Hugh Hansen, associate director of curriculum, reminds you that Deans Paul Rothman and Chris Cooper will be addressing the M1 students this Wednesday at 10:20 am. The morning schedule will be adjusted as follows: Dr. Brown's lecture will end at 10:20 and Dr. Geist's lecture will begin at about 10:40; There will not be the typical break between lectures. The Immunology review session will begin at 11:40 and conclude about 12:30.

There are few opportunities for meetings such as these due to everyone's busy schedule, so it is important that all students attend.

This Friday (February 12) at 12:30 p.m. the Medical Student Counseling Center will be hosting a USMLE Tip Workshop in 1117 MERF. Come and learn about the structure of the exam, talk about strategy and get some ideas about how to plan for it effectively.

Scientists believe legumes such as pinto, black, and navy beans play a role in cancer prevention. The active ingredients responsible are: saponins, protease inhibitors, and phytic acid. Saponins inhibit the reproduction of cancer cells and slow the growth of tumors in several different tissues. Protease inhibitors slow the division of cancer cells and help prevent tumors from releasing proteases that destroy nearby cells. Phytic acid has the ability to significantly slow the progression of tumors.

Nutrition Center -- College of Public Health
Phone: 319-384-5059
kimberly-merchant@uiowa.edu
www.uiowanutritioncenter.org

Are you interested in...

• -Working with medical students across the country to improve medical education?
• -Discussing and improving admissions, licensing exams, diversity and more?
• -Obtaining leadership experience on a regional and national level?
• -Having a great time while learning about academic medicine and the healthcare system?
• -Traveling to regional and national meetings?

If so, you're invited to apply to become one of Iowa's four official delegates to the student arm of the AAMC, the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR).

Interested applications should complete the attached application and email Patrick Macgonagill with your application and CV by Fri, February 12th at 5 P.M. (note the newly extended deadline!).

For more information, please visit the AAMC-OSR's website: http://www.aamc.org/members/osr/ or Iowa's OSR website: http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/osac/student_orgs/osr.html
or contact one of the current members.

Amy Domeyer of Bean Community asks that you please don't forget our monthly community meeting is today from 12:30-1:30.  Looks like there'll be baked potatoes and valentines-making. There will also be important announcements regarding our meetings for the rest of the semester including Bean Remembrance Day in March and leadership elections in April.

Anthony Cyr of Flocks Community reminds you that there is a community meeting today:

Food from Zio Johno’s will be provided, so stop on in! On the agenda for tomorrow:

• Discussion of Leadership Roles for Next Year
• Update on Doc Dash Planning
• Specialty Fair re-cap 

Dr. T also sends word that Dean Rothman will be stopping by to visit with our community around 12:45.

Linda Bissell, director of financial services, sends word that those students with children have resources available if they will need child care for spring break, finals week, during the summer break or when a child is mildly ill.

Spring/Summer Child Care Programs For University Student Families

(Check it out now. Space is limited.)

• FREE Midterms & Finals Child Care Study Program:  2/27, 2/28, 3/6 & 3/7; Located at Little Angels Learning Center (two blocks from campus), care will be provided weekends to children infancy through school-age. Prior registration is required. http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/famserv/childcare/index.html#exams
• Hawkeye Kids Camp, a spring break school-age camp:  Our 3rd year; children enjoy the camp. Scholarships available for lower income eligible UI families. For information and to register, visit http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/famserv/childcare/index.html#hkc
• School-age Summer Child Care, Babysitters and Camps: For the listing of resources, see http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/famserv/childcare/index.html#sumprog
• Well Back-up and Mildly Ill Child Care:  A program to help when your usual child care arrangements are disrupted. http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/famserv/childcare/index.html#backup

Other Good Programs Too

• 13 Child Care (centers) Programs on and near campus
• Center Openings
• On-campus Lactation Rooms

For information, contact Jane Holland, Family Services Office, familyservices@uiowa.edu, 335-1371 or http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/famserv/index.html

Family Services Office is a unit of Organizational Effectiveness, University Human Resources

McCowen Co-mayors Andrew and Gabe remind you that today, Tuesday, February 9, McCowen will be having its monthly community meeting. As usual, food will be provided and there will be a presentation on maintaining healthy eating habits while dealing with the time contraints of a med student.

Additionally, there are now only six weeks until the DVIP Bench Press. At the meeting there will be further discussion of the logistics and need for workers at that event.

Thanks to those of you who went to the DVIP Souper Bowl event last Thursday night. They appreciate your time and assistance.

