Second-year UNECOM Med Student Wins Hyannis
Marathon
There’s just something
blessed about the number 26 for Luke Wood. The second-year medical student
decided to compete in his first marathon over the weekend near Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. 26-year old Wood ran 26.2 miles in the 26th
annual Four Points by Sheraton Hyannis Marathon on February 26th,
and won.
His time of 2:46:09 clocks out
to roughly 6:20 per mile (note the inverted “26”), a blistering pace
for such freezing weather. Wood beat out nearly 300 fellow runners to
record his first victory in a road race since college. Over 2,700 runners
competed in the marathon, half-marathon, and 10K races during the day.
Luke maintains a faithful
training regimen while spending most of his time studying at UNECOM.
Interviewed by the Cape Cod Times, Wood said of his race, “I’m
a little surprised because the last five miles was a real struggle. I was
behind at the 21-mile mark, but then I passed the guy in front of me and
somehow was able to keep the lead.” Wood beat Providence native Martin
Tighe by 39 seconds.
Carl Daniel, MS II, Golf TDI 2.
McQuilkin Photo.
Darcy Thomas, MS IV and OMM Fellow, poses next to her Golf
TDI. McQuilkin Photo.
Scotty McQuilkin's VW, Interior British Columbia,
Summer 2005. McQuilkin Photo.
Educational Enhancement
Fund Information
The Educational Enhancement
Fund (EEF) is designed by UNECOM as a way for the University to
promote student leadership and extracurricular learning
opportunities. The Fund reimburses students up to 50% of the costs
associated with traveling to a conference.
This year, the University
ear-marked $10,000 for the EEF during the 2005-2006 academic year.
To apply, students must fill out an EEF form from the RSAS office in
which they estimate conference expenses. Applications should then be
returned to Joan Goulet in the RSAS office.
While a number of students have taken
advantage of this opportunity to help finance trips to conferences,
there are still funds available. This is a great opportunity to
participate in regional and national events with University
assistance, so if you've been thinking about a specific opportunity,
this may be a way to fund it.
MS II's Carl Daniel and Aileen Tiro strike a pose at the
SGA Snow Ball in December.
Photo by Tanya Hanke, MS II
Betty
Ford Center's 2006 Summer Institute for Medical Students
The
Betty Ford Center is offering scholarships for five day experiential
training seminars this summer at its gorgeous campus in Rancho Mirage,
Calif. Sessions will be held May 22-26, June 5-9, June 19-23, July 3-7,
July 17-21, July 31-August 4, and August 14-18.
Training focuses
specifically on treating substance abuse and breaking addictions.
Scholarships will cover tuition, travel, lodging, materials and on-campus
meals. Applications may be viewed at www.bettyfordcenter.org/welcome/training,
or interested students may call 1-800-854-9211, ext. 4108.
Application
deadline is March 15, 2006.
Allison Cosslett, MS II, plays electric guitar for the Band
"Circle of Willis" at the Snow Ball.
Photo by Tanya Hanke, MS II
Cohen-McKeon, MS IV, on MSFC National
Board of Directors
Leora Cohen-McKeon, MS IV, ran for the
Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) National Board of Directors in 2004.
Through a written application and then several interviews
with board members, Cohen-McKeon was selected as a second year student and
has a 2-year term. She attends board meetings four
times a year, and also participates in numerous
conference calls throughout the year.
As a member of
the Board of Directors, she is responsible for the financial, legal,
and institutional well-being of MSFC. The Board establishes the short
and long-term priorities of the organization. Cohen-McKeon notes that
"It is a great way to know how an organization
actually works, and it will help train me to be a
member of other boards in the future."
UNECOM is pleased to have
Leora as a representative on a national-level Board.
MS II's Mellissa Holden and Kavitha Tipirneni enjoy the SGA
Snow Ball.
Photo by Tanya Hanke, MS II
OMM, the Ancient Afghan
Way
Remember our friend Josiah
Harlan from last month’s newsletter? The Pennsylvanian Quaker had
journeyed to Afghanistan in 1839 to become a king. Harlan’s rudimentary
medical knowledge seemed more a liability than an asset, and his bedside
manner might best be described as draconian.
