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D.O.s: They're everywhere you want to be! L-R Wilderness Medicine Club members Suzie McGrorty, MSIII, Julia McDonald, MSI, Alicia Mancuso, MSI, Cathy Chamberlin, MSI, and David Riss, MSI, sport their white coats while on a winter expedition to Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine. Photo courtesy Dave Riss.
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Dean Kelley's Column
March, mud and the fifth season
The recent edition of Yankee magazine arrived at home this week, and I noticed the title of an article as “The fifth season”. The title intrigued me and I quickly skimmed it to see what the fifth season was about….mud season. That rang a chord for me and gave me an idea for this month’s column.
If you are in New England, or anyplace else that goes from snow to warmer, drier weather, I imagine you know what I am talking about when I say mud season. You know about the dreary weather, the dirty snow, the frost heaves, and the mud you can experience in parking lots, back roads, or driveways. But mud season is so much more than just mud and the experiencing of it. It really is more about a time of transformation; of seasons, of climate, of people, and of life.
You can see the transformation in students as they participate in Osteostache, begin planning for OsteoBlast or Orientation, and as they look forward to spring break. I’m amazed, in spite of the weather, to see students wearing shorts and sandals as they walk about campus with snow all around them. They’re anxious to wear brighter colors, lighter fabrics and to begin to transfer the responsibilities of their current class for the newer ones of the next phase they will go into. Whether it is getting ready for second year, for rotations, fourth year, or Internship and Residency, students are going through their own version of mud season.
Incoming students and applicants aren’t immune from the effects of the infamous season either. They’re ready to wrap up their interviews, make decisions about where they’ll go to school, or what they’ll do if they don’t get in. If they’re going to school, they’re ready to wrap up one phase of their life and move on to the next. They want to buy the medical textbooks, read the chapters and begin to play with their new toys – the ones that will come in their Doctor’s kit – and not the Fisher-Price ones they had as a kid.
Faculty, staff and administrators experience their own particular brand of mud season. They watch students go through their transformations and marvel in the growth that has taken place. They see the bumps and bruises students have acquired and experienced, but they also see the ever growing confidence and blossoming of the physician within. Just as the snow crocus show the promise of the spring that is to come, faculty, staff and administrators see glimpses of the physicians that are to be.
Some people find March, and mud season, depressing. They want it over as quickly as possible and can’t wait for the days of more sunlight, longer day length and warmer weather. Other people get excited about the day-to-day changes they see and experience, and relish what is to come.
Whether you revel in March madness, prepare for spring sports, look forward to the next phase of growth or opportunity, or just watch the world go by, there is no escaping mud season. It’s a time of new beginnings, of transformation and of growth. It’s the fifth season.
So I’ll leave you with the words of Rick Charette, Maine singer and songwriter, “Mud, mud, I love mud. I’m absolutely, positively, wild about mud.” I hope you do too.
- Dean Kelley
Student Profile
A Life, Improvised: Dante Leven, MSII
The soul of Jazz is improvisation. Start with a theme, build on it, tear it apart, add nuances, layers, riffs, and suddenly come back to where you started, all grown up. Yeah, most of Jazz is unforeseen. Dante Leven knows something about Jazz, and he knows a lot about the discipline of improvisation. His life is a theme with variations, much of it unforeseen.
The Northeast Kingdom
Winter in Vermont is lovely. Woods wrapped in snow, trees iced, and every backyard pond a rink for skating – with some exceptions. 
Horrified, Dante stood glued to the kitchen window as his father’s pickup truck plunged through the ice of their backyard pond, gouging a ragged circle of dark water. Struggling from the sinking truck, his dad barely clambered over the rim of broken ice. “He made his way back to the house dripping, laughing hysterically,” Dante remembers. They recovered the vehicle in springtime. So much for plowing the backyard pond.
Danville is a small farming town near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in a beautiful region called “The Northeast Kingdom.” The Levens owned chickens and sheep, and Dante spent most of his free time outdoors, playing in the friendly woods or biking around town. His optometrist father gave Dante a sense of medical life, and his mother worked in the school system before earning a degree in counseling. An older brother and sister added flavor to the family. Dante’s early days were simple and bright.
For a pittance, local residents had the option to send their children to an elite prep school, St. Johnsbury Academy. The school offered Dante a surprisingly cosmopolitan experience; international students composed a third of each class. Like most high schoolers, Dante applied himself to the things he was good at. He played football, skied, and tore up the baseball diamond. He went to Florida with a friend for spring training. He lifted weights religiously and spent hours hitting the ball. Blessed with natural hand-eye coordination, Dante struck out only twice during four years of high school. His senior year, he led the state in home runs, batting average, and RBI. He also led his team to their first division one title in the school’s 150-year history. UVM recruited him for their baseball team. Clearly, he would play ball at college, maybe beyond. It was all so simple.
First Variation
Or not. “What you’re good at is sort of what you do,” Dante says, “that was pretty much my life during high school. You don’t even think about it.” But as he contemplated the future, Dante made the first of many decisions that would re-define his life. “I decided to focus on the Physical Therapy program at UVM,” he recalls, “and let athletics go.” It was a good decision, he believes, and freed him to pursue new challenges.
“If you don’t keep pushing yourself to a new level,” he says, “you’ll never expose your own potential. It is too easy to not be challenged, but that results in a whole cascade of easy decisions. True accomplishment and building your own self comes from pushing yourself. The reward is exponentially greater than just settling for what you’re already good at.” He did well academically, but it was yet another event that really opened him to deeper change. He listened to the radio.
“I heard a song by Thelonious Monk [an improvisational Jazz pianist],” Dante remembers, “and it intrigued me. It made me want to play Jazz.” Already skilled as a classical pianist, Dante felt stymied by the constraints of the genre. “I didn’t want to just sit down and play 
exactly what was written on the score,” he says, “no matter how perfectly. I wanted the freedom to improvise.”
A Precise Equation
Jazz was like a whole new world. “You can play anything, anytime,” Dante says. “Learn the language, put in the time. The more you put in, the more you get out. You can express ideas and thoughts; you’re not just regurgitating. Improvisation is the root. The song is only a piece – a gateway to get to where you can express yourself. There are lots of different moods, textures, feelings. You can create something right there and then. There’s not much like it.”
He took a few classes, but mostly Dante just threw himself into practicing the art and science of improvisation. “You basically just have to put in the time and do the work or you won’t get it,” he says. “Get out and play with different musicians so you can experience the interplay of textures and layers.” The complexity of the music means that Jazz is still not the popular medium that Rock or Pop is. “Listeners have to put in the work, too,” Dante explains, “or they won’t get much out of it.” Most people prefer to take their entertainment without effort. But with Jazz, the equation requires work.
