COVID-19 Puts EMS Fellows to the Test at N.C. EOC – EMSWorld

Wake County EMS (N.C.) shared with us the following story.

For two medical fellows, the EOC is as much a classroom as a jobsite.

This springs sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has upended lives. Gatherings have been canceled, weddings postponed, businesses shuttered, families separated and, tragically, lives have been lost.

Yet, for some, this time of trial is an opportunity to grow and learn.

During the pandemic, the Wake County Emergency Operations Center is helping forge two future leaders of emergency medicine. The young doctors were wrapping up EMS fellowships at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine when the crisis hit, and since then, Dr. Johannah Merrill and Dr. Mariecely Luciano-Feijoo have served in equal measure alongside Wake Countys full-time emergency medicine staff in the EOClearning firsthand more they ever could about public health response from a text book.

This is a horrible thing to have happened, but Im glad it happened at this point in my training and not next year, when I wouldnt have had the experience that I have now, said Dr. Johannah Merrill, who will move to Massachusetts next month to become an EMS medical director.

For Dr. Mariecely Luciano-Feijoo, who was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the eventual goal is to take what shes learned stateside back home to improve her islands EMS system.

I could not have asked for better teaching than to be actively learning like this, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo said. It is easy to read and try to understand certain things, but theyre not easy to apply unless youve lived through them.

It takes a certain personality to thrive in EMS.

Where most grow flustered when a days plans go awry, these women thrive on the chaos of a day spent running from crisis to crisis. Sit them down for an interview, and they exude that powerful, calm sense of energy that comes with competence, and they look ready to leap into action at any moment.

Dr. Merrill, who graduated in 2016 from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in her hometown of Charlottesville, said the fast-paced, ever-changing nature of EMS work drew her to the field. In 2019, she completed a residency in emergency medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York.

Aside from the thrill of the job, Dr. Merrill said she appreciates being the first physician to see a patient after an emergency.

Some of a patients most critical moments occur in the pre-hospital environment, she said. Thats when we have a really big ability to make a difference.

For Dr. Luciano-Feijoo, COVID-19 is the second disaster to have shaped her career. She completed medical school in 2016 at the University of Puerto Rico and, the following year, Hurricane Maria hit during her residency in emergency medicine at a local hospital. In the days and weeks that followed, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo found her homes emergency medical infrastructure to be underfunded and out of date.

Our EMS system has a lot of limitations, and that did not help the Puerto Rican population in that kind of disaster, she said. That brought me to the states to get a better sense of a proper EMS system, and a better understanding of how I could bring that knowledge back to Puerto Rico.

The program at UNC-Chapel Hill caught her eye, because fellows split their time between Wake County and neighboring Orange County. Working with Wake County has allowed her to see whats possible in a large EMS system, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo said, and Orange County, which has about 1/7th of Wakes population, has taught her how to operate on a scale closer to what shell see back in Puerto Rico.

Although she didnt set out for a career in EMS, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo has a heritage of running toward disasters. Her mother, Celia Feijoo-Nieves, was one of the first two women to become firefighters in Puerto Rico in 1989. It was later that year, during a routine physical following her first big fire, an examiner told her she was pregnant.

So Ive been going into emergencies since before I was born, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo joked. And throughout my childhood, I sometimes went with my mother to emergencies on the fire truck when she was able to take me.

The fellows will tell you theyre learning a lot in the EOC, and most of that comes as a byproduct of hard work. Each takes turns rotating into the role of EMS medical director, which is a position with defined duties in the EOC command structure.

The days vary widelyjust how the doctors like italthough their time is spent planning and directing others rather than rendering aid. Wake County activated its EOC in response to COVID-19 on March 5 and, as the county moved to combat a never-before-seen virus, the fellows helped create new workflows and protocols for public health and EMS staff.

These days, Drs. Luciano-Feijoo and Merrill are working closely with facilities that have reported outbreaks, making sure theres follow-up on positive tests results and coordinating strike teams, along with any other tasks that arise throughout the day.

The EOC brings together staff from across disciplines to coordinate quick and decisive action. While Dr. Merrill has years of experience in EMS, she said her time in the EOC has helped her see how various departments fit together into the bigger picture of emergency management.

The thing thats been the most beneficial has been learning how to coordinate between a bunch of different services, such as fire and law enforcement, she said. They all have different priorities, because they have different things to worry about, and its been beneficial to see how that all fits together.

In addition to their long hours in the Wake County EOC, each doctor works shifts as attending physicians in the emergency department at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough, and they provide telemedicine for troopers at the N.C. State Highway Patrol.

At the end of the month, Drs. Merrill and Luciano-Feijoo will complete their yearlong fellowships and begin the next chapter of their careers.

Dr. Merrill will head up to Lawrence, Mass., a city of about 80,000 near the border with New Hampshire, where shes slated to become the next EMS medical director at Lawrence General Hospital. She will have a few months as an attending physician to work alongside the current director before taking over.

While shes eager to get home to friends, family and tropical weather, Dr. Luciano-Feijoo will join the faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill and spend another year working as an attending physician in the universitys hospitals. She plans to keep soaking up the best practices of how EMS operates in the states, and then shell work to understand how things can change back home.

I am not well-versed on the pre-hospital system in Puerto Rico yet, she said. Thats one of my next projects.

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the press release above belong solely to the company/vendor/author and do not necessarily reflect those of EMS World or HMP.

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COVID-19 Puts EMS Fellows to the Test at N.C. EOC - EMSWorld

Professors, Parenting Expert Share How to Talk to Children About Racism in Live Chat Wednesday – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

How do parents start a conversation with their children about the George Floyd protests? How can parents explain what racism is? When should you have a talk with your children about how to deal with the police? These questions and more will be answered by Fort Worth area medical and parenting experts.

Faculty members with Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas Health Science Center's School of Medicine will answer questions and discuss the best ways to talk about racism and police violence with children during a Facebook Live chat on Wednesday.

Two members of the medical school's faculty, Amani Terrell, M.D., a pediatrician and associate professor, along with Debra Atkisson, M.D., a psychiatrist and associate professor, will join special guest Odette Tomlinson, LPC-S, TFT-dx, the clinical director at The Parenting Center in Fort Worth, in the discussion.

The latest news from around North Texas.

The event begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday on the FWMD school's Facebook page.

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Professors, Parenting Expert Share How to Talk to Children About Racism in Live Chat Wednesday - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Local medical and nursing school graduates prepare to enter the front lines during the pandemic – Los Angeles Times

Medical school graduates are preparing to take their place on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19.

Richelle Roelandt Lu Homo, who recently graduated from the UC Irvine School of Medicine, said she is ready to begin working in a hospital despite anxieties posed by the pandemic.

We are entering the world of medicine with greater responsibility, Lu Homo said. That increased level of responsibility is scary but exciting because it means we are doing something right.

The 24 students in Vanguard Universitys nursing pre-licensure program, which started in 2018, is its very first graduating class.

(Courtesy of Vanguard University)

Andrew Bailey, one of the 24 graduates from Vanguard Universitys nursing pre-licensure program, said many of his fellow students are nervous about their schooling coming to an end.

Its totally unprecedented being in nursing school and graduating, and a global pandemic hits, Bailey said. Within our group, people are having anxiety just in the finality. We are such a tight-knit group.

These medical and nursing students are also graduating amid mass social upheaval. Protests have been held around the country in response to the killing of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin.

Lu Homo said that doctors need to be aware of the racial and social disparities in the healthcare system.

Its not just about the pandemic, you are graduating during a period of unrest where many innocent black lives have been lost, Lu Homo said. Graduating medical school and earning this degree at this time means we are in a place of privilege.

This particular degree on the one hand is hard-earned 20 years of education but also a means to an end for a purpose, and that purpose is we have this duty to be able to recognize that there are inequities in our healthcare system.