But Harlan was about to meet
his match in savage health care. After months of journeying through the
wilds of modern India and Pakistan, Harlan arrived at Peshawar, on the
border with Afghanistan. While in the frontier city, the intrepid American
took the opportunity to sample an Afghan sauna. It nearly killed him.
Ben Macintyre, in his book The
Man Who Would Be King: The First American in Afghanistan, provides
Harlan’s vivid account of his agonies at the hands of an Afghan masseur.
Harlan writes: “The visitor is allowed to
swelter awhile in the steam pervading the room at a temperature much
higher than we are accustomed to take the hottest water bath.” After
fifteen minutes, the masseur arrived. “This official,” says Harlan,
“approaches his customer with a metal pot holding about a quart of hot
water, and dashing the contents over him by repeated effusions commences
soaping the person from head to foot. This finished, he draws upon his
hand a mitten of horse hair.” Horsehair bristles, it must be noted, have
all the silken softness of an SOS pad.
Harlan continues: “Taking the
bather’s hand, he rubs the palm of his own upon the arm upwards from the
wrist. At every movement large flakes of accumulated scurf will be
collected in rolls, the size of coarse packed threads or larger, and until
they cease to form under the mitten as it passes over the skin.” One
wonders if Harlan may have mislabeled as “scurf” what was in reality
the outer five layers of epidermis. The scrubbing lasted half an hour.
After a thorough dousing with scalding water, the actual massage began:
“The operator stands with his
feet upon the bather’s extended hands presented palm up and arms at
length resting upon the marble floor. In this position the manipulator
inclines the person and placing the heels of his palm upon the bather’s
thighs presses hard as he gradually slides them down towards the knees.
This movement is frequently repeated, the calves of the leg and the arms
are also well kneaded and the bather is turned over.
“The operator now places his
heel at the back of the neck and slides downwards, first on one side and
then the other of the backbone. He stands upon the calves, the thighs and
presses firmly with his feet or hands all the fleshy parts of the person.
The operator concludes his manipulations by cracking the joints, beginning
with the toes. Every one of these is made to respond to his efforts, the
ankles, knees, fingers, wrists and elbow joints. Even the neck responds to
a forcible twist and concluding with the chef d’oeuvre: a sudden
crack of the back startles the patient with surprise!”
After such a vicious drubbing,
er, scrubbing, Harlan was left to rest in a recovery room and was allowed to smoke for
several hours as he regained strength. He left with an exhilarated
feeling of complete detachment, probably due to his near-death experience.
Upon further reflection, the hardy doctor offered his apt observation that
the process might be “too shocking for delicate persons to endure.”
Mercifully, OMM techniques have improved considerably in the past
two centuries.
|
Current Students
Ellen Bursch, MS I, sorts items to torch at the Post Gross
Toast bonfire in November.
Photo courtesy of Merima Ramovic, MS I
“Diesel:
The Way Life Should Be” Article and
Photos by
Scott McQuilkin, MS II
“The
use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But
such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the
coal-tar products of the present time.”
- Rudolph Diesel, 1911
I
smile to myself again as I glance at my review mirror and see another
driver mouth the words “powered by waste vegetable oil” while reading
aloud the decal that I have strategically placed on my personal vehicle's
rear window. In this same position I have since removed another decal
which read “powered by biodiesel,” and had found equal satisfaction
when seeing drivers and passengers alike mouth these words which would
invariably spark a discussion, even if there was only one occupant in the
vehicle behind me!
After
becoming so frustrated with the seemingly ever-declining states of the
planet's political, socio-economic,  environmental
and security climates surrounding "progress" and "world
markets' and "globalization," I sought to find the
least-polluting and destabilizing form of passenger vehicle available to
me and concluded that a diesel car was my goal. True, there are a few
options available for alternatively fueled or highly efficient vehicles
(including hybrids and ethanol-burning [“E85”] gas cars), but after
much deliberation, my interest rested on a Volkswagen diesel. During the
winter of 2003, while employed full time and not actually still in some
sort of schooling (amazingly!), I was able to afford my first new car, a
base model Volkswagen Jetta with a whopping 26 miles on the odometer.
While a seemingly modest purchase (as these cars are relatively
inexpensive and fairly prolific), my particular model sheathed quite a
surprise: a manual transmission, 1.9 liter “turbo direct inject” (TDI)
diesel engine, which, directly from the factory, achieved approximately 50
miles per gallon (mpg) during highway cruising and 46 mpg in city driving!
