This mother-daughter duo fulfilled their goal of graduating med school together – The Week Magazine

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Chad Daybell was taken into custody on Tuesday after human remains were found on his property in Salem, Idaho, Rexburg Police Assistant Chief Gary Hagen said.

The remains have not been identified, and Daybell has not been charged with anything. Rexburg police, FBI investigators, and members of the Fremont County Sheriff's Office searched the property as part of an investigation into the disappearance of Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7. Their mother, Lori Vallow Daybell, is Chad Daybell's new wife. The children have not been seen since September, and the Daybells previously told investigators they were staying with friends.

The case has received national attention, due to its strange twists and turns. The Daybells, who married in October, slipped out of Idaho and were tracked down to Hawaii earlier this year. Lori Daybell has since been charged with child abandonment and obstructing the investigation; she has pleaded not guilty.

Chad Daybell is a podcaster who talks about the biblical end times, and has self-published fiction books about the apocalypse. Last summer, Lori Daybell's brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in Arizona, claiming it was in self-defense. Vallow had filed for divorce from Lori Daybell, saying she believed she was "a resurrected being of God" who could kill him with her "powers." Cox died in December of a pulmonary blood clot.

Chad Daybell is also under investigation in the death of his first wife, Tammy Daybell. She died in October, two weeks before Chad and Lori Daybell were married. Chad said she died in her sleep, but authorities became suspicious in December and exhumed her body; the autopsy results have not been made public. Catherine Garcia

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This mother-daughter duo fulfilled their goal of graduating med school together - The Week Magazine

University of Utah medical students want to cut ties with police – Deseret News

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SALT LAKE CITY A group of students from the University of Utah School of Medicine gathered Friday to deliver a list of demands to school officials in hopes of combating racism in the community.

Racism is and has been prevalent in health care and leads to disparities in health outcomes. And that is something that is contradictory to what we hope to accomplish as physicians in improving our patients health, said Madison Kieffer, a second-year medical student.

As part of the national White Coats for Black Lives movement of health care workers advocating for racial equality after the killing by police of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the students, residents and physician assistants are calling Utahs flagship medical school to cut ties with police.

It does not mean no efforts for community safety. It means looking into other ways to keep our campus, and our clinics,and our patients safe, Kieffer said.

Kieffer spoke to reporters after she and a group of about 20 other students quietly entered and exited the medical school administration building sporting all black clothing to deliver their demands.

University officials in a statement Friday evening said they appreciate the work the students presented and we look forward to working with them on these issues.

We are encouraged that some of the items requested are already in progress. Our leaders will review the document and meet with the students within two weeks to review a detailed plan, officials said.

When pressed on what an end to relations with police including the University of Utah Police Department would look like for the medical school, Kieffer said the group will discuss specifics with administrators.

On the topic of police relations, the students also asked the school to:

The list of demands, which Kieffer said was signed by 286 medical, physician assistant and nursing students as well as resident physicians and community members, also included calls for more minority representation among those accepted into the university and staff members.

It is a problem in our school, and even just looking in our states population, we have an underrepresentation of Pacific Islander, black and Hispanic with Latinx community members in our University of Utah School of Medicine classes, Kieffer said.

When asked whether racism is an issue specifically at the University of Utah, she said: We dont have, currently, an anti-racist required education as part of our curriculum. That automatically puts us in perpetuating racism.

The group wants an overrepresentation of black, Latino and Native American students, as well as Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians to be actively recruited into the incoming class, with a detailed plan released on how that will be accomplished.

The group also demands the university:

Kieffer said officials took our demands and received them well and promised to meet with the group in the coming weeks.

She said she was hopeful change would happen.

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University of Utah medical students want to cut ties with police - Deseret News

‘Nature Is Trying to Tell Us Something’ – Earth Island Journal

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Photo by Kris Snibbe / Harvard UniversityZoe Loftus-Farren

Find more of our Covid-19 coverage.

Western medicine isnt particularly well known for its holistic focus. While there are some exceptions to be sure, they are relatively few and far between. For the most part, physicians address the medical problem in front of them. They dont have the tools to facilitate access to the things that can help people stay healthy, like fresh food, safe housing, or clean water.

Aaron Bernstein envisions a different medical model. As interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, hes working to bridge the gap between medicine and public health, such that doctors, hospitals, and insurers might begin to look beyond immediate problems to their root causes, particularly environmental ones. To continue to have this unfortunately clear line between public health and medicine is a disaster for our health, and is a disaster for the environment, he says.

Blurring that line, on the other hand, offers win-win solutions to both public health problems and climate change. And in the context of the Covid-19 crisis, which has clear ties to the environmental destruction were wreaking on our planet, Bernstein points out it can offer solutions, too.

In an early April phone call, Bernstein told me about the resistance he met when first trying to bring environmental issues into the medical realm, what he sees as some of the best ways to incentivize more environmentally conscious medicine, and why now is the time to penetrate this delusion that were floating above the rest of the web of life on earth.

As a physician, how did you first become interested and involved in the intersection between health and climate and environment?

I actually learned about climate change for the first time in seventh grade, which in my cohort was, Im sure, unusual, but I clearly had a very forward thinking and on-top-of-the-science teacher. That was the first time I was interested, but I didnt think about it very much until I was in college [where] I had some lectures from Stephen Schneider, who was a very well-known climate scientist. And he made it into a really compelling thing to know about.

I decided to go to medical school for a variety of reasons, which included an interest at that point in thinking about how environments matter to peoples health, and [I was] frankly somewhat nave to the reality that medicine as a profession is pretty disconnected from environmental concerns. When I got to medical school, I realized that there might be an interesting marriage to be had between climate change and health. And when I went to [talk to] some folks from medical school about this, the answer I got was best captured by our Dean who said, Ari, youre trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. The message was clear. And so I wrote back to some of my college professors and said, Is anyone you know really trying to work on this issue? And thats how I got to the center that Im directing today.

How do you think that we can build a more intersectional approach to climate change and public health? How do we get more doctors engaged on the issue?

Theres a pretty, I would say unfortunately, clear line between public health and medicine, in my mind, and I think that reflects the broader world.

People who are engaged in public health are primarily interested in preventing problems. Thats what they do. They work to make sure that people dont have to see doctors. And doctors, while certainly concerned about things that contribute to ill health, are frankly mostly interested in dealing with problems after they arise. Thats not to say that doctors dont advise on cigarette smoking, or diets. But you know, physicians learn almost nothing about diet. And they learn even less about environmental determinants of health.

So, the reason for that, of course, is that physicians are paid to treat people after theyre sick. Theyre not paid to keep people healthy, really. Thats changing slowly. But, you know, one thing thats immediately clear from either the $2 trillion-plus were spending on Covid, or the $3 trillion we spend every year on healthcare expenses, [is that] we are we are really suffering under an unbearable weight of preventable disease in this country. And so to continue to have this unfortunately clear line between public health and medicine is a disaster for our health, and is a disaster for the environment.

And the crazy part is, we would be so much better off financially and in terms of our health if we essentially incentivized our healthcare system and devised ways to do everything we can to keep people healthy.

Do you have specific ideas around the best kinds of incentives?

For one, if you look at the preventable burden of disease in the United States, there is some share of it that is way upstream of what happens in a clinicians office. Things like our built environment. The fact were sitting in cars for long periods of time is enormously unhealthy. The [low] price of food that is enormously unhealthy for us. A clinician is not going to address those.

But we can start by, for example, educating clinicians about diet. I mean, most medical students in the United States, maybe they have six sessions on nutrition over four years of medical school, if that. And obesity affects a third of adults. Its a huge driver of disease.

Part of it is also about engagements between healthcare and other sectors of society, and the incentives that are in place to collaborate. A good example is housing. We know that housing is a major determinant of health, whether you have stable housing situation or not, whether the air quality inside your house is good or not, whether theres a leaky roof or not. And I could go on. And we see children who have housing instability, who have poor environments, and who have much greater medical needs. And those costs right now are essentially being borne by health insurers and people paying health insurance premiums. And doctors make more money when they see kids with asthma exacerbations, because they get paid every time.

Now insurers have gotten wise to this, so theyve said, well, were not going to pay you so much if the kid keeps coming back, well pay you less. And that sort of puts the onus on providers to somehow figure out how to keep these kids healthy. But theres no immediate connection between the causes of that childhood asthma which could be that they living next to a freeway with air pollution, that they have mold in their house, that they have rodents, you know, all these things and the ability of a healthcare system to actually do anything about them.

There are innovative ways, though, to bridge that [gap]. And a good example of that is in Ohio, where, essentially, theres an arrangement with insurers and providers such that insurers carve out a certain amount of money for each person that theyre insuring, and give it to a healthcare system. And then the healthcare system essentially makes more money if theyre able to keep people well. Now, a perverse incentive there might be just denying care, and people get sicker and dont get the care they need. So you have to do this in ways that simply dont result in people being denied access. Done well, it leads to things like that money being spent to improve home weatherization, which decreases energy bills and decreases fossil fuel emissions, because, of course, homes and buildings contribute a huge amount to how much energy we use. And it improves housing stability.

