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Caduceus
Newsletter: Summer 2009.02 – July,
2009 Dr.
Stan Eisen, Director Home
page: Caduceus Newsletter Archives: |
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Table of Contents: 1. 'Competencies,'
Not Courses, Should Be Focus of Medical-School Curricula, Report Says. |
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1. 'Competencies,' Not Courses, Should Be Focus of
Medical-School Curricula, Report Says.
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June 4, 2009 http://aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2009/090604.htm Future physicians should be given a
clear set of “competencies” to master, rather than a rigid set of courses to
take, according to a report released today by the Association of American
Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The report, “Scientific Foundations for
Future Physicians,” is based on recommendations from a 22-member committee of
researchers, physicians, and science educators. The committee members hope that by
focusing on a dynamic set of competencies, rather than specific courses, they
will open the door to more innovation in both premedical and medical
curricula, and make it easier for premeds to take a variety of nonscience,
liberal-arts courses. The report also recommends that the
competencies be periodically reviewed and updated. Medical educators have
worried for years that their curricula have not kept up with rapid changes in
scientific knowledge. “Future doctors must be equipped to
provide the best and most scientifically sound care for their patients,” said
Carol Aschenbrener, executive vice president of the medical-colleges
association. “The AAMC hopes this report will be the beginning of a broad
dialogue within the undergraduate and medical-education communities to
reinvigorate the scientific preparation of physicians.” The report says that its findings are
“based on the premise that the undergraduate years are not and should not be
aimed only at students preparing for professional school. Instead, the
undergraduate years should be devoted to creative engagement in the elements
of a broad, intellectually expansive liberal-arts education.” The report suggests eight broad
scientific competencies that undergraduate premedical students should master
before starting medical school, as well as eight competencies relating to the
natural sciences that medical students should demonstrate before receiving
their medical degrees. The medical-colleges association will consider the
report as part of its review of the Medical College Admission Test, which it
administers. —Katherine Mangan Chronicle of Higher Ed Here’s the editorial from the June 7, 2009 issue of
Science: |
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2. The Virginia Tech Carilion
School of Medicine (VTCSOM) has received preliminary accreditation from
the LCME Board. |
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June 3, 2009 - The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM) received word today that we have been granted preliminary accreditation from the LCME Board. VTCSOM is a private medical school formed through a public-private partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, a major health care provider in southwestern Virginia. Our new medical school and research institute campus is being built adjacent to the new Carilion Clinic near downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Our class size will be 42 students per year. Our charter class will begin in August 2010. - VTCSOM offers a four-year M.D. degree. - VTCSOM will be admitting both Virginia state residents and out-of-state residents as students to our medical school. However, only U.S. Citizens, Canadian Citizens, and Permanent Residents will be considered. The following information summarizes the application process at VTCSOM. - AMCAS Online Application (VTCSOM is listed in Tab 7 under Virginia schools in AMCAS - AMCAS application due date is 1 December) - Secondary Online Application (by Invitation) - Personal References - VTCSOM uses the Personal Potential Index (PPI) evaluation process developed by Educational Testing Service (ETS) for personal recommendations, rather than traditional letters of recommendation. - Interview Invitation - Interviews will take place on the VTCSOM campus, in Roanoke, Virginia, on several weekends throughout the fall and winter months. VTCSOM utilizes a Multiple-Mini Interview (MMI) process using predetermined scenarios. The MMI interview technique was developed and implemented by McMaster University in Ontario for their M.D. program. - Rolling Admissions Process - VTCSOM will use a rolling admission process and expects to send out its first group of acceptances approximately a month after its first interview weekend. Additional acceptances will be sent out approximately a month after each interview weekend. Interested advisors and applicants can find out more information about the school, curriculum, and admissions process at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine on our website at: http://www.vtc.vt.edu We invite inquiries from pre-health advisors. We're looking forward to working with the members of NAAHP! Steve Stephen Workman, Ph.D. Director of Admissions Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 1 Riverside Circle, Suite 102 Roanoke, VA 24016 Office (540) 581-0133 Cell (540) 520-1059 smworkman@carilion.com |
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3. The |
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Students
who have been unsuccessful in their quest for entry into medical school this
year need a “plan B”, something that will bolster their credentials and
improve their chances of future success. For mid-south students (and others!)
who currently find themselves in such a situation, the Department of
Pharmacology at University of Tennessee Health Science Center now offers an
intensive 1-year program leading to a Masters in Pharmacology. During their time in The
accelerated lecture and tutorial program is designed to provide the student
with a comprehensive background in medical pharmacology, taken with our
second-year medical class, basic biochemistry and the physiologic and
pathophysiologic basis for drug therapy. Successful completion of this
program will fully prepare a candidate for additional medical or basic
research training. Full details can be found at our website: http://www.utmem.edu/grad/Programs/index.php?page=PharmacologyMS
or, if you would prefer, the co-director of the program, Dr. Edwards Park, can
be reached at (901) 448-4779 or by email at epark@utmem.edu. Trevor W.