Dante worked. After college, he played gigs in clubs and eventually started his own band in Burlington, called “Dante’s Revenge.” The music scene was outstanding, especially for a city the size of Burlington, and Dante thrived in it. With his PT degree from UVM, Dante worked in a hospital in Middlebury. The exposure was great, with both inpatient and outpatient scenarios, and Dante was the director of an outpatient clinic within the fitness center, where he stayed for six years. In many regards he was content with his life; he was married to a wonderful woman he had met at UVM, and he was successful both professionally and musically. He was in his comfort zone, humming along to the same tune.
Variation Number Two
Then came another riff. Dante noticed that some of his patients recovered nicely during PT, while others – with the same ailment – did not. What made the difference? Intrigued, Dante started to help at a multi-disciplinary chronic pain clinic, where patients would see multiple caregivers over several days. These were patients who had experienced multiple surgeries, or serious injuries, and years of chronic pain and the cascade of issues that accompany chronic pain. “We worked on building relationships with the patients,” Dante explains, “trying to connect with them, learning about their lives, and building trust. The psych piece was huge. It was amazing to see patients get better just because of human interaction. We focused on educating them, so it was much more than what we did. It was the relationships, the 
confidence, and the effort, that often helped the patients recover.”
The clinic intrigued Dante, but he was especially impressed with the sports medicine physician, John Johansson, D.O., UNECOM ‘82. “I was blown away by Dr. Johansson’s ability to connect with people,” Dante recalls. “Patients would say, ‘He’s the first doctor who ever listened to me.’ His combination of OMM, human connection, confidence, and competence were inspiring. Patients who hadn’t been cured by anything else walked away from Dr. Johansson with noticeable improvement. I hadn’t worked with a D.O. before, since Vermont doesn’t have a high osteopathic population.” Dante realized that he wanted the more in-depth tools that an osteopathic physician exercises.
Another impetus to move on to medical school was several medical mission trips to Haiti with Dr.
Winslow (another physician at the clinic), and also internship work he had done in Tucson, Arizona, working in a clinic right on the border with Mexico. The glaring disparity between medical care in the United States and other parts of the world motivated Dante to help provide care for those in need. “It was a life-changing experience,” he says, “I saw a side of medicine I’d never seen before. It was saddening, but stimulating.”
His wife was incredibly supportive of his decision to apply to medical school. “In fact,” says Dante, “she was the one who told me that I should push myself to the next level, even though we were very comfortable and doing well. She knew I was always questioning and asking ‘Why?’” It was time to improvise again, and Dante felt an awakening, as though he were about to reinvent himself. In the process, he found out more truly who he was.
“People Scare You Before You Come”
Organic chemistry class and the MCAT stood between Dante and medical school. With some surprise, Dante discovered that he loved taking classes again, and he loved Organic Chemistry. “I’m a visual type of person,” he muses, “and I love to see things first and then learn how they work. O. Chem ended up being a great class.” He took the MCAT and applied to both M.D. and D.O. schools, but after interviewing, he felt like UNECOM was the right track for him. “That was a good decision,” he says, “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Medical school dashed his fearful expectations. “People scare you before you come, saying you’ll never see your friends or family, that it is a necessary evil and all that. In fact, I probably see my wife more now that we’re not both working. You learn to schedule your time and use it wisely. Free time is precious, and my wife and I budget it carefully.” The classes have been rewarding beyond what he thought 
they would be, and his years of clinical experience beforehand have enriched his medical education. “It’s given me a lot of context to apply what I’m learning.”
The student body is great, he says, with a lot of life experience and maturity. “I was dreading being a 30-something student with a bunch of 22-year-olds,” he laughs, “but it hasn’t been that way. People are real – it’s a great environment to study in. You can do your own thing at your own pace.” Gross Anatomy was a blast, especially since Dante is most interested in orthopaedics or general surgery. “I love fixing things,” he says, “Ortho is just fun – it makes sense to me.”
Coming Around to the Beginning
Oddly enough, it has been in the new music of medical school that Dante has again found an old rhythm: Athletics. “I started running the Falmouth (Massachusetts) 10K about 10 years ago,” he says, “and I did a half-marathon, and a couple marathons, but nothing tremendous. Once I got to medical school, I didn’t really have the time to practice piano like I had been, and I needed another outlet, so I started to run more.” He ran and ran, and after completing the New York City Marathon, he began to ask strange questions, like: “Why is the marathon only 26.2 miles? Why can’t you run longer distances? I could go farther.”
The next day, still in a foggy daze, he heard Ray Rickman speak about global health, part of the International Health Week sponsored by the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA) at UNECOM. “I remember finishing the race thinking that I wanted to keep going farther,” Dante recalls, “and I felt this mixture of being exhausted, dazed, but energized. In Ray’s speech, he mentioned the distance that people travel just to obtain healthcare in certain parts of Africa - 44 miles - and a little light bulb appeared above my head. I saw it with my own eyes. I ran home that night, told my wife, and you know the rest…”
Last spring, Dante ran a 44-mile ultra-marathon with fellow MSI Gary Simmons. Sponsored by the UNECOM chapter of the American 
Medical Student Association (AMSA), the race benefited the Adopt-a-Doctor organization, and symbolized the distance that many natives must travel to find healthcare in parts of Africa.
100 Miles to Improvise?
“I love running – not so much racing,” Dante explains. “I love the simplicity of it. You can do so much just by throwing on a pair of shoes and stepping out the door. You can run and think, run and study, run and exhaust yourself. It’s an incredible way to explore.” When traveling, the first thing Dante does is put on shoes and run. “You see beauty you wouldn’t otherwise see,” he says. “Get up early – it’s freeing, calming, and peaceful.” The more he ran, the better he felt. “It helps you focus on your diet, getting enough sleep, taking care of your body,” he says. “It keeps your head clear, and you do better academically. I run at least an hour or an hour and a half every day.”
While he loves to run long distances, it wasn’t until recently that Dante felt his speed was up to par. “I have focused more on doing speed work in the last year and a half,” he says. “I was really struggling to run 8-minute miles when I started running distances longer than 8 miles. This last year, I have worked a lot on speed and finished the Cape Elizabeth 10-mile race in 1:06. I finished my last marathon in 3:13, and my goal for this year is to break 3:00 hours. Also, my long-term goal is to do a 100-mile race before I graduate. Somehow, someway, it’ll happen.”
Dante’s wife is also a disciplined athlete. She was a full-scholarship gymnast at UVM, and has run several marathons herself. Now she loves to swim, and has tried to coax Dante into the pool. He was reluctant, until he completed his first triathlon last fall. Now he’s learning to swim. “It doesn’t feel natural,” he chuckles, “my wife floats naturally, but I feel awkward. But I’m improving.” In many respects, it is a return to his athletic roots and the physical exertion of his high school days, but without the competitive elements that are the hallmark of team sports. He has matured.
