Magis Clinic: Breaking News

Volume XI, Number 1
Fall 2007
Magis Clinic: Breaking News
By Maggie Skrypek
B
some time. As many of our volunteers
ack in 2004, a pioneering
can attest to, current clinic space at the
group of medical students,
Siena Francis House has seemed
who will be forever
somewhat inadequate for the number of
venerated, had a dream. The
patients we are seeing, and has impeded
dream that was the Magis Clinic was
our ability to provide improved care.
simply a vision to provide quality
With a providential donation from Peter
healthcare, at no cost, to Omaha
(Rocky) Snawerdt, a native Nebraskan who is the primary
residents who were homeless or uninsured. At its onset,
donor and director of the
Magis Clinic services consisted
Remember to Share Foundation,
primarily of the Saturday acute
this coveted new clinic space is
care clinic. Little did these
finally a reality. Construction
pioneers know that only a few
plans have already been finalized,
years down the road, Magis Clinic
and entail expanding the clinic
services would expand to include
nearly fifty percent. The clinic
mental health care, STD clinics,
will grow from having only 2
and Diabetes education classes.
exam rooms to now having 4
Moreover, I am sure they never
exam rooms, with one room
imagined that the clinic would
acting as both laboratory and
stand as a defining feature of the
procedure room. Because of this,
Creighton University School of
during construction, the Saturday
Medicine, and that in such a short
acute care clinic will be held in an
time, their venture was going to
on-site trailer. We expect
start breaking down walls,
construction to be complete
literally. This fall, the Magis
Although cramped in the tight atrium of the
within a few short months,
Clinic is expecting to begin
construction at the Siena Francis Magis Clinic, M4 Jason Beste (Asst. STD Clinic however, and hope to open the
House on a clinic expansion Manager) instruct M2’s Lisa Harper and Mei Li new clinic doors in time for
project.
Kwong on how to take an in-depth patient history second semester. We are very
excited about what this expansion
With the continued success of
at the STD Clinic.
means for the future of the Magis
the Magis Clinic, and expansion
Clinic,
and
are
forever
grateful to Mr. Snawerdt’s
of services, a larger and more modern clinic space has
generous
donation.
■
been a twinkle in the eye of Magis Clinic officers for
2
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Superior Rotations:
A Month in Superior, NE
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Editors in Chief:
Eric Peeples
Patrick Allison
This Issue’s Writers:
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Marcia Cusic
Linda Pappas
Andrew E. Kummer
Brian Nagao
Maggie Skrypek
Sarah DeMoor
Eric Peeples
Patrick Allison
Liz Hurd
J. J. Schumacher
Zach Torgersen
By Sarah DeMoor
O
ne of my goals before graduating from med school has been to write
an article for the Wellness Chronicle, so I have decided to share with
you some of my experiences from spending a month in Smalltown,
NE. I am currently writing this during the last few days of my rural
family practice rotation in Superior, a small town southwest of Omaha, mere
miles from the Kansas state line. Early on in the month, I realized that I had
already learned more about medicine than in my first two years of medical
school combined. Here are a few highlights, pearls, and humorous stories to
illustrate those lessons.
After the first day, my
preceptor, Dr. Tim Blecha,
asked me to start dictating on
the patients that I saw,
including any H & Ps on
patients admitted to the
hospital. My first few H & P
dictations averaged 20-30
minutes each, and went
something like this: “85 year
old female…I mean,
Caucasian female…here for
An artist’s rendition of Main Street in the
abdominal pain…um…for 3
flourishing town of Superior, Nebraska.
days…uh…no nausea or
vomiting…mostly in RLQ…um…heart regularrateandrhythm, lungs
cleartoauscultationbilaterally…” Anyway, you get the idea. I’m happy to report
that I have greatly improved my dictating skills and that practice really does
make perfect (or at least in my case, practice makes it not so horrendous)!
Right away, Dr. Blecha had me see patients on my own, and I would then present their chief complaint, HPI, and
physical exam to him. He taught me how to hone my physical exam skills and get into a routine so as not to miss
anything. Fortunately, for the first few days he made sure to double-check
all my physical findings. You know how, during the first two years of
med school, you repeatedly learn about carotid bruits but have never
actually heard any? Well, it was no different for me, and since I had very
little practice with them, I figured no sound at all was a good sign. It was
about my third day at the clinic before I realized that I had to turn and
click the head of the stethoscope in order to auscultate with the bell,
otherwise you won’t hear a thing, even if their carotids were 90%
stenosed! These poor patients might have been knocking on death’s door,
and my SOAP note would have read, “negative carotid bruits bilaterally.”
The highlight of my time in Superior was delivering four babies in the
span of about a week, including scrubbing in for my first C-section. I’ve
received different pieces of advice regarding how to actually pull a baby
In the immortal words of Dr. Al Fleming, out, including “just catch and cradle it like a football,” and “hold the head
“catch it like a football, but don’t spike the like a basketball.” I’m not sure where all the sports analogies come from,
baby!”
(Continued on page 7)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
I
By Zach Torgersen
FALL 2007
3
Orthopedic Surgery
noon or 1:00 pm. He then transitions to a clinical setting
f you’ve ever attended a Creighton men’s soccer or
where he takes appointments until 4:30 or 5:00 pm.
women’s basketball game, you probably have seen
Depending on the day, Dr. O’Malley either
the subject of this issue’s Spotlight on a
returns to the hospital for more rounds or
Specialty. The figure at the end of the
attends a game for one of the teams he
team bench intently watching the Jays is
assists.
orthopaedic surgeon Dr. T. Kevin O’Malley.