Hung Nguyen takes a photo of his nephew, graduate Ryan Nguyen, along with Ryans mother Van Lam and his brother Preston Nguyen at the UCI School of Medicines first drive-through commencement ceremony on May 30.

(Raul Roa / Staff Photographer)

But these early-career healthcare workers are needed now more than ever.

I am a Christian and I believe God has placed a calling in my life to become a nurse, Bailey said. So right now I believe there is more of a need for myself and people like me than any time that we have experienced in our recent history.

I am excited for the challenge. I know Vanguard has prepared me to be a novice nurse in the hospital, and I trust the organizations I work for will be doing the best they can to protect the employees.

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Providing health care to tribal communities in the face of COVID-19 – UMN News

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, tribal nations suffered from higher mortality rates from infectious diseases than the general population. Add to that an underfunded healthcare system, higher rates of poverty, and a limited inventory of personal protective equipment, and Native American communities could only expect the worst outcomes during the pandemic.

Thats exactly what were experiencing in Indian Country right now from the Navajo Nation, saysMary Owen, director of the Center of American Indian and Minority Health and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Biobehavioral Health, both at the U of M Medical School, Duluth campus. They are third in the nation on being the most impacted by COVID-19, after New York City and New Jersey.

Owen has teamed up with two Native American-owned companies that help match physicians and healthcare professionals to tribal communities most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. But its not just the immediate health problems that the disease brings to Native American communities; it's also setbacks to primary funding sources like casinos and tourism, which help support essential functions.

Now, without those economic bases, we know that health is going to be impacted for a long time to come, says Owen, who is also president-elect of the Association of American Indian Physicians.

So far, six full-time providers from Minnesota, including two family physicians, have signed up to volunteer their time and care at tribal sites.

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Providing health care to tribal communities in the face of COVID-19 - UMN News

Mount Sinai Health System Appoints Kristin Myers, MPH, as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Dean for Information Technology -…

Newswise (New York, NY June 9, 2020) Mount Sinai Health System has appointed Kristin Myers, MPH, as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Dean for Information Technology (IT). Ms. Myers most recently served as Senior Vice President for Technology.

In her new role, Ms. Myers will provide visionary leadership and steer IT transformation efforts to align and support Health System strategy. Her main objectives will be to drive agility in the department to support the Health Systems mission of clinical care, research, and education; to optimize the departments operations; and to enable the Mount Sinai Health System for digital change.

Ms. Myers joined Mount Sinai as a Director of IT in 2004. Her many accomplishments include leadership of the Epic clinical and revenue cycle implementations and the organizations transition to ICD10 coding, and establishment of the IT Program Management Office and Change Management as a discipline within IT in 2009. Under Ms. Myerss leadership, Mount Sinai was awarded the prestigious Health Information and Management System Society (HIMSS) 2012 Enterprise Davies Award of Excellence for its electronic record implementation to improve quality of care and patient safety. Most recently, Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West received HIMSS Stage 7, the highest level of technology adoption.

Kristins accomplishments and extensive work in the IT sector give her necessary insights to lead the Health System as we continue to implement modern infrastructures, programs, and policies that maximize efficiency and facilitate communication that positively impacts the care and safety of our patients, said Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System.

Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Ms. Myers worked at Cap Gemini, Ernst and Young, and the Cerner Corporation in Australia. She holds an Executive Master of Public Health from Columbia University and an Executive Chief Information Security Officer certification from Carnegie Mellon. She has been designated a Fellow of HIMSS; has previously received certifications in Program Management (PgMP), Project Management (PMP, Prince 2), and AIM Change Management; and is a Certified Professional in Health Information and Management Systems. She was recognized by IT Health Data Management as one of the Most Powerful Women in Healthcare in 2019 and by Beckers Hospital Review as one of the women to watch in healthcare for each of the past three years.

I am honored to move into this role and look forward to working with Mount Sinai leadership to enable digital transformation and innovation to support our mission, said Ms. Myers.

About the Mount Sinai Health System

The Mount Sinai Health System is New York City's largest academic medical system, encompassing eight hospitals, a leading medical school, and a vast network of ambulatory practices throughout the greater New York region. Mount Sinai is a national and international source of unrivaled education, translational research and discovery, and collaborative clinical leadership ensuring that we deliver the highest quality carefrom prevention to treatment of the most serious and complex human diseases. The Health System includes more than 7,200 physicians and features a robust and continually expanding network of multispecialty services, including more than 400 ambulatory practice locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 14 on U.S. News & World Report's "Honor Roll" of the Top 20 Best Hospitals in the country and the Icahn School of Medicine as one of the Top 20 Best Medical Schools in the country. Mount Sinai Health System hospitals are consistently ranked regionally by specialty by U.S. News & World Report.

For more information, visit https://www.mountsinai.org or find Mount Sinai on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Mount Sinai Health System Appoints Kristin Myers, MPH, as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, and Dean for Information Technology -...

Din College researchers believe more reasons behind high Covid-19 Cases on Navajo – Navajo-Hopi Observer

TSAILE, Ariz. A research paper authored by two Din College science professors about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact upon Native Americans provides clarification of the transmission and virulence of the virus, the professors say.

The paper, The Medical Basis for Increased Susceptibility of COVID-19 among the Navajo and other Indigenous Tribes: A Survey, was written by Dr. Joseph DeSoto and Dr. Shazia Tabassum Hakim.

The paper concludes, in part, that ethnic and anatomic expression patterns of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and associated pathophysiology suggests that Native Americans and Asians may be particularly susceptible to this disease (Covid-19).

It was submitted April 30 and accepted for publication May 29 in the Journal of Biomedical Research and Reviews. DeSoto and Hakim said the document represents the first comprehensive world-wide scientific understanding of the high rate of infectivity among the Navajo and Indigenous tribes of the SAR-CoV-2 from a molecular medical perspective on Covid-19.

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a type of protein found on the surface of a number of cells in the respiratory, digestive, nervous and reproductive systems. The protein, in general, serves as a door where the virus enters the cells, the team explained.

And the key that the virus has is to open the door is a spike with the protein S, Hakim stated. When this right key S is inserted into the door lock (ACE-2), the magic happens and the virus enters the host cell, hijacks the host cells DNA machinery and starts producing its own proteins, multiplies, increases in number and infects more cells of the host body.

There are four things that aggravate COVID-19 as it pertains to the Navajo Nation, De Soto said. Medically, its the high rate of diabetes, hypertension, genetics and poor protein diets among the Navajo; poor health care infrastructure and technology; poverty, with the associated lack of water access; and dense multi-generational living arrangements.

The two professors work in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) division of the Din College. They said in December they had started talking amongst themselves about the causes of COVID-19, and then started reviewing the literature.

Late in December 2019, we read every single thing that was published out there in the scientific community, DeSoto said. We discussed it and evaluated it long before the virus came over here. Then based on the best medical evidence, we realized that this might soon be a problem. So, we started discussing, evaluating and analyzing and then we wrote and completed the paper.

Two more papers are being published within weeks in major peer reviewed Medical and Scientific Journals by De Soto and Hakim, The Medical Treatment for COVID-19, and with Dr. Fred Boyd, of Din College, a well-known molecular physiologist, The Pathophysiology of COVID-19, both of which have already received international attention via preprints.

The Navajo Nation has the highest COVID-19 rate in the United States which is 450% higher than the national average.

DeSoto, who was senior author and is a medical school graduate of Howard University. His specialty is molecular medicine and pharmacogenetics. Hakim has a background in microbiology and infectious diseases. She is a graduate of the University of Karachi in Pakistan.

Hakim said she and DeSoto are working on another manuscript related to the eating habits, food scarcity and the unavailability of the varieties of fruits and vegetables in Navajo communities.

The Journal of Biomedical Research and Review is an international, peer reviewed, open access, scientific and scholarly journal which publishes research papers, review papers, mini reviews, case reports, case studies, short communications, letters, editorials, books, theses and dissertations from various aspects of medicine, engineering, science and technology to improve and support health care.

