Fall 2004 - Creighton University

Volume VIII, Number 1
Fall 2004
The Magis Clinic Opens Its Doors
New Student-Run Clinic Helps Omaha’s Underserved
each week by a Creighton physician as well as five
Creighton medical students. Two upperclassmen (third
and fourth year students) will examine patients and make
hile Creighton Medical students are often
recommendations to the physician regarding the treatment
seen pacing the halls of the Creighton
University Medical Center with stethoof the patient. Three underclassmen (first and second
scopes and beepers at hand or buried
year students) will be responsible for gathering the paheads down in their
tient’s vital signs and
books in the small
eliciting a chief complaint and will rotate
group rooms on the
to shadow in the ex4th floor of Criss II,
amination
rooms
their experiences outwith the 3rd and 4th
side of the hospital
and classroom are
year students and the
physician. Also, a
equally as important
Clinic Manager will
to their education,
even while somebe present to coorditimes overlooked.
nate the students and
Beginning this fall,
the physician, to
maintain
patient
medical student volcharts and records,
unteers will again be
showing their hard
and to provide postworking spirit and
care referral services
dedication to the
to the patient.
community by estabEach week, the
clinic will see belishing a free medical
tween 10-20 patients
clinic for the home- Dueling Cardiologists: Zulma Barrios watches intently as Ann Allie puts on her
game face and works a little auscultating magic.
less and uninsured.
on a first-come baThe Magis Clinic will be open each Saturday yearsis, drawing largely from the homeless population in the
round from 2-6 pm at the Sienna Francis House, a homedowntown Omaha area but also extending services to patients who are in transitional housing, are uninsured, or
less shelter located on the corner of 17th and Nicholas
See Magis Clinic: Page 2
Streets near downtown Omaha. The clinic will be staffed
By David Rust and the Magis Clinic Officers
W
1
2
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Magis Clinic: Creighton medical students get
clinical experience while helping those in need
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Editors in Chief:
Kris Kazlauskas
Yukari Kawamoto
This Issue’s Writers:
Marcia Cusic
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Linda Pappas
Cathy White
David Rust
Meredith Seamon
Anela Bonic
Mel Roca
Nicole Christiansen
Mack Eleid
Erin ONeill
Praveen Dandamudi
Andrew Kummer
Mike Coffey
Dr. William Hunter, M.D.
George Singletary
Brian Nagao
Kyle Ulveling
Kelli Kazlauskas
Justin Birge
Pam Mudd
What could be more beautiful than a Mary
Kate and Ashley Olsen pencil sketch?
You’re right– nothing!
Continued from Page 1
underinsured. The clinic will provide a number of acute care services that include minor trauma/wound dressings, bacterial infections, acute asthma/allergy/
pulmonary shortage, temporary diabetes/hypertension management, and other
non-critical symptoms that can be treated on an out-patient basis. Emergency
referrals will be made to the CUMC emergency department and all other referral services will be made through a network of homeless medical services that
comprise the Omaha Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless. All supplies
for the clinic are obtained via direct donation or purchase from the clinic treasury, which has received a four-year, thirty thousand dollar grant from the Association of American Medical Colleges as well as a three thousand dollar gift
from the CUSOM Class of 2004 and other private donations.
Work on the Magis Clinic project was begun last fall by a group of ten medical students representing each of the four classes and led by senior class president and recent Creighton Alum, David Semerad MD (’04). The students spent
three months researching various clinics run by medical students at schools
across the country. Calls were made to faculty advisors, clinic directors, and
student volunteers regarding the size, patients, services, etc… Dr. Jim Phalen
MD (CUSOM ’67) of the CUMC radiology department stepped forward to
work as the clinic’s faculty advisor and in January of 2004, a clinic proposal
was submitted to and approved by the Dean of the Medical School. Since the
spring, the executive officers have been working to submit grant applications,
locate donation items, and contact physicians to volunteer at the clinic. Recently, the clinic has received a new coat of paint thanks to student volunteers
and a new printer/copier/fax machine courtesy of the Cardiology Department.
On September 11, the clinic opened its doors for 11 new patients. An Open
House Ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 23 to celebrate the opening
of the clinic. Creighton faculty and administrators will be present to tour the
facilities as well as other members of the community who are involved with a
wide range of homeless services. All medical students are invited to attend the
event.
While the main focus of the Magis officers is to establish the current operation of the clinic, the future does expect to be bright for the Magis Clinic. In
October, ground will broken on construction of a new addition to the Sienna
Francis House. The new homeless shelter will be located on the adjacent lot
across the street from the current building and will contain more than 230 beds
for single males on any given night (nearly three times the current number).
The new shelter will also contain the kitchen and dining services as well as a
larger space for the medical clinic. With additional funding, the plans will also
include a renovation of the current Siena Francis House to be used as housing
for single women as well as for both men’s and women’s alcohol and drug rehabilitation. As part of an agreement between the officers and Dean Enarson, the
clinic will also be looking to expand in the near future to incorporate student
volunteers from all health professions.
Any physicians, faculty, staff, or students wishing to learn more about the
Magis Clinic can visit the clinic website at www.medicine.creighton.edu/magis/
or via the link on the Creighton Medical Student Homepage. Physician volunteers are currently needed for this coming spring. Student volunteers should
keep an eye out for updates, announcements, and opportunities to volunteer via
email and through the clinic website.
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
3
A Magis Clinic Reflection
By David Rust
T
o each and every patient at the Magis Clinic, we
are truly grateful and honored for the gift of
education that you give to us.
It seemed a bit strange the first time I walked
into the shelter to work in the clinic that sits tucked in the
corner like a janitor’s closet. I sat in my parked car and
hesitate for just a moment before grabbing my white coat
and stethoscope and hurrying to lock my door
and head inside as quietly as possible.
Near the front of the building I passed
dozens of homeless men waiting
outside in the hot sun for the doors
to open and dinner to be served,
smoking a cigarette if they were
lucky enough to have one. I
couldn’t help but notice every
little detail of my own appearance,
from the shirt and tie that were gifts
from a loving aunt to the dress shoes
that I just had to buy for those med school
interviews, which at the time were so important
and nerve racking but now seem as far away as the rest of
my comfortable life. My eyes moved from person to
person just long enough to acknowledge each person but
at the same time avoiding any offensive stares. I made
my way into the small, two room clinic just hoping to
make it through night so that I could give myself a brief,
but well deserved, pat on the back for making a small
difference in few peoples lives.
On my second day at clinic, I showed up ready to go. I
didn’t wait to jump out of my car, coat and scope in hand.
I practically sprinted up to the doors of the shelter, paying
little attention to the folks outside in the sun. I was on a
mission to do good. I had been there before. I knew what
to do and I just knew that tonight was my night to shine in
clinic. I might even save a life if that damn doctor
doesn’t get in the way.
Okay, maybe that was
overshooting it a bit.
Today when I arrive at the clinic, my approach is
different. My movements are brisk, but not rushed. I
take special note to straighten my tie and make all of the
necessary adjustments. I want to look as professional as
possible for the patients that I will be seeing
in clinic. I double check that I have
everything I need, lock my door,
and make my way up to the front
of the building. On the way I
might stop to say hello to a
group of men resting in the
shade on the side of the
building. Most of them will
reply with a nod or quick hello.
Someone might ask for a cigarette
lighter and I will politely say no. I
don’t mind, no offense was meant and
none was taken. I’ll recognize another man as
a patient at the clinic from last week and ask him how he
has been. He says he’s doing okay but I ask him come in
and see the us in the clinic anyway. I say hello to a few
more familiar faces on my way inside the shelter and
make my way into the clinic that I now take great pride in
working inside. We have worked hard to make this clinic
a place where patient respect and trust are placed at the
highest level of priority. We understand the incredible
opportunity that has been provided for us by these men
and women and have made it our goal to repay them,
even in a small way, by providing the best care that we
can possibly give. Our efforts are a small token of
appreciation for the invaluable experiences the will be
carried with us beyond exams and graduations.
15 Minutes of Fame with Zeb Timmons, M2:
Who is on the $100 bill? “Ghandi. Its all about the Ghandis.”
If you could trade your body with someone in your class, who
would that be? “Do I have a mirror I can hang out in front of?”
Who's your M2 buddy and are they cool? "J-Lo." (aka Joseph Lopez). “Tell him I want my $5 back. I gave it to him to come to the
Get Lei'd party and he never came. You make sure to put that
down.”
