NE W ORLEANS, L A
XAVIER UNIVERSIT Y OF LOUISIANA
Physicians Alumni Association
“Keeping Xavier #1”
The purpose of the Xavier University of Louisiana
Physician Alumni Association (also known as
the Physician Chapter or the Xavier University of
Louisiana National Alumni Association, or Xavier
Physicians) is to foster a relationship between
Xavier University and alumni who are physicians,
medical residents, and medical students.
Expectations
Members of Xavier Physicians Alumni
Association are a resource to undergraduates,
medical students, and residents. They may serve
as advisors, mentors or ambassadors within
their geographic locale. This ambassadorship
could include activities such as boarding
undergraduates or medical students during the
medical school and residency interview seasons,
hosting alumni gatherings or dinners, and
providing advice for undergraduates, medical
students, and residents interested in a specific
field of medicine.
Members of the Xavier University of
Louisiana Physician Alumni Association will be
encouraged to contribute financially to Xavier
Physicians. Contributions to Xavier Physicians
will be used primarily to support premedical
undergraduate programs and students.
Membership
Physician Member
Xavier alumni who complete residency
training or fellowship training become
physician members of the Xavier University of
Louisiana Physician Alumni Association. Xavier
Physicians asks physicians for yearly dues of $50.
In addition, members are required to contribute
at a minimum $5 per month/$60 per year to
the Xavier Annual Fund. Members will receive
a lapel pin and will have access to National
Medical Association (NMA) annual convention
reception, and Xavier University homecoming
activities. Xavier University asks physician
members to consider contributing to the alumni
funds regularly and entering the cumulative
giving campaign.
Contributions to Xavier Physicians will be
recognized in Xavier University’s annual Honor
Roll of Donors.
Members of Xavier Physicians will have
access to a toolbox of information, made available
through the Office of Alumni Affairs website.
This toolbox will contain updated information
regarding Xavier University, Xavier’s premed
office, pertinent statistics, and talking points.
Members of Xavier Physicians are encouraged
to use this toolbox to promote Xavier University
of Louisiana and Xavier Physicians.
Non-physicians and other donors
The Xavier University of Louisiana Physician
Alumni Association is open to other health
professionals with doctoral-level professional
degrees. Examples include, but are not limited
to, podiatrists and dentists. Xavier Physicians
will not currently include alumni of the College
of Pharmacy.
While membership in Xavier Physicians will
be limited to physicians and other doctoral-level
health professionals, anyone may donate to
Xavier on behalf of Xavier Physicians. This may
include family of deceased Xavier Physicians
and philanthropists dedicated to the mission
of Xavier Physicians. Donors in this category,
while not members of Xavier Physicians, will be
designated as companion-level donors.
FALL 2016
2016 giving percentage of alumni doctors
Physicians make up a generous portion of Xavier’s alumni population. Yearly, about 40% of
our alumni doctors give a gift back to our university. Your gifts help cultivate the next generation of
doctors by funding scholarships and helping us sustain our renowned Pre-med department. We are
proud to have such an abundance of successful graduates and we appreciate the level of generosity
that you show.
Have you taken the time to give back by making your annual commitment to Xavier yet? Visit
www.xula.edu/alumni/giving to make your gift today.
Alumnae Up to Challenge of Keeping XU’s
Premed Program Thriving
It’s not easy replacing a legend. Just ask
George Selkirk, the unfortunate fellow who had the
unenviable task of taking over in right field for New
York Yankee baseball icon Babe Ruth. Needless to
say, it didn’t work out.
It could be argued that Quo Vadis Webster,
who assumed the official title of Director of
Premedical Programs this summer when legendary
chemistry professor and premed guru Dr. JW
Carmichael retired after some 38 years at the helm,
faces a somewhat similar challenge. Of course
she doesn’t have to lead the league in home runs,
but she is charged with maintaining Xavier’s lofty
national reputation in the health sciences – one
that includes being #1 in the nation in the number
of African American graduates who go on to
complete medical school.