As with any medical field, there are
Dr. O’Malley primarily practices at GIKK
positives and negatives associated with
Ortho Specialists, a group comprised of
orthopaedics. Dr. O’Malley considers
orthopaedic surgeons who are specialists in
interacting with generally healthy, motivated
given areas in the practice of orthopaedic
patients as one of the benefits of his job. The
surgery. Along with a busy private practice,
majority of his patients are willing to work in
he finds time to work with athletes from
order to regain their prior activity level and
Creighton and local high schools including
do not need him to provide an incentive. The
Marion, Duchesne, and Creighton Prep. A
relatively low number of patients suffering
graduate of the University of Tennessee
from an incurable chronic disease is also a
Center for Health Sciences, Dr. O’Malley
Dr. T. Kevin O’Malley
benefit. He mentioned working with patients
completed his residency at the joint
from an extremely wide range of age and fracture
Creighton and UNMC program before spending a year at
management as additionally appealing aspects of ortho.
the University of Texas at Houston for his Sports
For Dr. O’Malley, the major drawback to orthopaedics is
Medicine Fellowship. During that time he worked as one
in part associated with patients
of the team physicians for the Rice University Owls.
that have unrealistic expectations
Although he specializes in the knee, Dr. O’Malley serves
for treatment or recovery, and it
as a general orthopaedic consult for all Creighton athletic
can be difficult to convince them
teams.
to create realistic goals for the
Dr. O’Malley became intrigued by orthopaedics at a
management of their affliction.
young age. His mother’s career as an orthopaedic nurse
It is well documented that
provided constant exposure, but he recalls that two
ortho residency is extremely
specific instances helped convince him to pursue this
competitive; however, Dr.
profession. As a child, Dr. O’Malley suffered from
O’Malley is generous with
Osgood-Schlatter’s Syndrome (a common adolescent
advice for those considering a
over-use injury), and his family enlisted the assistance of
career in this specialty. First and
an orthopaedic surgeon to resolve the problem. Later, he
foremost, he stressed the Know your anatomy:
witnessed the same surgeon restore function to his
i mp o r t a n c e o f b e c o mi n g
mother’s hand by relieving
the hip bone’s
extremely comfortable with connected to the leg
a compressed nerve.
anatomy. Additionally, it is
For Dr. O’Malley, a
bone...
a d v an t a g eo u s to b ec o me
typical day begins by
involved with research, hopefully to the point of being
arriving at the hospital
published. While research in orthopaedics is helpful, any
between 6:00 and 6:30 am.
research in general is impressive as it demonstrates
In the time between his
commitment and detailed knowledge of a subject area.
arrival and his first
Finally, Dr. O’Malley mentioned volunteer work as very
surgery, Dr. O’Malley
important. Although medical school students are
The typical surgical tools of makes his rounds, visits
extremely busy, prioritizing a commitment to others
w
i
t
h
p
a
t
i
e
n
t
s
,
a
n
d
an orthopaedic surgeon.
demonstrates an individual’s character and will enhance a
completes any necessary
residency application.
■
paperwork. Surgeries begin at 7 and typically run until
4
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
It’s Nagao’s World
By Brian Nagao
F
or us M4s, residency application is in full swing;
therefore, when doing our CVs and personal
statements, MSPEs with Dr. Kavan, and
program interviews, we must set aside our
morbid insecurities and outwardly portray confidence and
capability. As for myself, I bolstered my CV with
“Wellness Chronicle columnist,” however I am a little
uneasy about program directors following up on it. If so,
they might wonder how such an inane, self-deprecating
troglodyte managed to keep his column, let alone his spot
in med school. Areas of concern may include my M1
method of taking blood pressures, i.e. auscultating with
the chestpiece of another person’s stethoscope. Such
measurements tend to fall in the range of 0/0 and are
conspicuously erroneous.
Just as troubling was my
presumptive diagnosis of
intrauterine fetal demise
which was later diagnosed as
ultrasounding without
transmission gel. Hopefully,
“So, you write for the
such incidents will merely
Wellness Chronicle? I
think that’s all we need to demonstrate that I am
completely open, brutally
know.”
"During lecture last year, I talked about my dream job
when I retire, and that's being a Wal-Mart greeter, and I
said a few other things..."
In actuality, that October day one
year ago, Dr. Barone coined the Quote of
the Year as chosen by you, the medical
students. To illustrate the dangers of poor
ethical decision-making, he compared
losing one's license to forced early
retirement, and then, he added:
"That's what I want to do as a... when
I retire though. That's my dream job:
working as a greeter at Wal-Mart. 'Come
here, you son of a b****. Gimme that
cart.' For twelve dollars an hour!"
Congratulations, Dr. Barone, and
thank you! Thanks also to those who
Dr. Barone, receiving his prize
voted. For the short list of
from the WC’s very own aberrant recent Aberrant Auscultations, see page
auscultator, Patrick Allison.
11.
■
Quote of the Year
T
By Patrick Allison
he small group room was
milling with first years when I
walked in, masking my
entrance with the golden
bauble in hand. I'm not sure if he noticed
me until I was right beside him, and then
he looked up. "Oh look, it's the bull****
award." The students quickly took notice
of the occurrence impressed upon them.
I asked if someone could take a picture,
and Aileen Macatangay (M1) obliged
me.
While I was leaving the room to head
back to class, one of the students asked
Dr. Barone what was going on, and
in admirable modesty he replied,
honest, and utterly human.
