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PanaceaMedical College of Georgia Student Magazine | Georgia Regents University | Spring 2014
1 | Panacea | Spring 2014
tableofcontents
3
4 | match day
5 | heart walk
6
vacay time | 7
9 | go explore
11
Spring 2014 | Panacea |2
13
15 | M3 tips
17
peds | 21
25 | thoughts
Panacea is a brandnew student-runmagazine featuringMCG student life,news, and careertips. Share yourthoughts andexperiences withus!
3 | Panacea | Spring 2014
On March 8, 2014 at 8 pm, medicalstudents and their guests entered theroaring 20s when they walked into theOld Medical College. This time traveloccurred at the annual Doctor Prom, thisyear with a “Great Gatsby” theme.Students were dressed in their best,some in modern formalwear and othersin 1920sIthemed dress. The room wasdecorated in black, white, and gold. Inthe center of the main room was a lovelycenterpiece with stacked champagneglasses surrounded by pearls, peacockfeathers, and gilded champagne bottles.White and gold balloons floated to theceiling. There were tables in each cornerof the room with alcoholic and nonIalcoholic beverages. The band, UltimateSound, was located in the lower level ofthe building and played a variety ofmodern and old school hits. When the
band took breaks, they playedprerecorded music, so that thepartygoers were continuouslyentertained with music.
Students were able to commemorate theevening by having their pictures taken intwo styles: a formal prom picture and afun picture with 1920s props. The socialchairs worked hard and did a great jobplanning this event, decorating the OldMedical College, and providingphotographers and drinks. For thosewho still felt like partying, the afterIpartywas held at Bar on Broad at midnight.
Khalea Wrensford, Class of 2017Photography by MCG Photography Club
Docto
rProm
2014
Spring 2014 | Panacea |4
Ma
tch
Da
yWalking, sprinting, and even
rollerblading, graduating seniors of the
Medical College of Georgia Class of 2014
excitedly made their way to the stage on
March 21, 2014 in the Lee Auditorium to
find out where they would spend the
next three to seven years completing
their residency training. Many of the
Match Day participants dressed in
costumes relating to the theme of “What
I want to be when I grow up;” and the
outfits ran the gamut from thoughtful to
absurd. A veterinarian, Queen Elizabeth
II, Beetlejuice, Ronald McDonald, the
entire Ghostbusters squad (and ghosts!),
all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
and at least 8 different Power Rangers,
oneWbyWone made their way to the front
amidst cheers and highWfives from their
colleagues to joyously rip open the
envelope that held their fate. This year
also marked the first Match Day for the
school’s satellite campus in Athens,
which accounted for 40 of the Match
Day participants.
In her introductory statements, 4th year
class dean Dr. Kathleen McKie exclaimed
that MCG students did exceptionally well
this year; “This is the best match we’ve
ever had,” she said, noting that nearly
the entire class matched into one of
their ranked residency spots. This year’s
class did better than most medical
schools across the country; 97.5% of
MCG’s students matched, which is 3%
better than the national average.
Beyond simply finding a match, many in
this year’s graduating class were
accepted into very competitive fields
across the country at premier
institutions. Over 40 percent of the
AugustaWbased class (71 students) will
enter a primary care field, which
includes Internal Medicine (29), Family
Medicine (9), and Pediatrics (33). Many
other fields showed high levels of match
success; 12 students matched into
orthopedics, 14 into anesthesiology, and
11 into OB/GYN. The list of sites students
matched into were equally varied and
was spread out in 31 states. 24 students
will remain here in Augusta to complete
at least some of their training at MCG
while other students will train at
locations including Emory, Harvard, UAB,
Vanderbilt, Baylor, USC, and George
Washington among others.
The dreams of many students were
fulfilled on Match Day, in part from
dressing like a childhood hero, but
mainly from reaching the end reward
after an arduous four years of scholastic
and clinical education. And while they
may only be halfway through training,
the outstanding Match Day results are a
testimony to the dedication and
commitment of this year’s class as they
begin their next step in their lifelong
career of public service.
! Tim Nowack, Class of 2016
5 | Panacea | Spring 2014
On Saturday, March 8, Medical College of Georgiastudents from all four classes participated in theAmerican Heart Association’s 2014 CSRA Heart Walk atthe Augusta Greeneway. The event successfully raisedover $440,000 towards research for improving patientcare and outcomes of heart disease and stroke, thenation’s #1 and #3 killers. The AHA uses a portion ofthese funds to organize heartLhealth related events forcommunity members and to provide patients and theirfamily members with upLtoLdate information aboutheart disease and stroke.
Georgia Regents University was among one of themost successful groups of volunteers, and GRU’s teamscollectively raised over $83,000. MCG’s Class of 2017team alone raised over $2,000! Also from GRU wereteams of students from the Colleges of Medicine,Dental Medicine, and Allied Health Sciences, as well asa vast array of teams from the hospital’s differentambulatory and inpatient care units.
In addition to fundraising, the fourLmile walkgenerated awareness of the impact of cardiovasculardisease on our community and emphasized theimportance of adopting heartLhealthy habits in a fun,familyLfriendly environment. The team leader of MCG’sClass of 2016 group, Tom Hardy, felt a personalresponsibility to participate in the event: “TheAmerican Heart Association donates a lot of moneyand does a lot of good for this community and [GRU]. Ifelt like we owed it to them to support their cause. Ona personal note, I have several family members withcardiovascular disease who inspired me toparticipate.”
For more information about this year’s Heart Walk,visit www.csraheartwalk.org.
! Caroline Lewis, Class of 2016
Getting Out of the Classroom
Spring 2014 | Panacea |6
Do you know the backwoods treatment for hypoglycemia
and heat stroke? What would you do if you broke your leg
while backpacking? How would you survive a zombie
apocalypse?
Racers were faced with these unexpected scenarios on
March 29, 2014 at Fort Gordon in Augusta, GA in this
year’s Medical Wilderness Adventure Race, or MedWAR. In
all, 116 participants formed 29 teams representing various
professions and schools from across the Southeast. This
year’s iteration, which was designed and scripted by first
and second year medical students from MCG, tasked racers
with a 14.5Pmile running, kayaking, and mountain biking
course intermixed with 5 unique medical scenarios. Each
team was required to not only carry with it any medical or
survival gear that might be needed but also to successfully
administer the proper aid to each scenario’s victim before
being allowed to continue to the next leg of the race.
Water rescue, insect attacks, orienteering, and,
humorously, zombie attack survival were topics in this
year’s MedWAR. Upon entering a scenario, racers were
assigned character roles – either victim or responder, and
were required to successfully demonstrate proper
knowledge of care before volunteer scenario operators
allowed the team to advance onward. In a scenario in the
later stages of this year’s race, participants were brought
to an urban assault course deep within Fort Gordon’s
training grounds where they were tasked with traversing
the zombiePinfested shipping container maze and treating
any injury they may have suffered in the process. In the
final scenario, a downed helicopter with burn victims and
trapped pilots on board forced racers to triage patients
based on injury and evacuate those with treatable wounds
from the danger zone.
