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Page Two of the January 2008 COMmunicator
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Clinical Affairs
A Maine Lighthouse sends its gleam over the cold sea. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII.
Rotation Memories from Samaritan Medical Center
As I sat on the plane from Cleveland to Denver and then on to Salt Lake City, I had plenty of time to sit and ruminate about the past year and a half of rotations that has led me to the last unknown in my life. Where am I going for residency? Everything that I have done to this point in my life has seemed to steer me towards my chosen profession in medicine, but nothing has shaped me to become a doctor like the last year and a half of clinical rotations. I always knew that I would be doing “doctor stuff,” I just had no idea that I would be given so much freedom to make a huge difference in people’s lives so early in my medical career.
Watertown, New York was the best thing that ever happened to my education. I was lucky enough to spend all of my third year of medical school rotating out of Samaritan Medical Center under the watchful eye of the DME, Dr. Towle. The stories that I have from the time in 
Watertown will be told to my kids and their kids for many years to come.
Sitting on the plane, I looked around at the faces of the other travelers and they each seemed to remind me of a patient that I had encountered during my time spent in upstate New York. There was a man in his mid-twenties sitting two seats over who made me think of the very first full H&P that I did on a real patient.
It was early in the morning in the inpatient psychiatric ward and he had been brought in late the night before for acting strangely at the local Wal-Mart. He claimed to be an upcoming chef at one of the fanciest restaurants on Long Island: who was at the store to buy guns and ammunition to fight off the terrorists who were trying to stop him from putting his new recipes on the menu. I was put in charge of figuring out what mood-stabilizing regimen he needed to be on in order to live in society.
I could see and hear the young mother all by herself struggling with the tired young child six rows up in front of me. This brought me back to the newborn baby that I was able to be the first person in this world to lay their hands on late one night up on the labor and delivery floor. My OB/GYN rotation was so much fun that it was the only time that I have wavered from going into my planned field of Emergency Medicine. I was able to deliver numerous babies all by myself, and then pretty much run the office with the attending looking over my shoulder just to make sure his patients knew he was not up in the mountains carving up the fresh New England powder. But the memory of the first baby I delivered by myself - for the elementary school teacher who I had gotten to know - will always be with me.
The elderly couple sleeping on the row behind me brought me back to the old man who let me sew up the four inch gash on his forehead; the gash that he got after jumping off the ski boat that was used all day to pull the grandkids around the lake. To this day, that man has been my favorite patient. I like to think that I am so slow at putting in stitches because I am a perfectionist, and when I am done it will look like a plastic surgeon did it, but in all honesty, with this grandpa I was a little bit slower than normal because I was enjoying the talk about his cabin, fishing trips, grandkids, and how he met his beautiful wife almost fifty years ago. He went home looking very beat up, but as a third-year medical student, I was able to put him back together so that in the end he will not be embarrassed to look in the mirror.
Sitting in the Denver airport with my ham sandwich, I noticed the smell of the long-haired man walking by to catch his plane, and I was reminded of the many patients on the third and fourth floor at Samaritan Medical Center hooked up to nasal cannulas. I saw these patients every morning for a month during my internal medicine rotation, as their lungs were slowly giving out on them after many years of smoking cigarettes. I was the first person they saw in the morning, and I was able to run the show by informing the attending about anyone who was getting better or worse, and what I thought should be done for them.
Towards the end of my return trip home, I had nothing but smiles as I realized how great it was to be finishing out my clinical rotations and getting prepared to move on and become a resident. Nothing could have prepared me better than the months I spent rotating at Samaritan Medical Center during my third year of medical school. All I can hope is that my experiences as a resident will be as happy as the ones I was able to make while working under the wing of Dr. Towle.
- Andy Coil, MSIV
"If You're Feeling Comfortable..."
Medical school has a way of testing you in more ways than you imagined. You begin with the first test, when you learn to devour mounds 
of information in a short amount of time and spew it out on command. Once you've mastered this you move on to the next step of applying this knowledge. The transition to rotations was a much smoother ride than expected. I quickly learned that UNECOM had a method to its madness. Even so, I soon discovered that in order to get the most out of rotations I had to overcome some of my own fears.
On my first day of rotations, I was told, "If you're feeling comfortable, then you aren't really learning". I remind myself of this every time I feel uneasy about doing something new; it reminds me that in my apprehensiveness is learning. There is a little less anxiety with every colonoscopy I do, I.V. I put in, electroconvulsive therapy I assist with, PEG tube placement, etc. Even straightforward things like the patient interview and mental status examinations become part of the routine rather than a source of angst.
Rotations have been extremely fulfilling and better than I had anticipated. It seems as though every late night studying, every lecture, every exam, and even every dollar spent to get here has been absolutely worthwhile. With every patient I see I get back a piece of me that I lost in the madness of first and second year. I am frequently reminded of why I chose this profession in the first place.
- Myra Cyr, MSIII
Treating Patients as People
Colloquium…check.
Step 2 Boards…check.
ERAS application…check.
Interviews…check.
The “Match”…check. The “Match”…check?!