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Din College researchers believe more reasons behind high Covid-19 Cases on Navajo - Navajo-Hopi Observer

Planning to go to Medical School? Join the Great Lakes Applicant Workshop – University of Wisconsin-Madison

This years workshop was held virtually in partnership withMichigan State University College of Human Medicine,University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Minnesota Medical School- Duluth and Twin Cities, University of South Dakota Medical School, University of North Dakota Medical School, and University Of Illinois Medical School.This years applicant workshop featured a keynote address from Frank Animikwam, MD, mini-sessions covering the application process, MCAT overview and strategies, tips for writing a personal statement, and a medical student panel.

If you are planning on applying to medical school this cycle please reach out to our center directly for additional information, especially on how COVID-19 is impacting this years application cycle.

Clickhereto access NACHPs website and below is our phone and email address:608-262-7218nachp@hslc.wisc.edu

You can clickherefor the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health admissions website.

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Planning to go to Medical School? Join the Great Lakes Applicant Workshop - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Mother-Daughter Duo Become First To Graduate From Medical School At The Same Time And Match At The Same Hospital – Because of Them We Can

Now this is a reason to celebrate!

A mother and daughter are making history, becoming the first to graduate from medical school at the same time and match at the same hospital, UMHS reports.

Dr. Cynthia Kudji and her daughter, Dr. Jasmine Kudji attendedmedical school at the same time, miles apart from one another. Cynthia attendedthe University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS) St. Kitts and Maine and Jasmine attended Louisiana State University School of Medicine. After years apart, bothmother and daughter have matched at LSU, the first to do so, with Cynthia pursuing Family Medicine and Jasmine studying General Surgery.

The Ghana native said she always wanted to be a doctor, but after becoming pregnant with her daughter Jasmine at 23-years old, she put her dreams on hold. She workedas an RN and Nurse Practitioner for almost 10 years before deciding to apply to medical school at UMHS. A trip back home inspired her to pursue her dreams again after all those years.

My mom wanted us to have a family trip back to Ghana and there was an incident where we were in the village and somebody just walked up to us and said that their child had a fever and was sick and wanted my mom and I to help. We put the child in water, trying to get the temperature down...and I just remember being so frustrated that the mom had to come to a complete stranger to get access to health care. The only thing I knew that could change that situation was to be a physician, Cynthia said.

Her daughter Jasmine, simultaneously began med school at LSU. The two said the road hasnt been easy but they are glad to have finally completed a major part of their journey.

So, the only thing that makes it difficult as far as older students is if you havent been in school for a while, it takes some getting used to the volume of material. [Also,] you still have the responsibilities of an older individual, of a mom or a dad... So even though I was in medical school, I was still Jasmines mom. I still had to be there as mom regardless of whether I was in medical school or not, Cynthia shared.

Thanks to technology, the two were able to remain close andconnected.

I think initially it was difficult because my mom and I have always been really close so I had to get used to the distance, we had to learn how to FaceTime and Skype each other, so we were Skyping each other every day and whenever I had struggles and she had struggles, we just had to learn to communicate from a distance, said Jasmine.

Both mom and daughter are excited to finally be back together and look forward to continue leaning on each other as they enter this next phase of their careers.

I always tell people we laugh together, we study together, we cry together. I think medical school is one of those experiences that you dont truly understand until youre in it. Sometimes people struggle to find someone who relates to their struggles, so for that person to be my mom was extremely helpful, said Jasmine Kudji.

This is mom-daughter goals! Congratulations ladies!

Photo Courtesy of Dr. Cynthia Kudji

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Mother-Daughter Duo Become First To Graduate From Medical School At The Same Time And Match At The Same Hospital - Because of Them We Can

Its the American dream: Law school and medical school grads visit their grandpa at La Crescenta nursing home in emotional reunion amid pandemic – KTLA…

Vana Ebrahimi, a 25-year-old from Glendale, graduated from Loyola Law School on Sunday as her brother graduated from medical school. Although their in-person commencement ceremonies were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, they found a way to make the day special.

The pair went to visit their grandpa, Hayrik Abnous, at a La Crescenta nursing home, where he has been since January. In an effort to curb spread of the virus, the facility has been under a lockdown since March.

So Ebrahimi and her brother first generation college students got to see their grandpa through a glass door in an emotional reunion.

We just decided since were both graduating, lets go and surprise him and wear our cap and gowns, Ebrahimi said. It was a big deal for us to include him.

The video of the special moment shows Ebrahimi and her brother, who did not want to share his name or school information, in their gowns, waving to their grandpa while he looks at them in tears from his wheelchair.

It was heartbreaking but cute at the same time, said Ebrahimi, who was also in tears in the video. It was a surreal feeling for us both. Its the American dream.

Her parents and grandparents escaped war in Iran and went to Austria, eventually making it to the U.S. in 1993, just before she was born.

My mom and dad came here literally with no money and not knowing English, Ebrahimi said. For us to be able to not just go to college, but also get a graduate degree It was like the struggle of coming here and escaping war and doing all that was worth it. For us it feels like were finally paying them back.

Having her children graduate from law school and medical school has been emotional for her own mother too, Ebrahimi said. While her uncles were able to leave Iran during the war on student visas, her mother was not.

You dont just, you know, send your daughter to America on her own, Ebrahimi reflected. So my mom had to stay back, and she never got to go to college because the war happened and the schools closed.

As an Armenian American, she says the accomplishment has even more meaning for her as a minority.

From a culture thats had a genocide, were still here were still standing. Were pursuing our dreams and they didnt destroy us, she said.

Ebrahimi has been staying with her grandmother while her grandpa remains at the nursing home for a broken hip and a heart condition. She says she and her grandma were going to the nursing home every day before they closed their doors, and at the time of their graduation reunion, she hadnt been able see her grandpa in two months.

It was a huge deal to be able to have us all together to celebrate, even though it wasnt the type of celebration we wanted or imagined, she said. Quarantine has had its perks of having more intimate moments with your family.

Ebrahimi said her metspop, as she calls him, has never stopped smiling, even while in the hospital or the nursing home. He is the most easygoing patient, she said, always smiling.

As an Armenian immigrant family, this meant the world for my grandfather who came here with little to nothing and not knowing the language to see us accomplish the American dream, she said.

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Answering the Call: Med school grads plan to practice in the Valley – Brownsville Herald

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley recently graduated its first class of students from the School of Medicine. Those graduates entered the program when it opened in 2016 and many plan to stay in the Rio Grande Valley for residencies or will return to practice. Graduates spoke of their community ties and a desire to address the needs of underserved border residents who face unique social and cultural challenges requiring physicians to work collaboratively with patients.

Training doctors locally is essential in addressing the needs of underserved South Texas communities and has been the driving force behind a decades-long push to bring a medical school to the RGV, explained Dr. Leonel Vela, the School of Medicines Senior Associate Dean for Educational and Academic Affairs.

If we look at the number of physicians per 100,000 population nationally, we have roughly half of that ratio. Compared to the State of Texas, we have about a third of that ratio. Texas already ranks in the lower 10 out of the 50 states in terms of the number of doctors per 100,000 population. It gives you a perspective of the significant need there is here, he said.

UTRGVs med school was generations in the making and a major impetus of that push was to address the significant shortage of doctors locally. Vela came in as the founding dean at the Harlingen Regional Academic Center in 2000. Students from the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio would do clinical rotations until legislation was passed calling for the establishment of the medical school under UTRGV.

The programs pre-development brought expanded residency programs to students including internal medicine, psychiatry, family medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and even fellowships in cardiology, gastroenterology, hospice, and sports medicine.

Nationally, what we see is that physicians are almost three times as likely to stay in the area where they go to medical school and train. When you develop that locally, it becomes a nexus for attracting more physicians, more research. Weve seen interest in medicine expand locally. Now, for students in our public schools, its a dream they can achieve. For my generation, the only option was to leave the Valley, said Vela.