There are [also] lots of innovative programs around nutrition, about not just telling people what to eat, but giving them access in, for example, healthcare settings, to farmers markets, to pre-made meals, to learning kitchens, to programs that are designed to improve peoples lives in ways that dont increase food bills.

And I might add, in both of these examples, nutrition and home weatherization, these are climate solutions. So, you know, its this extraordinarily win-win situation.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, youve been drawing attention to climate solutions that are also pandemic solutions. Are those similar?

At one level, its what I was just talking about. One of the reasons is that Covid-19 is particularly bad for people who have medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, existing lung diseases, and diabetes.

A large percentage of all those diseases are preventable. Type Two Diabetes, when I started medical school, was something that physicians didnt really know anything about. Its hard to believe in this moment in time, but it was so rare. It never happened. It was obscure. And so we have to recognize that over the last several decades, we have essentially changed our environments, in terms of how people can move around, and our diets, to create a huge burden of disease And preventing that will mean that when Covid comes, less people are going to die.

[Or look at] air pollution. The evidence that we have suggests that [exposure to] air pollution [increases the] risk of dying from diseases like Covid. Thats not based on direct evidence from Covid. Its based upon diseases like SARS, which is a coronavirus very similar to Covid, and influenza viruses. And of course, burning fossil fuels contributes the lions share of carbon pollution. So a climate solution is a pandemic solution.

But there are other ways as well. We need to recognize that diseases like Covid that are popping out of the woodwork, so to speak, are happening more often. And theyre mostly happening from spillover pathogens from wildlife into people. When you look at whats causing that, it is overwhelmingly because of habitat destruction, usually deforestation, usually for agricultural purposes. So, one of the solutions to climate change is preventing deforestation. Preventing deforestation is also going to affect our risk of pathogen emergence.

We also know climate change is driving animals to move towards the poles and up mountainsides. That, combined with shrinking habitats, may be increasing the spread of potential pathogens among wild animal populations.

Weve seen the effects of this in chimpanzees in Africa. People have been able to provide them sanctuaries, but these are a fragment of their original habitat. And Ebola is ravaging chimpanzee populations because theyre in increasingly close quarters. Is that happening with the bats in Asia that are driving emergence of things like SARS and Covid? We dont really know yet. But, you know, based on first principles, cramming them together in smaller spaces probably isnt helping. This is one way in which dealing with climate change, may, in fact, help us prevent disease emergence and pandemics.

Here in the US, a vast majority of the population lives in urban areas, largely separated from wildlife and wild places. How do you think that we make can make this connection more tangible?

Frankly, with Covid, nature is really trying to tell us something. Its trying to remind us that our lives are inseparable from the lives of the other organisms we share the planet with. And I think that affords an opportunity to penetrate this delusion that were floating above the rest of the web of life on Earth, that were somehow separate from it.

I think there are other ways too. I think its particularly important in primary education to make sure that our children are learning about the connections between people and other life forms. Im a big fan of schoolyard gardens for that reason, so students grasp and grapple with the reality that growing food is not the same as getting outputs from a 3D printer. There are forces that we dont immediately control that can really affect the likelihood of the food thats planted actually giving us something to eat.

Im a big proponent of access to green spaces in cities where children are living, particularly children living in most disadvantaged parts of our cities.

Do you think theres a way that we can build on the Covid-19 response in terms of taking action on climate change at this time?

We have to be talking about climate change, and for that matter, the biosphere, right now, in the same way as if you had a heart attack, and are in the process of recovering, you know, thats exactly the time that we talk about diet and smoking and exercise and all the things that prevent further heart attacks. This is exactly the time we want to be in conversation.

Again, were spending $2-plus trillion on the economy. Shouldnt we be spending those dollars in ways that will provide us a path forward rather than a path backward? And by a path backward I mean, you know, doubling down on technologies and infrastructure and energy sources that have gotten us into the mess were in right now.

Are you hopeful about that, given the current administration?

I think people overestimate the current administrations influence, or for that matter, any administrations influence on this. If you look at the states with the highest penetration of renewables in terms of their overall electricity production, its not the states people would think. Its places like Kansas, and Iowa, and Nebraska.

And thats because renewables are abundant there, particularly wind, and theyre cheap. If theres any reason to be optimistic, its because of renewables in the heart of the country, or the automotive industry pushing, despite whatever the administration is doing, for greater fuel economy, or the recognition by everybody that cars that have electric motors are better performing cars, and dont put out air pollution thats going to make your kids sick with asthma Theres also the reality that people are eating less red meat in this country than theyve ever eaten. You know, were seeing this.

Would it help if we had a coordinated national action on this, of course it would. But I think its important to bear in mind that the federal government has really never led on environmental concerns.

I think theres lots of reasons to be optimistic, and I think the actions that states are taking are going to push on the federal government to really do more, because otherwise, youre going to have places like California having one set of standards and other states or regions having another set of standards, and the private sector is not going to be able to deal successfully with those alternate realities. I do think its critical that we work in our cities and states to really advance

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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'Nature Is Trying to Tell Us Something' - Earth Island Journal

Med students make do and then some – UCI News

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Graduations around the country have been canceled or moved to Zoom because of the coronavirus, leaving many graduates without the typical ceremonial marker of their hard work and achievement.

Not so at the UCI School of Medicine.

Its commencement will take graduates back to a pre-pandemic time the 1950s and 1960s, specifically with an event reminiscent of the drive-in movies of that era. On Saturday, May 30, nearly 100 School of Medicine students will drive to campus and graduate from the seats of their cars.

Enormous banners will adorn the buildings, and a 17-by-12-foot video screen will display the speeches, including pre-recorded remarks from Chancellor Howard Gillman and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Steve Goldstein. Dean Michael Stamos and Vice Dean of Education Khanh-Van Le-Bucklin will speak from podiums 6 feet apart on the stage. Students, along with a family member or friend, will watch from their cars, then circle through a parking lot to a designated location where both people will step out and the family member or friend will ceremonially hood the graduate.

The 4:30-7:30 p.m. proceedings will be livestreamed at: https://vimeo.com/415743739. And it will be broadcast on UCIs KUCI radio station (88.9 FM).

The drive-thru event is just one way medical students have had to adapt to the new reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the school to make changes for the final quarter of instruction. For most of April, the students did not participate in direct patient care as their mentors addressed COVID-19. The coronavirus has upended plans and forced hard conversations about the challenges and dangers inherent in a healthcare career.

Our students are some of the most dedicated people I know. With the coronavirus, I think most of them realized that this is why they went into medicine, says Le-Bucklin. Theyve sought ways to support their mentors and co-workers on the front lines. They want to help people who are hurting or dying or in need, and they want to be there for the families to help them through the grieving process.

The quarantine prompted School of Medicine student Richelle Roelandt Lu Homo to reflect on her goals. Homo, who will be part of the drive-thru commencement ceremony, seeks to become a physician-leader with a deep understanding of the unique determinants of health that affect military families, and shell serve a pediatrics residency at Madigan Army Medical Center on Washingtons Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

When Homo was a child, her parents worked multiple jobs and odd schedules to ensure the familys survival, forcing her to become the primary caregiver for her brother, who has Down syndrome, and a sister seven years younger than her. Later, when Homo was a UCI undergraduate, she worked in a long-term acute care hospital an experience that allowed her to see medicine as the intersection of science, humanism and ethics.

My peers and I are graduating during a very unusual period in medicine. Its frightening as the pandemic reveals our own vulnerabilities and those of the people we love. Yet, at the same time, its energizing in that as we continue to pledge to be lifelong students of medicine, the pandemic is also showing us our strength, Homo says. And for me, it calls me more powerfully into the vocation of healing and serving others.

Through the spring quarter, UCIs response to the crisis shifted quickly, with medical students staying on their rotations at first, then being taken off for safety reasons as the pandemic worsened. Only at the end of April did they reintegrate back into the clinical environment.

All the students have accomplished so much. Theyre really impressive people and talented and theyve worked so hard. Theyve dealt with a lot of change in the last four months, says Dr. Megan Osborn, the schools associate dean of students. They obviously went into medicine for the right reasons. Theyre stepping up and saying they still want to learn and they still want to help.

Students have displayed profound generosity. They organized drives to gather personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, walked doctors dogs, volunteered to manufacture face shields, staffed a commissary providing household necessities to medical workers and translated healthcare materials for Spanish-speaking community members.

The innate thing that brought them to medicine is still so present. Theyre still so compassionate and willing to give of themselves, Osborn says. Medicine is a field thats tough emotionally right now, and I think theyre getting a pretty big taste of that. Theyll see that in residency, and theyre getting an early glimpse of what itll be like.

Thalia Nguyen, co-president of the School of Medicines graduating class, originally chose medicine as a way to pursue the American dream but has since come to recognize the profound impact she can have on achieving health equity and improving health literacy.

UCI was her top choice for medical school, in part because the patient demographics at UCI Medical Center which include underserved Hispanic and Vietnamese people reflect both the community she wants to serve and her own immigrant family. She elected to specialize in family medicine to gain the widest breadth of skills possible.

Nguyen, whos playing a key role in organizing the drive-thru ceremony so that it complies with social distancing and safety measures, was surprised at how quickly the idea gained approval from the multiple administrators who needed to sign off.