Some
may sneer at the thought of the diesel engine, especially if they are old
enough to remember the 1970's oil embargo and introduction of many
soot-spewing, foul-smelling diesel passenger vehicles onto North America's
roadways. But, as can be seen on European thoroughfares, the newer
generations of diesel automobiles and trucks (which comprise nearly 40% of
the European private fleet) are very much accepted because of their
unmatched efficiency (fuel prices in Europe are up to four times as
expensive when compared to America), cost, and relative simplicity. In the
U.S., there are only a few diesel civilian passenger vehicles available,
most notably in the Volkswagen and Mercedes lines. It is often argued why
there are so few choices for efficient diesel in the U.S., with most
experts agreeing that it is because of the lower costs of fuel in this
country than other countries that drives (nyuk, nyuk) most vehicle owners
towards the continued purchasing of less efficient gasoline-powered
alternatives. In other words, demand fuels the supply.
Aside
from my VW having an outstanding miles-per-gallon rating, the little
diesel has an environmentally sound curve-ball rolled up its fenders...er,
sleeves. As quoted above, Rudolph Diesel, the engineer behind this
mainstay in transportation internal combustion engines, originally fueled
his creations on vegetable oil, specifically peanut and then canola oils.
The development of the diesel engine and biofuels run concurrent in their
history, weaving a story of technological advancement and political and
economic struggle. The story of the diesel engine is the more
technological aspect of this history, but it becomes easy to see how the
political and economic aspects of biofuels impacted its evolution.
Rudolph
Diesel (1858-1913) developed a theory that revolutionized the engines of
his day. Diesel designed his engine in response to the heavy resource
consumption and inefficiency of the steam engine, which only produced 12%
efficiency, and in February of 1897, he ran the 'first diesel engine
suitable for practical use', which
operated at an unbelievable efficiency of 75%. Diesel demonstrated his
engine at the Exhibition Fair in Paris, France in 1898.
| This
engine stood as an example of Diesel's vision because it was fueled
by peanut oil - the 'original' biodiesel. He thought that the
utilization of a biomass fuel was the real future of his engine. He
hoped that it would provide a means for the smaller industries,
farmers, and 'common folk' to compete with the monopolizing
industries which controlled all energy production at that time, as
well as to serve as an alternative for the inefficient fuel
consumption of the steam engine. As a result of Diesel's vision,
compression-ignited engines were powered by a biomass fuel,
vegetable oil, until the 1920's [when converted to the cheaper
petroleum of the time] and are being powered again, today, by
biodiesel” (http://www.ybiofuels.org/bio_fuels/index.html
).
|
Dean Kelley and her Jetta wagon TDI
|
Biodiesel
is a common term used for non-petroleum oils that are processed with
methanol and lye, with the only two byproducts being a clean and low
viscosity fuel that may be burned with petroleum in any mixture within a
diesel engine, and glycerin soap. It “is a domestically produced,
renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats,
or recycled restaurant greases. Biodiesel is safe, biodegradable, and
reduces serious air pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, and air toxins. Blends of 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum
diesel (B20) can generally be used in unmodified diesel engines. Biodiesel
can also be used in its pure form (B100), but it may require certain
engine modifications to avoid maintenance and performance problems and may
not be suitable for wintertime use”
(http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/biodiesel.html
).
Biodiesel,
unbeknownst to most of the public, can be utilized within any diesel
engine without many modifications, if any at all. It can be mixed to any
degree with petroleum diesel, and even run “neat” at 100%, which I do
in the warmer months in my VW Jetta. It can even be run in many home
furnaces which rely on “heating oil #2,” which is just road diesel
dyed red for tax reasons, as UNECOM's own Dr. Stephanie Waecker and her
husband Spencer Reed have done, running both their VW Jetta and heating
their house with biodiesel! It's a wonder to me that no more than a small,
grassroots coalition is the loudest voice when it comes to this
wonder-fuel which addresses so many of the critical issues of our time:
renewable energy, pollution and health, national security, domestic
agriculture livelihood, and waste.
