Spring 2006 - Creighton University

EXTERNSHIPS GALORE!!!
Volume IX, Number 3
SPRING 2006
New In-House Ob/Gyn Rotation in
Phoenix Informative and Fun
By Katie Davis
P
It’s definitely a thriving institution; they are adding an
hoenix in February… do I need to say more?
additional 100 beds, and frequently the hospital was on
Well since this is supposed to be an article, I
divert status because it was full.
guess I will say more. Our group (the A team),
Personally, I always thought that there were a lot of
was the first to have the opportunity of spending
babies born at Creighton every year, but there are easily
one month of our OB/GYN rotation at St. Joseph’s
twice
as
many
Hospital in the land
deliveries at St. Joe’s
of the tan. It’s a 500(7,000/year).
Of
bed, busy Catholic
course, this meant
teaching hospital
that we got a ton of
located in downtown
hands on experience.
Phoenix. Not only
The faculty were
do they have a
superb - all were
booming
baby
eager to teach,
business, but they are
friendly, outgoing,
also world renowned
and, last but not least,
for neurosurgery
FUN.
There are
(ranked #7 in the
rumors that there is
USA), and it’s a
now a 4th year
Level 1 trauma
center.
There are
elective in GYN
multiple residency
surgery with Dr.
programs including
Michael Hibner at St.
P a t h o l o g y ,
Joe’s.
He is
Pediatrics,
definitely one of
Katie Davis and Lucy Esberg meet with Dr. James Balducci of St. Joseph’s
Medicine, and of
t h e
m o s t
Hospital in Phoenix to go over everything from hockey, HelloMoto phones, Dr.
(Continued on page 2)
course OB/GYN.
Fleming gossip during the “good ol’ days,” and of course, delivering babies.
2
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
(Continued from page 1) Phoenix Rotations
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Editors in Chief:
Yukari Kawamoto
Andrew E. Kummer
This Issue’s Writers:
Dr. Michael Kavan, Ph.D.
Marcia Cusic
Linda Pappas
Mike Coffey
Mack Eleid
Kyle Ulveling
Cathy White
Katie Davis
Lucy Esberg
Pam Mudd
Mel Roca
Adam Barker
Ryan Basham
Justin Birge
Adam Duke
Brian Nagao
Sarah Parker
David Soma
Matt Boylan
Eric Peeples
Kara Watterson
JD Welander
Casey Woster
This issue’s winning
classes: The Classes of
2007 and 2008!!
SPRING 2K6
entertaining docs you will ever
meet, and he loves to teach.
For those of you out there who
want an opportunity to practice your
Spanish, this is the place for you.
More than 50% of the patient
population was Spanish-speaking
only, and this really made me wish I
could speak the language. I did
make an attempt with “tiene
dolor?” (do you have any pain?),
but realized that was fruitless when
It’s all about teamwork! Dr. Todd
they replied with a long explanation LaRoque, Ob/Gyn Chief Resident, helping
and I had no idea what they were
the first batch of Creighton students in
saying.
Phoenix pump some iron to build up
Housing was provided free of
muscles for delivering moose babies.
charge. A large group of clean,
comfortable apartments originally built for the nuns are now used to house
residents and students. Although the hospital is just a five minute walk away,
you will need a car to enjoy the things that Phoenix has to offer. Great hiking is
just minutes from the hospital, and in places like Sedona (a two hour drive). One
weekend the hospital gave us tickets to the Phoenix Open. Yukari Kawamoto,
Lucy Esberg, and I, along with 168,000 other people, attended the tournament on
a sunny, 80 degree Saturday. The best of all was golfing the last Sunday we
were there, at the Phoenician.
Apparently the partnership with St. Joseph’s Hospital will be expanding in
the future to include other rotations such as pediatrics. The three of us really had
a great experience, and it was obvious that the people in Phoenix really went to a
lot of work to make sure that happened. So in case I haven’t made myself
clear… this is a GREAT opportunity! Take advantage of it!
„
St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center
Phoenix, Arizona
Statistics (Fiscal Year 2004)
Admissions: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36,241
Emergency Room Visits: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56,420
Outpatient Visits: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .304,229
Outpatient Surgeries: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,602
Inpatient Surgeries: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,992
Babies Delivered: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,968
Type of Hospital:. . . . . . . . .Regional acute care
Member of:. . . . . . . . .Catholic Healthcare West
Year Opened:. . . . . . . . .1895
Licensed Acute Beds:. . . . . . . . .536
(does not include 50 Neonatal ICU beds)
Nurses (employees):. . . . . . . . .1087
Research (employees):. . . . . . . . .155
Total Employees (employees):. . . . . . . . .4,000
Medical Staff:. . . . . . . . .1,561
Residents:. . . . . . . . .179 in 12 specialties
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
3
Selling Our Bodies—For A Good Cause
By Andy Kummer
O
n a Thursday night in the dead of winter,
while the weather was turning bitterly cold
outside, it was sizzling inside the Skutt
Student Center Ballroom as 25 of the hottest
professional students strutted their stuff on the runway at
the 1st annual Date Auction for AID India.
Students from the medical school, law school, and
dental school were paraded in front of a crowd of
approximately 150 undergraduates, fellow classmates,
and even the occasional medical school chaplain. Each
“dream date” got a chance to pick what music they
wanted to have playing in the background while they
were being bid on. Selections ranged far and wide,
Jason Beste (M2) shares a laugh with his date,
undergraduate Caroline McGroder..
including Jay-Z, Weather Girls, and Bon Jovi. Each date
was also associated with a date package, which included
dinners at Blue, InPlay, and many others. The personal
styles of each of the men and women were unique; M1
Josh Jansen wooed the ladies by throwing roses into the
crowd (let’s hope the thorns were cut off). M2 Carl “The
Hoog” Hoogesteger shed various articles of clothing in
his efforts to up the ante.
M2 Rita Roykhman
distinguished herself by winking and puckering her lips at
all the eligible undergraduate bachelors. One constant,
however, between all of the dates was the amount of
money they all raked in. The high bid of the night was
for M1 Joe Correau; he went for a whopping $180, which
is an amount that goes a long way in rural India. The end
result of the copious amounts of eye candy displayed
before all in attendance was approximately $2500 for
AID India.
AID (Action in Disabilities) India is an organization
that was established in 1992 as a registered trust with the
primary focus being the welfare of people with
disabilities in rural areas. As the organization became
increasingly aware of the many needs of the outlying
communities, they enlarged their objectives to include the
support of rural women, children, and people with special
needs. Over the past several years, they have enabled
programs centered on education, awareness, and the
promotion of social and economic development of these
groups. Most recently, they have been involved in the
reparation process in the aftermath of the tsunami in that
region that devastated southern India, among other
countries.
While in India working for Project Cure last summer,
M2 Helen Fasanya made a lot of connections with the
people in the area and AID India. In September she got
an email stating a growing need for funds toward a
mobile clinic that was being planned in the area. After
seeing an undergraduate flyer for another organization’s
date auction, Fasanya realized that such an event was a
potential solution to the money that AID India needed.
Once the groundwork was laid, the Date Auction for AID
India was born.
The night was
carried by M2 Scott
Atay and M4 Dave
Anderson,
who
worked as the MC and
a u c t i o n e e r ,
respectively.
These
two were truly a
hilarious spectacle to
behold as they kept
the pace of the night
moving. Atay did a
great job of building
each date up to
glorious
heights
before
quickly
knocking them off
their
p r o v e r b i a l Emily Anderson (M2) puts out the
pedestal with various vibe, while Dave Anderson (left)
verbal jabs, to which and Scott Atay put on the show.
he always received
thunderous laughter.
(Continued on page 25)
4
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
S
ince our last Shrink Rap, which covered a
variety of issues in the world of psychology, was
such a hit, I thought it might be nice to continue
to update you on the fascinating world of
psychology and its application to medical students and the
world of medicine. So, here we go…
Sleep? Bring it On…Please!
As many of you may well know, sleep allows us to
process, consolidate, and retain new memories and skills.
Did you know that depriving a person of a night’s sleep
after learning a new skill results in a significant reduction
in what he/she has just learned? And, that effect persists
even after a couple nights of subsequent normal sleep. It
is important to know that these effects have historically
thought to apply only to procedural memories (i.e., motor
and perceptual skills), but not declarative memories (i.e.,
remembering tasks). However, in a 2004 article in the
journal Nature, Jay Born, M.D. gave participants a math
test that required them to use a set of complex rules to
convert 8-number
strings of digits into
new,
7-number
strings, and then to
identify the last
number in the new
string. But there was
a trick to make this
task easier:
the
second number the
participants
calculated
was
always the same as
the last number of
“Oh boy sleep! That’s where I’m a the new string.
viking!”
Interestingly, when
the participants first
took the test, none recognized the trick. After a night of
sleep, though, 13 out of 22 participants caught on.
However, only 5 of the 22 participants who were retested
after the equivalent amount of daytime wakefulness got it.
Robert Stickgold at Harvard Medical School summarized
the sleep research by saying: “If you’re going to be tested
on 72 irregular French verbs tomorrow, you might as well
SPRING 2006
stay up late and cram, but if they’re going to throw a
curveball at you and ask you to explain the differences
between the French Revolution and the Industrial
Revolution, you’re better off having gotten some sleep.” –
Source: APA Monitor (January 2006).
Emotions and Coronary Heart Disease
A recent study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine
suggests, once again, a link between emotions and
coronary heart disease (CHD). This study examined
1,306 men from the Veterans Administration Normative
Aging Study who were administered a revised Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory in 1986 and then
followed for an average of 10.9 years for CHD endpoints
including angina pectoris, MI, and fatal CHD. In all, 161
developed CHD. Results demonstrated that isolated
anxiety, isolated anger, and shared general distress were
each associated with CHD risk. When all emotions were
considered simultaneously, only isolated anxiety and
shared general distress were associated with incident
CHD. So what’s this mean for you and your patients?
The authors suggest that general distress and irritability
common to the three negative emotions are a key factor
associated with CHD risk, although anxiety and anger
may have different and unique effects leading to specific
CHD outcomes. They continue by stating that isolated
anxiety was weakly associated with the development of
angina, but more strongly associated with the
development of fatal and
nonfatal MI.
The role of
isolated depression is still
being debated. The key here is
that negative emotions affect
physiology, which affects the
development of CHD.