If any of you would like to go play with the children at the DVIP home any of the next few Saturdays, sign up in McCowen on the sheet taped to the glass by the mailboxes.

Andrea Smiens wants to remind you that this Thursday, February 11th at 6:30 PM is the M3 Ob/Gyn Residency Match preparation meeting!

At Guido's Deli & Market (directions below)

• Thurs, Feb 11, 2010 @ 6:30 pm
• Light hors d'oeuvres provided
• Hosts = Marygrace Elson and Colleen Stockdale

This meeting will be for current M3s (or MSTPs or anyone else) who will participate in the residency application process this fall. The focus of the meeting will be on what M3s need to do to prepare for participation in the Ob/Gyn Residency Match next year. (Any Leopold Members are welcome to attend, but focus will be on those preparing to do ERAS this fall).

Guido's Deli & Market
227 E 1st St
Iowa City, IA
(Between Nagle Lumber and Aero Rental)
52240-4701

319-338-5356

Click here for interactive map and driving directions from Mapquest

Global Medicine Society presents Global Health Week!  Come join GMS and their many co-sponsors for a week of events featuring great speakers and topics. Food will be available!

• Monday, February 8th 12:30pm, 2189 MERF
  Co-Sponsor: AMSA
  Looking beyond pills: A panel will be looking at HIV treatment at home and abroad featuring Dr. Jack Stapleton, head of UI HIV/AIDS Clinic, and two students Mary Becker and Matthew Rysavy, who worked extensively in Mozambique in health and education. They will share and compare their experiences with HIV/AIDS trends, treatments, and what medical students can do to improve the state of HIV/AIDS globally.
• Monday, February 8th 6:30pm, MERF Atrium
  Co-Sponsor: CCOM Student Government
  Hunger Banquet: Learn about global hunger and poverty in an interactive dinner event. Limited tickets are still available.
• Wednesday, February 10th 12:30 pm, 1117 MERF
  Co-Sponsors: All communities
  Medicine in Africa: Dr. Tim Wester, a CCOM alum, will be speaking about working as a medical doctor in Africa. He has served as medical director for the 220 bed Tandala Hospital (Congo) and its 35 outlying health centers for 15 years, and he now has been working in the Central African Republic since 1998 at 2 different hospitals. He will be speaking about how medical care in Africa is different from the US in the areas of surgery, OB, pediatrics, AIDS, public health, internal medicine, and dermatology.
• Thursday, February 11th 12:30 pm, 2166 MERF
  Co-Sponsors: PSR and AMWA
  Midday with Dr. McCue: Featuring Dr. Maureen McCue, Professor of Public Health and Medical Anthropology at the University of Iowa. Hear about balancing human rights, women’s health, and environmental health with the healer’s calling, as a socially responsible physician.

Email Lajja Desai or Lisa Roberts with any questions!

Stephanie Lichtor wants to remind you that Vital Signs submissions are due on MONDAY, FEB. 15.
ALL SUBMISSIONS WELCOME! Please send information about your student organization, poems, short stories, funny anecdotes, restaurant reviews, photos, advice to fellow students, essays, etc.
Please send your submissions and any questions to Stephanie.

To see previous issues, go to http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/osac/student_orgs/vitalsigns.html.

Robin Paetzold of Global Programs, sends along this initiative by Harb Harb:

It's called the Health and Nutrition Curriculum, and it's for after-school programs in the local community. Harb is looking for students that would be interested in working with 3rd-6th graders at various schools. As of now, two after-school programs have approved the program with more to come in the near future. Lessons will be prepared in advance and are fairly straight forward to teach children. More than one student will be assigned to each school in order to split the work load. Appropriate training will occur prior to being assigned to a local school. The lessons range from 15-30 minutes in total and will occur at some point between the times of 3-5 pm once a week or once every other week.

The curriculum includes increasing awareness of food groups and differentiating between healthy and unhealthy food choices. A module includes activity versus inactivity and techniques to include physical activity in daily living. Other modules include balance and yoga, smoking and its consequences, human physiology and organ function, as well as other important topics. Most lessons have some didactic component.

This curriculum was implemented in an after-school program at Pheasant Ridge Community Center for children ranging from 8 - 12 during the course of the year 2008-2009. A pre and post assessment was made showing improvement after the "course" was done.

This is an excellent opportunity for students involved with the Community Health Outreach (CHO) elective, the teaching distinction track, or those with a little extra time to help the community.

Contact Harb for further information and to participate in this initiative.

