Five finalists named for Gold-Headed Cane Award
By Kristen Hensley
MAY 31, 2007--The School of Medicine has announced five finalists for the 2007 Gold-Headed Cane Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a graduating medical student.
“All of these students have demonstrated a passion for patient care, academic excellence and community service,” said Dr. Garland D. Anderson, dean of medicine. “I am proud of their commitment to the healing profession.”
The highly coveted award recognizes extraordinary dedication to the health and welfare of patients. Each year, the graduating class of the School of Medicine composes a list of candidates. From that list, students select one winner who embodies the ultimate in patient care. The name of the award recipient is closely guarded until it is announced on the day of commencement. Being nominated for this award is an honor in itself, and honorable mention is given to the finalists.
The concept honors the 18th century practice of presenting an actual gold-headed cane to the pre-eminent physician in English society. One such cane was continuously carried from 1689 to 1825 by five distinguished British physicians and now resides in the Royal College of Physicians in London.
The Gold-Headed Cane Award has a long tradition at UTMB. Dr. Charles T. Stone Sr., professor emeritus of internal medicine, established the award here in 1960. The cane is passed down to the winning student each year during commencement ceremonies and is displayed in the Moody Medical Library. The winner will receive a desktop replica to keep.
2007 Gold-Headed Cane Award finalists
John Blevins delights in the unknown and admires the importance of the diagnostician, which is why he feels called to a career in internal medicine. “I have always enjoyed unwrapping and solving mysteries,” he said. “The pursuit of knowledge and putting that knowledge to work in helping patients is the ultimate in medical practice. I love learning about patient problems and will continue to develop my ability to problem solve, collect information from patients, analyze the data and then synthesize the information to solve the mystery of the diagnosis.” While at UTMB, Blevins has been active in the community, regularly tutoring basic science and volunteering at St. Vincent’s Clinic, a free clinic run by UTMB students for uninsured patients in the Galveston community. He is chairman of the LCME Student Committee and president of the Alliance in Internal Medicine. He is also a pastor and hopes one day to use his talents in medical mission work.
Growing up with a neurosurgeon father, Jeffrey Cone developed an early passion for medicine. In fact, he was certain he would follow in his father’s footsteps, but an awe-inspiring experience with a team of craniofacial surgeons changed his plans and lured him into plastic surgery. During Cone’s summer research and preceptorship at the International Craniofacial Institute, he witnessed the successful separation of conjoined Egyptian twins. “I love the fact that plastic surgery is not limited to a specific organ system, but that success in the field requires a simultaneous appreciation of interconnectivity between each nerve, muscle, vessel and bone in play,” he said. “I love the idea of having the training to work from head to toe, from delving into the complexities of the hand and then working the next moment on the face.” While attending UTMB, Cone was elected class president for 2003–2007, and he received the John P. McGovern Student Scholarship in Oslerian Medicine for 2005–2007. In 2006, he was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, and this year received the John D. and Mary Ann Stobo Award in Oslerian Medicine.
Ashley Gallagher’s decision to pursue a career in family medicine came about when she recognized her passion for patients. While she found all of the specialties fascinating, she especially wanted to provide compassion and support to encourage and positively impact the lives of others. “Family medicine blends the demarcation between specialties in order to treat the patient as a whole,” she said. “Medicine is the most meaningful to me when I work to understand my patient’s disease within the context of his life, rather than just his disease. As a physician I will promote patient education as a means of disease prevention.” Gallagher is active in many organizations and committees, including the Professionalism Committee and Curriculum Committee. She is president of the Family Medicine Interest Group and regularly volunteers at St. Vincent’s Clinic. In 2006, she was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, received the Academy of Oslerian Medicine Student Award and the Weldon G. Kolb Scholarship in Family Medicine. She was also a recipient of the Osler Student Scholarship for 2004–2007.
Kristin Kucera’s decision to pursue medicine came as result of a medical mission to Costa Rica and Nicaragua where she helped set up field clinics to provide health care to hundreds of patients in underserved areas. That experience secured her interest in the bond that is created by a good doctor-patient relationship. “I entered medicine because I truly enjoy human contact. I like to get to know people and strive to convey my enthusiasm and honest concern at the bedside,” she said. Choosing otolaryngology as her specialty, Kucera believes it will allow her the opportunity “to perform complex surgical procedures and to create lifelong doctor-patient relationships in an intellectually stimulating field.” While at UTMB, Kucera volunteers at St. Vincent’s Clinic and received the You Make a Difference Award for tutor appreciation in 2006. She was nominated to the Gold Humanism Honor Society and selected for membership with the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 2006. In 2003, she was awarded the Carl J. Herzog Foundation Medical School Scholarship Endowment.
A desire to restore form or function to a person with a physical difference is the driving force behind Jeyhan Wood’s decision to pursue a career in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Once she witnessed the hope and optimism that the procedures could provide to patients and their families, her interest quickly blossomed into a passion. Whether breast reconstruction for a cancer survivor or cleft palate repair for a toddler, Wood says she looks forward to treating people with a variety of functional and aesthetic deficits. “Through hard work, dedication and diligent application, I intend to become an exceptional, caring plastic and reconstructive surgeon,” she said. At UTMB Wood served as the Patient Assistance Program Coordinator of St. Vincent’s Clinic during her second year and is currently the clinic’s co-director. She was nominated to the Gold Humanism Honor Society and selected for membership with the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 2006. In 2003, she was awarded the Dr. Walter Junius Hildebrand Academic Scholarship.