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Russian American Medical AssociationFounded and Incorporated in 2002 by the Russian Physicians of North America
RAMA REPORT
The 8th Joint National Medical and Scientific Conference
October 13-16, 2011
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
Research and Clinical Experience
Reports, News and Projects
Missions to Russia
RAMA Conference 2011
The 8th Joint National Medical & Scientifi c Conference
RAMA - www.russiandoctors.org RADA - www.russiandentists.org RASA - www.dumaem-po-russki.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: October 13-16, 2011
REGISTER TODAY: www.russiandoctors.org/conference-registration
Enjoy the Event and Wynn Las Vegas!www.wynnlasvegas.com
ROOM RESERVATION INFORMATION
For discount room rates, please call the hotel: (702) 770-7100
Reservation code: 8RSS1011
For general conference information, please contact Olga Osipoff
For information about speaking opportunities,
please contact: Lyuba Varticovski, MD - [email protected]
2 | RAMA Report
RAMA Report | 3
Dr. Roald Sagdeev
is a Distinguished
Professor of Phys-
ics at the University
of Maryland, Direc-
tor Emeritus of the
Space Research
Institute, and former
director of the Space Research Institute of the Rus-
sian Academy of Sciences.
William Novick, MD
is the Founder and
Medical Director of
the International
Children’s Heart
Foundation, Univer-
sity of Tennessee
Professor of Surgery
and International Child Health, RAMA partner and
leader in the Siberian Pediatric Heart Project.
Dr. Leonid Gozman
is an associate pro-
fessor at the De-
partment of Social
Psychology of the
Moscow State Uni-
versity. He authored
8 books, including
Psychology of Emotional Relationships (1987) and
Political Psychology (1996). He has PhD in psy-
chology and is the head of laboratory for political
psychology research at the MSU.
Dr. Crous is the Founder and
President of the ISI - Inter-
national Success Institute,
United Kingdom. He is an
internationally recognized
professional success coach,
consultant, mentor, speaker,
and published author spe-
cializing in life, business,
and executive coaching and helping individuals and
organizations achieve their personal and business
goals.
For the past 9 years, the Russian American Medical
Association (RAMA) jointly with RADA and RASA has
held its conference on an annual basis. RAMA is the
nation’s only professional medical association unit-
ing Russian-speaking medical and other health care
professionals. RAMA is devoted to medical science
and pursuing its noble cause of saving patients’
lives and sharing knowledge. This year the RAMA
Annual Conference will take place in Las Vegas,
NV on October 13-16, 2011. The Conference will
provide a great venue to interact with diverse group
of Russian-speaking physicians, educators and
scientists as well as other healthcare professionals.
At the conference you will be able to attend scien-
tific and educational sessions as well as numerous
exhibits. Your participation in the joint RAMA-RADA-
RASA 2011 Annual Conference is important for all
RAMA members’ professional development and the
association’s growth. Register today and join your
colleagues for this enriching and empowering event.
Enjoy Wynn!
Featured RAMA Conference Famous Keynote Speakers
4 | RAMA Report
Contents
The 8th Joint National Medical & Scientific Conference
2011 RAMA Journal Call for Abstracts
2011 RAMA-RADA-RASA Conference
Dr. William Novick
Dr. Roald Sagdeev
Dr. Leonid Gozman
Dr. Martin Crous
Dr. Boris Vinogradsky Meets with Russian Foreign Minister
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo
Northwest Chapter of RAMA Report
ARM-UK Report The Association of Russian-speaking Medics in UK
RAMA News
New RAMA members
New RAMA Observership Programs
KAPLAN/RAMA Service Agreement
RAMA Neuroscience Project Update
RADA News
RASA News
New book by RAMA member: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
Observership Reports
2
5
6
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7
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Dear Colleagues,
We are closing abstract submission for the next issue of the RAMA Journal.
Abstract submission deadline: August 31, 2011. Any abstracts received after that date will be used in the
RAMA e-mail communication distributed to the audience of 8000 professionals.
To ensure that the abstract receives proper consideration, please make sure
that the abstract is submitted to the appropriate category: Clinical Science; Dentistry;
Public Health; Basic Science; Nursing; Appropriate health allied fields.
Editorial language assistance will be available for additional cost of $25/abstract. Please, send the ab-
stract as an attached Microsoft Word file. Authors’ photo must accompany submission.
All photos MUST be a separate JPEG file with resolution at least 300 dpi
to [email protected] and [email protected]
According to the Copyright Act of 1976, all abstracts must be accompanied by the Copyright Transfer and
Author Declaration Statement.
The Copyright Statement is available online: www.russiandoctors.org/journal/ copyright.pdf
All authors must sign this statement and send or fax to:
Russian American Medical Association Inc.
36100 Euclid Avenue, Suite 330-B Willoughby, OH 44094 USA
FAX: (+1) 440-953-0242
*Do not send abstracts to this address, the fax is for copyright transmission only.
The previous issues of the RAMA Journal are available online:
www.russiandoctors.org/journal/index.shtml
The 8th issue of RAMA Journal will be published online by October 31, 2011.
For more information please contact Dr. Bart Perlman - RAMA Journal Editor-in-Chief,
at [email protected] and visit
www.russiandoctors.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8196&highlight=call+abstracts
2011 RAMA Journal Call for Abstracts
RAMA Report | 5
6 | RAMA Report
Dr. William Novick, founder
and medical director of the
International Children’s Heart
Foundation, received his MD
from the University of Ala-
bama, did his general surgical
training at the University of
Pennsylvania, and returned
to the University of Alabama
for his cardiac and congenital
heart surgery fellowship.
While there, he had the opportunity to treat a
number of children from third world countries. Of
special note was a 12-year old girl from Nigeria
with Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia
who was deemed inoperable because of her age.
An operation was performed to improve the qual-
ity of her life, but nothing could be done to extend
it. “I struggled with this child following the dis-
charge,” recalled Dr. Novick, “literally thinking daily
about this child.” After several weeks of seeing
him struggle, two colleagues from Colombia sug-
gested that he should accompany them to Bogotá
in Colombia to help set up their two pediatric heart
surgery programs. After spending two weeks there,
Dr. Novick remembered saying “You have found the
root of my problem and you have found the solu-
tion. When I get out I am going to give some of my
time away to kids in third world countries.” Living
up to his promise, he invited children from the third
world countries for free operations when he went
into private practice with a group of eight cardiac
surgeons in Orlando, and even organized a mission
to Croatia for pediatric cardiac surgery. Following
this trip, Dr. Novick decided to do this on a regular
basis and chose the University of Tennessee as
the site do develop his program in 1993. Since the
establishment of the International Children’s Heart
Foundation (ICHF), there have been over 240 trips
across 27 countries with over 5000 operations,
and the foundation actively expands. “Last year we
made 36 trips and operated on 727 children, and
this year we’ve set our goal of 40 trips and 900
children.”
