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Would you like to know more about what's happening at UC Davis School of Medicine? The dean's Newsletter and Weekly Update are available to all alumni via e-mail. Contact the Alumni Office if you are interested in receiving either of these informative publications.

E-mail: Alumni Office
Phone: (916) 734-9410

Ninety-two UC Davis School of Medicine students learned Thursday where in the United States they will be continuing their medical training over the next several years to earn their licenses to practice medicine in a particular specialty.

The placements are based on the computerized results of the National Resident Matching Program(NRMP), which uses a computer algorithm to match the preferences of applicants with the preferences of residency program directors to fill the available training positions at U.S. teaching hospitals.

At UC Davis, the majority of students (72 percent) will remain in California for training. About 20 percent will remain at UC Davis Medical Center. Just under half chose residencies in primary care, which includes family practice, general pediatrics and internal medicine.

The most popular choices of training programs among UC Davis graduates were internal medicine (16.3 percent), pediatrics (14.1 percent), family practice (10.9 percent) and psychiatry (9.8 percent).

Among the other institutions to which UC Davis medical students were matched are Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and UC San Francisco.

“It was wonderful to see so many of our students being matched with some of the strongest residency programs in the country, including programs here at UC Davis,” said Claire Pomeroy, vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine.

Nationally, more than 15,000 fourth- and fifth-year medical school students applied for residency positions through the NRMP.

The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor a clinical fellow identified by her/his co-workers and ancillary staff for exemplifying the attributes of professionalism. The American Board of Internal Medicine defines professionalism as one who "aspires to altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, service, honor, integrity, and respect for others."

All current UC Davis clinical fellows are eligible for nomination.

House staff, RN’s, medical students, ancillary staff, transporters, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, X-Ray technicians, dietary, clerical staff and telephone operators are strongly encouraged to nominate fellows who comport themselves with the highest degree of professionalism.

The recipient of the award will be highlighted in UC Davis Medicine magazine and a nominal cash award will be presented at the Senior Faculty Banquet on Thursday, June 5, 2008. The recipient’s photo will be displayed in the Education Building.

Forms: Please complete the nomination form and fax, mail, or email it to the Alumni Office: 4900 Broadway, Suite 1150, Sacramento, California 95820, fax: (916) 451-2637 or via email: medalumni@ucdavis.edu.

Selection: The Alumni Board’s selection committee will select one fellow based on the quantity and/or quality of the nomination forms.

Timing: Nominations will be accepted between March 1 and March 31, 2008.

Click here to download the 2008 Clinical Fellow Professionalism Award Nomination Form. (37.4k)

The purpose of the award is to recognize and honor those Residents identified by their co-workers and ancillary staff for exemplifying the attributes of professionalism. The American Board of Internal Medicine defines professionalism as one who "aspires to altruism, accountability, excellence, duty, service, honor, integrity, and respect for others."

All current UC Davis postgraduate house staff are eligible for nomination.

House staff, RN’s, medical students, ancillary staff, transporters, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, X-Ray technicians, dietary, clerical staff and telephone operators are strongly encouraged to nominate Residents who comport themselves with the highest degree of professionalism.

The recipient of the award will be highlighted in UC Davis Medicine magazine and a nominal cash award will be presented at the Senior Faculty Banquet on Thursday, June 5, 2008. The recipient’s photo will be displayed in the Education Building.

Forms: Please complete the nomination form and fax, mail, or email it to the Alumni Office: 4900 Broadway, Suite 1150, Sacramento, California 95820, fax: (916) 451-2637 or via email: medalumni@ucdavis.edu.

Selection: The Alumni Board’s selection committee will select one Resident based on the quantity and/or quality of the nomination forms.

Timing: Nominations will be accepted between March 1 and March 31, 2008.

Past House Staff Awardees: 

2007 Jim Silverthorn, M.D.
2006 Jeffrey Southard, M.D.
2006 Mojca Konia, M.D.
2005 David Deyhimy, M.D.
2004 Sarah Pirio Richardson, M.D.
2003 Kristen Vandewalker, M.D.
2003 Melissa McCall, M.D.
2002 John Martin, M.D.

Click here to download the 2008 House Staff Professionalism Award Nomination Form. (39 k)

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Felix D. Battistella, professor and chief of trauma and emergency surgery at UC Davis Medical Center, died from cancer Jan. 22 at his home. He was 48.

“Dr. Battistella’s unselfish dedication to his field, his colleagues and to the UC Davis Health System community was widely known,” said Claire Pomeroy, vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences and dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. “The many contributions he made have forever shaped the way we provide compassionate care for patients in their hour of need.”

Battistella was born on Sept. 13, 1959, in Monterey, Calif. After graduating from Monterey High School in 1977, he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Santa Clara, where he graduated magna cum laude. He received his medical degree from the UC Davis School of Medicine in 1985. For his postgraduate training, Battistella continued his association with UC Davis, completing an internship in the Department of Surgery in 1986 and finishing his residency in the department in 1990. He served as chief resident in the department from 1990 to 1991.

Battistella joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery as an assistant professor in 1991. In addition to serving as professor and chief of trauma and emergency surgery, Battistella was the director of the department’s residency program. He also served as the chief of staff from 2004 to 2006.

In 1991, the senior class at the School of Medicine selected Battistella for its Outstanding Resident Teaching Award. That same year, he was voted Outstanding Chief Resident by his fellow residents in the Department of Surgery. In 1997, the Friends of Nursing at UC Davis Medical Center chose Battistella as its Physician of the Year.

Battistella is survived by his wife, Christine; daughters Claire and Mary; his mother, Amalia; and his sister, Nedra.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 5057 Cottage Way, Carmichael, Calif.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Battistella Nursing and Medical Student Scholarship Fund at UC Davis Health System, payable to the UC Regents and sent to Beth Abad, 4900 Broadway, Suite 1150, Sacramento, CA 95820.