M1 Class Officers Meeting
3/24/09 3pm-4pm Sanger 1-038
In attendance: Craig Anthony, Nathan Bennion, Ashton Goldman, Michael Joyce, Andrew Junkin, Ran Lee, Parth Modi, Charley Nottingham, Justin Richey, Sarah Shafer, Luke Sponholz, Adam Stuart, Travis Wilson, Kate Zedler
Not present: Maravet Baig, Nijhu Bhowmik, Kate DiPasquale, Mai Grant, Aditi Hendi, AJ Janovski, Beth Morehouse, Aceela Muqri, Nana Ohene-Baah, Steve Spivey, JT Stranix, Pat Turner
Agenda
I. President (Andrew Junkin)
A. GSA: gets some of University student fee; but we were not emailed or notified of a free lunch (free using our money)
i. We do not have a current GSA Rep
B. MSB II construction almost finished; should open some time in April
C. Email-a-day campaign for DOCS; DOCS Countdown
D. Try to change method of advertising events, other than evites, to get more people out
E. Subsidize raffle tickets for HOMBRE to entice people
II. Vice-Presidents (Sarah Shafer)
A. Foxfields: JT, liability issues on alcohol, working with Carolyn Whittier
B. Bowling event last night; more support needed from officers and others
C. Orientation week planning: introduction to City of Richmond is needed
i. Bar events: MWF, Outdoor events: TR
ii. Money from MSG for cookout in major park
D. COME CHEER FOR MONUMENT 10K RUNNERS – 03/28/09
III. Secretary (Ran Lee) – ELECTIONS TIMELINE, MSG ELECTIONS
A. MSG Meeting at 515pm today
B. Run for Class Office! April 13th, signups start, April 21st speeches, and April 24th ballot appended to last Phys/Immuno test
C. Minutes to be sent out to officers and posted to MCV Blog (http://mcv2012.blogspot.com)
D. Announcements and emails will precede every class meeting so students are more aware of open meetings and student government; come by next time!
IV. Treasurer (Ashton Goldman)
A. Two class accounts, one not touched b/c it will go toward 2012 Grad party
B. Money utilization proposal form is being finalized and procedures to ask for money will be emailed to the class
V. Curriculum Reps (Kate Zedler)
A. FCM Advisory Meeting today; email update sent afterwards
B. Usually 20 or so students have poor preceptor experiences; pediatric offices are more difficult than others
C. Ethics course review coming up
VI. Wellness Committee (Beth Morehouse by proxy)
A. Day of Community Service (DOCS) – Officers, sign up!
B. Community Involvement
i. Multiple sites of service are set up for students to donate their efforts to; hope to make this day one of the Class of 2012’s legacies in the MCV community
ii. April 4th, everything 9am-2pm
iii. Site options currently: Habitat for Humanity, James River Park Service, Girls/Boy Scouts of America, Boys/Girls’ Club, VA Food Bank, etc.
iv. Site leaders will be appointed soon; general class announcement will be made as well
C. Upcoming Races for anyone interested
i. Monument Ave 10K on March 29th; $30 registration until Feb. 28th, $35 between Mar 1-24; http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k_sign_up.htm
VII. Honor Council Reps (Charley Nottingham and Luke Sponholz)
A. Nothing new to report
B. Charley: Susan Komen 5K Race for the Cure, May 9th; Support breast cancer research!; www.komenrichmond.org
C. Charley: West Coast to Richmond bike ride to raise money for Medical Student summer research scholarship; Finale rally to raise money; Invite other student organizations there, on August 23, 3009
VIII. SGA Reps (Craig Anthony, Travis Wilson)
A. Health Fair was a success – 80 patients treated
B. Monument Ave 10K: Free T shirts this week in Hunton
C. 10K fundraiser – can run for free
IX. Historian (Parth Modi)
A. Tell Parth if you have news, engagement stories, random musings to post
B. http://Mcv2012.blogspot.com
X. Webmaster (Michael Joyce)
A. E-portfolio: Put in all your experiences, resume materials; making it easier for residency apps; it is a national movement by AAMC, and will be instituted here
B. Google Calendar that is accessible to class officers with gmail accounts now will hopefully be put on public space soon
XI. Athletic Rep (Justin Richey)
A. Kickball/Dodgeball/Ultimate signups going well
B. Schedules coming out Friday or next week
C. Emails going around to recruit people to play
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
February... Its all about the Heart
Warning to any future M1 that may come across this post.. Don't under estimate the heart. Who knew there was so much involved in what seemed like a pretty straight forward organ. You've got 4 chambers, a lot of muscle, and a pretty neat set of wiring to move stuff around. More or less thats it right? No. No. No. This unit seemed like a 3 week sprint from day 1. Do not miss a beat in this unit or you might just go into some fibrillation over the enormous load your going to have. (insert pre-load joke here).
I wonder if it was a coincidence that cardio is so strategically placed near Valentines Day. A holiday dedicated to the heart. The M1 class officers (the male ones at least) got together and secretly collected money from all the guys and on the day of the exam, presented each of the girls with a carnation. Now 1..2..3... awwww!! True Virginian Gentlemen live on in the class of 2012.
But it doesnt end there! The pun continues. Not only did we have an entire 3 weeks devoted to Cardiology. Not only was there a valentines day celebration. BUT we also had two of our very own classmates get ENGAGED!
Sharleen Grewal was proposed to by Adam Mulliken on early Feb. weekend in Boston (where they met). She had no idea. The story of how they met and how he proposed will make you want to run out to the closest blockbuster and rent a romantic comedy. If you don't know already, Sharleen is hilarious. If you want to hear it though you will have to ask her. Unless of course she lets me post it on the blog. Maybe we should start a petition? Possible Big day: Summer 2010.
Erik Loken proposed to his boo Elliot Neal on Valentines Day itself. A lot of us already know her actually since she comes out all the time to our class socials. In fact, I met Elliot before I met Erik my first night out during orientation week. Remember Cha Cha's after the M4 potluck?
Anyway, Erik and Elliot met at UVA. They were both choral singers (she was in th
e Virginia Women's Chorus, and he was in the Glee Club). Why now do you ask? Did it just feel like the right time? Yup. Thats exactly it. If anything, Erik says, he would've liked to do it sooner. Elliot is going to be going back to law school this fall at William and Mary. Erik probably wasn't winning any arguments before this. I'm sure he won't be after he gets married. Possible big day: Summer 2010.
I wonder if it was a coincidence that cardio is so strategically placed near Valentines Day. A holiday dedicated to the heart. The M1 class officers (the male ones at least) got together and secretly collected money from all the guys and on the day of the exam, presented each of the girls with a carnation. Now 1..2..3... awwww!! True Virginian Gentlemen live on in the class of 2012.