As for the students, graduates spoke enthusiastically about the benefits their training brings to South Texas. Ramiro Tovar, 26, grew up in the Valley and is pursuing family medicine because it allows him to get to know his patients on a personal level, enabling treatment thats responsive, effective, and sensitive to cultural practices and values. His mother wanted to be a doctor growing up and didnt get the chance, though interest in medicine was solidified only when an aunt he was close with had a burst aneurysm.

They told her the prognosis was terrible, but neurosurgeons stepped up with a surgery that could save her. She got another 16 years of life. She got to see her daughter married, her son grow up. As a physician you can walk in one moment and change an entire persons life, he said.

Another graduate, Daniella Concha, 27, will leave the area to complete a residency in NYC focused on internal medicine. After, she hopes to do a fellowship in cardiology. She echoed Tovars respect for RGV communities and in particular her home town of Donna.

There are so many hardworking people I encounter here who face so many limitations regarding access to healthcare and understanding their conditions. Ive seen my own family members struggle to understand whats going on with them because of the language barrier, she shared.

While there are many Spanish-speaking physicians here, many do not speak Spanish. I want to help these people understand whats going on with their bodies, how its happening, what the consequences of not following up with your doctor are.

Concha emphasized the power of community ties and cultural insight in making her a responsive physician.

I grew up in this culture. My mom once cracked an egg on my head and said, This is going to cure your stomach ache. A lot of the patients here practice folk medicine. Being able to incorporate both the patients beliefs and their culture with management thats within the literature of what evidence-based medicine is that is going to help a lot of people here and I want to be a part of that.

Other students opted to stay in the Valley not only to address healthcare access, but also to remain close to family. Joseph Garza, 26, is graduating into a residency at DHR Health in Edinburg and has a young daughter with his fianc, which only strengthened his resolve to practice locally.

Working in medicine, going through school, seeing hospitals I saw the health disparities. There are complicated patients here with hypertension and diabetes but not a lot of resources for a large community. I understand the culture here. I speak Spanish. Patients want a doctor that understands them and I feel like Im able to do that for my patients when I start seeing them in July, said Garza.

Graduate Ye Ji Choi, 27, grew up in Mission and will be joining Garza at DHR Health while training in obstetrics and gynecology. She said her four years at UTRGV were challenging and exciting as the program represented uncharted territory.

You gain a lot of experience and become aware of and exposed to the culture locally. You can hone in on and adapt to the needs of the community. Things like the language itself, body language, cultural implications. Being able to provide these services is crucial said Choi.

Some members of the graduating class completed their undergraduate degrees through UTRGVs BMED Scholar Program. The programs director, Dr. Hugo Rodriguez, noted that Tovar was also member of the first BMED graduating class in 2016, likely influencing his decision to stay. We did a lot of activities outside of the classroom community service, clinical experience, and professional development, said Rodriguez.

His philosophy has been to motivate students to push through their work, to be honest with themselves, and to have the will to learn from mistakes while embracing the journey as something joyful.

You chose a pathway and you need to be reading every day of your life. The field of medicine is constantly evolving. We need to plant that seed in the students from day one and nurture that seed, he said.

Students are encouraged by faculty to engage with the needs of the Valley. That might mean coming back to practice and it might not, but even those graduates who have chosen residencies cited a desire to return to practice. Veronica Trevino is one of them. She recalled realizing she wanted to be a pediatrician at three years old when she asked her parents about the work of her own doctor. Being born and raised in the Valley, this is a huge, huge deal for me, she said.

Trevino is from McAllen and is leaving to the closest place she possibly can while still practicing pediatrics Driscoll Childrens Hospital in Corpus Christi.

When babies get really sick, when kids get really sick, we send them to Driscoll. It has exceeded the capacity at which we can take care of them here. They have satellite clinics all over the Valley and we get to rotate at all of them, she added.

Trevinos education in medicine exposed her to the Valleys underserved colonias and the lack of basic infrastructure like running water and unpaved roads, which she referenced as an integral driver of her desire to practice locally. Her appreciation for medicine truly began at 11, however, when her dad suffered a heart attack and had open heart surgery. She said of the experience, As my dads daughter, that surgeon didnt do anything to me directly, but he completely changed my life because he gave me my dad back.

She thanked the community for welcoming the graduates with open arms and giving them the respect they needed to learn and thrive. It has been a really meaningful experience, said Trevino.

Her classmate and fellow graduate Shuemara Kates Ondoy, 25, will complete a residency in internal medicine at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, her first choice placement. Ondoy has been a Valley resident since high school when her family settled here after relocating from the Philippines.

There were plenty of times during the last four years where you wonder, Am I going to make it? Do I have what it takes? said Ondoy of her graduation.

There was a stigma growing up in the Valley like the education you get down here is sub-par, which is why a lot of people want to leave after high school. That wasnt my experience in this program. I felt I could get the same education right here that I can get anywhere else. Its intrinsically important to have a medical school here in the Valley. As a student, youre putting the RGV on the map. Were giving the native people an opportunity to pursue that higher education so they dont have to leave.

Ondoy thanked the universitys faculty and staff for the programs success.

There were a lot of growing pains, being the first class. The passion and the dedication of our faculty and staff made the journey worthwhile. We would not be here without them; its their achievement just as much as ours.

esheridan@brownsvilleherald.com

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Answering the Call: Med school grads plan to practice in the Valley - Brownsville Herald

Grad Profile: Med School valedictorian reflects on L.A. filmmaking past and a new future in medicine – Dal News

This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the Dalhousie Class of 2020. Visit our Class of 2020 virtual space to share in the excitement with our newest graduates.

David Hung was sitting in Kanye Wests office when he learned he would be attending Dalhousie Medical School.

Born in Palo Alto, California, and raised in Halifax, David originally set his sights on becoming a skateboard video director. Armed with a camera at a young age, David and his friends started to make music videos, commercials, short films and even a feature film, in addition to medical education videos with his physician father.

I feel like in film theres these really fast-paced and high-stake environments, says David. That was where I thrived.

While working on filmmaking projects in Halifax, David completed a BA with Honours in Theatre at Dalhousie but decided to follow that need for high-stakes into a career as a paramedic.

Although working as a paramedic allowed him to follow his passion for a fast-paced environment, combined with his inherent interest in medicine filmmaking options in Halifax were limited.

David, and his friends Tyler and Jacob, made the incredible decision to move to Los Angeles to follow their filmmaking dreams. Over a span of two years, they made the right connections and began working with rap superstars such as Kanye West and Travis Scott, and celebrities like Kylie Jenner.

Tyler worked with Kanye West on tour, and then toured with Travis Scott, which eventually led to the Netflix original documentary, Look Mom I can Fly, which David worked on as an editor and cinematographer.

Even with this burgeoning success in the industry, the pull to practise medicine remained. So with the support of mentors such as Dr. Ron Stewart, who was supportive of Davids Arts career and passion for pre-hospital and emergency medicine, David finally decided to apply for medical school.

He was a huge inspiration for me to not only pursue this as a career but also to keep rooted in my creative outlets and mediums, says David.

Fast-forward to sitting in Kanye Wests office. At the time they were just finishing up work on the music video for the hit song Famous, but uncertain what the next job would be and where the next paycheque would come from.When I got that letter, it was a huge relief, says David. It was something that not only represented hard work and determination that everyone who applies puts in, but it represented stability which is something I think I was looking for at the time.

Four years later, and David is set to graduate from Dalhousie Medicine School as valedictorian of the Class of 2020 and preparing to start his residency in Emergency Medicine in Halifax.

Hes travelled the world learning what makes a strong leader and observed the collaboration it takes to make a hit record which is a nice correlation to working successfully in interprofessional teams.

While from the outside it seems that he has been chasing the thrill of filmmaking with stars, or the high-acuity world of emergency medicine, its been those closest to him that have kept him grounded and helped him survive medical school.