Therefore, do what you can to
keep these in check. Take
measures to relax through deep
breathing, listening to music, and so forth. Work off
stress and combat depression through exercise. Also,
monitor your thinking and replace unproductive and
irrational thinking with more rational thoughts. Finally,
do what you can to buffer yourself from negative
(Continued on page 12)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
5
Things I’ve Learned
By JD Welander
M
in Med School
ed school has been one of the biggest
adventures of my life thus-far. As most
adventures go hand-in-hand with a steep
learning curve, I thought I’d share some of
the insights and observations from an M1’s perspective.
First of all, I’ve learned that dental rage is normal and that
everyone experiences it. I think
you know what I’m talking
about… it’s five ‘til eight and
you just turned the corner
onto Burt Street with a
straight shot to the parking
lot. But just as you get ready
to warp down the street, you
see the slow-moving pack of
suits, ties and high-heels
beginning to engulf the open
road in front of you. Briefly, an image of a tumor
breaking through the basement membrane into the blood
vessel flashes through your brain as you keep reaching for
the gas, but you catch yourself just in time and take a
deep breath as you apply the brake and look at your
“What Would Kavan Do?” bracelet. After the
migration has passed, you manage to find a
parking spot within the city limits and then
sliiiide unnoticed into a back row seat, only
to discover that you can’t pay attention or
focus on what the professor is talking about.
Again, I have found this to be normal phenomena, but I
have discovered a method to combat this problem. In
speech class they sometimes tell you to visualize the
audience in their underwear to relax your nerves – well, I
have found that it is helpful to visualize the professor
speaking to the class in a silk robe. Nothing inappropriate
(as we are all professionals here), but now you can relax
and listen; they are just like you and me, sharing a story.
If you still are having trouble I have found adding a glass
of scotch in one hand and a cigar in place of the Power
Point remote will completely disarm the situation and
allow the learning to truly begin – hope it helps.
Another thing I’ve learned here is that I’m finally in a
safe place to let down my guard and let my nerdiness be
known. When people asked
me to go out with them in
undergrad I always said
something like “Wow, I’d
love to, but I’ve got this
really hot date.” Now I just
tell the truth and say, “No
way! Battlestar Galactica is
on tonight.”
And their
response usually is “Oh,
good point, why didn’t I
JD and JD… sharing
think of that?”
similar stories, similar
All of us tend to be a
outrageous thoughts…
little off during these years,
maybe Scrubs is more
and we learn the tests that realistic than we thought.
can prove it.
Such as
knowing that you would fail a mini mental status exam
(MMSE), when you call home after studying for hours
and answering your parents’ “How are you doing?” with
“Gram positive, oh, I mean in the acute phase,
working on VDJ recombination so that I can
phagocytose the boards… how are your
centromeres doing?” I study a lot at coffee
shops and I have noticed that I am beginning to
view people a little differently. Without fail, as I’m
figuring out whether or not I’m statistically significant, a
couple of high schoolers sit down nearby and start talking
about their “relationship” and “where things are going.”
As I try to block them out, I think to myself, “Just be
patient JD, after all they are in the midst of the Erickson’s
stage of Identity Role Confusion and are still trying to
integrate their many roles and develop a cohesive selfimage which will be modified and
adjusted throughout their early adult
years as they encounter new
challenges and times of crisis.” I think
it is summed up best with an adapted
quote from Garth Algar: “Med school
is like a new pair of underwear; at first
it’s constrictive, but then it becomes a
part of you.” Hope you’ve been
having a good year.
„
6
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
FACULTY PROFILE: DR. WILLIAM HUNTER
By Ryan Basham
I
have this theory. It’s actually more of a diagnosis
than a theory, but here it goes: If you perform a
mini-mental status exam on a doctor with 35 years
or more clinical experience, you will notice subtle
changes in their cerebral functioning. With so much
knowledge accumulated, the brain develops difficulties
delivering information and deciphering what is “on-task”
and what is a tangent.
This disorder I have named for two men of whom I’ve
followed closely with this affliction: Dr. William Hunter
and Dr. Art Basham, my dad. I call it Hunter-BashamRamble-Tangent syndrome. The risk factors for this
disorder are white-haired male doctors in their sixties,
with a peak-incidence later in their medical careers.
Clinical presentation includes bearded doctors giving
lectures or delivering information with chronic
interruption by long-winded tangents, sporadic random
data, and Cliff Claven-like “little known facts.”
For example, a thought in Dr. Hunter’s brain might say
something like, “lecture about the heart today, Bill.”
However, what comes out is an 8-minute walk down
memory lane about how he became famous for blurting
out “amyloidosis!” during a pimping session when he was
a 3rd year. Although the exact etiology of this syndrome
is largely unknown, there must be a genetic component to
it because Dr. Hunter and my dad look so strikingly
similar!
Perhaps Dr. Hunter and my dad were twins secretly
separated at birth, having both grown up in Northern
California. Nonetheless, Dr. Hunter was raised amidst
sea breezes and trolley cars in the outer sunset district of
San Francisco where his father was stationed in the
military. During his youth, he, like many other “army
brats,” moved around quite a bit, even jumping between
three different high schools.
Eventually he landed in Japan at Sophia University
where he majored in East Asian Studies. Originally, the
young and world-minded Dr. Hunter had intentions of
one day working for the U.S. State Department as a
Junior Service Officer, but he was soon disillusioned by
U.S. foreign policy and the international relations that
manifested during the Vietnam War. So, he moved back
to the states to finish up college at Gonzaga University,
where he pursued an interest in field biology. As fate
would have it, a visiting Jesuit by the name of Fr. Reinart
was recruiting pre-med science students to a magical
place in the Midwest called Creighton.
Although there were less unicorns, lollipops, and
sunshine than his dreams had forecast, Omaha became
home to Dr. Hunter for four years of medical school at
good ‘ol CUMC. He went on to complete his pathology
residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center and
later worked for several years in the medical branch of the
armed services, including a two-year obligation in Korea.
After spending several years as director of the blood bank
at KUMC and assistant professor within the department
of pathology, Dr. Hunter finally returned to Creighton in
1980.
Since then he has been director of the laboratory,
director of the residency program, associate dean of
academics, and professor of pathology. Apart from the
occasional misspelling of words in the small group cases,
Dr. Hunter points to several other positive contributions
to our medical curriculum. For instance, he helped
formalize the instructional material for courses in
interviewing and the physical exam. Furthermore, he
established the Clinical Assessment Center and
implemented the use of standardized patients for the
application of clinical skills.
If that wasn’t enough, Dr. Hunter was also one of the
driving forces behind the technologication of the medical
school with personalized student email accounts, online
testing procedures, and the construction of Creighton’s
own testing site for National Board Examinations.
Ultimately, we can thank Dr. Hunter for the ability to take
a sexual history, check our email, and have a few drunken
laughs at the awkwardness of our first history and
physical on our very own VHS copy!
All of this comes without mention of the fact that Dr.
Hunter is a walking Robbins textbook. Marcia Cusic
states it best: “The man can lecture about anything
because he knows at least something about everything!”
If the medical school needed someone to fill a 50-minute
time slot and talk about the increasing incidence of
frostbite among peoples living at the equator, Dr. Hunter
would come up in the clutch. He’d be pulling out charts,
micrographs, and pictures of
sectioned livers faster than you Match the correct
can say, “endo-thee-um.” Now sequence:
that’s got Golden Apple a.) Dr. Hunter, Dr. Hunter,
material written all over it! „ Dr. Hunter
b.) My dad, Dr. Hunter,
Dr. Hunter
c.) Dr. Hunter, my dad, Dr.
Hunter
d.) None of the above
1
2
3
Answer: C
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
7
Pet Therapy
By Justin Birge
T
wo things always strike me about pet therapy.
First of all, when people find out my dog and I
are going to “pet therapy” they usually ask
why, or if I really pay for my dog to see a
shrink. This situation is quickly diffused by a simple
explanation. I am also always amazed at the response
people have to animals. I can walk into a hospital room
accompanied by Lucy, and a room full of strangers is
suddenly bursting forth with conversation and affection
for her. It is easy to compare this to a similar situation in
which I enter without the dog as a random person off the
street. It is usually not the same reaction.
Canine Visitation (sorry cat lovers) or “Pet” Therapy
is becoming commonplace in health care settings around
the world.
Here in Nebraska there are several
organizations that coordinate four-legged volunteers, and
some hospitals like Children’s and UNMC have “staff”
therapy dogs that see patients on a regular basis. Visits to
assisted living, psychiatric, and hospice care facilities are
further examples of pet therapy at its most efficacious.
Generally speaking, a pet therapy session involves a
group of patients who know the animals are coming to
visit. These are not specially trained dogs or even
specific breeds. Most dogs simply pass a few obedience
and hospital-related anxiety tests before beginning their
role as a healer. The American Kennel Club has a
“canine good citizen” certification that some of the more
involved therapy organizations require, but any animal
that is well-behaved and friendly can be a therapy dog.
Therapy sessions are generally recreational and patients
form a bond with the dog by petting, shaking hands, or
the most endearing thing a patient can do, giving treats.
This may all sound like some hippie, tree-hugging
mumbo jumbo to a lot of you (Ratino). However, there
have been a large number of studies done on the
physiologic effects of pet therapy and animal
companionship, as well as the implications of these
effects on health. The root of most positive effects gained
from pet therapy lies in stress reduction. During pet
visitation, patient epinephrine levels have been shown to
decrease 17%, compared to only 2% with human
visitation. With this decrease in sympathetic activity, a
host of positive outcomes are observed. Systolic and
diastolic blood pressures are significantly reduced during
therapy sessions, and patients report a 24% decrease in
anxiety.
Along with decreased blood pressure,
cardiovascular effects such as decreased triglycerides and
Lucy: the star of the show.
increased one-year survival rates following myocardial
infarction are associated with dogs.
Psychiatric and pediatric patients also greatly benefit
from pet visitation. In a study of 230 patients, regular pet
visitation reduced anxiety (based on pre- and post-therapy
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores) in all patients, and
one-time recreational visits proved therapeutic for those
patients with mood disorders. Canine visitation has also
been proven to reduce perceived pain in children. Pets
reduce anxiety in a similar way physiologically, while
also distracting the pediatric patients with more
comforting thoughts and memories.
Strange as it may seem, canine visitation improves
patient wellness and health care outcomes. As studies
continue on pet therapy and pet ownership, the positive
effects of canine companionship are gaining advocacy.
Though not all hospitals and clinicians have accepted the
therapeutic effects of pets, even the closed-minded
(Wolpert) cannot argue with such data. Rather than
seeing a therapy dog as simple fun, a distraction, or even
a nuisance, you might want to think of them as a
colleague.