Its remarkable to have faculty wholl do the most they can to ensure that we have a memorable, though unconventional, way to mark this significant milestone, she says.

Graduating student Leesa Li pursued medicine because she wants to do the most good in the world with the skills she possesses. For her, that means pediatrics and helping children achieve their fullest potential.

COVID-19 hasnt changed Lis plans at all. If anything, this is just a reminder that in medicine, gratification is delayed but worthwhile and the learning never stops, she says.

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Med students make do and then some - UCI News

Program director shares how she’s keeping medical students engaged in the face of COVID-19 restrictions – The South End

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Program directors across the country are working on unique ways to engage medical students during the pandemic, and Wayne State University School of Medicine Assistant Professor Rebecca Klisz-Hulbert, M.D. 04, DFAPA, DFAACAP, is among those being singled out for their outstanding efforts in uncertain times.

Dr. Klisz Hulbert is the first author on Engaging medical students in the Time of COVID-19, published in the journal Psychiatric Times.

She is the program director of the WSU/DMC Child and Adolescent Psychiatry residency and director of Child and Adolescent Public Psychiatry and Community Outreach for the WSU Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences.

Dr. Klisz-Hulbert is an active member of the Recruitment Committee for the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training, a group already discussing how the pandemic is changing the landscape of medical education. On April 14, the Association of American Medical Colleges issued updated guidance for medical student participation in direct patient care during the coronavirus outbreak. For medical schools in locales with significant, active or anticipated COVID-19 community spread and/or limited availability of personal protective equipment and/or limited availability of COVID-19 testing, the AAMC strongly supported pausing all medical student participation in direct patient contact.

While others were focused on the changes residency programs may make to their application and interview processes, I was more interested in how we might adapt our teaching to continue engaging medical students, and perhaps even use this crisis as an opportunity to enhance the exposure that medical students receive to psychiatry and its subspecialties. I reached out afterward, and began working on the article with like-minded colleagues from the committee, she said.

In the article, Dr. Klisz-Hulbert, working closely with WSU Psychiatry Clerkship Director and Assistant Professor Eva Waineo, M.D. 05, had both clerkship and elective students seeing patients with them through telepsychiatry as well as participating in case conferences, didactics, team meetings and individual supervision using video-conferencing.

I'm happy that we've been able to offer students more exposure to the field of child and adolescent psychiatry than they would typically get during their clerkship, especially since early exposure to psychiatric subspecialties is an important recruitment tool, she said. As a member of the Medical Schools Alumni Association Board of Governors, I've also been an active mentor for medical students for several years and have participated in all of the mentoring activities we suggest in the article. Ive been impressed with the dedication and drive Ive seen from the students Ive met with. Many of them are using this time to think carefully about specialty choices and career goals, and I am more than happy to help.

The article focuses on the psychiatry elective, but other specialties can apply the ideas to their programs. Certainly, all specialties would benefit from the suggestions on scholarly activity, mentoring, career advising and pre-clinical education. Other specialties may not as easily adapt their clerkships using telehealth but can still engage students in other learning activities. Any specialty could encourage students to use this opportunity to develop unique electives that dont exclusively focus on direct patient care, she said.

She also suggests all clinical educators take time now to volunteer as mentors to medical students.

It can be re-invigorating to talk with students and share their passion and determination, she added.

On a practical level:

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Program director shares how she's keeping medical students engaged in the face of COVID-19 restrictions - The South End

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

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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

When is too much medical help the wrong medicine? Commentary – SILive.com

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The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed the New York State and New York City health care systems to their breaking points. Pushed beyond our physical limits, it has become a daily occurrence to be thinking outside of the box.

Telemedicine, expedited FDA drug review, and off-label use of medications are all examples of such creativity.

Recruiting large numbers of foreign-trained doctors and medical students, however, is not as such a reasonable solution. While their willingness to work is a sincere and noble gesture, such a proposal comes with a host of worrisome problems.

In the past, New York has utilized temporary physicians in times of national disasters, but in those cases, the practitioners have come from different parts of the United States. There is a reasonable assumption that those practitioners have received their education and training in medical school and residency under our national system. They will have all passed a battery of standardized tests, have been fully licensed to practice their specialty in another state, and will have documentation of adequate malpractice coverage. All that is necessary in this scenario would be an executive order from the governor directing the State Education Department to grant them temporary licensing in New York State.

The process to recruit such physicians who are foreign-trained is not nearly as clear. It would be a long and time-consuming process and would still require us to make uncomfortable assumptions as to their ultimate clinical value and abilities.

The public and the government have made it a priority in recent years to have a sizable reduction of medical errors. Multiple safety policies and procedures and quality initiatives are in place to avoid serious medical errors. This well-intentioned recruiting effort to utilize foreign-trained practitioners, however, would run contrary to this initiative.

More granular questions arise in terms of how these physicians would be licensed and indemnified. Their educational backgrounds can vary greatly, as will the quality of their medical training, due to the vast disparity in standards among the various countries.

There are also many individual unknowns. No one would come for an interview or with letters of recommendation. There will very likely be challenges due to a lack of language proficiency and an unfamiliarity with the electronic medical record systems of the varying institutions. How quickly and completely can these practitioners be vetted, with regard to routine governmental background checks?

Engaging in a medical career has a steep learning curve. As July 1 comes upon us, the new class of physicians to be trained will arrive at hospitals around the country. At this time, the existing medical and surgical staff, already stretched thin, will not likely have much extra time to supervise an additional group of new caregivers.

The use of foreign-trained physicians is not like the NYU medical students, for instance, who have expedited their internships a few months early! Those students have spent the past years preparing to work in hospitals across the nation upon their graduation.

Another problem becomes determining what licensed medical doctors will be willing to assume the added liability of foreign-trained physicians? Now does not appear to be the time for a baptism by fire. Also, many of these doctors may have been out of clinical practice for any number of years. Utilizing this labor force in a hospital systemwhere supervising physicians are responsible for those practicing under their guidanceraises serious concerns that these foreign-trained physicians may not be able to discern when significant clinical decisions must be discussed with supervising physicians.

In a post-COVID-19 world, a great deal of retrospective analysis will be given as to how this pandemic occurred and how we responded to it at every level. Why we had a shortage of qualified physicians is a fair question. In this discussion, there are two main reasons why foreign-trained physicians are not practicing in United States:

1) They were unable to meet the minimum standard of passing the national board examinations. These examinations are difficult for a reason. That is to ensure that there is a minimum standard requirement to be a physician. No one should believe that these tests are arbitrary or capricious.

The problems are that residencies look for physicians who are out of medical school less than five years, candidates who have had at least one year of clinical experience in a US institution and those who apply have had to obtain high grades on the United States Medical Licensing Examinations. As someone who has been involved in selection and training of surgical residents for over twenty years, there are often reasons why foreign-trained medical students are not selected to residency programs. There is a strong correlation between poor USMLE board scores and failure to pass specialty board certification examinations.

2) Even if they have reasonable scores, the federal government, as part of the Balanced Budget Act in 1997, mandated caps on funding additional residency positions in the United States, in a sense, producing workforce reductions. The United States is projected to have a shortage of primary care physicians in this country of between 21,000 to 55,000 by 2023, and between 47,000 to 122,000 by 2032. There lies the key to having adequate numbers of physicians in the future. The amount of governmental funding to support residency education must be increased, as it is clear from this analysis that we STARTED OFF with a physician shortage before this pandemic even unfolded.

The questions should be asked: will this plan really help our current situation? In this instance, if we listen to the voice of reason, I think not.

Be safe.

Dr. Reilly is an orthopaedic surgeon who has practiced on Staten Island for 35 years. He is Director of Orthopaedics at Staten Island University Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn.

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When is too much medical help the wrong medicine? Commentary - SILive.com

Smothering the Fire – Harvard Medical School

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Inflammation is the alarm system by which cells first respond to potential danger, but in excess, inflammation can be fatal.

In COVID-19, for example, overactive inflammation has led to severe complications and even death for many hospitalized patients.

Research in mice led by Harvard Medical School and Boston Childrens Hospital now reveals that the FDA-approved drug disulfiram, commonly used for treating alcoholism, blocks a key gatekeeper protein involved in inflammation.

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Activation of the gatekeeper protein, gasdermin D, is the final common step in the process of inflammatory cell death, or pyroptosis, and the resulting release of inflammatory cytokines seen in many serious conditions, including sepsis.

Sepsis is the leading cause of death in children in the world and contributes to about a third of deaths in hospitalized adults.

The researchers report May 4 in Nature Immunology that mice treated with disulfiram did not develop fatal sepsis, compared with untreated animals.

The findings offer hope for diseases that involve runaway inflammation, although it remains to be seen whether the results can be replicated in people.

This research discovery is coincidentally very timely today because most people think that the clinical deterioration of COVID-19 patients is mediated by a cytokine storm, or excessive release of inflammatory molecules, explained Judy Lieberman, professor of pediatrics at HMS and chair of cellular and molecular medicine at Boston Children's.

Lieberman is co-senior investigator of the study together with Hao Wu, professor of biological chemistry and molecular biology in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS and the Asa and Patricia Springer Professor of Structural Biology at Boston Children's.