Even prior to medical
school, I had contemplated a
career in psychiatry. Early on
in my M1 year, however, I
became interested in
pathology. Hence, throughout
my M1 and M3 years, I was a
psych-or-path. Finally, after
some soul-searching and talks
with faculty and other
students, I have chosen to It’s just like the AMA,
pursue pathology. Granted, except run by a movie
star.
I’ll give up the histrionic
psych patients’ catcalls, but seeing as I get so many
anyway, it’s not much of a loss. When choosing your
field of practice, the bottom lines are: choose something
you can envision doing for a lifetime, work hard in those
areas to solidify your decision and make the right
connections, and finally, strengthen that CV. Some signs
of a weak CV may include: your only professional
affiliation is the NRA, or your only medical school
awards/distinctions are token Hawaiian student and
highest peak inspiratory flow rate on PFTs.
■
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
5
SNAPSHOTS
By Andrew E. Kummer
I
t is 6:00 on a Saturday morning as I walk into the
Intensive Care Unit at Creighton University Medical
Center. The sleep is mostly out of my system by
now, but I'm still thankful that I had time to grab the
ever-important cup of coffee on my way in. While driving
to the hospital, I was able to reflect on my first week in
the ICU and how much I had already learned. It can be an
intimidating place, with ventilators, arterial lines, central
lines, hemodynamic monitoring, and even the occasional
intracerebral pressure monitor. I guess there’s a reason
it’s called the Intensive Care Unit, because it can seem
beyond intense at times. I’d only worked five days in
there, and I’d already seen a few more deaths than I’d
wished to have witnessed.
But beyond all this, as I take in a rare moment of calm
in the ICU, I think about my patient, "Patrick". Patrick
was a teenager who had come to the ICU a few days
earlier after a motor vehicle accident had propelled his car
into a nearby lake in the middle of the
night. Miraculously, the
crash was heard by a man
who happened to be awake
working on his car at the
late hour. Perhaps even
more incredibly, this was a
man who was certified to
deliver cardiopulmonary
resuscitation. Despite
being underwater for
almost five minutes and
nearly drowning, Patrick
received CPR on the scene
and made it to the hospital
alive, more or less. He was
diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome,
however, and had been intubated and ventilated since
arriving.
It had been a gut-wrenching few days for his family,
wondering if he would ever awake; and if he did, would
he be the same? No one, including the medical staff, had
any clue how extensive any neurological deficit he might
have would be. He had been off of all sedating drugs for
more than 48 hours, and doubts were beginning to grow
thick. I had come to care a great deal about Patrick and
his family and had spent much of my free time talking
with them, learning about Patrick, and just being there for
them. They told me he was stubborn and that he was a
fighter, and he wouldn’t let
something like this take him. I
could only hope they were right.
As I stroll by Patrick's room, I take a peek in, simply
to make sure he's still there; nothing is taken for granted
when dealing with such sick patients. A sigh of relief
emits from my lips when I see him lying in his bed. After
reviewing the
chart
and
discussing the
events of the
previous night
with his nurse, I
walk to the
bedside
and
squeeze
his
hand, just as I
had so many
times. But this time is different. This time, Patrick has
opened his eyes. Despite my initial shock and immense
happiness, I hold my own. After conducting my exam and
checking his ventilator settings I leave the room quickly; I
am so overcome with emotion that I need to leave the
unit. As I compose myself, I realize I had never witnessed
anything so remarkable in my entire life.
Later that day, Patrick was extubated and was joking
around with family members; they said he was back to his
old self. There were so many tears flowing in his room
they could have made an ocean. As for me, I was floating
on air for the rest of the day...
The experience with Patrick had finally shown me
what I wanted to
do with my
medical degree.
Intensive care is
an
incredible
specialty for the
d i v e r s i ty
of
conditions that
are treated, the
intellectual
stimulation
it
necessitates, and It’s really easy to get caught up in this
the
emotional
part of medical school.
connections
it
precipitates. I think it’s easy to lose sight of what we’re
(Continued on page 13)
6
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
By Eric Peeples
H
FALL 2007
Med School Blues
people are sexually active, and then trying to look your
aving once again watched the naïve, cheerful
grandparents in the eyes at Christmas dinner, especially
smiles of the incoming M1s slowly be
while they’re playing footsy under the table.
replaced by the dull stare that seems to
overtake everyone after the first
Captivity- Let’s face it… we’re living in
few weeks of anatomy, I thought that it
Omaha in the middle of our prime. I should
would be helpful to get a few of the little
be spending this time in my life seducing
issues that we all face out on the table in
unsuspecting vacationers at a Sandals resort,
hopes that they will no longer have any
or traveling around the world with some
power over us. Last spring I gave some
senator’s daughter.
advice on how to deal with the blues (yeah,
Surgery rotation- Walking into the hospital
I know you didn’t read it. That’s why I’m
in the dark, never seeing a window all day,
telling you now) and, in doing so, I realized
and then walking out in the dark; I think
that it would be even more important to
that was Dante’s 4th circle of hell.
raise awareness of the triggers, in order to
better prevent the issue entirely (after all, we
Step 1- I can’t even say the words without
A glimpse of what could
have too much to do already without having
having
to go to my happy place afterwards.