Yes, one benefit to the military scholarship is that the PGY-1 match is in December (thus avoiding months of agony while waiting to learn where one will end up after graduation). And so, the next logical question is what does one do between now and graduation since “life after UNECOM” has already been determined? Of course there are the remaining clinical rotations one must complete (and pass) which will occupy the majority of the time. This is also a time to get family affairs in order (recover from the winter holidays, search for new housing for June, and continue planning for my wedding in May [yes, thank you…thank you]). And then there’s time to reflect on the blizzard of activity that has made up the last four years of medical school. So I thought I’d share a recent journal entry:
December 2007
It is hard to believe that my career as a medical student is nearly over. In just six short months (barring any catastrophe), I will no longer 
be able to use the excuse, “I don’t know the answer to that…I’m just a student,” because I will be expected to know everything. I will be accountable. I will be a doctor. Even now I utter that phrase with trepidation, “I’m just a student.” The rotations now have certainly taken on a whole new perspective (transitioning from mere intellectual curiosity to “Oh my goodness, I’m going to have to manage that condition in a few months!”). Yes, there is an incredible amount of information (both theoretical and practical) that still needs to be taken in before June in order to become a competent physician. However, I think back to my first few days of medical school and can only now truly appreciate how far I’ve come. Give me a symptom, abnormal lab value, or physical finding and I’ll tell you my “differential diagnosis,” but all too often - as attendings and residents discuss, for example, the correct way to percuss an abdomen - I see confusion and even fear in the face of patients. “What does all this mean? Is there something wrong with me? Am I going to be ok?”
The lesson to take home is that while patients can literally live or die by the decisions we make, perhaps the more challenging task is to treat patients as “people” and not just “an abdomen” or an abnormal test result. Help to deliver a baby, perform CPR on a young adult with a full life ahead of them, or simply hold the hand of an elderly patient during their dying moments and you will see what an awesome responsibility it is to be a doctor! These are moments that define people’s lives! While we might not have all the answers all of the time, one can never be wrong by showing compassion for the people we treat and the situations they face. Best wishes for the months and years ahead.
- Matthew Lutynski, MS IV
The Alfond Center for Health Sciences. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSII.
CORE Questions for Berkshires [Anne Barry (Barlow), MSIII]:
1.) Number of UNECOM students there?
There are 6 3rd year UNECOM students. Normally there are 8. We have lots of 4th year UNECOM students that pass through during the year. At present, 6 4th years have rotated through since August in various specialties. You will find that once you come here, it is hard to leave at the end of your 3rd year!
2.) Total number of medical students at the site, i.e. UNECOM and other schools combined?
BMC has an affiliation with UMass Med School, and therefore quite a number of 3rd year UMMS come through. Medicine is the largest with 
6-7 students plus 2 UNECOM, followed by surgery with 4 students plus 1 UNECOM student. Overall there are approximately 15 UMMS and 8 UNECOM at any given time.
3.) What is your impression of the housing? Is housing provided on-site?
Housing is wonderful. We live in a newly renovated apartment building with 4 apartments. Each apartment has 2-3 bedrooms, mostly singles. There are a few doubles, but Sarah Palmer works really hard to ensure everyone has a single. Each apartment has its own kitchen and bathroom. One of the apartments is GEORGEOUS! In the kitchen there is a dishwasher, microwave, and the bathroom even has a whirlpool bathtub! There are in-house washer and dryers that each apartment shares at no additional cost.
The housing is directly across the street from BMC. Unique to BMC site is the food stipend. Each meal is paid for by the hospital, breakfast, lunch and dinner in the cafeteria.
4.) What is the call schedule like on different services?
You are on-call for surgery and for OB/GYN. For each of these rotations, the call is q4 and most of the time you share call with UMMS. There are on-call rooms for you to stay in, but since the housing is right next door, most students prefer to stay in their own rooms and can be over at the hospital within minutes of getting a page. Surgery call is when you do the most hands-on experiences like NG tubes, admissions, chest tubes and central lines since it is usually just you and the resident for the whole hospital.
Internal medicine you are on call on most weekends, but only during the day. There are “black weekends” and “golden weekends”. “Black weekends” mean you work both Saturday and Sunday. “Golden weekends” are when you have Saturday and Sunday off. You are never on-call overnight with IM.
5.) Is PEDS in-patient or out-patient?
Out-patient
6.) Are any of your rotations off-site, i.e. do you have to travel? If so, how frequent and how far?
Family practice and some pediatric offices are off-site, but are only a few miles away. It really isn’t that inconvenient to drive to these offices.
There are 2 GYN physicians that are about ½ hour away up in Adams, but you are only there for 2 weeks during your OB/GYN rotation. It is possible to suck-it-up for 2 weeks.
7.) What has been your most rewarding rotation so far?
I have completed IM, surgery and I am 1 week into Family medicine, and I have to admit that I found all 3 rewarding so far. I was amazed at how attached I became to my patients and how hard it was to say goodbye when they left the hospital. You have time to sit and talk with the patient; find out who they really are and not just their medical condition.
8.) Are there many residents at your site? Does this impact your opportunity to perform various procedures?
There are lots of residents at BMC in IM, surgery, pathology, rotating AOA internships, and 4 dental residents.
The residents here, for the most part, enjoy teaching and helping out the medical students. If there is a procedure to be done, and you ask nicely to do it, most of the time, the residents will let you give a go at it. In surgery, some surgeons will allow you to suture, ‘drive’ the laparoscopic camera, hold retractors, and normal 3rd year stuff. It is nice to have residents there to answer your questions, when the Attendings don’t otherwise have the time to answer them.
9.) Location and quality of life, i.e. things to do when you're not doing the medical student “thing.”
If you like to be outdoors, then the Berkshires is the place for you. Year round outdoor activities are available such as hiking, climbing, boating, skiing/riding, canoeing, biking trails, running trails, etc. Mt. Bousquet is a 5 minute drive from the hospital and provides skiing/riding and tubing in winter and water slides and mountain rides in summer. There prices are fantastic and there is night skiing, so you can catch a few runs after work. Jiminy Peak and Mt Catamount are also really close by for weekend skiing. Part of the Appalachian Trail runs through western Mass, and there are a dozen state parks in the area. Laurel Lake and Pontoosuc Lake are also very close for water activities.
