Daily Business Report-March 14, 2018
Medical student Davesh Vashishtha will be one of 109 members of the UC San Diego School of Medicine graduating class taking part in Match Day on Friday. (Credit: UC San Diego)
A White Envelope Holds the Future for
Soon-to-Be Medical School Graduates
He may not be getting a lot of sleep these days with a newborn baby, but Devesh Vashishtha is fully energized about his future as a doctor. “I want to be a family physician so that I can design policies that improve community health and well-being.”
Vashishtha was part of the medical scholars program at UC San Diego, which means that he was given provisional acceptance to medical school right out of high school. “It gave me the flexibility to study political science as an undergraduate and take a gap year to study Indian classical vocal music.”
The soon-to-be medical school graduate will be one of 109 members of the 2018 graduating class at the UC San Diego School of Medicine taking part in Match Day, a 66-year-old tradition where each student will learn where he or she will spend the first several years of their careers as working doctors.
Each year, at precisely the same moment — 12 p.m. on the East coast, 9 a.m. on the West — thousands of graduating medical school students across the country simultaneously tear open a white envelope. The single sheet of paper inside informs each graduate where he or she will do their residencies.
Each student created a ranking of their choices. Meanwhile, each hospital and institution created its own list of preferred students. A computer algorithm compares the lists, crunches the numbers, generates millions of possible combinations, and finally, produces a single choice for each matched student.
During his first and second years of medical school, Vashishtha was inspired by courses that helped him build skills as a critical thinker. Through an elective class, Vashishtha had the opportunity to work with Assemblywomen Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher on a state bill that provided sick leave to millions of workers. “It was an incredible honor to be a part of that achievement.”
Vashishtah says his career trajectory was profoundly impacted by his experiences as a medical student in the Student-Run Free Clinic Project. “I loved experiencing interdisciplinary, team-based care and developing a philosophy of ‘cultural humility’ at the clinic.”
Leo Lin, another medical student, has a match preference. “I really hope my match is either in San Diego or Salt Lake City,” he said. “I went through medical school with two young children, and I am eternally grateful for my family’s support. I look forward to them standing my by side as I open up my envelope.”
Match Day started in 1952 and is operated by the nonprofit National Resident Matching Program. The event culminates months of applications and interviews by fourth-year medical school students, each of whom may have visited a dozen or more hospitals and institutions across the country in search of their perfect match.
This year, the Match Day envelop-opening tradition will be at the Medical Education and Telemedicine Building on the La Jolla campus.
Medical Student Susan Seav
After her father died when she was two-years-old, Susan Seav watched her illiterate mother raise six children on her own. “My mother’s struggles with her mental and physical health are what compelled me to become a doctor. School was an escape from all the troubles at home, and I was lucky to have teachers who supported and guided me along the way.”
Seav earned a full scholarship to Harvard University to study biology then chose UC San Diego School of Medicine because “it puts medical students in the driver’s seat of their education and has a solid foundation in biological sciences.”
During her time at UC San Diego, Seav was able to fuel her passion for helping underserved communities through programs like the Student-Run Free Clinic Project. Seav also worked with specialists to study fertility preservation for young, female cancer survivors, and in her fourth year of medical school, she took her interest in public health abroad to Peru to provide medical treatment in marginalized communities. “My parents fled the genocide in Cambodia and spent five years in a refugee camp. That has always stayed with me and has played into my decision to help those in need.”
Seav wants to go into internal medicine. “It’s a field that fosters teamwork, community and commitment to individualized patient care — values I hold dear to my heart.”
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Breakfast Dialogue to Cover Fate of Downtown’s
Horton Plaza as Shopping Centers’ Roles Change
San Diego’s Horton Plaza, once famous for spurring the revitalization of Downtown San Diego, is now more reminiscent of a ghost-town. With empty storefronts and dilapidated public art projects, the shopping center — once the third most-visited spot in San Diego — is facing the pressure of changing times.
The speakers at Citizens Coordinate for Century 3’s (C-3) upcoming Breakfast Dialogue will discuss potential options for the revitalization and/or reimagination of the iconic shopping center. Attendees will hear from an urban designer, Gaslamp Quarter Association representative and real estate adviser at C-3’s monthly Breakfast Dialogue on Thursday, March 22 from 7 to 9 a.m. at The Prado, 1549 El Prado.
Horton Plaza, whose parent company Westfield was purchased by French real estate corporation Unibail-Rodamco in December 2017, faces an unknown fate. While some blame the retail center’s downfall on the rise of online shopping, others say the fortress-like design led to its isolation. Others, however, argue that the mall’s proximity to the Gaslamp Quarter deems it worthy of an upgrade.
“The demise of Horton Plaza brings new opportunities to rethink the historic design, the role of retail, and even the potential for new housing for downtown’s growing number of residents, its visitors, and the entire region,” says Kathleen Ferrier, C-3’s president.
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Corrie Mays: Blue Angel #8
Corrie Mays was selected for the United States Navy Blue Angels in July 2014 and joined the team in September 2014 as Blue Angel #8, where she served as the events coordinator and squadron naval flight officer. Not only was she one of the few to represent the United States Marine Corps, she was responsible for coordinating all Blue Angel-related items for 130 flight demonstrations, multiple high visibility flyovers including Super Bowl 50, and planning over 350 community events across the country. She has accumulated nearly 1,000 flight hours and earned various unit and personal awards. Mays will speak at the Leadership Conference March 23 as part of San Diego Women’s Week sponsored by the North San Diego Business Chamber. Women’s Week runs March 19-21-23. Click here for the schedule.