A number of years ago, even before finishing his
medical training at UCLA, Dr. Yakov Elgudin con-
tacted Dr. Novick about the possibility of organiz-
ing help in Russia, specifically in Kemerovo. Over
the last four years this idea has become a reality
through the combined missions of the ICHF and
RAMA to the Kemerovo Heart Institute. With six
trips to date and over 100 operations, this mission
has been a huge success. But more importantly
this mission has recently acquired advanced pedi-
atric cardiac surgeons, allowing the local medical
staff to perform an increasing number of difficult
operations that were previously impossible. With
another trip scheduled for September, Dr. Novick
and Dr. Elgudin are excited about the progress
that has already been made, with local profession-
als now performing over half of the operations. “I
think it speaks to the benefits of this program that
the roles have switched over time and now they are
performing a substantial number of the operations
themselves”, remarked Dr. Novick. “What we are
looking to do is to establish this program so that
they can care for literally any child that is sent to
them with a heart disease, so nobody has to be
sent to Moscow or St. Petersburg, so that every-
thing is within their reach.”
Dr. William Novick to speak at the 2011 RAMA-RASA-RADA Conference
2011 RAMA-RADA-RASA Conference
RAMA Report | 7
Dr. Sagdeev: expert in plasma
physics and former director
of the Space Research Insti-
tute of the Russian Academy
of Sciences. Former science
advisor to russian president
Mikhail Gorbachev, he has
worked at the University of
Maryland since 1989.
He is also currently a Senior Advisor at Albright
Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, where
he assists clients with issues involving Russia and
countries in the former Soviet Union. At one time, Dr.
Sagdeev was married to Susan Eisenhower, grand-
daughter of the late American President Dwight
Eisenhower, and in 2003, received the Carl Sagan
Memorial Award. In 1955, after graduating from
the Moscow State University with a bachelor’s in
nuclear science and a doctorate in Physics and
Mathematics, he worked at the Kurchatov Institute
of Atomic Energy as a member of the controlled
fusion team with director Igor Kurchatov from 1956
to 1961. From 1961 until 1970, he worked as the
head of the laboratory at the Institute of Nuclear
Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian
Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk.
At the age of 35, he was the youngest person ever
to be elected as a full academician of the Academy
of Sciences of the USSR. From 1970 until 1973, he
worked at the Institute of Physics of high tempera-
tures of the USSR Academy of Sciences. His work
on the behavior of hot plasma and controlled ther-
monuclear fusion in both the Institute of Atomic
Energy and later at the Institute of Nuclear Physics
has won international recognition. Upon his return
to Moscow, he was appointed as the director of the
Dr. Gozman has served as
deputy chairman of the Union
of Right Forces. He is also a
professor of the Social Psy-
chology Department at the
Moscow State University. He
has served as a researcher for
the Woodrow Wilson Interna-
tional Center for Scholars and a professor of Psy-
chology and Russian Research at Dickinson College.
Martin Crous, PhD special-
izes in Life, Business and
Executive Coaching and gives
direction to individuals and
organizations to help them
achieve their personal and
business goals.
Dr. Roald Sagdeev to speak at the 2011 RAMA-RASA-RADA Conference
Dr. Leonid Gozman to speak at RAMA-RADA-RASA Conference
Martin Crous, PhD To Address RAMA-RADA-RASA Conference
RAMA conference keynote speakers
Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy
of Sciences from 1973 until 1988. After the USSR
lost the race to the Moon, he supervised several
research projects such as the Cosmos, Forecast,
Intercosmos, Meteor, and Astron programs. He
managed and was a principal participant in many
space projects, including the Venera probes to Ve-
nus, the joint Soviet-U.S. Soyuz-Apollo Test Project
and headed the International Space Project Venus-
Halley (Vega and Phobos projects). He is the author
of studies on plasma physics and magnetofluid dy-
namics. In 1984, he was awarded the highly presti-
gious Lenin Prize for his outstanding achievements
in the founding of neoclassical theory of transport
processes in toroidal plasma.
8 | RAMA Report
2011 RAMA-RADA-RASA Conference
On July 12, 2011, Dr. Vinogradsky along with
several other people met with the Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Russian
Embassy in Washington, DC. They discussed
the state of Russian Healthcare and the role
RAMA can play in medical reforms planned by
the Russian Government. Mr. Lavrov was briefed
on the work RAMA is doing in Russia right now
and about plans for the future. He was very
interested in potential participation of RAMA
members in the process of adoption of Russian
children by American families.
This meeting was a round-table discussion of
potential participation of the Russian diaspora
in the modernization of Russia. The meeting
was organized by the Russian Embassy in coop-
eration with the Council of Russian Compatriots
in America and included Sergey Kislyak - Rus-
sian Ambassador to the United States, Pavel
Astakhov - Children’s Rights Commissioner for
The President of Russia, Igor Baboshkin - Presi-
dent of the Compatriots Council, Tatyana Bo-
brinskaya - representative of the Russian Order
of Hospitaliers, Sergey Ryabkov - Deputy For-
eign Minister of Russia, Yuri Zaytsev - Head of
the Russian Cultural Center in Washington, DC,
Svetlana Sokolova - President of the American
Association for Russian Language, Culture and
Education, Marina Adamovich - Editor-in-Chief
of the “New Review” Journal and Regina Khide-
kel - Director of the Russian American Cultural
Center in New York City.
Later that day Dr. Vinogradsky also met with
Mr. Chang Suh from the US Library of Congress
and discussed opportunities for collaboration
with RAMA in the future.
From left to right: Pavel Astakhov,
Boris Vinogradsky, MD, Svetlana
Sokolova, Marina Adamovich, Sergey
Lavrov, Tatyana Bobrinskaya, Regina
Khidekel, Igor Baboshkin, Yuri Zaytsev
RAMA Chairman – Dr. Boris Vinogradsky Meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington
RAMA Report | 9
This RAMA mission was a part of the ongoing
RAMA Siberian Heart Project that began in 2007
and organized in close collaboration with the Inter-
national Children’s Heart Foundation. The first of
two pediatric cardiac missions to Kemerovo took
place on April 16th through 30th of this year. The
second took place on June 17th through 26th. This
mission has been very productive and success-
ful. It further improved skills of the local team of
pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons and
expanded the expertise of other team members
taking care of children with congenital heart dis-
ease. The 3rd RAMA-ICHF pediatric cardiac surgery
mission to Kemerovo is scheduled to take place in
September of 2011.
Over the last four years, both, pediatric and adult
components of the RAMA’s Siberian Heart Proj-
ect have been occurring simultaneously at every
mission we undertake. Given the great difficulty
in having simultaneous highly intensive operating
schedules on both children and adults during such
missions, this year we decided to separate them
and dedicated one week in June to performing only
new, advanced, and complex surgeries on adult
patients in the Kemerovo Center of Cardiology and
Cardiac Surgery. During this mission we had a num-
ber of meetings and conversations with hospital
administrators and physicians interested in open-
ing and developing similar RAMA projects in their
hospitals/regions.
Meetings and new developments.