„
8
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
It’s Nagao’s World
By Brian Nagao
A
s the medical school community has noticed,
"boards" is the buzzword on all second year
students' minds. In my mind, no single word
evokes such profound feelings of sheer
contempt. I understand that the NBME protects the
public by ensuring that physicians are competent, but
where does something like the Weigert-Meyer Rule (an
actual board question) fit in? “When duplicate embryonic
ureters exist, the superior of the two migrates to ectopic
locations.” It is arguable that a nephrologist or even a
neonatologist would consider this point utter minutia.
Just knowing that the NBME tests such fluff makes my
soul ache; so to the NBME, I can only congratulate you
on your success in sucking the marrow out of what was
once an eager, fresh-faced medical student. A pivotal
moment occurred while I was registering for Step 1. I
contemplated that the $455 for the test could go toward a
new life in Mexico or some other non-extradition treaty
country. But, as Bobby Mosiman so eloquently noted,
this would have
been the equivalent
of saying “Sucka!”
to my dad, who
would have to foot
the bill when I
default on my
federal and private
loans. Instead of
bill collectors and
federal agents, I
would be tracked
down by an ornery
J
man
“You paid $455 for WHAT?!? Why a p a n e s e
armed
with
a
9-iron.
don’t you take that money, go
The curriculum
somewhere warm, and get a tan you
in
the first two
pasty freaks!!”
years is a shotgun
approach to understanding the human being and its
diseases. We must learn about the human body from
head to toe; from gene to protein to cell to tissue to organ
to system, nearly every little hiccup along the way that
leads to disease, and nearly every method for treating
these diseases. It is no wonder that a study of the medical
student body of the University of Massachusetts revealed
that the rate of depression increases disproportionately
over the course of medical school when compared to
other people of similar age. My dear friend Andrew
Cleary most accurately and succinctly described second
year as an act of attrition. My existence is a tedious one,
a never-ending cycle of low-yield (at times negativeyield) studying early in the week, followed by modest
improvement later in the week and weekend, all ending in
the customary Monday MDQ or final exam. This reality
is littered only with frequent busywork and the dodging
of bullets in small group. I would not say that med school
has made me more cynical and more jaded, but it has
changed me in some ways, at least temporarily. For
example, my fuse is about as short as the sprouts on
Scottie Atay's head. Growing up and living in Hawaii,
you never use your car horn, unless you are in the
motorcade of a just-married
couple. But these days I will
give the driver in front of a
red light a half-second grace
period to hit that gas when
the light turns green before
he gets the horn; and I'm not
talking about those cute little
honks [translation: “Sir, the
light is now green and you
may proceed through the
intersection.”], I am totally
laying on it [translation: “Hit
the gas, you rube, unless you
want to become roadkill!”].
Because second year is an
New research out of
act of attrition, it forces
Creighton University
students to reach deep down
suggests that 4 cans of Diet inside and muster up the
Pepsi per day could help to r e s o l v e t o o v e r c o m e
alleviate COPD symptoms. adversity.
Students will
The International Olympic learn about their strengths
Committee has also stated a n d l i m i t a t i o n s a n d
it will begin testing for it as incorporate this knowledge
a performance-enhancing into their lives. For instance,
drug. Store vendors are the respiratory course taught
advised to be on the
me many things. I learned
lookout for Barry Bonds.
(Continued on page 17)
10 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
M2 Intramural Sports Update
By Sarah “Jessica” Parker & Dave “Super” Soma
A
fter picking up four more trips to
championship games (resulting in three
championships) in dodgeball and volleyball,
the M2 class is back to show off their mad
skillz in basketball. The intramurals are off and running
this spring with basketball, one of Creighton’s most
popular intramural sports (second to soccer of course).
The class has put together six terrific teams, all with
chances of winning their championships. There are 3
men’s teams, two co-ed teams, and a women’s team. It is
only fitting to get the party started with the ladies.
The Sure Things - The
Sure Things are back and
ready to make a run. With
the likes of “AK 47”
Annie
Knierem,
newcomer Kelly Beffert ,
“Rec-Spec” Susi Hupp,
and many other talented
ladies, this team strikes
fear into the hearts of
many with a current record
of 3-1. Being fortunate
enough to watch these
girls, I have seen a lot of
very exciting plays. Emily
Goggles have long been part Ladner has perfected the
of the Hupp heritage, dating “look away from the hoop”
back to her great-uncle
shot. Erica Schindel has
Jimbo, seen here before a mastered shooting, yelling
trans-Atlantic flight.
for a sub, and disciplining
her son simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Julie Ingwerson is simply perfection on the
court. This team brings out a good crowd and is starting
to click on all cylinders. If this team’s lungs and legs can
stay with them, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Hupp Dreams - This co-ed A team couldn’t be more
appropriately named because only in your dreams, or
down at the Skutt, could you see such a talented bunch of
hoopsters. These guys and gals are on an absolute tear
(after losing their first game due to lack of personnel)
rattling off four straight victories, including one over the
defending champs. The highlight of the year most
definitely was the game winning tip-in by Joe Nahas with
time expiring against Mixed Apples. We can expect big
things from this team in the playoffs as they will have
enough players and lots of experience. The only phrase
to describe this explosive team is: BOOM GOES THE
DYNAMITE!!
Safe Sets - After a
disappointing loss in the Bvolleyball championship game
the team picked up Pete Graham
and Jason Beste to join them (and
their headbands) for the
basketball season in the co-ed B
league. With two games lost at
the buzzer, the Safe Sets’ 1-4 record hardly depicts how
the team had performed this season. It is hard to compete
against teams that consistently bank in three-pointers.
Nevertheless, as it has always been with this group, they
continued to prove that “you can’t teach heart.” In fact
superstar Jason Beste has even been known to put up so
many points (and high fives), that he sweats the shape of
a heart through his red t-shirt. Despite the struggling
regular season, we predict that the Safe Sets’ luck will
change in the playoffs. <Editor’s note: It didn’t>
The Seattle Supersomas - This men’s A team is the
Rumor has it that Hickory high school’s Jimmy Chitwood
patented his shooting technique after that of Downtown
Dahl.
returning champion from last year, but the competition
has only gotten better. Despite facing former Creighton
players and others, the Seattle Supersomas remain
undefeated going into the playoffs. This team consists of
several stars from the M2 class, including:
Dan
"Downtown" Dahl, “Jumpin’” Justin Birge, Joe "Not In
My House" Nahas, “Big Shot” Bobby Mosiman, and
Dave “Super” Soma himself. Combine this with two
undergrad stars and a super tall M3 Dusty Ward, and
these studs are virtually unstoppable; the eight players
(Continued on page 17)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
11
M1’s holding their own in Intramural Basketball
By Kara Watterson and Casey Woster
I
t has been an exciting intramural basketball season
thus far for the M1 class, full of ups and downs,
wins and losses, swishes and airballs. Here is a
brief recap of the efforts of the Women’s, Men’s
and Co-Ed teams.
The Hot Shots, not wanting to intimidate the other
teams of the Women’s A League, started the season off
with a 53-31 loss to the Inserters (feel free to insert a joke
about the team name right here). While the score looked
a little lop-sided and did lead to rumors of the team pointshaving to please the bookies, the Hot Shots maintained
that they were only playing for the love of the game.
Despite this slow start, week three of the season was a
turning point as the girls outscored the Carroll Farmers
57-36. The girls now
feel
unstoppable.
Although their record
is 1-4, the Hot Shots
are undeterred; they
have the other teams
exactly where they
want them, and these
ladies are just waiting
to strike.
Their
improved play even
has some big names in
college basketball
talking.
Creighton
men’s
basketball
coach Dana Altman
put it best when he “Are those the Hot Shots? There
said, “I know they’re goes my stress incontinence….”
girls, but I’m sure as
heck happy that my boys don’t have to take the court
against them come playoff time.”
Much like the women, the M1 men’s basketball teams
are also off to a great start. That is, of course, if one
disregards the disappointing effort put out by Fridowin
Gamesley thus far. Off to a 2-2 record in the A League,
the lone bright spots on this team have been the shooting
of KFC Player of the Week Erik Sviggum and the
reckless abandon of Fritz “Coast-to-Coast” Hoesly. In an
attempt to spark his team for a playoff run, forward Mike
Smith has promised to shatter the backboard with a
reverse dunk during the next game. It remains to be seen
if such a bold pregame prediction will hold true.
A much stronger effort has come from 6 Guys and a
Squirt. With a record of 3-1-1, the only major setback
came in the first game of the season when the team was
forced to settle for a tie. This spurred a profanity-laced
tirade by left-hand
layup
specialist
James Nelson in
which he claimed,
“…a tie is like
kissing
your
sister...”
Just to
clarify, James later
admitted that he has
n e v er
a c t u al ly
kissed his sister and
James has cooties! James has
was just trying to
cooties! Girls are gross….
make
a
point.
Regardless
of
Nelson’s inflammatory statements, the playoff future of
this team looks to be in good hands as they will be led by
guard Brian Hollis, who is coming off of a Kobe Bryantlike 81 points in last week’s thrashing of some helpless
dental school team.
The pride and joy of M1 men’s basketball to this point
has been The Football Team. With a record of 4-1, this
squad is dominating the C League. Discussions of the
pinpoint accuracy of Brandon Newgard and the “And
One” mix tape handles of “The Professor” Patrick
Grathwohl merely scratch the surface of their skills.
Confidence literally flowed from the post-capillary
venules of team captain Jim Kappenman when he was
asked about his team’s chances in the C League playoffs.
He replied, “C league? Forget the C League; we’d be the
best team in the Missouri Valley Conference if we didn’t
have better things to do like practice Murphy’s kidney
punch.”
Last but certainly not least, the efforts of Shannon
Pinkelman’s Team deserve mentioning. Not only is this
team off to a excellent 3-1-1 start in the Co-Rec B
League, rumor also has it that they are in the running for a
special award given at the end of the season for the most
creative team name. According to inside source and NBA
analyst Bill Walton, SPT won their last game on a buzzerbeating, left-handed skyhook bankshot (she called it) by
Allison Van Haastert that was assisted by team captain
Shannon Pinkelman. Way to go!!!
It is certainly evident that all of the M1 basketball
teams are “holding it down” as the kids would say these
days. It should be fun to see how they all finish in the
playoffs. Good luck to all the teams!
„
12 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
Physician-Assisted Spirituality: A Reflection
on the Physician’s Role In Spiritual Growth
By Marcia Cusic
CUSOM Chaplain
A
nne is my wife, my inspiration, and my best
friend. I worked in D.C. She worked in
Silver Spring. I became her chauffeur back
and forth to work for three years. Our
conversations to and from her job revolved around the
events of her day as a nurse manager for a palliative care
service. My work as Director of Spiritual Formation for
lay ministers at a graduate school for theology and
ministry provided a wonderful bridge for our
conversations. As she spoke and reflected on her care for
the dying, the issue of spirituality provided the common
ground for our sharing. Beyond the pain management,
the pharmaceutical protocols, the ventilators, the feeding
tubes, etc. was always the person whose greater issues
and needs dealt with a suffering not caused by physical
pain but the prospect that soon their life would be over.