A message from the CCOMSG Advocacy Committee -

This year at the All Communities Leadership Excellence Banquet on February 23rd, the CCOM Student Goverment would like to recognize outstanding student organizations and student leaders who have contributed significantly to the college and the Iowa City Community. If you know of an individual or group that you feel deserves recognition for one of the following awards, please go to:

(Address removed to prevent spam. Check your email for the survey address)

We would like a few sentences describing the impact these people and/or organizations make. Based on your nominations, the CCOM Student Government Advocacy, Activities, and Medical Education Committees will select the winners. Below are a few things to consider when nominating. Feel free to submit nominations for more than one award! Please enter your nominations by TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH AT 5 PM. If you have any questions, please forward them to Travis Piester.

1. Student Organization.  Examples include philanthropic organizations, professional development organizations (e.g. AMA, AMSA, SNMA, Specialty interest groups), and learning community-based service groups/projects
2. Student Organization Leader (Does NOT have to be the organization president.) who performed above and beyond his/her role; took initiative in the growth/development of the organization; increased participation, expanded activities, or excited others about the organization
3. Tutor to M1s and
4. Tutor to M2s (course or USMLE) who provided extra homemade materials, was responsive to students/flexible with time or uses innovative teaching techniques
5. Outstanding Individual Service that positively represents the Carver College of Medicine in the local community; exhibits leadership, passion, and commitment to activities outside of the CCOM; increased participation in community service activities

Harb Harb writes:

Physicians for Human Rights will be selling wristbands in conjunction with Physicians for Social Responsibility in MERF Atrium. The wristbands say "Haiti In My Heart" on one side and "Ayiti An Mwen Ke" which is in Haitian Creole, the native language. The colors of the wristband are red and blue which are the colors of the Haitian flag.

Each band is $5 and 100% of the money will be donated to Dr. Buresh and the Community Health Initiative he is a part of, in conjunction with World Wide Village. Please take the time to spare $5 for a cause of great significance. $5 can make a difference and can save lives. Thank you for your thoughts and contributions.

ORBIS is a nonprofit, global development organization whose mission is to eliminate avoidable blindness in developing countries by strengthening the capacity of local eye health partners to prevent and treat avoidable blindness.  Dr. Keith Carter, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has worked in several nations with ORBIS and will be discussing his ongoing global involvement.

• Thursday, February 11 2010
• 12:30 - 1:20 P.M.
• MERF 2126

Abby Luensmann sends some updates on upcoming FMIG events:

• The Spring Dinner will be on Wednesday, April 7th in the East Room at the hospital. Registration will be at 6 pm followed by dinner at 6:15. The speaker will be our very own Dr. Paul James, Head of the Department of Family Medicine!! He will be speaking on the topic of HEALTHCARE REFORM. If you have any specific questions or concepts you would like addressed during the talk, please respond to this email so we can inform Dr. James of your interests.
• WOMEN IN SCIENCE GIRL SCOUT EVENT! FMIG is looking for women volunteers to help host a session at the 5th Annual Women in Science program on March 27. Women in Science is an educational event for the Girls Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois in Grades 6-12. This event is aimed at giving young women the opportunity to learn about the various careers in science, particularly in health care, medical education and medical research. We have the unique opportunity to share our first-hand experiences about how we became interested in medicine, what our careers will be like as future physicians/PAs, the types of courses to take in high school/college, and other preparations necessary for applying to medical school, such as shadowing, the MCAT, volunteering, and other extracurricular activities. The session will involve Q&A regarding the above topics and a hands-on experience helping the girls practice physical exam skills! The event also aims to show that it is possible for girls and women to excel in the area of science. We have the chance to get them excited about a career in medicine and outfit them with the knowledge and insight regarding how to do so! The time commitment is minor, as the event is being held from 12 pm to 4 pm on Saturday, March 27. Please consider helping at this fun event and respond to whitney-cowman@uiowa.edu if you are interested in volunteering. Those that participated last year had a great time!
• The dates for the 2010 American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference are Thursday, July 29 - Saturday, July 31 in Kansas City. Scholarships are available. Please see www.aafp.org/nc/scholarships for details.

Adam Bauer writes that Boulware is having an exciting meeting this upcoming Tuesday. Dr. Dwight Look, Professor and faculty member of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine divisions of Internal Medicine will be there to introduce himself to the community. In addition, the Boulware Leadership Committee will be giving descriptions to the community regarding what each Boulware leadership post consists of. They will be holding elections for new Boulware Leadership at the April meeting, but they want to give everyone in the community time to consider whether or not to run for a particular post. As always, there will be free food, and this time that will be tacos!!!!