4
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
By Dr. Michael G. Kavan, Ph.D.,
Associate Dean for Student Affairs
O
kay, how many of you have never experienced
stress? The stress guru, Hans Selye noted that
taking about being under stress is as pointless
as talking about “running a temperature.”
What we are concerned about is an excess of stress or an
excess in body temperature. After all, the only people
who are not under some stress or running a temperature
are dead. So, I would hope this topic is relevant to just
about anyone with the brain activity to read it.
Stress…..what is it? I mean we all know when we are under it, but what exactly is it? And, more importantly, what
do we do about it when we experience it?
Stress:
The best definition I have seen regarding stress is from
Marianne Frankenhauser who suggests it is, “A lack of
balance between demands placed upon a person and the
person’s resources for dealing with these demands.” So,
essentially, stress occurs any time demands outweigh our
resources. This can refer to our abilities (“Wow, I don’t
think I can do that.”) or our time limitation (“Okay, I have
400 pages of Robbins to read tonight and I still have to
get in the season opener of “The OC” – whatever that is).
These events, in and of themselves, do not necessarily
trigger the stress response. However, anything that we
cognitively interpret as being a challenge or a threat can
and typically does cause a variety of nasty physiological
stuff (i.e., sympathetic nervous system response) that can
affect us physiologically, psychologically, and behaviorally.
Responses to Stress:
There are many physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses that occur as a result of stress, which may
serve as warning signs that we need to take action. First,
physiologically, headaches (typically in the back of our
necks or a band like effect around our head), low back
pain, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, bruxism
(grinding one’s teeth), and fatigue are common signs of
stress, Psychologically, persons under stress tend to be
more irritable, angry, frustrated, impatient, and experience sleep difficulties. Finally, behaviorally, stress plays
out through tardiness, absenteeism, withdrawal, and isolation. If you experience any of these for a protracted period
– think stress, and think solutions immediately.
Stress Management:
What do I do if I am under stress? The first is to recognize
it and admit that you need to do something soon. The
more effective techniques for dealing constructively with
stress include time management, cognitive strategies, and
relaxation techniques. First, time management. Keys here
are to break large tasks into smaller tasks, don’t put off
what you can do now to later, schedule important events,
prioritize, and it’s okay to say “no” if you are feeling
overwhelmed. Cognitive strategies attempt to change how
you think about events in your lives knowing that how
you think determines how you feel. So, rather than looking at that upcoming exam as a terrible event that you are
doomed to fail, reframe it to an exam that you will study
hard for and you will do your best at since you are as prepared as you can be. The key – notch it down and keep
the catastrophizing to a minimum. In regards to relaxation
training, this starts with taking slow, deep belly breaths. I
like to refer to these as taking 7-second breaths (breathe
in – one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-onethousand; pause – one-one-thousand; exhale – one-onethousand,-two-one-thousand,-three-one-thousand); all the
time making sure that as you breathe in your belly goes
“out” and as your exhale your belly goes back “in.” You
can then accompany this breathing with cue words such
as “relax” or “let go” and with muscle relaxation and imagery. Nothing is nicer than to relax in a comfortable position and imagine yourself in a peaceful beach scene. I
like to end these by having you say something positive
about yourself and then allow this relaxation and accompanying affirmation to carry you through your day.
Final suggestions:
In her recent book entitled, Inner Peace for Busy People,
Dr. Joan Borysenko gave the following tips to help reduce
stress. First, reframe the problem – sound familiar. Second, Mind the P’s and C’s – watch the pessimism and
don’t take setbacks personally and believe the negatives
are pervasive and permanent. Also, remember that stress
hardy people subscribe to challenge, control, and commitment. Third, learn to say no. Fourth, ask for help with
tasks. Fifth, practice patience. Six, guard against gossip –
remember to fill your own “bucket” by saying positive
See Stress: Page 5
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Pimpin’ Ain’t
Easy
(Random things I learned
from 3rd Year after I already
did them)
5
Study hard, Fool!
By Praveen Dandamudi
I
came up with at least 75 unique nicknames. For example,
f the intern has already written on your patient, it
Monte would always call me unclean because it rhymed
is apparently frowned upon to write “Agree with
with my name. I felt sorry for him because it was obvious
H01” and sign your name with a smiley face…Sea
he didn’t get the idea, like he would call me dirty and
green apparently is not an officially recognized
sloppy…but those don’t rhyme. I didn’t have the heart to
color for charts, even in Spring…Never show up to surtell the poor guy…
gery late and stroll in saying, “I’ll take it from here,
Anyway, I am hoping this was educational. Before
Chief” even if you are joking…and apparently “I saw
medical school, I was unfamiliar with the medical field.
his leg move I swear” is not “Ha, Ha” funny…It is wise
Being Indian, I felt medicine was a field
to show up early, pull your own gloves,
my culture has not really pursued or
and introduce yourself to the OR staff,
progressed in. I felt like a trailblazer, a
but try not to say, for example, “my
young Lewis or Clark. I told my parents
name is Praveen, I will be 5th assist
I wanted to become a doctor, and they
today,” although imagining scenarios
told me it was a 2 year night-schoolin which you would somehow miracutype-of-thing, so I applied. Four years
lously become 1st assist is a great way
later, I am looking forward to residency.
to pass the time. If you are of a differMy younger cousin always makes fun
ent ethnicity, whether you were born in
of me for how much smarter he is than
America or not, and do a rural FP rotame. But, now that I will soon become
tion, you will hear, “Are you going to
Even Huggy Bear knows that if depresgo back to your country to practice?” sion has got you in a tizzle, you gotta pre- a resident, I can confidently tell him I
am smarter than him and his friends
Learn to smile and nod…It is inevita- scribe the Trazadizzle. (aka Trazodone)
for that matter. All I have to say is,
ble you will have to do some scut“What’s up now 6th grade Polk Middle school? Where
work. Someone has to do it, so don’t complain, but
you at?” Not even 7th grade.
doubling the estimated time it takes to complete this
That’s what I thought, punks.
task is expected…If Dr. Fleming and Dr. Phalen do not
inspire you to become better physicians, I don’t know
who will…Pimping is not as flashy and fun as it
sounded before medical school…Evaluations are ultimately a reflection of how the evaluator is feeling at the
time he or she is writing, as well as how busy he or she
Continued from Page 4
is. It has nothing to do with performance, so don’t
things about others. Seven, be a source of kindness. Eight,
worry if you did poorly and don’t go to your happy
start small with any project.
place if you did great
If you recognize when stress is impacting you negaUltimately, what it really comes down to is how well
tively, you are wise to accept this and then take action.
your group gets along, which makes the biggest impact
More appropriately, I would suggest that you take a proin enjoying 3rd year. Although I was automatically
active approach to stress management by doing things
placed in Group D in the so-called lottery, I couldn’t
that will buffer you against the stress that we will all enhave asked for a better group. It was always good times
counter naturally as we progress through out days. These
when we got together…For example, we all smiled
include a regimen of positive thinking, socializing, relaxawhen Austin said he was so hungry he could eat a
tion, and exercise. You know, when we get to the bottom
horse, but when he started salivating and licking his
line, it’s all about BALANCE – who would have thunk it?
lips, we were no longer at ease…We laughed, joked and
Wishing you best of health!
Stress: Keeping anxiety and pimples to a minimum
6
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
The Spiritual
Importance
of Laughter
Foreword by Marcia Cusic
CUSOM Chaplain
W
e all have heard the phrase, “ Laughter is
the best medicine” . I hope, after reading
this article, you begin to continue to see
God in all things, including your laughter.
“Laughter is necessity for healthy Christian,” says Jesuit
magazine- By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- While faith is not a laughing matter, a
healthy Christian is able to laugh, according to an article
in the influential Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica.
"If a Christian lacks a sense of humor, it is a sign,
among other things, of a religious education too focused
on conformity," said the article by Jesuit Father Luciano
Larivera.
The mid-July article, "The Nature and Necessity of
Humor," offered a dry survey of modern neurological,
psychological and philosophical studies on humor,
laughter and smiles, as well as a brief discussion of humor
and spirituality.
The studies show "adults laugh on average 18 times a
day, while children laugh 10 times as much," Father
Studying the
Way You Study
Best
By Linda Pappas
Academic Success Counselor
M
y plan for this column is to provide “food
for thought” about increasing your
academic productivity. Each of you is a
unique learner who has already
demonstrated the ability to be very academically
successful. My goal is to perhaps add one little thought
that might assist you in being even more successful.