But it doesnt end there! The pun continues. Not only did we have an entire 3 weeks devoted to Cardiology. Not only was there a valentines day celebration. BUT we also had two of our very own classmates get ENGAGED!
Sharleen Grewal was proposed to by Adam Mulliken on early Feb. weekend in Boston (where they met). She had no idea. The story of how they met and how he proposed will make you want to run out to the closest blockbuster and rent a romantic comedy. If you don't know already, Sharleen is hilarious. If you want to hear it though you will have to ask her. Unless of course she lets me post it on the blog. Maybe we should start a petition? Possible Big day: Summer 2010.Erik Loken proposed to his boo Elliot Neal on Valentines Day itself. A lot of us already know her actually since she comes out all the time to our class socials. In fact, I met Elliot before I met Erik my first night out during orientation week. Remember Cha Cha's after the M4 potluck?
Anyway, Erik and Elliot met at UVA. They were both choral singers (she was in th
e Virginia Women's Chorus, and he was in the Glee Club). Why now do you ask? Did it just feel like the right time? Yup. Thats exactly it. If anything, Erik says, he would've liked to do it sooner. Elliot is going to be going back to law school this fall at William and Mary. Erik probably wasn't winning any arguments before this. I'm sure he won't be after he gets married. Possible big day: Summer 2010.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
VCU: A Clinician-Powered Approach to EMRs
The successes so far with VCU’s EMR adoption can be mostly attributed to the unique structure of the OCT and the high level of communication within it. The OCT is made up of 5 councils: Documentation, Orders and Caresets, Rules and Alerts, Data Retrieval and Interface, and Communication. Each council is led by an MD informaticist, Nurse informaticist, Clinical Transformation Specialist, Analyst, and Training Team Specialist, and is staffed by specific people from the hospital who can give input on the process and work flow as it pertains to that council. The leaders of each of the 5 councils make up the OCT council, which provides feedback to each of the councils and also discusses integration points between the councils. In the future, the OCT also hopes to involve patients to promote family-centered healthcare, as well as to involve residents and medical students.
The
The most unique aspect of the OCT strategy is putting clinicians in HIT leadership roles. It may be hard to be decisive in this new
By: Hannah Rose
(1) Pegram, Tristen.
(2) Lepley,
Originally written for the HIMSS Digital Office eNewsletter:
http://www.himss.org/digital_office/DigitalOffice.asp?date=20090224
Monday, February 23, 2009
Feb. M1 Officer Meeting Minutes
M1 Class Officers Meeting
2/23/09 2pm-3pm Sanger 4-033
In attendance: Craig Anthony, Nijhu Bhowmik, Kate DiPasquale, Ashton Goldman, Mai Grant, Alex Janovski, Michael Joyce, Andrew Junkin, Ran Lee, Nana Ohene-Baah, Sarah Shafer, JT Stranix
Not present: Maravet Baig, Aditi Hendi, Parth Modi, Beth Morehouse, Aceela Muqri, Charley Nottingham, Justin Richey, Steve Spivey, Luke Sponholz, Pat Turner, Travis Wilson, Kate Zedler
Agenda
I. President (Andrew Junkin)
A. Foodbank: M3 President says food bank not getting enough help; Potential service opportunity
B. Next Liver rounds 3/20/09: wine and cheese at Hunton is a possibility; Hunton is open for social events Fri and Sat night now
C. Sholley retirement party in the works
D. Staff excellence award: check your email, and nominate a staff member!
E. Survey results: class cohesion is needed, and all class officers need to go beyond our written responsibilities to promote events and activities
II. Vice-Presidents (Sarah Shafer and JT Stranix)
A. Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball at Blackfinn, Tuesday 2/24/09 7-10pm
i. Side room reserved from 7-10, but at 8pm the party will be open to the public
ii. Drink specials from 7-9 include $2 Domestics and $3 Imported/Wine/Rail; Drink specials all night include $2 Coors Light drafts and $3 MCV Shooters [aka kamikazees]
B. Orientation planning meeting for future M1s, next Tuesday 3/3/09
i. Will bring up integrating different activities around Richmond, e.g. Poetry Slam, Art Museum, Carytown, etc.; events that could possibly be coordinated by Tour Guides; More to report once plans are solidified
C. Foxfields!
i. Currently, a package for bus transportation/ticket/plot space is around $75/person
ii. We’ll be selling to M1s exclusively first, then opening it up to other med students
iii. Look for announcements from Sarah and JT
D. Meet the 1st years event: SGA-sponsored event in the works for a more formal gathering of 1st years from all the MCV professional schools
E. Classmates: get involved in community service!
III. Secretary (Ran Lee)
A. Minutes to be sent out to officers and posted to MCV Blog (http://mcv2012.blogspot.com)
B. Announcements and emails will precede every class meeting so students are more aware of open meetings and student government; come by next time!
IV. Treasurer (Ashton Goldman)
A. $1181.23 in the class bank account
B. Hoodies ($35): still a few left in each size, so contact JT or Ashton if you want to purchase
C. System for money appropriation will be formulated soon and distributed; contact Ashton or executive board if you need legitimate class funds
V. Curriculum Reps (Nijhu Bhowmik, Nana Ohene-Baah)
A. Course Reviews finished for FCM, Anatomy/Embryo, and Behavioral Sciences
B. FCM: not enough time to practice PE in small group; Dr. Peel hopes designated practice times will help
i. Suggestion to switch Cardio and Chest/Lung PEs in the syllabus, so students actually do Cardio PE before the Cardio Phys test
ii. Read the E-Board for important announcements; they will try their best to email as well
C. Anatomy: 67% response on evals; praise for faculty enthusiasm and dedication to students; praise for HTT and practice practicals
i. Concerns: Unequal student:M4 distribution ratio needs to be addressed, as well as M4 accountability in coming to class to help out
ii. Dr. Krieg will be hosting a student panel for next year’s M1s, in the first week of class, to help M1s get a better sense of anatomy and what to be prepared for
iii. Better coordinated syllabus and powerpoints for next year; get better pictures in the syllabus esp. now that we have Pay-For-Printing
D. BEHS: 38% response rate, but quality responses
i. Syllabus was readable, we had engaging professors and guest speakers
ii. Concerns: Need to improve the background to certain lectures, e.g. brain development can use a better neurology introduction
iii. Med Student Problems lecture could use less emphasis on sexual harassment, more on emotional problems
iv. More sample questions needed on the E-board; Dr. Sonenklar apologizes for his lack of presence on the E-board – there was miscommunication regarding email notifications to his account
E. Physiology update with Dr. Costanzo: tests won’t be scheduled in the future on the same day as FCM
VI. Community Service (Kate DiPasquale)
A. James River Park System’s Ralph White says we can commit to work on the North Bank Trail; There is a Pump House that is maintained by volunteer work; Collectively, we can help its maintenance and also use the space for social functions (nothing too rowdy)
B. Monthly community service opportunities are not getting much participation; if we keep coming up with ideas, we’ll publicize more on E-board and Email
C. How do we increase the class’s community service activities? Integrate the service with a learning opportunity as well, e.g. Clinic work that will allow students to learn as well as help out
VII. Wellness Committee (Beth Morehouse by proxy)
A. Day of Community Service (DOCS) planning underway with Cathy Howard of VCU Community Involvement
i. Multiple sites of service are set up for students to donate their efforts to; hope to make this day one of the Class of 2012’s legacies in the MCV community
ii. Potential dates are April 4th and 25th
iii. Site options currently: Habitat for Humanity, James River Park Service, Girls/Boy Scouts of America, Boys/Girls’ Club, VA Food Bank, etc.