However,
with all of the benefits from running a domestically produced, renewable,
energy-neutral, vegetable-based fuel there are some possible drawbacks,
which I believe are far outweighed by the benefits.
|
The
fuel can gel at a higher temperature than petroleum in the winter,
therefore, while running a higher concentration of petroleum diesel/biodiesel
mixture, I also use some anti-gel additives as well as external heat
sources to my fuel lines in the colder months in order to run a
concentration of biodiesel. Also, cost/availability are an issue, though
in Maine, and even near UNE, there are local sources of biodiesel. In
Arundle there is a retail pump at Solar Market, an environmental design
and architecture firm which specializes in solar photovoltaics, and
Independence Fuels (http://www.biofuelme.com
) and Frontier Energy (http://www.frontierenergy.org
) are both important state-wide distributors.
|
Eric and Christine with TDI edc
|
Biodiesel also degrades
natural rubber, so many older diesels (especially trucks which are much
more numerous than passenger cars) should have their fuel lines exchanged
for synthetics. And biodiesel in some vehicles may slightly increase one
pollutant (NOx) which is a concern when considering the ozone within the
Earth's atmosphere. But, although this one substance may increase
slightly, all others decrease significantly! Sulfur is completely removed
as a byproduct of combustion when using vegetable-based fuels, CO2 is
reduced up to 80%, and since newer diesels are much more efficient and
clean than their predecessors, soot/particulates levels are reduced
dramatically.
The
momentum to advertise the benefits of using this fuel, while still not
being presented on a grand level to the public, is increasing. A national
roadside assistance company is providing discounts for alternative fuel
drivers ( http://www.betterworldclub.com/links/biodiesel.htm
), and even celebrities are joining in on the fun as Darryl Hannah, Woody
Harrelson, and Willie Nelson are all using biodiesel in their private
diesel vehicles. Even the US government, which is the leading purchaser of
biodiesel in North America, runs many military vehicles on the biofuel!
|
Locally,
the Lord family, who have a world-renowned solar powered household in
which they garage a VW Beetle TDI running on biodiesel, are well-traveled
advocates of alternative fuel use (http://www.solarhouse.com ).
Also, there are many companies utilizing alternative fuels in their fleets
and buildings, including LL Bean, the Maine State government in Augusta,
and many school systems including Colby College and the University of
Southern Maine. Even UNE is considering the use of biodiesel in their
fleet and/or furnaces as is being discussed within its Environmental
Council. |
Dr. Stephanie Waecker, Jetta TDI
|
Presently, within the UNECOM family there are no less than six
diesel vehicles driven nearly daily on some mixture of alternative fuels,
with half of these actually burning waste vegetable oil (WVO) as a primary
fuel!
As
Rudolph Diesel was able to run his engines on peanut oil, so too can
modern diesels. Unlike the utilization of
biodiesel, though, straight vegetable oil (SVO) or WVO require an
auxiliary fuel tank as well as some modifications to a vehicle's injection
system. But, once these relatively simple modifications are made, as I
have done (as well as fellow second-year classmates Christine Mahoney and
her husband Eric Hynes, and Rocki Kurucz and his wife Emily), one can drive on a nearly
infinite source of free fuel by using the waste oils from local restaurant
fryalators, since they usually have to pay for its removal and are happy
to “dispose” of it free of charge to a vegetable oil-burning customer.
When properly converted, diesel vehicles have to start their engines using
fuel from the original tank (filled with either biodiesel, petroleum, or
both in a mixture) and then switch to vegetable oil once it has achieved a
low viscosity, similar to petroleum diesel, by using heat within the
system (usually accomplished by rerouting a hit radiator fluid line to be
immersed in the secondary tank). Then, when arriving at a destination, the
vehicle is switched back over to the original tank's fuel in order to
purge the system of WVO so there is no possibility of gelling in the lines
and filters if the temperature is cool enough. With my Jetta's factory
mileage, and now total on-board capacity of fuel equaling 30 gallons (half
of which is my second tank which holds WVO) I am able to travel from here
to California and back using only one tank of the original tank's fuel!
It's amazing!
So,
as can be seen in the pictures, this is an exciting time to be able to
“walk the walk” regarding environmental stewardship, national
security, population health, and financial moderation. I am heartened
daily by the fact that I am able to make a difference in my personal life
which also positively affects my surrounding communities. It is enjoyable
to be an advocate for the endless questions from skeptics about such a
“novel idea,” even though the process of powering diesel vehicles on
vegetable oil has been available for nearly 100 years! I look back into my
mirror again, and get another chuckle as I see a young couple wrinkle
their brows while reading the back of my car, hopefully planting the seed
of inquisition within their minds to think about causes and effects of
their actions and the need for change if a true state of sustainability
and balance is to be reached for our future health and longevity.