Even though there has been a lot of interest, there have not been any bona fide gasdermin D inhibitors, said Wu. We screened thousands of compounds and found that the one that worked bestdisulfiramis already on the market, is inexpensive, has a 70-year history of drug safety and could be repurposed pretty quickly.

When an invading virus or bacterium enters a cell, it triggers inflammation, unleashing a cascade of events.

One key event is called pyroptosis, a "fiery" or inflammatory cell death. In pyroptosis, the cells membrane literally explodes, releasing inflammatory molecules such as interleukin-1, which causes fever.

In a paper published in Nature in 2016, Lieberman and Wu discovered that gasdermin D forms membrane pores. When these pores open, inflammatory molecules spill out of the cell, causing pyroptosis.

Too much inflammation contributes to human diseases, including sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, gout, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimers disease and is the hallmark of rare inflammatory genetic diseases.

We knew that gasdermin D is the gatekeeper of the pathway leading to pyroptosis and spillage of inflammatory cytokines, said Wu. If we could find a compound that would inhibit this particular step, that could be an attractive drug target to prevent pyroptosis when it was not needed.

Jun Jacob Hu, HMS research fellow in biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology in the Wu lab, screened more than 3,700 small molecules looking for gasdermin D inhibitors.

He found just 22 active compounds. Disulfiram was at the top of the list.

Next, the team studied mice sick with sepsis.

They observed that disulfiram blocked pyroptosis and its explosive release of inflammatory molecules. Mice treated with disulfiram survived, while those not receiving the drug died from sepsis within one day.

"There have been hundreds of clinical trials looking for drugs to stop sepsis and the overwhelming inflammatory response without success, said Lieberman.

We hope that with this new discoveryinhibiting gasdermin D that is in a critical location in the inflammatory pathwaywe could actually have a therapy that might work, Lieberman said.

Hu is co-first author of the paper along with Xing Liu of HMS, Boston Children's and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The team is now looking to apply these findings to the new coronavirus.

Because COVID-19 can produce an inflammatory syndrome that is very similar to sepsis, we wonder whether disulfiram can be used to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, said Wu.

We know from a recent report that disulfiram also inhibits a coronavirus protease, one of the essential proteins of the virus causing COVID-19, she said.

Plans are already in place to study pyroptosis and coronavirus. The ultimate goal is to start a clinical trial with disulfiram in COVID-19 patients.

The truth is that gasdermin D contributes to so much pathology in the body that we think an effective gasdermin D inhibitor like disulfiram could open up many therapeutic possibilities, said Lieberman.

This study was supported in part by the US National Institutes of Health (grants DP1HD087988, R01Al139914, R01AI123265, R01AI142642, R01AI145274, R01AI141386, R01HL092020 and P01HL095489), National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant 31972897), Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant ZDBS-LY-SM008), Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology (grant no. 2019SHZDZX02) Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (grant 19QA1409800) and Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute (CIA123008).

Adapted from a post on Discoveries, the Boston Children's research and clinical innovation blog.

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Smothering the Fire - Harvard Medical School

Baltimore Native Dr. Mark Hamilton On Transition From Big Leagues To COVID-19 Fight – Press Box

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Baltimore native Dr. Mark Hamilton, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010 and 2011, recently graduated from the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell on Long Island. He is scheduled to soon join the fight against COVID-19, which has hit New York particularly hard.

Drafted in the second round of the 2006 MLB Draft out of Tulane, Hamilton played in parts of nine minor-league seasons. Mostly a first baseman, Hamilton was a career .272/.362/.457 minor-league hitter and racked up 227 major-league plate appearances. He had a chance to play in his hometown ballpark in 2011.

Hamilton, 35, joined Glenn Clark Radio April 10 to discuss his Baltimore roots, his journey to the big leagues, his decision to quit baseball for medical and the battle against COVID-19.

PressBox: When I saw that you were from Baltimore, I said, Ive never heard this before. I know you didnt stay here through high school, but whats your background in Baltimore?

Dr. Mark Hamilton: I was born in Baltimore. I grew up there until I was about 12 or so. My dad was the assistant director of pathology at Johns Hopkins in the city. I went to Friends School in Baltimore for a while, then I went to Gilman for one year. I was planning on staying at Gilman through high school up until my dad changed jobs and took the position as the director of pathology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

PB: Obviously, you come from a medical family. Youre playing baseball, you reach the major-league level, youve had a lot of success in the minors, you probably still have opportunities in front of you. Did you always know you were going to go into medicine when your career was over? What was your thought process of when the right time was?

MH: I kind of grew up in a medical family and around a lot of medical research and oncology. I have to give a little shout out to Overlea little league here, where I first got my big break being part of the Overlea all-stars. I still keep up with some of those guys. So basically, I had planned on going to medical school and obviously I hoped to have a chance to play professional baseball as well. By the time I got into high school, it was pretty clear I had been scouted that that might become a reality where Ill be able to get professional time. I went to Tulane University for three years, played on a couple incredible teams there. We made the College World Series in 2005 and played in a couple super regionals. Then I got drafted by the Cardinals in the second round, ascended through the minor leagues, had a lot of success there and finally got into the big leagues in 2010.

PB: When you end up back in the minors, was the thought process then like, Ive lived the dream. I made it. I can start thinking about my next move in life? Or was there something that happened that led you to say, Its time for me to shift away from baseball?

MH: My wife, Lauren, and I actually talked about that when I first got drafted because I definitely aspired to go into the medical field. And we said, If you look at the way professional baseball goes, very few guys get to the major leagues. Of the guys that get to the major leagues, very few guys stay for a long duration. Obviously, you have some people who turn it into a very significant career. I felt like at 30 years old, if you werent established within the major leagues that it was extremely unlikely that you would end up being established after that age. So we actually set a timeline on it. I said, At 30 years old, if Im not established in the major leagues, thats going to be the cutoff and Im going to go back and go to med school.

I spent time in the major leagues in 2010 and then about half the year in 2011 with St. Louis. I found myself in the minor leagues. I gave it another two years, played with Boston. Actually was having a really good season then broke my wrist, which derailed that. Then I spent a year with Atlanta. Right before my 30th birthday, I find myself a minor-league free agent again after being done with Atlanta. We kind of took a step back. We thought about it and said, You know, I said 30 was the date. Obviously, there was part of me that wanted to keep playing, but after having two conversations with my wife and really discussing what I wanted with my future, we agreed that that plan of trying to go back and go to med school was in fact the best plan. We had had good foresight there.

PB: You make the decision that youre going to go to medical school. When we say medical, thats a huge world. Whats the actual direction that you got into once you got to medical school?

MH: The joke is every athlete that goes into medicine, whether theyre a college athlete, high school athlete, professional athlete, that theyre all going to do orthopedic surgery. I was definitely one of those guys. When I came into medical school, it was orthopedics or bust. In the first two years of med school, you work on basic science. You learn everything about the body, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, all these things. I just absolutely fell in love with medicine as a whole, and I felt like orthopedics was very much a segment of it. Incredible work, and definitely my career was prolonged by several orthopedists.

But I started wanting to be more involved in other disease states, other illnesses, and eventually I came to find interventional radiology, which is a field a lot of people are unfamiliar with. Its a minimally invasive surgical field. People who practice are radiologists first, and then you get a second board certification to be an interventional radiologist. And what we do is we treat all kinds of different disease states, from trauma to cancer to prostate issues to uterine fibroids. We do it in a way where you enter the arterial or the vascular system using needles, and then under real-time X-ray, which is called fluoroscopy, we navigate wires that can be seen on X-rays to different parts of the body that are a lot of times very inaccessible to other surgeons. So we kind of do the surgery from the outside instead of opening it up.

PB: Was the date for your graduation from medical school actually moved up based on whats going on in the world?

MH: It did. I know that theres been some good news come out of New York lately. It looks like the flattening of the curve, social distancing and isolation precautions are helping, but certainly were amidst a pandemic where I think the big concern that a lot of people have is what happens if the health care providers get sick? What if theyre no longer able to care for the people that are coming in? So Gov. Cuomo, being proactive, said we have a lot of medical schools here in New York, my school the Zucker School of Medicine, Hofstra/Northwell being one of them. He basically said we can accelerate these graduations at least a month, move them up so we could be credentialed in order to enter the hospital depending on need, depending on a lot of factors, that we could be involved more quickly to kind of help curb this pandemic.

PB: Do you know what your timeline is, Mark?

MH: As of right now, Im starting in mid-June. It could be earlier. It depends on exactly what happens. But I think personally, by no stretch of the imagination are we going to be out of the woods by the time I start. I think that its definitely a little bit of daunting task. We didnt expect to be walking into this scenario [when] graduating. It was expected to be something very different, even just several months ago. But ultimately, were ready to take this head on. Myself, my classmates, the other people that are at the great medical schools here in New York, weve all been preparing four years to become doctors and now that were here, were going to do what we can.

PB: Other things are still happening. People didnt stop getting cancer because coronavirus came along. People are still dealing with medical issues. For those of us who just want baseball and football back in our lives, can you speak to what it is that were doing as someone whos seeing it up close?