Each student tends to have preferred ways of
processing information. My quick inventory of that
FALL 2004
Larivera wrote. "Behavioral biologists maintain that
hilarity contributes to the survival of our species;
otherwise we would have stopped laughing millennia
ago."
The priest also referred to recent laughter-is-the-bestmedicine studies showing that when someone laughs
"there is an increase of endorphins and a reduction of
substances which weaken the immune system."
On the spiritual side, he said a healthy and mature sense
of humor consists in a person's ability to see the absurdity
present in his or her own life and to be somewhat
detached from it.
The ability to laugh at oneself, he said, coincides with
the Christian virtue of humility and with an awareness
that, while the religious life involves striving to do God's
will, God surpasses all human understanding.
With humility as the basis of one's sense of humor, he
said, one can avoid the pitfall of being trivial, silly or
ignorant of the real pain existing in the world and the real
sacrifice made by Christ to bring salvation.
Father Larivera cited a study by a Belgian psychologist
demonstrating that people who have a tendency toward
religious fundamentalism "tend to avoid humor" because
it "undermines their sense of security" and their
impression that being always faithful means being always
serious.
On the other hand, he said, St. Thomas Aquinas made it
clear that, while it was not appropriate for Christians to
act like buffoons, "virtue consists in knowing how to
distance oneself, how to play and to laugh."
Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service/U.S.
preference is to ask a student an imaginary question: “if
you had 30 minutes to learn a technique that would then
save your life and the life of someone else at the end of
those 30 minutes, how would you want an expert to teach
you that technique?” I always get a variety of answers
including; some students say “talk to me about it”, some
say “let me read about how to do it”, some say “let me
write down the instructions” and some say “let me try it
on someone”. Often students will give me a combination
of ways they want to learn that technique.
Those statements about how they want to learn that
technique can indicate if a student prefers an auditory
(they hear it), visual (they see it), tactile (they touch or
write it) or kinesthetic (they physically do it) way of
learning. In the best of all worlds we incorporate all four
into learning new information.
Here are a few
suggestions for each.
Auditory processing includes participating in class
discussions, reading your text out loud, using a tape
See Learning Styles: Page 18
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
7
Spotlight on a Specialty:
Pediatrics with Dr. Yaghmour, M.D.
by Meredith Seamon
D
r. Anthony Yaghmour,
Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics, Director of
Ambulatory Pediatrics at
CUMC, Pediatrics Clerkship Director,
and dad-extraordinaire took time out
of his afternoon off with his kids to
speak to this Wellness Chronicle reporter about the specialty of Pediatrics.
What prompted your decision to enter into the field
of Pediatrics?
There was not a single event that led to my decision to
enter the field of Pediatrics. I always knew that I
wanted to be a pediatrician. When I was younger, I
worked in a daycare and coached kids. I enjoyed being
around children and recognized that I had a gift for
working with them.
Did you ever consider any other specialties?
I also thought about going into Pediatric Surgery or
Child Psychiatry, but I never really contemplated doing
anything outside of the realm of Pediatrics.
What is a typical day in the life of pediatrician like?
A typical day for me is quite different from that of a
pediatrician in private practice. My days can start as
early as 5:30 a.m., depending on how many patients I
need to round on at various hospitals. From 8:00-9:00
a.m., I usually attend an educational conference with the
residents. At 9:00 a.m., I start seeing patients in the
clinic. For the next three hours, I see a patient every 10
minutes. Over the noon hour, I do a variety of things
including attending meetings, catching-up on my paperwork, and doing consults. From 12:50-4:30, I see more
patients in the clinic, before my day ends around 5:306:00. I then pick-up my kids from daycare and spend
time with them in the evening, before catching-up on
some work (patient notes, administrative paperwork,
letters of recommendation, etc.).
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
I don’t think there is just one! I really enjoy building
a relationship with the families and children. The pictures and the hugs you receive are very special. I also
find my interactions with the medical students to be
rewarding. Their enthusiasm and appreciation are outstanding. It is great to be able to mold and educate the
future generation of physicians. My
job also allows me to make sick kids
feel better and to educate parents in
order to help them become better parents.
What are the advantages of having a university-based
practice?
With an academic position, one has to keep up on the
new developments in the field of medicine, because the
residents and students ask questions about them. My
practice also enables me to care for a “great mix” of patients—30-40% of the patients I see are private patients,
while 60-70% of my patients are on Medicaid. I am fortunate to be able to take care of these patients who really
need help and who do not have a stable family life, which
is something I always wanted to do. I also enjoy having
the residents and medical students around!
What was the most memorable experience you had
while in medical school and during your residency?
During my third year of medical school, I cared for a
patient with esophageal cancer, who was quite scared
about the implications of his illness. I got to know him
and his family very well, and they eventually put their
sole trust in me, rather than in the attending physicians
and residents. This particular patient passed away, but I
kept in touch with his wife for a number of years.
Through this experience, I learned that medical students
could have a tremendous impact in the lives of their patients.
When I was an intern, I saw a 2-year-old boy, who had
already been seen by the pediatric ER doctor and the pediatric surgeon. I strongly felt that the boy had intussusception, so I admitted him at 2:00 a.m. When I called the
attending physician concerning the patient, he did not
agree with my suspicion. Luckily, the radiologist agreed
to do a barium enema, and the intussusception was reduced at 4:00 a.m. The boy recovered and was able to go
home. This patient encounter taught me that sometimes
one has to “go against the grain” and take a risk if it is for
the better of the patient.
Do you have any advice for students who are considering Pediatrics?
First of all, I would tell them that they made a good career decision because there will always be children! The
See Pediatrics: Page 18
8
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
M2’s Know Best
Compiled by Dr. William Hunter, M.D.
As part of an introduction to the small groups, I asked M2’s for recommendations for food and drink in the Omaha area:
•
Best pizza in Omaha
•
Best Coffee:
ο Zio’s mentioned several times
ο homemade (can’t beat that)
ο (Dr. Hunter’s note: try La Casa on
ο Starbucks (3 votes)
ο Crane
ο Caffeine Dreams (a great place to
Leavenworth Street- for a unique hometown
taste)
study too)
ο Homemade
ο Mountain Dew!
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
Best Chinese type restaurant:
Rice Bowl (3 votes)
Rose Garden (96 & Q)
China Buffet
China Taste
King Fong (on 16th st – the original chop suey place)
P.F. Changs
Thai
Saigon
And, of course, homemade! Even in other cities like
Vancouver BC and Rapid City SD (I can see Vancouver
but Rapid City!)
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
Best ‘Nice’ restaurant
Lo Sole Mio (2 votes)
Café d Copia
V. Mertz
Gorats
Blue (sushi)
Wheatfields
Jaipur
Fojays BBQ
Joe Tess
Taco Bell !
(Dr. Hunter’s note: try Marks
in Dundee)
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
Best take out:
Panera (2 votes)
Rice Bowel
Fazoli’s
Chipotle (72nd and Dodge location opening soon!)
(Dr. Hunter’s note: try Sgt Peffer’s, across the street
from the Homy Inn They’ll even deliver to the Homy Inn,
while you are sipping champagne on tap!)
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
Best Bagel/Do(ugh)nut
Panera (3 votes)
Bagel room
Krispy Cream (2 votes)
Brueggers
Wheatfields
Donut stop
(Dr. Hunter’s note: Try
Pettit’s at 16th & Davenport-)
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
ο
Best Pub:
Upstream (4 votes)
Dundee Dell
Homy Inn
Dubliners
Bluejay
Home!
Best Value:
Mongolian BBQ
Wheatfields
Brass Grille
M’s Pub
Ellada (in Dundee)
Greek Island
Rice Bowl
(Dr. Hunter’s note: try Bohemian Café on 13th St or
Gerta’s on Leavenworth & 52nd)
•
ο
ο
ο
ο
Editor’s Addition:
Farmhouse Café (comfort food, on 84th & Grover)
Goldberg’s (casual dining, on 50th & Dodge)
Flat Top Grill (nouveau Mongolian, 168th & Dodge)
Big Fred’s Pizza (120th & Pacific)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
9
Surgery
By Kelli Kazlauskas
T
She came. She saw. She contaminated.
he purpose of this article is to boost some egos.