to deal with our emotions). So here is an have been (and also my new
abridged list of the issues that you may or match.com profile picture). More unwanted knowledge- After a few
months of medical learning, you start
may not encounter in your four years at this
worrying
if
your
chapped lips are actually lepromatous
fine institution, based on my limited research on the
leprosy,
or
if
your
gas pains are Hereditary Nonpolyposis
subject (limited meaning that it consisted solely of
Colorectal Cancer (maybe because every professor that
probing the dark depths of the twisted mind of one
has taught us anything to do with the bowel is apparently
medical student, who would prefer to remain nameless):
mandated to mention Dr. Lynch and his research - if I
Student loans- For the same $200,000 that I’ll be
spent my life researching poo, I
repaying, I could have put 12 of my illegitimate children
think I’d be trying to block it out
through state universities (the other three don’t have the
of my mind).
grades for college anyways), I could have bought a
Trends– The last time that I was
different sports car for each day of the week, or I could
connected with the real world,
have reserved a coach
O.J. Simpson was on trial, and
ticket to space on Virgin
President Bush was leading a
G a l a c t i c ’ s
pointless war in the Middle East.
SpaceShipOne. I always
I wonder what I’ve missed in the
wanted to go to space.
last ten years.
Mediocrity- After being
Relationships- Something like
the “smart kid” for the
10% of romantic relationships Dr. Henry T. Lynch,
first sixteen years of
survive the first couple of years the reason I’m on an
your
educational
extreme fiber diet.
of medical school. As if
For non-medical people, this is experience, it is a little
successful
relationships
weren’t
adorable. For me, it’s just part disheartening to look
already a significant enough cause of the blues.
around the lecture hall
of my recurring nightmare.
to see 125 people that
What If…- Thinking about what my life would have been
are smarter than you (okay, 45 people that are smarter
like if I had only had the foresight to go to business
than you, because the other 80 stopped going to lecture at
school. I can’t even imagine what I would do with my
fall break of first year).
free time. It would be glorious. I could work on my
(Continued on page 7)
Unwanted knowledge- Learning that 50-75% of elderly
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
7
(Continued from page 6)
(Continued from page 2)
juggling skills, nun-chuck skills, bow hunting skills,
computer hacking skills...
but for those who have yet to witness the miracle of birth,
here is some of my own advice: please remember shoe
covers to protect from splashing, don’t take any verbal
abuse from the mother personally, and newborn babies
are really slippery, so be ready!
I hope you have enjoyed these few short stories about
my best month of medicine thus far. If you are
considering a rural family practice rotation I would highly
encourage it and I 110% recommend Superior, NE! The
great thing about being the only medical student for miles
around is that I got first dibs at all procedures, including
joint injections, suturing, skin lesion excisions, wart
removals and doing more pelvic, rectal, and breast exams
than I ever imagined possible! You’ve all heard it said
and it really is true, medical school gets better each year.
So hang in there, because the best is still to come!
■
Especially now that the weather has started to change, and
we’re probably in for about six months of that special
shade of gray that can just suck the happiness out of the
air, it is important to be aware of these triggers, and to
stay vigilant against the perils that come with possessing
the intelligence to be accepted into medical school (or, in
my case, having the luck to have my application stick to
Sigler’s application when they were throwing his into the
“accept” pile). In all seriousness, though, real depression
is a terrible condition, and you should never be too slow
to use SIGMECAPS on yourself. Now that all of these
issues are out in the open, we can all put them behind us
and enjoy the beginning of our medical careers, form
some great friendships, stay balanced, and continue
reading my articles.
■
Spotlight on Local Music
By J. J. Schumacher
T
The Good Life
Help Wanted Nights
Saddle Creek Records
he Good Life doesn’t make
any drastic changes on their
new album, Help Wanted Nights, which serves
as a solid follow-up to their tremendous 2004
release, Album of the Year. The album was originally
composed to serve as the soundtrack to his screenplay
that records "roughly a week in a bar in a small town,
where a stranger's car breaks down...
he fraternizes with the regulars,
getting too wrapped up in their sordid
lives," according to songwriter Tim
Kasher. His songwriting with The
Good Life has always revolved
around melancholic tales of
dissolving relationships and desperate
lovers, and Help Wanted Nights follows in that mold. The
quiet, folksy opening track concludes with a plea for his
lover to not leave, a sentiment echoed more strongly later
in “Some Tragedy” where Kasher sings “I need you so
badly / I mean right now / You’re all I have.”
The first track that stands out on the album is
“Heartbroke,” which also serves as the record’s initial
single. On top of a catchy bass riff, Kasher sarcastically
worries about his ex’s emotional state: “I can’t imagine
how hard it’s been / On second thought you don’t seem to
give a (expletive) / You claim the pain but where’s the
bruise / Yeah I’m sure your heart is breaking too.” Songs
in the middle of the album vary in their style but not
substance, ranging from the powerful yet dour “You
Don’t Feel Like Home to Me” to the upbeat, guitar-driven
“Keely Aimee.” Help Wanted Nights concludes
spectacularly. The penultimate track, “So Let Go,” is a
somber song featuring Kasher almost whispering his
lyrics over heavy reverb, which contrasts beautifully with
the final song. The beginning of “Rest Your Head” flows
well with the style of the album, as Kasher seeks stability
with a girl by imploring her repeatedly to rest her head
next to his. The song, however,
explodes with guitars and organs,
creating a brilliant sonic ending to the
album with this ten minute track.
Overall, Help Wanted Nights
demonstrates Kasher’s superb
songwriting skills and, though
p e rh ap s no t as i m me d ia t ely
enchanting as Album of the Year was, is surely worth the
listen.
Grade: B+
Note: The Good Life will be performing two
hometown shows in Omaha over the coming weeks:
September 24 at the Waiting Room with Outlaw Con
Banana & Thunder Power!!!, and October 13 at
Slowdown with Georgie James & Zookeeper.
