Inspired by the Grand Rounds model and a student-organized element since the inception of the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, regularly scheduled clinical case conferences have been a staple for students in the Scholars Program.
Originating at Johns Hopkins Medical School in the late 19th century, Grand Rounds provided a new way of teaching young clinicians from the bedside. This exercise consisted of a review of a patient’s medical problems and treatment plan, with the patient present and participating in the conversation. Baffling and unique cases were often highlighted. Over the years, the original methodology has given way to new approaches. The challenges of 2020 presented yet another hurdle for student organizers, however the series, sponsored by the Cozzi Family, carried on. Despite the shuttering of laboratories at the NIH and around the world, Chad Phillips-Hart, NIH- Oxford Scholar in the MD/PhD program, managed to keep the conferences running, scheduling and executing a majority of the monthly Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conferences as planned. “Organizing the Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conferences has been such a fun, interactive medium to open the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars community to cutting-edge clinicians engaged in exceptional research. Although we do miss our in-person events, each and every speaker, both local and abroad, has been so gracious and willing to help us transition to an online platform due to the COVID19 pandemic. Each speaker brings to light key clinical pearls we will take into our future careers” explained Chad.
Scholar Olive Jung led the first ever Scholar-Mentor Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conference. Dr. Grisel J. Lopez and Dr. Ellen Sidransky joined Olive to present a case of a young patient with Gaucher disease and walk the students through the typical differential diagnostic work up of the patient’s condition. Chad led the next Scholar-Mentor Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conference with his clinical mentors, Dr. Ramya Ramaswami and Dr. Kate Lurain, who are both physicians in the HIV/AIDS Malignancy Branch at the NIH. In addition to Scholar-Mentor presentations, , the Scholars heard from alumnus Dr. Aaron Neal, who is an International Health Scientist at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Neal guided students through international, collaborative clinical trials being conducted in the face of epidemics, from the Ebola epidemic in 2014 to the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Furthermore, Dr. Neal concomitantly provided a career-based discussion on how his pathway through the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program has led him to be a scientist in the Collaborative Clinical Research Branch, and help foster international collaborative efforts in mitigating and preventing pandemics.
Scholars also held Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conferences with Dr. Christina Annunziata, Senior Investigator at the Women’s Malignancies Branch of the National Cancer Institute/Center for Cancer Research at the NIH, Dr. Tom Mou, a general surgical resident at the University of California San Diego, Dr. David Stagliano, Lieutenant Colonel, Army, Division Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Director, Transitional Year Internship Program, National Capital Consortium, and Dr. Nirali Shah, NIH Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, NIH Distinguished Scholar in the Head, Hematologic Malignancies Section of the National Cancer Institute. In the coming months, Scholars will hear from Drs. John Dekker and Sean Agbar-Enoh, who are both NIH Lasker Clinical Research Scholars.
The Cozzi Family Clinical Case Conferences are open to all students in the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program. Students and speakers are also encouraged to invite members of their laboratories to attend the talks.