One of the more challenging aspects of MedWAR every
year is preparing for the unexpected and unseen dangers
of any emergency situation. Forgetting the seemingly
minor aspects of medicine, which may be quickly and
easily overlooked, can prove deadly in a wilderness setting;
failing to assess scene safety, improper positioning during
the assessment and treatment of spinal injuries, and
failure to maintain blood flow to a splinted fracture are all
harmful situations for the victim and potentially for the
responder as well. To this end, MedWAR is more than a
race; while teams are vying to cross the finish line first,
they are also learning and practicing valuable lifesaving
wilderness skills under the direct supervision and guidance
of trained emergency medicine physicians. Thus, along
with prizes for winning, participants gain the much more
valuable knowledge of lifePsaving survival skills.
If you’re ready to take on the challenge, MedWAR 2015 is
already being designed with 5 more unique and exciting
scenarios. Think you’ve got what it takes to survive?
! Tim Nowack, Class of 2016
7 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Is it really OK to take a break? That’s what many M1s
were thinking when we first discovered the free time
lurking at the end of our first semester of medical
school. Some careful planning and much anticipation
brought students from all four classes to exciting
destinations during winter’s brief
intermission. Chelsea Shugars (Class of 2016)
spent some time with her mom exploring
volcanos and vineyards in Chili. Others took
the much anticipated break to relax at home
with video games and Netflix, like Athens
student Joey Krakowiak (Class of 2016), who
then made Spring Break the hallmark of the
year with his 5thwedding anniversary.
Although Augusta didn’t see snow until after
classes resumed in January, students like
Mary Carroll Lee (Class of 2015) visited beautiful
snowOcovered cabins with classmates in West
Virginia during the wellOdeserved break. While ski
slopes and snowy scenes were a favorite among
winter break travelers, others opted for warmer
getaways. An adventurous group of M1s tackled the
unlimited food, fun, and festivities onboard a
roundtrip, five day cruise to the Bahamas. Making a
quick stop at Universal Studios before the cruise, this
group was determined to take advantage of every
minute of precious time away from the classroom.
After returning from the Bahamas just in time for the
holidays, the hardcore vacationers went their
separate ways to more adventures, like Disney,
Europe, and even a
second cruise. After rave
reviews from their classmates,
groups of M1’s have planned cruises for Spring
Break, this summer, and next winter.
As we gear up for the summer, we’ll see our
graduates settle into residency positions while
members of the Class of 2015 prepare to apply. The
Class of 2016 will be getting ready to start rotations,
finally breaking out of the classroom and into the
clinic. The Class of 2017 will be enjoying our “last
free summer” with a record number of students
pursuing summer research projects with the Medical
Scholars Program this year. No matter the length or
location of a medical student’s vacation, you can bet
that it’s embraced and appreciated.
! Alexandra Dodd, Class of 2017
TakeABreak
Spring 2014 | Panacea |8
Rebecca-Lyn'sFamous BananaBread RecipeIt's going to be a good day when
Rebecca2Lyn Sokolove (Class of 2016)brings this delicious breakfast to class!
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup flour
½ cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
2 bananas, mashed
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease
one 9 x 5 loaf pan. In a large mixing
bowl, combine melted butter, sugar,
vanilla and eggs. Add the flour, baking
soda, and salt to the wet ingredients.
Fold in the Greek yogurt and mashed
bananas. Pour the mixture into the
greased loaf pan. Bake for 50L60
minutes or until an inserted toothpick
comes out clean.
Tips:
• The riper the bananas thebetter they mash and the moreflavor you get from them.
• Add nuts (i.e. walnuts,Brazil nuts, etc.) or chocolatechips for a different taste.
If you are looking for something to do and it iseither too hot or too cold to do anything outside, thereare a variety of things to do indoors around Augusta.For those who like to visit museums, there are two intown to note: the Augusta Museum of History and theMorris Museum of Art. Visit the Augusta Museum ofHistory's website (augutamuseum.org) to see whatexhibits are being featured. The Morris Museum of Artcharges only $3 for students (must show ID) and offersguided and group tours.
On campus, instead of using the treadmill at theWellness Center, why not try a group exercise class?The Wellness Center has a variety of classes that youcan participate in throughout the week, includingzumba, kickboxing, yoga, spin, and several differenttoning classes. These classes are great for getting inshape and relieving the stress of studying!
In the National Hills area of Washington Road,the Masters Value Cinema 7 offers blockbuster shows ata mere $2.50 per person. The theater usually has 6 or 7movies onUscreen, all of which have recently left majortheaters. While tickets are cheap, the concessions areabout the same price as you would find at a largermovie theater. Next time you are considering seeing anew movie, think about waiting two months to see itcheaper at the Masters Cinema; it’s a great option if youare bored and short on cash.
! Khalea Wrensford, Class of 2017
For aRainyDay
9 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Located on Central Avenue across from Crums Restaurant, Buona CaffeCoffee and Espresso Bar is a warm, cozy, and inviting spot for studying orrelaxing. They offer excellent locally@roasted coffee and espresso drinks, as well
as a daily array of pastries baked from scratch.Voted ‘Best Coffee’ in 2012 and 2013 by the readers of Augusta Magazine, Buona Caffe
offers a superior cup of coffee by using freshly roasted coffee beans and practicing the“Manual Pour Over” method of coffee brewing. This technique delivers a more satisfyingbeverage by pouring water heated to a specified temperature over grounds in a Chemexcoffeemaker. This device is similar in appearance to an hourglass or an Erlenmeyer flask, andaccording to Buona Caffe employees, is the only coffee brewing implement permanently ondisplay at the Smithsonian museum!
I have tried the coffee brewed in this manner as well as their more traditional lattes,and both surpassed my expectations. I highly recommend visiting Buona Caffe and trying theirassortment of beverages, especially if you need a change of scenery from Greenblatt orStarbucks. H Caroline Lewis, Class of 2016
Hidden Haunts in Augusta
Spring has sprung!
Augusta is a beautiful place in the spring. Put down the books and take some time to enjoy theweather. Here are some suggestions to get you started!
Have a picnic.Whether you cook your own fancy spread or stop at Moe’s on the way to thepark, eating outside is fun!
Walk or run along the riverfront and daydream about owning a boat.Kayak on the Augusta Canal. Check Groupon for deals before you go.
Take a trip to Phinizy Swamp. Remember your bug spray!Visit Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. This world*renowned zoo is only an hour from Augusta.
Tee off! Practice your swing on one of the CRSA’s many golf courses.