■
8
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
WHERE DO YOU
STUDY?
By Linda Pappas
Academic Success Counselor
K
nowing good study locations might seem like
something that is already dealt with long
before students ever arrive at CUSOM.
Everybody knows where they like to study,
right? However, given the analogy of drinking from a fire
hydrant, which is a description of trying to learn the
volume of information in medical school, maybe it is time
for a rethink. Different locations work better for different
types of studying. For example, is it brand new material,
are you just reviewing information that is already in your
head, is it your favorite subject, is it just good oldfashioned rote memorization?
I have some questions that you can ask yourself about
your favorite location(s). Am I often interrupted by other
people or can I hear
other
people’s
conversations? Can I
often hear phones
ringing or hear stereos
or the television? Am I
reminded of things that
have little to do with
what I am studying?
Yes, the library. Just one of
Do I take too many
many great choices for all of breaks from my
your studying needs.
studying or do I tend to
spend time talking to others instead of studying? Do I
tend to daydream about things that have little to do with
the material I am studying? Do I tend to get involved with
things that have little to do with studying or do I spend a
lot time on my cell phone? Do I tend to be distracted by
people watching or spend my time looking out the
window or the door? Do I often find that the temperature,
ventilation, furniture or lighting is not helpful to my
studying? Do I often find that needed study materials are
elsewhere? Do I find that the internet or computer games
often distract me from the studying?
Location, location, location. It is not just a real estate
concept. If you answered yes to seven or more of these
situations you may want to consider shopping around for
an alternative location when you need to do the heavy
duty studying. Seven or more means that you are losing
valuable study time in a very time limited situation.
Happy studying in your best study location!
■
The Study Space Checklist
□ Am I often interrupted by other people or can I
hear other people’s conversations?
□ Can I often hear phones ringing or hear stereos or
the television?
□ Am I reminded of things that have little to do with
what I am studying?
□ Do I take too many breaks from my studying or do
I tend to spend time talking to others instead of
studying?
□ Do I tend to get involved with things that have little to do with studying or do I spend a lot time on my
cell phone?
□ Do I tend to be distracted by people watching or
spend my time looking out the window or the door?
□ Do I often find that the temperature, ventilation,
furniture or lighting is not helpful to my studying?
□ Do I often find that needed study materials are
elsewhere?
□ Do I find that the internet or computer games often
distract me from the studying?
Marcia Shadle-Cusic
If you could guarantee all Creighton medical students
pass their classes and be happy, but it meant kicking a
puppy, would you do it?
“I would nudge the puppy, and in a way that would actually
help the puppy find direction, leading to a more satisfying
life for the puppy. But a question back to students: ‘Does a
Pass guarantee happiness?’” (Reporter's note: No, but it
helps.)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Like
Vitamins For
By Marcia Cusic
CUSOM Chaplain
F
irst of all, welcome back to everyone, and
welcome to all our new students. I think you
will find your Creighton University School of
Medicine experience to not
only be intellectually challenging, but
also personally enriching if you take
advantage of activities outside of the
classroom.
Thus, for this first issue, I have
provided information on activities that
are available to you, and I encourage
you to consider attending. For those of
you with significant others, please feel
free to invite them as well. As always, if there is anything
I can do for you please let me know.
May God continue to bless your lives,
Marcia
The Link for these activities is:
http://www2.creighton.edu/medschool/medicine/admin/
chaplain/index.php
MINISTRY ACTIVITIES FOR THE SCHOOL OF
MEDICINE FOR 2007-2008
All faculty, staff and students are invited and welcome at
any of these Ministry events.
Fridays, Small Group
Room A - Living and
learning from the Gospel.
Join students for an in-depth
look at the Gospel readings
for the week. We will reflect
upon the message and what
it means for our daily lives.
Friday, September 21,
6:00-9:00, Lower Saint
John’s - “Strengthening the
Spirit” Evening Retreat, cosponsored by Campus
Ministry. PLEASE RSVP to mcusic@creighton.edu, as
dinner will be served.
9
Thursday, September Sept. 27, 12:00-1:00, Criss III
room 452 - Father Kevin Fitzgerald, from Georgetown,
talks on Bio Ethics Stem Cell Research. Lunch provided
by Medical Education.
Sunday, September 30, 8:30-10:30 - Mass at Mt.
Michael Benedictine Abby. Meet on the west side of the
Criss building to carpool out to the Abbey for Mass at
9:30, followed by donuts and coffee. All are invited,
especially students and staff who have been educated by
the Benedictines. PLEASE
RSVP to
mcusic@creighton.edu, so we can let the Monks know
how many to plan for.
Thursday, October 18, 7:00, Saint John’s Church on
campus - White Mass, Feast of Saint
Luke. Reception to follow in Lower
Saint John’s, co-sponsored by the
student and professional CMA groups.
Friday, October 26 11:30-1:00 Room
452 - Hold Your Breath Lunch
sponsored by Health Policies and Ethics.
See site for further information.
Mohammad Kochi is an elderly man
from Afghanistan, now living in
California, who has been diagnosed with a lifethreatening cancer. This documentary looks at the clash
between ancient Islamic traditions and contemporary
medical technology through the eyes of both the family
and the doctors. To see a brief clip, log on to this site:
http://medethicsfilms.stanford.edu/holdyourbreath/
December?, 12:00-1:00, Criss III room 452 - Talk on
the Advent Season; speaker to be determined.
