening camp in Hyderabad, India, developing and conducting assessments of those living without access to regular healthcare, checking for hypertension, diabetes, and other diseases.  

“I get immense satisfaction in helping people to improve health and wellbeing,” she said. “I see research as an opportunity to contribute to better patient outcomes.”

That passion for creating access to healthcare through research ultimately brought her to the MVA.

“I see it as an opportunity to grow both individually as well as professionally,” she said. “I want to be a part of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance for a greater cause.”

VICC TO HOST ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC RETREAT

The Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) will be hosting its 23rd Annual Scientific Retreat on May 2, 2022, at the Vanderbilt Student Life Center.

Meharry Medical College and Tennessee State University faculty are encouraged to participate. As in years past, there will be a poster session with multiple prizes awarded to participants. Please encourage your students and fellows to submit abstracts and participate!

Register here. 

For more information, please see the attached flyer.