Spring 2014 | Panacea |10
Fujiyama is a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, where the chefs cook infront of you and perform tricks with the food they are preparing. The prices fordinner range from $10=35; dinner includes salad, broth, veggies, and fried rice—and the portions are huge! You definitely get your money’s worth, with plenty of food leftover for another day. I ordered the steak and chicken combo dinner for $18. The broth wassimple with thinly sliced mushrooms and green onions. The salad was very fresh and containedcarrots and cucumber. My steak was cooked the way I asked; however the chicken was a littledry. The chef’s show was quite entertaining, complete with plenty of fire, jokes, and knife=tossing. The service was decent, but not spectacular: while we received our salad and brothpromptly, my date asked the waitress for an extra napkin and take=out cup, which he neverreceived. All in all, this restaurant has become one of my favorites to visit in Augusta.
Find out more at http://www.fujiyamaaugusta.com/.= Khalea Wrensford, Class of 2017
New Eats in Augusta
Get outside!
Go to a Green Jackets baseball game. There are several games every week April throughAugust!
Sleep under the stars. Take a night or two to visit a nearby camping site.Visit the Athens botanical gardens. It’s free and very lovely in the spring.Jam out! Rock out to local and national music acts at Athfest, June 18622.
Run a 5K! A 3#mile race is great for novice runners, and they usually come with a t#shirt and adonation to a good cause! The Augusta area is chock full of running events.
Study outside. Grab a hammock and an iced coffee!! Alexandra Dodd, Class of 2017
11 | Panacea | Spring 2014
On theMOVEPanacea rounded up two gym regulars from theClass of 2016 to get their take on maintaininghealth and wellness as a medical student. Checkout the tips below for a great way to relieve stress> exercising!
When is the best time to go to the gym?John Dennison: At MCG, the only time that I would notgo is between 3 and 6, because that’s when the hugerush comes in, especially the people from theSummerville campus.Did medical school affect how often you go to thegym?John: Depending on if there’s an upcoming test--yes.Because I would go to the gym more for stress reliefpurposes. It’s made my workouts a little bit shorterand more efficient. I would do a lot of wanderingaround & talking in undergrad. Now you’ve got to getin there and get stuff done. Put your headphones inand don’t even put on any music, just so people won’ttalk to you--so you look like you’re doing something.Huy Le: I knew you weren’t listening to music!It can be difficult finding the time to prepare healthymeals and to exercise. What advice would you give tofellow medical students about how to stay healthydespite their busy schedules, especially on testweeks?John: The best thing to do is get lots of those proteinbars and snack bars. There are lots of different barstoday that are just grab and go, and they’re reallyhealthy. Sometimes I might cook on the weekendswhen there’s a little more time. I make stuff ahead oftime so I’ll have it during the week and can justmicrowave it and eat it quickly. Time is a lot more of acommodity now, so you have to plan ahead.
Huy: You can basically just put any meat in the ovenfor 45 minutes to an hour and just study during thattime. Just put some marinade on it, some hot sauce,whatever you want afterwards. It tastes good.John: That is a guy’s answer / “You can throw a pieceof meat in the oven.”Has being in medical school affected how muchimportance you place on staying healthy?John: Yes, especially after second year and realizinghow many ways you could die or become sick.Huy: I thought I was having a heart attack. I thought Ihad COPD.John: You see, COPD and just being out of shape havea lot of similar symptoms. Shortness of breath--Huy: Can’t run more than a mile without dying--John: Fatigue. But honestly, being in medical schoolhas made me think about my health more than I did inundergrad. Because in undergrad, I just wanted towork out because I had nothing else to do. But now, Irealize, “Well, obesity causes all kinds of things.” So Ineed to stay healthy. It makes going to the gym seem alot more purposeful.Have you tried any of the fitness classes that thestudent wellness center offers?Huy: [laughing] He tried yoga.John: I have tried yoga. I felt very out of place. I’verealized I’m not flexible. But, I mean, the classes weregood.Is it hard for beginners?John: I was sweating like a pig at the Texas State Fair. Itwas tough.For more information on gym hours and the fitnessclasses offered by the Student Wellness Center, checkout their homepage, http://www.gru.edu/wellness/.
! Joanne Boggs, Class of 2016
Spring 2014 | Panacea |12
Members of "The Herniated Discs" pose together after winning the 2012:2013Intramural Ultimate Frisbee championship.
13 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Reaching Beyond theDoctor's OfficeEvery Monday and Wednesday afternoon, from
5:0047:00 pm, children from the Harrisburg
neighborhood pour into the sanctuary at St. Luke
Methodist church on Crawford Ave. Many of them walk
there, knowing exactly where to go because St. Luke
has become much more than a place of worship for the
people of Harrisburg. It has become a community
touchstone for a variety of needs. Forrest Sherman
(Class of 2016) and I got involved with the children of
Harrisburg during our first year in medical school. She,
much more ambitious than I, sought to find a way to
engage with the community she was to call home for
the coming years. She stumbled upon a mentoring
program called Kids With A Future, asked if I would go
with her, and we’ve been going nearly every week
since.
The Kids With A Future program has grown even since
we’ve been involved. What started out as a once4a4
week meeting with an assigned mentee just to catch
up, has grown and transformed into a twice4a4week
tutoring program staffed almost entirely by students
from MCG/GRU. An average of 40 children – primarily
from low4income families – voluntarily attend this
tutoring program where free tutoring, homework help,
and dinner are provided by the generosity of
volunteers. It’s a break for the children, as many
express their frustration with a lack of one4on4one help
in the already overstretched classroom. It’s a break for
volunteers to get out of the classroom, to interact with
children from very different circumstances, and to be
reinvigorated by the enthusiasm that the kids can’t help
but exude.
Forrest and I are always happy to go on and on about
the most recent dance move the kids have taught us or
what funny snippet we heard from the last tutoring
session. Each session is like a new episode of ‘Kids Say
the Darndest Things.’ It’s so wonderful that so many
more people have gotten involved in this neighborhood
we feel so passionately about. If any more people are
interested, I would encourage them to get in touch with
Forrest or myself or even just show up at 5:00 pm on
Monday and/or Wednesday at St. Luke (309 Crawford
Ave.) ready to dive head4in. It’s a fantastic opportunity,
right around the corner from all of us, that I can’t thank
Forrest and the community of Harrisburg enough for
affording me.
! Kelsey Allen, Class of 2016Contact info:Forrest Sherman [email protected] Allen [email protected]
Spring 2014 | Panacea |14
Last fall, the Class of 2016’s Arsalan Derakhshan made an announcement tohis classmates about something he thought up over the summer. “Heyguys,” he began, with a typical Arsalan smile, “I want to start up a sortFofclinic thing called the Teddy Bear Clinic. Yeah, I said Teddy Bear Clinic! Wewill wear our white coats and setup mock clinics to interact with kids andteach them about health using teddy bears. I think it's got a lot of potential,and if we can get a dedicated exec board together, I think it can become avery special legacy that our class leaves behind. If this is something thatinterests you, please email me! Thanks.”
After a few days, he had several first and second years immersed in creatingwhat became the Teddy Bear Clinic. What followed has been immensely funfor all kids and volunteers involved.