iv. Site leaders will be appointed soon; general class announcement will be made as well
B. Upcoming Races for anyone interested
i. Monument Ave 10K on March 29th; $30 registration until Feb. 28th, $35 between Mar 1-24; http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k_sign_up.htm
ii. DC National Marathon/Half Marathon on March 21st; $80 sign-up, http://www.nationalmarathon.com/home.asp
VIII. WIMSO (Mai Grant)
A. $125 made in 10 minutes at Geriatrics Forum Bake Sale
B. In March: lunch lecture on women’s health residency, from MCV; maybe 3/25?
IX. Honor Council Reps (Maravet Baig/Charley Nottingham/Luke Sponholz By Proxy)
A. Nothing new to report
X. SGA Reps (Craig Anthony, Alex Janovski)
A. Winter Ball was a great time on 2/13/09
B. Received Thank You Cards from CHAT, for our donations
C. Health Fair March 21st at Armstrong High School
i. All the MCV professional schools will be participating
ii. Medical students hopefully will be able to treat this as a clinic; M1 and M2 paired with M4 to do medical interviewing, PE, differential diagnoses, and presentation to a Family Medicine Physician
XI. Historian (Parth Modi, by proxy)
A. MCV 2012 Blog: http://mcv2012.blogspot.com; contact Parth to become an author and contribute; Submit pictures, notes, etc.
XII. Webmaster (Michael Joyce)
A. No changes to report
XIII. Athletic Rep (Justin Richey, by proxy)
A. Sign-up for Ultimate Frisbee starting March 9-24; 7-player teams, $15 per person
B. Contact at richeyjd@vcu.edu if anybody wants to play any other IM sports
2/23/09 2pm-3pm Sanger 4-033
In attendance: Craig Anthony, Nijhu Bhowmik, Kate DiPasquale, Ashton Goldman, Mai Grant, Alex Janovski, Michael Joyce, Andrew Junkin, Ran Lee, Nana Ohene-Baah, Sarah Shafer, JT Stranix
Not present: Maravet Baig, Aditi Hendi, Parth Modi, Beth Morehouse, Aceela Muqri, Charley Nottingham, Justin Richey, Steve Spivey, Luke Sponholz, Pat Turner, Travis Wilson, Kate Zedler
Agenda
I. President (Andrew Junkin)
A. Foodbank: M3 President says food bank not getting enough help; Potential service opportunity
B. Next Liver rounds 3/20/09: wine and cheese at Hunton is a possibility; Hunton is open for social events Fri and Sat night now
C. Sholley retirement party in the works
D. Staff excellence award: check your email, and nominate a staff member!
E. Survey results: class cohesion is needed, and all class officers need to go beyond our written responsibilities to promote events and activities
II. Vice-Presidents (Sarah Shafer and JT Stranix)
A. Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball at Blackfinn, Tuesday 2/24/09 7-10pm
i. Side room reserved from 7-10, but at 8pm the party will be open to the public
ii. Drink specials from 7-9 include $2 Domestics and $3 Imported/Wine/Rail; Drink specials all night include $2 Coors Light drafts and $3 MCV Shooters [aka kamikazees]
B. Orientation planning meeting for future M1s, next Tuesday 3/3/09
i. Will bring up integrating different activities around Richmond, e.g. Poetry Slam, Art Museum, Carytown, etc.; events that could possibly be coordinated by Tour Guides; More to report once plans are solidified
C. Foxfields!
i. Currently, a package for bus transportation/ticket/plot space is around $75/person
ii. We’ll be selling to M1s exclusively first, then opening it up to other med students
iii. Look for announcements from Sarah and JT
D. Meet the 1st years event: SGA-sponsored event in the works for a more formal gathering of 1st years from all the MCV professional schools
E. Classmates: get involved in community service!
III. Secretary (Ran Lee)
A. Minutes to be sent out to officers and posted to MCV Blog (http://mcv2012.blogspot.com)
B. Announcements and emails will precede every class meeting so students are more aware of open meetings and student government; come by next time!
