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

at info@russiandoctors.org

For information about speaking opportunities,

please contact: Lyuba Varticovski, MD - varticol@mail.nih.gov

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

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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 bartperlman371@gmail.com and olga.osipoff@gmail.com

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 bartperlman371@gmail.com 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 kslavin@uic.edu

Psychiatry and Pain Management

Based at the Meridian Health Group in Carmel, Indiana

Please, contact Dmitry Arbuck, MD at

darbuck@meridianhealthgroup.com

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 info@russiandoctors.org-

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 - theodore.munsat@tufts.edu

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