With his unique mixture of athleticism, musical talent, clinical competence, and philosophical musing, Dante has struck a fine balance in life. He’d love to participate in medical mission trips to Haiti someday, and maybe play with another band. He plans to run another ultra-marathon this spring, and he’s teaching his wife to play guitar. There are still a lot of things in life he’d like to try, but for now he’s humming along to a familiar tune. It’s almost time to improvise.
- Steve Smith, RSAS
News and Events
Lighthouse on a hill. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII.
Senator Susan Collins to Speak on Healthcare at UNE
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is coming to UNE on Thursday, March 20, 2008, at 5pm. She will be addressing healthcare and Congress' current undertakings towards improving the American healthcare system, in the St. Francis Room of the Ketchum Library on the University Campus, Biddeford. Afterwards, she will be taking questions from the audience. This event is open to everyone at UNE. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by the UNECOM Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), and the Office of Recruitment, Student, and Alumni Services Office.
New UNECOM program at Kent Hospital garners R.I. media attention
Kent Hospital's (Warwick, R.I.) new partnership with the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine to launch graduate medical training programs in emergency medicine and family practice at the hospital was the focus of a long story in The Providence Journal on Feb. 27, 2008. “This is a huge day for Kent and for the community,” hospital president Mark E. Crevier said at a news conference at the hospital. He called the residency program “one of the most significant things this institution has done in the past 50 years.”
Turn of the Century Osteopathy: A Historical Vignette of Osteopathy in Maine, circa 1900
Presentation by Gretchen Sibley, D.O., UNECOM ’93. Dr. Sibley will give the talk she presented to the MOA 2008 Winter Conference audience, entitled Turn of the Century Osteopathy: A Historical Vignette of Osteopathy in Maine ca 1900 which will focus on Florence Covey, 1902 graduate of ASO. A historical perspective of osteopathy at the turn of the century through the eyes of one of the more 
remarkable early osteopaths.
March 21, 2008 @ noon Alfond 106
Sponsored by the New England Osteopathic Heritage Center
University of New England
8th Annual UNECOM Spring Symposium: “Practice Dilemmas: Headache & Head Pain”
May 21 – 22, 2008
Alfond Center for Health Sciences
University of New England's Biddeford Campus
Featured Topics:
Mechanisms of Headache Pain - Todd Vanderah, Ph.D., University of Arizona COM
Medication Overuse Headache: Mechanisms & Management - David Biondi, D.O., Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
Headache in Juveniles - Thomas Ward, M.D., Dartmouth Hitchcock
Stress, Depression and Anxiety in Headache: Behavioral Treatment - Justin Nash, Ph.D., Brown
Caffeine & Headaches - Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., University of Vermont
Headache in Women - Thomas Ward, M.D., Dartmouth Hitchcock
Trigger Point Injection Skills for Headache Pain - Douglas Jorgensen, D.O.
Chronobiology of Headache Disorders - Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., University of Vermont
Cervicogenic Headache - David Biondi, D.O., Neurologist, Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC
Prophylaxis vs Abortive Treatment of Migraines - Robert Spear, D.O.
Headache Transformation - Ian Meng, Ph.D., UNECOM
An Integrative Approach to Treating Headaches - Ted Wissink, M.D., MMC Integrative Medicine Department
Registration Fees: $125 General
$ 65 UNE Faculty, Staff, Residents, Interns
No registration fee for UNE students
For more information, to request a brochure, or to register, contact the UNE CME Office at (207) 602-2589, or cme@une.edu
Look for the brochure, coming soon!
Leslie Ingraham, M.S.
Director Continuing Medical Education
University of New England
College of Osteopathic Medicine
207/602-2125
FAX 207/602-5957
email: lingraham@une.edu
www.une.edu/com/cme/events.asp
College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean’s Research Fellowships 2008
Conduct clinical, applied, or basic science research. Funding is available for student stipends ($2000) and a modest supply budget ($400). Students are encouraged to conduct research in any discipline.
More information about the program and applications can be found at: UNECOM Fellowship Research Website or by contacting the following:
Dr. Amy Davidoff, Dept. Pharmacology (ADavidoff@une.edu)
Dr. Holly Korda, Division of Community Programs (HKorda@une.edu)
Despina Hoffman (dhoffman@mail.une.edu)
Jeremy Force (jforce@mail.une.edu)
Co-Pres. of NERC, MSII
Deadline for application is April 4th, 2008
Current Students
The OBGYN club hosted a wine-tasting event in February. Jeff Brown, MSII (center, front) was the instructor. Photo courtesy Shaun Opperman, MSII.
Medical student Kimberly Salaycik chosen for American Geriatrics Society Summer Institute
Kimberly Salaycik, a second-year student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, has been accepted to participate in the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Summer Institute in Geriatric Medicine at Boston University Medical Center, June 23 - 27, 2008.
This highly competitive Institute accepts 20 third- or fourth-year medical students from medical schools across the country. With funding provided by the National Institute on Aging, the Summer Institute is sponsored by Boston University School of Medicine and the American Geriatrics Society.
Activities of the Summer Institute include clinical and research seminars on key geriatrics/aging topics, site visits to BUMC clinical programs, and small group development of a research proposal. Faculty members include nationally recognized academic geriatricians and Boston University faculty conducting aging research. The goal of the Summer Institute is to stimulate interest in careers in academic geriatric medicine and geriatric research.
Salaycik is co-president of the AGS/UNECOM Student chapter and received an American Medical Student Association (AMSA) End of Life Fellowship last summer.
Zaman has research published, is involved in leadership
Shehzaad Zaman, MSIII, has a publication in the March 2008 issue of the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. UNECOM is listed in the publication under his author profile. Here is a link to the abstract via PubMed: Click here.
Also, through Zaman’s Disabilities Coordinator position at AMSA, he was invited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disabilities to join a committee of disability experts for a planning meeting at the HHS Headquarters on April 30th. The committee will address the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action on Improving the Health and Wellness of People with Disabilities. Zaman says, “This is an exciting opportunity for me to get involved with the public health community at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
Zaman is also giving a presentation on "Hearing Loss 101" at the National AMSA Convention in Houston next week.
Clinical Affairs Section
Somewhere Down East. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII.
COMments from Rotations
Open your heart and let your mind follow.
Take a deep breath.
Take another one.
Are you ready?
Remember: You get out of this year what you put in.
These are a few moments from a 3rd Year ICU:
1. Mark Petrarca and I were told at the last minute to go to interventional radiology and follow a new patient whom we know nothing about. 
We arrive and are the only "white coats" in the area when the patient has a massive GI bleed. She is vomiting bright red blood all over the place from her mouth and from her backside massive black sludge explodes down onto the floor. She is as pale as white paper. She is dying. The nurses yell, "Is this your patient!?" We help run the code, have the ICU attending called stat, and help the nurses stabilize the patient. A trail of blood stretches from the IR waiting area to the IR procedure room.