IV. Treasurer (Ashton Goldman)
A. $1181.23 in the class bank account
B. Hoodies ($35): still a few left in each size, so contact JT or Ashton if you want to purchase
C. System for money appropriation will be formulated soon and distributed; contact Ashton or executive board if you need legitimate class funds
V. Curriculum Reps (Nijhu Bhowmik, Nana Ohene-Baah)
A. Course Reviews finished for FCM, Anatomy/Embryo, and Behavioral Sciences
B. FCM: not enough time to practice PE in small group; Dr. Peel hopes designated practice times will help
i. Suggestion to switch Cardio and Chest/Lung PEs in the syllabus, so students actually do Cardio PE before the Cardio Phys test
ii. Read the E-Board for important announcements; they will try their best to email as well
C. Anatomy: 67% response on evals; praise for faculty enthusiasm and dedication to students; praise for HTT and practice practicals
i. Concerns: Unequal student:M4 distribution ratio needs to be addressed, as well as M4 accountability in coming to class to help out
ii. Dr. Krieg will be hosting a student panel for next year’s M1s, in the first week of class, to help M1s get a better sense of anatomy and what to be prepared for
iii. Better coordinated syllabus and powerpoints for next year; get better pictures in the syllabus esp. now that we have Pay-For-Printing
D. BEHS: 38% response rate, but quality responses
i. Syllabus was readable, we had engaging professors and guest speakers
ii. Concerns: Need to improve the background to certain lectures, e.g. brain development can use a better neurology introduction
iii. Med Student Problems lecture could use less emphasis on sexual harassment, more on emotional problems
iv. More sample questions needed on the E-board; Dr. Sonenklar apologizes for his lack of presence on the E-board – there was miscommunication regarding email notifications to his account
E. Physiology update with Dr. Costanzo: tests won’t be scheduled in the future on the same day as FCM
VI. Community Service (Kate DiPasquale)
A. James River Park System’s Ralph White says we can commit to work on the North Bank Trail; There is a Pump House that is maintained by volunteer work; Collectively, we can help its maintenance and also use the space for social functions (nothing too rowdy)
B. Monthly community service opportunities are not getting much participation; if we keep coming up with ideas, we’ll publicize more on E-board and Email
C. How do we increase the class’s community service activities? Integrate the service with a learning opportunity as well, e.g. Clinic work that will allow students to learn as well as help out
VII. Wellness Committee (Beth Morehouse by proxy)
A. Day of Community Service (DOCS) planning underway with Cathy Howard of VCU Community Involvement
i. Multiple sites of service are set up for students to donate their efforts to; hope to make this day one of the Class of 2012’s legacies in the MCV community
ii. Potential dates are April 4th and 25th
iii. Site options currently: Habitat for Humanity, James River Park Service, Girls/Boy Scouts of America, Boys/Girls’ Club, VA Food Bank, etc.
iv. Site leaders will be appointed soon; general class announcement will be made as well
B. Upcoming Races for anyone interested
i. Monument Ave 10K on March 29th; $30 registration until Feb. 28th, $35 between Mar 1-24; http://www.sportsbackers.org/events/10k/10k_sign_up.htm
ii. DC National Marathon/Half Marathon on March 21st; $80 sign-up, http://www.nationalmarathon.com/home.asp
VIII. WIMSO (Mai Grant)
A. $125 made in 10 minutes at Geriatrics Forum Bake Sale
B. In March: lunch lecture on women’s health residency, from MCV; maybe 3/25?
IX. Honor Council Reps (Maravet Baig/Charley Nottingham/Luke Sponholz By Proxy)
A. Nothing new to report
X. SGA Reps (Craig Anthony, Alex Janovski)
A. Winter Ball was a great time on 2/13/09
B. Received Thank You Cards from CHAT, for our donations
C. Health Fair March 21st at Armstrong High School
i. All the MCV professional schools will be participating
ii. Medical students hopefully will be able to treat this as a clinic; M1 and M2 paired with M4 to do medical interviewing, PE, differential diagnoses, and presentation to a Family Medicine Physician
XI. Historian (Parth Modi, by proxy)
A. MCV 2012 Blog: http://mcv2012.blogspot.com; contact Parth to become an author and contribute; Submit pictures, notes, etc.
XII. Webmaster (Michael Joyce)
A. No changes to report
XIII. Athletic Rep (Justin Richey, by proxy)
A. Sign-up for Ultimate Frisbee starting March 9-24; 7-player teams, $15 per person
B. Contact at richeyjd@vcu.edu if anybody wants to play any other IM sports
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Individuals vs. Institutions
Take a look at the picture of our class above. I never fully liked the pic because you couldn't make out our faces clearly.
Now read this column from the NYTimes.
Take a look at that picture again.
It's a symbol for that article.
Monday, January 26, 2009
1/5/2009 - 1/23/2009 ... uh oh
This past week was ridonkulous. Four exams (Embryology, Physiology, Histology Practical, Histology Written). To all future M1's... don't underestimate how much material is on these first set of exams.
Plus, this was the same week as the historical inauguration of President Obama. Location's were setup throughout campus for people to watch and the school provided snacks. Some skipped class and witnessed it first hand, other's met up and watched it at Hunton.
Rachel Poliquin : Sure, I like med school. But this week it whispered in my ear and told me, "Put a ring on it.Trevan Rankin: President Obama's inauguration in conjunction with the celebration of Dr. King's fight for EQUALITY has DEFINITELY been the highlight to my stress-filled week!!!!!! :-)Travis Wilson: Congradulations! History was made, But its scary that people/media are soo mesmorized by someone who proposes plans to turn a Great country into one that is subpar. Last week reality hit, and we are in for a wild ride.
Politics and Religion on this blog...
There has been some concern that the blog may become too political. Let me just say this to clear those concerns, I will not let that happen. However, I also will not censure/ban all mention of politics and religion. At the end of the day, the blog is a public space. The rule of thumb to use is that if you can't stand up in front of everyone and say it in lecture, then it probably shouldn't be posted on the blog.
So much of our future careers is intertwined with politics and religion. If a current event happens (ie the case with Terry Schiavo, or the AMA creates a healthcare proposal for congress), I know that as future professionals, we are capable of expressing our thoughts with respect for others. We know our education doesn't happen in a bubble from the outside world. Our blog should reflect that.
In order to make sure people think before posting, I'm going to request that people don't make anonymous posts.
So much of our future careers is intertwined with politics and religion. If a current event happens (ie the case with Terry Schiavo, or the AMA creates a healthcare proposal for congress), I know that as future professionals, we are capable of expressing our thoughts with respect for others. We know our education doesn't happen in a bubble from the outside world. Our blog should reflect that.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
1 down, 7 to go
Raise your hand if you can not believe one semester is over. In that time we have taken 16 exams! I won't tell you how many multiple choice questions that is. We've finished biochem, pop med, genetics, anatomy, and the occasional FCM. Thankfully, there were moments last semester that made all the pain bearable.
Any given day, I would walk into anatomy lab, in the evening, dazed with how much I didn't know. Lab was just not enough time to learn it all. As good as the Sholley trolley was, I actually rode it infrequently. I'm not tall enough to casually lean over and see what Sholley is pointing at (:: shake fist at Michael Joyce ::).
I actually preferred hovering around Goudas myself. Although he spoke as fast as a hummingbird (he repeats everything 10 times, so it kind of evens out), he slowed down for the most important part, his famous quotes that made me think so much, it was hard to focus on the mundane stuff. Like the 12321 #%$ holes in the skull!
Krieg was a character too. Ever notice that Dr. Krieg constantly furrows his eyebrows? It's like every structure in the body is worthy of a shakespearan drama. "Ah, the anterior belly of the digastric" (dun dun dun, ::zoom in on the dramatic expression of his face::)
Anyway, there was a definite pattern to anatomy.