A very daunting
challenge to be sure,
but even so, Webster’s
prospects for long-term
success seem very high.
Making her transition
a little smoother is the
fact that unlike Selkirk,
who could only marvel at
Ruth’s accomplishments
from a distance, Webster
was already an integral
part of the University’s
successful premed team
long before Carmichael
made his retirement
official. In fact, during
the last couple of years,
she had managed most
of the office’s day-to-day
operations, albeit under
the watchful eye of the
master.
Webster, who holds
both BS (chemistry ’00)
and MA (counseling ’10) degrees from Xavier,
began her integration into the premed operation
in the summer of 1997, when she served as a group
leader for the famed MathStar and SOAR Programs.
She so impressed Carmichael that he hired her
as an administrative assistant in 2000. She was,
in fact, the office’s first full-time staffer. [Until that
time, Carmichael had served as part-time premed
advisor and part-time chemistry professor, with
much of leg work being handled by a cadre of
student workers.]
For Webster, who in very short order was
promoted to premed advisor, it was an eye-opening
experience.
“It was not until I began working full-time
that I became privy to the inner-workings of this
‘mastermind of premed advising’ and therefore
truly understood the extent of Carmichael’s love for
his students,” she recalled. She noted that of all the
things she learned from him, the most important
was that caring about students came first and
foremost, and that all her work should be guided
by what she believes to be in their best interest.
That level of commitment means that for
Webster, just as it was for Carmichael, the hardest
pill to swallow is knowing that despite her best
efforts as an adviser and the students’ best efforts
to follow the Premedical Office’s advice, not all
students who hope to gain admission into medical
or dental school will make it.
But that won’t stop her from trying.
“Carmichael taught me that in order for an
initiative to have any chance of yielding positive
results, stakeholders must commit to doing the
work, in a very structured and well-timed manner,”
said Webster. “He loathed procrastination and
knew Murphy’s Law could be lurking at every
turn, which is why all premed
advising activities at Xavier –
for prospective and currently
enrolled premeds – are
implemented according to a
strategic timeline.”
Webster points out that
although premeds enroll at
Xavier knowing they want to
become physicians, most are
not aware of exactly what it
takes to reach that goal and how
they can go about preparing for
the rigors of medical school in
advance of applying for entry.
That’s why she is so
invested in conducting the
weekly
Freshman
Premed
Biomedical
Honor
Corps
Meetings. By systematically
front-loading
information
during the freshman year
and consistently throughout
enrollment, students become
indoctrinated as to what they
should be doing and, just as
important, when they should be doing it, if they
want to be contenders for admission into medical,
dental, and other types of health professions
schools.
It also encourages the students to make
an ongoing and realistic assessment of their
abilities and makes them aware of all post-Xavier
educational opportunities, so that if, in the end,
they end up not pursuing careers in the health
professions, they can become competent and
compassionate professionals in whatever field they
choose.
The proof of the success of this approach is in
the pudding, as they say. Forty-one Xavier students
were accepted into medical school for fall 2016,
with another 31 going on to dental and other
health professional schools. Those are numbers
that bode well for the future.
Thus Xavier’s overall formula for successful
application to medical school, dental, etc. school
Continue on other side
Engaged and Active: Alumni Physicians find time to return home
Xavier alumna, Dr. Tammuella ChrisenterySingleton, Assistant Professor of Medicine and
Pediatric Section Chief at Tulane University takes
time to address a nearly crowded room of future
doctors who seem to hang on her every word;
soaking up any tidbit of information that will help
them graduate and succeed in medical school.
“There are no other female chiefs or people
of color in my department,” said Dr. Singleton. “Do
not let that deter or stop you from following your
dreams of becoming a doctor. In fact, it should
motivate you.”
Singleton was the first of a number of speakers
scheduled to participate Xavier’s lecture series
called, XU Library Talks. This particular segment was
held Wed., Sept. 14.