2. I am placing my first femoral vein central line in an acute setting without any ultrasound guidance. I must remember anatomy because I am holding a HUGE needle and I better not hit the femoral artery or nerve. My attending firmly says, "Failure is not an option!" "Do it!"
PEDS:
1. I am in the NICU hearing the cries of "methadone babies." It is a cry I will never forget.
2. I am helping resuscitate a newborn premature baby that has not taken his first breath yet. There is not a proper "preme mask" in the room. The child is purple then gray and getting worse.
Surgery:
1. There are no surgery residents and most operations I am first assist. Today we are operating on the internal carotid.
2. I am writing to my classmates at midnight and have 3 surgeries to learn for tomorrow. Depending on the attending I am waking up at 4:30am and I am pre-rounding/writing notes by 5:30am...This is my 3rd year.
Remember: you get out of this year what you put in.
- Brian Davia, MSIII
Jude Viola, MSIII: Clinical Research Fellow in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
I am spending my third year as the clinical research fellow in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. I am working for Jane Carreiro, D.O., on her AOA-funded research project entitled: “Effect of OMM on the Duration of Middle Ear Effusion in Children Following Diagnosis of Acute Otitis Media as Measured by Tympanograms and Acoustic Reflectometry.” I act as the research assistant and site coordinator for UNECOM. There is a second site at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, where our Principal Investigator, Karen Steele, D.O., works.
My office (yes – I actually have my own office/treatment room!) is located within the UHC office on Forest Ave in Portland, which houses pediatrics (UHC for Kids) as well as OMM As children ages 6-months to 2-years are diagnosed with an ear infection, I try to recruit them to our research study and then take them through the study for a month.
A study visit for the intervention subjects involves parent questionnaires, tympanograms and acoustic reflectometry readings - which I perform pre-and post-OMM - and then OMM, based on a research protocol that Drs. Carreiro, Ferrill and Waecker provide. Control subjects 
get parent questionnaires, tympanograms and acoustic reflectometry readings at each visit, so I am their only study contact.
What does my position entail? I do all the day-to-day work of the study except for the OMM protocol. A big part of that is, of course, the subject visits. We see our patients weekly for a month. Another thing that we focus on a lot is subject recruitment - which is turning out to be the hardest thing in clinical research.
I also act as the liaison to our pediatricians, keeping the study fresh in their minds, and to our audiologist who reads all of our tympanograms.
Because there are two sites in two different states, I work closely with the WV research assistant to ensure that both sites are interpreting and conducting the research protocol in identical fashion, and to coordinate data analysis etc. Dr. Steele, the PI, Dr. Carreiro, the Co-Investigator, and the two research assistants have a weekly conference call during which we track study progress, address any issues and set goals for the study.
Finally, there are numerous not-so-glamorous duties that a research assistant/site coordinator performs. I do all the scheduling for our site, all the file and folder creation and maintenance, all the photocopying, data entry, billing, subject compensation processing, budget reports, supply ordering, tympanogram blinding, Manual of Procedures creation, referral tracking, project site updates, and anything else that needs to be done.
I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Carreiro for giving me the opportunity to work on this research project for the year. It is awesome to be part of this research team, especially at the time of transition of implementing the grant into an actively running study. Dr. Carreiro is wonderful to work with and for - I could not ask for anyone better to work for. She has given me a lot of autonomy, responsibility and trust in my work, yet the weekly team meetings allow enough guidance and checking-in time. I have learned - and am learning - a tremendous amount about clinical research.
It’s hard for me to decide what is the best part about what I do. It’s a real toss-up between the people I work with and my patients. All the pediatricians (Drs. Gouldsborough, Pezzullo, Tenenbaum and Weiss), OMM providers (Drs. Ferrill, Waecker, Ianetta & Pelletier) as well as all the office staff at UHC have been nothing but supportive and welcoming. I feel like I am part of the office, and we have tons of laughs and fun. And I love working with my patients. I see the enrolled kids and their parents every week for a total of 5 visits, so I really get to know them. Their appointments are with me (+ an OMM treatment), so I am more than just an annoying medical student who they have to see before getting to see the “real” doctor. I have always worked with kids. It is the best thing in the world to just get to see toddlers all day long.
I am broadening my research experience into clinical research, and learning a tremendous amount about clinical research and all it entails. I like how multi-faceted my position is and that I am responsible for numerous different things. I have developed skills and technique in tympanometry and acoustic reflectometry, as well as patient interviewing and exam skills. I have been able to see some patients with some of the OMM providers, enhancing my OMM skills, and also a few pediatrics patients. I also table-train on some Tuesday afternoons for the second-years for OPP2, and test the MSIs and MSIIs for OPP, which is something I really enjoy.
Of course, there are downsides. It is not always intellectually stimulating to perform the same research protocol over and over again (I estimate that I have done close to 1000 tympanograms); a lot of my time is non-clinical; and I was hoping for more OMM or Peds time during times when I have no patients scheduled - but there are a lot of other students/residents in the office, my schedule is segmented, or the providers would sometimes rather not have another student at that time.
So what is next for me? I am trying to make the study as much of a success as possible for the year. I am going on rotations in August. I get to keep my Southern Maine spot and just need to lottery in the second round for a track. And I am now a member of the class of 2010. I am really glad I am doing the research fellowship. I have been given a tremendous opportunity, I am enjoying what I do, and I am really going to be sad when the year is over.
- Jude Viola, MSIII
MSIIIs Curt Senita and Katie Wetherbee enjoy a skiing trip during some down time at St. Joseph's Medical Center. Photo courtesy Katie Wetherbee.
Reading, Pennsylvania - St. Joseph’s Medical Center
Life in Reading, Pennsylvania is not what I had expected at all!
It is ranked the 23rd most dangerous city in the U.S. (I know Newark has us beat!), and a site I didn’t even consider until the night before the lottery. It has made for quite an adjustment, especially for someone used to life in Vermont and the shores of Maine. Looking back, I am 
amazed at how much I have grown professionally and personally, and how comfortable I am in the city of Reading and the area around it.
Reading is located right in the middle of a lot of great places to visit, things to do, and a complete diversity in culture and scenery. If you need to get away, Philadelphia is only about an hour away, NYC is only two hours away, and there are tons and tons of shopping outlets all within driving distance. If you like concerts, plays, or professional sporting events, there are plenty of opportunities right here in the city.
If being outdoors is more your thing, skiing, hiking, bike trails, stocked fishing rivers and Cabela’s Sporting Outlet Store, are all between a 15-min to an hour’s drive away. Our patient population and surrounding neighbors range from the Amish and Mennonites to the migrant Puerto Rican Farm Workers and the native Pennsylvania Dutch. With our populations’ diversity, knowing the little Spanish I did before coming here has been tremendously helpful. I have seen a slow but steady improvement in my ability to understand and my overall vocabulary.