1. Walk into anatomy lab after hours with the hope of not leaving till you know it all.
2. Change into scrubs and wince as the initial hit of formaldehyde hits you.
3. Feel dirty cause you realize you touched things before you put gloves on.
4. Put gloves on and dive in.
5. Start to panic a little because there is SO MUCH to know.
6. Ask someone a question, next thing you know, you have a partner in the struggle.
7. Ask someone else the question. Not only do they tell you, sometimes they go out of their way to teach you even more.
8. Feel so thankful that they are so kind.
9. Feel devastated when they say they gotta go. But, you can do it on your own now.
10. Another dazed classmate walks in and they ask you a question.
11. Suddenly the student becomes the teacher.
12. Repeat
Any given day, I would walk into anatomy lab, in the evening, dazed with how much I didn't know. Lab was just not enough time to learn it all. As good as the Sholley trolley was, I actually rode it infrequently. I'm not tall enough to casually lean over and see what Sholley is pointing at (:: shake fist at Michael Joyce ::).
I actually preferred hovering around Goudas myself. Although he spoke as fast as a hummingbird (he repeats everything 10 times, so it kind of evens out), he slowed down for the most important part, his famous quotes that made me think so much, it was hard to focus on the mundane stuff. Like the 12321 #%$ holes in the skull!
Krieg was a character too. Ever notice that Dr. Krieg constantly furrows his eyebrows? It's like every structure in the body is worthy of a shakespearan drama. "Ah, the anterior belly of the digastric" (dun dun dun, ::zoom in on the dramatic expression of his face::)
Anyway, there was a definite pattern to anatomy.
1. Walk into anatomy lab after hours with the hope of not leaving till you know it all.
2. Change into scrubs and wince as the initial hit of formaldehyde hits you.
3. Feel dirty cause you realize you touched things before you put gloves on.
4. Put gloves on and dive in.
5. Start to panic a little because there is SO MUCH to know.
6. Ask someone a question, next thing you know, you have a partner in the struggle.
7. Ask someone else the question. Not only do they tell you, sometimes they go out of their way to teach you even more.
8. Feel so thankful that they are so kind.
9. Feel devastated when they say they gotta go. But, you can do it on your own now.
10. Another dazed classmate walks in and they ask you a question.
11. Suddenly the student becomes the teacher.
12. Repeat
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Congratulations Nathan!
On behalf of the class, congratulations Nathan on your engagement with Katie!
Anatomy Exam December 17th 2008
Wedding December 19th 2008.
you must be insane....ly in love.
;)
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Class Officer Meeting Minutes
M1 Class Officers Meeting
10/27/08 3-4pm, Sanger 1-038
In attendance: Andrew Junkin, Charley Nottingham, Nana Ohene-Baah, Kate Zedler, Parth Modi, Nijhu Bhowmik, Craig Anthony, Michael Joyce, Beth Morehouse, Luke Sponholz, Sarah Shafer, Ran Lee, Ashton Goldman, Kate DiPasquale, Mai Grant
Not present: JT Stranix, Maravet Baig, Alex Janovski, Steve Spivey, Travis Wilson, Neha Chande, Aditi Hendi
Agenda
I. President (Andrew Junkin)
A. Looking for volunteer opportunities with local senior centers, focusing on blood pressure and blood glucose screenings
B. Conrad Center, sponsored by the MSG, is a good monthly venue for BP screenings
C. Halloween Pumpkin Carving was well pitched and generated interest, but turnout was low; only 5 people in attendance, but there were other things going on like HOMBRE ropes course
II. Vice-Presidents (Sarah Shafer and JT Stranix)
A. JT delivered his messages by phone; M2s backed out of a joint Halloween party
B. Nothing official will be planned for Halloween
C. T-shirt orders are being worked on
D. Class pictures are selling slowly
E. Upcoming event: Saturday, 11/08/08, Bandito’s @ 8pm: Mixer with D1s
F. Upcoming event: Sunday, 11/09/08, Byrd Park, 12pm: Powder Puff game vs. M2 girls
1) Spirit award and Trophy for the winning team
2) Hopefully it can be a yearly event
3) As of the meeting, 13 girls were signed up for M1 team, with Ashton, Charley, and a few others cheerleading
G. Sarah is in contact with Nursing school students (3rd and 4th year undergrads) for an event
III. Secretary (Ran Lee)
A. Sorry for the delay getting into the room; unsure why there was a scheduling conflict
B. Any concerns regarding meeting times and places, let him know
C. MED BALL: exec board needs to deliver to faculty; email to set up a meeting time/place if you cannot get a hold of a professor
D. MED BALL: Saturday, 11/15/08 at the Bull and Bear Club, 901 E. Cary St, 21st floor, 7pm
IV. Treasurer (Ashton Goldman)
A. Difficult to write checks to people who need money for activities, since we have a lack of funding right now
B. Lack of interest in the class photo is leading to deficit in funds
C. We need to broaden fundraising, so others in the hospital, in other years, will be apt to purchase MCV material; we need to make our merchandise amenable to all groups, not just M1s
V. Curriculum Reps (Nijhu Bhowmik, Nana Ohene-Baah, Kate Zedler)
A. Kate: Genetics and Biochem grades were finalized on Friday 10/24/08, and posted on Tuesday 10/28/08
B. Meeting with Dr. Masho went well
C. Course review for Genetics being held on Friday 10/31/08, for Biochem being held on Monday 11/03/08
D. Nijhu: meeting on Friday 10/31/08 with Angie Wetzel to get more information on electives
E. USMLE-type test at the end of this year is being met with skepticism, because in M1 year, we have no idea about the structure of USMLE questions, and the level of integration needed to answer these questions; We do not yet have the knowledge base; Also, professors will not write or not know how to write questions for us in specific courses at this time; Recommended that we look individually at USMLE questions/reviews that are readily available; Joyce: www.examninja.com is a good site
F. Nana: Electives will be decided via a lottery-based system, with the deadline being in early December; there is a lack of physicians who are available/willing to hold electives; M1 electives are P/F; not many are aware of how electives work
VI. Community Service (Kate DiPasquale)
A. Kate Zedler: Working with Kate D on community service; big activities like Habitat for Humanity will start being available on 12/06/08, but ongoing throughout the winter
B. Looking into food banks as well
C. Caritas: memorial garden being built for deceased members of the Richmond CARITAS community; Saturday 11/08/08 from 9am-4pm at 1532 High St.; great community service opportunity for anyone interested
D. Kate D: a lot of people attended the community service brainstorming meeting
E. In contact with Katie from The Well; workshops can be done to train for service in senior centers, to work in the community; 1-to-1 wellness and counseling is what we want
