University of New England

The November COMmunicator (Page 2)

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Alumni

A Monarch butterfly sits on its throne outside Stella Maris Hall. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

OMM’s Advocate: Dr. Bill Papura, UNECOM ’96

You don’t talk with Dr. Bill Papura - you saddle up. The conversation starts easily like a cowboy sauntering down a street. Then all of a sudden - with dust swirling and hooves pounding - you’re on your horse and galloping off in pursuit of the bad guys. An hour later, you’re in Tombstone. That’s life in the fast lane with “Doc” Papura.

Born in Amsterdam, New York, a small mill town in the Mohawk River Valley, Bill Papura developed a love for the outdoors and a talent for culture. As a bio major at Siena College, Papura discovered osteopathy, went on to med school at UNECOM, and never looked back. Today, he is assistant professor of OMM at UNECOM and a major proponent of the discipline regionally. He is OMM’s advocate.

From the Bottom of the Pond

As a boy, Bill Papura buried himself in literature, art, and whatever green, oozing goodness he could drag from the bottom of the local pond. Fascinated by life sciences, Papura nabbed amphibians, snatched snakes, and examined forests with forensic zeal. “My parents encouraged my natural abilities and interests,” he recalls, “they supplied paper, gave me support, and welcomed my discoveries.”

He attended Amsterdam Public High, where he took math/science courses and continued to excel in art. “You’ve got to put your finger on creativity,” Dr. Papura says, “and cultivate an energy that you can’t otherwise express.” His well-rounded approach embraced martial arts and oil painting, besides the obvious requirements of biology and physics. In karate, he has achieved the rank of third-degree black belt.

Papura went to Siena College, a Franciscan Catholic institution between Albany and Troy. As a biology major, he cared for the lab animals and came across an osteopathy booklet in a health professions class. “It made total sense,” he says, “with its focus on holism and full-person integration.” His advisor showed Papura a UNECOM brochure with its full-color aerial shot of the campus, and he was sold. “That’s where I want to go!” he exclaimed.

“They Need to be Educated”

UNECOM was everything Dr. Papura had hoped. “I would take Gross Anatomy again,” he says earnestly, “since it gives you such an appreciation for the complexity of the human body.” Humanities professors came in to address the issue of mortality and how to treat cadavers with respect. “That really helped prepare me,” Papura says, “and reinforced the wonderful gift that body donors make.”

He discovered a tremendous support network at UNECOM, where students gave mutual encouragement and helped those who struggled. “That’s rare among institutions of higher learning,” he says. Academically, Papura appreciated the curriculum divided into systems, which made sense to him, and he was delighted by the integration of OMM from his first year onward. To provide balance from the looming burden of academics, Papura oil painted in his apartment and continued to practice karate. He put osteopathic principles into practice in his own life, and found that they worked. That encouraged him to experiment on others. 

“When I went home on breaks,” Dr. Papura recalls, “I would practice OMM on my friends and relatives. They loved it.” He rotated through Brighton Medical Center, as well as Mishawaka in Indiana and St. Elizabeth’s in Utica. Wherever he went, he soon found that students from other osteopathic schools expected UNECOM students to exhibit greater OMM skills than they. “There was this pervading sense that UNECOM students were simply better trained in OMM,” he says, “and I have found that still to be true.”
 
Greater skill did not always translate into greater respect from M.D.s., however. “I was never outright rejected by an M.D.,” he says, “but there was always a need to explain the training I had received and take extra steps to maintain osteopathic distinctives.” He smiles wickedly and adds, “There are ER docs who think that an osteopath will manipulate a patient in cardiac arrest. They need to be educated.”  

Public Invisibility

Why does a 130-year-old accredited profession still encounter such widespread ignorance? There are two primary reasons, Dr. Papura believes. First, post-graduate work sometimes dilutes the distinctiveness of osteopathy and creates public invisibility for the profession. “A lot of D.O.s are trained as allopaths during residency,” he says, “and so the public can’t see the difference. Some D.O.s think that you don’t need to integrate OMM into other specialties, but if you don’t consider OMM, you’re not considering our profession.”