Singleton graduated from Xavier with a
Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1994. She
received her medical degree in 1998 from Louisiana
State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Singleton completed specialty training in General
Pediatrics at the University of Miami School of
Medicine/Jackson Memorial Medical Center and
training in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology from
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine/National Cancer
Institute Combined Fellowship Program.
Premed continued from page one
has not changed since Carmichael began advising
premedical students all those decades ago. And
although he is no longer physically in the office, his
presence is still felt. “Make no mistake: Carmichael
is still ever-present,” said Webster. “He calls
throughout the week ‘to see what we’re doing,’ and
he sends me text messages all the time.”
“I plan to continue implementing the advising
activities that have proven effective for so many
years and make adjustments as necessary along
the way,” she said. “Like Carmichael, I plan to ‘tell
students what they need to hear, not what they
want to hear,” albeit in a supportive environment
and informed by a sincere concern for students.”
“I hope to continue forging relationships
on and off campus that create opportunities for
premed students to flourish,” said Webster. “
We have a great network of health
professionals and representatives from medical,
dental, and other health professions schools who
really value Xavier students, and I look forward to
welcoming more partnerships that serve the best
interest of our students.”
ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
DR.ERNEST JACKSON
Xavier alum, Dr. Derrick Burgess, an
orthopaedic surgeon in Laurel, MS assists XULA
student Cobren Thomas with attaching a plate to
a simulated broken bone. Dr. Charles Black, along
with a team of orthopaedic surgeons, tag teams
with Burgess at Xavier’s Sawbones Orthopaedic
Bioskills Workshop held September 1. The event
sponsored by Nth Dimensions grants Xavier
premeds access to the field of orthopaedic surgery
and connects them with minority orthopaedic
surgeons. The experience not only allows students
to explore this specialty as a career option, but it
also affirms that Xavier graduates are poised to
pursue a range of medical practice areas.
Other Xavier alum and orthopaedic surgeons
who participated in the workshop were: Dr. Joseph
Boucree and Dr. Christopher Marrero.
Nth Dimensions was founded in 2004 by
orthopaedic surgeons working collaboratively
with academic institutions, community surgeons,
and industry to address the dearth of women
and underrepresented minorities (URMs) in
orthopaedic surgery. The overarching goal of Nth
Dimensions is to address and eliminate healthcare
disparities for all communities. The primary mission
is to provide resources, expertise, and experience,
through developing and implementing strategic
pipeline initiatives
CALLING ALL ALUMNI!!
Dr. Ernest W. Jackson graduated from
Xavier in 1975 with a dual degree in Biology
and Medical Technology. Post-graduation,
Jackson went on to earn a Masters in Health
Care Management before returning to his
hometown of Saint Louis, MO to complete
his medical studies at the Saint Louis School
of Medicine. Following medical school,
Dr. Jackson has earned nearly a dozen
other medical certifications and degrees,
including a Doctorate of Dental Medicine
and a Master of Criminal Justice.
Ernest’s
vast
knowledge
and
experience has positioned him to be
recognized as a leader in his field. He
has held professional positions such as
President and Chief Executive Officer of
Jackson Institutional Dental Services and
Chief of Dental Services for the Missouri
Department of Corrections. Dr. Jackson has
also served our country as a member of the
United States Airforce- holding positions
such as a Medical Readiness Officer and
Assistant Chief of Forensic Odontology.
Respected by his peers for his
immense commitment to the medical
field, Dr. Jackson has been featured as a
guest speaker at numerous conferences
and conventions, honored with prestigious
awards widely recognized as an outstanding
leader . He was presented with the Veteran’s
Administration Medical Center Outstanding
Rating Award from 1985-1988; inducted as
a fellow of the American College of Dentists
in 2001, and more recently, was awarded
the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal in
2015.
We congratulate Dr. Jackson for
all of his noteworthy accomplishments.
Thank you Dr. Jackson for exuding Xavier
excellence!
Alumni, would you like to visit campus to share your educational and career experiences with our premed students,
volunteer as a mentor or recruit for your respective health professions schools?
Contact Quo Vadis Webster at [email protected] to schedule a visit.