VII. Wellness Committee (Beth Morehouse)
A. Supporting Kate with community service
B. Trying to develop once/month or once/year projects, leaving behind a legacy for our class
C. Valentine’s Day event is being brainstormed: different projects on different floors of the hospital so everyone can get involved
D. Let Beth know if you have ideas
VIII. WIMSO (Mai Grant)
A. WIMSO week was 10/27/08 to 10/31/08
B. Lunch lectures were held every day; Mon. 10/27/08 was about stress, 10/28/08 was about breast feeding (with free Sticky Rice), Thursday 10/30/08 Dean Strauss spoke
C. All were held in Sanger 3-016
IX. Honor Council Reps (Charley Nottingham, Luke Sponholz)
A. Honor training underway
B. Reps are limited in their duties; they function more in appeals than anything else
C. Charley is helping Kate D. with community service
D. Luke: two duties for honor reps; first is to serve on the council when someone challenges a charge; second is to act as an advisor
X. SGA Reps (Craig Anthony)
A. SGA is holding free pizza days: 12/03/08 (Hunton) and 12/04/08 (Tompkins-McCaw Library) from 12-1pm
B. Halloween Party was Thursday 10/30/08 at Blackfinn, from 8pm-12pm
C. SGA Food bank drive: bags are in the front of the room for donations
1) Best to donate canned protein, veggies, or fruit
2) Try not to donate anything high in sugar or salt, e.g. Ramen
3) If we win: pizza party for the class
D. Health Fair Committee meeting the week of 11/03/08 to determine a date
XI. Historian (Parth Modi)
A. MCV 2012 Blog: http://mcv2012.blogspot.com; contact Parth to become an author and contribute
B. Photo album: most importantly, give pics to Parth so he can put them in a central photo album on the site
XII. Webmaster (Michael Joyce)
A. Developing a template for student organizations to quickly put their information in a webpage; good idea to have a central database
B. Survival guides: trying to turn them into accessible Wiki’s
C. Possibly looking into changing the Eboard organization
D. Lab videos: still a streaming option now, which can be frustrating; Idea was pitched to put them onto a CD for next time to distribute
10/27/08 3-4pm, Sanger 1-038
In attendance: Andrew Junkin, Charley Nottingham, Nana Ohene-Baah, Kate Zedler, Parth Modi, Nijhu Bhowmik, Craig Anthony, Michael Joyce, Beth Morehouse, Luke Sponholz, Sarah Shafer, Ran Lee, Ashton Goldman, Kate DiPasquale, Mai Grant
Not present: JT Stranix, Maravet Baig, Alex Janovski, Steve Spivey, Travis Wilson, Neha Chande, Aditi Hendi
Agenda
I. President (Andrew Junkin)
A. Looking for volunteer opportunities with local senior centers, focusing on blood pressure and blood glucose screenings
B. Conrad Center, sponsored by the MSG, is a good monthly venue for BP screenings
C. Halloween Pumpkin Carving was well pitched and generated interest, but turnout was low; only 5 people in attendance, but there were other things going on like HOMBRE ropes course
II. Vice-Presidents (Sarah Shafer and JT Stranix)
A. JT delivered his messages by phone; M2s backed out of a joint Halloween party
B. Nothing official will be planned for Halloween
C. T-shirt orders are being worked on
D. Class pictures are selling slowly
E. Upcoming event: Saturday, 11/08/08, Bandito’s @ 8pm: Mixer with D1s
F. Upcoming event: Sunday, 11/09/08, Byrd Park, 12pm: Powder Puff game vs. M2 girls
1) Spirit award and Trophy for the winning team
2) Hopefully it can be a yearly event
3) As of the meeting, 13 girls were signed up for M1 team, with Ashton, Charley, and a few others cheerleading
G. Sarah is in contact with Nursing school students (3rd and 4th year undergrads) for an event
III. Secretary (Ran Lee)
A. Sorry for the delay getting into the room; unsure why there was a scheduling conflict
B. Any concerns regarding meeting times and places, let him know
C. MED BALL: exec board needs to deliver to faculty; email to set up a meeting time/place if you cannot get a hold of a professor
D. MED BALL: Saturday, 11/15/08 at the Bull and Bear Club, 901 E. Cary St, 21st floor, 7pm
IV. Treasurer (Ashton Goldman)
A. Difficult to write checks to people who need money for activities, since we have a lack of funding right now
B. Lack of interest in the class photo is leading to deficit in funds
C. We need to broaden fundraising, so others in the hospital, in other years, will be apt to purchase MCV material; we need to make our merchandise amenable to all groups, not just M1s
V. Curriculum Reps (Nijhu Bhowmik, Nana Ohene-Baah, Kate Zedler)
A. Kate: Genetics and Biochem grades were finalized on Friday 10/24/08, and posted on Tuesday 10/28/08
B. Meeting with Dr. Masho went well
C. Course review for Genetics being held on Friday 10/31/08, for Biochem being held on Monday 11/03/08
D. Nijhu: meeting on Friday 10/31/08 with Angie Wetzel to get more information on electives
E. USMLE-type test at the end of this year is being met with skepticism, because in M1 year, we have no idea about the structure of USMLE questions, and the level of integration needed to answer these questions; We do not yet have the knowledge base; Also, professors will not write or not know how to write questions for us in specific courses at this time; Recommended that we look individually at USMLE questions/reviews that are readily available; Joyce: www.examninja.com is a good site
F. Nana: Electives will be decided via a lottery-based system, with the deadline being in early December; there is a lack of physicians who are available/willing to hold electives; M1 electives are P/F; not many are aware of how electives work
VI. Community Service (Kate DiPasquale)
A. Kate Zedler: Working with Kate D on community service; big activities like Habitat for Humanity will start being available on 12/06/08, but ongoing throughout the winter
B. Looking into food banks as well
C. Caritas: memorial garden being built for deceased members of the Richmond CARITAS community; Saturday 11/08/08 from 9am-4pm at 1532 High St.; great community service opportunity for anyone interested
D. Kate D: a lot of people attended the community service brainstorming meeting
E. In contact with Katie from The Well; workshops can be done to train for service in senior centers, to work in the community; 1-to-1 wellness and counseling is what we want
VII. Wellness Committee (Beth Morehouse)
A. Supporting Kate with community service
B. Trying to develop once/month or once/year projects, leaving behind a legacy for our class
C. Valentine’s Day event is being brainstormed: different projects on different floors of the hospital so everyone can get involved
D. Let Beth know if you have ideas
VIII. WIMSO (Mai Grant)
A. WIMSO week was 10/27/08 to 10/31/08
B. Lunch lectures were held every day; Mon. 10/27/08 was about stress, 10/28/08 was about breast feeding (with free Sticky Rice), Thursday 10/30/08 Dean Strauss spoke
C. All were held in Sanger 3-016
IX. Honor Council Reps (Charley Nottingham, Luke Sponholz)