There are 11 of us UNE-ers here now, and we rotate with students from PCOM and LECOM just about every four weeks. All the students have been great to work and learn from. I think we all have made some wonderful friends and great contacts with each group that has 
rotated through. Many are often 4th years and have rotated through the surrounding hospital systems and serve as great resources for future rotation sites.
Housing is provided at St. Joseph’s in their community campus building (a.k.a their old hospital). All but three of us are living in the provided locked-down wing of the hospital and everyone seems to have settled into their hospital beds, handicapped toilets, and shared shower facilities nicely. It’s just like a college dorm: we have a common room with all the kitchen utilities you need, a room with a TV to share, and laundry is just down the hall. Meals are provided, and we all have wireless internet in our rooms.
St. Joseph’s is an unopposed program and the family practice residents serve as our main go-to people as well as our friends. The program goes out of their way to include us in planned outings, like baseball games, rock-climbing, bowling, laser tag, and occasional dinners. The attendings and staff have all been great on each rotation I’ve had. I’ve found that they are more then willing to let you be your own guide, getting as much as you want out of each rotation. And there are many opportunities to be involved in fun medically related “stuff” around the community. I’ve been able to go to a local turkey farm to treat the migrant farm workers, teach at a local high school and at a children’s health and safety fair.
Besides the ability to be involved in patient care outside the hospital, St. Joseph’s offers some really great teaching opportunities. Being 
located at one hospital for the whole year creates a very comfortable environment where you are able to let down the inevitable third year jitters and just be wrong sometimes. Every morning we attend morning report, where we go over a case that was admitted the night before, make a differential diagnosis, get used to discussing lab results, reading EKG’s, ABG’s and X-rays.
However repetitive this process may be at 7am everyday, being expected to participate and contribute to the case being discussed keeps us all on our toes. In addition to daily noon lectures, we also have the unique opportunity to meet with the Oncologist every week, in an informal disscussion on whatever topic we may choose. Some other bonuses to the St. Joseph’s site is the in-patient pediatrics and psychiatry unit, and an internal medicine rotation that is split up into two, six-week sessions, which - for me - was definitely a much needed break.
There are many other positive aspects - as well as some negative - that I could mention about St. Joseph’s, which you will find is the case with any of the rotation sites. So my advice to all the MSII’s as Lottery day approaches, whatever does happen - whether you get your first choice or the bottom of the barrel in the common pool - try to make the best out of where you end up, because ultimately it is YOU, not the site, that will give you a great third year experience and the best education.
- Katie Wetherbee, MSIII
Sara Kleiman, MSIII (back), and Kristen Barbee, MSIII at a high school health fair in Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy Katie Wetherbee.
Allentown, Pennsylvania: Peter Kang, MSIII
Challenges out on the road... hmmm. While out in Allentown, Pennsylvania, at St. Luke's Hospital, my first "out on the road" rotation experience, I was told that I would be moving from one house to another just two weeks into my rotation. "Great!" I thought. I really didn't know why they would want me to move after about two weeks, but I was okay with it.
I got the keys to the residence, and the house from the outside was nice enough, but when I stepped through the threshold I was disheartened by what I saw. The house was pretty unkempt and looked like one of the crack houses on TV, but just a little better. Regardless, I was going to stay in there for the next two weeks. I have to admit, at least the place was dry - you just had to watch out for falling plaster in some spots.
The kitchen was pretty disgusting - the sink had mildewy/moldy plates and utensils with pupae casings of some strange insect attached to 
the undersides of the plates, with the not-too-subtle scent of cat spray, mildew, and yuck. I decided this needed to be cleaned with a lot of bleach and thick rubber gloves. I thought I did a pretty good job of cleaning the sink and counter top. I did have a couple roommates, but they seemed reluctant to touch anything in the sink, though they would touch the fridge and trashcan, which were clean-ish. One of my roommates stated that the stuff in the sink was there since he got there - that was a few weeks before me... why he didn't clean it, I really don't know.
My bedroom is another story... if you have ever been in a really cheap pay-by-the-hour hotel in a sleazy part of town in a big city - minus the roaches, thank God - that was my room, but about half the size. I really didn't want to touch anything, nor did I want to put my bags on the floor, but I did anyway. It really wasn't bad at all, and it was free. Two weeks goes by very quickly while on rotation. I moved out as quickly as I could to a freshly renovated townhouse closer to the hospital that I was assigned to. I was also assigned the nicest room in the pad, but I figured I kinda deserved it. I found out that the first house was going to be knocked down and turned into a parking lot. There are happy endings - I got to stay in a great house and the other one is condemned.
In terms of the rotation itself - just remember that you represent UNECOM: so study, be respectful of others, and immerse yourself in the experience - be enthusiastic. As a very wise 4th year told me (Jackie!): Don't be afraid to put yourself out on the chopping block - what's the worst that can happen to you? The attendings or residents will yell at you - get over it. No one is going to let you harm a patient, so just go out there - wherever you may go, and just do your best!
I am currently away doing my AHEC rotation - lots of bread-and-butter medicine and OMT. I am seeing a lot of different patients - and honing my interviewing and PE skills. My advice again is "don't be afraid to put yourself out there." The more you do, the better your skills become. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email. Good luck!
- Pete Kang, MSIII
The clinical years are very exciting. The time flies by and I find everyday to be too short for everything I want to accomplish. My last rotation in Rhode Island was the OBGYN, and so far it has been my favorite rotation. Currently, I have moved to Maine for my Pediatric Rotation, which is going pretty well.
However, since most of my rotations are in Rhode Island – and since I am one of the few who have considered the OBGYN to be a great rotation - I will give some of my key reasons why I have enjoyed it the most. The rotation is a little bit of everything. I spent my first two weeks on the labor and delivery floor, which was very exciting. I was able to assist a few deliveries, and those were the nights that after 
waiting for something to happen the whole day, the reward was precious and I couldn’t wait to get back there and do it all over again.
However, I find that if you want to make the most of the rotations you have to take that extra mile yourself. No one is going to ask you to assist or observe interesting procedures unless you show clear interest and make yourself available. I have learned a lot, but I have taken into account that I am willing to be wrong and work toward improving. I spent two weeks in an office setting where tests such as hysterosonogram, cystometrogram, endometrial bx, and colposcopy were some of the common procedures I watched. My last two weeks were in GYN-surgery, which helped polish the anatomy. Dr. Lefkovitz, who is a UNE alumnus, does an excellent job at teaching during this rotation. She spent at least a couple hours per week going over the key concepts and she is very good at quizzing.