My wife-to-be, Meghan, was a huge part of my success. Being able to have a person to talk to, to go on adventures with and experience life together outside of the hospital was the key to my wellness, says David. Now we have a beautiful daughter, Violet, and spending time with her is all that matters.

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Grad Profile: Med School valedictorian reflects on L.A. filmmaking past and a new future in medicine - Dal News

Business Observer for the week of May 24 – Asheboro Courier Tribune

Achievements, Promotions and Recognition

Achievements

Southeastern Regional Medical Center Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse Tess McNeill has been honored as Southeastern Healths 2020 Baker Nurse of Excellence.

Poyner Spruill LLP has announced partner Mike McIntyre has been selected as the 2020 Liberty Bell Award recipient by the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association. Serving as director of the firms government relations practice, McIntyre represents governments on the local, state and national levels. He also focuses on business, real estate, agribusiness, energy and environmental law, along with military, sports and entertainment law. Before joining the firm, McIntyre held the position of Congressman of North Carolinas Seventh Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 until 2015.

Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Dr. Marvin Connelly Jr. was among 45 superintendents from across North Carolina to graduate from the NCSSA Next Generation Superintendent Development Program Cohort VII.

Appointments

Former state representative and longtime attorney Ron Sutton has been appointed to the Board of Trustees at UNC Pembroke. Sutton was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2011 and previously served on the UNCP Foundation Board. Sutton served as a Democratic member of the N.C. General Assembly representing District 47, which includes Robeson and Hoke counties, from 1993 to 2011.

Strictly Business: A roundup of business and retail news right to your inbox.

In Business

Kampgrounds of America, located at 465 Kenric Road in Lumberton, off I-95 exit 17, has re-opened for RV travelers as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. The office and bathrooms will remain temporarily closed as a precautionary measure due to the pandemic. Only curbside check-in is available during office hours.

On the Job

Alan Zhu, M.D., has joined Southeastern Healths Southeastern Cardiology and Cardiovascular Clinic and Southeastern Health Heart and Vascular, providing general cardiology and electrophysiology. Dr. Zhu earned his medical degree from Tongji Medical University, in China. He earned a master of science degree in biometry from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He competed a fellowship in cardiology at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, and an electrophysiology fellowship at University of Minnesota. He is a fellow of the America College of Cardiology.

Southeastern Healths The Surgery Center at Southeastern Health Park has reopened for surgeries on Mondays and Wednesdays. Visitors will be limited and patients will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and given a mask before entering the surgical facility. Employees of the center will also be screened before being allowed to report to work.

Dr. Toby A. Travis has joined The Village Christian Academy as the superintendent over PS-12. His previous school roles include teacher, coordinator, principal, academic director and head of school, serving in both Christian and international school settings.

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Business Observer for the week of May 24 - Asheboro Courier Tribune

Chicago family holds backyard graduation for their medical student daughter and her friend – FOX 32 Chicago

Chicago family holds backyard graduation for their medical student daughter and her friend

A Morgan Park family is making sure their daughter and her friend get the ceremony they deserve for completing medical school.

CHICAGO - In the era of coronavirus, typical graduations have become non-existent.

So, one Morgan Park family is making sure their daughter and her friend getthe ceremony they deserve for completing medical school.

The front yard of Lindsay Howards home says it all. There is a banner and balloons, because she and her medical school roommate are both graduating virtually.

Lindsays family is making sure it is a moment they will never forget.

Ive been waiting for this moment for 24 years, Lindsay said.

Since she was 5-years-old, Lindsay dreamed of becoming a doctor. But graduating from the Medical College of Wisconsin during the coronavirus crisis was not quite what she expected.

I was really kind of bummed out when everything got canceled, Lindsay said.

That is when her family stepped in.

We had to find a way to still make it very special for her, Lindsays brother Larry said.

So, they turned on the music, got dressed up, put up some decorations, and held the momentous Hooding Ceremony from Lindsays backyard.

The Hooding Ceremony is just one aspect of them moving towards being conferred as a doctor, said Lindsays mother Gail.

During their socially distant celebration, family joined virtually from afar.

The Howards also honored Lindsays roommate, Brandy Norman, who is from Las Vegas and could not celebrate with her own family.

Its been amazing. A lot of med-school I wouldnt have gotten through without them, Brandy said.

Even a photographer was present to capture the unique milestone on camera.

I couldnt be more proud, brother Larry said.

Lindsay and Brandys virtual graduation ceremony will be held Friday.

Originally posted here:

Chicago family holds backyard graduation for their medical student daughter and her friend - FOX 32 Chicago

What Do Trump And Yale Medical School Have In Common? Both Were Duped About A COVID-19 Treatment – Forbes

Illustration picture shows a pharmacist holding a box of Plaquenil, Monday 06 April 2020. Belgium ... [+] goes into its fourth week of confinement in the ongoing corona virus crisis. There are lots of debate around the use of Chloroquine medecine te treat Covid-19.BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE (Photo by BENOIT DOPPAGNE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

Hydroxychloroquine, promoted just a few short weeks ago as a cure for COVID-19,is useless.

Actually, it's worse than that. Hydroxychloroquinecauses heart arrythmias, which can be fatal. Data from early trials of hydroxychloroquine show that it is killing people, not saving them.

Why, then, are so many people talking about hydroxychloroquine? The answer is a tale of scientific hubris and incompetence bordering on fraud. It's also a tale of how Yale Medical School and the Trump administration both fell for it.

Part 1: the hubris of a French "science star."

Last week, theNew York Timesrana lengthy profile of Didier Raoult, a French microbiologist who the Times lauded as a "science star." Raoult vaulted into the public eye in March, whenhe published a very small studyclaiming that a combination of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, and the antibiotic azithromycin could cure COVID-19. Claimed Raoult:

"We know how to cure the disease" (Didier Raoult, quoted in theNY Times)

Actually, Raoult's proclamations began earlier, on February 25, when he posteda video on YouTubecalled "Coronavirus, game over." Not surprisingly, the world took notice. (Note that as the evidence for his so-called treatment evaporated, he re-titled the video "Coronavirus, towards a way out of the crisis.")

Raoult's study was deeply flawed, and it has been taken apart by multiple scientists, so I won't repeat all their points here. A good summary of many of the flaws was written by Elisabeth Bik,first on Twitterandthen in a blog article, back in late March. Among other flaws, the study dropped 6 of the 26 patients who were given hydroxychloroquine without explaining why. One of those patients died.

My results always look amazing if I leave out the patients who died, Bik commented.

Raoult is not happy with Dr. Bik. He recently called her a"witch hunter"on Twitter. This apparently is not unusual for Raoult; the NY Times compares his psychology to that of Napoleon. I wonder what he'll call me after this article appears.

In addition to its serious flaws, the paper was published in a journal whose editor-in-chief, Jean-Marc Rolain, was also a co-author on the paper. Even worse is the fact that,as the journal itself notes,the paper was accepted justone dayafter being submitted. Clearly, this paper did not undergo careful peer review, and it reeks of extremely sloppy science.

Since then, several larger, better-run studies have either found no benefit for hydroxychloroquine, or found actual harm. To be specific,a study of 368 patients in US Veterans Administration hospitalsfound that the mortality rate in patients given hydroxychloroquine was 27.8%. Patients who received both hydroxychloroquine and the antibiotic azythromycin had a mortality rate of 22.1%. But patients who did received neither one had a mortality rate of 11.4%.

In other words,giving patients hydroxychloroquine doubled their risk of dying.

One final note about Didier Raoult: he has a truly unbelievable number of scientific publications, over 2,800according to PubMed. From 2012-2019, he averaged 176 papers per year, or about one paper every two days. Speaking as a scientist, it simply isn't possible that he made any real contribution to the vast majority of these papers. TheNY Timesexplained that Raoult puts his name on every paper published by his institute, which employs hundreds of scientists. Again, speaking as a scientist, this is grossly unethical. No scientist should put his/her name on a paper unless they made a genuine scientific contribution to it. At many universities, Raoult's behavior would be grounds for dismissal.