The stories you are about to hear are unfortunately entirely true. You see, I spent the first
rotation of my junior year fumbling around the
OR on my surgical rotation. For me, it wasn't the easiest
place to start my clinical years and it was certainly humbling. Back in July I was still feeling a bit shell-shocked
from boards and the thought of performing a full physical
exam without explicit instructions from Judy Bell was a
bit scary. "Wait a minute, you mean I don't ask for a
complete sexual history of an 87 year-old widow complaining of knee pain?" It's a steep learning curve and it
took me about eight weeks to learn the ropes and finally
grasp my role as "retractor
girl." So, for those of you
who have finished a surgical
rotation, read on and feel
good about yourself because
whatever mistakes you may
have made in the past you
can compare and say-"Well
at least I didn't do that! That
would have been just plain
stupid!" For you surgery
virgins, keep this article in
mind as you wander into
sterile zones and try not to
make the same idiot moves
that I did.
thereby bypassing a blockage. You've got the general
idea. Now imagine approaching hour seven of surgery.
It's the last step after an arduous dissection, the posterior
tibial artery is clamped, the arterial incision is made, and
the stitching is about to begin. You, the faithful med student, are standing near the patient's hip. You want to still
appear interested, but it's so dang hard to see at the other
end of the table. You lean in on the table-still can't see.
You press in a bit further-almost there. You lean in just
slightly more-and BAM! The table moves six inches to
the left. Instantly you know you've done something terrible. The surgeon demands with the needle in hand, "Who
just did that?!" The anesthesiologist is vehemently denying everything. At that
point, I checked the spot
where I had previously
been leaning and realized
there was a joystick hidden beneath the blue
drape…I was the guilty
table mover! Idiot move
#1.
#2-"Drilling Into Thin
Air": It had been a relatively good day surgically speaking. I had
showed up when I was
supposed to, had managed not to irritate the
Culprit with a Tiara: Specialized Wellness Chronicle computer
#1-"Near Fem-Forever Ca- imagery allows us to spot a mischievous Kelli Kazlauskas enjoying circulating nurse and
tastrophe": In Vascular Surscrub tech too much, and
another surgical procedure.
gery slang they lovingly
was scrubbed in for the
refer to femoral artery-distal bypass procedures as "femfinal orthopedic case of the day. The patient was an eldforevers." If you haven't had the pleasure of witnessing
erly man with multiple fractures of his humerus requiring
this interesting, but extremely lengthy and tedious procelots of screws and a plate to repair. From a novice point
dure, let me (the expert) summarize all three of the surof view, it is easy to appreciate the amount of skill and
geries I witnessed. Remember that great big vein that runs
patience it takes to realign everything perfectly in setting
along the inside of your leg (bonus points if you correctly
a fracture. For the procedure, the patient's arm was resting
said great saphenous). Well, first the surgeon extracts the
on a metal tray, even with the operating table. An incision
vein, tying off all the tiny braches (lots, and yes it takes a
was made, the plate was in place, and a screw was aimed
LONG time). The bypass procedure begins with the first
under flouroscopy directly for the hole. The drill was on
anastamosis to a proximal artery then to a distal artery,
See Surgery Follies: Page 18
10 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Faculty Profile:
Dr. Robert Mackin
By Justin Birge
O
ne particular Friday in 1989, a young Dr.
Robert Mackin noticed something strange
about the church bells in Göttigen, Germany –
they were ringing. Though he insists to have
nothing to do with it, those bells rang to signal the end of
communism in Eastern Europe. Prior
to staking out a front row seat for major historical events, Dr. Mackin grew
up in Deerfield, Illinois. He studied
Chemistry at Carleton College in
Northfield, Minnesota and went on to
graduate school at Emory University
in Atlanta, earning a PhD that
straddled the fine line between
Biochemistry and Cell Biology. After two
years at the Salk Institute, Dr. Mackin followed
his advisor to Göttigen and a date with history.
Creighton lured Dr. Mackin in 1992 because of
an open faculty position, its close proximity to
his family and “an offer he couldn’t refuse.” Currently, his research is focused on protein recognition
and enzyme specificity, while also considering their relationship to fuel metabolism and signal transduction.
Fortunately for all of his students, Dr. Mackin places a
strong emphasis on teaching. Though he considers medical students to be exceptionally bright and motivated, one
of his biggest challenges is balancing the vast curriculum
to meet the needs of such an educationally diverse group.
An expert distiller of information, Dr. Mackin reduces
All Hail The Master of Metabolism, The King of Krebs!
weeklong topics to their more manageable fundamentals.
While in the classroom, he strives to “teach like I wish I
would have been taught,” and does his best to get all of us
“over the same hurdle (the boards).”
Dr. Mackin and his wife, Julie, have been married 22
years. They have two daughters, age 14 and 17, and a 10year old son. Along with his wife and their three children, a dog, fish, bearded dragon, fox turtle and two cats
fill the always busy Mackin home. Dr. Mackin enjoys
hockey (he still plays twice a week in the winter!) and
coaches his kids in both hockey and softball. A former
trombone player, Dr. Mackin enjoys jazz music, likes
rock ‘n’ roll in the car and classical at work. His favorite TV show is “Monk” (his kids think Adrian Monk
makes him look normal), and prefers Lord of the
Rings to Harry Potter because it is “entertainment
with meaning.”
Finally, for the sake of clarity, Dr. Mackin regularly wears his New Balance sneakers to work because of a youthful contract. While in high school,
he and a friend agreed to always
wear tennis shoes and white socks to
work. Though he owns one pair of
black Rockports, Dr. Mackin has
held true to his word. His friend
has as well, but as a family practice
physician “he has it easy.” Count that
as one mystery solved. Thanks Dr.
Mackin, and keep up the good work!
Wedding Bells!
-Brian Sadowski (M4) will be marrying Jessica Smith at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Council
Bluffs on October 16th, 2004
-Rebecca Lammers (M4) will be marrying Scott Lancaster on November 27th, 2004
-Brea Shrum (M4) was married to Pat McQuillan on October 9th, 2004 in Boise, Idaho
-Katie Fossen (formerly Katie Weatherl, M2) was married to Kurtis Fossen on June 5th, 2004, at
the Christ United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Nebraska
-Zachary (M2) and Kerry DePew were married on June 5th, 2004, at Zephyr Cove in Lake Tahoe,
Nevada
-Fellow M3’s Adam and Melanie Sanborn (formerly Melanie Randall) were married on June
27th, 2004 at Recreation Park and Golf Course in Long Beach, California
-Carrie Graves (M2) married Andrew Valenta on July 3, 2004 at St. John's on the Creighton Campus
-Natalie March (formerly Natalie Moore, M2) was married over the summer to Carl March
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
11
Faculty Profile:
Dr. Philip Brauer
Embryologists in Antarctica? Yep!
By Andrew E. Kummer
D
r. Philip Brauer knows embryology. His
passion for those pesky neural crest cells is
acknowledged by all who have been through
the proverbial grinder that is anatomy and
embryology.
But while our expertise on the
development of the heart grows and expands, we are left
wondering: who is the man behind the man? What do
really know beyond the pictures of those little white
dogs? This reporter met with
Dr. Brauer to get the answers.
Dr. Brauer grew up in Sturgeon
Bay, Wisconsin, up in beautiful
Door County. He seems to have
pleasant recollections of the
“midwestern Cape Cod” that is a
mere forty miles north of Green Bay.
He was a two-sport athlete in high
school, playing football and wrestling
in the self-proclaimed “chunkyweight” division.
Dr. Brauer decided to continue his education at the
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and then
consequently began a pursuit of a graduate degree at the
University of Texas Tech. Dr. Brauer recalled, with fond
memories, one anatomy instructor in particular who went
by the name of Dr. Jack Yee. However, the shining
beacon that is Lubbock, Texas couldn’t match up to his
beloved land of cheese, as he followed his mentor to the
Medical College of Wisconsin, where he finished his
PhD work in, of course, neural crest cells. After a postdoctoral instructorship at the Chicago Medical School
(now Finch Medical School), he came to Creighton and
Omaha in 1990 and has never looked back.
Dr. Brauer lives in the area with his wife, Tracy, and
those damn dogs. Those damn, cute dogs. Apparently,
they are of the Bichons Frise breed, one that has
rebounded from near extinction. The dogs in the pictures
he shows before each lecture are of April (12), Chloe (2),
and Bobo (deceased).
Anatarctica is not a continent that many of us visit, but
that was Dr. Brauer’s destination a mere twelve months
ago. He traveled there last fall (that would be their
springtime, for you southern hemisphere-ignorant people
out there), and worked six days a week. So if anyone has
aspirations of going to the coldest place on earth and
working overtime, Dr. Brauer would be happy to tell you
about it.