The second reason is more pragmatic. “Medicine is a business,” Papura says, “and no one patents an OMM technique. You’re not making money hand-over-fist by using OMM; you’re simply helping your patients.” Certain HMOs refuse to compensate D.O.s for OMM, and the lack of financial incentive sometimes forces D.O.s to compromise. “I learned that I could make more money when my nurse flushed the earwax from a patient’s ear than I could by treating their back, neck, head, and pelvis,” Dr. Papura says acerbically.

With healthcare costs hooked to a rocket, Dr. Papura believes that D.O.s are obligated to offer OMM as a cost-effective alternative for patients. “If more people used OMM,” he argues, “and if osteopathic principles were stressed, healthcare costs would go way down. Guaranteed.” Not to mention that many patients would find greater relief from their suffering. “Currently,” says Papura, “if HMOs do not reimburse D.O.s for OMM, they essentially mandate inferior healthcare for the patient. That’s sad.”

HMOs in the Dark Ages

In 1999, Dr. Papura completed his family practice residency at St. Clares in Schenectady, New York, and then moved back to Amsterdam to join other D.O.s at a family practice clinic. He met and married his wife during his second year of residency, and they now have a son who will turn seven this November. The clinic was very busy, which was good, but every upstate HMO refused to reimburse for OMM treatments, which was bad. That denial burned Papura, who noted that downstate HMOs covered the treatments without complaint: “New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM) is located downstate,” he says, “so politically, the HMOs had to accept OMM.”

It seemed crazy that HMOs within the same state could have such radically different standards. The discrepancy seemed to hearken back to the Dark Ages, when each noble controlled his own fiefdom, imposed his own taxes, and set his own regulations. Dr. Papura began a quest to pass legislation that would require local HMOs to join most of modern medicine in their acceptance of OMM. “I initiated legislation to approve OMM under insurance,” Papura recalls, “but there was not much support for it, politically. No one will win an election on it, so you’ve got to make your own noise.”

Over the next few years, Dr. Papura presented his arguments to local politicians, legislatures, and even to state senators. He tried to stir up the stagnant waters of the HMOs, casting as many well-aimed pebbles as he could, hoping that the ripples might reach a sympathetic ear. Time after time, politicians and administrators agreed that his case was valid, but it was unlikely to win. “One high-level legislative aid to the Assembly Insurance Chairman acknowledged that my case was the best he’d ever seen,” Papura says, “but he said that the legislation would never pass. It simply wasn’t a hot-button issue.”

Several HMOs told Dr. Papura to “up code” his OMM treatments, essentially changing the designation from OMM to surgery or something else. “Up-coding ignores the OMM component and inappropriately increases the charge of the office visit,” he says, “It is totally fraudulent and unethical. Ethics aside, why should I have to hide treatments which are recognized throughout the United States?” One insurance panel asked him for more clinical studies to prove the efficacy of OMM. “There were 20 M.D.s on that board,” he says, “and not one D.O.”

Home State Advantage

After years of frustrating inertia, Dr. Papura decided to return to Maine. “Amsterdam may be my hometown,” he smiles, “but Maine is my home state.” The strong draw of a beautiful Maine coast, the stimulating environment at UNECOM, and the potential to combine his love for teaching with clinical practice was too hard to resist. He took a position in the OMM department where he now teaches several days a week.

Dr. Papura sees his current role as an extension of what he has done for the last ten years. “I want to educate UNECOM students about the importance of OMM and how it helps to set them apart as physicians,” he says. Dr. Papura speaks with a passion, ease, and articulation that bespeak his years of lobbying at the highest levels. More than anything else, he wants current UNECOM students to help carry the flag to their patients and communities. “The best way to educate the general public,” Papura says warmly, “is to make every osteopathic student an osteopathic educator.” The task may seem daunting in an age of general apathy, but Papura is committed to the long haul. “If I can make just one student not only learn OMM,” he says, “but care about it, I have really done my job.”

And with a clash of spurs, OMM’s advocate dashes off in a cloud of dust.