MH: I think thats a really good point and I try to bring it up on other places that I talk about it is just because youre experiencing this and its an enormous influx, its an enormous problem, obviously; theres been a lot of tragedy associated with this outbreak it doesnt stop the other causes of hospitalization from occurring. Were still having people come in with heart attacks. We still have traumas. Youre still having cancer patients. Having worked at Northwell Health and a bunch of the hospitals that Northwell runs around the city, including a couple of the emergency departments, we were always busy. So this is on top of that. Whenever youre serving a population like New York that has a wide range of walks of life and a lot of diverse patients, you see every illness and those things dont stop. Part of this coronavirus issue is when were taking care of this large influx of patients that were also protecting the patients who are there for other things, who may not have already been exposed. Thats definitely a big challenge.

PB: Do you have a feel for really what this does look like at Ground Zero, if you will?

MH: I was in medicine my final rotation actually of my fourth year. I was in medicine at LIJ, which is Long Island Jewish Hospital, one of the Northwell hospitals. We started to hear about it. The first couple positives in New York started showing up. We didnt have it yet in my hospital in the rotation, but we started having patients coming in with different respiratory symptoms, and the tests were taking time. The tests were not coming back right away. Turned out that the several patients that I dealt with that we were suspicious for turned out to have other illnesses, thank goodness for them. But we did start to see it coming into the hospital toward the very end of my rotation.

I havent been firsthand at this point managing COVID patients, but a lot of the people that I know in medicine its a tight-knit community just like baseball a lot of the people that I know that are ahead of me that have already graduated or that are in residencies at other hospitals that I worked in, they have seen it. So Ive got a little bit of insight into it. Its definitely very difficult. A lot of people are very sick. And with any respiratory illness, when youre coughing youre kind of throwing virus particles into the air. One of the biggest challenges that were seeing is in emergency departments that are already so busy from all the other medical problems that we deal with regularly: How do we make sure that were not just marinating all those patients with this new pandemic? So it kind of becomes a dichotomy of how do you manage one population thats new and were not 100 percent confident on exactly what has to be done, and then how do you manage the population that youve been managing before?

PB: Mark, not to be trite about this, but can you compare the nerves, anxiety, excitement, whatever it is, of stepping in now in this role at this time to the first time you stepped in the box as a Major League Baseball player or something along those lines? Are the feelings similar? Are they different? Whats it like?

MH: Theres definitely some comparison there. I think that comparison is pressure creates the chemical reaction in our bodies and our brains that is relatively similar regardless of the pressure. Its based more on the magnitude of the pressure. So if you feel like youre under stress or high intensity to perform or to accomplish something, that feeling is not really all dissimilar to when it occurs in another context like this. It definitely does have that nature. In my training for sure, when Ive been involved in procedures doing stuff medical students get to portions of different procedures as theyre learning, obviously appropriate to our level of training at the time I think there is that anxiety to perform and there is that awareness of the gravity of the situation.

Obviously playing a game, winning a game a little bit different than having someones life on the table where every action you take could alter their ability to survive or to have quality of life thereafter. But at the same time that pressure, that intensity is still there, and the big thing is being able to channel that into focus, making sure that youre taking it seriously, and you know that you have a task to do and that youve been trained to accomplish that task and then you execute. You can kind of appreciate the gravity of it before and afterward, but during you have to stay with the blinders on.

PB: You got to play at Camden Yards for a couple of games in 2011. What was that like for you growing up here alongside right in the infancy of Camden Yards what it was like for you to stand in the box and play games right here in Baltimore?

MH: Ill be honest with you, definitely one of the highlights of my career. Very much so at the top because like you said, I actually remember my dad taking me to games at Memorial Stadium. I still remember it. I still remember it. Its fading a little bit, but back in the day when [Cal] Ripken was very young and you had Jim Palmer and Eddie Murray and these guys. I remember going to Camden Yards in the first year that it was there. It was almost impossible to get seats, but my dad and I got some seats and I think we sat in the nosebleeds one or two games.

For more from Hamilton, listen to the full interview here:

Photo Credit: St. Louis Cardinals Archive

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Baltimore Native Dr. Mark Hamilton On Transition From Big Leagues To COVID-19 Fight - Press Box

TTUHSC School of Medicine recognized as most affordable in nation – The Daily Toreador

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The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center School of Medicine has been named the most affordable medical school in the country for both out-of-state and in-state tuition and fees, according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings.

For the rankings, more than 188 medical schools were surveyed by U.S. News. Among the 72 ranked public medical schools in the survey, the average annual cost of out-of-state tuition and fees was $60,293 for the 2019-20 academic year, according to a Tech HSC news release. At the Tech HSC, the average cost was significantly lower at $31,908.

In-state, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2019-20 academic year was $36,735,according to data submitted by 74 ranked public medical schools to U.S. News in an annual survey.

At the School of Medicine, in-state tuition and fees totaled $18,808 for the 2019-20 academic year, the least expensive in-state tuition and fees, according to news the release.

We are proud to claim being the most affordable medical school but we dont compromise on quality education. A number of key metrics make our School of Medicine extremely competitive at a national level, Dr. Steven Berk, Tech HSC executive vice president and School of Medicine dean, said, according to the news release.

Those metrics include a98 percent pass rate on the United States Medical Licensing Examination-1 and a 99 percent pass rate on the United States Medical Licensing Examination-2, according to the news release. Additionally, the School of Medicine has a top 10 percent ranking in the United States for overall student satisfaction at graduation.

We offer an excellent curriculum and learning environment, Berk said, according to the news release. Our medical students obtain the best residencies across the country at graduation, and today, with the COVID-19 pandemic, our students are working hard to support our physicians and staff providing care to hundreds of patients across West Texas.

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Sinclair Broadcast Group Partners With The University Of Maryland School Of Medicine For Updates On COVID-19 – Herald-Mail Media

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BALTIMORE, April 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBGI) today announced a new public service initiative, in partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), to provide consumers with important and timely news and information about the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The 4 8-minute television segments will be aired live on Baltimore's FOX 45 and will be shared as potential news and digital content for use by 73 Sinclair television station newsrooms across the U.S. The segments will provide critical information from the medical and scientific team at UMSOM, which is one of the top biomedical research centers in the world and at the forefront of ongoing COVID-19 research. The informational segments will also answer live questions from viewers.

"We are honored to partner with a leading organization fighting on the front lines against this global pandemic to help share critical and potentially life-saving information for our viewers," said Chris Ripley, Sinclair's President and CEO. "I am proud of the tireless dedication of our entire Sinclair team during this crisis to deliver urgent news and information from important sources as we all work together to protect our communities around the country."

E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at UM, Baltimore, the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine,commented: "We are fortunate to have faculty experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who are among the top scientists in the nation on infectious disease and vaccine development, and who are directly involved in conducting research and developing treatments for COVID-19. We are excited to partner with Sinclair to provide critical information to viewers across the country who seek accurate medical information about COVID-19."

A team of experts on Coronavirus, vaccine and therapy development, and disease response will be participating in these regular segments and will include:

About Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.Sinclair is a diversified media company and leading provider of local sports and news. The Company owns and/or operates 23 regional sports network brands; owns, operates and/or provides services to 191 television stations in 89 markets; is a leading local news provider in the country; owns multiple national networks; and has TV stations affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Sinclair's content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and digital platforms. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information which can be accessed at http://www.sbgi.net.

About the University of Maryland School of MedicineNow in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

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Sinclair Broadcast Group Partners With The University Of Maryland School Of Medicine For Updates On COVID-19 - Herald-Mail Media

After early graduation, Vestal native and new doctor is off to fight on COVID-19 front lines – Pressconnects

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Anthony Schramm graduated from Stony Brook University's medical school Wednesday in a Zoom call, along with 121 other graduates. Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

AnthonySchramm celebrated his graduation from medical school Wednesday at his mother's house in Vestal.

Schramm's mother, Becky Schramm, and his sister, Stephanie Moochler, of Endicott, blew up balloons, shared his favorite meal chicken and dumplings and outside, members of their extended family drove by the house slowly, honking the car horn to congratulate him.

This was one of the last times they'd be together, and in light of the coronavirus spread, the moment had arrived months early.

On Friday, 26-year-old Schramm leaves for his first assignment: assisting physician at Stony Brook University Hospital onLong Island,on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.

Anthony Schramm, of Vestal, graduated early from medical school and will spend the next 6-8 weeks at Stony Brook Hospital helping fight the coronavirus.(Photo: Photo provided)

"Im very happy to be going back to the hospital to help out," the 2012 Vestal High School graduate said Thursday. "Ive been feeling very useless just sitting at home during quarantine."

Schramm recited the Hippocratic Oath along with 121 other graduatesof Stony Brook University's Renaissance School of Medicine Wednesday, more than a month before their scheduled commencement, in a Zoom call telecast on Facebook.

In doing so, the school joined others across the United States who've pushed up graduation dates in light of the pandemic. Gov.Andrew Cuomo also passed an executive order allowingqualified medical studentsto graduate early in New York.

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Schramm is scheduled to begin anesthesiology trainingat Columbia University Medical Center in New York City in July, but along with 48 fellow graduates, he's volunteered to report to Stony Brook Hospital first, and spend up to eight weeks helping fight the spread of the coronavirus.