The 4th Annual CCOM Winter Formal (aka "The Crista Gala") is around the corner, and tickets are on sale now:

• 2/20/10
• 8pm - 12am
• Riverside Casino and Golf Resort

Purchase tickets online until Friday 2/12 for the discounted price of $10 single/$15 pair!!

(Address removed to prevent spam. Check your email for the survey address)

Buses will be provided to and from the Casino for FREE. Tickets will be first come first serve and must be reserved online to guarantee a spot.


Please email Lajja Desai or Kristy Huynh with any questions.

Sandy Tomas of the Medical Student Counseling Center writes to alert us to their presentation on Stress Break and Resilience:

• Monday, February 8, 2010
• 1155 MERF
• 12:30 p.m.

RSVP by 10:00 a.m. Monday, February 8th to Jessica M. Schultz jessica-m-schultz@uiowa.edu.

Here's what's happening in the coming days.
Not all events are shown, so check out our Master Calendar page for all the goodies!

Academic Calendar and Special Events

Financial Services

Global Programs

Learning Communities

Medical Scientist Training Program

Medical Student Counseling Center

Medical Student Research Program

Student Organizations

Writing Program

Robin Paetzold of Global Programs says that elective opportunities are available for UI medical students in the Indian Health Services (IHS) Clinics in Tuba City, Arizona for the summer of 2010. This site provides an exciting and unique opportunity to work with members of the IHS team and members of the Navajo nation while living on the reservation. Experiences for first year students will include a combination of direct patient contact in the clinics and participation in clinical projects under the leadership of the mentoring physicians. Students interested in surgery are particularly encouraged to apply.

A limited number of scholarships will be awarded by the UI Carver College of Medicine to help support first year medical students pursuing this elective during the M1/M2 summer. The purpose of these scholarships is to expand the knowledge and experience of students in patient care in cross cultural and underserved communities in the US. Again, this elective must last for a minimum of an eight-week period in order to qualify for scholarship consideration.

To be considered for this opportunity, please submit the following materials by noon, February 22, 2010 to 1187 MERF:

• An essay, three pages maximum, addressing why you would like to be selected for the Tuba City elective, and what you, as a representative of the UI Carver College of Medicine, could bring to the program.
• Two letters of recommendation from persons who know you well. Although we encourage letters from College of Medicine faculty, letters may also be from undergraduate professors, mentors, etc.

Candidates will be chosen based on their application materials, record of academic performance, and the match of their interest with the availability of Tuba City staff.

Application materials are due by noon on February 22, 2010. Materials should be sent to:

Robin Paetzold
Director of Global Programs
Office of Student Affairs and Curriculum
Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
University of Iowa
1187 MERF
Iowa City, IA 52242-2600

telephone:(319) 353-5762
fax:(319) 335-8049

Jennifer Lee passes along an opportunity from Unite For Sight's Global Impact Corps:

Unite For Sight's Global Impact Corps is an immersive global health experience for students and for professionals. All volunteers participating in Unite For Sight's international programs are Global Impact Fellows.

What do Global Impact Fellows do? They participate daily with local ophthalmic nurses, local optometrists, and local ophthalmologists to eliminate patient barriers to care and to facilitate comprehensive year-round eye care for patients living in extreme poverty. They assist with patient education, visual acuity screening, patient intake, distributing the glasses and medication prescribed by the local eye doctors, data compilation and analysis, and other important support tasks. Through hands-on, structured training, volunteers gain a comprehensive understanding about best practices in global health and social entrepreneurship. Global Impact Fellows gain skills and are nurtured to become new leaders in global health, and they receive a Certificate in Global Health & Program Delivery. Additionally, Global Impact Fellows may participate in the Global Impact Lab, an optional program for those interested in pursuing global health research.

Who is eligible? Anyone from any country is eligible to apply. Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows are 18 years and older, and there is no upper age limit. Global Impact Fellows range from undergraduate students to medical students, public health students and public health professionals, nurses, educators, opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Locations of Year-Round Eye Care Delivery:
(volunteer for 7 days, 15 days, 20 days, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 10 weeks, or more)

• Accra and Kumasi Regions, Ghana
• Tamale, Ghana
• Varying Rural Villages, Ghana
• Tegucigalpa, Honduras
• Bihar, India
• Chennai, India
• New Delhi, India
• Orissa, India

Complete details online at http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad

Laina Edwards of the Department of Family Medicine has this information about the Medical Education Community Orientation (MECO) program.

Check your email to find the necessary forms for the 2010 summer MECO program. These include an application, a list of participating hospitals and a student information sheet. If you wish to participate in this program, complete the attached forms IN INK and return to Laina Edwards, 01293-G Pomerantz Family Pavilion.