If being outdoors is not your idea of a good time, the Outlets at Lee are 15 minutes from Pittsfield. They are located right off of I-90 and have every outlet store imaginable. Pittsfield has it’s own mall and Albany is not a far drive either (Crossgates Mall and Colonie Center).
There are tons of museums in Lenox, North Adams and Williamstown; Mass MoCA and Norman Rockwell Museum to name a few. Tanglewood in Lenox is home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra during the summer.
This is by far not an exhaustive list, but just a snippet of what is to offer on weekends in the Berkshires.
Oral cavity check, anyone? MSIs Rob Parker (left) and Priyesh Mehta learn how to do it properly. Photo by Jeani Reagan, Web-CT Specialist.
CORE Questions for Cooperstown [Jessica Rose, MSIII]:
1.) Number of UNECOM students there? 8
2.) Total number of medical students at the site, i.e. UNECOM and other schools combined?
Depends on the month. Most other students only come in for four weeks at a time, but there are usually 4-5 Columbia students, 2-4 Rochester students, and 2 Albany students, plus about 2-3 4th years or students from random places. However, there are usually only 1-
2 students on each service or team, so you get plenty of attention.
3.) What is your impression of the housing? Is housing provided on-site?
The housing is really nice. There are between 5-6 houses for medical students. Each house holds between 3-6 students at a time. There are a couple of shared bathrooms. Only a few of the houses have laundry, but the ones that do have an unlocked basement so that you can go do your laundry for free. The cleaning staff comes in two times a week, so the houses are always clean. The only downside to the housing is that there is no Internet, but they are supposed to be getting it (it may be there by the time the Class of 2010 gets here). Housing is a quick walk to the hospital. I think it is some of the most comfortable student housing at any of the places I looked at. I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of the housing, as I have been on call and then we had a huge snowstorm. I apologize, but I will take some pics in the spring of the hospital and housing when you will be able to see them much better.
4.) What is the call schedule like on different services?
Medicine: Q 4 so you have a few weekend calls. I think I was on call for three weekends (but it is only one day each weekend). Also, call is not overnight for medicine, and you are usually done by 9pm most nights.
Surgery: About Q 4, but if there is another med student on your team you can split call so it will be less frequent. You have to work at least two weekend calls, but you can do more if you so choose. You can leave at 10pm, but I like to stay to finish any of the surgeries I am scrubbed in on.
Peds: No call
OB/GYN: Q 5-ish, you basically are on call when your attending is, and you stay there all night. However, you are post-call the next day and you have that day off. So if you have call Thursday night, you pretty much have a three-day weekend.
Family medicine and psychiatry are off site, so defer to the site you end up at, but most sites don’t have call house for these rotations
5.) Is PEDS in-patient or out-patient?
Both, you go between the hospital and the clinic, but there aren’t usually too many hospital cases, seems to be more out-patient based.
6.) Are any of your rotations off-site, i.e. do you have to travel? If so, how frequent and how far?
Family medicine and psychiatry are off site. Typically, students go to Utica (~40mins away) for psychiatry, and sometimes family medicine. I did my family medicine in Johnson City (1.5 hrs away). Others are doing it in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (~4 hr drive).
7.) What has been your most rewarding rotation so far?
Internal medicine. But I have only done medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, and two weeks of surgery, so that may change. I got to do a lot with my patients on medicine, but I have gotten to assist on some really cool surgeries too, so I can’t give a fair response until I am finished with all of my cores.
8.) Are there many residents at your site? Does this impact your opportunity to perform various procedures?
There are tons of residents here. Most of them really like to teach and show you how to do things. I have gotten to help with, and do, many procedures and assist on most of the surgeries. I actually think it helps us to do more procedures, because the residents teach you how to do a lot of them.
9.) Location and quality of life, i.e. things to do when you're not doing the medical student “thing.”
Cooperstown is a fun place to live. It is quiet, and there isn’t a ton going on, but there are definitely fun things to do. There are a lot of nice restaurants and bars. There are a few really good local breweries with brew tours. Cooperstown is home to the Baseball Hall of Fame, so there are lots of different memorabilia-type things. There are a few nice museums, an opera house, the lake (for the summer), and a great gym. The residents are pretty friendly and social, as are the other students here, so there are plenty of people to hang out with during time off.
10.) Any other comments/relevant items to note?
Books. I highly recommend Surgical Recall. I also use the blueprints series. A lot of people seem to like the Case Files series too. For medicine, the MKSAP series, Pocket Medicine: The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Internal Medicine, and Internal Medicine Essentials for Clerkship Students were really good. If you don’t have a PDA, make sure you have some kind of pocket pharm guide. A lot of people use Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia. Also, be sure to bring your Maxwell’s guide with you. It’ s nice to keep in your pocket. I kept my anatomy flash cards, and I keep some in my pocket for down time on surgery. I can’t think of anything else you should know. Good luck on boards and rotations.
Scholarships and Fellowships
The Sympathetic Tones, UNECOM's student a capella group, sings at the Snow Ball in December. L-R Samantha Richards, MSI, Erin FitzGerald, MSI, Jess Murphy, MSII, Warren DePonti, MSII, Christina Edwards, MSI, Rachel Keesling, MSII, Katie Stokem, MSI, Andrea Dionne, MSII, and Kerry Conant, MSI. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS.
Unite for Sight International Opportunities
Unite For Sight Volunteer Abroad Opportunities: As Featured Weekly On CNN
Currently accepting applications for January 2008 through January 2009. Rolling application deadline - the first qualified applicants are accepted. Apply today!
Volunteer Abroad in Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring: http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/
Save Eyes and Lives. Every Eye, A Life.