Despite all of the hard work Dr. Brauer has done over
the years, he still has one glaring deficiency: he is a
Packer fan. He says he’s a “moderate fan”, but what that
means in the Green Bay
Packer world, this reporter
is unsure.
However,
favorites of Dr. Brauer
include: a good dark beer
(hell yeah!), the Sopranos
(another hell yeah!), and
the movie “Big Fish” (if you haven’t seen it, you are
doing a disservice to yourself).
Finally, Dr. Brauer wanted to give some wellness
information. Since buying a Nordic Track three years
ago, he has been on a regular exercise program. He says
the important thing about exercise is to find something
that works for you. So the next time you see Dr. Brauer,
ask him about Antarctica, the Nordic Track, or even the
Packers. You’ll see he’s a very friendly, engaging, and
interesting person.
Ryan Berg, Marc Bartman, and Scott Alay put in their three cents...
If you could trade your brain with someone in your
class, who would that be? Scott and Marc: “Ryan Basham.”
Who is on the $100 bill? “Ben Franklin - It's all about
the Benjamins. Wait, isn't that on the $20?”
12 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
A New Patient-Centered Hospital
By Mel Roca
A
new hospital opened in West Omaha this
summer. Alegent-Lakeside Hospital was
filled with fanfare and much anticipation.
The open house was attended with at least
2,500 people on July 31, 2004. You might be wondering,
does Omaha need another hospital? For Omaha¹s
population of 390,000 (US Census 2000), there are
currently seven full service hospitals, including two
trauma centers.
Lakeside Hospital, located at 168th and West Center
Road, is at the leading edge of Omaha’s westward
expansion. According to a summer’s press release by
Alegent Health Care, ³the expansive four-story, 208,000
square-foot Lakeside Hospital will give this part of
Omaha and surrounding communities, including
Elkhorn, Gretna, Valley, Wahoo and Waterloo an
entirely new approach to healthcare.² Recent Census
figures found that since 2000, Gretna has grown 66.6
percent and Elkhorn has grown 29.8 percent. As a whole,
population is estimated to reach 162,600 in western
Douglas County by 2007 - well above original
projections. Gretna and Elkhorn are two of the fastest
growing towns in Nebraska.
The $65 million prairie-style design hospital features a
24-hour Emergency Department, an all-digital
Diagnostic Center, as well as a full range of maternity,
surgery, cardiology, orthopedic, cancer
care and multiple other in and out patient services.
What is so different about this new hospital? Touted
as Omaha¹s first ³smart² hospital, Lakeside Hospital
employs a ³paperless² computer system.
All the
ordering, prescribing and medical information recording
are computerized. A digital hand-held computer instead
of a paper chart is used to access and record patient
information. Clinical notes and documentation including
vital signs and critical information are entered into the
computer
at the
bedside. When
away from the
hospital, physicians will be able to check patient records
online on a laptop or their home computer. A physician
who orders a critical lab test will see the results in the
electronic record as soon as the lab completes it.
Alegent, in partnership with Siemens Corporation
installed state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging equipment
that stores digital data.
Siemens is a German
based international building technology, medical,
electrical engineering and information technology
company. Doctors, nurses and patients alike can view Xrays and MRI¹s online conveniently in patient rooms.
Primary care physicians and radiologists can consult and
diagnose via a laptop or notebook computer even if they
are at the opposite ends of the city. The constant lament
of ³lost X-ray films² as these are shuffled between floors
or among health care providers will be a thing of the
past. An internet ready computer station in each
patient¹s room allows access to e-mail at work and at
home so patients can stay connected with family, friends
and co-workers. Upon request, patients can go home
with all their hospital experience stored in a CD!
As a newly constructed facility from the ground up,
Lakeside Hospital is the prototype that all the other four
hospitals in the Alegent system will be molded after.
Bergan-Mercy, Immanuel, Midlands Community and
Mercy Hospital in Iowa are currently undergoing
remodeling to meet this new design standard. Lakeside
exemplifies the ideology of PlanetreeTM, the Alegent
Health Care systems response to patient-centered
care. PlanetreeTM is a non-profit organization which
seeks to help health care organizations to create an
environment that stimulates personal health and healing.
Central to the hospital’s new design and operation, every
employee at Lakeside and at other Alegent Health
hospitals, must undergo the PlanetreeTM training: the
philosophy of supporting the physical, emotional and
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
spiritual needs of each patient.
Covering the spectrum of sights,
sounds and smells, Lakeside has a
Healing Garden that welcomes its
patients as they enter the hospital.
Sloping and tiered, the garden is
traced with a gurgling brook that is
lined with lush native grasses and
flowers. At the bottom of the brook
is a pond where colorful Japanese
kois cohabitate. Bountiful, natural
light filters through big bay windows
and to each private room in the
hospital.
All patient rooms at
Lakeside are private. Fresh baked
cookies and soothing music wafts
through the fireplace inlaid Family
Gathering areas where physicians
meet privately with families. Public
corridors are separate so patients are
not exposed to the noises. Homelike amenities such as internet
access, movies on demand, private
bath and lockable storage closets are
standard. Five Labor & Delivery
rooms are equipped with whirlpool
tubs. Patients and guests can order
meals through round-the-clock room
service rather than having to eat
bland hospital food at set times.
Visiting hours are a thing of the past
since patients can now have visitors
anytime. Private rooms have special
sofas that expand to beds for loved
ones. Full time chaplains and many
on-call ministers and priests attend
to the spiritual needs of patients as
13
well as a 100-square-foot stained
glass window Chapel that overlooks
the Healing Garden. When a baby is
born, a quiet rendition of a Brahms
lullaby is played throughout the
public areas of the hospital.
How much is it to stay at this
hospital? The price for a private
room is the same across the Alegent
System: $518 a day which is
comparable to some, if not most,
hospitals around town. With all its
up-to-date technology and soothing
home-like environment, Alegent
Health seems to be on the right track
on patient-centered care.
Only time will tell how this new
h o s p i t a l
f i t s
i n t o
Omaha¹s future. To quote Wayne
Sensor, CEO of Alegent Health,
³Balancing science and technology
with the human touch is what makes
Alegent Health exceptional...truly
the hospital of the 21st century.’
The WC Roving Reporter Makes
Some Pies...
M1- What is your favorite thing about
medical school?
Free Tim e
10%
M2- Who asks the most ?s in class?
Jenny Lee
intram urals
6%
other 16%
Brook
Yuknis
people 26%
Pam
"question
girl"
Mudd
lab/sm all
group 6%
free food
13%
Pat "O'so
many ?s"
O'brein
social 10%
learning
m edicine
13%
Dave
"R U really
surprised"
Rust
Pam Mudd on the Rove!
M3- Who has the most hair in the class?
Other
Mike "mo'
hair" Coffey
Anne
Furuseth
We all love your
blue eyes, Ross!
Stephanie
Larsen
Ross "no
hair" Pacini
Sam Foxbody hair
M4- What has been your favorite year in med
school?
M1+ M2 0%
(well at
least you
have
something
to look
forward
too…)
M3- the
learning
curve is
straight up
M4- its like
a vacation
Hey Pam, Kris
Kazlauskas would
like his favorite
Peach Pie next
time.
14 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
The Indie Rock
Scene in Omaha
By Med Nerd Rocker Chick, Nicole Christiansen
C
ertain that my sporadic album reviews and
musings on the local rock scene were missed
by my enormous fan club, I concluded that not
another issue of the Wellness Chronicle be
published without my input. But what to discuss?
Perhaps a better question is “what not?” Omaha is home
to Saddle Creek Records, the hottest indie (independent)
label in the country. The music scene is vibrant, with
numerous shows weekly, and hordes of talented
musicians. The best introduction to the music is a live
show, but if you can’t tear yourself away from Robbins or
Netter, at least buy an album or two. By Christmas break
you’ll be able to converse intelligently with the hipster
who makes small talk about Omaha in line at the mini
mart. My opinion on stuff worthy of your
free time and loan checks will follow. A
couple of the (school) year’s best shows
will be behind us by publication.
Tilly and the Wall played a sold-out show
at the Sokol with Rilo Kiley and Now It’s
Overhead on September 29. Tilly was
featured on MTV’s “You Heard It Here
First”, and Wild Like Children (the first
release from Team Love Records) has
benefited from a number of complimentary
reviews. What isn’t to love about a band of
four adorable people rocking out happily,
using a tap dancer for percussion? A number of M3’s
saw the band last spring, and bopped to the band’s
rendition of “Hey Ya”. Now It’s Overhead creates
beautiful, engaging music. I had to tear their self-titled
album away from my mom this summer. Rilo Kiley has
gotten all of the press, so I’ll let you read up on them in
the music or culture rag of your choice.