My Rhode Island rotations so far have all taken place through Kent Hospital, which recently approved two new residency programs and is affiliated with UNE. The environment is very friendly. The Medical Staff Office, but especially Shannon Vacha, shows a great interest for the students. They are an extremely friendly group and they are our advocates. They are always willing to find proper resources to meet our needs. Dr. Salk is quite interested in the students and stays well-informed about them. And last but not least, I think that Kent Hospital has one of the greatest librarians. She is enthusiastic and very helpful. The Rhode Island living arrangement - having most of the students together in one house - increases our interactions and adds some more flavor to our rotation experiences.
Showing energy, enthusiasm and interest are a few things we have more control over as third-year students. I don’t have all the answers, but I have a good attitude and I try to see each rotation as a great opportunity to learn. And at times it is good to keep in mind a William Osler saying: “Courage and cheerfulness will not only carry you over the rough places in life, but will enable you to bring comfort and help to the weak-hearted, and will console you in sad hours.”
- Denisa Bellani, MSIII
Fourth-Year Reflections: Zach Soucy, MSIV
Third Year…
If you work your butt off you will be noticed and rewarded. Of all the other students I have met, I have felt as prepared or more prepared. Residents have commented that they thought I was a 4th year because I took the initiative to do as much as they would allow and often offered to help out when times were stressful. Arrive ten minutes early and leave when work is done, and you will become an asset to the team you are on. Never speak poorly of anyone and always be optimistic and focus on the positive. Ask for attending/resident assessments often so you can learn from feedback. Don’t try to upstage anyone with truckloads of knowledge…answering questions when called upon is worth more and makes more friends.
STUDY STUDY STUDY…just because you don’t have a reading assignment or test that week does not give you the right to slack…it will be noticed, trust me! Get to know the residents and attendings…the more they know and trust you, the more they will let you do. If you find 
a resident who does not like you, avoid working with them and keep things positive…never speak poorly of anyone. Be honest with site reviews and improvements that can be made. Don’t be afraid to speak to your attending if you have a well-thought-out idea. Have FUN and get to know your patients…at the beginning of your third year you know about disease but very little about medicine…patients can teach you more than you can imagine.
Fourth Year and the Match!
So you want to be a resident? Here is how you should arrange your fourth year, and also my thoughts on the ERAS application, interviewing, and the match. Here is a time-table for the allopathic match.
First, how should you set up your fourth year? This is fairly easy depending upon when you want to take your Step II exams. In general, if you did very well on the Step I, then take Step II so the results will not be ready until after the interviews are over, unless you are entering a very competitive field of medicine and programs tell you they want the Step II before the interview (not very common). After Colloquium in July, do your showcase rotations in August, September, and October. If you want to do your rotation at a hospital you are interested in doing residency at, put the program you are less interested in during August, and the ones you are more interested in during later months so you will know how to impress your attendings.
Another piece of advice I would like to pass on to third-years is to start your ERAS application as soon as possible. If I were to do it all over again, I would have my personal statement DONE by June. I would also have all my letters of recommendation written by this time. Internal Medicine and Surgery letters are the most important, unless you are going into a specialty that is one of the core rotations. At the very latest, you want all your letters in by mid-October.
You want your ERAS application done by the first or second week in September. In the work/volunteer/research section of the 
application, most directors want a very succinct two- to three-sentence description about what you did and what it meant to you. This part is not as important and may even be overlooked unless you did something really out of the ordinary. Interviewers may get their questions from this section so know your application very well and be prepared to talk about anything. Remember to put in all your awards, scholarships, and professional organizations from college through UNECOM.
I heard from programs as early as September 23rd and as late as mid January. Set up your rotations during November, December, and January, because if you apply to residencies all over the Northeast or nation, you can spend a lot of time away from the rotation and may need to do extra projects to compensate for time missed. I feel the best way is to schedule most interviews EARLY during December (which you should take off), with a couple in November and just a few in January so you don’t have to make up time.
In total, I scheduled 14 interviews and attended 10 of them due to bad weather and burn out at the end. It is difficult to schedule a couple of practice interviews early and then your top choices later, but you should shoot for this goal. It is difficult because you don’t know when - or if - a program will offer you an interview. When you are offered an interview, RESPOND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, because your spot could be given to another applicant or the date you want may be given up. I felt enthusiastic through all of my 10 interviews, though interview committees seemed to tire in mid-January. Setting the interviews up early also allows you to be an amateur at interviewing when everyone else is, versus starting late in December or in January and looking naïve while others are well rehearsed and sharp.
After a long interview season, your rank order list will be due at the end of February. During the first couple to three weeks of January, you may receive a phone call, hand written letter, typed letter, or email from a program director expressing interest in your qualifications and fit in their program. Be prepared for these and know whom you are expecting when you click “talk” on your cell phone - trust me! Though I have not matched yet, program directors use very specific language that does not violate any match rules. They may say they would like to talk to you about opportunities, and that they make very few calls.
From what I have been told, a phone call is very, very good, with letters and emails being pretty good too. I expressed my interest through email or by talking to the director. I have heard of students telling several programs that they are going to rank them all #1. Please don’t be a tool and do this. Docs at programs have told me UNECOM students have done this in the past, and it looks bad for us and for our school. Well, rank takes place in mid-March, and then you report to residency in late June or July. Hope this helped. Any questions…reach me at zsoucy@mail.une.edu. GOOD LUCK!
- Zach Soucy, MSIV
CORE Questions for Watertown [Erin Reardon, MSIII]:
1.) Number of UNECOM students there?
There are eight 3rd year students doing core rotations here and currently three 4th years doing selective/electives. Two of the residents are doing their rotating internships in Watertown as well.
2.) Total number of medical students at the site, i.e. UNECOM and other schools combined?
There are 8 third years and 3 fourth years here. At most we have two other students rotating from other schools, but they are usually 
only here for one rotation that is about 4 weeks. There really aren’t that many other students here; it is usually the close group of 8. There are also two IM residents, 1 FP resident and 2 rotating interns (1 of which will stay for FP).
3.) What is your impression of the housing? Is housing provided on-site? (Please also provide digital picture(s) if possible)
Housing is great. It is an older apartment building but they remodeled the exterior this past fall. It is provided at a very minimal fee ($150/mo) and you have a fully-furnished apartment w/coin op. laundry and small storage closet in the basement. There is one parking lot per apartment and the lot is plowed/walks are shoveled for you. The apartment is about 2 blocks from the hospital so most of us just walk to work. You really don’t need to bring much with you b/c the place is fully furnished; we actually have a lot in the local storage building. The DME tries extremely hard to provide anything you’d need. The apartments have beds, couches, lamps, end-tables, TV/VCR/DVD, all utensils and pot/pans, coffee makers, toaster, and microwaves…even ironing board and iron – really, they have most anything you’d want. Heating/AC and electric are all provided for you.