January 11-12, Creighton’s Retreat Center, Griswold
Iowa - Weekend Retreat. Specifics to be announced at a
later date.
Friday, February 8, 5:30-10:00, Student Center Medical Marriages Retreat. Co-sponsored with Father
Larry Gillick, S.J.
Friday, February 22,
5:30-9:00,
Student
Center - ***Annual
Medical
School
Retreat*** Mass at 5:30.
Dinner at 6:00. The focus
will be on your calling to
medicine. Dr. Archana
Chatterjee will give the
presentation on her calling
to medicine and how she
continues to be called to
Dr. Archana Chatterjee
(Continued on page 13)
10 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
By Dr. Michael G. Kavan, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
I
wanted to welcome all of our new students to the
School of Medicine, and welcome back our upper
classmen and women. I hope you had a restful
summer, and are excited about the upcoming year.
As you progress through the year, and you encounter
increased demands of studying, exams, and possibly
personal/family issues, some of you may begin to feel a
little anxious or stressed out. Although some of this is
quite natural, too much is not a good thing. Here are my
thoughts for understanding, recognizing, and coping with
stress.
What is Stress?
As many of you know, especially those who were
psychology majors, stress has many definitions. Formally,
it is the lack of balance between demands placed upon a
person and the person’s resources for dealing with these
demands. For example, if you have a lot of material to
cover for an exam and have
limited time to complete your
study ing, y our demands
(reading) outweigh your
resources (time), and stress may
occur. Keep in mind it may
occur – since there are a host of
modifying factors that mitigate
the impact of stressors on your
mind and body. Bad stress, or
distress, occurs when we over-react to events. As a result,
this typically leads to the “fight or flight response.” Our
minds and bodies are preparing us to fight saber-toothed
tigers when they no longer exist. We simply overreact to
events as if they are life or death when, in fact, they are
not. This results in a complicated sympathetic nervous
system and endocrine
system response that
eventually results in the
secretion of epinephrine,
norepinephrine, ACTH,
glucagon, and cortisol.
Extended secretions may
result in significant
The secret to stress
psychologic
and
management: in one word,
physiologic problems.
goosfraba.
Signs and Symptoms of Stress
Signs and symptoms of stress include a variety of
psychologic (e.g., anger, frustration, sleep disturbance,
impatience), physiologic (e.g., headaches, neck/back pain,
fatigue), and behavioral (e.g., tardiness to school,
absenteeism) factors. If you experience these, take it as a
sign to take action.
Stress Management Techniques
A host of methods are available to each of us as we
Chris Holley
(Continued on page 13)
Who is the
snazziest dresser?
If you could be any superhero,
who would you be and why?
“You need look no further than my
Superman pajamas I got for my 5th
birthday. Name another superhero who
can dress that effeminate while
maintaining his masculinity, fly, turn
back time, and see through clothing (all
except silk...the only flaw).“
“Dr. Fritzsch. A little bit of
European sophistication,
and the most important of all
accessories--the
'stache. Who else can
compete with that? Sorry Dr.
Quinn… I do like the uterus
outfit though.”
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
11
Aberrant Auscultation
By Patrick Allison
M
edical education has returned to our lives, and so have the oddball turns of phrase
that make lecture that much sweeter. Here are the best bizarre burbles from the end
of the last year to the present, as experienced by the class of 2010. Please take
advantage of the accompanying citations to listen and enjoy the Podcasts.
“Heroin. Very bitter. Put a little on the tip of your tongue… Okay... I won’t go into what I know about cocaine.”
Dr. Nichols, enumerating the values of sense perception for the observant physician. April 24, Neuroscience:
L67 40:47.
“The Four Fs, right? Feeding, fighting, flight and sex. Okay? So that’s how you remember the limbic system.”
Dr. Bruce, adulterating the pneumonic for behaviors centered in limbic system processing. April 24,
Neuroscience: L68 0:06.
“And it shows by what you’ve learned in this course over seven weeks so far—
eight weeks now—it’s shown that you-you know everything about the brain
that’s supposed to function. I mean you can tell me what eighty-seven nerves are
involved in a knee-jerk response that when they hit you too hard—and just from
your previous lecture—you have pain, but you don’t like the pain, so you have a
frontal lobotomy, so you have the pain, but you don’t care about it. You can tell
me all of that.”
Dr. Adickes, complementing the 2010 class in a cryptic manner towards the end
of the Neuroscience module. May 1, Neuroscience: L78 16:09.
“And also this is not really what the Chamber of Commerce had in mind when they put those big O-exclamation-points
all over town. I’m pretty sure. Although it-it’s probably good to start out the week with, uh, a big O anyway.”
Dr. Gorby, relating the infamous faked orgasm performed by Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally to the Omaha
project and eventually to the difficulty in establishing a suitable comfort level to discuss a patient’s sexual
history with them. August 20, Infectious Disease: L17 7:19.
“There’s a very long differential diagnosis for these conditions. What it gets down to is I
by no means expect you to memorize this slide or even read it…”
Dr. Bittner, noting that the nineteen listed agents possible for causing
hemorrhagic fever have no specific distinctions in presentation worth
considering save that the key diagnostic clue is suspicion of terrorist attack.
A thousand blessings to Susan Moen for catching this jewel that I
overlooked. September 6, Infectious Disease: L52 44:11.
“And you see some of the treatments for genital infections. Again, ‘slash and burn’ is
what I call them.”
Dr. Chatterjee, correlating the treatment strategies for human papillomavirus
infections with the strategy for clearing woodlands for use in agriculture, a
peculiar metaphor. August 24, Infectious Disease: L34 21:35.