The Faint played the
Sokol Auditorium with
Beep Beep and the Fever
October 4. The newest
Faint album, Wet From
Birth, was released
September 14. I like the
new album, and find the
songs
equal
in
danceability to earlier
albums. The addition of
strings has thrown some
FALL 2004
fans off, but I feel they
are the element that
moves this particular
album forward.
The
album debuted at #99 in
the Billboard Top 200,
(the highest of any
release on Saddle Creek
Records) with #1 Top
New Artist Chart, #1
Alternative New Artist
Chart, and #2 Current
Electronic Albums Chart. The band had recent features in
Spin, Alternative Press, Nylon, Venus, and a host of other
magazines.
Thursday October 21: Q and Not U, El Guapo, Latitude,
Longitude. Prepare to dance! Washington DC’s Q and
Not U have great punkish dance songs that got the entire
house shaking last fall. Latitude, Longitude is one of the
newest bands to hit the local scene. The music is a
unique brand of post-punk and the lead singer is too cute
to miss!
Tuesday October 26: The Good Life, Neva
Dinova, The ‘89 Cubs. Tim Kasher has
another great band (The Good Life), and
Neva Dinova plays wonderful music. The
’89 Cubs are getting their music to the
masses on this tour. This truly is a
showcase of Omaha talent, and Album of
the Year (Good Life’s latest album) is yet
another Omaha release that stands up to
Saddle Creek’s stellar reputation.
Friday November 5: WEEN! What more
can I say? Ween is coming to Omaha and
it’s going to be awesome. If you haven’t heard Ween,
I’m sorry. Please go do something about your blatant
lack of musical silliness right now.
Sunday November 7: The Donnas, The Von Bondies,
Starlite Desperation. More non-Omaha bands to check
out. I’m sure you’ve read about the Donnas and the Von
Bondies even if you’ve never heard a single song. If you
have the time, go to the show. It should be fun.
There are tons of other shows, these are just the few that
I am going to try to attend if I can make the time. If you
want to know what is happening on any given night, hit
www.onepercentproductions.com
and
www.somedaynever.com to check upcoming shows.
Check out www.saddlecreekrecords.com if you have
never heard any local indie tunes. There are free M3Ps
for all artists on the label. You’ll be impressed by the
variety of music coming out of our fair city.
Living the rock-n-roll lifestyle so you don’t have to, Med
Nerd/Rocker Chick Nico.
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
preferred to
practice
taking blood
pressures with
the bell of
Ho’s stethoscope while using my
own stethoscope’s earpieces.
Despite these alarming displays of
incompetence, I have come to feel
more and more at home here at
Creighton. This was most apparent
in the days leading up to our first
anatomy exam.
Though all of us were
under the gun, everyone
I talked to was generous
with their time. They
wanted to form study
groups, were willing to
quiz me on lecture and
lab material, and share
their secrets to success. A plethora
of e-mails went out with mnemonics,
study guides, and links to practice
materials. M2s and TAs donated
their time to create practice
materials, put on review sessions,
and conduct a practice practical.
This week really showed me how
our class and the rest of the student
body came together to help each
other out. Still, our class is not all
work and no play.
We’re an
outgoing bunch who can unwind
with the best of them (Brian + 3
beers = regretfully unwound. Give
me a break I’m Asian). For these
reasons, the past weeks have been a
homecoming for me, and I imagine
for many other M1s. It may sound
cliché, but if you ever feel down,
surround yourself with other
classmates. This class has some of
A Homecoming
By Brian Nagao
T
hese last six weeks have
flown past at break-neck
speed.
It’s probably
because of our busy
schedule, lots of class time and
outside activities. It’s been a lot of
fun but also a lot of work and stress.
Some of us, like myself, have
wondered whether we have the
ability and the stamina to complete
this career path we have chosen.
People say that medical school can
make a person feel like a moron.
For me, it has become a full-blown
odyssey in idiocy. Personally, I
sometimes wonder how I even got
into Creighton. Did Dr. Nipper pull
my name out of a hat? Anatomy is a
source of concern. I’m not a big rote
memorization person so studying
takes a lot of time. It doesn’t help
when finding the right structure in
Netter’s plates is like playing a sick
game of “Where’s Waldo?”
A
person begins to think that he or she
studies too much when
anatomy works its way
into your dreams. In my
dreams, I think I still
manage to get it wrong. If
dreams are the windows
into our future, that
probably does not bode
well for me. For some
reassurance, I turned to
IPE. Surely, I could cut it
in the clinical arena, couldn’t I? My
IPE M4 might disagree, since I
15
the brightest minds, funniest
personalities, and wittiest senses of
humor of any student body.
Even though it’s early in the
semester, day-to-day life has settled
into a routine.
To avoid the
humdrum and keep it interesting, I
look for all the little things that make
the day unique. It’s a real treat to
have Dr. Yee as our teacher. I think
I have been more awake
in his lectures than the
sum of my undergraduate
years. He’s a dynamic
MCB and anatomy
instructor who could contend on the
“Last Comic Standing.” His ability
to tie facts to concrete analogies, like
cadherin proteins interacting like a
“zipper,” is not nearly as impressive
as his candor about the woes of an
unzipped fly but the good fortune
that no microscopes were handy.
It’s okay Dr. Yee. Other Asians
understand what it’s like to be a
people of small stature. Needless to
say, MCB is easy to sit through.
Needless to say, anatomy is not. In
defense of the professors, I confess
that in general, the sound of other
people’s voices puts me to sleep.
For my fellow M1s, if you ever get
bored in anatomy lecture, just look
for me in either seat B1 or M1. You
can take bets on how many times I’ll
nod off during lecture. I’d bet
around four
to five.
I
manage
to
take notes even while barely awake,
but I don’t know why I punish
myself. The unusable notes end up
looking like Sanskrit.
Kristin Berg’s Full of Kind Words:
Q: Who's your M2 buddy and are they cool?
A: With her M2 buddy coincidentally standing right
next to her, Kristin deftly responds, “Kelly Malloy. Yes.”
16 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Find Fall Fun at Preparation
Canyon State Park in the
Loess Hills
By Cathy White
I
have often heard it
said that if you’re
new to an area and
you want to find the
most scenic drives, you
should follow groups of
Harley riders on the
weekends because they’re
always headed for the best roads for pleasure rides. Upon
moving to this area to start medical school, I always
found the highest concentration of bikers cruising through
Iowa’s Loess Hills and for very good reasons! Did you
know that roadways through the Loess Hills were given
National Scenic Byway status in June, 2000 (thus making
it the newest National Scenic Byway in our fair land)?
Also, did you know the only state forest in western Iowa
is found in the Loess Hills of colorful, historic
Monona County? And if things couldn’t get any
better, abutting this unusual attraction (because,
let’s face it, everybody expects corn fields in
Iowa and not lush forests) is Preparation Canyon
State Park, which features astonishing hiking,
picnicking, and primitive hike-in camping.
With a name like Preparation Canyon (my
husband kept calling it “Preparation H Canyon”),
there had to be an interesting (or at least decent)
story behind the state park’s name. After
checking the park’s brochure, I learned that a town had
once been standing there by the name of Preparation.
This town was founded in 1853 by Charles B. Thompson,
who was originally in the Mormon wagon train from
Illinois bound to Utah, but broke from the train after
having a dispute with the leader, the famous Brigham
Young. Thompson and 50 to 60 other Mormon families
turned north from Council Bluffs (or Kanesville) and
chose to settle an area called "Monona" (an Indian name
meaning "Peaceful Valley"). These settlers founded a
town known as “Preparation” (thus named because they
saw their new settlement as a place of "Preparation for
the Life Beyond") that featured houses, schools, a court
house, and Monona County's first newspaper (which
Thompson owned and operated). After disagreeing with
Thompson a few years after settling down in Preparation,
several Mormon families chose to travel on to Utah to
rejoin the original party. (They probably should have
listened to Brigham Young
in the first place.) At one
point, Preparation had 67
houses, a post office, a
skating rink, and a
blacksmith shop. But by
Loess Hills
1900, the town had faded
and all that survived was a stockyard operation that
closed in 1946. For the purposes of creating a state park,
the Perrin family, descendants of the original Mormon
families, sold acreage in parcels to the state of Iowa that
eventually contained the entire townsite of Preparation
and the lovely valley their families had homesteaded so
many years ago.