Anthony Schramm, of Vestal, will start anesthesiology research at Columbia Medical in July.(Photo: Photo provided)

He says it was an easy decision to return to the hospitalwhere he's spent the last four years studying as a medical student.

For Moochler, it's hard not to be concerned, knowing how many more confirmed cases of COVID-19 there are in Suffolk County, where the hospital is located there have been about 17,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 compared to about 100 confirmed cases in Broome County.

"I just know that they need him, he will save lives and I know that was what he was meant to do in his life," Moochler said. "That's enough assurance for us to just know hes going to be OK."

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Schramm's first shift is Sunday. He doesn't yet know what time his shift starts, or what unit he'll be on either emergency or intensive carebut he knows he's ready to help any way he can.

"I think it just kind of comes down to why I wanted to pursue medicine in the first place," he said. "Being a physician is such a privileged position where we get to treat people in the worst of times."

Follow Katie Sullivan Borrelli on Twitter @ByKatieBorrelli. Support our journalism and become a digital subscriber today. Click here for our special offers.

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After early graduation, Vestal native and new doctor is off to fight on COVID-19 front lines - Pressconnects

Im Proud To Now Be A Doctor: Nearly 200 Illinois Med Students Are Graduating Early To Help With COVID-19 – WBEZ

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The students on the Zoom call joined from their bedrooms and kitchen tables. They werent wearing caps or gowns. There were no crowds watching or Pomp and Circumstance playing.

But Friday was a momentous step in these students academic lives: They graduated from medical school.

University of Illinois at Chicago officials announced Friday they were graduating 192 medical students early, so they could be available to start their residency programs to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students gathered on Zoom to recite the Hippocratic oath as a group. As a member of the medical profession, I solemnly pledge to dedicate my life to the service of humanity, the group said in unison. None of these students could have anticipated this would be how they started their medical careers.

Graduate Urveel Shah said one line really rang true for him: I will foster the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession.

Especially, he said, given that when we think about this pandemic in the future, these will be the traditions that we will be thinking about and considering as we work toward advancement.

The university contacted students a few weeks ago to see who had already met graduation requirements. The final third of the class will graduate in May.

The graduates can now reach out to their residency programs to see if they can begin before their original July 1 start date. A third are matched with residency programs in Illinois, with the rest are scattered across the country, including Chicago-native Rafael Gutierrez. Hes heading to Wisconsin for a residency in pediatrics, but said hes ready to help patients of any age during this pandemic, in any way he can.

Im proud to now be a doctor and to head into the battlefield and treat my patients, Gutierrez said

Meanwhile, Gutierrez is part of a COVID-19 rapid response team at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and is volunteering Saturday at the field hospital being set up at McCormick Place. Theyre conducting a dry run practice to make sure doctors are ready when they might need to use the facility for actual patients. The 1,750 bed hospital that could start taking patients as early as next week.

Were excited today, but were also very solemn in a way, because we know these students are entering the profession of medicine at a very challenging time, said Dr. Mark Rosenblatt, executive dean of the University of Illinois College of Medicine. It makes us understand even more the impact our profession has on the world and our communities and the patients around us. They're entering at a time when we need physicians more than ever.

Gov. JB Pritzker has said that medical students across the state could be tapped to help respond to the increased number of coronavirus cases but has not made any official announcement. Other local schools have not announced early graduations for medical students, but Rush Universitys medical school graduation is coming up on April 30. Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order allowing all medical students in the state to graduate early.

Even though the graduates are all stuck at home, Gutierrez said theyre still finding ways to celebrate.

Were having a video party, and were dressing up and having drinks and [inviting] our significant others, he said.

Kate McGee covers education for WBEZ. Follow her on Twitter@WBEZeducationand@McGeeReports.

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Im Proud To Now Be A Doctor: Nearly 200 Illinois Med Students Are Graduating Early To Help With COVID-19 - WBEZ

Foreign Doctors and Nurses are Ready to Help America. But Visas and Travel Blocks Stand in Way. – The New York Times

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In New York, they are asking retired physicians to come to work, medical school students to step up I just think its a matter of no one realizing there is a way to boost the work force immediately, said Dr. Alur, who came to the United States in 2007 for his residency training.

Raghuveer Kura, a nephrologist in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and a co-founder of the foreign doctors organization, said the group had compiled a list of doctors willing to go to New York and New Jersey to assist. But because of the rigidity of the government visa policies, nearly all of them are unable to do so.

We are physicians trained at top U.S. institutions, said Dr. Kura, who has been in the United States for 19 years. People like me are not able to go to help in hot spots even though we can manage ventilators and we can manage I.C.U. patients.

Varun Malayalah, an internal medicine hospitalist who practices in rural Delaware, said that he had been inundated with calls, texts and emails from recruiters representing hospitals that are grappling with the contagion.

I would be there tomorrow, if it were possible, said Dr. Malayalah.

He is 35, single and has a staggered schedule, one week on and the next off, the norm for hospitalists, or doctors who exclusively treat patients in hospitals.

In the last month, instead of sitting home when I was off, I could have gone and worked where they needed me, he said, were it not for the visa restrictions.

Representatives Tony Crdenas and Zoe Lofgren of California sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Chad F. Wolf, the acting homeland security secretary, urging their departments to allow foreign-born physicians and health care workers to practice freely during the crisis. The letter, sent April 6, was signed by 63 members of Congress.

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Foreign Doctors and Nurses are Ready to Help America. But Visas and Travel Blocks Stand in Way. - The New York Times

University of Medicine and Health Sciences Launches Dextrocardia Podcast – PR Web

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Dextrocardia is a medical term for when your heart is the other way around. Caribbean medical schools have many misconceptions, but this podcast might just help you look at things from the other way around.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 31, 2020

University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada, today announced the launch of Dextrocardia, a new podcast that explores life as a medical student in the Caribbean. Produced by UMHS and hosted by second-year medical student Nihal Satyadev, the series will feature conversations with fellow medical students, UMHS faculty, and medical practitioners and focus on the unique challenges faced by Caribbean medical students in the era of COVID-19, career advice, and the role of healthcare workers in the context of social justice issues and the Black Lives Matter Movement. The first episode is now available at https://dextrocardia.podbean.com/ and all major podcast platforms, including Apple, Google, Spotify, and YouTube.

As the most popular alternative path to becoming a doctor in the United States and Canada, the journey of a Caribbean medical student is fraught with ups and downs. From sleepless nights studying to the overwhelming relief upon passing the all-important Step 1 exam and the euphoria of matching into a dream residency, Dextrocardia tells this story through conversations with medical students, faculty, and healthcare practitioners. The series seeks to dispel common misconceptions about Caribbean medical schools and impart practical advice to students in Basic Science, clinical rotations, and undergraduate programs.

Dextrocardia is a medical term for when your heart is the other way around, said podcast creator and host Nihal Satyadev. Caribbean medical schools have many misconceptions, but this podcast might just help you look at things from the other way around.

Prior to enrolling at UMHS, Satyadev earned his Masters in Public Health from George Washington University and a BA from the University of Redlands. A social entrepreneur and Alzheimer's advocate, Satyadev is the CEO and co-founder of The Youth Movement Against Alzheimer's, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization providing opportunities for college and high school students to advocate, research, and provide care for those battling with the disease. Satyadev has also published research assessing the correlation between Alzheimers Disease and periodontal disease.

Episode 1 of the series features Satyadevs interview with UMHS student Stephanie Vang. In this premiere episode, Vang discusses her work as a teachers assistant (TA) for anatomy and shares advice for fellow students about what it takes to get an A in the class - a standard course taught in the Basic Science portion of medical school.

Discussion topics for upcoming episodes include:Conversation with an Anatomy TA Conversation with a Histology TAConversation with a Neuroscience TAConversation with a Biochemistry TAMedical Research - How medical students can pursue researchBlack Lives Matter - How medical students can get involved, plus a deep dive into racial inequities in healthcare, medicine, and medical education

Dextrocardia is now available on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, and YouTube with new episodes dropping on alternate Tuesdays at 5 am EST. To access the latest episodes and information about the podcast, visit https://dextrocardia.podbean.com/.

About UMHSThe University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), is a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada. UMHS was founded in 2007 by medical education pioneers Warren and Robert Ross to deliver a highly personalized school experience. Graduates of UMHS earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) and qualify to practice medicine throughout the United States and Canada. Students begin their Basic Science studies in St. Kitts, West Indies, and complete their clinical training in the United States. With an unprecedented 96% student retention rate, the vast majority of students that begin their medical studies at UMHS go on to obtain residencies. For more information visit https://www.umhs-sk.org/.

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Governor Lamonts executive order permits recent medical school grads to begin practicing during pandemic, implements new workplace safety rules -…

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HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) Governor Ned Lamont signed an executive order Tuesday allowing recent medical school and other medical profession graduates who are not yet licensed to participate in the states COVID-19 response for the duration of the public health and civil preparedness emergency.

This is necessary during the emergency period because the ability to take the required exams or other steps to receive a license have been suspended, Lamont said.

I've issued an Executive Order tonight permitting recent medical school and other medical profession graduates to begin practicing now.