1. On June 18th, immediately after my arrival in
Moscow, I met with a group of doctors and busi-
nessmen from Yaroslavl (a regional center about 4
hours north of Moscow): Anna Bogacheva, MD - a
Chief Pediatric Cardiologist of Yaroslavl Region -
and her colleagues who are interested in starting a
congenital heart surgery program in Yaroslavl
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo, New Projects Developmentsby Yakov Elgudin, MD
10 | RAMA Report
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo
similar to the one RAMA-ICHF has run in Kemerovo
since 2007. During our two-hour meeting, we dis-
cussed many issues and questions concerning this
project. We formulated a plan for the immediate
future, particularly to have one of the doctors, and
possibly one of the hospital administrators from
Yaroslavl, go to Kemerovo in September during our
next mission to meet with the group. We will use
this to see how the mission’s work is arranged,
how patients are treated etc. Meanwhile, further
important steps in Yaroslavl will have to be made
in order to create a coherent plan and identify
a specific group of individuals, and a specific
hospital that would serve as a clinical base for the
mission.
2. On June 19th I spoke to Prof. Alexey Maschan
– Deputy Director of the Republican Center of
Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology in Mos-
cow, Russia. This center is working in close alli-
ance with Chulpan Chamatova’s fund, providing
financial support for the most critical and urgent
needs of the center in pediatric hematology and
oncology. During an hour-long conversation we
discussed several topics that were of particular
interest to him and his institution. First, profes-
sor Maschan expressed great interest in cooper-
ating with RAMA in nursing education and train-
ing for the new hospital that will start accepting
patients in October of 2011. Some potential
ways for RAMA to help them with nursing educa-
tion and training will include sending nursing
educators to Moscow for periods of 2-3 weeks
at a time on a continuous basis. Such educators
will provide didactics as well as bedside training
and supervision for nurses at the ICU, training on
chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant units,
guidance on general medical procedures, and so
forth. There is a nursing school on the clinical
base of the hospital that can help formalize such
nursing education project.
Another topic of great interest for professor
Maschan and his center: pediatric hematological
and oncological surgery, and, in particular,
RAMA Report | 11
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo
neurosurgery. There is a serious potential for
cooperation with RAMA in this field as well.
In summary, these two main programs of
RAMA cooperation with the Moscow Center of
Hematology, Oncology, and Immunology are now
under development.
3. In Leninsk-Kuznetzky – a town of about 250,000
people located about 90 miles south of Kemerovo -
there is a large multispecialty hospital mainly built
and designed to provide care for coalminers and
industrial workers with work-related traumas and
injuries. Over the years, this institution has become
a premier regional tertiary care center for trauma,
orthopedics, and neurological surgery as well as
critical care and other related specialties such as
general surgery and ob-gyn. Director of this Center
– Professor Vagram Agadganyan invited me to visit
the center on June 25th. Professor Agadganyan and
his colleagues gave me a tour of the hospital after
which we discussed ways of RAMA cooperation with
their institution. Out of many potential areas of
interest, the trauma/orthopedics and neurosurgery
were chosen as pilot specialties for a new RAMA
project. Currently, we are communicating with the
Leninsk-Kuznetzky’s hospital, working on the mis-
sion specifics and developing a plan.
Siberian Heart Project clinical work
During the week of June 20, we performed six
operations in the Kemerovo Center of Cardiology
and Cardiac Surgery. Two of them were performed
for the first time in the Russian Federation. These
cases introduced coronary bypass grafting per-
formed through a small skin incision on the left
side of the chest. This operative approach dra-
matically improves the rehabilitative potential for
patients and shortens their recovery time. We were
able to perform such operations in part because of
excellent support provided by Medtronic, Inc. and
Medtronic Foundation. Medtronic manufactures
specific equipment and supplies that made this
12 | RAMA Report
RAMA Mission to Kemerovo
surgical procedure possible. In an outstanding sup-
porting effort by Medtronic, the company repre-
sentatives delivered several critical disposable and
reusable supplies to Kemerovo in addition to those
we brought with us from the US. As a result of such
support we were able to successfully perform two
of these minimally invasive coronary bypass sur-
geries during our mission and had local surgeons
learn the technique of the procedure. All patients
did well and are either discharged or finishing their
recovery at the hospital. Over the course of our
mission we also saw and consulted 14 patients with
complex heart disease for which the diagnostic and
treatment plans were established. There were three
meetings with the hospital administration related
to our further research cooperation with Kemerovo
Center of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery as well
as the potential for Siberian doctors coming to the
US for observership training programs.
In summary, the June’s 2011 RAMA Mission to
Kemerovo was a rather intense and productive
experience from clinical and developmental
points of view. In fact, in one of our conversations
Professor Leonid Barbarash – the head of the
Kemerovo Center - said that this was extremely
important and in many ways a “breakthrough”
mission that opened up several new areas of
cardiac surgery for development at the Kemerovo
Center. Professor Barbarash who had also
conceived of and supported RAMA Siberian
Pediatric Heart Project, emphasized that the
result of our mission ultimately yielded success
and advancement of the pediatric and congenital
heart surgery program at his institution, and that
it exceeded his most optimistic expectations. We
appreciate such recognition and will continue to
expand our mission and do the best we can to help
patients in different parts of the world.
RAMA Report | 13
Northwest Chapter of RAMA Report
The Northwest Chapter
of the Russian Ameri-
can Medical Association
includes Russian-speaking
medical professionals
from the Former Soviet
Union in the states of
Washington, Oregon,
Alaska, Idaho, Montana
and Wyoming.
The goals of our Chapter are:
1. Representing the Russian American Medical As-
sociation (RAMA) in the Pacific Northwest.
2. Facilitating and enabling Russian physicians
and other health care professionals of the Pacific
Northwest to excel in patient care and pursue their
aspirations in professional, humanitarian and com-
munity affairs.
3. Establishing communication between medical
professionals of Russian descent by sharing ex-
periences, memories, and helpful hints as well as
advice and creating a tight knit community that will
benefit each and every member.
4. Bringing to American medicine distinctive contri-
butions from Russia.
5. Cooperating with and assisting other non-profit
organizations in the Pacific Northwest sharing the
same or similar goals of RAMA.
6. Conducting membership meetings at appropri-
ate intervals with suitable agendas.
7. Providing a meeting place for members.
Letter from the President
Dear Colleagues,
My name is Larisa Raastad. I am a family physi-
cian at Olympia Family and Internal Medicine in
Olympia, WA and the President of the Northwest
Chapter of Russian American Medical Association
(RAMA). Originally, I am from Vladivostok, Russia.
I graduated from Vladivostok State Medical Uni-
versity and completed my residency training at St.
Peter Family Residency Program in Olympia, WA.
The Northwest Chapter of RAMA, which we started
in November 2009, unites USMLE students, resi-
dents, and practicing physicians of Washington
and Oregon, as well as Alaska, Idaho, Montana and
Wyoming. We have a Board of Directors and hold
regular meetings when we have the opportunity to
discuss current business and to get to know each
other well. We started an observership program
for international medical graduates at Olympia
Family Medicine in April 2010. Prospective observ-
ers residing in the US and republics of the former
Soviet Union expressed great interest in taking part
in our program. We would appreciate your help in
supporting our Observership Program by offering
mentorship in your offices, or at least occasionally
accepting international medical graduates for an
observership and offer guidance in your specialty.
We are looking for practicing physicians who are
interested in joining us in developing local and
international projects, developing observership
programs for international medical graduates,
and establishing relationships with state teaching
schools. To those who completed their training and
successfully practice medicine in the US, we need
your experience, expertise, and leadership.