L-R Scott McQuilkin, MS II, Jake Budny, MS I, Rocki
Kurucz, MS II, and Carl Daniel, MS II, stand proudly by their
diesel-powered machines. Photo Courtesy Scott McQuilkin.
References:
Physicians’
Day at the Legislature, March 2, 2006
The
Maine Medical Association, the Maine Osteopathic Association, and the
Coalition for Health Care Access and Liability Reform present
“Physicians’ Day at the Legislature,” on March 2, 2006, at the State
House in Augusta. The purpose of the day is to discuss legislation to
reform Maine’s liability laws and to meet with state legislators.
We
are looking for 20-25 students to participate in events associated with
Physicians' Day at the Legislature. Interested students should contact
second year student David Fish, SGA Legislative Chair, or the RSAS office
at comsa@une.edu for more details.
World
TB Day, March 24th, 2006
"The
aim of WTBD 06 is to mobilize
support for the fight against TB. By mobilizing communities, raising
awareness, encouraging governments and donors to invest in TB control, and
calling for strengthened commitment, we can ensure that TB is placed
prominently on the global agenda and is eliminated by 2050.
In
order to accelerate social and political action to stop the unnecessary
spread of TB around the world, World TB Day 06 aims to:
1.)
Engage government and donor agencies for strengthened commitment
2.) Promote
TB control and care
3.) Serve
as an advocacy and educational opportunity
4.) Increase
public awareness, engagement and support in the fight against TB
5.) Place
TB higher on the international agenda."
For
more information, log on to the Stop TB Partnership website at www.stoptb.org.
Mr. Pomykala Goes
to Washington
Following is a summary by first year
student Matthew Pomykala of his trip to the AMSA Paul Ambrose Leadership
Institute in Washington in January:
"Every year, the American
Medical Student Association holds the Paul Ambrose Political Leadership
Institute with the intent of molding future physicians into advocates for
healthcare and medical education. This
year, I had the good fortune of attending one of the PLI weekends.
 The
intensive political institute began on Saturday with a presentation on
effective, persuasive speech writing and public speaking by John Shosky
PhD, a former Presidential speechwriter.
Subsequently, the attending students were briefed on the use of
media relations to promote an issue and increase awareness on that
particular topic. Chris
McCoy, AMSA’s Legislative Director spent the remainder of the day
introducing the legislative process and the strategies of lobbying.
From 1943’s legislation to
introduce mandatory health insurance, to the 2003 introduction of the
Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act, Sunday was
spent learning about the history of American health-care reform and
preparing group presentations on currently active and emerging issues.
My group prepared a persuasive argument and presentation on the
AIDS global health issue. Our
presentations resembled mock press releases and lobbying visits in order
to prepare us for our lobby visit.
After a weekend of preparing with
Representatives’ office legislative staff on Medicare Prescription Drug
Benefits, I met with Connecticut Representatives' and Senators' health
policy staff. The focal
point of my visit was to lobby AMSA-supported amendments to the MMA of
2003 that began on January 1, 2006. This
tremendous experience exposed me to the correlation between healthcare and
politics, reminding me of the responsibilities we have as future
physicians to advocate for our patients."
-Matthew Pomykala, MS I
Residency
Preparation
(Part 1 of 2)
by Gerald "Wook" Beltran, MS IV
During
the 2nd and 3rd years of medical school, students
typically have many questions about getting into a residency.
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the
residency process with information that may be of use to those
applying to the osteopathic match and allopathic match.
There are several good books which go into extensive detail about
this, and the reader should use these for detailed information (e.g. Iserson’s
Getting Into A Residency by Kenneth V. Iserson, The
Ultimate Guide To Choosing a Medical Specialty by Brian
Freeman, etc.). Below are several web sites that may be helpful to
students in understanding the residency match process:
http://residency.wustl.edu/
http://www.evms.edu/students/match/resources.html
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~biomed/resources.htmld/Med_Spec_Guide/
Choosing
a Specialty
Knowing
which residency to apply to can in itself be a challenge.