Part 2: Trump and Yale Medical School fall for it.

As theNY Timesreported, and as most of the U.S. knows, Trump began touting the benefits of hydroxychloroquine at a news conference on March 19:

I think its going to be very exciting. I think it could be a game changer and maybe not. And maybe not," Trump said.

Right. Soon after that, the FDA, "under what appears to have been strong pressure from the Trump administration," issued an emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine.

Medical experts, including NIAID director Anthony Fauci, quickly injected a note of caution, pointing out that the evidence was very preliminary, and that we needed better studies. Nonetheless, Trump and his political allies ran with the news that a "cure" was available. They were wrong.

Perhaps most disturbing, though, was the behavior of some highly regarded doctors, who also fell for Didier Raoult's hype. One might excuse politicians for being fooledthey don't have the trainingbut the same excuse doesn't work for a medical expert.

And yet on March 26,Yale Medical School boldly tweeted outits "Treatment algorithm for COVID19," promoted with two megaphone icons:

Image taken from my own twitter feed

Attached to the tweet was a graphic of a flowchart, showing that the first steps in their treatment algorithm were hydroxychloroquine and atazanavir. At the time, I replied to their tweet and warned them that there was no good evidence for their recommendations.Their response:

"While there are no FDA approved treatments for COVID19, this protocol is based on available knowledge, personal observations & communications from other institutions. In the absence of firm evidence for best treatments, this is intended as a working document & subject to change."

Well, at least they responded. But in their response, they admit that their protocol is based on anecdotal evidence and little else. This is seriously disappointing, coming as it does from one of the nation's top medical schools. It also displays hubris not that dissimilar from Didier Raoult's.

Now that more evidence has emerged, and we know that hydroxychloroquine doesn't help and probably harms COVID19 patients, has Yale updated its treatment protocol? Well, yes:they tweeted out a new algorithm on May 15. Now it says:

"Consider hydroxychloroquine x 5 days with close cardiac monitoring."

This is truly appalling. The only evidence of efficacy was the small, badly-run study promoted by Didier Raoult, which has now been contradicted by much larger, better run studies. We now know that hydroxychloroquine is harmful. Others on Twitterquickly questioned the new Yale recommendation, but it's still there as of this writing.

So there you have it. Many so-called experts are still pushing the use of an ineffective, dangerous drug that doesn't help, and may harm, people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A bogus claim promoted by a self-important, egotistical scientist who published a sloppy study in a journal run by one of his co-authors turned into millions of doses of medication wrongfully prescribed.

And for now, Yale Medical School still hasn't admitted any error. I'm waiting.

[Note: I am an alumnus of Yale University, and I have long been one of its biggest fans. I did not attend medical school there, but their unscientific behavior is nonetheless especially disappointing to me as an alum.]

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What Do Trump And Yale Medical School Have In Common? Both Were Duped About A COVID-19 Treatment - Forbes

From Medical School To Fighting COVID-19 On The Front Lines At Bellevue Hospital – NPR

Gabrielle Mayer graduated from medical school in April and began her residency early so she could help care for patients with COVID-19. Gabrielle Mayer hide caption

Gabrielle Mayer graduated from medical school in April and began her residency early so she could help care for patients with COVID-19.

Dr. Gabrielle Mayer took her Hippocratic oath during a virtual graduation ceremony last month. Just three days later, she was a resident at Bellevue Hospital in New York City.

Now, almost six weeks into her residency, she says she's been inspired by "seeing the medical community as a whole rally around the patients who needed us the most."

Mayer is one of 52 fourth-year students at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine who graduated early to help patients sick with COVID-19 and to provide relief for hospital staff stretched thin because of the health crisis. Medical students at other schools have similarly graduated and deployed early to begin residencies and help on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Knowing that my community was in need and that the health care workers that I'd soon to be joining were strained already ... was a big motivation to go into the hospital," she told NPR last month the day before she graduated.

She had been set to start her residency in July. Instead, she began on April 6.

The toughest part so far, Mayer says, is that families can't visit loved ones at the hospital. She's been giving daily updates to patients' family members by phone.

"But I know my calls, even if well-intentioned, can't replace the feeling of holding your mother's hand as she goes through a large illness or a big moment in her life with her health," she told NPR's Mary Louise Kelly on Friday. "So I'm aware of the ways in which the suffering isn't just physical. There's also a component of it that's emotional."

Some patients she's been caring for have died, Mayer says, and there have also been both "great stories though of success" and some small but profound moments. She remembers she found a cellphone charger for one patient, who was then able to call family for the first time in three weeks. The patient thanked her profusely, with eyes filled with tears.

"I think it made me really remember the importance of these human moments of connection and how even as the medical challenges overwhelm us ... seeing someone for their humanity is just as important," Mayer says.

Listen to the All Things Considered conversation here.

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From Medical School To Fighting COVID-19 On The Front Lines At Bellevue Hospital - NPR

Hartselle grad follows dream from pitcher’s mound to medical school – The Hartselle Enquirer – Hartselle Enquirer

Special to the Enquirer

When Hope Cain stood on the pitchers mound during her four-year softball career at the University of Mobile,sheknew my teammates always had my back. When I stood on the mound, I knew everyone behind me was there to work as a team and allow us to succeed as a team.

Her team of University of Mobile faculty, coaches and staff had her back, as well. The softball standout from Hartselle was accepted to two medicalschools andwasoffered an $80,000 scholarship. When she starts this fall at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Medicine, its because the support of professors like Dr. Randy Craig helped her realize her true passion to become a physician.

The University of Mobile has allowed me to follow my dream of playing college softball, strengthen my faith and help me understand what I was called to do in my life, she said.

A member of the UM Class of 2020, Cain earned a Bachelor of Science in pre-health biology.

The Christian university in Mobile is one of the few in the nation where undergraduate students like Cain can have hands-on learning experiences in a nationallyaccredited cadaver lab. UM studentstake part inas much as two full semesters of training on actual human specimens a tremendous benefit for students heading to medical school.

They also have small classes with professors like Craig, professor of biology and chair of the Department of Natural Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. A veterinary surgeon withmore thanthree decades of experience, Craig continues to perform complex surgeries students are invited to observe.

Whether pre-health students arepursuingcareers as physicians, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians or researchers, the universitys faculty and curriculum will prepare them accordingly, Craig said.

A softball standout who was named the softball scholar-athlete of the year for the SSAC and honorable mention All-American for the NAIA for the 2019 season, Cain took advantage of the opportunities a small campus offers for students to become involved in a variety of activities. During her college career she was a peer leader, tutorandmember of Beta Chi. Sheserved on the Student Leadership Council and was president of the universitys chapter of Alpha Chi National Honor Society, as well.

Cainsaid attending the University of Mobile helped her further understand how to treat people with the Christ-like attitude her parents had taught her.

I also believe that by going to a Christian school, I have received a greater understanding and appreciation of how detailed and the perfect way that God created all of us, Cain added.When I practice medicine, I want to remember that it is God who gave me and my fellow doctors the abilities we have and that He is the ultimate healer and physician.

Cain is a member of Promise Land Church in Hartselle, where her father, Greg Cain, is pastor.

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Hartselle grad follows dream from pitcher's mound to medical school - The Hartselle Enquirer - Hartselle Enquirer

Medicine in Motion – Harvard Medical School

Chase Marso remembers the moment he realized Medicine in Motion, the fitness group he and threefriends started during their first year at Harvard Medical School, had truly taken on a life of its own.

It was August 2019, and Marso and 18 other members of the group had just finished Bike to the Beach from Boston to Newport, R.I., an annual ride benefiting autism awareness and research. Their team raised more than $15,000.

We had so many people that had very little biking experience on our team, and they committed to this 100-mile bike ride, Marso said. To see so many different people with varying levels of fitness going into the summer, commit to training together and to fundraising, that was a moment where I thought, What we've been doing is worthwhile and worth continuing to grow to have more moments like this."