Those who are blind in Africa have a four times higher mortality rate
60-80% of children who become blind die within 1-2 years
80% of blindness is curable or preventable
How Do I Apply? The application as well as complete details about Unite For Sight's international opportunities are available at http://www.uniteforsight.org/intl_volunteer/
What is Unite For Sight's Mission? Unite For Sight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve 
eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight's work to prevent blindness and restore sight is featured weekly on CNN INTERNATIONAL from September 2007-August 2008
What Do Volunteers Do? Volunteers receive hands-on clinical experience while assisting doctors in remote, rural villages. Volunteers learn about international health and eye care, learn clinical skills while working with patients and doctors, and, in one program location, have an opportunity to perform cataract surgery on a goat's eye.
The goal of Unite For Sight and its partner eye clinics and communities is to create eye disease-free communities. Unite For Sight’s volunteers (local and visiting) work with partner eye clinics to provide eye care in communities without previous access. The eye clinic’s eye doctors and Unite For Sight volunteers jointly provide community-based screening programs in rural villages. The clinic’s eye doctors diagnose and treat eye disease in the field, and surgical patients are brought to the eye clinic for surgery. Patients receive free surgery funded by Unite For Sight so that no patient remains blind due to lack of funds. Volunteers immediately see the joy on patients' faces when their sight is restored after years of blindness. These memories last a lifetime.
While helping the community, volunteers are in a position to witness and draw their own conclusions about the failures and inequities of global health systems. It broadens their view of what works, and what role they can have to insure a health system that works for everyone and that leaves no person blind in the future.
Sponsored by the Managed Care Information Center and the Executive Report On Managed Care
http://www.themcic.com/
The American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians is pleased to announce its 2008 Spring Seminar STUDENT CASE COMPETITION
Initiated in 1997, the Competition aims to promote research among students interested in emergency medicine.
Eligibility: The Competition is open to all osteopathic medical students. The DEADLINE for submission is February 1, 2008. Created by the ACOEP Committee on Undergraduate Medical Education, please adhere to the following format guidelines for the submission of your case for the competition:
1. Select a patient that has a topic/illness relevant to emergency medicine.
2. The case format should be presented in the following manner:
a. Chief complaint
b. History of present illness
c. Past medical and surgical history
d. Medications and allergies
e. Review of systems
f. Physical exam
g. Vital signs
h. Standard head-to-toe format by system
i. Laboratory and ancillary data
j. Diagnostic impression
k. Plan of disposition (If you happened to follow this patient and have some feedback on what happened later, i.e. an inpatient course, complications, new diagnoses and the like, you may include this information but it is not necessary.)
3. Discussion.
a. This section should include adequate reference materials that demonstrate your clear understanding of the pathology, work-up, differential diagnoses and treatment.
4. References must be included in standard scientific format.
Judging: The members of ACOEP’s committee on Undergraduate Medical Education will review all presentations received by the deadline. The winner will be notified by February 25, 2008.
Prizes: The winning entrant will receive round-trip coach airfare to Scottsdale, Arizona to present his or her case to the participants at Spring Seminar. Also, included in the prize package is a one-night stay package at the designated hotel, and a $50 per diem. The winning entry will also be printed in the July 2008 edition of the ACOEP publication, The Pulse.
Mail Entries to the following address:
American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians
Student Case Competition
142 E. Ontario Street, Suite 1250
Chicago, IL 60611
312-587-3709
312-587-9951
Please submit any questions via email to mandylundeen@acoep.org.
William Osler Medal
The William Osler Medal is awarded annually for the best-unpublished essay on a medical historical topic written by a student enrolled in a school of medicine or osteopathy in the United States or Canada. The writer of the winning essay will be invited to attend the 2008 meeting of the American Association for the History of Medicine, 10-13 April, in Rochester, New York where the medal will be conferred. Reasonable travel expenses will be provided.
All students who are candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy, or are graduates of the class of 2007, are eligible.
Essays may pertain to the historical development of a contemporary medical problem, or to a topic within the health sciences related to a discrete period of the past. The essay (maximum 9,000 words, including endnotes) must be entirely the work of one contestant.
Complete contest information may be viewed on the AAHM website www.histmed.org/Awards or obtained from the Osler Medal Committee chair:
William C. Summers, MD, PhD
450 Saint Ronan Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Email: william.summers@yale.edu
Entries must be postmarked or submitted electronically no later than January 15, 2008
Scholarship Opportunities via Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation
There are scholarship opportunities through the Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation. The deadline is Feb.1, 2008 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students who are residents of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
For more info, contact Kathryn Blair-Enman, Associate Director of the UNE Financial Aid Office at Kblair@une.edu
American Osteopathic Foundation
$2000 research scholarships, with grants for travel.
http://www.aof-foundation.org/ or see SGA rep
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation - Clinical Research Fellowship for Medical Students
CLOSING DATE: January 16, 2008
AMOUNT: $27,000 each and health insurance (60 fellowships)
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:
Students, in good academic standing, matriculated at any U.S. medical school and who have completed two or more years of medical school prior to the start of fellowship.
AGENCY/DEPARTMENT:
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Headquarters & Grantmaking Programs
650 Fifth Ave., 19th Floor
New York, NY 10019
(212) 974-7000
Fax: (212) 974-7590
ddcfcrf@aibs.org
SUMMARY:
Funding aims to encourage medical students to pursue careers in clinical research by giving exceptional candidates the opportunity to take a year to experience clinical research first hand.
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION GO TO:
www.ddcf.org/page.asp?pageId=292
American Medical Association (AMA) offers opportunities to medical students
AMA Foundation Minority Scholars Award
In collaboration with the Minority Affairs Consortium (MAC), with support from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, the AMA Foundation 
offers the Minority Scholars Award. Ten Minority Scholars Awards are awarded annually, each in the amount of a $10,000 scholarship. You must be a current first or second-year student and a permanent resident or citizen of the U.S. Eligible students of minority background include African American/Black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino. Each medical school is invited to submit up to two nominees.