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EasyMile Autonomous Shuttle Bus
Makes History in California
By AUVSI News
An EasyMile autonomous shuttle bus became the first vehicle to operate on California’s roads without a driver behind the wheel on Tuesday, March 6. The vehicle operated on the roads of San Ramon.
With its historic journey, EasyMile’s autonomous shuttle bus became the first vehicle to take advantage of recently approved regulations governing the driverless testing and public use of autonomous vehicles on California roads
Before making its way onto the public roads of San Ramon, the shuttle bus stopped at a stop sign that “demarks the difference between private property and a public road,” according to Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Randy Iwasaki. The bus waited for passing cars as it flashed its LED turn signal, and then, with the ding of a real, analog bell, pulled out into traffic.
“Now we’re on a public street,” Iwasaki said via ABC7 News. “You need a license or permission to operate from the California Department of Motor Vehicles.”
The EasyMile shuttle has this permission, and a license plate to show for it, even though it does not have a driver, a place for a driver to sit, or a steering wheel or pedals.
“This is the first driverless shuttle in California that DMV has granted this permission to, so it’s a really big deal,” said DMV spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez.
Before making its way on to public roads, the EasyMile shuttle had been undergoing testing at Bishop Ranch, which is a 585-acre office park. Considered an ideal test site for the shuttle, Bishop Ranch is where the shuttle had been performing laps in the wide-open parking lots for the past year.
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Hi-Z Technology Inc. of San Diego Gets $300,000
From EPA to Develop Environmental Solutions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a combined $600,000 in funding for Hi-Z Technology Inc. of San Diego and Microvi Biotech Inc. of Hayward to develop technologies that provide solutions for environmental issues. A total of $1.8 million was awarded to six small businesses nationwide.
Hi-Z Technology will use the award to further research and develop a thermoelectric cook stove that operates with reduced emissions. The stove also provides a reliable energy source, generating up to eight watts of power for household use. Microvi Biotech will use the funds to develop a method for treating phosphorous and other nutrients in wastewater.
Hi-Z Technology and Microvi Biotech are receiving Phase II contracts from EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research program, which awards contracts annually through a two-phase competition.
Companies compete for a Phase I award of $100,000 by submitting research that addresses key environmental issues. After receiving a Phase I award, companies are eligible to compete for a Phase II award of $300,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology. The recipients of these Phase II awards will now work to bring their products to market.
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USD Real Estate Program Ranked No. 1 in U.S.
The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate at the USD School of Business ranked No. 1 out of 28 schools nationwide, according to the 2018 College Factual undergraduate real estate program rankings — making USD’s program the best in the U.S.
“The Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate’s team is proud to learn that our program received these top rankings,” said Stath Karras, executive director of the center. “This is a validation of our mission to recruit, educate and mentor real estate students, in strong collaboration with our industry partners, with the goal of facilitating their career pursuits in a socially responsible manner and with a global perspective.”
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Management Essentials
Certificate Program Offered
San Diego Employers Association offers the Management Essentials Certificate Program starting on April 10 and running every Tuesday for nine weeks from 9 a.m. until noon in San Diego. The Management Essentials Certificate Program is also being offered for the first time in North County starting on April 25, also running for nine weeks. The program is designed to expand the skills and knowledge of new or recently promoted managers and supervisors.
Topics covered include Communication, Managing Conflict, Conducting Interviews, Conducting Performance Appraisals, Documentation and Discipline, and Employment Law, among others.
The nine-week program costs $999 for SDEA members and $1,499 for non-members. Participants who successfully complete the program receive a Management Essentials Certificate at the end of the program. To learn more and to register, visit www.sdeahr.org.
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Personnel Announcements
Nathan Dean Promoted to Director
of Regional Operations at Ware Malcomb
Nathan Dean has been promoted to director of regional operations in Ware Malcomb’s San Diego office.
Dean joined Ware Malcomb in 2004 as a project manager, leading a number of key corporate accounts. During his time at Ware Malcomb, he has earned his master’s degree, obtained his architectural license, and become one of the region’s lead project architects.
Dean’s versatile skillset have allowed him to build a strong operations structure for the San Diego office while also assisting the other Southwest regional offices.
In his new role as director, regional operations, Dean oversees the operations function for Ware Malcomb’s San Diego, Downtown San Diego, Phoenix, Mexico City and Panama offices.
The firm also announced that Lucas Corsbie joined the firm as director of civil engineering in the Irvine office, and that Kimberly Huffman was promoted to director of regional operations in the firm’s Irvine office.
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Monica Ma Joins Blankinship & Foster
Blankinship & Foster, a wealth advisory firm in Solana Beach, announced that Monica Ma has been named chief investment officer and has joined the firm’s Leadership Team.
As a member of the Leadership Team, Ma will be a key part of the firm’s leadership, lending her expertise both as a seasoned investment professional and financial adviser. As chief investment officer, she will be responsible for the firm’s investment management functions, and will lead the research and implementation of Blankinship & Foster’s investment philosophy.
Ma will continue her role as a financial adviser to a number of clients.
She joined Blankinship & Foster in 2008. She earned her Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2007 and is licensed to use the Certified Financial Planner and CFP marks by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standard.
Ma graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in integrative biology.