14 | RAMA Report
ARM-UK Report The Association of Russian-speaking Medics in UK
Dr. Maria Ilina: on
Sunday, July 10th we
got together for the
first time. “We” are
the initiative group
of Russian-speaking
doctors who live and
practice in the UK. The
meeting was attended
by 16 people:
Nadezhda Barton (Cardiac Physiologist, Croydon
University Hospitals NHS Trust, London), Olga
Bezhaeva (SpR in Pediatrics, Alder Hey, Liverpool),
Ekaterina Burova (Consultant Dermatologist,
Bedford Hospital), Natalia Gak (Co-medical training
doctor, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge),
Paul Gissen(Consultant in Pediatric Metabolic
Disease, Great Ormond Street Hospital/UCL),
Anastasia Goncharova(SpR in Radiology, Royal Free
Hospital, London), Svetlana Galitzine (Consultant
Anesthetist, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford), Maria
Ilina (Locum Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist,
Southampton General Hospital), Yelena Karnovitch
(SpR in Respiratory Medicine, St George’s Hospital,
London), Dmitry Kruglov (SpR in Anesthetics,
UCH, London), Maria Naimark (Clinical Fellow, ITU,
Croydon University Hospitals NHS Trust, London),
Anna Nuttall (SpR in Rheumatology, Royal Free
Hospital), Lada Krylova (Consultant Rheumatologist,
Chase Farm Hospital), Marina Kulikova (Obstetrician
& Gynecologist), Aleksey Papou (Registrar in
Rheumatology, Edinburgh), Anna Progalskaya
(Losis).
Little by little, the idea of an Association is taking
shape. We discussed the following topics:
1. In October 2010, a conference took place in Mos-
cow. The title, in my translation from Russian, reads
“Contribution of the Expatriates to the Modernization
of Russia: Perspectives of Collaborative Development
and Partnership.” The meeting was organized by the
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and prominent
expatriates were invited. I was not among the invitees,
but attended one of the conference sessions. This is
where I met the President of the Russian American
Medical Association (RAMA) Boris Vinogradsky, MD
who works in Cleveland, Ohio. Out of the entire event,
the most valuable piece of information for us was
that the attitude of the Russian Federation officials
towards expatriates has changed and that the Russian
authorities are now making steps to attract Russian-
speaking experts from abroad and promote collabo-
ration with their colleagues in Russia. All this means
that the climate for the Association of Russian-speak-
ing Medics’ potential activities in Russia is now more
favorable than it has ever been.
2. Created by doctors, our association, will first and
foremost attract individuals with medical qualifica-
tions, physicians and surgeons, who are (ideally) in
active clinical practice in the UK. However, we wel-
come any allied professionals – biomedical scientists,
dentists, nursing staff, etc. – who could organize
ARM-UK sections. So, the brainstorm for the organi-
zation’s title evoked discussion and a decision. The
vast majority of those present agreed on ARM-UK as
a good acronym and great logo.
3. What are we going to start with, what could be our
first projects and activities:
a. Professional and social information exchange
among those who are already residents in the UK
(courses, conferences, PLAB test preparation, friendly
get-togethers, fundraising events, support for col-
leagues – many delegates suggested these topics).
b. Logistics and information support for our col-
leagues from the Russian Federation who wish to
RAMA Report | 15
ARM-UK Report The Association of Russian-speaking Medics in UK
spend time in the UK doing clinical attachments in
specialties represented by ARM-UK members.
c. Educational activities – many of us are already
being invited to give speeches, lectures and consulta-
tions in the Russian Federation, and so will be able to
pass on information about ARM-UK to those in Russia
who are interested in future educational collaboration
and exchange.
4. ARM-UK website. The website will feature a list of
Russian-speaking medical practitioners who are mem-
bers of ARM-UK and aside from other sections will
have a web forum. While considering website design,
we can use the British Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin (BAPIO) and Russian American Medical
Association (RAMA) websites as examples.
While doing this, we must bear in mind legal and cul-
tural differences between the USA and UK. However,
it goes without saying that our extremely valuable
partnership with RAMA offers endless possibilities for
collaboration, and cannot be overestimated. We will
initiate a partnership with BAPIO (Russian Elephant
is the Indian Elephant’s best friend!), that may be
able to offer a wealth of insight into the nitty-gritty
of organizing a professional Association in the UK.
Ekaterina Burova has kindly offered to facilitate this,
since the President of BAPIO is one of her Consultant
colleagues.
5. We’ve also discussed practical questions that need
to be addressed in order for Association activities to
begin:
a. Administrative and legal aspects – we’ve all agreed
that at first, an association is the best form, which
will require minimal formalities to register. If the idea
proves roadworthy, we will work towards registering
our organization as a charity. Likely, we will need to
use the services of a lawyer.
b. Posts within the organization – President or Chair,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer-Secretary for
Membership, Executive Committee. It goes without
saying that the Executive Committee should consist
of those who have time and motivation to work for the
association.
c. Physical address for the Association and bank ac-
count holders - If growing and financially sound, the
organization will need an office.
d. Possible sources of income for the Association –
membership fees, charitable donations, proceeds
from fundraising events
e. Once the Association inauguration takes place, it
will become necessary to inform the GMC, BMA and
Embassies of the Russian Federation and of the coun-
tries formerly members of the Soviet Union.
We plan to hold the next meeting at the end of Au-
gust.
Thank you all for your ongoing support – we hope
you’ll stay with us!
On behalf of ARM-UK, Dr. Maria Ilina
Members of ARM-UK meet in London
16 | RAMA Report
RAMA News
Introducing new members to the BoardDr. Larisa Raastad - Family Medicine, Olym-pia, WADr. Raastad established the Northwest Chapter of
RAMA in 2009 and from that point on has success-
fully run and expanded it. She started a branch
of the RAMA Observership Program that has now
expanded to 3 locations and admitted more than
10 doctors, 2 of them successfully matched to
residency spots this year. Dr. Raastad will work as a
member of the Board at large and will stand in the
RAMA Board elections during the Las Vegas confer-
ence.
Dr. Elena Vasserman, MD, PhD - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Vasserman has participated very actively in all
RAMA work since October 2010 and is instrumen-
tal in building up the Observership Program at
UPenn. She is involved and dedicated to our cause
and we believe will make valuable contributions to
RAMA work in the future. Dr. Vasserman will work
as a RAMA Board member-at-large for now and
will stand in the RAMA Board elections during Las
Vegas conference in October 2011.
New RAMA Observership ProgramsNeurosurgery
Based at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Please, contact Konstantin Slavin, MD at [email protected]
Psychiatry and Pain Management
Based at the Meridian Health Group in Carmel, Indiana
Please, contact Dmitry Arbuck, MD at
Attention RAMA Board membersYou can now use RAMA account on Twitter to post
RAMA news and updates.
Request RAMA Twitter account LOGIN information
by sending an e-mail to [email protected]
Please, join. It will increase your visibility.
RAMA welcomes new members!
