This issue of the Michigan Airway celebrates many accomplishments in the Department and also conveys a bit of sad news. This issue starts with a celebration of the careers of Doctors Sujit and Uma Pandit. Sujit and Uma have dedicated their careers to clinical research teaching residents and students in caring for patients. Uma is the most senior member of our pediatric anesthesia team and Sujit is one of the founders of ambulatory anesthesia and the past President of SAMBA. It is fitting that we honor their contributions by an endowed lectureship that will carry on their traditions of eduction forever.
This issue also celebrates the life of Isaac Thomas, MD. Ike was a remarkable young man who, unfortunately, left us in the prime of his life. Here are just a few of his professional accomplishments: Harvard undergraduate and master’s degree, Michigan MD, battalion physician for the special forces in Panama, a residency and faculty position in our department. It is very difficult for us to believe that he is gone.
On a brighter note, our research program continues to develop at a rapid rate. Our grant funding is growing leaps and bounds and this year has been topped by an accomplishment that is probably unique to the field of anesthesiology. Marie Csete, MD, PhD, who joined the Department two years ago, has just published the lead article in the March issue of the journal of Science. To my knowledge, an anesthesiologist has never accomplished this and we are extremely proud of what she has achieved in such a short time with us. We look forward to even greater things to come.
Each year we have several groups who travel to the far reaches of the world to assist in the medical care in developing countries. We are proud of the individuals that participate in these efforts as demonstrated in the article by Terri Klimek, CRNA with Operation Smile. A member of our department, Dr. Vildan Mullin, participated in the Olympic effort by carrying the torch over a thousand feet (without stopping)!
Finally, we have initiated an Alumni Club under the direction of Dr. George Chatas. Over this year we will be developing plans to allow our alumni to easily interact with the Department’s educational activities as well as its social events. We spent another year relentlessly trying to convert a superb group of visiting faculty into "Yanks". Again the department has been well represented at the Midwest Anesthesia Resident’s Conference (MARC) with Kayode Williams winning first place in the pain case reports category. The GasMaster is approaching its first decade with ever growing popularity in spite of the weather.