MECO is a program for UI medical students after their M1 year. Students spend 4 - 12 weeks in an Iowa community hospital. They observe and work with physicians in various specialties and are immersed in the medical community.

The application deadline is February 24, 2010. Any applications turned in after the 24th will not be accepted. The MECO Student Information Sheet will be forwarded as a means of introduction to the hospital to which you are matched.

There is no guarantee that every student will be matched with a MECO site. Assignments are made by random selection from your selection list. Our goal is to place as many students in as many spots available. As of now there are 39 spots available to students.

To help make your choice of a hospital site, we have given you a listing of the hospitals in Iowa participating in the 2010 program. There are files of participating hospitals for your perusal. These consist of evaluations from previous students who matched with those specific hospitals. This information will be available for review only when you do not have other classes in session.

These files can be reviewed in my office, Department of Family Medicine, 01293-G Pomerantz Family Pavilion. Family Medicine is on the lower level outside of elevator L. I will be in my office everyday from 1-4 pm and also available by appointment in the morning. I will not be in my office on Friday, February 5th from 1-4 pm.

MATCH RESULTS WILL BE PUT IN YOUR BOX BY MARCH 8th.

Angie Kerchner has a follow up from her earlier note on your donations of relief supplies to Haiti:

Thanks to all of you who have donated medical supplies for my trip to Haiti or are planning to do so! I have received several questions about monetary donations. Yes, money is also something needed by World Wide Village, the organization I'll be working with! If you would prefer to donate money instead of supplies, you may do so in two ways:

1. World Wide Village: This organization was founded to support the people of Haiti. All donations will be used directly toward the rebuilding and restoration of communities in Haiti, both through healthcare as well as other ongoing efforts. Donations can be left in Bean, or can be made online through: http://www.worldwidevillage.org/leogane-community-health-initiative
2. I have raised about 2/3 of the money that I need to make my trip to Leogane, both for supplies as well as travel costs. If you are interested in helping me personally in my travels, donations can be left in the Bean office, or via paypal: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11304152

By helping me get to Haiti, you are directly sending medical care and supplies as well!

Any questions? Please feel free to email Angie.

Angie Kerchner wants to personally thank all of those who have been so kindly donating time, money, and efforts toward helping the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.  

When medical students set their minds on helping those in need, they really get the job done!  All that has happened in the past couple of weeks has been so incredible to see and read about!

My name is Angie Kerchner.  I am a student planning to leave with the next medical team to Haiti this Sunday or Monday (Feb. 7/8).  We will be taking supplies along with us to help stock the clinics and ORs there.  I am sending this email to request donations of supplies that have been specifically requested based on current diseases and injuries that have been seen at our location in Leogane, Haiti.

In addition to the list of OTC items that are needed, we will also be working as an "environmentally friendly prescription medication disposal..."  Patients in Haiti are in need of antibiotics, pain medications, anxiolytics, and anti-emetics.  If anyone needs a safe and confidential way to dispose of their no-longer-needed medications, please let me know.

Below is a list of supplies that have been requested.  If you have any of these things, or would be interested in donation, please drop them off in the office of the Bean Community, where I will gather supplies on late Friday afternoon.

Requested Items (NOTE: Items in RED are most needed):

• ACE Bandages
• Crutches
• Vitamin A
• Multivitamins - both children and adult
• Nitrile Gloves
• Infant & Children's Acetaminophen
• Infant & Children's Ibuprofen
• Anti-diarrheal (loperamide/Immodium)
• Antihistamine (diphenhydramine)
• Topical triple antibiotic ointment
• Bacitracin
• Hydrocortisone Cream

 Again, if you would like to donate any medical supplies to our team, we will be picking up the items from the Bean Office on Friday at 5:00 p.m.  These items will soon be delivered to the World Wide Village Site in Leogane, Haiti, where Dr. Buresh has been working.

Thank you all for your continued efforts and amazing talents.  Knowing that so many of my colleagues are participating in this effort reminds me of how fortunate I am to be training in Iowa.

Pat McGonagill, Jared Jackson, Andy Mortenson, and Meredith McKean want to know if you are interested in:

• working with medical students across the country to improve medical education?
• discussing and improving admissions, licensing exams, diversity and more?
• obtaining leadership experience on a regional and national level?
• having a great time while learning about academic medicine and the healthcare system?
• traveling to regional and national meetings?

If so, they invite you to apply to become one of Iowa's four official delegates to the student arm of the AAMC, the Organization of Student Representatives (OSR).

Interested applications should complete the attached application and email Patrick Mcgonagill with your application and CV by Wed., Feb. 10th, at 5pm.