Sweatman, Director of the Medical Pharmacology Program |
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4. AAMC
STAT, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges: June 15, 2009 edition. |
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5. Nova
Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale, FL) offers a dual DMD/DO
(Doctor of Dental Medicine/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree. |
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Nova Southeastern University has a dual DMD/DO program. It is a six year
program and applicants apply either through DO or DMD portals. They
need to indicate their interest in the dual degree when they complete their
secondary application. If they meet the requirements, they will sit
through an interview with both schools but since there are 240 spots in the
DO program and 100 in the DMD program, it makes more sense to apply to DO. |
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6. Revision
to the Score Scale for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT), Effective May
1, 2009. |
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Revision to the Score Scale for the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) Effective
May 1, 2009 When an examinee takes the OAT, a
raw score is produced for each area of the test that equals the number of
correct answers. This raw score is converted to a standard score so
that examinees’ performance on the test can be compared to other examinees’
performance. In the OAT, the mean is assigned a standard score of 300.
The range of scores for the OAT is 200 to 400. Recently, the mean may has
exceeded 300 in all sections, and has exceeded 330 in certain
instances. As part of the ongoing validation process for the OAT, a
request was made by ASCO to recalibrate the score scale so that the score
scale mean is again close to 300 and the standard deviation is 40. The
data for this rescaling study were responses from 2,520 examinees taking the
OAT for the first time in 2008. The rescaling for each of the OAT
sub-tests was accomplished through the use of logits from the Rasch model,
which takes both examinee’s ability and item difficulty into account.
As a result, the average mean of each of the OAT sub-test is as close as
possible to a mean of 300 and standard deviation of 40. Interpretation
of the New Score Scale This new score scale will take
effect May 1, 2009 and has several major implications for anyone involved in
interpreting OAT scores. Please pay particular attention to the
bulleted items: ·
The new score scale
and the old score scale are not comparable. Scores from the new scale
cannot be compared to the old scale. o A 300 on the old scale is not the
same as a 300 on the new scale. o
If an examinee tested
in January 2009 and then retested in July 2009, the two sets of scores cannot
be compared to each other. · The OAT is not a harder or more
difficult test but overall the scores will appear to be lower than
they have been in recent years because the mean has been set back as close as
possible to 300. ·
Going forward scores
will be able to be compared as they have been in the past. For example,
an examinee that tests in May 2009 and December 2009 will be scored on the
same score scale and those sets of scores can be compared to each other. o When reviewing an examinee’s
score, it will be important to note the date the test was taken to compare
the scores to the correct scale. Paige Pence,
Director, Student and Professional Affairs |
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7. PharmCAS
is now OPEN for Fall 2010 Matriculation! |
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PharmCAS is
now OPEN for Fall 2010 Matriculation! Students
interested in pharmacy can now begin their application at www.pharmcas.org. Advisors are
welcome to create a PharmCAS application to see how applicants apply. Please
use the word “test” as part of your username so we can identify your
application and please DO NOT submit your application. A few things
of note for the 2009-2010 admissions cycle: · PharmCAS will
begin collecting data about race/ethnicity using a new two-part question in
compliance with U.S. Department of Education standards. · PharmCAS now
allows students to identify any publications that they may have authored. · Students
taking the PCAT must enter their PCAT CID in the PharmCAS application for
their scores to be reported to the pharmacy schools. This number
appears on the PCAT registration confirmation, admission ticket, and personal
score report. · PharmCAS is
implementing a centralized Criminal Background Check Pilot Program.