Applications available: February 2008
Nominations due: April 15, 2008
Recipients announced: June 2008
AMA Foundation Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship
These $10,000 scholarships reward current third-year medical students, who are entering their fourth-year of study. The selection of the recipients will be based on academic achievement and financial need. Multiple scholarships, funded by the AMA Foundation, the Audio-Digest Foundation, Johnson F. Hammond, MD Fund, and the Rock Sleyster, MD Fund will be awarded in 2008. Partial funding for this program is provided by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
• There will be eight Physicians of Tomorrow scholarships funded by the AMA Foundation.
• The recipient of the one Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship funded by the Audio-Digest Foundation should have an interest in "the communication of science." Activities such as mentoring and/or teaching are examples of "communication of science."
• The recipient of the one Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship funded by the Johnson F. Hammond, MD Fund should have an interest in and commitment to a career in medical journalism.
• The recipient of the one Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship funded by the Rock Sleyster, MD, Fund should have an interest in and commitment to a career in psychiatry.
Each medical school may submit one nomination for each of these scholarship opportunities. Thus, each school may submit up to four nominations in total.
Applications available: February 2008
Nominations due: May 31, 2008
Recipients announced: August 2008
AMA Foundation Scholars Fund
The AMA Alliance - the largest volunteer arm of the AMA raises money each year for medical schools to distribute to deserving students of their choice. The AMA Foundation tracks these donations for medical schools independently in separate accounts. Medical schools receive notification of funds available in March 2008. Each dean or dean's designate chooses scholarship recipients based on the funds available. Each Scholars Fund award must be at least $1,000. If a school does not have $1,000 in their account, the AMA Foundation will let funds accumulate until one full scholarship can be fulfilled.
Medical School submits recipients to Foundation: July 1, 2008
AANS Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is offering ten $2,500 fellowships to medical students who have completed one or two years of medical school and wish to spend a summer working in a neurosurgical laboratory, mentored by a neurosurgical investigator who is a member of the AANS.
Interested students should submit applications by February 1, 2008 to AANS Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship, c/o AANS, 5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-3852, or e-mail application and all supporting documents to nref@aans.org. For more information, call AANS at (toll free (888) 566-2267) or visit their website at http://www.aans.org/otheresearch/med_student_research.asp
Pfizer Offers Fellowships, Scholars Grants
Fellowships
For junior faculty or researchers, these nationally competitive career development awards support talented researchers early in their careers. Awards are for $65,000 a year for two years and must be in either health disparities or health literacy/clear health communication. Application deadline is January 15, 2008.
Scholars Grants
For junior faculty members, these nationally competitive career development awards augment specialty training and encourage the development of senior faculty scientists. Awards are for $65,000 a year for two years and must be in health policy or public health. Application deadline is January 15, 2008.
Visit http://www.promisingminds.com/ to see current and past award recipients.
National Science Foundation Opportunities
Professional Development and Support: Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP): see http://www.agep.us/
For Financial Support in New Interdisciplinary PHD Programs Graduate School IGERT Opportunities: http://www.igert.org/
IGERT programs provide generous stipend ($30,000 per year) and tuition support for students through the National Science Foundation.
The Harrison F. Aldrich, D.O./N.E.O.A. Student Loan
The New England Osteopathic Association (housed in the UNECOM Continuing Medical Education Office) makes funds available for UNECOM students (MS II, III and IV) in the form of low- or no-interest loans. Since its inception in 1982, the N.E.O.A. Student Loan Fund has awarded almost $175,000 to UNECOM students. As loans are repaid, new loans are awarded to current students in need. The loan recipient does not need to repay until completion of all post-graduate training, including residencies and fellowships, a time frame of approximately 6 years after graduation. Recipients who remain in New England to practice pay lower interest. The deadline to submit an application for the loan, which can be used for whatever purpose the student desires, whether that be books, groceries, emergencies, etc., is generally in the late summer to early fall. Students are eligible for a loan for each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years at UNECOM, which is included in the student’s overall financial aid package. Approval is usually completed within a few weeks of receipt of the application.
For more information, or to complete an application, see the UNE Financial Aid office, or contact Leslie Ingraham, CME Director, in the Office of Continuing Medical Education, Room 203, Stella Maris Building, by phone at 207-602-2125, or by email at lingraham@une.edu.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Graduate Science Education and Medical Research Training Program
Through its Graduate Science Education and Medical Research Training Program, HHMI seeks to expand the nation's pool of medically trained researchers; promote interdisciplinary, graduate-level research training; and integrate medicine into biomedical research training. The program also seeks to provide graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and newly independent scientists with courses and other resources that will help them succeed in their research careers.
Research Training Fellowships for Medical Students (Medical Fellows Program)
Medical, dental, and veterinary students from U.S. schools receive support for a year of full-time biomedical research training at an academic or nonprofit research institution in the United States or abroad if the mentor is affiliated with a U.S. institution. Fellowships are awarded through an annual competition.
HHMI-NIH Research Scholars (Cloister) Program
Medical, dental, and veterinary students from U.S. schools receive support for a year of full-time biomedical research training at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Students are selected through an annual competition. Selection of a mentor and project is made after arrival at the NIH. Scholars receive annual compensation, health insurance, moving expense reimbursement and many other benefits. A second year of research training is also possible.
Physician-Scientist Early Career Award
In this new competitive grant initiative, selected alumni of the HHMI-NIH Research Scholars Program and the HHMI Research Training Fellowships for Medical Students Program receive three-years of support as they begin their careers as independent physician-scientists.