-Steve Smith, RSAS

CME/Reunion Weekend Welcomes Dr. Laurence Bouchard

More than 100 physicians, and a few students, participated in the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Fall CME/Reunion Weekend October 6 and 7.  The traditional UNECOM Founders’ Dinner followed a day of CME lectures on Friday. Laurence Bouchard, D.O., served as the keynote speaker for the evening’s events.

Boyd Buser, D.O., academic dean and vice president for health services (interim) hosted the event, and began the after-dinner program by recognizing a number of physicians and others in the audience who have made a significant contribution to the College of Osteopathic Medicine. He also reminisced a bit about his early days at UNECOM twenty years ago.

Additional congratulatory remarks were provided by UNE’s new president Danielle Ripich, Ph.D., UNECOM Alumni Association president Charlotte Paolini, D.O. ’89, and John Goulding, D.O., president of the New England Osteopathic Association.

Dr. Bouchard provided his prospective on the impact that UNECOM has had across New England, not just in southern Maine. He remarked on the formation of the New England Foundation of Osteopathic Medicine (NEFOM), the pre-curser to the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (before it merged with St. Francis College to become the independent university). He also told of the weekly trips up to Maine from Rhode Island to review applicant files and conduct interviews for the first class that began in fall 1978.

Still practicing in Rhode Island, Dr. Bouchard is a trustee emeritus of the University of New England and a former president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). He told how during his travels representing the AOA, physicians around the country would continually comment on how much they enjoyed working with UNECOM students and alumni.

Friday’s programming also included the UNECOM Alumni Association’s well-attended annual meeting.  Dr. Buser welcomed Stephen Shannon, D.O. ’86, MPH, to present at the Dean’s Lunch on Saturday. Now president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), Dr. Shannon was dean of UNECOM for 11 years. Saturday’s programming concluded with a social reception hosted by the College, providing special recognition to the four reunion classes.

-James Gaffney, RSAS

The New York New York Hotel and Casino rises like a mini-Manhatten in Las Vegas. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII

UNECOM alumni and students gather in Las Vegas for AOA Convention

UNECOM alumni, faculty and administration, and the largest student delegation in recollection, gathered at the Benihanna Restaurant in the Las Vegas Hilton for a lunch gathering (October 17) during the American Osteopathic Association’s annual convention. Dr. Danielle Ripich, UNE’s newly inaugurated President, offered welcoming comments and shared her vision for the future of the university. Dr. Boyd Buser, D.O., dean and vice president for health services (interim), took a few minutes to provide updates on the College’s biomedical research programs and the planned biomedical research building. He also asked for alumni’s continued support of the project through the UNECOM Rising capital campaign. In addition, the deans provided updates on many areas of the college including revisions to the curriculum, profiles of the graduating class of 2006 and the first year class (of 2010), and an admissions update for the next class.

For the second year, UNECOM also hosted a reception that same evening. Two alumni were recognized for their national leadership positions. Ken Johnson, D.O. ’92, is the president of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO), having assumed the position at the AAO’s Convocation in March. Peter Bell, D.O. ‘84, was sworn in as president of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) during the organization’s opening meeting held Monday night.

Alumni and students attended a wide variety of educational sessions during the four-day convention, while faculty and administrators participated in planning meetings appropriate to their areas. Students, from first-years to those approaching graduation in June, commented on how much they enjoyed meeting alumni from around the country, reinforcing their decision to attend UNECOM for their osteopathic medical education.

-James Gaffney, RSAS

Photos from the AOA Convention in Las Vegas:

Alumni enjoy dinner at the Bennihanna Restaurant. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

UNE President Danielle Ripich, Ph.D. (left), talks with former UNECOM dean Steve Shannon, D.O., and another alum at the UNECOM reception in Las Vegas. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

UNECOM alum Peter Bell, D.O., '84 (left), national president of the ACOEP, poses with Dr. William Bograkos, D.O., and Josh Morrison, MSII, who was elected national president of the SCACOEP. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

Suchismita Samanta, MSII, distributes literature at the UNECOM booth at AOA. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII

Dr. Boyd Buser, D.O., dean and vice president for health services (interim), chats with Kellie Miller from the Maine AOA. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

MSIs L-R Stephanie Schneider, Steve Menard, and Juliann Minnon, are eager to give YOU a UNECOM carabiner. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

Dr. William G. Anderson, D.O., poses with MSIIs Mitun Samanta and Dan Sheps at the AOA Convention. Photo Courtesy Dan Sheps.