To truly know if an area of specialization is of interest, it is
usually helpful to spend some time (a minimum of a few days to a few
weeks) either in a rotation or preceptorship.
There
are so many specialties that it is difficult for even the most stalwart
student to spend any significant period of time rotating in each
specialty. Using a resource,
such as a personality trait and/or personality interest “test” may be
helpful in narrowing down the choices. These are not perfect tools, but do
help most people in clarifying which specialties are of interest. Below
are two web-based tools that may help in this process (these were valid as
of 02/04/2006):
http://www.smbs.buffalo.edu/RESIDENT/CareerCounseling/main_menu.htm
http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/
|
If
an opportunity arises and time permits, a few hours doing a preceptorship
in an area of interest can help in winnowing down which specialties are of
interest. This could be done
the first, second, third, and fourth years of medical school. There are
physicians who enjoy having students for a few hours or for a few days.
The preceptor office (preceptoroffice@une.edu)
in the Family Medicine Department would
be a great place to start in getting more information about opportunities
of this nature.
|
L-R
MS I's Chris Renaud, Merima Ramovic, Christina Bordeau, and Curt
Senita at the Post Gross Toast. Photo by Merima Ramovic
|
For
a list of programs in the various specialties, there is an AMA web site
called FREIDA-online (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2997.html).
It also provides some preliminary information about most of the
residency sites. Keep in mind that the information on this site is voluntarily
provided by someone from the residency program.
There
are also other web sites with information about the residency programs at
different sites.
There are some web sites that have information (e.g. hours, research,
etc.) about the various residencies.
One such site is http://www.scutwork.com.
The information on this site is provided by residents and students.
Additionally, a site with forums where students, residents, and
attendings post information concerning the various specialties is: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/.
For
those students who have a specific interest in Emergency Medicine, there
are two sites that have information about the various residency programs:
http://www.emramatch.org
http://www.saem.org
Medical
Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
During
the spring of third year, students are asked to provide information about
themselves in the third person to help the clinical affairs office start
the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).
It is best to get this done early, as this will be another piece of
paperwork that students will need to have completed for the residency
application process.
Curriculum
Vitae (CV)
This
document should be started early as well.
It would be helpful to have this completed prior to September 1st
of the 4th year, as the information contained within it will be
used in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) web page. This
is simply a resume. At UNECOM
we are fortunate to have a resource available to help us with the CV. Judy
Bellante, Coordinator of Career Services, is willing to provide feedback
on the format and wording of your CV. If you are in the Biddeford area,
you can schedule an appointment. Otherwise, you can email the CV to her.
She may be reached at 207-602-2817 or jbellante@une.edu.
Personal
Statement
This
should be familiar to medical students.
It is similar to the personal statement for the application to
medical school. This document
should be completed early as well. It
is advisable to have this completed by September 1st of 4th
year. Many students agonize over what information to incorporate into the
document. As a minimum it
should contain information that addresses the following:
1.
Why are you interested in the field of your choice?
2. What are you looking for in a residency program?
3. How the does the field align with your professional goals?
Rita
Brown at the curriculum office generally provides some sample personal
statements in different specialties from previous years. (To be
continued.)
[Next
Month, look for the second half of Wook's article detailing the timing of
rotations and the interview schedule.]
[Return
to Top]
Scholarship
and Fellowship Opportunities
A sinking sun sets over Atlantic surf n' turf. Photo by
Steve Smith, RSAS
Forensic
Science and Medicine Training Offered
The
Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine (VIFSM) is offering
two seminars on Basic Forensic Science and Medicine. The sessions will be
held April 24-27 and July 31-August 3, both on the University of Virginia
campus in Charlottesville. The seminars provide an "intense,
comprehensive overview of the concepts and principles of forensic science
and clinical forensic medicine. It is a scientific, systematic approach to
crime and death investigation with applied theory and hands-on
learning." Interested students may visit the website at www.vifsm.org,
or call 804-786-0073.
US
Navy Offers Financial Opportunities for Medical Students
"The
Navy needs quality medical students and residents to serve in our
military. In exchange for a period of service to the Navy in the future,
Navy Medicine offers several financial programs to medical students and
residents to finish their medical school or residency training.
The
Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) currently offers two, three,
and four year scholarships to complete medical school. Students should
apply during the fall or early winter to be considered for the program.