For more information, please visit the AAMC-OSR's website: http://www.aamc.org/members/osr/ or Iowa's OSR website: http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/osac/student_orgs/osr.html or contact one of the current members.

Planning for Flocks' Doc Dash has begun and the Community is now looking for a new Doc Dash logo to put on the t-shirts and flyers. If you're interested in having your design be the logo for Doc Dash, please submit your drawing by email to Lindsay Murphy or place your drawing in her Flocks mailbox. Submissions are due February 15th.

The person who creates the chosen design will receive free admission into the Doc Dash and a free T-shirt.

Kevin Nicholson, a representative of the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network (NMFN) will be here Monday at 12:30 in MERF 1117 to talk about the basics of financial planning. A second session will be Wednesday, 2/10 at 5:30pm in MERF 2189. You may be thinking "but I'm just an M1 or M2, I'm a student barely getting by from month to month, why should I even start thinking about financial planning in my situation?" HA! This is exactly the time you should be thinking about it, because "the future" will be here faster than you can imagine, just ask the M4's who are now faced with signing contracts that include benefits like disability insurance and Roth IRA's and 401K's and other things they've never heard of. This is a good time for everyone to familiarize yourself with the basics of financial management. Come enjoy a Jimmy John's lunch and get a little different kind of education over your lunch hour.

Please email Brenda Van Dee by Thursday if you’d like to join us. Please include which session you will be attending!

Deb Henricks, of admissions and deans' office fame, wants to let you know that we will be using ICON to communicate your Roommate and Sublet Exchanges. To list your property go to ICON http://icon.uiowa.edu/, select OSAC Communications, and click the "Discussion" tool bar. Scroll to the end of the listing and you'll find the "Shared Housing Exchange" board. Messages posted here will be visible to all medical and physician assistant students including the incoming medical students.

Students may also add summer sublets or apartments rentals by going to the Off-Campus Housing Service http://apps.imu.uiowa.edu/housing/ website.

Associate Dean Chris Cooper sends along this note of congratulations:

I believe all of you have entered healthcare so that you can serve others and make a positive difference in their lives and the world. In your careers, you will routinely make these differences in both small and big ways, and in many ways you may not even notice or appreciate.

The following note describes an amazing difference so many of you caring individuals recently created. Congratulations on making this positive impact as well as the ones you will continue to make.

Sincerely,
Chris Cooper

------ Forwarded Message
From: "House, Hans"
Subject: The College of Medicine Students are Awesome!

Chris,

I wanted to write this to let you know how amazing your students are. So often when we donate to a charitable cause, the only tangible result is a kind letter of thanks from the Director and a tax deduction. But in the case of the Haitian earthquake, the tangible benefit is considerably more heartwarming.

What began with a simple suggestion to the Emergency Medicine Interest Group ballooned into a week of fundraising and a coordinated effort among a half-dozen different student organizations. The first collection, a bake sale and a passing of the hat in the lecture hall, led to almost $1000 in cash that was handed to Dr Chris Buresh hours before he left for Haiti. He took the money to the Bishop of Port-Au-Prince, who used it to feed 9000 people for one week. Yes, you read that correctly. 9000 people didn't starve because some students in Iowa held a bake sale.

That's one heck of a bake sale. I am so proud and so astonished, I get choked up every time I think about it.

Congratulations.

Hans House, MD
Associate Chair for Education
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of Iowa

Hugh Hansen, associate director of curriculum, sends word that Deans Paul Rothman and Chris Cooper will be addressing the M2 and PA1 students this Friday, immediately following the Healthcare Ethics Law and Policy lecture. The meeting will last approximately 20-25 minutes.

There are few opportunities for meetings such as these due to everyone's busy schedule, so it is important that all students attend.

The Student Counseling Center wants to make you aware of their workshop entitled Neuroscience Study Skills, on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in 1155 MERF. If you're interested, please RSVP by 11:00 a.m., 2/3/10 to Sandy Tomas.

Please join the Anesthesia Interest Group, Dr. Choi, and a panel of current anesthesia externs as we talk about this amazing opportunity to learn anesthesia, gather airway and i.v. skills, and get paid at the same time. If you are at all interested in anesthesia, think you might become interested in anesthesia, or just want some free food you should absolutely be there. For more information or other questions contact Tyler Kerr

• What: Anesthesia Externship Meeting (Lunch from OASIS)
• When: Monday Feb. 8 11:30-1:00
• Where: Cullen Conference Room (on the 6th floor in the anesthesia department, behind the OR locker rooms)

Shady Henien has some very exciting news to share with all of you. The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine hosts a special event every year -- the 108th Aesculapian Frolics. It is being held on April 17th, 2010 at the Englert Theater, downtown Iowa City. This event is a combined awards ceremony and musical-comedy show for which each medical school class writes and performs a musical skit and where the best teaching residents and lecturers for each medical school class are recognized. The deans, faculty, physicians, and students all attend this public event.