Alumni at Bennihanna's. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

James Gaffney, Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni Services (right), checks in on MSI attendees (L-R) Patrick Hohl, Cary Vachon, and John Matulis at the AOA Convention. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII.

Dr. Bruce Bates, D.O., head of UNECOM's department of Family Medicine, makes a point as fellow alums and Mike Dominello, MSI (far left) listen. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

John Matulis, MSI (center), finds reason to eat, drink, and be merry while entertaining fellow MSIs Marcey Osgood, Christina DeMatteo, Sonja Vindheim, and Ahmad Yassin. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS
 
IFMSA Needs Your Help

UNECOM's International Health Club (IFMSA) is compiling a database of global medical opportunities for students to take part in during breaks and elective rotations. We are especially interested in programs with which UNECOM graduates have been involved, in order to facilitate the search for current students. If you have any experience with a particular international program and/or general international health experience, please contact Steve Kelly, MSII, at skelly1@mail.une.edu Your help is greatly appreciated!

-Steve Kelly, MSII, co-President IFMSA

Scholarships/Fellowships

It's a duck. Does there need to be a better reason? Photo by Doug Smith, courtesy Steve Smith, RSAS.

William Osler Medal Essay Contest

The William Osler Medal is awarded annually for the best unpublished essay on a medical historical topic written by a student enrolled in a school of medicine or osteopathy in the United States or Canada. First awarded in 1942, the medal commemorates Sir William Osler, who stimulated an interest in the humanities among medical students and physicians. The writer of the winning essay will be invited to attend the 2007 American Association for the History of Medicine (AAHM) meeting, 3-6 May, in Montreal, Quebec, where the medal will be conferred. The essay (maximum 9,000 words, plus reasonable endnotes) must be entirely the work of one contestant.

For more information, check out www.histmed.org/Awards 

American Medical Association (AMA) offers opportunities to medical students

National and Regional Student Research Forums

These annual forums offer young investigators the opportunity to present their research, receive meaningful feedback, and participate in scholarly discussions with peers and established scientists. Three regional forums are held prior to the national forum every year.

Midwest Student Biomedical Research Forum
Abstract deadline: December 8, 2006
Forum date: February 23-24, 2007, in Omaha, Neb.

Eastern-Atlantic Student Research Forum
Abstract deadline: January 2007
Forum date: February 21-24, 2007, in Miami

National Student Research Forum
Abstract deadline: January 2007
Forum date: April 26-27, 2007, in Galveston, Texas

Seed Grant Research Program

This program provides $2,500 grants to medical students, physician residents and fellows in a variety of research areas, such as cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases, HIV/AIDS, leukemia, neoplastic diseases, and secondhand smoke.

Application available: September 2006
Application deadline: December 1, 2006
Recipients announced: March 2007

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.

Application available: February 2007
Deadline for nominations: April 15, 2007
Recipients announced: June 2007

The Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarships

Ten-thousand dollar 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.

Application available: February 2007
Deadline for nominations: May 31, 2007
Recipients announced: August 2007

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, 2007

For more information regarding the three scholarship offers above, visit the AMA Foundation website at www.amafoundation.org

International Fellowship Program Seeks Applicants

The FIC/Ellison Overseas Fellowship Program is an exciting clinical research training experience for graduate level U.S. students in the health professions, sponsored by the NIH's Fogarty International Center (FIC) in partnership with The Ellison Medical Foundation, the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Association of American Medical Colleges and the Association of Schools of Public Health are managing the program, which is beginning its fourth year. The deadline for the program is December 8, 2006.

The program offers a one-year clinical research training experience to qualified students. This is an opportunity for highly motivated individuals to experience mentored research training at top-ranked NIH funded research centers in a diverse group of countries, including Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, China, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mali, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia.