AACP has initiated a PharmCAS-facilitated national background check
service, through which Certiphi Screening, Inc. (a Vertical Screen® Company)
will procure a national background report on applicants at the point of
acceptance. AACP has initiated this new service in order to recognize the
desire of pharmacy schools to procure appropriate national criminal history
reports, and to prevent applicants from paying additional fees at each
pharmacy school to which they are accepted. 12 pharmacy schools will be
participating during the pilot year. For more information visit CBC
FAQs. We look
forward to working with you for the 2009-2010 PharmCAS application cycle. If you have
any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Jennifer
Athay, PharmD, Director of Student Affairs |
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8. VMCAS Web
Application for 2010 Matriculation is Now Available! |
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GREETINGS FROM VMCAS! |
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9. The
2010 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) application service
(AADSAS) has been launched. |
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We are pleased to announce that the 2010 ADEA AADSAS application has been launched! Applicants can begin completing their applications. The URL link to access the application is https://portal.aadsasweb.org or from ADEA homepage www.adea.org. Here are the changes/updates in the 2010 ADEA AADSAS application:
h ADEA AADSAS will begin collecting data about race/ethnicity using a new two-part question in compliance with U.S. Department of Education standards. h ADEA AADSAS will collect voluntary data from applicants about their ethnicity and will provide this to the schools in a special report. h ADEA AADSAS is adding a voluntary section where applicants can supply information that helps schools better determine if they are from disadvantaged backgrounds. h ADEA AADSAS added an item asking applicants to indicate languages other than English in which they are conversant. h ADEA AADSAS added a more directed question about participation in academic enrichment programs (as opposed to commercially available DAT preparation courses). We look forward to working with you for the 2010 ADEA AADSAS application cycle. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Chonte James, Director of
Predoctoral Application Service |
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10.
Received this week. |
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American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (Cupecoy, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles) ·
Viewbook. |
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11. The |
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SARS - AIDS - Ebola - Avian Influenza –“ Anthrax -
Botulism -Â Plague -
For over 40 years, the |
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12. AAMC
STAT, News from the Association of American Medical Colleges: June 29, 2009 edition. |
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Congress deliberates on reform
proposals Congress
deliberates on reform proposals Information: Go to www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/washhigh/2009/062609/start.htm#1
or www.aamc.org/advocacy/library/washhigh/2009/062609/start.htm#3 On June 25 the AAMC submitted a
comment letter to the federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health
Information Technology’s Health Information Technology Policy Committee
urging the committee to refine its proposed definition of “meaningful use” of
health IT. The AAMC expressed concern about many ambiguities in the
proposed definition, including questions over applicability and the ability
of hospitals and eligible professionals to collect and report required data.
The AAMC also emphasized that the requirements for being a “meaningful user”
of electronic health records must not create impediments to comparative
effectiveness and other research. AAMC joins
other groups objecting to proposed increase of SBIR set-aside On June 23 the AAMC joined nearly
100 organizations in sending a letter to Congress opposing a provision to
increase the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) set-aside for federal
research agencies. The letter, coordinated by the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), objects to a provision in the
SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2009 that would increase the allocation for
the SBIR program from 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent of any federal agency budget
that provides more than $100 million for research. The letter states that the
“mandatory increase in the SBIR allocation across agencies will necessarily
result in funding cuts for the peer-reviewed research conducted by other
organizations.” Information: Dave Moore,
senior director, AAMC Government Relations, 202-828-0525, dbmoore@aamc.org OMB issues Recovery
Act implementation guide The federal Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) has released a memorandum outlining
the reporting requirements for those receiving grants under the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Designed to increase transparency
and accountability over where and how the ARRA funds are used, the guidelines
require grantees to report the amount of funds received, the completion
status of funded projects, estimates on the number of jobs created by the
projects, among other factors. OMB also clarified that the first
reports are due Oct. 10, not in July as previous announced. In addition
to the main guidance document, OMB has also issued two supplementary
documents and a program which includes a reporting template. Information: Go to www.recovery.gov/?q=node/579 Senate leader
asks medical schools for COI policies Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
recently sent a letter to 23 medical schools requesting information about
their conflict-of-interest policies. Grassley, who is the ranking member of
the Senate Finance Committee, sent the letter to the medical schools that did
not participate in a recent American Medical Student Association survey on
such policies. The AAMC has encouraged all of its members to develop and
implement strong and effective COI policies that address relationships with
industry. Shortly, the AAMC intends to assess the progress its member
institutions have recently made in achieving this goal. Information: Go to http://grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=21465 HHS secretary’s
report examines system’s “hidden costs” A new report from U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius points to rising
insurance deductibles, higher copayments, and rising out-of-pocket costs as
key causes behind rising health care costs. The report, titled “Hidden
Costs of Health Care: Why Americans Are Paying More But Getting Less,”
comes amid continued debate in Information: Go to www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html On the move The National Quality Forum has
named Laura Miller as senior vice president and chief operating officer.
