Special Feature Within the SMJ

The January 2022 issue includes highlights from SMA’s 2021 Annual Scientific Assembly. The 2021 Assembly was held in Lake Buena Vista, FL from October 28-30, 2021. Presidential Address of Dr. Donna Breen, 2021–2022 President of the Southern Medical Association The following is the presidential address of the Southern Medical Association’s...

Presenting the Abstracts from the 2021 Southern Region Burn

The 2021 Southern Region Burn Conference took place November 4-7 in New Orleans, LA. Below are the abstracts presented live at the conference. We wanted to thank all the presenters and all who helped make this year's conference a success. Click here to see the winners from this year's conference. ...

SMJ: December 2021 Vol. 114, No. 12

The Southern Medical Journal(SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists, including medicine; surgery; women’s and children’s health; mental health; emergency and disaster medicine; public health...

ABA President’s Address: Why DEI in Medicine & Burn Care Cannot Wait

The 2021 Southern Region Burn Conference took place on November 4-7 in New Orleans, LA. This year's ABA Presidential Address was presented Dr. Lucy Wibbenmeyer.  American Burn Association President Lucy Wibbenmeyer, MD, FACS Director, University of Iowa Burn Treatment Center Learn More About Dr. Wibbenmeyer

Gifts at the Doorstep of Grief

We all have either experienced personally or have been close to someone experiencing grief. In the medical field, we have also signed up for a lifetime of taking care of people who often meet us at their doorstep of grief. It is something that often presents itself without warning: an...

Poster/Podium Winners from the 2021 Southern Region Burn

Please join us in congratulating the Podium and Poster winners from the Southern Region Burn Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, November 4-7. We would like to thank all those who participated and helped make the conference a success.  (Videos coming soon!) NON-PHYSICIAN PODIUM PRESENTATION AWARDS 1st Place – Statewide Prehospital...

Courses from the 2021 Annual Scientific Assembly are now available!

The 2021 Annual Scientific Assembly was held in Orlando, FL from October 28-30. In case you happened to miss it, all of the invited guest speakers' lectures are now available for CME credit in our Online CME Library! The Paradoxical Role of Intestinal Stromal Cells in Healing and Disease For the past 25 years,...

Coping Skills Children Need To Know

We are about to embark on the season of giving. This year consider giving your children the gift of "life skills" to help them learn coping strategies to deal with the stressors of life in healthy and productive ways. Although we hope our children will talk to us about the...

2021 Alan R. Dimick Lecture from the 2021 Southern Region Burn Conference

The Alan R. Dimick Lecture was established to honor Dr. Dimick’s legacy as a pioneering surgeon, burn specialist, and leader in emergency care. His compassion and dedication to burn care led to the creation of the Southern Region Burn Conference. The 2021 distinguished guest was Ernest Grant, PhD, RN,  FAAN,...

2021 Annual Scientific Assembly Abstract Videos are now available!

Friday, October 29 Session 3 - Virtual Abstract Session 10:30-10:36 am Lung Cancer Presenting Solely as Ascending Paralysis and Bilateral Bells Palsy from Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis, Sukhmanjot Kaur, MBBS 10:36-10:42 am Accuracy of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System Scores Among Varying Radiologists: A Retrospective Study, Robert Drury, BS 10:42-10:48 am Intranasal Deferoxamine...

Sleep Quality – Its Impact and How It Can be Improved

Getting enough regular sleep is essential for a healthy immune system, and to enable relaxation. It is during sleep that the body repairs itself and revitalises organs and muscles. However, virtually all of us have trouble sleeping sometimes. Those of us who have difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, or wake early,...

SMJ: November 2021 Vol. 114, No. 11

The Southern Medical Journal(SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists, including medicine; surgery; women’s and children’s health; mental health; emergency and disaster medicine; public health...

The Inauguration of Dr. Donna Breen as the 115th SMA President

During the 2021 Annual Scientific Assembly held in Orlando, Florida, Dr. Donna Breen was inaugurated as the 115th President of the Southern Medical Association! Congratulations Dr. Breen! Learn More about Dr. Breen (in her own words): I am an Otolaryngologist practicing general ENT and allergy for the past 30 years...

The Soldier to the Right

Written by: Zachary Olivos, BA, MS & Natalie Weiss, BA, BS As I sat in a diner in Houston, I struggled to concentrate on the news broadcast covering Hurricane Ida’s course through Southeast Louisiana. I had only one thought on my mind, and that was when I could finally get...

2021 Annual Scientific Assembly Abstract Competition Winners

SMA’s 2021 Physicians-in-Training Abstract Competition hosted during the 112th Annual Scientific Assembly October 28-30, 2021. Thank you to all who participated and congratulations to the winners! Session 3 Winners 1st Place A Surgical Approach to Persistent Orofacial Swelling: A Rare Case of Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome, Roxana Azimi, BS, MS 2nd Place Ticagrelor...

Artificial Intelligence in Medical Diagnosis

The use of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is growing rapidly in the medical field, especially in diagnostics and management of treatment. To date there has been a wide range of research into how AI can aid clinical decisions and enhance physicians' judgement. Accurate diagnosis is a fundamental aspect of global...

Online Emergency Preparedness Exercise for the Healthcare Sector

If this past two years has taught us anything, it is that we cannot be prepared for everything. However, with some basic preparation, we can get through anything, especially together. Kassouf works closely with local organizations, such as the Birmingham InfraGard Members Alliance (IBMA), to foster information sharing between public...

How to Prepare Your Home for a Loved One with Alzheimer’s

For the 5.4 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease, carrying out the simplest tasks becomes harder and harder each day. The degenerative brain disorder comes on as we age and impairs everything from memory to problem solving.   According to HealthMatch, the unique symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease include:      ...

SMJ: October 2021 Vol. 114, No. 10

The Southern Medical Journal(SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists, including medicine; surgery; women’s and children’s health; mental health; emergency and disaster medicine; public health...

Dear Ida

Photographs By: Zachary Olivos The following is a letter written by Natalie Weiss, a student at Tulane University School of Medicine, addressed to Hurricane Ida, the storm that wreaked havoc on southeastern Louisiana on August 29, 2021. Dear Ida, It was already ironic enough that you planned your visit to...