Artyom Dyatlov, MD - Surgery - UkraineVladimir Lipovetsky, MD - Psychiatry - CaliforniaDmitri Vasin, MD - Nephrology - WashingtonDato Grigolia, MD - Anesthesiology - New YorkIrina Kapustina, MD, PhD - Internal Medicine - CANSerguei Kozlov, PhD, MBA - Research - MarylandZakhar Serkin, MD - Research - MichiganMaria Govorkova, MD - Ophthalmology - CaliforniaNatallia Tsesliukevich, MD - Student - WashingtonNatallia Suvorava, MD - Student - CaliforniaOlga Koblova, MD - Student - WashingtonLana Cossel, MD - Student - WashingtonTatiana Popov - Medical Education - New JerseyDenis Tsoi, MD - Urology - KyrgyzstanOlga Vallenberg, MD - Student - Ohio
Gulnaz Altynbaeva, MD - Ophthalmology - Russia
KAPLAN/RAMA Service Agreement KAPLAN is the leading provider of preparation
services for standardized tests and educational
services including preparation for the USMLE,
NCLEX, NAPLEX, NBDE, GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT,
DAT, OAT, PCAT, SAT, ACT, etc.
RAMA Neuroscience Project UpdateAn agreement has been reached between Harvard
Medical School CME, RAMA, and the Russian State
Medical University in Moscow, Russia to begin live
internet transmission of a 6 month clinical research
course (www.clinicalresearchlearning.org) in February
2012 from Boston, MA USA to Moscow, Russia. This
will be a pilot program, available to a small group of
Russian students, to test the feasibility of a broader
RAMA-sponsored neuroscience long-distance learning
CME program for neuroscience colleagues throughout
Russia and FSU countries. RAMA is seeking U.S. neu-
roscientists (neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology,
neuropathology, basic neurosciences) with Russian
affiliation to help with this project. Please contact
Theodore Munsat, MD - [email protected]
for information, if you are interested.
RAMA Report | 17
RADA News
The Russian-American Dental Association (RADA)
is a non-profit organization of dental professionals
that raises awareness about oral health and fights
the battle against oral cancer through ground-
breaking initiatives, engaging communities and
providing individual health services. Since 2002,
RADA has developed and participated in a vari-
ety of fundraisers, professional ceremonies, and
informative conferences, keeping with its mission to
educate people of all ages and backgrounds about
the hazards associated with unsafe and addictive
habits.
A milestone for RADA was the establishment of the
Kids 4 Kids anti-smoking art contest and award
ceremony with monetary prizes, which produced
glossy catalogues displaying the children’s winning
artwork. This year, the contest thrived as the num-
ber of participants and guests escalated and the
impact of the event was evident in the children’s
enthusiasm and pride over their accomplishments.
RADA plans to continue this important and inter-
active event for years to come, and we are looking
forward to witnessing the positive improvements it
has on our community.
Oral Cancer / Smoking Cessation Project
One initiative that has made headlines for its influ-
ence and leverage is the Oral Cancer / Smoking
Cessation Project that RADA runs annually in part-
nership with the New York City College of Technol-
ogy (NYCCT). With the alarming statistics from
the American Cancer Society stating that less than
20% of oral health providers perform oral cancer
screenings, RADA understands the vulnerability
patients are regularly left with. Until awareness
of this life-threatening disease reaches the public
on a grand scale, missions like the Oral Cancer /
Smoking Cessation project are critical in provid-
ing individuals with an understanding of the severe
implications of not getting diagnosed.
Part of this project provides free screenings in an
effort to prevent the fatality commonly associated
with oral cancer. As a testament to RADA’s commit-
ment, the screening is widely available to anyone
who wants to participate – a noble gesture in one of
the country’s most populated cities. This year’s all-
day event expanded to Brooklyn, Queens, and New
Jersey, and was centered on increasing awareness
among the general public about the importance of
early detection in treating oral cancer. If the turn-
outs are any indication, it seems like people are
really listening and taking a stand for their health.
Lectures and seminars for medical professionals
focused on oral cancer, why it can be so deadly,
and how screenings can play a part in helping
the affected population to survive. Participants in
the project were given free 15 minute oral cancer
screenings, self-check tips, and smoking cessation
brochures. Those with startling symptoms based
on the screening were then also sent for an official
biopsy (courtesy of RADA). Since many of these
patients are uninsured or financially incapable of
paying for their own screenings, RADA’s generosity
18 | RAMA Report
provides incentive for a community that might not
have otherwise received the needed care in order to
take an active step towards improving their quality
of life.
Fundraising for the Annual Oral Cancer/Smoking Cessation Project
A new initiative by RADA to spread information
and raise funds for our projects involved a fund-
raising piano concert. On April 27th, 2011, stu-
dents from YM Piano Studios performed at Young
Musicians for a Smoke Free Planet at Jazz at
Lincoln Irene Diamond Center. Over $1,000 was
collected in proceeds to fund RADA’s initiatives
locally and abroad, which include research in the
dental field, assisting dental professionals with
their career goals, and organizing medical confer-
ences.
RADA also organized and hosted the RADA-Me-
dicus Gala at the Consulate General for Poland,
on May 10th, 2011; the third event of its kind
that educates dental and medical professionals
about topics relating to their occupations. The
Polish Consulate in Manhattan was filled with one
hundred dentists and physicians who listened to
a lecture by Dr. Gwen Brown, DDS, watched the
Hermitage Piano Trio play classical pieces, and
were treated to traditional Polish food.
The gala focused on teaching the dentists and
physicians in attendance about the signs of oral
cancer/HPV and how to detect it. Director of
RADA’s Oral Cancer/Tobacco Cessation Project,
Dr. Brown, gave a thorough speech about these
issues called “Current Trends in Epidemiology and
Diagnosis of Oral Cancer and Physician-Dentist
Referral Network Development.” We realized how
important such an event is when Dr. Brown asked
the attendees how many of them tested for the
disease, and a very small amount of people raised
their hands.
The proceeds for the tax deductible event tickets
all went towards the Oral Cancer/Smoking Cessa-
tion Project and “Kids 4 Kids” Anti-Smoking Draw-
ing Contest. Therefore, the success and viability
of the association is attributed to benevolent
donors of these humanitarian causes. Supporters
of the organization ensure sustained vitality and
prosperity, while empowering American society.
“Kids 4 Kids” Anti-Smoking Drawing Contest
According to a study conducted by SADD, an
organization which provides student prevention
tools to deal with issues such as smoking, drink-
ing and other drug use, 50% of American young
people have tried cigarettes by the 12th grade.
Other statistics state that, four out of five adults
who smoke say they tried their first cigarette
before they turned 18. With such alarming and
sky-high statistics such as these across the world,
RADA acknowledged the critical need to enhance
the strategies used to discourage young people
from harmful actions such as the use of tobacco
products. As a result, RADA established a new ap-
proach towards increasing awareness by creating
RADA News
RAMA Report | 19
the annual Kids 4 Kids art contest.
Rather than relying on traditional fear-based
advertisements and one-way communication,
the Kids 4 Kids contest relies on three power-
ful concepts to teach children about oral cancer.
Operating under the belief that “entertainment,
engagement, and encouragement” are the ways
to get youth to personally connect to smoking-
related dangers, the contest lets kids from grades
1 through 8 create the concepts themselves.