A. Honor training underway
B. Reps are limited in their duties; they function more in appeals than anything else
C. Charley is helping Kate D. with community service
D. Luke: two duties for honor reps; first is to serve on the council when someone challenges a charge; second is to act as an advisor
X. SGA Reps (Craig Anthony)
A. SGA is holding free pizza days: 12/03/08 (Hunton) and 12/04/08 (Tompkins-McCaw Library) from 12-1pm
B. Halloween Party was Thursday 10/30/08 at Blackfinn, from 8pm-12pm
C. SGA Food bank drive: bags are in the front of the room for donations
1) Best to donate canned protein, veggies, or fruit
2) Try not to donate anything high in sugar or salt, e.g. Ramen
3) If we win: pizza party for the class
D. Health Fair Committee meeting the week of 11/03/08 to determine a date
XI. Historian (Parth Modi)
A. MCV 2012 Blog: http://mcv2012.blogspot.com; contact Parth to become an author and contribute
B. Photo album: most importantly, give pics to Parth so he can put them in a central photo album on the site
XII. Webmaster (Michael Joyce)
A. Developing a template for student organizations to quickly put their information in a webpage; good idea to have a central database
B. Survival guides: trying to turn them into accessible Wiki’s
C. Possibly looking into changing the Eboard organization
D. Lab videos: still a streaming option now, which can be frustrating; Idea was pitched to put them onto a CD for next time to distribute
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Presidential Candidate’s Health IT Platforms
The Presidential Candidate’s Health IT PlatformsBoth presidential candidates acknowledge the serious problems in this nation’s health care system and promise to address them. Health IT needs to be a central focus in any plan to reshape this country’s health care system. Any health care ‘fix’ that does not utilize health IT will not adequately prepare us for the future. Both candidates invoke the importance of health IT to reduce health care costs and provide quality health care, but how are they different?
According to a side-by-side analysis of the two candidates’ health care reform positions posted by the Kaiser Family Foundation on its Web site in July 2008, both Barack Obama and John McCain support the expansion of health IT, but their plans differ somewhat in emphasis and detail.
John McCain promotes using health IT to allow doctors to practice across state lines, to better control chronic diseases, and to serve as a tool for telemedicine. He focuses on using health IT to improve quality of care. Senator McCain’s plan, as yet, includes no specifics, timelines or cost estimates.
Barack Obama states on his website, "Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes them difficult to use to coordinate care, measure quality, or reduce medical errors." His focus is on using health IT to contain costs as well as to promote quality measures. He also lays out a plan to implement a national health IT plan in 5 years, spending $10 billion/year.
Our next president will need to be an unflagging supporter of health IT as a critical tool for instituting reform of our health care system. It is urgent that the spiraling costs of medical care be brought under control. Although their approaches differ somewhat, both candidates acknowledge that health IT is a critical part of the health care reform effort.
By: Hannah Rose
Originially written for the Ambulatory Health Information Technology work group of HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) monthly newsletter.
According to a side-by-side analysis of the two candidates’ health care reform positions posted by the Kaiser Family Foundation on its Web site in July 2008, both Barack Obama and John McCain support the expansion of health IT, but their plans differ somewhat in emphasis and detail.
John McCain promotes using health IT to allow doctors to practice across state lines, to better control chronic diseases, and to serve as a tool for telemedicine. He focuses on using health IT to improve quality of care. Senator McCain’s plan, as yet, includes no specifics, timelines or cost estimates.
Barack Obama states on his website, "Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes them difficult to use to coordinate care, measure quality, or reduce medical errors." His focus is on using health IT to contain costs as well as to promote quality measures. He also lays out a plan to implement a national health IT plan in 5 years, spending $10 billion/year.
Our next president will need to be an unflagging supporter of health IT as a critical tool for instituting reform of our health care system. It is urgent that the spiraling costs of medical care be brought under control. Although their approaches differ somewhat, both candidates acknowledge that health IT is a critical part of the health care reform effort.
By: Hannah Rose
Originially written for the Ambulatory Health Information Technology work group of HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) monthly newsletter.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
What will anatomy be like?
Nervous about your reaction to the body?
Worried about keeping up with all the studying?
Have you bought all your supplies?
Do you like your group?
Think it will be the best time of your life?
Hoping to get the first cut?
Hoping to never have to dissect?
Please share your thoughts and/or rhetorical questions.
To leave your response, just click on the link below the post that says: # comments
Certain ones will be posted on the main page.
Worried about keeping up with all the studying?
Have you bought all your supplies?
Do you like your group?
Think it will be the best time of your life?
Hoping to get the first cut?
Hoping to never have to dissect?
Please share your thoughts and/or rhetorical questions.
To leave your response, just click on the link below the post that says: # comments
Certain ones will be posted on the main page.
I need Pictures!
If you have pictures that you think should go into our class album then please pass them on.
-- You can e-mail them (parthcmodi@gmail.com)
-- You can upload them to our web album directly (see below)
-- You can give them to me on a CD/Thumb drive
How to upload to our class picture album:
1. Go to picasaweb.google.com
2. Login: mcv2012album pw: class2012
3. Upload pics
<--- You can designate which pics will show up on the slideshow.
The more people that upload pictures, the more representative the album will be of our class.
Thanks!
-- You can e-mail them (parthcmodi@gmail.com)
-- You can upload them to our web album directly (see below)
-- You can give them to me on a CD/Thumb drive
How to upload to our class picture album:
1. Go to picasaweb.google.com
2. Login: mcv2012album pw: class2012
3. Upload pics
<--- You can designate which pics will show up on the slideshow.
The more people that upload pictures, the more representative the album will be of our class.
