UNMC’s Laura Flores, PhD, receives ethics fellowship
The UNMC College of Medicine’s Laura Flores, PhD, is one of 14 medical students, residents and fellows chosen for the 2024 Medical Program of the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE).
FASPE annually grants 80-90 Fellowships to graduate students and early-career professionals in the fields including business, journalism, law, medicine and others. Fellows participate in a two-week program in Germany and Poland, which uses the conduct of professionals in Nazi-occupied Europe as an initial framework for approaching ethical responsibility in the professions today.
Dr. Flores, who has a degree in philosophy and a background in clinical trial research, matched in March at UNMC, where she will complete a year in internal medicine before moving to radiation oncology. Her doctoral research at UNMC focused on the prevention of bone and lean mass loss in at-risk populations, with additional interests in clinical trial design and health care disparities.
Dr. Flores thanked the internal medicine and radiation oncology department for their support of her pursuit of advanced study in bioethics and said she was excited about the upcoming fellowship.
“Participating in FASPE is an opportunity to pursue self-discovery and discuss complex ethical challenges with professionals across disciplines. As medicine continues to evolve and change, and we pursue novel knowledge and ways to reach our patients, a program like FASPE helps me remain grounded in the importance of engaging in in-depth discussions, interacting with diverse viewpoints, and reflecting on the moral dimensions of health care. Though I came into medical training with a basic understanding of bioethics, a program like FASPE will undoubtedly challenge my thinking and allow for growth in a safe and collaborative group.”
Farewell tea April 11 for Dr. Schenarts
The College of Medicine will hold a farewell tea for Kim Schenarts, PhD, on Thursday, April 11, from 1- 2:30 p.m. in the Linder Reading Room in the Sorrell Center.
Dr. Schenarts, a professor of surgery, joined UNMC in 2012. She is a former president of the Association for Surgical Education, and in 2015 she received the ASE Distinguished Educator Award, given to an individual who has attained national prominence and demonstrated excellence as a master teacher and educator.
For the past five years, Dr. Schenarts has held the role of College of Medicine Wellness Advocate. She also has served as director of the Surgical Education Research Fellowship (SERF) program and vice chair for education in the department of surgery. Her research interests include career development in faculty, residents and medical students; curriculum and program development; and evaluation.
“Dr. Schenarts’ work with the college’s wellness initiatives has been an invaluable support to our students and staff,” said Dean Bradley Britigan, MD. “In that role and others, she has been an important part of our team both at the department of surgery and through the entire college of medicine. We will be sorry to see her go, but we wish her well in this exciting new chapter in her life.”
Dr. Schenarts earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Michigan State University.
Timothy Blackwell, MD, gives annual Kass Lecture
The UNMC Department of Internal Medicine’s Grand Rounds on April 5 was the Kass Lecture, hosted by the UNMC Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. This year’s lecture featured guest speaker Timothy Blackwell, MD, professor and chair of internal medicine at the University of Michigan. Dr. Blackwell spoke on “Leveraging Genetics and Genomics to Advance Understanding of Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis” to a those who attended via Zoom and in person in the Durham Research Center auditorium.
The Kass Lecture is in honor of Irving Kass, MD, who joined UNMC in 1966 and was the first pulmonologist and first chief of the pulmonary medicine section. He was the first to use ethambutol to treat tuberculosis and was also a pioneer in respiratory therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation. A clinician-scientist, Dr. Kass was an author of more than 115 publications and received grant and industry funding for his studies on tuberculosis, emphysema, COPD and asthma. The Kass Lectureship Endowment was created following his death in 1984. Get more information about the Department of Internal Medicine’s Grand Rounds.