Students accepted into this program receive full tuition and required fees
as well as a monthly stipend of $1131
in return for three or four years of active duty service with the U.S.
Navy.
Interested students may contact
Lieutenant Latrise Workman at (301) 295-0006, or via email at WorkmanL@cnrc.navy.mil."
-A.M. Robinson, Jr.
Rear Admiral, Medical Corps
United States Navy
Chief, Navy Medical Corps
AMSA Primary Care
Leadership Training Program
The American Medical Student
Association (AMSA) will offer the Primary Care Leadership Training Program
(LTP) from August 7-11, 2006, in Syracuse, New York. This year's theme is
"Learning from Each Other: Cultural Competency in Medicine and
Dentistry." According to AMSA, "the purpose of this weeklong
innovative institute is to educate students about important issues in
primary care, develop leadership skills for future primary care providers,
and engage students in curricular reform and health policy issues."
Students must be nominated by their
dean, but interested students may stop by the RSAS office to drop off a
proposal. More information is available at www.amsa.org/addm,
or you may call Angelia Bowman, MS, at 703-620-6600, ext. 216.
AMA Offers Three
Scholarship Opportunities
The American Medical
Association (AMA) is offering three scholarship opportunities to medical
students.
The Minority
Scholars Award
Ten awards, each in
the amount of $10,000, are available to minority students from groups
historically underrepresented in the medical profession. Award selection
is based on a combination of financial need, academic excellence and
commitment to improving minority health status. Nominees must be in their
first or second year of medical school with the scholarship counting
toward their second- or third-year medical school cost. The medical school
dean or dean's designate may nominate two candidates for this scholarship.
Interested students may submit a proposal to the RSAS office.
Deadline
for nominations is April 15
The Physicians of
Tomorrow Scholarships
$10,000 scholarships
are available to rising seniors, chosen for the award during their third
year of medical school. Based on enrollment size of the third-year class,
each school may submit up to three nominations. Award selection is based
on academic excellence and/or financial need. Interested students may
submit proposals to the RSAS office.
Deadline
for nominations is May 31
The Scholars Fund
The American Medical
Association (AMA) Alliance - the largest volunteer arm of the AMA - raises
money each year for medical schools to distribute to deserving students.
Medical schools can offer one or more awards, based on the amount of funds
raised for the institution. Scholarships must be a minimum of $1,000 and
can be based on academic excellence and/or financial need.
The
deadline to submit recipients is July 1
For
more information regarding the three scholarship offers above, visit the
AMA Foundation website at www.amafoundation.org.
AMSA Offers Three Summer Leadership Training Programs
AMSA
is offering a Leadership Training Program for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine this summer. The course will cover acupuncture,
herbal medicine, nutrition, and holistic healing. The program will be held
at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY, from June
18-23, 2006. Interested students may find more information at www.amsa.org/humed/cam/ltp.cfm.
Application deadline is April 7,
2006.
"Learning from Each Other: Cultural Competency in
Medicine and Dentistry" is the topic for AMSA's 2006 Primary Care
Leadership Training Program. Forty students from across the country
will enhance their leadership skills while becoming more educated on the
wide range of career opportunities available in primary care. Applications
are available at www.amsa.org/addm.
The Paul Ambrose Scholars Program will be held
from June 22-25, 2006 in Washington, DC. The program strives "to
engage 40 medical, graduate physician assistant, graduate nursing, and
pharmacy student leaders in building new visions, models, and experiences
for health professions education." Interested students may visit the
following website for more information: www.atpm.org.
Applications are due by April 14,
2006.
Sherry R. Arnstein Minority Student
Scholarship
This award, named after former AACOM
Executive Director Sherry R. Arnstein, recognizes underrepresented
minority students at AACOM's member colleges of osteopathic medicine. The
award amount for 2006 will be $1,000. Interested students must submit a
completed cover-page and essay. For more information visit the AACOM
website at www.aacom.org.
Application deadline
is March 31, 2006
Scholarship/Stipend Opportunity:
National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, June 4-8, 2006
The Scaife Family Foundation is offering fifty
fully paid scholarships to medical students, residents, interns, and
allied health professionals to attend the Scaife Family Foundation Medical
Scholars Track at the 22nd Annual National Rural Institute on Alcohol and
Drug Abuse to be held June 4-8, 2006 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in
Menomonie, Wisconsin.