It seemed to me that the Loess Hills themselves couldn’t
have been any steeper, the valleys between the hills
couldn’t have been deeper, and the woods couldn’t have
been thicker anywhere in the area than in the state park.
Within the park, a road straddles a ridge to lead to feefree picnic areas which include a group shelter (that can
be reserved for a fee for special events) a playground, and
the obligatory stinky latrines (so maybe a fancy wedding
reception shouldn’t be a special event held at the
“schedulable” shelter). Outside of the park, the ridge
road peels off into the state forest, and approximately one
mile west from the state park’s entrance is a very nice
decked overlook maintained by the state forest service so
that visitors can get a better idea of the topography and
local flora. Hiking trails (which are surprisingly steep if
you want a little challenge) originate up on the ridge by
the roads, with the greatest concentration of trails
originating in the state park and ending at the historical
site of Preparation’s court house. State park trails lead to
primitive camping sites that are either in a deep forest
setting or in a prairie setting on the edge of the forest
adjacent to a creek. To camp overnight, registration at the
courthouse site is required with a $9 fee. Dogs are
allowed in the park if they are leashed.
No autumn excursion into the Loess Hills would be
complete without
stopping at one of
many “you-pick-it”
fruit orchards dotting
the countryside. Due
to a craving for
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Caniglia's Venice Inn Restaurant:
Family Italian or Mafia Headquarters?
I
t's been a whole summer since my last trek around
town in search of stuff to do in Omaha. In this brief
issue of Mack Around Town I will review one of my
favorite establishments to frequent. I encourage you all to
check it out sometime. Also stay tuned for the next issue
of the Wellness Chronicle where I will have a special article: Mack Around San Francisco when I will review the
city and the Internal Medicine rotation we have there.
I recently had the pleasure of revisiting one of the first
restaurants I ever went to in Omaha. I came to Omaha
with my dad to find an apartment and it was then that we
first happened to stumble upon Caniglia's Venice Inn
“homegrown taste” in apples, we
stopped at Small’s Fruit Farm east of
Mondamin, Iowa. Patrons there can
either pick a minimum of a bushel of
apples themselves, or they can buy
pre-picked fruit in much smaller
quantities. (We opted for the latter
because we wanted to spend our
time making apple desserts! M3’s
in the “Group F” rotation got a
sample of Small’s apples in a
homemade strudel, so they can
verify this was a good use of time.)
Like many other fruit farms in the
area, Small’s offers a variety of
produce for sale and things made
from the produce including PIES. A
state forest ranger we met at the state
forest headquarters in Pisgah, Iowa
17
Restaurant. It was a 70's style building with a weird
drive-up canopy at the front entrance, but we thought
we'd give it a shot since we were feeling adventurous and
hungry. It turned out to be great and we really enjoyed
the place, not only for the food, but for the service and
atmosphere. It's on 72nd and Pacific and is affordable
with most dishes ranging from $10 to $15.
Family owned with a unique style (unique meaning they
never changed any of the furniture or gold fixtures from
the 70's), Caniglia's has quite a variety of foods to choose
from. From traditional pastas and sicilian dishes to
choice cuts of meat and seafood, it pretty much has something for anyone looking for a satisfying meal. To go
along with all of their food the wine selection is very
broad as you might expect. Perhaps the most enjoyable
thing about Caniglia's besides the friendly staff that treat
you as though you are their only customer is that it feels
like a hangout for big Italian mobsters. Now although
I've been known to come up with a conspiracy theory or
two (not to mention admitted hypochondriasis), I am willing to bet there is an Omaha Italian mafia solely based on
the existence of this restaurant. The most convincing evidence was the old bald Italian guy in a polyester jump suit
smoking a cigar in the bar off to the side of the main entrance. Plus the bar still had all of these old orange vinyl
chairs in it. If that isn't proof I don't know what is guys.
I've always been a big fan of movies like the Godfather,
and a part of me wishes I was in a mafia. Going to
Caniglia's allows me to indulge in this fiction while enjoying a great dinner and a nice glass of wine. If you see
me there you may notice my excessive gold jewelry, exposed chest hair and cologne- don't worry, it's all part of
the fantasy.
(south of Preparation) stated that
Small’s pies were the best in the
area, and highly sought after by “the
locals”. We had to take his word for
it, though – we didn’t buy any of
Small’s pies nor did we see any
Harley riders carrying pies on the
back of their “hawgs” (it might have
wrecked their images anyway – even
though they do have great taste in
places to ride).
Preparation Canyon State Park and
the Loess Hills State Forest can be
reached from Omaha by taking I-80
East to I-29, and heading north to the
Mondamin Exit (Exit 89 – or Iowa
State Highway 127); take 127 east
to Iowa State Highway 183 and head
north through Pisgah. Small’s Fruit
Farm is located 3 miles east of
Mondamin on Iowa Highway 127.
For a leisurely, lengthy Loess Hills’
experience, I recommend taking
Iowa State Highway 183 north out of
Council Bluffs and going through
Crescent and Missouri Valley. This
is a little tricky to find with current
construction in Council Bluffs, but
one can even pick-up Iowa 183 from
Crescent east of where I-680 joins I
–29. (If you leave Omaha by way of
I-680, you’ll cross the Missouri
River at Mormon Bridge on I-680;
just keep going straight on this road
past the turning exits to get on I-29
and you’ll end up at a stop sign in
Crescent that is a T-intersection onto
Iowa 183; then head north.)
18 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Learning Styles: Achieve
academic success with your senses
Surgery Follies: Moving limbs,
making memories
Continued from Page 6
recorder to either record lectures or record yourself
reading notes, texts, summarizing chapters, etc., creating
musical jingles, discussing your understanding of the
information with a study buddy, a tutor or a faculty
member, talking to yourself silently during a test or
recalling what someone else has said about the
information.
Visual processing includes use of charts, graphs, bubble
diagrams, using specific colors to highlight certain
information, using multimedia such as the Visual Human,
observing lecturers’ body language and facial expression,
watching demonstrations, closing eyes to be able to
visualize what has been seen or read.
Tactile processing includes taking copious notes in a
lecture, rewriting or typing notes, underlining or making
notes in the margin of books, circling words on paper
tests, using mnemonics that involve texture or “the feel of
something”, handling flashcards, working with “hands
on” materials.
Kinesthetic processing includes taking frequent breaks
to get up and move, using a “coloring book”, studying in
a standing position, reading on an exercise bike or
elliptical machine, pacing back and forth while reading,
exercising or running while listening to recorded
information, working at an easel board or blackboard,
using flashcards by laying them out to learn the sequence
of information, being able to move in the classroom
setting (pencil twirling, foot shaking, etc.)
Those are just a few ideas of how to increase your
understanding and retention of material. I would be
delighted to visit with you about this or any other
academic issues. I am located in the Office of Student
Affairs (Dr. Kavan’s new area) in room 490A. I can be
reached by phone at 280-3628 or by email at
lmpappas@creighton.edu. Happy studying!!!."
Continued from Page 9
and ready to pierce the skin, when for some unknown reason I decided to rest my foot on the base of the metal tray.
Somehow I managed to hit a release lever and the tray
(and arm) dropped what seemed like a foot. This time
there was absolutely no question of guilt, I was the only
one around besides the surgeon-believe me I checked!
Idiot move #2.
Pediatrics: Helping the
little people
Continued from Page 7
most important thing for future pediatricians
to remember is that a lot of kids will be depending on them to be their advocate and
voice. Therefore, pediatricians need to promote child advocacy on every level. Lastly,
don’t take yourself too seriously—sometimes
you need to think like the kids and be willing to play with the kids.
#3-"Super Contaminator": Tip number one, don't go
postal and flip over the entire sterile table with all of the
instruments. Okay, so I didn't actually do this, but I did
fantasize about it regularly. It's like one giant "do not
touch sign" and all you want to do is reach out and grab it.
I found my fantasy though was a good way to keep my
mind off how much my feet hurt and the fact that I really
didn't think I could retract a section of bowel one minute
longer with my leaden arm. I'd stand there and envision
letting out a barbaric yell, a la Xena Warrior Princess,
grabbing the edge of the table and upending it with all my
strength. Then I'd imagine how terrible the aftermath
would be. Could the scrub tech potentially reach the level
of rage my mother did when she found a condom in my
high school brother's shorts while ironing? I'm pretty sure
it's possible since I felt the scrub tech’s wrath on many an
occasion for other more trivial matters. Oh, it probably
was annoying when I took off the blue towel covering the
scopes thinking it was out of place. Whoops!-instant contamination and we needed to find a new set of scopes.