It was about last wishes, fears of unresolved issues, the
need for forgiveness, the struggle to let go, the need to
know and be known, the deep desire to tell one’s story
and express how he/she wanted to be remembered. It was
all about maintaining dignity as a human person in this
wrenching experience called dying. Through Anne, I
have come to know wonderful people who have dedicated
their lives to accompanying people through the dying
process and embrace or recover a spirituality that truly
gives life in the midst of physical diminishment. I have
come to be a collaborator in this process – a companion
with her on this faith journey. What I share in this
reflection focuses on the physician’s role in facilitating
spiritual growth with patients with advanced illness who
are often facing the end of life.
The debate of physician-assisted suicide, made famous
by Dr. Kevorkian in Michigan, drew mixed reviews
depending on how you viewed the issue. Some saw this
as very wrong whereas others were more willing to
entertain such a radical view. As we examine the role of
spirituality and healthcare, we see professional healthcare
providers as facilitators of a conversation that emanates
from the deepest part of the human person. This
conversation is frightening and yet consoling, complex
yet simple, time intensive yet so necessary. Like
physician-assisted suicide, some would argue that
physician-assisted spirituality is an oxymoron. It is the
role of the chaplain or the pastor, not the physician, to
engage in this kind of conversation.
Reprinted with permission from GWish News, Fall 2005.
Article by Thomas J. Butler, Th.M.
Mount St. Mary’s University
Emmitsburg, Maryland
Yet, it is frequently the doctor who gets caught in the
crossfire as one wrestles with news of a terminal disease
and cannot make sense of it. It is often the doctor that
many trust, even more so than the minister or pastor. It is
the physician, I maintain, who holds the sacred trust
needed to evoke the healing process that all too many of
his/her peers would sooner flee from and leave to the
chaplain.
I would like to offer three reflections to encourage
physician-assisted spirituality.
Sit down – When visiting my primary physician, I am
amazed at his ability to be present and ask the questions
that seem to transcend the physical symptoms. It is the
way he goes about caring that assures me that my life
matters and enables me to truly feel cared for. His time
with me is brief yet qualitative. He is a spiritual man yet
not in a religious sense. No overt piety that shows on his
shirt-sleeves but a genuine spirit of caring that is
unmistakable.
We tend to be a driven people. We move quickly to
the next task, not taking the time to sit down for a
precious few minutes and be present to the person in front
of us. The interesting thing about physician-assisted
spirituality is that it is not always the patient who is the
beneficiary of a doctor’s care. There is mutuality in the
relationship that finds both doctor and patient nourished
by each other’s care and concern and faith. If one takes
the time to nourish a holistic approach to healing, it truly
becomes a win-win situation.
Listen with your Heart of Hearts (not just your
stethoscope) – If one pauses long enough, one can hear
beyond the heartbeats some of the deeper, spiritual tones
that accompany a person in
need of care. Many people
suffer from loneliness,
depression, neglect, poverty,
and the list goes on. The
physician is one of the few
people who not only touches
them through a physical exam
but also has an opportunity to
touch their spirit through
reverencing their story,
acknowledging their dignity
(Continued on page 25)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
MEMORY
By Linda Pappas
Academic Success Counselor
T
he most important point I want to make about
memory is that each of you has a great one!
You are occupying a seat in medical school –
your memory works very well! But like every
tool, once in a while we need to do some maintenance.
Here are some keys to memory for you to “remember.”
The first key is organization. Putting information into
logical patterns, making it meaningful to you, and
creating associations all help in information retention.
Strategies like creating pictures, charts, concept maps,
cheat sheets, bullet points, and
organized highlighting all help.
The second key is overlearning;
in other words, repeat, repeat,
repeat. That’s how you got good
at tying your shoes!
Thirdly, the key is distributing
Practice makes
your learning. It works best to
perfect….
review at regular intervals. So,
dare I say it, cut down on the
cramming. If you have to cram, try to stay relaxed; those
interfering worry thoughts will affect your memory. You
are going to have to choose what to cram; not everything
is going to fit in short-term memory.
(Continued from page 4) Shrink Wrap
emotions by maintaining positive social relationships as
you progress through school. The benefits of these will
literally tug positively at your heartstrings. – Source:
Kubzansky et al. (2006) – Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Forgiveness – Does It Help?
A recent study looked at the role that forgiveness plays
in mental health. Wade, Bailey, and Shaffer at Iowa State
University studied clients seeking help at a counseling
center who were hurt or offended by someone and whom
the clients struggled to forgive. In order of frequency,
perpetrators included friends, romantic partners, family
members, and acquaintances or strangers. The most
common offenses were betrayals, active or passive
rejection, and assault and abuse. The study found that
explicitly discussing forgiveness may result in better
outcomes in therapy and improvements in depression,
anxiety, and school-related problems that may have been
SPRING 2006
13
My fourth suggestion is to be aware of your attitude
towards the subject. You have to intend to remember
even if you are not interested in the material.
Only one more key to remember!
Combining
techniques can help. Varied input modalities (visual,
auditory, tactile, kinesthetic) store differently in the brain.
If it is not in one place, maybe you can find it in another.
Lastly, a brief
comment on recall.
In other words, you
know it’s in there,
you just can’t find it.
Take notice of what
you do remember
and how that was
retrieved.
Try
remembering
so mething
else
about it and you
may retrieve what
you need.
Use it
before you lose it;
most forgetting of
new
information
occurs in the first 24
hours after we are “Is it true that if you don’t use it,
exposed to it.
A you lose it?” According to Linda,
brief review of new the answer is a resounding YES.
information can save
us hours later.
Just keep “remembering” – your brain does have
enough storage space for all the information you are
learning!
„
a concern for the clients. The authors believed that
discussing forgiveness promotes positive, prosocial, or
even virtuous experiences and outcomes. Therefore, keep
in mind the quote by Lewis B. Smedes (Professor
Emeritus of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary)
who stated, “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and
discover that the prisoner was you.” – Source: Wade et
al. (2005) – Professional Psychology: Research and
Practice.
„
14 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
North River Natural Reserves:
“Far Out” Hiking, Biking, Running,
and Camping Without A Far Drive
S
ometimes during the most mundane tasks, we
find extraordinary things of interest when we
least expect it. This was true for me on a drive
to the airport approximately 2-3 years ago where
I was trying to find a shortcut to Eppley Airfield from I680 through Florence. While intently watching the road
signs to navigate to the airport, I spotted a sign on J. J.
Pershing Drive pointing the way north towards the Neale
Woods Nature Center. This greatly surprised me because
Pershing Drive (especially on the north side of the
airport) doesn’t appear to have anything remotely
“natural” about it – in fact, one might argue this street is
generally the antithesis of “natural” and “aesthetically
pleasing sights.” But as one ventures north of I-680 on
Pershing Drive, within a short driving distance of
Creighton, there are a few parks and natural preserves
offering outdoor diversions and recreation set against a
river backdrop as it winds its way through beautiful
rolling hills and forests.
North of the old Mormon Mill in Florence (ca. 18461847), one of the earliest flour and lumber mills in
Nebraska, one can turn north on Pershing Dr. (almost
underneath Mormon Bridge) and immediately see the
Riverfront Trail. The Riverfront Trail, on which one may
run or bike, ends in the north at the N. P. Dodge Park and
even incorporates the northern ferry site where westwardmigrating Mormons crossed the Missouri River (I always
wondered how they crossed because fording the river just
didn’t look feasible, even before the Army Corps of
Engineers tamed the river to stay within its banks). I tried
SPRING 2006
to follow the trail south to see how far it extends, but
halfway back to the airport, the trail jogged towards the
river behind an economically-challenged trailer park and I
decided to give up this trek. But, upon venturing up to
Dodge Park, I discovered it offers soccer fields, softball
fields, picnicking shelters, a playground, and camping.
Among the early
Euro-Americans
to camp in the
area were Lewis
and Clark, who
sojourned there
in the summer of
1804, and met
with the Oto and
Missouri Native
Americans living
in the area. I
figured that any Hummel Park wooden walkway in the
place
g o o d steeply hilled woods, as enjoyed by
enough
for
Natural Science Day Campers.
Lewis and Clark
must be good for any CUSOM student who wanted to
camp out, but who didn’t want to use up a lot of
expensive gas to get to a campsite. There is also a marina
and pavilion at Dodge Park which are not open to the
public, but for those wishing an intimate experience with
the river, there are park benches set up by the public boat
ramp where relaxed river viewing can take place.
Driving further north, one encounters Hummel Park,
an old park that has had a grand past and now is suffering
from city budget cuts (so bad, that they can’t clean graffiti
off the shelters). It is one of the most extraordinary hilled
settings in Douglas County, which boasts of hiking,
nature, and exercise trails among its shaded ridges and
deep, intoxicating glens. Hummel Park also plays host in
the summer to the Omaha Park’s Natural Science Day
Do departed spirits haunt Hummel Park? This ghost
scared all of the graffiti off of the picnic shelter!
(Continued on page 14)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
15
premium – there appears to be a 3-car parking lot at the
very start of the trail, and less than a block away is the
Camp for city children. It also has become an urban
rangers’ quarters which appear to have a wide parking lot
legend for hauntings – the adherents of this theory state
in front of it. But looks are deceiving – a large sign
this was the site of many lynchings in the 1800’s, but the
cautions trail users that this ideal-looking clearing is
local historical societies adamantly deny any lynching
solely for the use of “the residents.” After finding the
ever happened in the vicinity and are proud of the fact
perfect place to stow your internal combustion
this park was the site of a historical trading post.