It had been a long journey to that Newport beach from the gym at Vanderbilt Hall.

Thats where the studentsMarso, Logan Briggs, Mike Seward and Derek Soledmet in the fall of 2017. What started with informal group workouts grew into a student group called Docs Who Lift, and the four recruited other HMS students to register for endurance events, like Spartan Races and triathlons.

They had all been athletes before coming to HMS and had personally experienced the benefit of regular, intense physical activity.

For me, working out is the only thing that offers a mental respite from my other responsibilities, said co-founder Briggs. Activities like watching a movie or playing video games just leave this nagging thought in the back of my head that I should be doing something more productive. So, working out is really the only time where I feel liberated from all the other tasks on my plate and comfortable that I'm doing something productive for my body and my mind.

Co-founder Soled also sees regular physical activity as central to a balanced life for busy medical students and health care professionals.

A lot of people wrongly look at physical activity and they say, How do you have time to work out? You have these long days being a student or being a doctor, Soled said. But it's not like you're adding this time; it's that this time for physical activity is so integral to my day, and it's what I need to flourish in all my other activities.

In the summer of 2018, they, along with Katie Lantz, Sewards girlfriend and fellow Harvard College alum, signed up for the Pan-Mass Challenge. Together, they biked 200 miles over the course of two days, despite Briggs being the only member with any previous long-distance cycling experience.

They also gained fundraising experience as each collected donations towards the $5,500 registration fee to benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Together, racing as Docs Who Lift, they raised more than $30,000.

When that was over, we said, OK, now what? said Marso. How do we go about doing this in year two? How do we include others?

That fall, the founders hosted a meeting with other interested students from HMS, HSDM and other Boston-area medical schools to brainstorm ways to combine their interests in physical fitness, health care and philanthropy. Medicine in Motion was born.

Soled says Medicine in Motion has three goals.

First, we want to promote well-being in health care professionals through physical activity. Secondly, we want to foster a sense of community among health care professionals, at all stages of training and all types of health care. Finally, we want to use this time together to fundraise and give back.

To that end, Medicine in Motion registered as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit. The group grew to include chapters at HSDM, Boston University Medical School, Tufts University Medical School, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and most recently, the University of Queensland in Australia.

In addition to organizing regular workouts and runs at their individual chapters, members also have also participated as teams in triathlons, long-distance bike rides and other endurance events.Within its first two years, Medicine in Motion recruited 684 medical professionals to take part in events, raising $50,000 for medical research initiatives.

Second-year HMS student Henry Ashworth, who has taken on a leadership role with the group, thinks the groups focus on community building has been key to its growth.

Its fun to do these things, but it's so much more fun when you're with someone else, he said. Its a much more meaningful experience if you feel connected to the people you're around.

Dylan Cahill, a first-year HMS medical student who has organized weekly group runs for Medicine in Motion, explained how the focus on physical activity provides an opportunity for medical students and health care workers of all levels to form connections.

Maybe while jogging next to someone, you learn a little bit about what they do for a living, what theyre passionate about, Cahill said. And you say, Hey, that's something I'm interested in, or, My buddy was looking to get into that sort of thing. Do you mind if I send you an email?

Soled also sees the opportunity to network with medical professionals at different points of their career as a benefit to the group.

It brings people together who otherwise may have never interacted but are following the same trajectory, he said. You get a first-year medical student sitting next to an attending who is 30 years older than them who is interested in the same field.

Medicine in Motion had been planning to cap off their third year with their first fully self-organized event: a 5k run along Bostons Esplanade that would be open to the public. Planning was underway when the Longwood campuses, Boston and much of the rest of the country shut down to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

With members now separated by quarantine and finishing the semester online, planning for the 5k has been put on hold, and it seems unlikely the event will be held at the end of the summer as previously hoped.

But the group is finding ways to stay connected.

Cahill says many members use the mobile app Strava to share their runs, post selfies and leave encouraging comments for each other.

Ashworth with fellow second-year HMS student Niyi Odewade have started a workout of the day (WOD) program, devising fitness circuits people can easily do within their homes without gym equipment, encouraging people to use objects at handlike milk jugs or a backpack full of booksto take the place of weight equipment.

It provides a way for us to remain socially connected while physically distancing, which can take a toll on people's mental and physical well-being, said Odewade.

The two are creating a library of WODs on the Medicine in Motion website. Recently, the Dartmouth and Queensland chapters began leading weekly workouts on Zoom available to the public worldwide.

While the focus is on resistance and high-intensity interval training, Ashworth stresses that people should be sure to take the time for whatever self-care they find most necessary or useful.

Maybe doing an intense exercise at home is not what you need today, Odewade said. Maybe you need that extra time to yourself to relax, to just sit and read a book, to call a friend, to go for a walk. To just absolutely do nothing and eat food on the couch, because that's what you feel like you really want right then and there.

Looking ahead, group leadership would like to see chapters in every state and in more countries, with a central organization financially stable enough to provide funding to individual chapters to organize their own events.

Seward said its been most satisfying to see new members take on leadership roles, ensuring the group has a future beyond the co-founders graduation.

That was a goal for us this year: to get other people leading events, coming up with their own ideas, he said. Because we think if they can come up with their own ideas, they'll take responsibility and really run with it.

Soled sees the November 2019 Spartan race as a moment when Medicine in Motions new leadership took charge. More than 130 members participated in an endurance challenge at Fenway Park.

The four of us [third-year co-founders] had virtually nothing to do with it in terms of preparation, Soled said of the event, which was spearheaded by Medicine in Motions Tufts University School of Medicine chapter, captained by Jacob Klickstein. We like to think we're creating a model for years to come, and it was just very inspiring for us to see that.

Looking at how far Medicine in Motion has come, Soled is optimistic about where the group will go.

It's been a challenge, but an extremely rewarding experience to see people setting benchmarks and goals for themselves, he said. That's all we're about.

Related coverage in HM News: The Best of Who We Are

Images courtesy of Medicine in Motion.

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Medicine in Motion - Harvard Medical School

COVID-19 is in our sewage. Duluth medical school researchers say that could be useful – Duluth News Tribune

Medical school assistant professors Glenn Simmons Jr. and Richard Melvin are testing samples of wastewater submitted by Minnesota treatment plants including the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District in Duluth, which treats sewage for more than 125,000 residents to better understand where COVID-19 is and, eventually, how many people in a certain population have it.

Its after several months of doing this and then conferring the data that we have with the data from the Department of Health and other officials, where we may be able to start developing a formula that can help us make sense of it and then help redirect medical resources and public services, Simmons said.

Its a method undertaken by other researchers, too.

David Hirschberg, founder and catalyst of Rain Incubator, a biotech nonprofit in Tacoma, Washington, has been testing wastewater there for traces of COVID-19 for about two months.

He said its important for other researchers across the country to do similar studies.

By doing this kind of standoff monitoring, I think we could constantly be ready ... to be able to inform vaccine manufacturers or hospitals on how many beds do you need, things like that, Hirschberg said. Because this is an indicator that, hey, this is in your environment."

When news of COVID-19 emerged, Simmons dove into the literature about the virus. He found a few articles about the SARS virus outbreak of 2003, which, like COVID-19, was also caused by a coronavirus. The literature said the virus was present in patients stools.

Then he came across a paper from the Netherlands that showed positive viral particles of COVID-19 were found in the countrys wastewater.

So now you have this connection between what we see with the coronavirus for SARS, and now you're seeing something that would basically indicate that a similar thing would be happening with the COVID-19 virus, Simmons said. And then from there, we basically just started asking the question: Can we pull that off in Duluth?

After working things out with the University of Minnesota and making sure the researchers werent competing for personal protective equipment or testing kit materials with other areas of the university that needed them, the answer was yes.

WLSSD and the Minnesota Environmental Science and Economic Review Board, which represents more than 50 wastewater utilities across Minnesota, were quick to sign on and provide regular samples to the UMD lab.