The scholarship covers conference
registration, resource materials, on-campus residence hall room and all
on-campus meals. In addition, each student receives a $300 cash stipend at
the end of the conference to help defray travel expenses.
The Scaife Family Medical Scholars Track
includes: The neurobiology of addiction; Identification of the addict in the
hospital/clinic setting; Physician health; Detoxification strategies; and
Current controversies in addiction.
Application Deadline: May 1, 2006
Application Procedure: Application forms are available on the Internet
at http://www.uwstout.edu/solutions/ces/ruralaoda. To
apply, please provide the following information:
1.) Name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address.
2.) Current position or medical school attending, and year.
3.) Conference Registration Form.
Send Applications to:
Deanna J. Applehans, Stout Solutions
University of Wisconsin-Stout, PO Box 790
Menomonie, WI 54751
E-mail: applehansd@uwstout.edu,
Voice: 715-232-2460, Fax: 715-232-3385.
Mayo
Clinic Offers Opportunities for Minority Students
The Mayo Clinic is offering several integrated programs to minority
students. The goals of the programs are to provide minority
students early exposure to clinical care experiences, an introduction to
basic science/patient- oriented research, and opportunities to participate
in career development workshops. To ensure these programs are accessible
to students, travel expenses, meals, and housing are covered or a generous
living stipend is made available (depending on the program).
To find out more info about the 2006 Mayo Clinic Minority Career
Development Programs and the on-line applications, check out:
http:///www.mayo.edu/msgme/diversity.html.
AMSA
Offers Fellowships
AMSA
is offering two fellowships for the summer: An End-of-Life Care
Fellowship, and a Washington Health Policy Fellowship Program.
The
End-of-Life Care Fellowship will be granted to eighteen medical students.
Fellowships will be located in Chicago, Illinois, and Miami, Florida.
According to AMSA, "As an End-of-Life Care fellow, you will receive
both experiential and theoretical training by working at hospices caring
for dying patients and their families and participating regularly in
interactive workshops and lectures on end of life care." Fellows will
also be trained as advocates to develop end-of-life education in the
curriculum of their own
medical school. Program dates are June 19-July 28, 2006.
Additional information can be found at http://www.amsa.org/programs/EOL.cfm.
Applications
are due by April 10, 2006.
The
Washington Health Policy Fellowship is hosted in Washington, DC. Students
will learn more about the "social, economic, and political forces
affecting health status and health-care delivery," while developing
analytical skills and the ability to network with and lobby political
leaders. Fellowship dates are June 18-July 28, and more information may be
viewed at www.amsa.org/hp/whpfp.cfm.
Applications
are due April 10, 2006
Women
in Medicine Conference
May
14 - May 18, 2006
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico at La Fonda on the Plaza
Website:
www.womeninmedicine.org/2006.html.
* Conference scholarships available for medical students.
Women
in Medicine 2006 will be the 23rd annual retreat and CME conference for
lesbian physicians. This unique continuing medical education conference is
designed by and for lesbian physicians, medical students and their
partners. This gathering is a blend of education, camaraderie, networking
and mentoring. The program format includes general sessions and breakouts
incorporating up-to-date information on women's health issues, lesbian
health research and other pertinent medical topics. Breakout sessions for
non-physician partners will also be conducted. This is the only medical
conference where partners are not only invited to attend, but are welcomed
and encouraged to participate and learn from the high quality medical and
non-CME presentations.
Julia Ireland, D.O., is on the Board of Directors of the
"Women in Medicine Conference." Currently she is in private
practice in Los Angeles as a family practitioner and HIV specialist. As a
medical student, she did an elective rotation in HIV, where she got
started on a research project that she continued to pursue during her
residency in family practice. That research has been presented at
international HIV conferences. After residency, she went to work at the LA
Gay & Lesbian Center's primary care and HIV clinics while serving as
an assistant clinical professor in the Dept. of Family Medicine at the U.
of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine. She continues to employ
osteopathic manipulation in her practice, and also uses nutrition in her
practice regularly. This month, a pharmacy reference text on alternative
medicine is going to print containing a chapter that she
co-authored.
Interested students may contact Dr. Ireland at doctorireland@yahoo.com.
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