M1s will have a class planning meeting this Thursday at 2:30 PM in 1110A MERF (the big aud). This is also a GREAT time to meet because it does not conflict with shadowing or physical examination skills. Shady will borrow last year's winning class DVD so we can have an idea of what to expect.

Here are the details: each class has a half an hour to perform their skit/show. Especially needed are ideas and people who are able to sing, dance, write funny/creative scripts, design stages, and costumes. But it's important to include as much of our class as possible on stage throughout the performance.

Shady asks that you take the next couple of days before the class meeting to think of possible ideas and search on-line for interesting videos of performances from other schools. Each class views this event as a competition of pride.

Co-President Abby Luensmann sends word that the new IAFP (Iowa Academy of Family Physicians) representative is Kendall Keck!! CONGRATS Kendall!

Reminders:

• The Spring Dinner is scheduled for Wednesday, April 7th. Topic and speaker will be announced soon. Thank you for your feedback!
• The dates for the 2010 American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference are Thursday, July 29 - Saturday, July 31 in Kansas City. Scholarships are available. Please see www.aafp.org/nc/scholarships for details.

Penny Rembolt of Financial Services passes along this opportunity to do something to help the situation in Haiti that doesn't involve traveling there or donating $. Please help if you can.

From: Amy Sundermann [mailto:amy_sundermann@yahoo.com]
Sent: Mon 2/1/2010 12:45 PM
Subject: Urgent Opportunity for Community Service - Haiti

Friends - If you know any University students (or you know people who have access to a lot of students), will you please forward this to them. It's an excellent community service opportunity and we need help urgently.

A local doctor from the University - Dr. Chris Buresh - is in the process of setting up a mobile hospital in Leogane, Haiti. He has just returned this weekend after being down there since just after the earthquake. You may have seen the coverage in the Press Citizen yesterday http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20101300311

We are looking for student volunteers this week to help count medical supplies and enter them into a database at a Quality Care storage facility in Coralville. The need is very urgent as there are more medical teams going out every week and the supplies need to be inventoried ASAP. We have 3 hour shifts available tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday - several during the day or early evening. The storage facility is climate controlled, so the students will not be outside in the cold. Snacks will be provided. We will gladly sign any vouchers that would enable the students to apply this to your community service goals.

This website provides more info and allows people to sign up for shifts. We need 100 volunteers this week.

http://www.doodle.com/a59h9tqhtwqyyha3

Thanks and please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Natassia Glaznick wants to remind you that you have 2 weeks to sign up for the conference in Chicago. And get this (*cough cough M2s and M4s*): according to the email below, you can get a discount on USMLEWorld Step 1 and 2 Qs (of course, please read the fine lines).

From: National Chairperson chair@snma.org
Subject: SNMA & USMLEWorld - 20% Discount on QBank! Act NOW!

In each of the past five years, the first two weeks of February has seen the peak in registrations for the SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC). This year, SNMA has teamed up with USMLEWorld to bring an unprecedented deal to our members.

ELIGIBLE USMLEWORLD PRODUCTS:

• STEP1 QBank (60-days) + Self-assessment Form 1 and 2 (2 weeks each)
• STEP2 CK QBank (60-days) + Self-assessment Form 1 (2-weeks)

CRITERIA:

• Must be an Active Medical Student Member of the SNMA
• Must be registered for AMEC 2010 - March 31 - April 4th in Chicago, IL

RULES:

Individuals meeting the aforementioned criteria must send an email to benefits@snma.org containing the following:

SUBJECT LINE: USMLEWorld
BODY: Name, Preferred Email Address, Product (i.e. - Step 1 or Step 2)

Persons who have previously registered for AMEC 2010 will be eligible for the discount upon receipt of the email.
Individuals who have not yet registered for AMEC 2010 must first submit their registration by mail, fax, or via our secure online registration website. All mailed and faxed registration forms must be received on or before February 15, 2010 for USMLEWorld discount eligibility. Upon submission of registration, individuals may
subsequently send an email to benefits@snma.org containing the information described above.