Please submit your vote for best Aberrant Auscultation to Patrick Allison at
michaelallison@creighton.edu. The winners from each issue will compete for best A.A. Serfs clearing condylomata?
of the year, and the professor will get a nifty prize. Find other auscultations that didn’t make this short list on the 2010
web page.
Any M1s out there want to capture gems from their professors? Please contact me if interested!
■
12 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Faculty Profile:
Dr. Robert Mackin
B
By Liz Hurd
y now most medical students know that Dr.
Robert Mackin, associate professor of
biomedical sciences, is the man to see for all
your secretory pathway, glucose metabolism,
and Krebs cycle needs. A lesser known fact is his
inspiration for becoming an expert in biochemistry and
his tie to greatness in the same field. As a Chemistry
major at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, Dr.
Mackin’s favorite subject was biochemistry, mostly, he
says, because of the teacher, John Tymoczko. If that name
doesn’t ring a bell, just take a look at your Biochemistry
textbook—or borrow someone’s who bought it—and
you’ll find the name just under Berg. Tymoczko still
teaches biology at Carleton College, where Dr. Mackin’s
eldest daughter is currently a junior.
He and his wife, Julie, have one
other daughter, a senior in high
school, and a son in the eighth
grade. In his spare time, Dr.
Mackin enjoys coaching his son’s
hockey league (When asked what
Dr. Knezetic says is the obligatory
hockey question—do they
check?—Dr. Mackin replied in the
affirmative). Quite the athlete, he
also plays in a hockey league of his
own, and enjoys golfing. In
addition, he has been an assistant
Hockey without
coach for his daughter’s fast-pitch
checking is just
softball team for several years.
figure skating.
Born in New York, and raised in Deerfield, IL, Dr.
Mackin attended graduate school at Emory University in
Atlanta, studying cell biology. He then spent two and a
half years at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, and
another two years at the Max Planck Institute in
Göttingen, Germany before coming to Creighton. Having
lived on both coasts and several places in between, Dr.
Mackin enjoys traveling. This summer he spent time in
the Black Hills and Toronto. In fact, his most interesting
event of the summer happened on a drive through
southern Iowa in early August, when he drove by an
eerie-looking farm that had just been hit by a tornado. No
doubt he will be able to turn this memorable sight into a
correlation for the inner workings of the cell. Thanks, Dr.
Mackin!
■
Quick Hits with Dr. Mackin
Favorite Blizzard Flavor: currently, Kit Kat
and French Silk Pie (last title holders: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Heath)
Movie: Back to the Future
Worst Class in School: Psychology
Places to Travel: the Black Hills and Lake
Ozark
Dislikes: coffee in frozen drinks and banana
in smoothies
Amanda Forystek
Who is the
snazziest dresser?
If you could be any superhero,
who would you be and why?
“A Cross between Batman
and Catwoman. Then I'd be
Bat Cat.“
“Dr. Nichols I like plaid.”
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
(Continued from page 5)
here for at times, especially during the first two trying
years of medical school. Everyone gets bogged down in
the minute details of biology and striving for the best
marks possible on quizzes and tests; I know I sure did.
I’m also fairly certain there will be times when I lose the
forest for the trees during residency, when discharge
summaries and pages from the pharmacy consume my
days. I think the important thing for all of us to do is to
identify the moments in our education and careers that
provide a spark; a snapshot in time that can be drawn
upon during those long days to keep going, and to treat
every patient like they are the most important. I wanted to
write about Patrick because his story is my first moment,
one that I will no doubt use frequently to fight monotony
and the forces of inertia. I doubt Patrick will ever know
how much he affected me, but I am convinced he realizes
he has been given a second chance. I'd like to focus my
career on giving that same gift to people of all ages and
all walks of life.
■
(Continued from page 10)
attempt to cope with stress. To keep it simple, here are
ten:
1) Learn to Relax – Take deep breaths throughout your
day. As you take a deep breath, close your eyes and tell
yourself to “relax.” Oh, but, don’t close your eyes while
driving.
2) Practice Acceptance – It’s the old serenity prayer –
with my apologies to Chaplain Marcia – “God, grant me
the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the
courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to
know the difference.”
3) Use Positive SelfTalk – We typically do
not get stressed until we
interpret something as
challenging or as a
threat. If you think
negatively about an
upcoming event, your
body will respond in
“I’m good enough, I’m smart kind. Stay positive – try
it now!
enough, and doggone it,
4) Get Organized – Do
people like me.”
what you can to set a
schedule, develop a “To Do” list, and break large jobs
into smaller tasks.
5) Exercise – Outside of using positive self-talk and
taking deep breaths, it’s the best stress buster out there.
JUST DO IT when you don’t have time.
FALL 2007
13
medicine.
Wednesday, March 26, 12:00, Morrison Conference
Room - Distinguished Lecture Series and lunch. Dr
Christina Puchalski from George Washington Hospital
will lecture on Spirituality and Health Care. Also at 7:00
in the Student Center Ballroom, she will give a
presentation for all Health Science Students on taking a
Spiritual History along with Spirituality and Healthcare.
A reception will follow the 7:00 presentation.
■
6)
Reduce
Time
Urgency – Get out of
the fast lane and slow
down. Remember pace, don’t race.
7) Disarm Yourself –
Everything in life is not
a
competition.
Sometimes it’s okay
just to slow it down and
enjoy a friendly game
of tennis or Wii.