To learn more and to obtain an application, please visit http://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/overseasfellowship/

-Steve Kelly, MSII co-President of IFMSA

AANS Medical Student Summer Fellowship Program

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is offering ten $2,500 fellowships to medical students who have completed one or two years of medical school and wish to spend a summer working in a neurosurgical laboratory, mentored by a neurosurgical investigator who is a member of the AANS.

Interested students should submit applications by February 1, 2007, to AANS Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship, c/o AANS, 5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-3852, or e-mail application and all supporting documents to nref@aans.org. An application may be downloaded at http://www.aans.org/otheresearch/application-final_081606.doc 

For more information, call AANS at (toll free (888) 566-2267) or visit their website at http://www.aans.org/otheresearch/med_student_research.asp

The Harrison F. Aldrich, D.O./N.E.O.A. Student Loan

The New England Osteopathic Association (housed in the UNECOM Continuing Medical Education Office) makes funds available for UNECOM students (MS II, III and IV) in the form of low- or no-interest loans. Since its inception in 1982, the N.E.O.A. Student Loan Fund has awarded almost $175,000 to UNECOM students. 

As loans are repaid, new loans are awarded to current students in need. The loan recipient does not need to repay until completion of all post-graduate training, including residencies and fellowships, a time frame of approximately six years after graduation. Recipients who remain in New England to practice pay lower interest. The deadline to submit an application for the loan, which can be used for whatever purpose the student desires, whether that be books, groceries, emergencies, etc., is generally in the late summer to early fall. Students are eligible for a loan for each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years at UNECOM, which is included in the student’s overall financial aid package. Approval is usually completed within a few weeks of receipt of the application. 

For more information, or to complete an application, see the UNE Financial Aid office, or contact Leslie Ingraham, CME Director, in the Office of Continuing Medical Education, Stella Maris 203, by phone at 207-602-2125, or by email at lingraham@une.edu

Upcoming Scholarships – talk to an SGA rep

National
Student Initiatives Grant  
$2000 for education, research and promotion of osteopathic medicine.
Deadline – Fall 2006
http://www.studentdo.com/grants.htm
See Lisa Wuerdeman, MSII

SOMA Fellowship and Research
$2000 for research in Osteopathy for Summer session
Deadline – January 5, 2007
www.studentdo.com

Marvin H. and Kathleen G. Teget Leadership Scholarship
$500 for students pursuing specialty medicine
Deadline – March 31, 2007
www.studentdo.com

International Medical Relief/ Medical Missions Scholarship
$250 for essential expenses
Deadline – Rolling
www.studentdo.com

American Osteopathic Foundation
$2000 research scholarships, with grants for travel. 
www.aof-foundation.org or see SGA rep

UNECOM
Carmen Pettapiece Research Fund
$2000 or more for Osteopathic based research. 
Deadline -  November 15th (spring 2007 project) or April 1st (Fall 2007 project) See SGA rep with questions

Faculty

Associate Dean of Basic Sciences Dave Manyan, Ph.D., Research Professor Ed Bilsky, Ph.D., and OMM Professor Jane Carreiro, D.O., share a laugh at UNECOM's reception at the AOA Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by James Gaffney, RSAS

India Broyles, Ed.D., UNECOM associate professor for medical education, presented a session on “The Ethics of Care:  Implications for Curriculum and Teaching” at the annual meeting of the American Association for Curriculum and Teaching in Charlotte, NC, October 12, 2006. Dr. Broyles serves on the Executive Council for the association and on its Editorial Board for the journal "Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue."

Rev. Reuben P. Bell, D.O., MDiv, UNECOM associate professor of Family Medicine and Director of Medical Humanities, was invited to speak at the Palliative Care CME program at the American Osteopathic Association's 2006 National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, October 16, 2006. His presentation, "Death Be Not Proud: The Role of Spirituality in Palliative Care," was part of the half-day seminar on end-of-life care. He also participated in an interactive panel discussion with the other invited speakers and the osteopathic physicians in attendance.