To learn more about these lucrative and highly-competitive grants, check out the following site:
http://www.hhmi.org/grants/office/graduate//
New England Science Symposium:
Date: Sunday, April 6th, 2008
Established in 2002, the New England Science Symposium promotoes careers in Biomedical sciences. The aim of the symposium is to encourage post-doctoral fellows involved in biomedical or health-related research to present their research projects though oral or poster presentations to exchange ideas to develop their career.
Silen Awards: The Ruth and William Silen, M.D. Awards recognize students who deliver outstanding oral presentations and who create exceptional posters.
Oral Presentations: $300 first prize, $200 second prize, $100 third prize
Poster Session: $300 first prize, $200 second prize, $100 third prize
Abstract submission and registration forms are online at:
www.mfdp.med.harvard.edu/med_grad/ness
Biomedical Science Careers Student Conference:
Dates: Friday & Saturday April 4th-5th, 2008
The conference targets post-doctoral fellows; medical, dental, graduate students and/or high school seniors or juniors interested in studying in biomedical fields.
There are two objectives to the conference; the primary objective is to provide approximately 700 participants with an opportunity to network with advisors from basic sciences, medicine, public health, academic administration, and the private sector. These advisors will encourage the participants to complete advanced studies, and provide information on available resources and career paths in the field of biomedical science. The second objective is to enable participants to network and inspire one another.
Alumni News
Yay for August! It's Orientation, and Andy Ray, MSII, has just won a frenetic round of rock-paper-scissors. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS
Carolyn Saluti, D.O., '03, gave a talk on pediatric sports medicine in December. Dr. Saluti did her pediatrics residency in Albany, then was chief resident in Albany for one year, and is now doing a sports medicine fellowship at UMass Med in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her brother, Drew, is a second-year student at UNECOM.
David Biondi, D.O., '85, will give a talk to the Neuro Psych Club on January 14th. He is currently a neurologist living in Princeton, New Jersey.
Faculty and Staff
Cold. Really cold. Freeze-your-Gatorade cold. Summit of Mt. Jackson, New Hampshire. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS.
Marilyn R. Gugliucci, Ph.D., director, UNECOM Geriatric Education and Research, has been invited to serve on the Office of Elder Services Healthy Aging Advisory Board. This board is comprised of geriatric and gerontology leaders throughout Maine and is assisting the Office of Elder Services to attain state goals related to Healthy Maine 2010, which includes education, practice and policy development in aging.
Dr Gugliucci has also accepted invitations to serve on the Board of Directors for 2 local organizations, Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) and St. Andre's Health Care Facility. Serving on these boards provides UNE new opportunities for program growth and expansion in aging with our community neighbors.
Clubs and Organizations
The UNECOM Orthopaedics Club at the Bodies Exhibit in Framingham, Massachusetts, November 2007. Photo courtesy Earl Han, MSI.
UNECOM Student Government hosts "Step it UP!" program; wins grant from AOA
The UNECOM Student Government Association (SGA) in association with the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), and the Office of Recruitment, Student, and Alumni Services (RSAS), has initiated a fitness competition for the first five weeks of class in the spring semester. MSI and MSII students will compete to see which class takes the most steps, as recorded by pedometers. They will also compete against UNECOM faculty and staff.
The program, called "Step it UP!", is the brainchild of MSIIs Juliann Minnon and Stephanie Schneider. They thought of the idea when they were designing a health program for elementary school children in their Peds class. Steph says, "We came up with a great idea, and then looked at each other and said, 'I want to play, too!'" They realized that they could jump on board with Dr. Ajuluni's "D.O.s: Fit for Life" program at the AOA. Ajuluni is president of the AOA, and he has encouraged D.O.s to model health and wellness for their patients by staying fit. In fact, the two students applied for - and won - a $500.00 grant from the AOA to help subsidize the competition.
The medical students decided to enlist the SGA and other campus clubs and the RSAS office to buy pedometers for all first and second-
year students, as well as faculty and staff. The winning class will be treated to a free lunch and free UNECOM water bottles; and all participants are asked to purchase a baseball-style T-shirt for $5 to commemorate the program (high-quality T-shirts have already been ordered.)
Step it UP! log sheets will be distributed on Tuesday, January 8, along with pedometers. To request a log sheet electronically, contact Stephanie Schneider at sschneider@mail.une.edu. "This is a great way to get the College active during the dreary Maine winter," Steph says, "as well as to garner enthusiasm for Dr. Ajuluni's "Fit for Life" campaign and welcome him to campus when he visits this spring." Step it UP!
UNECOM Orthopaedics Club Involved in Several Outings
All 21 members of the UNECOM Orthopaedics club drove down to Framingham, Massachusetts for the Bodies Exhibition at the end of November, and had a great time revisiting "anatomy" once again. We were all eager to learn from the guides on what they had to say about the bodies and vice versa. In fact, we did more of the teaching :)
On December 2, club members participated in the Arthritis Foundation 5K at Freeport, Maine. Despite the frigid temperatures, everyone showed up dressed ready to have fun (and some to shop at the outlets afterwards). The race was well organized, with lots of volunteers and post-race food & drinks. Everyone had a great time. It was truly impressive to see that the OrthoClub raised $710 with only 15 members on our fundraising team! We placed 5th overall on the fundraiser!
- Earl Han, MSI
Third Annual NERC Research Symposium to be held in January
The New England Research Club (NERC), in collaboration with UNECOM research faculty, will hold its third annual "UNECOM Research Symposium" during the week of January 7-11.
Anyone who has presented a research poster in the past is welcome to participate, as well as new entries. It can be old research from a previous presentation/conference, or current research. The formal poster session will happen on Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 pm. Many UNECOM faculty attend, and the session is a good chance to meet researchers at UNECOM, as well as to show the faculty and other students research conducted prior to coming to UNECOM.