(and/or electric) engine, a nice bike ride can
Within a mile of the entrance of Hummel
be enjoyed into the wildlife refuge. Boyer
Park is the Neale Woods Nature Center, a
Chute National Wildlife Refuge was
great place for challenging hiking, which
named after the Boyer River in Iowa,
is owned and operated by the Fontanelle
which was in turn named after a French
Nature Association. This means that if
hunter/trapper/trader who lived in the area
one is a member of the Fontanelle Nature
(and probably traded with the ghosts at the
Association, your membership will get you
Hummel Park trading post in a former life).
in there as well as the Fontanelle Forest in
The term “chute” refers to sandbars and braided
Bellevue. (If you don’t, you can pay $5 per
streams that formed where the Boyer River
adult and $3 per child per visit to access
Neale Woods Nature Center
joined the Missouri. The wildlife refuge
the center.) The Neale Woods Nature
was established to recover fish and wildlife habitat along
Center claims to feature the area's largest public telescope
the Missouri River, restoring essential wildlife habitat that
collection at the Millard Observatory, and they frequently
became scarce as the Corps of Engineers improved the
have “Astronomy Nights” as part of its education
river’s course. River channelization, wetland drainage,
programs (for which you pay a buck less than usual in
and conversion of floodplain areas to other uses had
order to participate). Like Fontanelle Forest, Woods
resulted in the loss of over 500,000 acres of habitat along
Nature Center places a high priority on conservation
this stretch of the Missouri River. Even handicapped
education, which can be held inside the nature center or in
visitors can enjoy fishing, easy hiking, and wildlife
the out of doors. One of the unique features of Woods
viewing here – deer and migratory waterfowl
Nature Center is an outside mini-amphitheatre or
predominate the fauna. My favorite place to visit in the
classroom that is flanked by architectural concrete
NWR is the “Catfish” Fishing Access, where a gazebodecorations from a mansion that formerly stood near its
looking dock stretches over the water of a rapidly running
grounds.
side channel of the Missouri so the curious visitor can
Continuing north on Pershing Drive just as it becomes
appreciate the tranquil, hypnotic hydrodynamics of a
County Road P-51, before crossing out of the boundaries
small whirlpool.
of the Woods Nature Center, another bicycle trail
(roughly paralleling County Road P-51) can be accessed
Admission to N. P. Dodge Park, Hummel Park, and Boyer
that leads to Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge
Chute NWR are free. Admission to the Neale Woods
(NWR). But, parking around the bicycle trail head is at a
Nature Center is $5 per adult and $3 per child.
„
(Continued from page 13) Outdoor Adventures
Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge – where the Boyer River joins the Missouri River.
16 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
Diamond Rings and
Babies!
David Soma (M2) got engaged to Jessica Lamberty
over Christmas break. The two are planning a
wedding on June 23, 2007.
Your WC editor, Andy
Andy Kummer (M2) got engaged to Katie Knodel on January 23, 2006. Katie is from Kummer, with fiancé Katie
Bismarck, ND and is a senior at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN. They are with something shiny on
tentatively planning on a Fall 2007 wedding in St.
the ring finger… yep, lots
Paul.
of disposable income for
diamonds when you edit
Ian Wilkofsky (M2) became engaged in Dallas, Texas
for the WC!
on December 23, 2005 to Julie Kern, a grad student in
industrial-organizational psychology at Penn State
University. They are planning for a Spring 2007
wedding.
Sean Ploof and fiancé
Colleen… the perfect
romantic combination of
love, medicine and law.
Sean Ploof (M3) and Colleen Byers were engaged on
December 23, 2005 while on vacation in Maui, where
Sean proposed on top of a volcano at sunrise. (Aaah,
how romantic!) The wedding date is set for May 25,
2007 at St. John's Church at Creighton. Colleen is a
1st year law student. The two met in undergrad at
Creighton.
Dusan Stanojevic (M3) proposed to
Creighton theology grad student Rachel
Waggoner on January 7, 2006. They will
be getting married on May 26, 2007 at
St. John’s.
Kevin Heath (M4) recently became
engaged to Meagan Bowles who is a
second year dental student.
A fantasy proposal for
Carolyn Smith on the ice
hockey rink.
Carolyn Smith (M2) became engaged to Peter McDonald on February 3,
2006 on the ice after the first period of the UNO hockey game.
The happiest day, getting married and
walking down the aisle together, for Jenny
Blake and Garrett Schroeder.
Garrett Schroeder (M4) and Jenny Blake (M3) got married December
17th, 2005 in Portland, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Schroeder happily
announce, “It was the best day of our lives!!!”
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
17
More Diamond Rings and Babies!
On December 17, 2005 Adam Kent
proposed to Kylene Carney (M3) while
vacationing in Puerto Vallarta. Of
course, she answered “yes.”
Alexandra White, Jamison White’s (M1)
daughter, turned 8 years old on February
18, 2006. She is in the 2nd grade, loves
horseback riding, ballet, and everything
Gun's N' Roses has ever played! (She
may not know how much she likes GNR.)
A tropical sunset proposal for Kylene
Carney over winter break.
Birthday girl Alexandra,
with dad Jamison White.
Happy Birthday!
Hip, hip, hooray!!! More Wellness
Chronicle Babies!!! Kris and Kelli
Kazlauskas (M4s) became new
parents to a set of twin boys. Jonas
Michael was born on January 31st at
0925 and weighed 6 lbs, 8 oz. Jakob What a bundle of joy! Wait, make that two bundles! Proud parents Kris
Ryan was born at 0926 and weighed
and Kelli Kazlauskas with their newborn twin boys in the OR. Jonas
5 lbs, 6 oz.
Michael and Jakob Ryan… future Creighton students and future Wellness
Chronicle editors. Welcome!
Brook Yuknis (M3) married Pat Lang on December 27, 2005 in Molokai Hawaii in the presence of close friends
and family. Her “new” name is Brook Yuknis Lang. She exclaims that
the wedding was PERFECT!!! -- and so is the guy :)
A perfect wedding in Hawaii with the perfect man for Brook Yuknis. The bike picture is from
their honeymoon trip on Maui where they biked down Haleakala volcano (40-mile cruising bike
trip from 10,000 feet to sea level!!).
18 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
(Continued from page 9) M2 Intramural
look like they have been playing for years. If anyone
wants to see poetry in motion just come watch these guys
play. Rumor has it that this may be the best Creighton IM
basketball team ever assembled.
Big Willy Style - The Willy’s are back to defend their
2005 C league championship title with an undefeated
record of 5-0 heading into playoffs. It would be hard to
pick one player that is leading the charge, since,
according to forward Pete Graham, the Willies “have
really come together as a team,” One has to wonder if it
is more than their pretty matching shirts. “The stud of the
game changes every week,” says forward Edmundo
Rivera. With an exception of their first game of the
season, which the team largely regarded as a warm up,
they haven’t let a team pull to within twelve points; very
convincing wins, guys.
Playoffs and a repeat
championship should be smooth sailing from here.
The Chunters - The only thing standing in Big Willy
Style’s way to the C+ championship is The Chunters, led
by former Carroll College basketball superstar and
maxima cum laude graduate Kevin “The Beef” O’Keefe.
(Continued from page 8) Nagao’s World
more than just the fact that
the rug can be pulled out
from under you at any
time, or that 18 red check
marks can turn into 29
wrong answers on a final
exam; I also learned that I
suck, big time. For years
now people have been
telling me that I suck.
Now there is medical
evidence to back that up.
According to Dr. Bergren,
I have the highest
inspiratory flow rate of
anyone in my class.
Apparently, a regimen of
Warning: You may
no exercise, unhealthy
experience PTSD after
diet, and 4+ cans of Diet
viewing this picture of
Pepsi a day create lungs genetic testing gone horribly,
that can suck like the
dickens. Sad as it may be, this distinction is probably my
greatest accomplishment in one-and-a-half years of med
school. However, I should not let this recognition go to
my head. The same test results showed that I had a
modest tidal volume of 0.030 liters or 30 CCs. While
more than adequate for a hamster, this volume would not
be compatible with life even in a sedentary troglodyte like
me.
„
SPRING 2006
However,
P.D.
Rud ersdorf,
Big
Willy Style forward,
declared early in the
season that Kevin
was a “waste of
potential”, to which
Ain’t no stopping the Beef, y’all!! O’Keefe replied, “Oh
snap!
It’s on
now….” The win against Cobra Kai on Thursday night
was huge, putting the Chunters into the C+ playoffs with
a final regular season record of 3-2. The win gives the
Chunters a chance to shut down the Willy’s trash talking
(or possibly to prove that Rudersdorf is right that Andy
Kummer “is not an athlete” and that Ian “should have
stuck to football.”) Good luck to both teams and
remember: the winner buys these reporters a round of
drinks.
All in all playoffs should be an exciting time. Make
sure to come and support your favorite team in action.
Good luck to everyone!
„
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
19
RECOMMENDATIONS
By Matt Boylan
1) Sufjan Stevens. A musician that is (allegedly) writing an album for each of the 50
states. Sort of like the project that you did in the fourth grade, only good music instead
of a diorama.
2) Chilling Out. Yeah, in general.
3) NPR. For those of us who don’t have satellite radio and can’t listen to what some
stations are claiming as “popular” music, NPR provides flavor. Also available in a
new podcast format (Chelsey, I’m looking at you).
4) (using parentheses).
C’mon, Matt, we all know Clay
Aiken is your definition of
5) The Missouri Valley Basketball Tournament in St. Louis. I
“flavor.” Real cool.
could write a book….
6) Mr. Toad’s on 10th and Howard St. on Sunday nights. They have a good jazz
combo that plays live. Also, they have beer. This is a good recipe for a fantastic
start to the week.
7) Asking where babies come from when the professor asks if there are any
other questions at the end of a lecture. I dare you.
8) Chicago. The town, not the band or the musical [though I heard the musical
is good (if you’re into musicals)]. I have a good feeling about this place.
9) Wearing flannel-lined pants. In the cold winter months you can experience all the warmth and joy of peeing your
pants without the unfortunate social consequences. In a pinch, fleece-lined pants may substitute.
10) Going on a road trip during academic breaks. Road trips provide perspective. This may be combined with
recommendation #5.
„
Sara Brumbach
What are you doing for Spring Break?
“I’m going to Portland with my super hot hunk of burning love, Adam. Did I mention he
has a gorgeous roommate that’s also named Adam?”
What are you most looking forward to afterward?
“The drug test.”
20 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
By Adam Duke
SPRING 2006
Music Review
Matisyahu: Live at Stubb’s/Youth
Whilst purchasing my tickets for the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, I scanned down the list of
the more than 30 artists that would be playing this summer’s festival. Tucked in amongst the old, safe choices
(Radiohead, Beck) and the current “buzz” bands (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) was a name I had never before seen:
Matisyahu. Assuming it to be yet another college jam-band brought up on Phish and too much weed, I Googled the
name. As it turns out, Matisyahu is a devoutly Jewish reggae artist, and one with a much larger following than I had
anticipated.
Born Matthew Miller in 1978, Matisyahu
assumed the nom d'étape as a tribute to his strict
Hasidic childhood (Matisyahu means “gift
of God” and was also the name of a legendary
Jewish warrior). It is this religious rearing
that prevents him from performing concerts on
Saturdays or touching females that are not a
part of his immediate family. It makes signing
autographs and posing for photographs
awkward, and stage diving is definitely out. But
Matisyahu hardly needs to physically touch
you in order to move you.