4.) What is the call schedule like on different services?
Call is usually what ever you are interested in. If you’d like to get called you can put your name up in nursing stations, give it to attendings and you may get paged. Assigned call varies with the service – surgery was mostly just when they covered the ER, maybe once a week, and then every other weekend/2 weekends out of 5. OB/Gyn has two weekends and every third night - or whenever there is a delivery…
again, if you WANT to do it. IM requires two weekends and you are usually there from 6am to maybe 10pm. They may let you go home for a while for dinner etc. but if a new admission comes in they’ll let you start the interview/H+P. There was no call on FP unless you wanted to meet a newborn or see the circumcision.
5.) Is PEDS in-patient or out-patient?
There is NICU and the peds rotation varies on the group you are assigned to. With the Ft. Drum community, there are many different groups in town so your assigned peds time can be broken up from hospital rounds before every office day, or 2 weeks office to 2 weeks NICU back to 2 weeks office. It really depends on how the attendings work.
6.) Are any of your rotations off-site, i.e. do you have to travel? If so, how frequent and how far?
There are many different groups in town so most rotations are in Watertown but some exceptions are FP in Clayton with Dr. Rush and Dr. Jepma. They are great docs and their office is about 45 minutes away. Clayton is on the water and a beautiful area. Some military folks choose rotations at Ft. Drum, which is about 20-30 minutes away – FP and Peds, some OB/Gyn. Most everything is at the hospital or the medical plaza up the street, less than 2 miles 
away. You have the option of traveling for your open block if you’d like.
7.) What has been your most rewarding rotation so far?
I’ve loved all the rotations so far - the attendings really like to teach - and one of the secrets to a small community hospital is that you work directly with the attendings. Surgery was great because you are most likely going to first-assist on many cases. ICU is an awesome rotation because Dr. Recklin will sit down with you each day and teach – same with Dr. Vargas in in-patient psychiatry. Pathology is also popular here b/c Dr. Haghir is also very involved with the students. She has noon lectures with unknown slides to ID, and really interesting cancer cases. OB w/Dr. Cohen is also one of the most popular rotations.
8.) Are there many residents at your site? Does this impact your opportunity to perform various procedures?
There are 2 IM residents and 1 FP resident. Two people are doing their rotating internship year and one of them is staying for FP next year. It seems as though each student gets one rotation with an intern or resident. It isn’t ideal b/c you no longer get direct contact with the attending, but they’re all very nice and try to be as helpful/interactive as possible. Yes, they usually get to do procedures before the students.
9.) Location and quality of life, i.e. things to do when you're not doing the medical student “thing.”
Watertown is WAY up north in New York. Everyone told us they had record-breaking weather and it was the coldest place in the U.S., 
etc., but honestly it has been a fairly mild winter. For those who like to Nordic/alpine ski this is a great place to be. There are tons of outdoor activities and we often head over to Lake Placid on weekends (about 2 hour drive) – beautiful hiking, biking, and paddling too! It is a lower socioeconomic region so there aren’t a ton of things to do but all the essentials are here. There are some really nice restaurants in Saket’s Harbor – which is a cute little town on Lake Ontario, but they are mostly seasonal. Watertown has a couple of family style restaurants, a great Italian place, a nice Thai restaurant, a Mexican place and all the chain restaurants you’ll need (Ruby’s, TGIF’s, Applebee’s etc.) There is a large Florida contingent here, so things quiet down in the winter. There is a mall with Movie theater, and Syracuse is only about 45 min. away – plenty of nightlife, music, sports, museums and shops in the city. To be honest, you really don’t have that much time to do much outside the hospital anyway, so you’re lucky to catch a dinner, maybe a movie.
10.) Any other comments/relevant items to note?
You’ll get a reduced membership to the YMCA if you like. It is very active in the community and about 2 blocks from the apartment (opposite direction of the hospital). They have lap + rec. pools, plenty of weights/machines/classes etc. There are many active groups in the community who work with fitness education, big brother/sister, church groups etc. A big chili bowl every year hosted by the local family practice groups to raise money for medical transport/services in the community. It is a great place to start your medical rotations, and the teaching is great: the DME - Dr. Towle - and Linda Kinsey work very hard to create a supportive, educational environment, and they love having students. He also runs the OMT clinic every Wednesday where you see about 5-10 patient and practice your OMM skills.
Scholarships and Fellowships
David RIss, MSI, treks to Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park during a recent Wilderness Medicine Club expedition. Photo courtesy Dave Riss.
Finding Health in Maine: Complementary & Integrative Medicine Summer Elective for Medical Students
June 23-27, 2008, Maine Medical Center, Department of Family Medicine, Portland, Maine.
Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program is again offering a weeklong elective for medical students in Integrative and Complementary Medicine, June 23-27, 2008. The week will consist of didactics and experiences. Topics will include acupuncture, manual medicine, homeopathy, and botanical medicine. Time will also be spent in wellness activities such as physical activity, mindfulness and spirituality, and nutrition/cooking. It will take place in our Family Medicine Centers and community locations in greater Portland, Maine. Primary presenters in our program will be family medicine physician faculty members and cooperating CAM practitioners. This experience will help individuals reflect and gain perspective on their lives and on what it means to be a physician-healer in a supportive community of students, family physicians and CAM providers.
There is no cost for this elective, other than a $75 registration fee. We will provide housing, breakfast and lunch to participants.
To register, please contact Penny Savage at 207-662-7402 or email: savagp@mmc.org
There will be a non-refundable $75.00 registration fee. Funded by The Weil Foundation
Faculty and Staff
Lighthouse on a hill. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII.
India Broyles Ed.D. (COM), Evelyn Schwalenberg D.O. (COM), Benjamin Boh (MS2 COM), and Jean Reagan (COM) showcased the work of COM students and faculty at the Biddeford Free Clinic through a poster and a paper presentation - SugarBusters, Better Breathers and More: Medical Students Bring Family Medicine to a Community Free Clinic - at the annual conference of the Society of Teachers in Family Medicine in Portland Oregon, Jan. 25-27, 2008
Clubs and Organizations
L-R Bianca Brunelli, MSI, Maria Aguilo-Seara, MSII, and Susan Dadaian, MSI, enjoy the Student National Medical Association's "Latin Night" of salsa dancing in February. Photo by Mark Umphrey, MSII.
[Editor's Note: There have been plenty of events during the month of March, and there are many more in April. Due to time and space constraints, more events will be covered in the April COMmunicator. Thanks!]
Annual UAAO Auction on March 13th
The UNECOM chapter of the Undergraduate American Academy of Osteopathy (UAAO) held their annual fundraising auction on Thursday, March 13th, at Union House Café in Biddeford.
There was live music from medical students including Mike Dominello, Chris Mone, Dante Leven, and Todd Kitchens.