E-mail Jeremy Force (jforce@mail.une.edu) or Tyler Raymond (traymond@mail.une.edu) for more info.
Annual Snow Ball-ers brave the cold
The annual SGA Snow Ball semi-formal was held on December 8 at the Eagles hall in Biddeford. About 80 nattily-attired students braved icy sidewalks and cold temperatures to warm up with friends and strut their moves on the dance floor. The Sympathetic Tones, UNECOM's student a capella group, performed several numbers, including "Carol of the Bells" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." DJ Mark played favorites as the night drew to a close, and students left at midnight full of holiday cheer. The event was organized by JiaJia Gao, MSI, and decorations were tastefully appointed by Laura Viscome, MSI.
Several MSII members of the PEDS club pose for a mid-winter picture outside the Alfond Center. L-R Kelly Brown, Christine Hamelin, Stephanie Beneski, Drew Saluti (Back), Andrea Dionne, Winter Berry, Sonja Vindheim, Cassidy Foley (co-president), Rima Zahr, Jeff Brown (co-president), Wendy Kamath, and Shannon Scully. Photo courtesy Cassidy Foley.
January C&O Events
January 7-11 - Third Annual New England Research Club Symposium.
January 10 - Biochemistry review for the Class of 2011 by the Class of 2010.
January 14 - Dr. David Biondi, '85, Neurology talk for the Neuro Psych Club.
January 14-18 - Undergraduate American Academy of Osteopathy (UAAO) theme week.
January 15 - Biochem review for the Class of 2011 by the Class of 2010.
January 17 - Wine-tasting event in St. Francis Room, sponsored by the OBGYN club.
January 18 - Dean Cawley talk re: block exams.
January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Classes cancelled.
January 22 - MLK, Jr. film, sponsored by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
Your SGA Representatives:
| Steve Fosmire, MSII | Ande Betz, MSI |
| Max Opoku-Agyemang, MSII | JiaJia Gao, MSI |
| Marcey Osgood, MSII | Sidra Iqbal, MSI |
| Nick Nikolopoulos, MSII | Rachel Kester, MSI |
| Kim Salaycik, MSII | Samantha McGinnis, MSI |
| Stephanie Schneider, MSII | Nicholas Padavano, MSI |
| Shannon Scully, MSII | Michael Ross, MSI |
| Ryan Smith, MSII | Meg Rothman, MSI |
| Tara Wayt, MSII | Laura Viscome, MSI |
| Ahmad Yassin, MSII | Will Wong, MSI |
C&O Officers:
| SGA | Lacey McIntosh, MS II | NERC | Jeremy Force, MSII, and Despina Hoffman, MSII |
| Class of 2008 | Joe Dessent, MSIV | Orthopaedics | Earl Han, MSI, and Priyesh Mehta, MSI |
| Class of 2009 | Adam Karpman, MSIII | PSR | Michelle Hadley, MSII, and Alicia Pointer, MSII |
| Class of 2010 | Ryan Murphy, MSII | PM&R | Dan Tsukanov, MSII, and Steve Fosmire, MSII |
| Class of 2011 | Tom Forbes, MSI | PSA | Erycka Florie, MSIII, and Myra Cyr, MSIII |
| ACOFP | Mark Umphrey, MS II, and Sarah White, MSII | SSP | Christina DeMatteo, MSII |
| ACOOG/OBGYN | Lauren Traynor, MSII, and Jeff Brown, MSII | Sports Med | Michelle Stone, MSII |
| ACOP/PEDS | Cassidy Foley, MSII, and Rima Zahr, MSII | SAA | Melissa Goulet |
| AMA | Chris Blomberg, MSII, and Nick Nikolopoulos, MSII | SCACOEP/EMC | Robert Brown, MSII |
| AMSA | Andrew Ray, MS II | SNMA | Shobhit Gupta, MSII, and Mark Umphrey, MSII |
| AMOPS | Peter Lapen, MSII, and Juliann Minnon, MSII | SOIMA | Sita Singhal, MSII |
| Clown Patch Club | Rob Parker, MSI | SOMA | Mike Dominello, MSII |
| IMC | Kim Salaycik, MSII, and Sue White, MSII | SOSA | Kevin Hsu, MSII |
| IFMSA | Tad Lanagan, MSII, and Mari Davis, MSII | SRA | Lacey McIntosh, MSII |
| JMSA | Jeff Brown, MSII, and Rob Levine, MSII | Symp. Tones | Rachel Keesling, MSII |
| MSFC | Ariel Tosi, MSII, and Maria Weinstein, MSII | TM&H | Katie Lewis, MSII, and Christina DeMatteo, MSII |
| MAC | Amber Hendricks, MSII, and Kim Salaycik, MSII | UAAO | Daniel Miller, MSII, and Amanda Staples, MSII |
| NOWPA | Josie Conte, MSII, and Lauren Traynor, MSII | UCMDA | Rachel Keesling, MSII |
| NPC | Lauren Fleischer, MSII | WMC | Tad Lanagan, MSII, and Steve Fosmire, MSII |
C&O Meeting Times:
| ACOFP | 2nd Monday @ 12:30 | Orthopaedics | TBD |
| ACOOG | 2nd Monday @ 12:00 | PEDS | 1st Friday @ 12:00 |
| AMA | 3rd Tuesday @ 12-12:30 | PM&R | 2nd Tuesday @ 12-12:30 |
| AMOPS | 2nd Monday @ 12:30 | PSA | TBD |
| AMSA | 1st Monday @ 12:00 | PSR | 3rd Tuesday @ 12:30-1 |
| Christian Fellowship | 2nd Friday @ 12:00 | SNMA | 4th Tuesday @ 12:00 |
| Clown Patch Club | 3rd Tuesday @ 12:30-1 | SOIMA | 3rd Monday @ 12:00 |
| EMC | 3rd Monday @ 12:30-1 | SOMA | 1st Tuesday @ 12:30 |
| IMC | 4th Tuesday @ 12:30 | SOSA | 1st Monday @ 12:30 |
| IHA | 3rd Thursday @ 12:30 | Sports Med | 1st Thursday @ 12:00 |
| JMSA | 4th Wednesday @ 12:00 | SRA | 1st Tuesday @ 12:30 |
| MSFC | 3rd Wednesday @ 12:30 | SSP | 4th Monday @ 12:30 |
| AGS | 3rd Wednesday @ 12:00 | UAAO | 3rd Friday @ 12:00 |
| NERC | 2nd Wednesday @ 12:00 | TM&H | 4th Friday @ 12:00 |
| NOWPA | 2nd Wednesday @ 12:00 | WMC | 2md Tuesday @ 12:00 |
| NPC | 3rd Wednesday @ 12-12:30 |
Meat and Potatoes
Winter with a vengeance: Welcome to New England. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS.