About twice a semester, volunteers from MCG meet at the Boys and GirlsClub off of Broad St and set up stations around a public health theme. Sofar, the themes have been personal hygiene, nutrition, and safety. Onceeverything is set up, the kids at the B&GC line up at the entrance of the gymto receive their teddy bears for the day. First, there is a song or skit for allthe kids to hear what the theme will be; then they are put into groups of 5F7with volunteers who lead them to each station.
The stations are fun and engaging, making use of props such as glitter andlotion, zip bags and egg yolks, and water and yellow food coloring. Everyonehas a blast while serving the double purpose of teaching kids about theirown health and safety and helping them become comfortable with“grownups in white coats.”
! Katie Kerr, Class of 2016 | Photography by Phil Jones!!!
HEADLINES)IN)MARCH:)The!Wine!and!Cheese!Benefit!was!a!huge!success!!The!current!estimate!is!that!we!raised!around!4,000)dollars)that!will!benefit,!The$Mercy$Clinic,!and!the!academic$endeavors$of$the$M2$and$M1$classes.!!“The!benefit!was!a!hit!again!with!even!more!people!than!last!year.!I!hope!that!the!Wine!and!Cheese!benefit!will!continue!to!grow!and!be!a!source!of!support!for!Athens’!charities!for!years!to!come.”!–!Joey%Krakowiack,%M2%President!Kalie%Deustch,%M2%VP!says!that,!“It!was!really!great!to!participate!in!the!Wine!&!Cheese!again!this!year,!this!time!with!both!the!first!and!second!year!classes.!Mercy!Health!Center!is!a!cause!that!both!of!our!classes!are!passionate!about,!and!it!was!rewarding!to!be!able!to!support!all!that!they!do.”!Being!the!M1’s!first!big!event,!many!of!them!came!out!and!supported,!volunteered,!and!most!importantly!had!a!great!time.!M1%President,%Carlos%Soriano!says!that,!“the!Wine!and!Cheese!event!was!a!great!opportunity!for!faculty,!students,!and!community!members!alike!to!come!together!and!support!Mercy!Clinic.!We’re!excited!to!have!been!a!part!of!it!and!look!forward!to!hosting!similar!events!in!the!future.”!Our!M2!Mercy!Managers,!the!group!of!four!that!oversee!and!coordinate!the!Medical!Partnerships’!Wednesday!MCG!Clinic!nights,!were!thrilled!that!Mercy!was!chosen!as!the!charity!this!year.!Leia%Edenfield,!M2%says!that,!“The!Wine!and!Cheese!event!was!a!great!example!of!how!supportive!the!students!and!faculty,!as!well!as!the!participating!local!business!sponsors!are!of!Mercy!Clinic.!The!turnout!was!encouraging!and!reveals!how!big!of!an!impact!our!school!can!have!on!the!community!not!to!mention!how!delicious!the!wine!and!cheese!was!!Jonathan’s!favorite!was!the!smoked!Gouda!and!he!claims!to!have!eaten!more!than!his!fair!share!of!the!pecan!triangles.!!And!Phil!managed!to!fight!through!his!lactose!intolerance!and!enjoy!a!cheese!square,!or!five.”!! $Dust$off$your$aprons!!We’re!excited!to!announce!that!in$April!we!will!be!having!the!3rd$Annual$Medical$Partnership$Chef$Off!!Date!to!be!announced!soon.!!!!
This)Month)at)the)Partnership:)Spring$break$March$3/8D3/16$$!Tues!Mar.!18th!Internal!Medicine!Interest!group!meeting!!Tues!Mar!18th!@!5:30!“Swimming!and!walking!Biobots!built!from!stem!cells”!lecture$ $Friday$Mar.$21st$Match$Day$Ice$Cream$Party$$$$!Birthdays$This$Month:!Arif$Mahmood!–!3/4!Joseph$Vinson!–!3/5!Sarah$Whyte!–!3/8!Kalie$Deutsch!–!3/20!Zac$Doegg!–!3/25!Kirsten$Kepple!–!3/28!!!!!!$
A%Review%of%Systems:%%GRU/UGA!Medical!Partnership!SGO!2016!Newsletter,!March!2014!!!!$
Class of 2017 students in Athens hosted a successfulWine and Cheese event on March 4th. The event raisedan estimated $4,000 that will benefit The Mercy Clinicand the academic endeavors of the M1 and M2 classes.
Being the M1’s first big event, many of them came outand had a great time. M1 President Carlos Soriano said,“The Wine and Cheese event was a great opportunityfor faculty, students, and community members alike tocome together and support Mercy Clinic. We’re excitedto have been a part of it and look forward to hostingsimilar events in the future."
! Sallie McSwain, Class of 2016
15 | Panacea | Spring 2014
������������
1. Before you start, research oralpresentations. Here are some examples.
a) For surgery: “Pt is a 56 yo AAM s/p
cholecystectomy Hospital day #3. No acute
events overnight, tolerating liquids well, with
bowel movement this morning. Pain well
controlled on current medications. Pt denies
fevers, NVD, (etc). VITALS: Max temp = 97.5
BP etc. PE is unchanged. Wound is clean, dry,
and intact. A+P: Pt is stable and progressing
well. Would recommend advancing diet to
solids and changing IV medications to oral.
Prepare for possible discharge in two days.”
Notice how the first sentence after the initial
descriptor gave information regarding the
last 12 or so hours (overnight). Your
attending will want to know if anything
“acute” has happened in his/her absence.
Also note that the patient’s vitals are VERY
important on surgery rotation. Make sure to
give the wound status.
b) Family med: “Pt is a 56 yo AAM
who presents today for f/u of DM and HTN.
Pt recently underwent uneventful
cholecystectomy on March 1 and is doing
well post]op. He is still following with
surgery. Pt’s DM and HTN are controlled on
metformin and HCTZ. He has no complaints
today. (Include pertinent ROS here.)
Objective: Vitals and PE within normal limits.
Assessment: Pt with DM 2 and HTN. Plan:
Refill medications, order labs (which ones),
referrals, health maintenance (vaccines, pap
smears, etc).”
Recall that Subjective, Objective,
Assessment, and Plan are the elements of a
SOAP note. Know how to present with a
SOAP outline. The Plan portion doesn’t have
to contain all of the parts I put in the
example note.
2. ASK QUESTIONS!!! If you don't know whysomething was started or discontinued, askwhy. If you don’t understand the significanceof a physical exam finding, ask what it meansand how they thought to look for it.
3. Be enthusiastic! I received countlesscomments on what a pleasure it was to workwith me because I was "happy" to be there,and I showed a lot of "interest" in patientsand cases. Notice the quotes; there weretimes when I really was enthralled with whatwas going on and other times, not so much.Emotions are contagious, so if you go inthere willing and raring to go, they willrespond well to you. Try to be sincerethough: what you are doing is really cool andnot many people get the chance to do whatwe do. In some cases, you will never do thisagain, so enjoy it. If you just can't be theeager beaver…. Just fake it til you make it.