And I guess I could see how you'd be irritated when, in an
attempt to be helpful, you grab the X-ray machine to maneuver it into place with ungloved hands. Note to self, the
plastic bag covering the machine is not blue, but yes it is
sterile. Then there was the touching the goggles incident,
which I guess was really bad since I had to rescrub and
gown again. Most days, I literally felt like a time bomb in
the OR, and it was only a matter of time until I'd
contaminated myself or others around me. Let's
just sum all this up as multiple idiot moves.
In conclusion, the amazing thing about all of
this is I actually passed the rotation and my
evaluations really weren't too bad considering
the potential damage I might have caused. I
went in like a train wreck, but both the patients
and myself managed to survive the experience. I
actually ended up really enjoying surgery, and
I'm sure the nurses, techs and surgeons with
whom I worked often sleep restlessly knowing that it’s still on my list as a possible caRandom Picture #46: Dr.
reer.
Brauer’s Wild Ride.
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
19
new soccer stadium, renovated mall, and apartment-style
dorms. Pretty soon, Creighton’s campus will look like the
Garden of Eden, however there will be tumbleweed
blowing through this desolate paradise because no one is
brave enough to walk through the surrounding
ed
neighborhood to get there after parking five blocks away.
M
t d
s
e
Next up is one of my recurrent themes: fashion and my
n
i
Gr c k a
misunderstanding
of it altogether. In an age that suggests
n
n
’s A is Ba tha
and
embraces
individuality
and uniqueness, one would
a
ic nt er
.
r
expect
that
people
would
realize that they’re all
e
e
d
er
Am tud mad ev
wandering our part of the planet wearing the same yellow
S
bracelet. You know, the ones that are made by Nike™
and have the phrase “LIVE STRONG” imprinted on
them? I’m sure you are all aware that these flashy new
t’s been nearly five months since I last opened the
accoutrements are supported by Lance Armstrong (who,
gates, streaming onto paper a river of angst, but
by the time this article is published, will have won the
not to worry, for the river still flows and is
Tour de France two or three more times) and that their
channeled into this column.
purchase supports those living with cancer. Now don’t
I have for you some good news and some bad news.
get me wrong – I support any project that benefits cancer
Good news: Earlier this semester, at the ripe old age of
patients. However, I am
27 ½, I finally moved
yet to be convinced that
out of the 1950s and
more than 10% of those
began driving my first
who
wear
these
car ever with air
bracelets
made
the
conditioning.
Bad
purchase because they
news: I now have a
give a flying rat’s
new car, but cannot
posterior about Lance
park it within a two
Armstrong, the sport of
mile
radius
of
cycling, or even cancer
Creighton or CUMC.
patients. The fact that
I now wish that my
there are, at the time of
white coat was air
this writing, 1040 of
conditioned
after
them for sale on eBay
continuous bouts of
(where
each
sale
profuse
sweating
generates a whopping $0
while making the
for cancer patients)
scenic uphill walk
nd
speaks to the fact that
from 32 and Webster
many people are buying
to the hospital in 90
This man suspects the New York Mets will win the World Series before them to be cool and
degrees plus humidity.
adequate parking is established.
fashionable, i.e. because
What makes me feel
everyone else is doing it. As one who has habitually
even better about the situation is that I get to walk past a
relied on his stunning good looks rather than succumbing
2 square block plot of land owned by Creighton that’s
th
nd
to fashion trends, you won’t see me with any new wrist
bordered by 30 , California, Webster, and 32 Streets.
jewelry soon, although I am quite entertained that Mr.
This little piece of land is directly across from St. Joe’s
Armstrong has duped, I mean, persuaded, hordes of
and would be a great location for another parking lot
fashion-minded robots into raising money for a good
between now and when it becomes the site of the new
cause by selling them pieces of yellow plastic. Ingenious.
outpatient clinic. However, my best guess is that
I bet you weren’t aware that Nike™ also sells these hot
Creighton temporarily allotted it to the department of
items in a veritable rainbow of colors and emblazoned
Environmental Science for use in a landmark,
with other catchy phrases such as “TEAM,” “RESPECT,”
groundbreaking, yet-to-be-released study entitled
“BALLER,” and “PLAYER.” I’m anxiously awaiting the
“Which Species of Weeds Will Grow in an Abandoned
release of the ones that are a better fit for my personality:
Dirt Lot in an Urban Center of Eastern Nebraska?”
the ones that read “OLDER,” “CYNICAL,”
Meanwhile, our campus is booming with brand new,
See Rant: Page 20
recently completed, multimillion-dollar projects in the
!
t
n
a
by Mike Coffey
I
R
20 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
FALL 2004
Fall Events Calendar
By Kyle Ulveling
Welcome back everybody! This time of year is sport heavy, and this quarter’s social calendar is no different. We have two
soccer teams, two hockey teams, and a volleyball team all competing in the metro. There’s also some concerts and musicals
coming up in the big O. And yes, Dr. Kavan, you read correctly…Dolly Parton and Bette Midler are performing in Omaha
in the next 2 months!
Just so everyone gets there: CU Soccer Complex is at 19th and California. Omaha Civic Auditorium is at 20th and Capitol.
Qwest Center Omaha is at 10th and Dodge. Orpheum Theatre is at 16th and Harney. Mid America Center is on I-80, just east
of I-29 in Council Bluffs, IA.
Oct. 15…………………..………………………………………………...Rent at the Orpheum Theatre (runs through Oct 17)
Vanderbilt @ CU MS at the CU Soccer Complex
University of Northern Iowa @ CU WS at the CU Soccer Complex
Oct. 16………………….…………………………………………………..Tri-Cities @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Oct. 17………………….…………………………………………..Western Kentucky @ CU MS at the CU Soccer Complex
Illinois State @ CU WS at the CU Soccer Complex
Oct. 22………………..……………………………………………………...Southwest Missouri State @ CU VB at the Civic
Western Michigan @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Sioux Falls @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Oct. 23…………………….……………………………………………………………...Wichita State @ CU VB at the Civic
Western Michigan @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Oct. 26……………………..………………………………………………………………………WWE Smackdown! at QCO
Oct. 29………………………..……………………………………………Sioux City @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Oct. 30………………………….………………………………………………………………..Dolly Parton Concert at QCO
Chicago @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Nov. 5……………………………..……………………………………Cedar Rapids @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Nov. 9……………………………….…………………………………….Sioux City @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Nov. 10……………………………….………………………………………………………….Bette Midler Concert at QCO
Nov. 12………………………………..………………………………….University of Northern Iowa @ CU VB at the Civic
Bowling Green @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Nov. 13…………………………………..……………………………………………………..Bradley @ CU VB at the Civic
Bowling Green @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Nov. 19……………………………………..……………………………………………..Ohio State @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Nov. 20………………………………………..…………………………………………..Ohio State @ UNO Hockey at QCO
Nov. 26……………………………………………..……………………..Sioux Falls @ Omaha Lancers Hockey at the MAC
Rant: Live strong, park
far, walk long
Continued from Page 19
“RECEDING,”
and
“YET,
MYSTERIOUSLY
HANDSOME,” which are sure to be a hit with today’s
teenagers and twentysomethings.
Once again, here’s my latest list of medical school
terms and phrases that would be good names for a rock
band: Sphagnum Moss, Rusty Sputum, Phimosis,
Bloodgood, Neuropsychological Battery, One-handed
Release, Perihilar Haziness, Pain Pie, Pearly Penile
Papules, Clinical Pelvimetry, Aortic Impedance,
Bradyphrenia, Deadly Quartet, Shock Bowel, Feverfew,
Medical Castration, Renally Speaking, Virtual
Colonoscopy, Clinical Gestalt, Colon Cutoff, Lead Pipe
Colon, Steroid Enema, Bowel Rest, Predictably
Nephrotoxic, Interesting Wrinkle, Saturnine Gout,
Holiday Heart, Hemiblock, Electrical Alternans, and my
personal favorite this time – Frankly Purulent.
I extend my apologies to USMLE Step I, women, and
the fact that my Mets have a better chance at playing in
the Super Bowl than in the World Series – all topics that
space didn’t permit me to address this time. I guess I’ll
just complain about them to myself during my twenty
minute walk from the computer lab to my car. As always,
in the words of Dennis Miller: the preceding were all just
my opinions. I could be wrong.