Thanks!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Egyptian vending machine – 2; Stranix – Goose Egg
It’s 10:30 on Monday morning in the Egyptian Building. You’ve managed to make it through the first two and a half hours of class without falling into the sweet arms of sleep and have managed to fit a surprising amount of borderline legible notes among your collage of doodles in the margins of your syllabus. You can’t keep your eyes open for much longer, though, and have already caught your head mid-nod twice only to awkwardly jerk yourself back awake and creep out your neighbors. In an effort to stave off a third lapse of consciousness (also because your neighbor has just noticeably shifted as far away from you as their chair allows and you want to get out of there before things get too weird) you walk up the incline to the lobby to grab a Pepsi. It’s one of those new looking machines with the giant hand-sized buttons you can punch that makes you feel like this soda is going to taste better than the ones that come out of the older, inferior Pepsi machines with the buttons that only fit a few finger tips. You put in your dollar and dig up a quarter from your pocket (good thing you wore the same pants from yesterday) and try to decide which of the two diet Pepsi buttons will give you the better beverage. After some mental coin-flipping, you give a right-hook to the left button and two seconds later your 20oz’s of academic fuel drops into view. Man this is going to be one of those sodas that produces the completely satisfied AHHH… after that first delicious sip... What!? Hold the phone… This bottle feels like it’s just come out of the devil’s own oven. When did we start microwaving cola around here? This is a farce wrapped in lies and deceit and surrounded by conundrums of all shapes and sizes. You refuse to trust your sense of touch and take that first sip anyways only to have the most unsatisfying mouthful of warm soda in your entire life. You force yourself to swallow so no one else in the lobby will see you make a scene and then discretely check the machine… yep… it’s definitely on. As your confusion slowly fades to frustration you drag yourself back to your seat with a plastic bottle filled with hot soda and pure disappointment. You sit through the rest of class, but you’re not listening. Oh no sir’ee… you’re thinking about the best ways to get back at a vending machine….
Two weeks later you try it again thinking “There’s no gosh darn way in heck this thing can’t be fixed yet…”
Scoreboard: Egyptian vending machine – 2; Stranix – Goose Egg
Two weeks later you try it again thinking “There’s no gosh darn way in heck this thing can’t be fixed yet…”
Scoreboard: Egyptian vending machine – 2; Stranix – Goose Egg
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
BLOG Entry by Pooya
Hello everybody. I wanted to write about Monday's Exams.
Having tests especially on Monday can't ever really be fun. Neither can the weekend before the test. But playing soccer, going to the botanical garden, going on picnics in great weather, and getting drunk with friends after the test can be! Everyone I talked to said their rest of the day was a complete DAZE and really fun. So that's good.
I thought the exam was straight hard. Not unfair or anything, just hard. By the way, do you all realize it's been about two MONTHS you've been living in your new apartment/house/with your new roommate/living your new life as a student of medicine? u've already digested ~80 entire lectures worth of material. 10 months to the school year, 2 of em are already done. try to savior what you can.
BTW, we have an anatomy exam on ELECTION DAY???? how, whyyy?
haha alright yall, PEACE
Having tests especially on Monday can't ever really be fun. Neither can the weekend before the test. But playing soccer, going to the botanical garden, going on picnics in great weather, and getting drunk with friends after the test can be! Everyone I talked to said their rest of the day was a complete DAZE and really fun. So that's good.
I thought the exam was straight hard. Not unfair or anything, just hard. By the way, do you all realize it's been about two MONTHS you've been living in your new apartment/house/with your new roommate/living your new life as a student of medicine? u've already digested ~80 entire lectures worth of material. 10 months to the school year, 2 of em are already done. try to savior what you can.
BTW, we have an anatomy exam on ELECTION DAY???? how, whyyy?
haha alright yall, PEACE
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Community Service Brainstorm
Written by Kate DiPasquale:
On Thursday, September 25th, Parth Modi, Charley Nottingham, Andrew Junkin and Mai Grant came over to my place to eat chili and brainstorm about ways in which the class of 2012 can get involved in the Richmond community. While it stormed outside, we sat on the carpet of my living room/bedroom/ office/ dining room, and fired off ideas for projects that we imagined primarily being useful in the Greater Richmond area,but that also speaks to the part of us that led us to study medicinein the first place. We talked about looking for ways to join the social support network that already exists in Richmond. We thought hard about ways in which medical students can and cannot contribute in
a realistic manner.
We had some interesting ideas - some of which were not quite feasible, i.e. lending a hand to harvest olives and donate the oil - that would be Mai's, yes she's from California. Others were easy to imagine - holding several events thoughout the year, coat or food drives, that we could organize and contribute to as a class over a relatively short period of time. We talked about being a resource to connect students to service and volunteer agencies on an individual basis. Yet the idea that inspired us was that of having one or more long-term projects that we could work on during our time in Richmond, and pass on to the incoming class when we leave.
We divvied up the project scouting, ate some ice cream, and returned to studying feeling like we had come to the best place in the world to be studying medicine. Then we looked at Beckman's syllabus, which really appears to have been cut and pasted out of five different textbooks, and...no, wait, this was just me.
Anyhow, I DO feel inspired, and really excited to continue working with a group of such engaged, perceptive, intelligent, neat people, and seeing what happens as more people get involved. Actually, the studying feels positively peripheral at this point. But, as the body must continue to send beta-hydroxybutyrate to the peripheral tissue so that fatty acid metabolism can provide energy in the absence of incoming glucose, I trudge on.
Looking Forward,
Kate DiPasquale, Community Service Chair
On Thursday, September 25th, Parth Modi, Charley Nottingham, Andrew Junkin and Mai Grant came over to my place to eat chili and brainstorm about ways in which the class of 2012 can get involved in the Richmond community. While it stormed outside, we sat on the carpet of my living room/bedroom/ office/ dining room, and fired off ideas for projects that we imagined primarily being useful in the Greater Richmond area,but that also speaks to the part of us that led us to study medicinein the first place. We talked about looking for ways to join the social support network that already exists in Richmond. We thought hard about ways in which medical students can and cannot contribute in
a realistic manner.
We had some interesting ideas - some of which were not quite feasible, i.e. lending a hand to harvest olives and donate the oil - that would be Mai's, yes she's from California. Others were easy to imagine - holding several events thoughout the year, coat or food drives, that we could organize and contribute to as a class over a relatively short period of time. We talked about being a resource to connect students to service and volunteer agencies on an individual basis. Yet the idea that inspired us was that of having one or more long-term projects that we could work on during our time in Richmond, and pass on to the incoming class when we leave.
We divvied up the project scouting, ate some ice cream, and returned to studying feeling like we had come to the best place in the world to be studying medicine. Then we looked at Beckman's syllabus, which really appears to have been cut and pasted out of five different textbooks, and...no, wait, this was just me.
Anyhow, I DO feel inspired, and really excited to continue working with a group of such engaged, perceptive, intelligent, neat people, and seeing what happens as more people get involved. Actually, the studying feels positively peripheral at this point. But, as the body must continue to send beta-hydroxybutyrate to the peripheral tissue so that fatty acid metabolism can provide energy in the absence of incoming glucose, I trudge on.
Looking Forward,
Kate DiPasquale, Community Service Chair
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