UC Irvine takes 12th for second year...

UC Irvine takes 12th for second year

UC Irvine ranks 12th among the nation’s best public universities,

according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of leading

universities.

UCI was also ranked 45th among all national public and private

universities. This is the 11th year that the university has been

listed among the report’s top 20 universities.

UCI’s rankings are tied with UC Santa Barbara and the University

of Washington. Last year, the university tied at 12th with

Pennsylvania State University-University Park.

Boy Scouts will hold jamboree reunion

The Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America is looking

for participants from the 1953 Boy Scouts Jamboree that was held in

Newport Beach.

The organization is hosting a celebration of the 50th anniversary

of that jamboree and is looking to invite jamboree participants to an

event on Sept. 20 at Disneyland.

Those interested can call Brett Beck at (714) 546-4990, ext. 142.

UCI creates new residency program

The UC Irvine College of Medicine has created the first

mini-residency program for teaching practicing urological surgeons

the latest techniques in minimally invasive surgery.

The program, offered by the Yamanouchi Center for Urological

Education, includes hands-on training with the most up-to-date

surgical techniques and technologies for treating patients.

Instruction will be given by UCI’s urological surgeons, many of whom

pioneered these same techniques and procedures.

“This is a new paradigm in urological surgical education, where

there is a real need to train people in the latest techniques with

the newest technology,” said Dr. Ralph Clayman, co-director of the

Yamanouchi Center, in a press release. “Urologic surgeons only 10

years out of their residencies still haven’t mastered some of the

more technically demanding minimally invasive procedures. Our program

will give them the skills to use these techniques in their own

hospitals.”

During the five-day mini-residency program, practicing surgeons

receive basic and advanced laparoscopic skills training for

performing all types of minimally invasive procedures on the kidney,

bladder, prostate and ureters. The surgeons participate in laboratory

and clinical activities, including work on virtual reality simulators

and animal models, and complete their residencies by either assisting

or observing a surgical procedure with one of the Department of

Urology’s surgeons.

They also receive hands-on training with cutting-edge technology

such as the da Vinci System surgical robot, which uses a

three-dimensional computer vision system to manipulate robotic arms.

“Minimally invasive surgery reduces the trauma of traditional open

surgery and quickens the patient’s recovery,” said Dr. Elspeth

McDougall, director of the Yamanouchi Center, in the press release.

“Having the surgeons learn and ultimately practice minimally invasive

procedures in this mentored environment will clearly benefit their

patients.”

The center is funded with a $3-million grant from Yamanouchi

Pharma America Inc., with further support from Karl Storz

Endoscopy-America Inc. and the Simbionix Corp. This support covers

the cost of tuition, so participating surgeons only pay for travel

and housing. The center accommodates two surgeons for each weeklong

residency. Enrollment is capped at 40 surgeons a year.