University Campus Information
| Office of Recruitment, Student, and Alumni Services (RSAS) Lower level of Stella Maris Hall |
Monday-Friday 8am – 4:30pm (open noontime) |
| Campus Center Hours | Monday-Friday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 6am-11 pm Pool: 6:30am-9:30am, 11:30am-2pm, 3pm-7pm (open to public unless swim team is using it) Saturday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 8am-11pm Pool: 9:30am-1:00pm Sunday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 8am-11pm Pool: 9am-3pm |
| Bookstore Hours |
August Hours: |
| Library Hours | |
| Jack S. Ketchum Library, University Campus | Monday-Thursday: 8am-midnight Friday: 8am-7pm Saturday: 10am-9pm Sunday: 10am-midnight |
| Josephine S. Abplanalp ’45 Library, Westbrook College Campus | Monday-Thursday: 8am-midnight Friday: 8am-5pm Saturday: 9am-5pm Sunday: 1pm-9pm |
| Sanford Petts Health Center - University Campus Phone: 282-1516 |
Monday-Wednesday: 8:30am-8pm Student Walk-in Hours: 11am-1pm |
| Alfond Health Center (OMM treatment only) Phone: 284-1417 |
Monday: 8am-8pm Tuesday-Friday: 8am-5:30pm |
| Saco Health Center - Saco Phone: 283-1407 |
Monday-Thursday: 8am-4:30pm Friday: 8:30am-4pm |
| Learning Assistance Center Phone: 602-2443 |
Monday-Thursday: 8am-9pm Friday: 8am-4pm |
| Career Services | For appointments, contact Judy Bellante at 602-2817, or jbellante@une.edu |
| Counseling Services | For appointments, call 602-2549 |
| Disability Services | For appointments, contact 602-2815. |
|
Food Service Hours Effective in September:Decary Cafeteria |
August: |
| The Hang |
Monday-Friday: 11am-11pm |
| Alfond Café | August 9th through September 4th: 7:30 am-2:30 pm Starting September 5th: Monday-Thursday: 7:30 am-7:00 pm Fridays: 7:30 am- 2:30 pm |
Mail Services: Medical students may purchase a mailbox, located outside of the Facilities Management building. Cost is $25 for the year. Mail and packages may be picked up 24-7 at this location. Stamp machines and outgoing mail drop boxes are available throughout campus.
Copy Center Services: Students can submit copy jobs at the Service Counter in the Facilities Management building. Unless alternative arrangements are made, your project will be available within 24 hours.
Information Technology Services
Biddeford/UC Help Desk
207-602-2200 or x4400 on campus
Hours are 7:30am-6pm
helpdesk@une.edu
Portland/WCC Help Desk
207-221-4400 or x4400 on campus
wcchelpdesk@une.edu
Help Desk Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8 am-6 pm
Friday: 8 am-4:30 pm
Study Locations:
There are a number of locations available on the University campus for students to study.
Alfond Center for Health Sciences: The entrance facing Stella Maris and the main entrance on the lower level will be unlocked until midnight. All other entrances are open until 8pm. The rooms and lecture halls available as 24-hour study space are 104, 113, 126, 127, 128, 138A/B, 139A/B, and 304. The lobbies are also available. The Alfond Building has wireless Internet access.
Decary Hall: The entrance facing the river remains unlocked until 8pm, and the front entrance is open until 10pm. The rooms available for 24-hour use are 202, 203, 205, 206, 208, 212, and Sutton Lounge. Wireless access is available in the first floor vending area.
Marcil Hall: The entrance on the lower level is open until midnight. Wireless access is available in the common areas.
Alfond Meadow:
The Alfond Meadow will be used for intramural sports during the 2007-08 academic year. Students can anticipate use of the lawn during football season and again during spring sports. Study plans should be made with the lawn use in mind.
Submissions to the COMmunicator:
The COMmunicator is published monthly, August-May. Your submissions are welcome. Submit stories, news events, or digital pictures to Steve Smith at ssmith12@une.edu by the 20th of each month (the earlier, the better!)
Parting Shot
Dana Ufnal, MSI, (left), realizes that she has either won or lost a high-stakes game of rock-paper-scissors at UNECOM Orientation in August. Earl Han, MSI (red shirt), and Allison Beckler (center) look on. Photo by Steve Smith, RSAS.
Copyright © UNECOM Office of Recruitment Student and Alumni Services. All rights reserved.
11 Hills Beach Road, Biddeford, ME 04005. (207) 602-2329
Please send comments, suggestions, submissions, or warm chocolate chip cookies to Steve Smith at ssmith12@une.edu
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