Clubs and Organizations

The SGA Halloween Party at Ratigan's in Saco continues to impress the natives. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI
 
UNECOM Students To Hold Public 5K Run Benefiting Biddeford Free Clinic

WHAT:  A public 5k run to raise funds for the Biddeford Free Clinic
WHEN:  Saturday, November 11, 10 a.m.
WHERE:  Start/finish at Biddeford Free Clinic, 189 Alfred St., Biddeford, Maine
WHO:  Organized by Osteopathic medical student members of Sigma Sigma Phi. Open to the public.

UNECOM medical student members of Sigma Sigma Phi are holding a 5k “Turkey Trot” and one-mile fun run open to the public. All proceeds will benefit the Biddeford Free Clinic, a non-profit organization that provides medical care and prescriptions to uninsured residents of York County.

The race will begin and finish at the Biddeford Free Clinic and will follow a flat course through Biddeford neighborhoods, rain or shine. Prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers. Cost of registration is $15 in advance, $20 for the day-of. Refreshments will be available. 

Sigma Sigma Phi is an honorary Osteopathic service fraternity at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM), located in Biddeford, Maine. The race is co-sponsored by the UNECOM medical student chapters of the American Medical Association and the American Medical Student Association.

More information and registration forms are available at https://prod.campuscruiser.com/cruiser/une/jmularella/trot.htm

Other Club Events in November:

November 1 – TABOR talk, hosted by AMA/SOMA, 12-1pm, ACHS 106. Contact Kristina McElhinney, MSII, with any questions.

November 3 – Body World Exhibit in Boston, bus leaves at 3pm. Contact Kristy Frain, MSII, with questions.

November 6 – Dr. Brett Wood, D.O., flight surgeon talk hosted by AMOPS, 12-1pm, ACHS 106. Contact Steve Fosmire, MSI, with any questions.

November 8 – “Roots of the Profession” lecture by Dean Boyd Buser, D.O., 12-1pm, OMM Lab. Hosted by UAAO. Contact Abby Hansen, MSII, with questions.

November 10 – Chili Bowl, hosted by Sports Med club. Date could change. Talk to Josh Morrison, MSII, with questions.

November 13-17 – IFMSA International Health Week, 12-1pm daily, ACHS 106. Talk to Steve Kelly, MSII, for more details.

November 19 – NOWPA Bellydancing class, 2-3:30pm in the St. Francis Room. Talk to Jude Viola, MSII, with any questions.

November 20 – NOWPA “Dr. Mom” talk, 12-1pm, ACHS 106. Contact Jude Viola with any questions.

November 27-December 1 – AMA Cardiovascular and Obesity Awareness Week, 12-1pm daily, ACHS 106. More details forthcoming. Talk to Adrienne Kovalsky, MSII, with questions.

November Fundraisers

OMM Table Sales – Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, Alfond Café. Sponsored by UAAO. Contact Erin Reardon, MSII.

Water Bottle Sale – November 11. OBGYN club. Contact Sarah Tolford, MSII.

IFMSA Art Auction – November 13-17. Alfond lobby. Contact Katie Lewis, MSI.

SGA Updates:

Greatness Fund

AOA President Strosnider initiates the Greatness fund to launch a national campaign or fund a multi-million dollar osteopathic research project.
For more information go t
https://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageID=aoa_greatfund

Legislative
Impending 5.1% Medicare reimbursement cut when Congress reconvenes on November 13. For more information go t
https://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?au=D&PageId=adv_main

Retail Clinics are coming – Are you ready?

Are you ready for Walmart Health Clinics? Small health centers are opening in high traffic retail stores across the country. What can students and physicians do to prepare?
For more information:
https://www.do-online.org/index.cfm?PageID=aoa_nwsretailclinics

TOUCH Awards
If you volunteer at least 50 hours in one academic year, you will be nationally recognized for your service by the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents. All it takes is filling out a form and recording your hours.  For details, email Ahmad Yassin, first year class president, at ayassin@mail.une.edu.

Would you like AOA President, Dr. Strosnider to come to UNECOM to talk? – Let SGA know.

Physician mentors (over 7000 of them) are available: just check www.do-online.org or talk to your SGA representatives.