Miller was previously deputy undersecretary for health operations and
management at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. |
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13. Marginalia: The article mentions “Don't swim when you have diarrhea” as the FIRST rule of Pool
Etiquette. |
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Tinkling in the pool causes disgust and discomfort
updated 9:11 a.m. EDT, Fri May 22, 2009 By
Madison Park (CNN) -- As the summer swim season started Memorial Day weekend, water quality and health experts issued a message for swimmers: Please don't pee in the pool.
About one in five adults in a survey reported urinating in community pools. Although urine in the water probably will not cause swimmers to go to the emergency room, it causes "more of a respiratory, ocular irritation: the red puffy eyes or a cough, an itchy throat," said Michele Hlavsa, an epidemiologist in the division of parasitic diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."A big health message is not to urinate or pee in the water." And it happens far more frequently than water-lovers would like to think. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted in April and May, 17 percent admitted relieving themselves in a swimming pool. Even the Olympics' most decorated swimmer, Michael Phelps, confessed to urinating in the water to TV host Jimmy Kimmel. In a 2008 interview, Kimmel asked the 14-gold medal winner, "You pee in the pool, true?" "Yeah," Phelps replied. "Which nationality pees in the pool the most?" Kimmel asked. "Probably Americans," Phelps said. "Oh, so we're number one in that too," Kimmel quipped. Pool Etiquette
Source: CDC Sometimes, an indoor swimming pool will emit a strong chemical smell. The swimmers have coughs or red, stinging eyes after emerging from the pool. Usually those symptoms get dismissed as the effects of chlorine, but their causes are something more organic. When swimmers sweat or urinate in the pool water, the bodily fluids combine with the chlorine. It creates chloramines, which causes the strange odor and the eye and respiratory irritations for swimmers, according to the CDC. No matter how discreet the act may be, "you're contaminating the pool. Let's face it," said Linda Golodner, the vice chairwoman of the Water Quality and Health Council. The survey released by Golodner's group, which advises the American Chemistry Council, found that 11 percent of the surveyed adults said they have swum with a runny nose, 7 percent with an exposed rash or cut and 1 percent when ill with diarrhea. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The most common recreational water illness is spread through diarrhea. One of the most persistent problems is Cryptosporidium, a parasite that causes diarrhea and can be found in infected stools. "With Crypto, if you have diarrhea, it's very watery," Hlavsa said. "It's not a formed stool sitting in the pool or floating on top. It could be very watery, and no one [in a pool] would know." During the past two decades, Crypto has become one of the most common causes of waterborne illness. Unlike E. coli and salmonella, Crypto can resist chlorine. In 2007, the parasite sickened more than 1,200 people who had visited recreational water facilities in Utah. According to the CDC, if someone swallows water that has been contaminated with feces, he or she may become sick even if very little water is consumed. The agency also recommends that people shower before a swim, because most
people have traces of feces on their bottoms, which can contaminate
recreational water. In the Water Quality survey, 35 percent reported skipping
a shower before swimming. Health LibraryRecreational water illnesses have been on the rise for the past two decades, according to the CDC. From 2005 to 2006, the agency reported 78 outbreaks of recreational water illnesses associated with swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, lakes, rivers and oceans that affected 4,412 people and resulted in 116 hospitalizations and five deaths. Melanie Arthur, a mother of two in The Woodlands, Texas, maintains a swimming pool where her children play. "We are going to great lengths to train our 3-year-old to not go potty in the pool but to get out and go inside the house," Arthur said. "After maintaining our own pool, I hesitate to go to public pools. I am certain that they are not nearly as clean as my own." Just practice good hygiene when going for a swim, Hlavsa advised. "It's all about balancing risks," she said. "We think swimming is a great way to be physically active with family and friends." Check the CDC Web site for more on healthy swimming And remember, if you pee in the pool, you have to swim in it, too. Here are tips to make sure the pool is clean: • Look at the pool to see whether it's clean and clear, and the drain is visible. • Listen for pool equipment, because the pool pumps and filters should make noise. • Feel the tiles and pool sides. They should not be sticky or slippery. • Beware of a strong chemical odor. A well-chlorinated pool has little odor. (Ed. Note: I wish, I really wish I hadn’t come across this article, but since I did and I can’t delete it from MY
memory, the next best thing is to share it with YOU. J
)
In case you were wondering what Cryptosporidium
looks like:
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Dr. Stan Eisen,
650
E-mail: seisen@cbu.edu
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/
Caduceus Newsletter Archives: http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/Caduceus.html