In possession of perhaps the finest popbaritone since Murmer-era Michael Stipe,
Matisyahu fires off fiercely spiritual tunes
that you are somehow still able to dance to. The
lyrics - especially in the surprise MTV hitsingle “King Without a Crown” and “Lord
Raise Me Up” - demonstrate a supreme reverence for a force far greater than mankind. Interspersed with Yiddish
prayers and chanting, the songs can at times be ethereal and hauntingly beautiful. But as the backbone of the tracks are
comprised of repeated bass thumps and spastic treble twitches that immediately recall Sublime, it is likely that
Matisyahu will still get played at clubs nationwide. With his most recent album Live at Stubb’s, and the soon to be
released Youth, Matisyahu is in the unique position of being able to say something meaningful and still have people
dancing to the message. Here’s to hoping that everyone is listening.
Key Tracks: King without a Crown, Exaltation
Local Must OwnThe Good Life: Album of the Year
Frontman Tim Kasher started The Good Life intending it to be a lo-fi departure from his main
band Cursive. While their first two records didn’t quite get it right, 2004’s tongue-in-cheek named
Album of the Year fit the bill. Most of the songs are still about bitter heartbreak and longing (OK,
so it’s not that much of a departure from Cursive), but they display a more tenderly nuanced side to
Kasher’s emoting. He is still a master at turning seemingly benign statements into declarations of
war -- the phrase “I love you” might never again have the same meaning. But this album gives a
more intimate look at an acoustic singer-songwriter at the very top of his game; one that isn’t
afraid to come out from his hiding place behind mounds and mounds of electric-fuzz distortion.
The Good Life
Key Tracks: Inmates, Lover Need Lawyers, Needy
„ frontman Tim Kasher
Marilee Simons
What are you doing for spring break?
“Going to a naked Cirque du Soleil in Vegas and drinking!!!”
Would you rather have an inverted or a third nipple?
“Where would the third one be? Oh, there… definitely an inverted one then.”
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
Tales From the Fourth Year —
The Interview Trail
T
he interview trail is cool because it’s a great
time to see what life is like in other cities and
medical institutions, and you can also reflect on
what is important to you to help aid your
decision-making process.
Spending time at other
institutions with other medical students also gives you a
chance to see your own school in a different light.
Somewhere along the way, I found myself looking for
characteristics in residency programs that matched
Creighton’s. Many of the selection criteria important to
us medical students from Creighton end up being the
things that embody Creighton – a supportive atmosphere,
comradery among classmates, a collegiate environment,
dedication to service – and you start to realize how good
of a thing we have here.
Now in the spirit of all Mack Around Town articles, I
will give you my unadulterated and unsolicited opinions
about various attractions. Since this is an interview trail
article, I’ll give you my bottom-line on some of the cities
I visited. You may or may not be well familiarized with
these places – if you are, then you can decide if you agree
with me or not. If you haven’t been there, then just
believe everything I say.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – an exciting and diverse
place where I had a great time. It is a city full of nice
people of all ages, a lot of educated people, athletes,
immigrants, refugees, parks, lakes, and a great night life.
In general people like snow because they have to, and I
saw numerous people running outside in the middle of
winter equipped with gloves and ski masks and it made
me smile. If you were to see someone dressed this way in
SPRING 2006
21
Compton, CA then you should have a different response.
Rochester, MN – population 90,000, with one third of
everyone there affiliated with the Mayo Clinic. A pretty
not-happening place, but there are some good restaurants
and housing is very affordable.
Chicago, IL – I shouldn’t even be writing about Chicago,
everyone knows it’s an awesome city. I like it, you
should too.
Portland, OR -- this is a really cool, green, wet city. The
winters seem too wet for me, but the mountains
surrounding the city, the great downtown, rivers, bridges,
its proximity to the ocean, diverse population, and
multiple breweries make it a great place to live.
Phoenix, AZ – a new and rapidly growing city. Although
initially some people think it’s brown and ugly, the
Sonoran desert really grows on you after a while,
especially when there has recently been a good rain
storm. There are tons of outdoor activities in the
surrounding area, a great night life, cultural activities, and
proximity to Mexico. While it’s hot in the summer and
packed with snowbirds in the winter, the beauty of the
state of Arizona is a big draw for many people.
Tucson, AZ – it’s smaller and less happening than
Phoenix but has a lot of the same outdoor stuff. It’s a big
college town, too, and even closer to Mexico than
Phoenix. Notice I did not mention that Minneapolis is
relatively close to Canada – because who cares about
Canada?
Sacramento, CA – I was surprised to find that
Sacramento is similar to Omaha in size and amount of
activities available. It’s surprisingly diverse and is
centrally located with Yosemite, San Francisco, Napa
Valley and Lake Tahoe all nearby. But if I had to decide
which town was cooler – Omaha or Sacramento – I’d
have to say the big O.
(Even though Arnold
Schwarzenneger lives in Sacramento).
It’s fun to explore new cities and meet people on the
interview trail, but by the end of it all, we are all
inevitably ready to come back to Omaha and Creighton
for the final hurrah – our last semester of medical school.
Over the years, I have brought you various exciting (notso-exciting, and down-right weird) places, happenings
and pastimes that have brought enjoyment to my life in
Omaha. The truth is, Omaha is a great place – it’s big
enough to have awesome concerts and Jays basketball at
the Qwest Center, great restaurants and nightlife at the
Old Market and West Omaha, and small enough to have
great traffic and the nice Midwestern atmosphere. Fourth
year is not too far off for any of you, so enjoy your time
in Omaha and Creighton while it lasts – it will be gone
before you know it.
„
22 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
about the experience was how bad some of the
standardized patients were. While I’ll admit that some of
By Mike Coffey
them did their job very well, many of them were
downright cheesy, for lack of better diction. The thing
that was the most odd was the manner in which they
would answer questions during the interview. If, for
instance, you asked, “Do you have any family history of
ed
m
t
lung cancer?” they would not respond with a simple “no.”
ies erousal
r
g
Rather, they would answer your question in a most
g
ic
an
a’s es dann med !
monotonous fashion, always incorporating exactly what
c
i
i
r
ss
y
Ame nt di pecies unit
you asked them, such as “No, I do not have any family
e
m
S
d
m
u
history of lung cancer.” Some of them would do this for
o
c
st
every question. Not only did this make the interview take
too much time, but it felt awkward because people just
don’t consistently respond like that in normal
ith twelve “Rants” down and two more to
conversation. By the end of the
day, I
go including this one, have no fear
kind of wanted to ask them
readers, for I have not yet begun to
questions that were a
deplete the cynicism and angst I’ve
little off color, just to
amassed in my almost thirty years of life. With that in
see what I could get
mind, let’s get started:
them to repeat. I can
Known by the scientific name Venenum responsal,
almost guarantee you that,
which literally translates to “caterer with pens,” the
if my line of
pharmaceutical sales representative is truly an odd species
The combination of ice cream
questioning included
in many different ways. What amazes me most about
and
underwear is prohibited…
“Do you have any ice
these creatures is that they all, at one point in their career,
according to this real sign
cream in your
promptly answered, “Where do I sign?” when approached
posted in Croatia.
underpants?” it would
with the question, “How would you like to make a
have been met not with
mediocre salary by spending your days wearing a suit,
a smirk, but with the reflexive, emotionless, robotic
buying lunch for physicians, kissing their proverbial
response, “No, I do not have any ice cream in my
posteriors, and handing out menial office supplies while
underpants,” and the interview would have continued,
they roll their eyes at you?” Have you ever thought about
provided I could keep myself from laughing.
how much drug reps and drug dealers have in common? I
Once again, I have compiled a list of terms from my
hadn’t either, until an alert classmate of mine (who
medical education that would be good
happens to be the editor-in-chief
names for a rock band, and it is my
emeritus of this very publication)
pleasure to share them with you here:
recently made the observation that they
Notch Needle, Buccal Midazolam,
are both always lurking around and
Focal Discharge, Tic Douloureaux,
appearing to befriend their prey while
Weaning Parameters, Gestational Sac,
handing out the first “dose” for free in
Post-ictal Slowing, Photic Stimulation,
an attempt to gain a long term
Pathologically Introverted, Cricoid
customer. Medical students would
Bulge, Dichrotic Notch, Flash Chamber,
probably be less likely to succumb to
Betcha’ I got more pens from Manubrium, Flying Samaritans, Vent
drug reps’ tasty temptations if a) the
Venenum reponsal than you do! Bucking, Fugax, Navel Nurse, Amusia,
lunches weren’t free, and/or b) the menu
Todd’s Paralysis, Weak Stream,
at CUMC’s cafeteria had more tantalizing
Homunculus, Scheduled Napping, Hypoxic Drive, Doctor
selections than just “chicken tenders smothered in
Van Blerk, Terminal Dribbling, Soft Clot, Irritative
chicken tenders, on a bed of chicken tenders,” but I
Voiding, Perineal Preservation, Transtracheal Jet, Gaze
digress.
Preference, Redundant Eyelids, Rectal Valium, and my
After recently taking USMLE Step 2 CS, I couldn’t
favorite this time, Retrosternal Heave.
help but include it in my ramblings here. Aside from
The final “Rant” is near. In the meantime, look out for
paying the equivalent of four car payments to take the
Venenum responsal, and try to keep the ice cream away
exam (included in the cost was the most expensive turkey
from your underpants.
„
sandwich I’ve ever had), what bothered me the most
!
t
n
Ra
W
A GUIDE TO FOURTH YEAR
EXTERNSHIPS
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
G
O
O
D
SPRING 2006
ET
UT
F
ODGE
By Pam Mudd
I
t is now that critical time in the third year students’
lives to decide what the heck they want to do… for
the rest of their lives. As we struggle with that
decision there is also a hope for many of us that we
will be able to fulfill that career somewhere other than O!
town. Luckily, we have a chance in our forth year to take
up to three months to explore what other options we
might have.
There are various motivations for a student to do an
externship. One reason students choose to do an
externship is to explore a field which Creighton offers
little or no exposure to. Another, and probably the a more
common reason, is to visit a prospective university and
impress them in person, in hopes that someone will like
you enough to pull for you to go to that program. With
this in mind, a student may choose to go early to get
letters, or try to fit the externship in closer to the
interview to make a more memorable impression.
Externships are also a good way for you to decide if you
want to be at a certain program or location, and to find if
that program is a good fit for you. Finally, an externship
is a great way to head back home and live with the ‘rents
for a while.
