We wish to continue to attract students who want to be terrific physicians - the clinical training at Columbia is second to none given the case mix of the hospital; however, in addition a major part of our role is to train physicians not only for private practice but to be cutting edge master clinicians within the academic medical center. Quite simply, our goal is to attract medical students who know they want to remain in academic medicine - and to enter either clinical subspecialty or research fellowships following residency. To that end, in November 2002 we instituted the Virginia Apgar Scholars Program. Medical students commit to either a two year clinical or research fellowship program following residency - they have to designate whether they wish to be a clinical or basic science scholar. Basic Science Scholars have the opportunity to enter our NIH T32 program. They become lifelong members of the Virginia Apgar Society, are on the committee to select the Virginia Apgar Annual Lecturer, and receive a $15,000 annual supplement during their CA1, CA2, CA3, and fellowship years.
All Virginia Apgar Scholars are members of the Virginia Apgar Society.
News Updates From The Apgar Scholars
"Participating in the Virginia Apgar Scholars program has been a wonderfully rewarding experience. Here at Columbia, our department does more than claim a dedication to academic pursuits it delivers by fostering an atmosphere conducive to training the next generation of leaders in academic medicine and biomedical research. I have been especially impressed by its commitment to providing diverse mentorship, a true sense of collegiality, and for allowing the flexibility and latitude to tailor projects with my particular interests in mind."
George Gallos
Virginia Apgar Scholar
NIH T32-Trainee/NIH KO8 Awardee/OB Anesthesia Attending
George Gallos received 1st prize in the ASA Residents Research Competition in 2004 and 2008 and Dr. Hannah Wunsch 3rd prize in the same competition for 2006. Their abstracts can be accessed here. The Virginia Apgar Endowed Society Lecturers can be accessed here.
George Gallos joined our faculty on July 2008 as an obstetric anesthesiology attending. In October 2008, he received a FAER Mentored Research Training Grant for Basic Science Research, “Endogenous GABAA Receptors on Airway Smooth Muscle: A Novel Therapeutic Target in Asthma”. In 2010, Dr. Gallos was awarded a KO8 award from the National Institutes of Health.
Hannah Wunsch joined the faculty in July 2008, and received a FAER Research Fellowship Grant, “Evaluation of Long-Term Outcomes for Intensive Care Patients”. She also has an NIH K-08 Award.
Laurence Ring received the 2009 Resident Travel Award from the Association of University Anesthesiologists for his abstract oral presentation entitled: Hypothalamic Knockout of Leptin Receptor in a Murine Model Leads to Early Obesity and Diabetes” and also the ASA 2009 Resident Research Competition First Prize.
Columbia at the Association of University Anesthesiologists
Annual Meeting, Galveston, Texas, April 2009
Congratulations to Dr. Laurence E. Ring for his presentation entitled:
“Hypothalamic Knockout of Leptin Receptor in a Murine Model Leads to Early Obesity and Diabetes”
Laurence Ring received the Resident Travel Award at the AUA for his abstract.
Laurence Ring completed training on our T32 Fellowship Training Grant and continues his research in metabolic derangements. He joined the faculty in July 2010 as an obstetric anesthesiology attending.
Julia Sobol (MD/MPH) was on our T32 program before becoming a CA1 resident, and in 2009 commenced her Critical Care Medicine Fellowship training. She joined the faculty later in the year.
Sara Smith completed a cardiac anesthesia fellowship and joined the cardiac anesthesia faculty in January 2012.
Rebecca Bauer performed Critical Care clinical research on the T32 grant followed by a cardiac anesthesia fellowship at Columbia in 2011/12.
May Hua is working with Dr. Guohua Li on outcomes/epidemiology research in relation to airway injury. Following a critical care fellowship at Columbia, she joined the critical care faculty in January 2012.
Connie Chung and Chris Gay are both doing education related research. Connie Chung joined the regional anesthesia faculty in January 2012. Elena Reitman elected to do an obstetric anesthesiology fellowship, along with obstetric pain and genomic research under the mentorship of Drs. Flood and Smiley, and joined the OB Anesthesia faculty at Columbia in the summer of 2011.