4. “Pimp” questions: if you don’t know theanswer, DON'T PANIC!!! Attendings cansmell fear!Just kidding.In all seriousness, I’ve found this to be agood response:"To be honest, I'm not sure, but by the endof the day I will. If I had to make an educatedguess, I would say [blank] because [blank]."You want to show the attendings that a) youare honest, b) you will actively rectify yourlack of knowledge, and c) you have putthought into the question, even though youdidn’t know the answer.
5. It's ok to be wrong. I mean, absolutely,positively, WRONG. You are a student, notan attending. We are not supposed to knoweverything or make the perfect call everytime. The main thing is that you are making areal effort to learn. So when it comes to yourassessment and plan, go for it! Even if theyshoot you down, they will teach you why itwas incorrect and note that you have passedthe “reporter” stage (someone who justrecounts the facts).
6. Dig in. Your patient is YOUR patient, sotake the time to get to know his/her labs,pathology, past medical history, andmedications. When the attending asks,“What BP medication do we have her on?”you should jump up and say "Lisinopril10mg!" The attending will actually look atyou and realize you are there. If you do well,
Spring 2014 | Panacea |16
the attending will talk directly to you about thepatient. When I was on a service, the attending duringrounds turned to me and said, "Put in a consult topulm to evaluate for thoracentesis. Make sure you talkto the fellow and let him know the patient'sdeteriorating condition." He didn't turn to the resident,or the intern. He turned tome. When you get goodenough, you will become the intern. That’s where youwant to be, but it will take time.
7. Start presenting. By your second week, you shouldeither be asking for presentation topics or asking if youcan present on a topic you found to be particularlyinteresting that day/week. Presentations should not bemore than 5<7 minutes. Attendings are busy.Incorporate recent evidence based medicine (studiesfrom journals). It also wouldn't hurt to print out thearticle you used and hand it to your attending. Thatway, he’ll remember who did a presentation (you!). Infact, justmake a folder for all of your journal researchand hand it in at the end of your rotation. Attending'smind blown!
8. Ask for things to do. Ask your intern and then theresident if there is anything you can do, like faxsomething, call someone, check on a patient, pull uplab results. Be proactive. If you can make their liveseasier, they will complement you to the attending.
9. Study. If you are on surgery, study anatomy so youcan impress in the OR. Don't wait till the end when youare rushed because you won’t understand it as welland will not remember the information for your Step 2.Always have a small book and some UCworld questions(you can put them on your phone) to read/work onbetween seeing patients.
10. Be professional. Don't roll your eyes. Believe it ornot, it happens, and it’s a big deal.Women, don't wearrevealing shirts. Both male and female doctors tend tolook negatively on your character if you wear revealingattire. You want them to remember you for yourcharacter.Men, wear a tie. (I personally promote thebow tie because I just love them!) Do not show up toorientation in jeans and a t0shirt! You will meet doctorsthat day and possibly start working. Make a goodimpression. Don't be late...they will remember andthen make comments every day afterwards. Neverdisregard or flagrantly disagree with your uppers. Ifyou think they are wrong, just say, "Hmm I could havesworn it was [blank]. I'll go look it up when I have freetime." Then, if you were right, bring it up casually, "Ohhey, remember when we talked about [blank]? Well Ifinally looked it up and I found this article saying[blank]." If you are wrong, make sure to mention tothem that you did look it up and thank them forcorrecting you. Don't roll your eyes, suck your teeth, ormake loud sighs when you are told something youdon't want to hear or do. (Again, believe it or not, ithappens!)
11. Have fun! Yes, it's hard work, but just because it'shard doesn't mean it's not a blast. Don't be an Eeyore!
! Emi Rendon Pope, Class of 2015
17 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Just Doctor
to Doctor
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. John Fisher, recipient ofthe Class of 2016’sEducator of the Yearaward for 2014, is one ofthe most belovedprofessors at MCG.Although he no longer seespatients, he continues toteach microbiology with"infectious" enthusiasmand dedication.
Dr. Fisher is one of the legendary professors atMCG – one of the ones we hear about our firstyear and look forward to having in the secondyear. A fixture here for longer than most of ushave been alive, it’s hard to believe that Dr.Fisher wasn’t always here, passing on pearls ofwisdom.
Indeed, the road that led him to where he isnow was rather winding. He started thinkingabout medicine when he was a freshman inhigh school, partially due to the influence of aninspiring uncle in pediatrics. However, when heapplied to Notre Dame’s pre=med program, hedidn’t get accepted. Not to be deterred, Dr.Fisher set his sights on their liberal arts pre=medtrack, which required a minimum GPA before astudent could start their basic sciences as asophomore. “I was determined from that point
Spring 2014 | Panacea |18
on to become a physician,” Dr.Fisher said, despite a commentfrom an advisor saying, ‘He justdoesn’t have the makings of aphysician.’ It just goes to showthat no one but youcan know whatyou’re capable of.Indeed, that advisorwas soon provenwrong as Dr. Fisherenrolled in medicalschool at theUniversity ofVirginia.
Infectious diseasewas also a bit of acircular path forhim. He’d originallyplanned to beboard0certified in both pediatricsand internal medicine – “It wasgrandiose,” he admits with asmile, “but I was enthusiastic.”However, a strenuous pediatricresidency that involved everyother night on call had himswitching to internal medicine ayear in. After a year of that, hewent into the Navy, interruptinghis residency. When he cameback, he had a year of pediatricsinternship and a year of internalmedicine residency. He neededtwo more years of internalmedicine, despite the fact thatonly one year remained of hisresidency. He decided to do afellowship in order to take hisinternal medicine boards. Hedescribes scrambling around andeventually landing one in –hematology. So how did Dr. Fisherwind up in Infectious Disease?“Well,” he says, “one week after Isigned on the dotted line, themoney fell through, so they had totake back their offer. I went to theinfectious disease chief and toldhim my sad story,” and the rest, as
they say, is history. Dr. Fisherbelieves that it was providential,describing how he immediatelyfell in love with what he calls “thediagnostic pursuit” of infectious
disease.
His ID fellowshipwas also where hegot exposed toresearch. “I alwaysliked writing,” hesays, “and when Isaw my name on apublication, it justlit a light in me.” Hislove for writingpapers combinedwith his love ofteaching – he callsit his “true calling”
– pointed a pretty clear arrowtoward academic medicine, so hestarted looking for assistantprofessor positions. What broughthim to Augusta? “I love the gameof golf,” Dr. Fishersays with a laugh, “SoI read a want ad:‘Medical College ofGeorgia, Augusta, GA,Assistant Professor ofInfectious Disease,’and I said, I gotta golook!” He’s been inAugusta ever since.
On the topic of golf,Dr. Fisher has a lot to say. Golf, heexplains, teaches you how to sayno to yourself. “You can’t bethrowing clubs, having a tempertantrum because you hit a ballinto the water, because your nextshot is coming up, so you betterget over it and concentrate on thisnext one.” It teaches a lot aboutintegrity too, he says, because it’sthe only sport where you callpenalties against yourself. It’ssomething you can play the rest of
your life. After all, at 70, Dr. Fisherstill plays a couple times a week.The walking gives him exerciseand the game itself keeps his mindsharp, because, as he points out,the game is about 70% mental.