Most programs across the board will agree that an
externship is beneficial to obtaining residency in a certain
field. Although not all agree that more than one
externship provides any benefit. Many directors in the
residency handbook at UC Irvine stated that externships
are particularly helpful if an outstanding recommendation
letter is obtained. If you spend time at an institution you
P.D. Rudersdorf
What are your Spring Break plans?
“Going to St. Louis to watch the Jays dominate!”
23
are particularly interested in, you are very visible in
comparison with their other students – it can be a real
plus if you can wow them, but can expose weaknesses if
you don't.
At Creighton you are allowed three externship months.
These months do not count towards the requirements of
the fourth year. It was advised by Dr. Kavan that you
vary your externships, as to not do three months of ortho
away and another here, because that leaves little room for
fulfilling the goals of the fourth year.
Externships may be taken at practice sites with
approved residency programs or LCME-approved
schools. Information for contacting these programs is
available at www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/
electives/start.htm.
Most schools have a website
available to access information, and also online access to
application materials.
The application for an externship typically requests
information about student standing, clinical experience,
liability/health insurance, tuition status, OSHA
requirements and immunizations. This information must
be confirmed by the Office of Student Affairs. You will
also need to complete an application for approval through
Creighton before you will be eligible for any externship.
You will need to get approval from your faculty advisor
and the chairperson of the corresponding department at
CUMC. This process must be completed at least 30 days
before you plan to leave. An evaluation form will also be
provided which must be completed by the coordinator at
the program you attend.
Once your externship is approved it is up to you to
plan transportation and accommodations for your month
away. Some programs provide resources to find students
at the externship program who have room available for
hosting visitors. While you are there, take time to
evaluate the program and the residents. Work hard, act
smart, and don’t go overboard with the butt kissing (you
know who you are). Make the best impression you can –
and show how well Creighton has prepared you!
Note: UC Irvine has a great residency selection
handbook which offers advice for each specialty,
including good advice on specific fourth year electives
that would be helpful in each residency, and suggestions
for characteristics to evaluate in each discipline. Check it
out by using google: UCI residency handbook.
„
Would you rather have epispadia or
hypospadia?
“Ahhh, geeeeezzz, um, hypospadia
for sure!”
24 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
Fashion Police at
CUMC
By Mel Roca and Lucy Esberg
Official medical fashion consultants
I
t was one Thursday evening at a restaurant called
Fernando’s when the idea struck. Perhaps it was
because we were in a celebratory mood with Dr.
Fleming right after the OB/Gyn rotation or perhaps
we, once again, began our "No, your outfit is great" talk.
Our discussion slipped into some tips on dressing
professionally. In this world of power struggles where
M3½’s are at the bottom of the totem pole, it comes as no
surprise that we must look our best to show off our
intuition. Creating a niche where we actually get to say
something without getting yelled at (we hope), we reach
out to those who obviously get dressed in a dark closet.
So welcome to the Mel & Lucy’s dress-me-up-right
Fashion Police corner. It is a fantabulous forum where
proper medical student attire is discussed with objectivity
in mind. After all, just because we are in med school and
wearing our short white coats, (as opposed to the long
coats real doctors wear!) it does not mean we have to
dress like clones. Underneath that white coat is an
individual student screaming, “I am unique,” despite the
fact that one has to follow certain rules and decorum to
earn the privilege of wearing such prestigious garb.
You call that a White Coat????
Mel: When is a white coat still a white coat?
Lucy: As opposed to slightly beige, or heaven help us
yellow, as I’ve seen it worn by guys at times! People
have got to be aware when to wash their white coats!
Mel: Yeah, but not just
guys! Not sounding like a
Tide commercial for
which we don’t have an
endorsement deal, a
medical student must be
wearing a true white coat.
Lucy: Whaddya’ mean a
true white coat?
Mel:
Ya’ know,
immaculate, pure as
undriven snow white coat.
Lucy: Ya’ mean washed
Is your white coat as white as with Clorox bleach and
it was at your White Coat pressed white???
Ceremony?
Mel: Yeah! Tidy and
neat as what tidy would
mean when Dr. PJ Malin, a smart dresser in her own
right, would call “a Creighton Blue Jay medical student!”
Lucy: So, when do you say it’s time to wash your white
coat?
Mel: Well, I’m a man of routine schedules. So, I usually
wait ‘til 2 weeks of wearing it before washing it. I am
careful, of course, to be sure that there are no brown rings
around the cuffs or the collar or dirty smudges lining my
pockets – else I wash it immediately. Two weeks or dark
rings, whichever comes first!
Lucy: Two weeks? Isn’t that kind of long? I recommend
washing it every week. I recently bought a second white
coat so that I will have fresh clean coat every week!
Mel: Hey, that’s good, Lucy, but I have no time to wash
every week! Although, it’s a great idea to have a second
white coat. Wear one once each week, then laundry every
two weeks!
Lucy: I’ve seen guys wearing their white coats like it’s a
rain coat or a smock for some dirty job out there. NO!
NO! NO!
The white coat is an emblem of
professionalism. It should be WHITE, not yellow or
greenish.
Mel: I agree with you. But then again, it’s not just guys!
Lucy: Well, whatever. The idea is to wash them
frequently enough. Every week or two it does not matter.
We’re student doctors for crying out loud.
Mel: I starch mine.
Lucy:
What?
Starch
your white coat?
Mel: Oh yeah. I spray
starch the lapels, the
pockets and the sleeves –
areas that I think are weak
spots, plus I think it cuts
spots where dirt could
easily adhere. It gives
you that extra “sharpness”
on your white coat.
Lucy: Oh yeah, I can
stand on one hand while
with the other hand iron
while I use my teeth to The essentials of Mel Roca’s
white coat upkeep.
spray the starch!
Lucy: Hmmm, I love
(Continued on page 24)
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
25
(Continued from page 23) Fashion Police
mine soft and gentle on my skin. I wouldn’t know about
extra “sharpness.” Aren’t you afraid to cut yourself?
Mel: Oh stop it! You’re just jealous ‘cause you didn’t
think of it first. Let’s move onto the next topic.
You’re wearing that tie????
Lucy: Ohhhh, I love guys with ties. Well, I love guys
with bow ties, too.
Mel: Yeah, right. You’re just saying that because Dean
Enarson wears a bow tie.
Lucy: Seriously, I love it when you guys
wear ties. You look dressed up and
formal in them. But…
Mel: Oh oh, here it comes.
Lucy: Well, you just can’t wear any
tie. It has to match your shirt.
Mel: I agree with you. Just the other
day, I issued a citation for a “shirt-tie
mismatch violation.”
Lucy: Oh honey, there’s plenty of that
around. That’s why we got this column
going.
Dean Enarson
Mel: I hope we’re doing a good job.
always has a
Rule No. 1: If you’re worried, or
perfectly tied
bowtie that matches heaven forbids don’t know if your
shirt matches with your tie, WEAR
his shirt… no
tickets needed from A WHITE SHIRT.
the fashion police Lucy: Rule No. 2: The tie is an
accessory, not the mainstay.
here.
Believe it or not, this is how it gets
tricky and difficult for guys.
Mel: True. It may appear that the tie commands the
makeup of the wearer, thus the “power tie.” However,
when conditions change like a hot room, or the
atmosphere demands a less formal setting, the tie goes,
the shirt remains. You loosen the tie, not lose the shirt.
Lucy: It is there to compliment your shirt not rule it.
And when the tie goes, so does the power. And men…
you don't want to lose your power, do you?! Show it off
for that sassy intern.
Mel: Oh, Lucy, I know why you love ties on guys. You
like taking them off!
Lucy: No! Although, I love the idea. It allows me to
normalize the “power!”
Mel: That’s what I meant!
Lucy: Oh. I thought you meant something else. Never
mind. But let’s get to Rule No. 3: The length of the tie
must not be lesser or greater than the belt’s top or bottom
line. Please be advised that you must account for any
man-pooch you have gained in the past few years.
Mel: And if you do violate this rule, be sure your white
coat is long enough to hide the evidence.
Lucy: What knot do you use?
Mel: I like the Windsor knot but it takes so much time.
So I use the least time consuming Four In-Hand knot.
Lucy: Windsor looks much more balanced and I love the
crease it makes in the middle.
Mel: Hmmm, I’m sure you do.
Lucy: Not all guys know how to make creases on their
ties. Don’t give me that look!
What do you mean I can’t wear heels????
Mel: How can you walk with those things?
Lucy: What, these heels?
Mel: Yeah, isn’t it bad for your back?
Lucy: Honey, I only wear them when I don’t have to be
on my feet for hours on end like Outpatient Family
practice or CUMC OB. Being in the hospital means I
cannot wear heels… ever?
Mel: Yeah, I’ve seen how you sashay down the halls at
St. Joes!
Lucy:
I don’t sashay,
daahling. I glide!
Mel: Whatever.
Lucy:
Seriously, flats or
pumps are the ideals when
you have to be on your feet
scurrying after a missing Xray film or running specimens
down to the lab. But, hey,
when I know it’s a short clinic
day, I whip out these babies.
They get lonely at home.
X-ray of high-heeled foot. They have to air out. If I
have to wear old lady clothes
to work, I'm gonna put on sequins and heels!
Mel: Uh-huh
Lucy: Speaking of airing out. What do you guys wear?
Mel: What’s that supposed to mean? Are you telling me
guys have smelly feet?
Lucy: No! I was trying to insinuate the open toe shoes,
(Continued on page 25)
26 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
(Continued from page 24) Fashion Police
which you cannot wear at the CAC! Or during rounds!
Mel: Oh! Yeah, sad but true. No toes exposed for you!
Us guys, we need not worry too much. We got our
cushioned slip-ons or oxfords and we’re good to go.
Dansko brand slip-ons are popular. But any shoes would
do. If you want that extra cushion, just gel it with Dr.
Scholl’s.
Lucy: Not us ladies. It has to be a packaged deal. The
shoes gotta’ match with the outfit and the purse! Oh,
don’t even get me started.
Mel: No, I won’t. Any more ideas about what shoes
SPRING 2006
ladies should wear?
Lucy: Well… one last thing. NEVER wear brown shoes
with black pants. Say this to yourself three times:
Black pants… black shoes
Black pants… black shoes
Black pants… black shoes
Alright! You’ve heard three major areas covered today
by your unofficial Fashion Police at CUMC. Heed our
advice and you won’t get iced! Until next time: Be true
to yourself. Wear your white coats proudly with
matching ties and shoes. Show us your true colors!
„
Dr. Michael Kavan
What are your Spring Break Plans?