Participants are invited to use art as a form of
expressing anti-smoking sentiments, drawing their
own images and pictures based on what they can
relate to.
An example of the effectiveness this contest has
on children’s perception of smoking is one win-
ner’s drawing, where a girl walking down the road
of life comes across a wall of smoke, the message
in the clouds saying, “We Can’t See The Future.”
The messages were reinforced by the extraor-
dinarily talented young entertainers from The Chil-
dren’s Acting Company, who gave us seven sensa-
tional performances and revealed the winners of
the contest. Their hard work was evident, as they
seamlessly transformed old favorites into relevant
renditions and dazzled us with their voices and
dance moves. Their take on Amy Winehouse’s
“Rehab” was truly inspiring, with lyrics, “They
tried to make me smoke a cigarette, I said, No,
no, no/ Yes I know you’re cool but I am not a fool,
so no, no, no/ I ain’t got the time and I think I’m
just fine/ Just try to make me smoke a cigarette
I’ll say No, no, no.” As an ever-lasting reminder of
the anti-smoking messages unearthed during this
event, the winners’ artwork was turned into an
attractive little glossy catalogue for both partici-
pants and parents to enjoy long after the day was
over. As the title promised, it really was an event
where kids ran the show and took responsibil-
ity not only for their own health, but for that of
their peers. Parents were touched by the adamant
involvement of their children, and the kids were
elated with their success. RADA was honored to
have so many talented and enthusiastic children
contribute to making the world smoke-free, and
felt assured that their message was carried.
The results of these contests reinforce the belief
that children are better able to comprehend
a profound issue when they are addressed in
a prevention method that will intrigue them.
“Prevention is the key to reducing various health
risks in our society; it is better to prevent than
to treat a disease. We believe it is important
to teach our children at an early age about the
downfalls of smoking so that when they grow up
they can choose to live smoke-free,” said Dr. Rada
Sumareva, DDS and President of RADA, in her
speech to the guests that evening. Through the
excitement and active involvement of so many
children in the Kids 4 Kids initiative, RADA is
proving that you can transform the peer-pressures
that kids face daily into positive messages and
pro-healthy life style attitudes.
RADA Executive Board
RADA News
20 | RAMA Report
RASA News
We have set up our web
site at http://rasa-usa.
org
It is mostly in Russian
and serves as the RASA
news and announcement
portal. The latest stories
are posted there covering
RASA participation in two
round-table meetings in Washington in March-
April of 2011 and a series of articles in the Rus-
sian scientific community newspaper “POISK”.
www.poisknews.ru has information about Russian
scientists in the US (some RASA members).
2. RASA is co-organizer of the “Lomonosovskie
Chteniya” which are to take place in the Rus-
sian Cultural Center (RCC) in Washington, DC on
November 11, dedicated to the 300th Anniver-
sary of the birthday of Mikhail Lomonosov, and
to be attended by members of the Presidium of
the Russian Academy of Sciences. Sergei Chaso-
vskikh, PhD of RASA is a member of the organiz-
ing committee that arranges prominent Russian
scientific diaspora speakers.
3. RASA’s new initiative is ICAS (International
Center of Advanced Science). With the support
from the Russian Ministry of Science and Educa-
tion (MON), Russian students will get practice at
the best Western scientific centers. See http://
icas.su. Two of the 14 centers are in the US -
Fermi National Accelerator Lab and Argonne
National Laboratory, both near Chicago, IL are
prepared to get the first 3 students for 6-month
internships, starting this fall.
4. We are exploring possibilities to set up coop-
eration with Skolkovo (Russian Government initia-
tive to jump-start innovations). Possibilities will
be discussed at the RAMA-RASA-RADA conference
in Las Vegas, NV. One of the possibilities is our
cooperation with MIT. MIT signed a preliminary
agreement with the Skolkovo Foundation of Rus-
sia to assist them in the formation of a graduate
level university in Skolkovo. An important aspect
of the MIT/Skolkovo venture is to form a number
of collaborative research centers between MIT
and Russian universities/institutes in the follow-
ing areas: biomedical science and technology, in-
formation science and technology, energy science
and technology, space science and technology,
and nuclear science and technology. There will be
significant funding for these activities - http://
web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/skolkovo-mit-an-
nouncement-0618.html
5. Vyatcheslav Safarov, PhD – President of global
RASA - took a part in the 2nd Congress of Rus-
sian Universities Alumni Conference in Kazan,
Tatarstan, Russia - http://dialog.extech.ru/kon-
gress2. Among the items discussed was a recent
initiative of the Russian Ministry of Science and
Education (MON) to set up 1000 internships for
Russian students abroad (there seems to be po-
tential for RAMA and hi-tech companies in the US
to participate).
by Vladimir Shiltsev, PhD - RASA Presdent-Elect
RAMA Report | 21
New book by RAMA member
New book by RAMA member: Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
This book answers funda-
mental questions of the cur-
rent state of research and
clinical experience
By Konstantin Slavin, MD,
Professor, Department of
Neurosurgery, University of
Illinois at Chicago
Swiss publishing house Karger, one of the larg-
est publishers of medical literature in the world,
recently released a new volume in the series “Prog-
ress in Neurological Surgery” edited by RAMA
member and past president Konstantin Slavin, MD,
Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, University
of Illinois at Chicago. This volume, according to
the official book description, answers fundamental
questions of the current state of research and clini-
cal experience in this rapidly growing field of neuro-
modulation against pain. This excellent publication
presents a unique compilation of the latest theoret-
ical and practical information for electrical stimula-
tion of the peripheral nerves. Chapters cover the
use of peripheral nerve stimulation in particular
indications such as migraine, cluster headache,
pain in Chiari malformation and fibromyalgia, as
well as in specific body parts such as head and
neck, trunk, and extremities. Furthermore, chapters
on history, technical aspects, mechanism of action,
terminology, complications and other important
aspects of this pain-relieving modality give you a
full overview of the field. Written by leading experts,
this publication provides a comprehensive and
updated summary of the currently available scien-
tific information on peripheral nerve stimulation. All
chapters contain original information making this
book an invaluable reference for all who deal with
the management of severe and chronic pain – in-
cluding neurosurgeons and neurosurgical trainees,
pain specialists and practitioners, anesthesiologists
and neurologists.
Online Access / Table of Contents
http://tinyurl.com/Peripheral-Nerve-Stimulation
Series Editor’s Note and Preface
http://tinyurl.com/PNS-Preface
Michael Stanton-Hicks et al.:
The Future of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation
http://tinyurl.com/Future-Peripheral-Nerve-Stimul
22 | RAMA Report
Observership at Cole Eye Institute
In 2010, when I won a
Presidential Program
grant, I learned about the
opportunity to partici-
pate in the International
Observership offered by
RAMA and gain valuable
clinical experience abroad.
I contacted Boris Vino-
gradsky, the founder of the
Russian American Medical
Association. I provided my
credentials to the RAMA management and, after a
thorough evaluation of my application, I was ac-
cepted to the program. Taking into consideration
my experience and career development goals, RAMA
tried to adapt the program to satisfy my professional
needs.