"Being part of the Apgar program has given me the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the field of Anesthesia. I have enjoyed a challenging and dynamic academic environment. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to learn and develop my research interests in such a collegiate and inspiring atmosphere. It has been a truly rewarding experience."
Elena Reitman
Virginia Apgar Scholar
OB Anesthesiology Fellow
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"The Apgar Program has given me the best opportunity imaginable to become a physician-scientist in the field of anesthesiology. The generous protected time for research and the unparalleled scientific resources of the department have allowed me to rapidly develop my own project exploring the effects of anesthetics on the developing brain. The greatest strength of the Apgar program lies in the advising and mentorship provided, whether it is from my own research advisor Dr. Neil Harrison, the department leadership, or the many faculty whose career paths I seek to emulate.”
David Mintz
Virginia Apgar Scholar
Neuro Anesthesiology Fellow/NIH T32 Fellow
David Mintz joined the Neuro Anesthesia faculty in May, 2012.
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"As a Virginia Apgar Scholar, I have been encouraged to explore and expand my research interests, and my exposure to the dedicated, talented physician-scientists within our Department inspires and guides my career. The Apgar Program demonstrates a genuine commitment by our Department to provide perhaps the most valuable resource in a nascent research career, protected, supported time to develop a project to completion. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to develop my interests in neurologic outcomes in the critically ill patient population under the guidance of Dr. Wunsch, herself an Apgar Society member. My unique combined research and clinical experiences have allowed me to establish a solid foundation for my career in academic medicine."
Rebecca Bauer
Virginia Apgar Scholar
Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellow
Rebecca Bauer started a Critical Care Fellowship inNorthwestern University, Chicago in July 2012.
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“The Apgar program is a great opportunity for those, like me, interested in a career in academic medicine. Not only are Apgar Scholars able to work with some of the best researchers in the country at Columbia, in and outside the department, but we also receive an enormous amount of career development guidance from experienced leaders in the field of Anesthesiology. This support is not readily available to most residents in the country, but is so important when working toward an independent academic career of our own.”
Gene (Tom) Yocum
Virginia Apgar Scholar
CA3 Resident
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“It is a tremendous honor to be a member of the Virgina Apgar Scholars. The program offers a multitude of opportunities for future clinician-scientists, along with fantastic support and mentorship from brilliant, talented researchers. I am thrilled to train in such an exciting, passionate environment with top quality academic physicians.”
William Jackson
Virginia Apgar Scholar
PGY1 Resident
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"The Virginia Apgar Scholars Program put me on a great track towards an academic career in anesthesia. I have had amazing guidance in developing my research and clinical interests. The excellent mentors in the department have helped me develop basic science research projects, and the Apgar Program has allowed me the time and support needed to really focus on research. I am so grateful for this unique opportunity."
Jennifer Danielsson
Virginia Apgar Scholar
Regional Anesthesia Fellow
Annual Apgar Day and Apgar Lecturers
2003 |
Herbert Kleber, MD, Professor, NYPH Psychiatric Institute, "Pharmacotherapy for Drug Addiction" |
2004 |
John Driscoll, M.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, "Dr. Virginia Apgar: Innovator and Advocate" |
2005 |
Jeffrey Drazen MD, Editor-in-Chief, New England Journal of Medicine, Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine, Harvard University, “Pharmacogenetics of Asthma” |
2006 |
No lecture held |
2007 |
PD Dr. med. Michael Zaugg, DEAA, Institute of Anesthesiology, E-HOF, University Hospital Zurich, “New Paradigms in Organ Protection: Anesthetic pre- and post conditioning” |
2008 |
Steven Shafer, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, “The Anesthetic Pipeline” |
2009 |
Laurent G. Glance, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Vice-Chairman for Research, University of Rochester School of Medicine, “Health Care ReportCards: Report on the Report Cards “ |
2010 |
Paul R. Knight III, MD, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology and Microbiology, Department of Anesthesiology, University at Buffalo, NY. “Aspiration Pneumonia (Disambiguation)”. |
2011 |
Thomas J. J. Blanck, MD, PhD,Dorothy Reaves Spatz, MD Professor of Anesthesiology, Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, New York University School of Medicine. “Clinical Research: Past and Present” |