During this emergency Connecticut needs every bit of assistance we can get.

Thank you to every health care worker for the jobs you are doing.

Days ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a similar order that allowed those slated to graduate to practice.

Tuesday, Gov. Lamont also implemented new Safe Workplace Rules for businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.

In a post on Twitter, Gov. Lamont said the rules direct every workplace in Connecticut thats deemed essential to implement additional protective measures.

They include the rule to have every employee that CAN work from home TO work from home, gives guidance for employees who have recently traveled internationally where COVID-19 is present, eliminates all non-essential workplace travel, and gives guidance prohibition of non-essential visitors.

Governor LamontsExecutive Order No. 7Venacts the following provisions:

Safe workplaces in essential businesses: Requires the Department of Economic and Community Development to work in consultation with the Department of Public Health on the development of legally binding statewide rules prescribing additional protective measures that every workplace in Connecticut deemed essential and any other business or nonprofit allowed to remain open must follow. Such rules will be mandatory throughout the state.

oImmediately upon Governor Lamonts signing of this executive order, the Department of Economic and Community Development published theSafe Workplaces Rules for Essential Employers on its website, outlining guidance for these businesses. These rules go into effect immediately.

The rules go into effect immediately.

The Executive Order that I signed this afternoon implements new Safe Workplace Rules, which direct every workplace in Connecticut that's deemed essential to implement additional protective measures. They go into effect immediately.

Check them out here: https://t.co/zZjh3qDWQP pic.twitter.com/5WtQBCNFJO

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After losing her grandmother to coronavirus, UMass Medical School student Emily Chin has found meaning in 3D – MassLive.com

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The buzz of a 3D printer is near-constant as it sits on Emily Chins desk in Worcester, creating a headpiece for a face shield one after another.

Chin, a rising second-year medical student at UMass Medical School, has been making and donating hundreds of face shields to hospitals and nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic. The effort is more than just a way to give back to health care workers during a time of global crisis, which has left medical students without clinical duties in hospitals. Its also a way for Chin to honor the memory of her grandmother, Yuk Yip Wu, who lost her life to the virus in April.

It helps channel the grief and something thats incredibly sad into something thats more meaningful, Chin said. Thats kind of been my way of processing grief and death in my family.

Chins grandmother, who she called Popo or granny, had started complaining of symptoms like muscle aches, but not shortness of breath, cough or a fever, some of the common signs of coronavirus. Her grandmother lived at home and didnt go out much, so the possibility that her grandmother could have coronavirus wasnt on Chins mind.

But, with the virus spreading across Massachusetts from March into April, Chin was nervous to take her grandmother to the hospital, fearing she might contract the disease. Eventually, they went to Brigham and Womens Hospital, where Chin, a certified medical interpreter, got special permission to stay at the hospital and help her grandmother, who was hard of hearing and primarily spoke Cantonese.

At the hospital, they found out Chins grandmother did have coronavirus.

I was shocked, Chin, 25, recalled in a phone interview on Thursday. I was worried for the first time that my grandma would not be able to leave the hospital.

Though many efforts were made to try and help Chins grandmother recover, she never was able to leave the hospital. Yuk Yip Wu died on April 10. She was 95 years young, as Chin put it.

About a week later, Chin and her partner, Alex, were getting started making the face shields. Alex is an architect with RODE Architects in Boston and his firm has provided the 3D printer and materials for the couple to create the face shields from home.

Chin said she dove into research, trying to figure out the best way to design and make the shields. She and her partner used a design file shared online by Cornell University to figure out how to 3D print the shields. Chin poured through one Google search after another and read reviews on Amazon, trying to understand what makes the shields most effective for health care workers so she could make them just right.

It takes 1 hour and 7 minutes to print the headpiece, Chin said, which she then polishes down with scissors. After that, she spends several minutes punching holes in plastic sheets to attach the shield part to the headpiece. The entire process takes about an hour and a half for one face shield, Chin said.

The 3D printer runs from about the time she wakes up until she goes to bed for the evening.

As of Thursday, Chin said shes created about 350 face shields. Shes donated them to the UMass Memorial distribution center, which spreads supplies out to the hospitals and, when it was open, the field hospital at the DCU Center. Other donations have gone to the Saint Francis Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Worcester, the Worcester Rehabilitation & Health Care Center, and to CareOne in Brookline, where Chins grandmother had been a patient before.

Chin, who wants to become an OBGYN physician and wants to reduce maternal mortality disparities, said she plans to keep making the face shields as long as possible.

Growing up, Chin said her grandmother helped raise her while her parents were busy running several businesses in Bostons Chinatown. Chin went to Chinese school on the weekends, she said, and every Sunday her grandmother would come in from Mission Hill to walk her to school and pick her up after. They would always go to lunch and tried a new place each week, she remembered.

Those were just some of the most fond memories, Chin said. I just remember being at the school, standing there waiting for her and seeing my grandmas full head of white hair just eagerly waiting for me and asking me where I wanted to go for lunch.

All her memories with her grandma are centered around food, Chin said, especially her grandmothers delicious ginger scallion garlic shrimp.

"She was just an incredible chef and has inspired me to cook with my heart and soul, said Chin, who opened the Double Chin restaurant in Chinatown with her sister, Gloria, in 2015.

Chin was especially close with her grandmother after suffering the devastating loss of both her parents. When Chin was in high school, her father died from esophageal cancer. Within a month of his death, her mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer as a non-smoker.

In April, when Chin was at the hospital with her grandmother, she was able to obtain a face shield from a co-worker of her partners and her uncle found a N95 mask for her.

I ended up getting fully geared and I had felt so much safer walking into the room and knowing that I wouldnt put ask much risk to my partner, who I live with," Chin said. It was a very comforting feeling that Im sure health care workers appreciate when they feel fully prepared to go into patient rooms to provide the care they need.

It gave Chin an even deeper understanding of the importance of personal protective equipment.

I wasnt worried about getting COVID. I was more worried about getting the people around me sick and so It felt nice to know that I was being protected," she said.

And the gear worked. When Chin got tested for coronavirus herself after her time in the hospital, the result was negative.

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10 Medical Schools With the Most Applicants – WTOP

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The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matters to you in your college or grad school search.

Getting into medical school can be a long shot, considering there are typically more applicants than seats. But applicant pools at some medical schools run deep with more than 10,000 students vying for a coveted slot to earn a degree at a quality institution.

Just how hard is it to get into medical school, considering the high academic standards and scarcity of seats? Nearly 900,000 applications were submitted to medical schools in 2019-2020, but just under 22,000 applicants matriculated, per data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. The 896,819 applications were filed by 53,371 prospective students, each applying to an average of 17 medical schools.

[Read: How Many Medical Schools Should You Apply To?]

Despite the staggering number of applications in the 2019-2020 school year, only 41% of applicants matriculated into medical school.

Of the 122 ranked medical schools that reported the number of applications in fall 2019 to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average number received was 5,947. Of the 10 schools with the most applications, the average number received was significantly higher, at 12,496. In contrast, the 10 medical schools with the lowest number of applications received an average of 1,448, which translates to an average of 11,048 fewer than the schools at the top of this list.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine received the most applications in fall 2019, per U.S. News data. Located in Pennsylvania, Lake Erie College received 17,133 applicants; it is one of only two osteopathic medical schools on this list, the other being Western University of Health Sciences in California.

[Read: What to Consider Before Applying to Medical School.]

The schools rounding out this list tend to be on the East Coast, but no one state can claim a significant share of these institutions. California, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., each claim two schools, with the rest scattered around the country.

Despite the high volume of applications, most of the schools on this list dont occupy top spots in the U.S. News medical school rankings for research or primary care. The Geffen School of Medicine at the University of CaliforniaLos Angeles is the highest ranked school on this list in both categories.

Below is a list of the 10 medical schools with the most applicants who competed for spots in the fall 2019 incoming class. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

Dont see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News Medical School Compass to find the number of applicants, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.

U.S. News surveyed 188 medical schools for our 2019 survey of research and primary care programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Medical Schools rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data comes from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The applicant data above is correct as of June 16, 2020.

More from U.S. News

What to Do if Your Medical School Is Online This Fall Due to Coronavirus

How to Choose Which Medical School to Attend

Why Its Hard to Get Into Medical School Despite Doctor Shortages

10 Medical Schools With the Most Applicants originally appeared on usnews.com

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[Special] ‘Korea will be short of doctors even with more medical school admissions’ – Korea Biomedical Review

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The nation is likely to be short of physicians until 2067 even if the government increases the annual quota of medical school admissions by 1,500 from 2021, a study showed.

The study assumed that the current supply and demand of physicians remain at a desirable level. The university entrance quota is now set at 3,058 students for medical schools.

Professor Hong Yun-chul of Seoul National University College of Medicine released the Research on the Optimal Level of Physicians Manpower at a round-table meeting, which celebrates the 28th anniversary of The Korean Doctors Weekly on Friday. The meeting was broadcast live on a YouTube channel K-Healthlog, operated by The Korean Doctors Weekly.

Hong led the study, which was commissioned by the Korean Hospital Association.

According to government statistics, Korea had 2.3 clinicians per 1,000 people as of 2017, which was the lowest among OECD members. The OECD average is 3.4 clinicians per 1,000 people.