I was greatly interested in spending a part of my
observership at the Cleveland Clinic, known around
the world for its superior quality care and biomedical
research and technology (it is among the best hos-
pitals in US). Due to its popularity and demand it is
quite difficult to enter the Cleveland Clinic Observer-
ship program. RAMA, however, was able to make
special arrangements with the clinic’s educational
department. Normally, it takes at least12 months
for the Center for International Medical Education
at the Cleveland Clinic to go through the registration
process. Thanks to RAMA’s assistance, I was ac-
cepted in two months. RAMA observership managers
provided guidance in document preparation, trained
me for a phone interview and made themselves avail-
able at any time, despite the time difference. RAMA
prepared for my arrival; they rented a nice apart-
ment within walking distance to the clinic, helped
me with logistics and helped me adjust to my new
reality. They gave me tours of the city and heads up
on my observership schedule. I am sure RAMA will
help me in any situation and protect my interests.
The first visit to the Cleveland Clinic truly shocked me.
The clinic is located in the cultural center of the city
and its multiple campus buildings take a great deal
of territory and are interconnected with skyways. You
do not have to take to the streets if you want to go
to another building. I was impressed with the way all
the facilities are configured for handicapped patients
and visitors needs. The main building of the Cleve-
land Clinic looks like a museum of modern art: shiny
granite floors, large paintings and posters on the
walls, sculptures, a grand piano in the center of the
hall and pleasant music playing throughout the entire
campus all day and night. If you are in the mood
to listen to the music in a more comfortable setting
while you wait, you can connect your head phones to
the built-in wall outputs and relax in cozy arm-chairs
and couches.
On the first day of my observership at the Cleve-
land Clinic’s Cole Eye Institute, I was given a coded
ID badge which allowed me to take advantage of a
variety of resources including access to all librar-
ies, free WiFi, and virtual security assistance. I was
lucky to be assisted by a well-known professor, an
ophthalmology surgeon. The Cole Eye Institute is the
leading ophthalmology science center in US. I was
then introduced to the program director, and the work
began without delay. I was impressed by the Ameri-
can healthcare system at work and how successful
it was, universal, equipped, automated, transparent,
and profitable. Not only does every clinic care about
its financial growth, it makes contributions to science
and society a priority. All newly tested and approved
developments in diagnostics, disease treatment, and
patient care quickly make their way to the clinics and
are immediately applied. All patient information and
treatment history is available to all doctors and autho-
rized medical personnel via the Cleveland Clinic’s da-
tabase located on the secure virtual private network.
Every department of the clinic offers an abundance
of extraordinarily high level diagnostic equipment,
RAMA Report | 23
with mobility which allows quick diagnosis and help
to patients in any part of the clinic. Strict adherence
to job descriptions and requirements, responsibil-
ity, and focus represent some of the most important
features of the American healthcare system. Paper
documentation is minimal. Most of the data entry
and writing is done by nurses, nurse assistants, and
technicians. Surgery protocols are recorded by a dedi-
cated department. Most of the routine work is carried
out by the mid-level personnel (medicine release, lab
tests analysis, other) and related work is completely
standard based and automated. My second day of
observership brought me to the surgery room. And
here, again, I was astonished with the work proce-
dures, coordination, and the structure of the surgery
room and operations. The latter includes a system of
rooms and pre-surgical care, surgery, and post-sur-
gery sections. Anesthesia is provided by a dedicated
doctor – an anesthesiologist who operates hi-tech
equipment that offers an advanced monitoring capa-
bility. I spent all day in surgeries. The medical person-
nel whose work I was observing was very friendly and
eager to help me understand the complicated pro-
cedures they performed and offered tips on ways to
succeed. During my observership I was able to learn
about different ophthalmological aspects, such as
diagnostics and eye disease treatment, including dis-
orders of the front and back parts of the eye. Special-
ized mentors helped me study every particular aspect
of ophthalmology. While studying, I was offered ac-
cess to relevant patient information, which helped me
learn about their disease progression, research, and
treatment of any known eye pathology.
Most importantly, I had the chance to meet leading
American ophthalmologists whose discoveries are in
the spotlight of the entire ophthalmological society.
I learned a lot about new approaches to diagnostics,
disease treatment, and patient care. The professional
enrichment I gained at the clinic will definitely help
me advance in my career and achieve great results
in my research. I am taking home wonderful impres-
sions and emotions, and was very lucky to work with
the industry experts. Not only did we communicate in
the hospital settings, they invited me to a number of
interesting social networking and professional events.
I gladly participated and learned about recent scien-
tific developments. That was particularly important
as, in addition to my practice, science and research
play a significant role in my professional life. My
observership mentors at Cole Eye Institute showed
me their lab, introduced me to its staff, and offered
resources. At the very end of my observership, I was
invited to a graduation dinner, where we received our
Observership Certificates and recognition. My new
connections at the clinic and RAMA will definitely help
establish new Russian-American professional relation-
ships and foster international scientific projects in
the ophthalmology field. I hope the knowledge and
experience I gained in America will help me improve
the ophthalmology practice in Russia.
Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to the
RAMA management for making my dream come true!
Dr. Gulnaz Altynbaeva
Dr. Gulnaz Altynbaeva and Dr. Thomas Pasquali
Observership at Cleveland Clinic
24 | RAMA Report
Observership in Cleveland
This Friday marks
the end of my
fourth week in
the Observership
Program in Cleve-
land. I’ll probably
experience nos-
talgia for this nice
time in the future.
This is my first
visit to the USA,
and I had a lot of
high expectations
for this trip. To-
day, I can declare
that it met and exceeded all of my expectations. I’m
going to take my Step 2CS exam at the end of July
and participate in Match week of 2012. When I was
scheduling my exam, I realized that it would be good
to stay in the USA before the exam for at least several
weeks. I’ve never been to an English-speaking country,
so I had both a language and cultural barrier. I did not
have first-hand knowledge of the American medical
system, and that formed a psychological barrier as
well. That may sound ridiculous in consideration of
my readiness to take a part in Match-2012, but it is
true. It is favorable to have some kind of US clinical
experience to be more competitive during the match-
ing process. Moreover, I needed letters of recommen-
dation. All these considerations led me to the idea of
joining the Observership Program. I communicated
with Boris Vinogradsky, MD and must give him credit
for his responsiveness. It was very important for me
because of my lack of time. For that I’d like to say
special thanks to Boris. As for my trip to Cleveland,
I’d like to warn future observers against the “Grey-
hound” bus company. If you have a bus ticket with in-
dicated departure time on it, it doesn’t mean for sure
that you’ll depart on time. There may be no available
seats on your bus and you’ll need to wait for the next
one, and that may not happen for five hours. If you
can use Amtrak, do that. For the first few days, I expe-
rienced a little stress. I guess it happened because of
a long trip (absolutely unexpected seven hours stay-
ing in Pittsburgh on my way to Cleveland), absence
of plug adapter and as a result, discharged batteries
of my cell phone and computer. So I did not have any
means of communication for two days and a different
country to which I’d have to get accustomed. After
meeting with Boris here in Cleveland I realized how
important it is to participate in such an Observership
Program. Your preceptor’s ability to understand your
problems is the most important factor for the success
of the program. I suppose only one who used to be in
your shoes can understand and help. Boris will always
provide immediate support whenever you might need
it. I spent the first two weeks observing Dr. Vinograd-
sky’s work. I participated in daily rounds, attended
surgeries, observed office work, took part in confer-
ences and became familiar with Tripoint Medical
Center and Lake West Medical Center, as well as two
hospitals of the University Hospitals System (Geauga
and Richmond). I would like to emphasize the differ-
ence between our medical system and the American
one. It’s evident. Moreover, it is not only different,
but there is a huge chasm between them. Last two
Dr. Artyom Dyatlov and Dr. Tim Pritchard
RAMA Report | 25
weeks I spent with the Chairman of Surgery at Lake
System, Dr. Timothy Pritchard at Tripoint Medical
Center. By that time I overcame all of my previ-
ously mentioned barriers, and it was easier for me
to communicate with staff. I was really impressed
by Dr. Pritchard. He is a very bright person, with a
good sense of humor, intelligent, open, and ready
to share his experience. I am grateful to him for his
willingness to help.