“Catching up on some work - maybe some articles, maybe some research. And
finding time for balance.”
Would you rather be stuck on a desert island with Dr. Jeffries or P.D.?
“Oh, definitely P.D. Have you met Dr. Jeffries?”
(Continued from page 3) Date Auction
(Continued from page 11) Spirituality
Anderson’s skills (which were reportedly honed over five
years of being a professional auctioneer) in conducting
the auction were unparalleled and unrivaled, his voice
singing and chanting at breakneck speed, luring and
hypnotizing the desperate men and women of the
audience to continue raising the stakes. Perhaps the
funniest moment of the night came when Anderson was
surprisingly auctioned off at the end, with Atay taking
lead vocals as the auctioneer. Whereas Anderson was as
smooth as a BMW on the Autobahn all night, Atay was
much like a Geo Metro traversing an India mountain pass:
bumpy and hair-raising to say the least. After some fierce
bidding between some ladies that had not been lucky
enough to win a date to that point, Anderson was
purchased by none other than our chaplain, Marcia
Shadle-Cusic, who was eager to donate money to the
cause.
The night ended up being a rousing success, as the
money raised exceeded Fasanya’s expectations. When
asked if there will be another auction next year, she
replied by saying, “I’d like to see that happen, but I’m
afraid I’ll be too busy to work on it. But we had some
great help from a few M1’s this year, and I’m sure if they
do it again it will be great.” Two thumbs up to all
involved for a great event and raising some money for
people who truly need it.
„
and promoting their well-being. A creative listener
conveys respect and welcomes one’s story. It is a
powerful realization to grasp the reality that “someone
really does care.”
Talk to a Doctor – We need one another. In
particular, good physicians need good physician friends
they can talk with about such issues as spirituality and its
place in their practice. As one who has practiced ministry
for close to thirty years, I know how important it is for me
to share with others in my profession my hopes, fears,
dreams, successes, and failures. It is in this type of
dialogue that physicians can encourage one another to
explore the area of spirituality and discover its effects in
the lives of their patients as well as in their own. Many
doctors will admit that the real joy in medicine comes not
just from the physical healing they are able to bring about
but more importantly from their ability to lift the minds
and hearts of people who come to them in need of
healing.
Studies reveal that more and more health care
providers are discovering the necessity of greater
integration of spirituality with our health care practices. I
look forward to the day when physicians will no longer be
noted for their reluctance to engage in this process but
rather take the lead in empowering others along the
journey toward true healing of mind, body, and spirit. „
WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
27
Spring Events Calendar
Well, the ride is almost over. Those of us who enjoyed 4 years (or more) in the Big O are about ready
to take our bows. Before we do, however, we have a couple months with more to offer in the Metro
area than ever before. A couple of quick recommendations: the new Holland Center for the Performing Arts, the Orpheum Theatre, and
the MVC Tourney. The Holland Center has just opened after 3 years of construction. It is a state-of-the-art complex with a grand
theatre and an open-air theatre/atrium. Wonderful place to see the Omaha Symphony. The Orpheum is a historical landmark of Omaha,
and after recent renovations, an excellent place to take in traveling acts. And finally: the MVC Tourney in St. Louie. If you are looking
for 3-4 days of partying, great basketball, partying, a great city, and partying… this trip is for you. I’ve made the trip myself 6 times,
and I’ll be making more. Several of your classmates/attendings will be there as well. In other words… just do it.
By Kyle Ulveling
March 1
March 2
March 3
March 4
March 5
March 7
March 9
March 10
March 11
March 12
March 14
March 15
March 16
March 17
March 18
March 19
March 22
March 23
March 24
March 25
March 26
March 27
March 28
March 30
March 31
April 1
…………………………………………………..……………………………………………………Andre Watts Concert at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………..…MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Savvis Center, St. Louis (runs through March 5)
…………………………………………………………………...Bradley @ CU Women’s Basketball (CUWB) at the Omaha Civic Auditorium
………………………………………………………………………………………….Manitoba @ Omaha Knights Hockey (OKH) at the Civic
………………………………………………………………………………..…Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor Concert at the Holland Center
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………UNI @ CUWB at the Civic
………………………………………………………………...Sioux City @ Omaha Lancer Hockey (OLH) at the Mid-America Center (MAC)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………...Diovolo Performance at the Orpheum Theatre
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Peoria @ OKH at the Civic
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Des Moines @ OLH at the MAC
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Rochester @ OKH at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Ben Folds Concert at the Omaha Music Hall
…………………………………………………………………………………………………Kid Rock Concert at Qwest Center Omaha (QCO)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Sioux Falls @ OLH at the MAC
…………………………………………………...Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul Celtic Concert at the Holland Center (runs through March 12)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Cleveland @ OKH at the Civic
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Lincoln @ OLH at the MAC
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Houston @ OKH at the Civic
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..Michael Bublé Concert at the Omaha Music Hall
……………………………………………………………………………North Dakota State @ CU Baseball (CUB) at the CU Sports Complex
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..African-American Awards at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………North Dakota State @ CUB at the CU Sports Complex
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Match Day at CU Student Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………….Arenacross Biking at QCO (runs through March 19)
………………………………………………………………………………………………….Madama Butterfly Opera at the Orpheum Theatre
…………………………………………………………………Northern Colorado @ CUB at the CU Sports Complex (runs through March 19)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Milwaukee @ OKH at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………...Mozart Monsters and Matisse Musical at the Holland Center
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Kansas @ CUB at the CU Sports Complex
……………………………………………………………..South Dakota State @ CU Softball (CUS) Doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Houston @ OKH at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Professional Bull Riders at QCO
…………………………………………………………………………………………...Sioux Falls @ Omaha Beef Football (OBF) at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Tri-Cities @ OLH at the MAC
………………………………………………………………………….Stuart Little Play at the Rose Children’s Theatre (runs through April 15)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………Naomi Judd Concert at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Professional Bull Riders at QCO
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Peoria @ OKH at the Civic
………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Chick Corea Concert at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………………………………………...Evansville @ CUS Doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex
……………………………………………………………………………………………………...Evansville @ CUS at the CU Sports Complex
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………WWE Monday Night Raw at QCO
…………………………………………………………………………….Mamma Mia! Musical at the Orpheum Theatre (runs through April 2)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Nebraska @ CUS at the CU Sports Complex
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Sheryl Crow Concert at QCO
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Aerosmith Concert at QCO
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Houston @ OKH at the Civic
…………………………………………………….………..Wichita State @ CUB at Rosenblatt Stadium (runs through April 2 at CU Campus)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Harlem Globetrotters at QCO
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Milwaukee @ OKH at the Civic
………………………………………………………………………………………………National Symphony Orchestra at the Holland Center
(Continued on page 27)
28 WELLNESS CHRONICLE
SPRING 2006
Extramural Elective Fever at Creighton
By Mel Roca
T
wo buzz words that quickly get attention in the
clerkship years in med school are Extramural
Electives. These are elective courses taken
outside of the Creighton University curriculum,
or more precisely, outside of Omaha. Although no one
has coined an acronym for it yet, EEs (you heard it hear
first, folks!) are participated in only by a selected few.
However, these electives are getting more attention these
days, especially from the Juniors where so much
excitement is generated. Just recently, The Wellness
Chronicle featured the St. Mary’s internal medicine
rotation in San Francisco. On this current issue, an article
is written about St. Joseph’s OB/Gyn rotation in Pheonix,
AZ. There are many reasons why an EE would be so
attractive among M3s: academic diversity, an opportunity
to see other clinical population or perhaps a chance to get
away from Omaha for a month! For whatever reasons,
EE has become an exciting undertaking for the “very
lucky few” who win a spot in the lottery. The “very
lucky few” will soon be a thing of the past since
additional EEs are in the works according to Dr. William
Jeffries, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Medical Education:
1) Pediatric Rotation in St. Joseph’s hospital in
Phoenix, AZ
-Slotted to open for the 2006-07 curriculum year
-One-month rotation, 4 to 5 students, housing
accommodation covered, $100 meal ticket for M3s
-One hospital-sponsored social event per month e.g. PGA
Golf tournament, Spring Training
-Separate 13 elective spots for the M4 year
-Taught by Creighton University service faculty members
which means this rotation may not be counted in the 3
externship quota for the M4s
2) Indian Health Service elective for Family Practice
-Not officially approved yet, will allow students to travel
to one of several Indian health service sites: Pine Ridge,
Macy/Winnebago, Chenlay, AZ for 2006-07 curriculum
year
3) International Elective in Chimbote, Peru
-Brought in via popular demand by students who went to
Peru during their freshman year to return there on their
senior year (class of 2007)
Although no scholarships are available yet for these
externships, the main expense for students is paying for
their airfare. Housing and meals are covered for the EEs
within the US. But for the benefit of spreading the
student population to enrich the clinical experience,
increased one on one time with residents and learning
more about different health care settings, the price of an
airfare seems negligible. The benefit spreads to those
who decide to stay at home as well, since there will less
students and more attention from residents in their
respective rotations.
„
(Continued from page 26) Events Calendar
April 1
……………………………………………………………………………………………….UNI @ CUS Doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex
April 2
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Peter and the Wolf Ballet at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….UNI @ CUS at the CU Sports Complex
April 3
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Joe Satriani Concert at the Orpheum Theatre
April 4
………………………………………………………………………………………………Troussova and Troussov Concert at the Holland Center
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Nebraska @ CUB at Rosenblatt Stadium
April 5
………...…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Kenny Chesney Concert at QCO
April 6
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Kenny Chesney Concert at QCO
.…………………………………………………………………………………………………….George Carlin Stand-Up at the Orpheum Theatre
……………………………………………………………………………………………….North Dakota State @ CUS at the CU Sports Complex
April 7
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Iowa @ OKH at the Civic
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Anne Murray Concert at the Orpheum
……………………………………………………………………………...Illinois State @ CUB at the CU Sports Complex (runs through April 9)
April 8
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Peoria @ OKH at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Lily Tomlin Performance at the Orpheum
………………………………………………………………………………………Indiana State @ CUS Doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex
April 9
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...Evansville @ OBF at the Civic
……………………………………………………………………………………………………...Indiana State @ CUS at the CU Sports Complex
April 11 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………...Kansas State @ CUB at the CU Sports Complex
…………………………………………………………………………………………….UMKC @ CUS Doubleheader at the CU Sports Complex
April 14 …………………………………………………………………………………..……………………The Red Violin Concert at the Holland Center
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Good Friday: No Classes for M1s and M2s!
April 15 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Fall Out Boy Concert at the MAC
………………………………………………………………………………………………………The Red Violin Concert at the Holland Center