Were always happy to participate in a well-designed sample and to the extent ... that we can contribute to the knowledge in regard to this virus, we are very happy to do so, Marianne Bohren, executive director of WLSSD, said.

Joe Mayasich, WLSSDs director of environmental services, said WLSSD often collaborates on studies with universities and government agencies, including on several that have won national Environmental Protection Agency awards.

The studies typically focus on the environment, toxicology and designs of wastewater treatment technologies. This is the first time WLSSD has taken part in a study like this.

Its one of the reasons you go into science: to generate data and provide information for the good of mankind, if you want to say it that way, Mayasich said. But especially now that this is such an acute issue. To be able to step in and help out with something that really does look like it has utility and usefulness, it really is gratifying and rewarding.

Wastewater treatment plants regularly test wastewater, called influent.

WLSSDs daily tests typically look for the influents total suspended solids, the biochemical oxygen demand and other properties.

Now, workers are taking a little bit extra on their daily sample runs and sending it to the lab at UMD.

What were providing the UMD medical school is a split of our 24-hour total influent composite, so its a sample of what is coming into the plant collectively, and were giving them 250 milliliters a day sampled twice a week, Bohren said.

At the UMD lab, Simmons and Melvin test the samples for a very tiny amount of genetic material specific to the virus using polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, testing.

Right now, Simmons can detect whether COVID-19 is in the water a positive or negative result.

The next step, Simmons said, is being able to determine how much of the virus is in a sample. And from that, it might be possible to estimate how many cases are in the community served by the wastewater treatment plant.

Studying wastewater has worked in monitoring for other diseases.

In 2013, a sewage surveillance system in Israel detected a polio outbreak early on, allowing officials to contain the outbreak and quickly deploy a polio vaccine.

Detecting more virus in an areas wastewater could give health care officials a heads-up infections are rising, even before many people seek testing or medical attention.

It would potentially be what wed call a leading indicator as opposed to a lagging indicator because most people dont actually go get tested until they start seeing symptoms, Simmons said.

Additionally, data is showing people shed the virus in feces before they have symptoms and for up to a month after that, Simmons said.

Thats another reason why whatever we do has to be done for a long enough period so that we capture both that initial peak and then the trail-off in a given population that may be full of individuals who have already recovered, Simmons said.

Simmons said the big, audacious goal that we have is to gather enough data over time to make formulas and algorithms that could, based on the amount of viral particles in the wastewater and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases the population served by the treatment plant, determine just how many people have COVID-19 in that area.

While some testing labs such as Biobot, a startup associated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said it can quantify an estimate of infected individuals based on wastewater testing, Hirschberg said hes not sure thats possible.

But Hirschberg said it would be possible to gauge whether overall cases are increasing or decreasing, especially if data is collected over a long period of time, based on the amount of virus found in the sample.

Hirschberg likened wastewater testing to a smoke alarm or a dashboard warning light.

If those are positive weeks before patients start showing up in the hospital, thats a much better indicator when people are coming into the emergency room having trouble breathing, its too late, Hirschberg said.

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COVID-19 is in our sewage. Duluth medical school researchers say that could be useful - Duluth News Tribune

COVID-19 means a shorter MCAT: What aspiring med students must know – American Medical Association

For aspiring medical students preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a curveballas it has for the entire medical school admissions process.

Administrations of the exam are on hold until May 29. In response to losing more than a month of prime test-taking time, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is making changes to the exam that will accommodate additional test times.

What are those changes, and should they alter your preparation? One expert on the exam offered his opinion.

The single biggest change to the exam is that for the remainder of the 2020 testing cycle, it will be reduced in length. The typical MCAT test-taker is given seven hours and 30 minutes of test-taking time. Under the abridged format, the exams seat time is five hours and 45 minutes.

All the exams sections will feature fewer questions, and some passages will be removed. Still, the breadth of required knowledge remains the same, so its best to stick to your initial study plan.

The exam itself is going to be shorter, said Petros Minasi, senior director of prehealth programs at Kaplan Test Prep. But what hasnt changed is the proportionality in terms of the amount of time a student has per question. It isnt as though the exam has gotten harder or gotten easier. Even though it is a shorter exam, it is relatively the same difficulty as far as pacing.

To accommodate the need for more test takers to be able sit for the exam in a shorter window, the AAMC has moved from one administration of the exam per test day to three. The three times are 6:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 6 p.m. None of those time frames include a meal break, which differs from the typical exam day schedule.

The spread on times means that students should identify their ideal time and test-taking location and register for it as soon as possible, according to Minasi.

The main thing for a student to really be considering is not just when they are selecting their testing time, but how they are going to incorporate the when of the exam into their overall preparation plannot in terms of the studying of questions and content, but as far as making sure they are physically and mentally ready to test at their exam time, Minasi said.

One recommendation Minasi offered to account for changes in exam times is to study and take practice exams during the window in which you will take the exam.

For the most part, Minasi said students should proceed as if they were taking the full-length MCAT exam. The one possible exception is taking practice exams. Doing that, a student should shorten the test-taking time and cut the number of questions in the exam to match the breakdown of the shortened exam.

Kaplan has suggestions on how to alter your practice exam to best fit the format you will encounter when you take it in the coming weeks.

Beyond that, the only thing a student should be altering is the mindset that they are going to be taking a shorter exam than the full-length exam that they have been preparing for, Minasi said. The content topics that would normally be tested are all still fair game.

Medicine can be a career that is both challenging and highly rewarding but figuring out a medical schools prerequisites and navigating the application process can be a challenge in itself. TheAMA premed glossary guidehas the answers to frequently asked questions about medical school, the application process, the MCAT and more. Prospective applicants should also be reassured that admissions offices are acutely aware of recent disruptions to historical processes and will be making adjustments to account for the realities of the current situation.

Have peace of mind andget everything you need to start med school off strongwith the AMA.

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COVID-19 means a shorter MCAT: What aspiring med students must know - American Medical Association

UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School looking for volunteers interested in helping with COVID-19 contact tracing – KVUE.com

The goal is to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Volunteers would work a minimum of 24 hours per week for four weeks.

Since March, UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School have had a program where volunteers can sign up to be contact tracers. The program partnered with Austin Public Health so they can cover different segments of Austin's population.

From making calls to taking down the data of COVID-19 cases, Dr. Darlene Bahvnani, an MPH epidemiologist with the Dell Medical School, said contact tracing can be effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

"What if you could cut off that chain of transmission by following that first case very carefully and trying to understand who they came into contact with and making sure that those contacts never spread the infection?" Dr. Bahvnani said. We started off with just a handful of medical students volunteers, and weve now grown to 76 active volunteers and 200 and some in [the] queue."

Anyone can sign up to volunteer, but it's noted that being a public health, social work, clinical or having bilingual experience is a plus.

I think this can be [a] very very effective approach to opening up Austin and opening up the rest of Texas. I think this is absolutely necessary if were going to start walking around and going about, Dr. Bahvnani said. I think it will be important to have volunteers sign up and come and do their part."

For the contact tracing program, a minimum of 24 hours per week for at least four weeks is expected, and there's also a home monitoring program.

According to UT Health Austin's website, volunteers must meet the following expectations:

Addison Allen, a UT Health Austin volunteer in the program, said she's been doing it for several weeks now. According to Allen, somewhere between 45 and 60 calls are made every day, but the weekends are a bit slower.

Allen said volunteers wil ask for things like the daily routine of the people they call.

"Go through their day, what did they do, who did they see did they go anywhere and just try to figure out if they had close contact with anyone before they started to self isolate," Allen said. "Seeing that a contact that became a contact had less contacts potentially because we reached out and I think that's really big."

The program is exploring possibly paying people for the work in the future but as of right now, it is all volunteer.

"If you do get a call from a contact tracer, please pick up and please try to cooperate because we're doing out best to keep you safe," Dr. Bahvnani said.

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UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School looking for volunteers interested in helping with COVID-19 contact tracing - KVUE.com