How do you feel about moving to computer based testing (i.e. like the boards will be)? Let your SGA reps know.

Mayflower Moving Company – provides HUGE discounts for osteopathic students and physicians for interstate travel. Ask a rep for details.

If you’re curious about COMLEX exams, check out www.nbome.org

Interested in Research?

Research opportunities are being offered now by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. AACOM has a lot of raw data and surveys regarding the academics of medicine, if you’re interested in participating and possibly getting published. Please email Tom Levitan, vice president for research and application services for AACOM at tlevitan@aacom.org or Jake Budny jbudny@mail.une.edu or if you have any interest. Feel Free to ask any questions at all.

A few things to look for from your student organizations coming up:

- Moustache competition – participants will grow the most outrageous moustache, winners will win a prize and any proceeds will go to charity.
- A possible charity basketball tournament.
- If you’re interested in the politics of medicine, our very own Osteopathic Political Action Committee is active in the area, take a look at http://www.osteopathicpac.org/web_services/affirm.cfm , our contact in the Maine Osteopathic Association is Kellie Miller (kmiller@mainedo.org).
- If you want to get involved in any of these programs, feel free to chat with an SGA rep, they’re here to help.

Your SGA reps:

Anne Barlow, MSII	Shannon Scully, MSI
Chris Blomberg, MSI	Ryan Smith, MSI
Jake Budny, MSII	Shawn St. Marie, MSII
Steve Fosmire, MSI	Kerry Sternheim, MSII
Michael Jackson, MSII	Lauren Turkanis, MSII
Brian McElhinney, MSII	Maggie Vancura, MSII
Lacey McIntosh, MSI	Jordan Wagner, MSII
Ryan Murphy, MSI	Tara Wayt, MSI
Anne Newbold, MSII	Sarah White, MSI
Max Opoku-Agyemang, MSI	Liz Williams, MSII
Amanda Roth, MSII	Lisa Wuerdeman, MSII
Joanna Rulf, MSII	Ahmad Yassin, MSI
Kim Salaycik, MSI	Rima Zahr, MSI
Joe Scott, MSI

Unite For Sight Fourth Annual International Health Conference

“Innovation, Advancement, and Best Practices To Achieve Global Goals” is Unite For Sight's Fourth Annual International Health Conference

When: April 14-15, 2007
Where: Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
Theme: "Innovation, Advancement, and Best Practices To Achieve Global Goals."

Who should attend? Anyone interested in eye care, international health, medicine, health education, health promotion, public health, international service, social entrepreneurship, nonprofits, or micro-enterprise.

Conference Goal: To exchange ideas across disciplines about best practices in public health, medicine and research, and international health and development. Conference topics range from "The Right to Health: Towards Social Inclusion and Universal Health Care in Latin America" and "Antiretroviral Drugs and Issues of Drug Access and
Quality in the Developing World," to "Global Progress in Preventing the Burden of Blindness and Other Diseases Caused by Measles and Rubella" and "Once I Was Blind.... The Challenges of Eye Care in Ghana."

Join over 1,500 leaders, doctors, professionals, and students from five continents as you listen to more than 230 speakers about eye care, public health, international development, entrepreneurship, micro-finance, policy and advocacy, bioethics, and medicine. Come to learn and also exchange ideas about best practices to achieve global goals in health and development.

Register today for a reduced rate! (Current rate is $50 for students/$70 for all others. The early bird rate increases after October 15th.)

For more info, check out http://uniteforsight.org/conference/2007/index.php

Local AMSA Club Makes National Headlines

President Matt Pomykala, MSII writes: Recently our chapter of AMSA has made some national headlines. I thought you might be interested: http://www.amsa.org/news/focus/1006focus.cfm#1%231 

Class of 2009 Webpage

The Class of 2009 has a new webpage, courtesy Shawn St. Marie, class President. Check it out at:
https://prod.campuscruiser.com/PageServlet?pg=clubs_welcome&tg=ClubWelcome&cx=22.287-5.7824 

Photos from the SGA Halloween Party at Ratigan's:

L-R Lacey McIntosh, MSI, Liz Williams, MSII, and Anne Newbold, MSII, are queen bees at the party. Photo courtesy Lacey McIntosh.