Items bid upon included:
o Two cases of fine wine
o A brand new portable OMM Table ($400 retail)
o Private BacT review and dinner for two with Dr. Vaughn at Fed Jack's
o Skis and Tune Up
o A $100 Gift certificate to the NH Liquor store (no seriously)
o A private wine tasting for eight
o A sailboat ride on a private boat with the skipper
o The Dean’s personal parking space for a week
o A $100 gift certificate to Union Bar and Grill in Boston
o Custom gourmet cake made to order (any brides in the house?)
o Cranial Treatment and Eval from Dr. Field
o more wine from Vic and Whit's in Saco
o A month membership at the Yoga Gym
o Passes to the Maine Rock Gym with Equipment and lesson
o Artwork
o Construction and Craftwork for your home
o Photoshoot for your friends or family
o Home and Garden Consultation and labor
o way more.....
C&O Events in March
March 1 – Blood pressure screening at Shaw’s Supermarket. Sponsored by ACOFP. Contact Mike Ross, MSI, for more info.
March 3-7 – National Osteopathic Women Physician’s Association (NOWPA) theme week.
March 3 – “Dr. Mom” Talk with Heather Ferrill, D.O., in ACHS 106. Pizza from Papa John’s provided. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 4 – “Embryology and Osteopathy” talk with Jane Carreiro, D.O., and David Koester, Ph.D., ACHS 304, potluck lunch. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 5 – “Contraception Options/IUD Myth Clarification” with Liz Stockwell, D.O. ACHS 106, Sodexho lunch. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 6 – “Focus on Nepal: Maternal Mortality rate change after the legalization of therapeutic abortion.” ACHS 106, Sodexho lunch. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 7 – “Supporting patients who have eating disorders.” ACHS 304, potluck lunch. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 8 – Papaya workshop, 11am-1pm. Sponsored by NOWPA. Contact Ariel Tosi, MSII, for more info.
March 10-14 – Theme Week for the National Osteopathic Women Physician’s Association (NOWPA), the OBGYN club, and Medical Students for Choice (MSFC).
March 10 – “Born in the U.S.A.” movie, 5-7pm, ACHS 304. Pizza from Papa John’s. Sponsored by NOWPA/OBGYN/MSFC.
March 10 – Screening of “Sicko,” with discussion by Dr. Paul Leband. 4-6pm in ACHS 106. Contact Rachel Kester, MSI, for more info. Sponsored by AMSA.
March 11 – Birth Centers and Birth Advocates, ACHS 106, Sodexho Lunch. Sponsored by NOWPA/OBGYN/MSFC.
March 12 – Breastfeeding Center of Maine, ACHS 106, potluck. Sponsored by NOWPA/OBGYN/MSFC.
March 12 – Mentor Dinner at Verillo’s Restaurant in Portland. Contact Lauren Traynor, MSII, for more info. Sponsored by NOWPA.
March 13 – “Women’s health and OMT,” Suzie McGrorty, MSIII, and Cindy Norton, MSIII. Sponsored by NOWPA/OBGYN/MSFC.
March 13 – Annual Auction for UAAO, at Union House Café, 5:30-8:30pm. Contact Dan Miller, MSII, for more info.
March 14 – “Let’s Talk About Sex: Easing the Dialogue with Your Adolescent Patients”. ACHS 106, potluck. Sponsored by NOWPA/OBGYN/MSFC.
March 14 – Dr. David Biondi, UNECOM alum, will speak about Neurology. Sponsored by the Neuro Psych Club. Contact Lauren Fleischer, MSII, for more info.
March 13-17 – Mt. Katahdin Hike, Wilderness Medicine Club. Contact Cathy Chamberlin, MSI, for more info.
March 15 – MSIII Panel to discuss rotations with MSIIs and MSIs. 2-4pm in Alfond. Contact Steve Fosmire, MSII, for more info.
March 20 – Senator Susan Collins will speak on healthcare and take a few questions. 5pm in the St. Francis Room. Sponsored by the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA.) Contact Cathy Popadiuk, MSI, for more info.
March 20 – Mechanisms of Alcoholism: Andre Pietrzykowski. Sponsored by the Neuro Psych Club. Contact Marc Bouchard, MSI, for more info.
March 24-28 – COM Spring Break.
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 | Meg Rothman, MSI |
| Ryan Smith, MSII | Laura Viscome, MSI |
| Tara Wayt, MSII | Will Wong, MSI |
| Ahmad Yassin, MSII |
C&O Officers:
| SGA | Lacey McIntosh, MS II | Orthopaedics | Earl Han, MSI, and Priyesh Mehta, MSI |
| Class of 2008 | Joe Dessent, MSIV | Pain and Anesth. | Max Opoku-Agyemang, MSII |
| 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 | Public Health | Firas Naji, MSII |
| ACOOG/OBGYN | Lauren Traynor, MSII, and Jeff Brown, MSII | SSP | Christina DeMatteo, MSII |
| ACOP/PEDS | Cassidy Foley, MSII, and Rima Zahr, MSII | Sports Med | Michelle Stone, MSII |
| AMA | Chris Blomberg, MSII, and Nick Nikolopoulos, MSII | SAA | Melissa Goulet |
| AMSA | Andrew Ray, MS II | SCACOEP/EMC | Robert Brown, MSII |
| AMOPS | Peter Lapen, MSII, and Juliann Minnon, MSII | SNMA | Shobhit Gupta, MSII, and Mark Umphrey, MSII |
| Clown Patch Club | Rob Parker, MSI | SOIMA | Sita Singhal, MSII |
| IMC | Kim Salaycik, MSII, and Sue White, MSII | SOMA | Mike Dominello, MSII |
| IFMSA | Tad Lanagan, MSII, and Mari Davis, MSII | SOSA | Kevin Hsu, MSII |
| JMSA | Jeff Brown, MSII, and Rob Levine, MSII | SRA | Lacey McIntosh, MSII |
| MSFC | Ariel Tosi, MSII, and Maria Weinstein, MSII | Symp. Tones | Rachel Keesling, MSII |
| MAC | Amber Hendricks, MSII, and Kim Salaycik, MSII | TM&H | Katie Lewis, MSII, and Christina DeMatteo, MSII |
| NOWPA | Josie Conte, MSII, and Lauren Traynor, MSII | UAAO | Daniel Miller, MSII, and Amanda Staples, MSII |
| NPC | Lauren Fleischer, MSII | UCMDA | Rachel Keesling, MSII |
| NERC | Jeremy Force, MSII, and Despina Hoffman, 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
Meghan Grant, MSIII, enjoys some salsa dancing during the SNMA "Latin Night." Photo by Mark Umphrey, MSII.
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
Members of the UNECOM Wilderness Medicine Club trek across Chimney Pond on their way to Mt. Katahdin. Photo courtesy David Riss, MSI.
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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