What about the Masters? Dr.Fisher has had series badges for
years, but it was a bit of a struggle
getting them. “One of the first
things I did when I got to my desk
at MCG: I wrote a letter to the
Augusta National. I probably
should have been writing a paper,
but I wrote a letter to the Augusta
National saying that I would like to
get on the waiting list for tickets to
the Masters. They wrote me a nice
letter saying, ‘There is no room on
the waiting list, but if you would
like to get on the waiting list at
some point, please fill out this
form.’ So about a year later, they
wrote me another letter saying,
‘You are now officially on the
waiting list.
We cannot say
when or
whether you
will get series
badges.’ That
was in ’78. I
began to get
two series
badges in the
early 1990’s.”
Nowadays, his
kids use his badges – it’s become a
family sport. “They’re all better
golfers than I am,” he laughs.
Other than golf, Dr. Fisher hastwo main passions: writing andsinging. In terms of writing, it’snot all academic. He’s hoping towrite a play some time in the nearfuture, and he already has a plot inmind: the story of John Fisher. “Itsounds so egotistical. There is a St.John Fisher. It’s not I – I’m the
Dr. Fisher and his wife Peggy
19 | Panacea | Spring 2014
other guy.” It turns out that JohnFisher was a bishop in England inHenry VIII’s time. Dr. Fisher wantsto write a play about his conflictwith Henry VIII after Henry declaredhimself the head of the Church ofEngland instead of the Pope. Asidefrom the story of his namesake, Dr.Fisher enjoys writing about thephilosophy of medicine, aboutCatholic apologetics, and humorpieces, both medical and nonEmedical.
Like writing, music has alwaysbeen a part of Dr. Fisher’s life. He’sbeen singing since he was aboutfour, and he taught himself to playthe ukulele when he was twelve orthirteen. Shortly after that, hisgrandmother gave him his firstguitar. Folk music was big in thosedays, so in college, Dr. Fisher waspart of a folk group, playing theguitar while someone else playedthe banjo. Soon after, someonesuggested that he try out for theglee club, and he gotin. Ever modest, Dr.Fisher cites the factthat he sings secondtenor rather thanbaritone as thereason that he gotto travel with theglee club relativelyearly on and startedto get solo parts. Hegot involved inbarbershop quartetmusic when he wasan intern inCincinnati, so whenhe moved to Augusta, he looked upthe local barbershop chorus. There,someone approached him to sing ina barbershop quartet, and he did sofor 15 years, as well as directing thechorus. When that ended, he stillneeded a musical outlet, so he senthis son to look for a pub with an
open mic. That’s what led him tothe Fox’s Lair. “It was a Tuesday,and there wasn’t asoul in theaudience, and Iwas up thereplaying the guitarand singing Irishsongs. I’ve beendoing it for ten,going on elevenyears.”
One of the thingsthat consistentlystands out aboutDr. Fisher is hispassion andenthusiasm. Asopposed to manydoctors who becomejaded or cynical, Dr. Fisher caresdeeply about his patients as well ashis students. When asked wherethat comes from, he cites hisCatholic faith. “There’s a Biblicalstatement of Jesus where he says,
‘Whatever you doto the least ofthese, mybrothers, you do itto me.’ So I tryvery hard to seeJesus in mypatients. And inmy students. Andin other people.”He makes sure toacknowledge thatpeople come fromtremendouslydifferentbackgrounds and
religious beliefs, and says thateveryone should seek the Creator intheir own way, not necessarily his.
What advice does he have formedical students about to go onthe wards? He suggests getting tothe hospital a half hour before the
intern and leaving a half hour afterthem, so that you come across as a
fixture. He alsosays that youshould try andanticipate whatneeds to bedone on yourpatients andthen go aheadand do it, sothat you canlighten the loadon the internsand residents.That will givethe impressionthat you’re ahardworking
student who’sreadily available.
He recommends reading“everything you can get your handson” on your patients, so that whenyou’re called on, you’re loaded forbear. But he also suggests readingsuperficially on your classmates’patients, because you won’t get tosee every disease, and you just mayget a question on a patient that’snot your own. “If they don’t knowthe answer to the question, thenthe attending is going to turn toyou, and say what do you knowabout this? So you’ve already readdefensively. You’re ready. You’renot going to go, ‘Oh teacher, I knowthe answer!’, because yourclassmates will hate you if you dothat. But if they turn to you and askyou a question and you know theanswer, good on you.”
When asked about how medicinehas changed over the years, Dr.Fisher becomes a little moreserious. He says that thetechnology that has beendeveloped over the years is great,and that he marvels at what we cando nowadays, but that there’s a
Dr. Fisher and his granddaughterSavannah
Spring 2014 | Panacea |20
downside: a decrease in in,depth patient interaction.“It’s so much easier to let the computer make thediagnosis for you or come up with a list, but a lot ofwhat a physician does is give comfort to a person,because the patient recognizesthat they really are concerned,that they really love them, thatthey really want to help them.And we’re losing a lot of that.”The skill in physical diagnosis isalso waning, he says. Attendingsdon’t always have or make thetime to point out physicalfindings to their students, or todo a “world class exam” onthem. Not only are you going tomiss things if you don’t do that,he points out, but it’s not asmuch fun! “I think physiciansburn out more easily because they don’t lay a hand ontheir patients. They don’t interact with them like theyonce did. Those were our stock and trade, taking agreat history and examining the patient. Doing thesimple things – that’s not done anymore, and I thinkthat’s sad.”
Fortunately for our students, we have excellentprofessors like Dr. Fisher to remind us of the humanside of medicine, amidst all the technologicaladvances. Dr. Fisher in one word: dedicated. Dedicated
to his patients, his students, hisfamily, his art, and his faith. Hisoffice is a testament to thisdedication. He has a bookshelfoverflowing with books, manyacademic and non=academic papers,and behind his computer sits acaricature of his head on a fish,courtesy of the class of ’93, that he’sbrought with him to every officesince he received it. He smiles fondlywhen he points it out, and says,“You all mean an awful lot to me.”Dr. Fisher – just doctor to doctor –the feeling is mutual.
! Prianka Kandhal, Class of 2016
What is your favorite infectious disease?I don’t want to wish it on anybody. It has to do with what I’vewritten most about. I think it would be serious candidainfections, invasive candidiasis.
What are your top three favorite Irish songs?Dublin in the Rare Old Times, The Irish Rover, Whiskey in the Jar
Where do you get your contemplations from in lecture?I’ve got lots of resources for those. I’ve got a book called “ThePortable Curmudgeon”. Pick a topic, and it has a clever thingabout that category. That’s one source. And then I’ve got abunch of other books of proverbs. I try to mix in things that getto the root of who a human being should be. And then somefunny ones.