On the other hand, a Korean patient went to see doctors 16.6 times a year, which was the most among OECD members. The average number of hospitalization was 18.5 days in Korea, the second-longest in OECD.

Korean doctors amount of labor is 3.37 times larger than the OECD average, according to Hong.

Hong predicted the number of outpatients and hospitalizations based on Statistics Korea's population data. He forecasted that the demand for outpatient care would peak in 2043, which will be 1.24 times higher than the current level. The demand for hospitalization is expected to peak in 2059, which will be 2.56 times larger than it is today.

Assuming that the supply and demand of physicians in 2018 were appropriate and increasing the quota for medical school admissions from 2021 will fail to prevent a shortage of doctors until 2067, the study showed.

If doctors retirement age is assumed to be 70 years old and the medical school admission quota is maintained at 3,058, the nation will be short of 55,260 doctors, Hong went on to say.

Even if the government expands the university quota by 1,500 from 2021, Korea will be short of up to 27,755 doctors in 2048.

Pushing up the retirement age at 75 years old and assuming the elderly doctors aged 65 or more have 50 percent productivity, an increase of medical university quota by 1,000 will still fail to prevent a shortage of physicians until 2067. Hong went on to say.

Hong emphasized that the country needs to address the imbalance of physician supplies among regions rather than the shortage of overall doctors.

In 2045, the total number of physicians will fall short of the demand, but those in Seoul will be in oversupply, he said.

In 2020, 15 percent of the total population will be aged 65 or more. In 2030, the proportion goes up to 25 percent, Hong said. This means not only the elderly population but their diseases will increase. It is highly likely that the medical demand will surge.

However, it is still controversial whether Korea is short of doctors because the nation is suffering from a severe imbalance of physician supply among regions, Hong noted.

Without addressing the regional imbalance, it is difficult to relieve the shortage of physicians, he added.

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‘The kind of doctor I want to be’: U of T Medicine grad Chika Oriuwa on becoming an advocate for diversity – News@UofT

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When she started medical school at the University of Toronto in 2016,Chika Oriuwadidnt anticipatebecoming the Faculty of Medicines first Black woman valedictorian and the first woman in 14 years to receive the honour.

Theres a certain weight that comes along with this title that didnt really hit me until I fully came to realize and appreciate the gravity of this, she says. Its a big honour and Im so grateful.

In her first year of medicine, Oriuwa was the only Black student in her class a discovery that catapulted her into four years of advocacy, speaking engagements andmedia attention. My medical school experience was definitely underscored by my experiences as a woman of colour, says Oriuwa. I never thought that when I started medical school, a huge part of my narrative would be wrapped around being an advocate and bringing attention to equity, inclusion and diversity within the curriculum and just within life in general.

That narrative coincided with change in 2017, the faculty introduced theBlack Student Application Programand the number of Black students in the MD programbegan to increase, with 14 students in the 2018-2019 academic year and 15 students in 2019-2020. For Oriuwa, meanwhile, there were new opportunities. It has opened so many doors, Oriuwa says. And it made me recognize my passion for advocacy. I've always loved advocacy, but for me, this has made it a lot more concrete and tangible and it showed me the kind of doctor I want to be.

Yezarni Wynn, Oriuwas classmate and a class of 2020 co-president, was thrilled to hear Oriuwa was selected as valedictorian. I believe our class chose Chika for her tenacious advocacy for inclusion and diversity in medicine something visibly lacking in our class when it was identified she was the sole Black student in it, says Wynn. Chika represents a shift in the way we look at leadership in medicine and I think our class recognizes the overdue need for this change.

Its a bittersweet moment for Oriuwa since the COVID-19 pandemic has made it impossible for graduating students to walk across the convocation stage together or for Oriuwa to deliver her valedictorian speech live to hundreds of familiar faces, friends and loved ones. She will, however, share a pre-recorded speech with the classduring a virtual pre-convocation event on June 2.

Im excited and a little bit nervous, but very grateful to do it,Oriuwa says. Unlike any other class, were faced with such a terrifying time to start residency. I want my speech to leave them feeling empowered, emboldened and ready to face whats coming up. We are ready for this. We were made for this.

Wynn, for one, has little doubt Oriuwas pre-recorded speech will leave the class of 2020 moved and inspired. Chika is well known for her impactful spoken word poetry and I think our class can anticipate an incredibly powerful and thoughtful send-off from her speech, she says.

And speaking to big crowds is something Oriuwa loves. Awriter andpoet, Oriuwa says she rediscovered her passion for public speaking in medical school. For International Womens Day in 2018, Oriuwa delivered akeynote speechat Womens College Hospital. The organizer of the event told Oriuwa shes never had such an overwhelming response to a speaker at the hospital. The audience was captivated there were people sitting on the floor, standing in the aisles and at the back of the auditorium.

It was a pivotal moment for Oriuwa and one she will always remember. At that moment, I recognized I have the potential to really affect change in this field and in society, says Oriuwa. And from that day on, it was a great responsibility that I knew I could never take for granted. I needed to be exceptional. And exceptionally careful and responsible and do my due diligence at every point, at every turn. It was the absolute best experience.

Being an integral part of the facultysBlack Student Application Program andBlack Medical Student Association(BMSA) was an equally important experience. Oriuwa says her work on these initiatives has been the springboard for the advocacy shes done over the past four years. Everything circles back to the fact that I firmly believe we need to integrate and place value on diversity in our medical education and have that reflect in the student body, she says.

BMSA Co-PresidentSemir Bullesays Oriuwa was pivotal in helping pave the way for other Black medical students to follow in her footsteps at the foundation. Chika is absolutely amazing, he says. From her constant support to her effortless leadership, she sets the bar so high in everything she does.

I hope she understands how much she means to us being here, and we will make her proud as we take the BMSA to the next level and truly change the face of medicine.

Mentorship is important to Oriuwa, who saysits what got her through medical school. Ive had some amazing mentors at the Faculty of Medicine among them, Drs.Onye Nnorom,Lisa RobinsonandPier Bryden, she says. They have been instrumental to my success within medicine and advocacy. Theyve taught me so many things about how to be a doctor that I wouldnt have learned in the classroom and have shaped who I am today especially when it comes to how I navigate medicine as a Black woman.

When it comes to mentoring others, Oriuwa explains its one of her top priorities. Everything I do, I do with the spirit of mentorship, she says. Whether its being a mentor for young Black Canadians or connecting them with mentorship opportunities that will help them excel at whatever it is they choose to do. I believe mentorship is the key that unlocks the doors of opportunity.

Oriuwa creditsBryden as among the reasons she chose to pursue a residency in psychiatry. Although she was convinced she wanted to be an internist through most of medical school, Oriuwa says she fell in love with psychiatry when she realized it would allow her to combine her passions.

Ive never felt more myself than I felt when I was doing my psychiatry rotation, Oriuwa says. It was the perfect marriage of medicine and advocacy and who I am outside of medicine. Psychiatric patients are some of the most vulnerable and marginalized in medicine. I've always believed I was called to protect and safeguard society's most marginalized. So, for me, once it clicked, it was a no-brainer.

Bryden, an associate professor ofpsychiatry, agrees that psychiatry is the perfect fit for Oriuwa. Canadian psychiatry needs Chika, she says. With her exceptional intelligence and breadth of understanding, her commitment to learning and inquiryand to systems-level leadership, and advocacy for the underserved she will be a force for greatly needed change in our profession.

While starting residency in the middle of a pandemic is daunting,Oriuwa believes her classmates are up to the challenge. She describes them as innovators and people who think outside the box.

Thats been emphasized throughout this pandemic, where I've seen people in my class step up in ingenious and creative ways to support our front-line workers, says Oriuwa. They're super creative and brilliant doctors, but theyre also innovators and I think they're game-changers. I'm excited to see what my class will do in the future because I know Im in the company of people who will certainly change the face of medicine.

One of the biggest lessons Oriuwa learned in medical school is that physicians are just human beings helping other human beings. Im not better than anyone else for doing this work, she says. This is simply the work that I believe I should be doing. This is how I want to spend my life it's an honour and a privilege.

As for her mentors, theyre confident Oriuwa will continue to do an exemplary job. Patricia Houston,vice-dean of U of Ts MD program,says, Chika is a gracious, generous and gifted student who has had a significant impact on her fellow students, the faculty,staff and our program. I know she will be a health systems leader as she progresses in her career and I look forward to calling her my colleague.

Nnorom says she couldnt be more proud of Oriuwa and all that shes achieved. Chika proved that despite the numerous barriers that must be overcome in order to speak truth to power, it is possible to succeed and thrive as a Black woman with full authenticity in the field of medicine, she says. This is inspiring to everyone who believes in equity both young and old. Its hope. Its power. Its beautiful.

For Oriuwa, medical school is drawing to a close. But she says her passion for advocacy will remain.

Most of my advocacy is about being able to build up a community of Black doctors and support traditionally underrepresented groups, she says. I see what newer generations of Black medical students have Black classmates and its something I never had. But that makes it worth the journey for me. My dream is that no student will ever be the only Black person in their class. And I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure it doesnt happen again.

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