In summary, I’d like to say that I’m glad to have
had such an experience and to have met very nice
people. I’m confident that in the future, I will be
able to take advantage of many more benefits this
Observership practice provided. Thanks to Boris
Vinogradsky and this unique organization - RAMA.
Without you all this could not have been possible.
Dr. Artyom Dyatlov
I am Irina Kapustina - a Canadian citizen and an IMG. I
graduated from the Chita State Medical Academy and
the Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy in the Russian
Federation with a PhD in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
I have research experience and published papers. I
passed all USMLE Steps and I am going to apply for
the residency position in Family Medicine.
Right now I am in the middle of my rotation and can
share my first impressions. I applied for the RAMA
Observership program to get more insight on the
organization of the American hospitals and to obtain
strong letters of recommendation. I was particularly
interested in getting some knowledge of the structure
and use of medical records and different protocols.
Also, I wanted to clarify for myself whether I would be
able to get through all the stress, responsibilities, and
long hours associated with the resident’s life. I was
lucky that Dr. V. Isakov whose work I have observed was
covering for his colleague, and I spent a lot of time in
the hospitals with him admitting, discharging, and con-
sulting his patients. I have already greatly increased my
understanding of principles of the ER in the hospital.
Even though, I was not allowed to communicate with
patients directly, I was able to discus the information
that interested me with my diagnoses and manage-
ment while the ER doctor was taking an H&P. There
is always room for improvement, so I used almost all
my time to discus clinical cases, learn some practical
skills from doctors, PAs and nurse practitioners. I was
impressed by their well-organized teamwork in really
critical emergency situations, such as cardiac arrest,
ACS, and bleeding from dissecting AAA. Now, I real-
ize better what my strengths and weaknesses are and
what knowledge and skills I need to improve in order to
be able to fulfill all the responsibilities of a PGY1.
I am very grateful to doctors Vinogradsky, Isakov, Olga
Osipoff, and Olga Vallenberg for their assistance in this
process of licensing as a foreign trained doctor.
Dr. Irina Kapustina
L to R: Irina Kapustina, Olga Vallenberg, Artem Dyatlov, Gulnaz Altynbaeva
RAMA Observerships
26 | RAMA Report
Observership in Portland, Oregon
It is important for an
International Medical
graduate to become
familiar with the American
Health Care system before
entering a US medical
residency. Unfortunately,
it is very hard to find clini-
cal experience in the US.
I was lucky to meet Dr.
Larisa Raastad, who was
also a foreign doctor in the past and knows about the
difficulties that foreign graduates may experience. Dr.
Raastad provided me with an opportunity to shadow
physicians at Capital Medical Center, in Olympia, WA.
My observership took place in May 2011 and lasted 3
weeks: 120 hours of intensive, fascinating and valuable
experience. I spent most of this time with Dr. Raastad.
She generously allowed me to shadow her for a whole
day on her workdays. During this time, I observed her
patient encounters and learned the “American way”
of practicing medicine. Dr. Raastad readily shared her
experience and emphasized some important points that
would help me prepare to enter US medical practice. For
instance, I learned how to work with electronic medical
records, how to manage time effectively and how to deal
with demanding patients and drug seekers. I also had a
chance to apply my practical skills and discuss clinical
situations with Dr. Raastad. This talented, dedicated,
and always ready-to-help doctor inspired me with her
caring attitude and became a great example for me in
many aspects of medicine. Once a week, on Thursdays,
I shadowed Dr. Quinton Nguyen. Days with Dr. Nguyen
were very fast-paced because I was directly involved in
taking patients’ history and performing physical ex-
ams. I was rushing from one room to another, making
sure I was very thorough and that I had not missed any
important details about a patient. I gave Dr. Nguyen a
brief summary of the patient’s history and findings of
the physical exam and after that we talked about the
diagnosis and treatment. It was interesting and fun to
work with this energetic and knowledgeable doctor. He
also supported me and gave me a lot of advice regard-
ing my future residency and practice.
On some days Dr. Ngozi Achebe kindly agreed to take
me to the hospital for the morning rounds. During those
days, I saw many patients with complex conditions that
required intensive care. I had an opportunity to carefully
analyze and discuss each case with her, just like I used
to do in medical school. Dr. Achebe is a great teacher
and forces you to think by asking challenging questions,
and delivers knowledge to you at the same time. All
three doctors were a great source of information and ex-
cellent mentors for me. I enjoyed observing their patient
interaction and discussing clinical diagnosis and treat-
ment options with them. Even with tons of paperwork
and a lack of time, they always answered my questions
in great detail, providing essential information, which I
was eager to learn. Three weeks at the Capital Medical
Center became an unforgettable experience for me. I
learned many important things during that time, such
as similarities and differences between Russian and
American primary care, approaches to management of
different conditions, and also some aspects of preven-
tive care in the US. I acquired useful communication
skills and learned several specific techniques of physi-
cal examination used by the American physicians. In
addition to learning useful practical skills, I was able to
take advantage of some educational resources available
to physicians at the Capital Medical Center. Whenever
I needed to check the latest guidelines or obtain new
information regarding diagnosis and treatment of a
certain disease, I had access to online peer reviewed
medical articles as well as a collection of textbooks and
other literature at the office. In summary, shadowing
experience at the Capital Medical Center helped me
strengthen my knowledge and advance my clinical think-
ing skills.
Dr. Elena Varlamov
RAMA Report | 27
RAMA Report Editorial Board
Bart Perlman, PhD - Editor-in-Chief
Vladimir Burdjalov, MD
Igor Efimov, PhD
Yakov Elgudin, MD, PhD
Laura Kay Fleming, PhD
Benjamin Godder, MD
Maria Iliana, MD
Donna-Marie Mironchuk
Konstantin Slavin, MD
Vladimir Shiltsev, PhD
Rada Sumareva, DDS
Lyuba Varticovski, MD
Nikolay Vasilyev, MD
Boris Vinogradsky, MD
Design and Production Management
Olga Osipoff, MBA
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RAMA REPORT August 2011
RAMA Report