If Chuck Norris were a physician, what kind of doctor would hebe?[laughs] He’d probably be a GI surgeon. Or an orthopedicsurgeon. He wouldn’t be an ID doc.
RapidFirewith
Dr. Fisher
21 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Specialty Spotlight:
Pediatrics
For this issue’s specialty spotlighton pediatrics, we interviewedthree pediatricians to learn moreabout what they do. Dr. KathrynMcLeod is a general pediatricianwho has been at MCG sincemedical school and emphasizesbreastfeeding in her medicalpractice. Dr. William Kanto is aretired neonatologist and SpecialAssistant for Special Projects, aswell as the former Chief MedicalOfficer, Chair of the Departmentof Pediatrics, and Chief ofNeonatology. Dr. ColleenMcDonough is a pediatrichematologist/oncologist whocompleted medical school hereand returned after her residencyand fellowship at Johns Hopkins.
What’s the hardest thing about being apediatrician?Dr. McLeod: The hardest thing for me, which I don’thave to do a lot, is giving bad news. Generally, onereason why pediatrics is so great is because kidsrecover so well.Dr. McDonough: The most challenging things arethe sad cases. We’re fortunate in pediatric oncologythat in general many more of our patients aresuccessfully treated than adults, but there are stillsome diagnoses that really have a poor prognosisand then there are other diseases with a relativelygood prognosis that relapse and then are not ableto be ultimately cured. That’s the hardest thing ofthis specialty.
What’s the most rewarding aspect?Dr. McLeod: Just dealing with children. Working atMCG is much more rewarding for me than if I was inprivate practice. I thought I was going to go intoprivate practice when I finished, but at the time,there just wasn’t a job open, so I stayed here. I’mjust so thankful, because I feel like I’m helping some
Spring 2014 | Panacea |22
of the population that has no voice.Dr. Kanto: I enjoyed helping a child through anillness and seeing the family recover and becomfortable. I enjoyed helping young families dealwith their children. In neonatology, it’s still excitingto run into people who tell me I took care of theirchild, and that’s very rewarding because often it wasa life threatening condition and I was able toparticipate in thecare and the childrecovered. Probablythe most satisfyingpart for me is thepeople in whoseeducation I helped,and to see thosefolks practicing andwhat they’re doing.Dr. McDonough:We meet really amazing childrenand amazing families. When a child is diagnosed withcancer, it’s a huge event for the entire family. Seeingthese families accept the diagnosis and then learnabout their child’s treatment and really pull through
—it’s really a lot of fun to work with these families.And the kids are incredibly tough. To see their littlepersonalities develop and evolve and shine is reallycool.
Can you tell me a little bit about the decision tospecialize or not specialize?Dr. McLeod: To be honest, it was never even in my
brain to specialize. WhatI love about my job isthat it’s different everyday. At one point, fiveyears ago, I didinterview with a privategroup, and I justthought, “Oh my gosh,this is going to be the
same thing every day. I’m going to see the samepeople every day. I can’t do this.”Dr. Kanto: I enjoyed general pediatrics and learned agreat deal, but felt like I enjoyed being in the hospitaland taking care of hospitalized patients more.Neonatology was a new and burgeoning field then. I
To see their little personalitiesdevelop and evolve and
shine is really cool.
23 | Panacea | Spring 2014
realized I enjoyed more hospital2based work, so I made thedecision to specialize inneonatology.
How do you deal with seeing kidswho are not well, or kidswho are very sick? Likechronic illnesses?Dr. McLeod: I findsomething to focus on. Ican work on [things like]how are they feeding, dothey have bedsores, are thebandages too tight? There’salways something you can dealwith.Dr. Kanto: I like neonatologybecause it was very acute, you didsomething and the child survivedor they didn’t. A lot of thedisciplines have moved more intochronic illness. There are a fewways to deal with that. One, torealize that alot of the kidswho havechronic illnessdied yearsago, but nowthey survive,although theydo havechronicconditions.And to be ableto help themwith that issatisfying, butit can be veryfrustrating. Alot of peoplego intoemergency medicine todaybecause they like to take care ofacute problems. To be there, to dothe diagnosis, to do theintervention, to get a response. Alot of it is your personality andwhat you’re in your discipline for.
What, in fact, are you trying toaccomplish professionally?Dr. McDonough: I try to deal withit compassionately. I am able toseparate out their disease frommy own personal life. I don’t know
exactly what that strategy is. Ithink it’s just time and experience.
The anti(vaccination movementhas gotten a lot of press lately.How do you deal with parentswho refuse to vaccinate theirkids?Dr. McLeod: Everything is justeducating – that this is what weconsider gold standard care, and
you’re goingagainst it.And thosepeople tendto findsomebodyelse. Part of itis – you wantto providethe best carefor the childand the childhas no voice,and soworking withthe family toprovide thebest care forthe child,
which requires compromises attimes.
Do you have any advice foraspiring pediatricians?Dr. McLeod: The biggest thing ismaybe spending time in the
summers with a pediatrician andshadowing them. It can really behelpful.Dr. Kanto: I think, first off, be verycareful about making the decisionbased off of what happens here at
the
Children’s Hospital of Georgia andthe patients you take care ofthere. You have to think aboutwhat’s going to happen to you asyou mature andprogress through yourcareer and what thatprofession is going tobe like. I might enjoy aparticular aspect ofcare right now, but amI going to enjoy that ina community? Youcan’t just base it onwhat it’s like here in anacademic medicalcenter. You have tofigure out what it’sgoing to be like inpractice.Dr. McDonough: Research in thefield is very important so I wouldencourage students who arethinking about pediatric hem/oncto try to gain some researchexposure, some researchexperience, to just helpstrengthen their background andtheir applications as they getfurther along in their careers.
Are there things we can do duringour pediatric rotations that willgive us a better experience andmake us stand out?Dr. McLeod: I just think being aneager learner and being there,
What, in fact, are you trying toaccomplish professionally?