Turtle Power! Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

The 80s and 30s and Napoleon's revenge. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

Pac Man's revenge. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

Andrea Berry, MSII, Shaun Opperman, MSI, and Jennifer Gillis, MSII. Photo by Anne Newbold, MSII

Mike Digianvittorio, MSI, doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

L-R Lizbeth Dalaza, MSII, Regine Reimers, MSI, Erica Zulueta, MSII, and Anna Rose Pinlac, MSII. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

Yes. Agreed. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

Pink, times three. Photo by Lacey McIntosh, MSI

Meat and Potatoes

Believe it...

...or...

...not. East Coast surfing at Fortune's Rocks. Photos by Steve Smith, RSAS

University Campus Information

Office of Recruitment, Student, and Alumni Services (RSAS) Lower level of Stella Maris Hall	Monday-Friday 8am – 4:30pm (open noontime)
Campus Center Hours	Monday-Wednesday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 6am-11 pm Pool: 6:30am-9:30am, 11:30am-6pm, 8pm-10pm Thursday-Friday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 6am-12am Pool: 6:30-9:30am, 11:30am-6pm (5pm Friday), 8pm-10pm (Thurs.) Saturday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 8am-12am Pool: 12pm-6pm (Pool closed for swim meets Nov. 4th and 18th) Sunday Gym, Track, Fitness Center: 8am-10pm Pool: 12pm-6pm
Bookstore Hours	Monday-Thursday: 8:30am-5pm Friday: 8:30am-3:30pm
Library Hours
Jack S. Ketchum Library, University Campus	Monday-Thursday: 8am-12pm Friday: 8am-7pm Saturday: 10am-9pm Sunday: 10am-12pm
Josephine S. Abplanalp ’45 Library, Westbrook College Campus	Monday-Thursday: 8am-10pm Friday: 8am-5pm Saturday: 9am-5pm Sunday: 10am-10pm
Sanford Petts Health Center - University Campus Phone: 282-1516	Monday-Wednesday: 8:30am-8pm Thursday & Friday: 8:30am-5pm Student Walk-in Hours: 11am-12:45pm
Alfond Health Center (OMM treatment only) Phone: 284-1417	Monday: 8am-8pm Tuesday: 8am-4:30pm Wednesday: 8am-6pm Thursday: 8am-5:30pm Friday: 8am-5:30pm
Saco Health Center - Saco Phone: 602-1407	Monday-Friday: 8:30am-5pm
Learning Assistance Center	Monday-Thursday: 8am-9pm Friday: 8am-4:30pm
Career Services	For appointments, contact Judy Bellante at 602-0170, ext. 2817, or jbellante@une.edu
Counseling Services	For appointments, call 602-0171, ext. 2549
Disability Services	For appointments, contact 602-0171, ext. 2815.
Food Service Hours (check www.unedining.com for updates, menus, and pre-ordering meals to go) Effective in September:Decary Cafeteria	Monday-Friday: Breakfast: 7:15am-10:30am Lunch: 11am-1:15pm Dinner: 4:30pm-6:30pm (4:30pm-6pm on Friday) Saturday & Sunday:  Brunch: 11am-1pm  Dinner: 4:30pm-6pm
The Hang	Monday-Friday: 10:30am-10pm
Alfond Café	Monday-Friday: 7:30am-2:30pm

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.

Stella Maris: The rear entrance facing the residence halls is open until midnight, while the other entrances are open until 8pm. The rooms available for 24-hour use are 206, 215, 304/306, and 309/310.

Alfond Meadow:

The Alfond Meadow will be used for intramural sports during the 2006-07 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, Agust-May. Your submissions are welcome. Submit stories, news events, or digital pictures to Steve Smith at comsa@une.edu by the 25th of each month (the earlier, the better!)

Parting Shot

Jake Budny loves SOSA reviews. Photo by Dan Sheps, MSII

To return to Page One of the COMmunicator, click here.

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 comsa@une.edu.