8) Quiet Time –
Schedule some time
just to relax and enjoy Little known fact: Dr. Jeffries
got his first doctorate in
some music, a hot bath,
backrubology.
a massage from Dr.
Jeffries – ooh, that image will result in several more
therapy sessions, or whatever it takes.
9) Watch Your Habits – Eat a balanced diet, cut back on
caffeine, and make sure you are not self-medicating with
alcohol or marijuana.
10) Talk to Friends – Sometimes you can gain proper
perspective by discussing your “stressor” with a close
friend.
An additional resource that may be helpful is the
American Psychological Association website:
http://www.apa.org/topics/topicstress.html
■
14 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Diamond Rings and
Babies!
Heidi and Adam Currier (M3s) got
married on June 16, 2007 in Fargo,
ND, after which they took their
honeymoon in Nassau, Bahamas.
Patty Schwartz (M1) got engaged this
summer to Robert Terp (a Creighton
Pharmacy student).
Erica Currier (M2) got engaged to Kyle
Argall this summer on June 23rd. Their
wedding will be June 14, 2008 in Fargo,
ND.
Erika Kainz (M2) married Jason
Wahl on June 16, 2007 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following
the wedding, they took a honeymoon
to Negril, Jamaica.
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Diane Klinkner, M3, and Willie
Hale were married at St. Cecilia’s
Cathedral on June 22, 2007.
Nicole and Eric Ernest (M2) were
married on June 29th at Our Lady
of Lourdes church in Omaha.
Dave Crockett (M2) married Libby
Johnson on June 9.
Cheryl and Brian (M3) Szender are
expecting their first child, a baby girl,
due December 13th.
Mark Traynham (M2) married Rachel
Black on July 6th, 2007. They
honeymooned in Hawaii.
Emily Anderson (M4) got
engaged this past June to Patrick
Elder of Fort Collins, CO. Their
wedding date is set for May 24,
2008, in Fort Collins, CO.
Laura (Henson) Deaver (M2)
and Andy Deaver, a Creighton
law student, were married on
July 14, 2007. The wedding
was held in Sioux Falls, SD.
The couple honeymooned in
Negril, Jamaica.
15
16 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2007
Fall Events Calendar
Whether you love great sports (CU’s men’s soccer team is #7 in the nation), great music (Elton John, Bob
Dylan, Bright Eyes), or great comedy (Lewis Black, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Jeff Dunham), there are plenty
of reasons for you to leave the library this fall to go out and find some of that balance that Kavan loves so much.
Sept. 29.…...…………..CU Men's Soccer vs. Washington
Creighton Stadium
River City Roundup : Pro Rodeo Playoffs
Qwest Center Omaha
Sept. 29-30…………………………………..Spelling Bee
Orpheum Theater
Oct. 3….………………………….…….…Family Force 5
The Rock
Oct. 4...…….…………………….………….Sick Puppies
The Waiting Room
Oct. 5……………………………...……....Amber Pacific
The Rock
Regina Spektor
Sokol Auditorium
CU Women's Soccer vs Missouri State
Creighton Stadium
Omaha Lancers vs. Tri-Cities Storm
Mid America Center
CU Men's Soccer vs. Western Illinois
Creighton Stadium
Oct. 6….…………………………..…...Three Days Grace
Mid America Center
Elton John
Qwest Center
Mute Math
The Rock
Phunk Junkeez
The Waiting Room
Oct. 8…………….………………...Dillinger Escape Plan
The Rock
Oct. 10….………………….CU Men's Soccer vs. Bradley
Creighton Stadium
Guitar Hero II Tournament
The Waiting Room
Oct. 13...…………....CU Men's Soccer vs. Eastern Illinois
Creighton Stadium
Omaha Lancers vs. Sioux City Musketeers
Mid America Center
Pomeroy
The Waiting Room
The Good Life
Slowdown
Oct. 18...……….…………………..………….Andre Rieu
Qwest Center
Oct. 19….Blue October : Yellowcard : Shiny Toy Guns
Mid America Center
CU Women's Soccer vs Indiana State
Creighton Stadium
Oct. 20..………...Motion City Soundtrack, Mae, Anberlin
Sokol Auditorium
Dierks Bentley
Mid America Center
Oct. 21...……………………………………..…….Pepper
Sokol Underground
CU Women's Soccer vs Western Illinois
Creighton Stadium
Oct. 22….………...WWE World Wrestling Entertainment
Qwest Center
Oct. 23..………………………………...…….Tiger Army
The Rock
Oct. 24……………………………...………..Bright Eyes
The Waiting Room
Oct. 26..……..………...…Bob Dylan with Elvis Costello
Qwest Center
Oct. 27….…………...CU Men's Soccer vs. Missouri State
Creighton Stadium
Oct. 28...………..………………………….Carlos Mencia
Omaha Music Hall
CU Women's Soccer vs Northern Iowa
Creighton Stadium
Omaha Lancers vs. Indiana Ice
Mid America Center
Oct. 30..…………...…………………………………HIM
Sokol Auditorium
Nov. 1…..CU Men's Basketball vs. EA Sports All-Stars
Qwest Center
Nov. 2…..……………..Omaha Lancers vs. Chicago Steel
Mid America Center
Nov. 4...……………...………………………Lewis Black
Omaha Music Hall
Nov. 5…………………...……………Avenged Sevenfold
Sokol Auditorium
Nov. 6-10………………...…..Monty Python's Spamalot
Orpheum Theater
Nov. 8……………………..…………………Jeff Dunham
Omaha Music Hall