Spring 2014 | Panacea |24
ready for anything. I think you stand outby your attitude and your work ethic. Ithink pediatrics is different fromanything else y’all do. It’s just a verydifficult thing for some people who’venever been around children, that don’treally want to deal with children, whichis understandable. I don’t really want todeal with old adults. I just think comingin with an open mind.Dr. Kanto: It’s always good, inpediatrics, to have it from mid7Octoberto mid7April, because of the variety ofpatients that you will see. As far ashaving prior experience in the rotation,it doesn’t matter. Pediatrics is a uniqueevent no matter when it occurs in your
rotations. You’re still going tothink that the baby’s going tobreak when you pick it up, nomatter where you are, untilyou’ve gone through thatrotation. For the rotation, bearound as much as you can andexamine as many patients asyou can. Just because it’s notyour patient, don’t miss theopportunity to learn from them.I learned more pediatrics after 5pm than I did between 8 am and5 pm. You have to make sureyou’re around to have the
opportunity to learn, and often duringnormal hours there are so many peoplearound that you don’t have as much ofthe opportunity to learn.Dr. McDonough: Ask a lot of questions.Read, dig deep. When you’re meeting apatient who has a certain condition, justtry to learn everything you can aboutthat disease because it’s going to stick.When you can put a face, a family, anactual clinical experience with thatcondition, you’re really going toremember it. It’s going to be real toyou.! Prianka Kandhal and Joanne Boggs,Class of 2016
Funny Chief Complaints“I had some kid tell me his last name was Darth Vader onetime.”“Onset of womanhood”“Weasles in their chest”“A 9 month old was playing on a huge iPad and dropped theiPad on his toe and it broke his toe, but it’s just a funnytestament to our society that he was playing with an iPad thatwas probably bigger than he was.”“He had two toothbrushes in his rectum.”“My kid’s head is shaped funny.”“There was a Youtube challenge to snort a bead and then spit itout. So she’d gotten the bead lodged into a sinus, and we had togo in with tweezers and take the bead out.”“My kid is pooping like a fire hydrant.”Contributions from Dr. McLeod and Class of 2014's BrettLaBrecque, Hunter Wilson, Danielle Shay, Spencer Poore, andHunter Daigle
25 | Panacea | Spring 2014
There have been good times, great times, and some extremelyterrible times. Because of you, I have laughed, cried, panicked, bled,barfed, and thought I would die of old age before rounds ended. Ihave been humbled by my peers and my teachers, angered andfrustrated at the injustices of life, and seen that miracles dohappen every day. I have also learned to work hungry, ninja eat mylunch and dinner, hold my pee for seemingly infinite amounts oftime, and stay awake for many hours.At the beginning, I knew you would be a challenge. I expected tostudy hard, sleep little, pay thousands in tuition, and probably missmy family’s summer vacation week every year. But I did not expectthe heartbreak that comes from seeing so many broken souls,broken bodies beyond repair, and a broken healthcare system thatno one knows how to fix. I was not prepared to watch someone diein front of me or to be the first to touch a newborn baby. I did notknow how to comfort someone in mourning. Before you, medschool, I would have run from these challenges, but you forced meto face them and be strong. You forced me to feel theawkwardness and frankness of life. You made me see the pain andrelief of death. You sent me back to the struggle of being born intothis world. You helped me to see hope for humanity. I am foreverindebted to those who allowed me access to their private selves,but I am so very grateful.So, thank you for the pain, the agony, the struggles, and thesorrow. Thank you also for the joys and the triumphs. You createda doctor who is both terrified and fearless of the future. I am soglad to be done with you, but I am so glad we had this time together.I learned more by fumbling through these 4 years together than bywaltzing though 28 on my own, and I am sure residency will onlymake me miss you.
Regards,Allison Rogers, Class of 2014
Dear Med School,
Spring 2014 | Panacea |26
���� ������� �����
I was talking to awoman in neurology aboutmigraines. However we got onthe topic, she brought up her weight. She started shaking herhead to herself and looked up at me and urged me, "Don't getfat," she said. "Don't do it. Don't you get fat, don't let yourspouse get fat, don't ever let your kids get fat." She kind ofpaused and motioned to me. "You're a medical student. I'msure your life is pretty stressful. Just.....drink. Just drink!"
I met a teenage guy who suffered a gunshot wound to theface once. Before entering his room, I braced myself for an encounterwith a bitter, angry, unmotivated young man. Instead, I met such awell9mannered, pleasant teenager sitting in bed. He was intubated sohe could only communicate by writing on a white board. I noticed thathis handwriting was very neat. He had a really positive attitude, whichwas extremely refreshing. He said he was thankful for all the nursesand doctors who saved his life and who seemed so concerned abouthis successful recovery. He had no hard feelings toward the personwho hurt him99he said he was just happyto be alive. Wow. He told us of hisaccomplishments and aspirations forthe future. My short experience withthis patient taught me not to judge abook by its cover and challenged me toalways keep a positive outlook on life.
I was doing plastics where we were seeing a man who hadturned 100 years old earlier that week. He made it alongpretty well, too. He used a cane, but still got around fine.We were just burning some little spots off his scalp, as wellas his wife's, who was in her 90's. I ask all my olderpatients that are still getting along really well in their olderyears what their secret is. I asked him how I could make itto 100 and still be in the same shape he was in. He lookeddown at the ground for maybe two seconds and then metmy gaze again and answered "Well, you know, I neversmoked, I never drank, and I never chased women."
Ope Fawole and Ross EverettClass of 2015
27 | Panacea | Spring 2014
Student Updates2014
Allison Rogers and husband JoelPaine married on April 19, 2014.She also was the first author fortwo papers published in theAmerican Journal of Dermatologyand JAMA Dermatology.
2016Samiya Hussain and husband Safkat Alkindi Kibriamarried on December 20, 2013.
Joey Krakowiak won 2nd place in an Alumni 4 at theChattanooga Head Race this fall. He also worked in acommunity health center in Nashville through thePrimary Care Leadership Program over the summer.
Mandy Nasworthy and husband Joseph Nasworthymarried on July 20, 2013.
2017Akwesi Poteh received an award for outstandingresearch in lab and also corresponded with a cardiacsurgeon to write an editorial about microRNA thatwas published in July.
Panacea "Staph"Lead Editor: Jennifer Simpliciano (M2)Student Life Editors: Alexandra Dodd (M1), CarolineLewis (M2), Tim Nowack (M2), and KhaleaWrensford (M1)Career Development Editors: Joanne Boggs (M2)and Prianka Kandhal (M2)Copy Editor: Katie Kerr (M2)Faculty Advisor: Dr. Carol NicholsCover photo by Duane Jurma (M2)Photos provided by the MCG Photography Club,Rachel Calhoun, Dr. John Fisher, Stephen Jackson,Patricia Johnson, Phil Jones, Duane Jurma, Tim
Nowack, Alison McCullick, and Forrest ShermanStock photos found on www.freeimages.com areprovided by the following users: Kurhan, iwanbeijes,marsy, Eastop, doriana_s, leagun, mokra, redvisualg,Caesantana, Ayla87, coloniera2, ba1969, ilco, andmadmaven
Special thanks to Patricia Johnson, Toni Baker, andall students who contributed content to themagazine. Many thanks to Dr. Fisher, Dr. McLeod,Dr. Kanto, and Dr. McDonough for taking the time tospeak with us!
Send student news, questions, and comments [email protected]!
Spring 2014 | Panacea |28
Thanks for reading the inaugural issue ofPanacea, a magazine run by MCG
students.We hope to continue highlighting ourwonderful and exciting lives as medicalstudents. We are more than just libraryrobots! Interested in becoming part of thestaff? Open positions are listed below. Formore information, please [email protected].
• Staff writers• Photographers, photography
editors• Representatives from each class,
Athens, Rome, Savannah, and Albanyto help keep us in9the9know
• Cartoonist• Column writers (got a specific topic/
area you’d like to write about for eachissue?)
PanaceaMedical College of Georgia Student Magazine | Georgia Regents University | Spring 2014