THE TIPPING POINT:

The 20% off discount is activated after 200 qualifying individuals for both USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 CK test prep materials. The discount will be offered EXCLUSIVELY to the first 300 qualifying individuals
for both tests. Encourage your chapter members and friends to sign up today. There is a small window of only one hundred (100) individuals between when the 20% deal is on and when the last person gets to take advantage! USMLEWorld couldn't afford to offer a discount to everybody, so you must register today to SAVE!

A WIN-WIN PROPOSITION:

You are already planning to attend AMEC in Chicago. As the premier conference to serve the needs of underrepresented minority medical students, surely you intend on being among the 1,500+ SNMA members converging in the Windy City over Easter Weekend.

You are already planning to utilize a QBank for your USMLE Test Prep Needs. Nearly all medical students utilize a QBank as a part of their USMLE preparation. SNMA already offers Kaplan and USMLERx Scholarships, and USMLEWorld has emerged as one of the most popular options for medical students. Take advantage of this offer to save big on test prep in order to score big on Step 1 or Step 2 CK.

You Get a Discount No Matter What! If we fall short of the Tipping Point (200 qualifying individuals for either USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 CK), everyone who signs up is still eligible for a 10% discount on the same products. The incentive is to encourage your friends and chapter members to join in so that everyone gets a bigger discount!

Choose the 60-day period that works for you. Once the deal is on, the first 300 members for both USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 CK will be able to select any 60-days in which to use this product. After your discounted payment is received (by March 1), you will receive an email introducing you to your new, bargain test prep product!

How to Take Advantage of this INCREDIBLE DEAL:
If you have not already, register for AMEC TODAY!  Email benefits@snma.org with the appropriate information (noted above) to mark your spot in line. Remember, the deal is only valid for the first 300 for USMLE Step 1 and 300 for USMLE Step 2 (so you don't want to be number 301)!

Tell your chapter members and friends to do the same to ensure that there are enough people for the maximum deal to be on.  Visit www.snma.org to get weekly updates on the progress toward the deal!

READY...SET...GO!

Contact benefits@snma.org with any questions, comments, or concerns

Medical Student Research Program Assistant Director Leslie Harrington sends word that the deadline for Iowa Medicine Student Research Program Summer Research Fellowship research proposal submission HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FEBRUARY 12.

If you are interested in participating in the Summer Research Fellowship Program please visit http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/osac/research/srfstudent.asp. You will find details about the Program including:

1. a link to the Research Mentor database which includes a listing of faculty who are interested in mentoring medical student for summer research projects
2. Instructions about how to prepare and submit a proposal.

To participate in Summer Research, students must be in good academic standing and not currently held back to repeat a class. The stipend for the fellowship will be $5295 for a twelve-week period. Fellowship applicants are usually notified within 3 to 4 weeks of the application submission deadline.

OF SPECIAL NOTE: We have developed a list of outside grants/fellowships for summer research. The list is available on the Summer Research Fellowship webpage: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/osac/research/srffellowships.html. Another good list of funding sources is available at http://research.downstate.edu/development/student.htm. If you apply for and receive an outside research grant to support your summer research here at Iowa you may be eligible to receive up to $500 stipend increase and up to $1000 in travel support to academic conference(s).

If you would like help identifying a mentor/research project or if you would like to learn more about applying for outside grants, please contact Leslie Harrington, Assistant Director of Medical Student Research (335-8304) or Dr. Christie Thomas, Director of the Iowa Medical student Research Program (christie-thomas@uiowa.edu).

4th Annual CCOM Winter Formal “The Crista Gala”

• 2/20/10
• 8pm - 12am
• Riverside Casino and Golf Resort

Purchase tickets online until Friday 2/12 for the discounted price of $10 each/$15 couple!

(Address removed to prevent spam. Check your email for the survey address)

Buses will be provided to and from the Casino for FREE. Tickets will be first come first serve and must be reserved online to guarantee a spot.

Reserve a deluxe king room at the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort for $99.95!

Call the resort by 2/5/10 to reserve your room and be sure to request the "Crista Gala" room block.

Call (877) 677-3456

Please email Lajja Desai or Kristy Huynh with any questions.

Registrar Damien Ihrig has posted the recording from last evening’s M3 class meeting on M4 year scheduling:

http://lecturecapture.uiowa.edu:8080/ess/echo/presentation/c79d1bee-9540-404d-b815-8d85164bd90d/media.m4v

AMSA Chapter President Pooja Chitneni sends a remidner that the AMSA National Convention will be held March 11-14 (the first weekend of spring break), 2010 in Anaheim, CA.

This is a great opportunity to learn about medicine from leaders in the field, network with your peers from across the country, and of course make a visit to Disneyland! Check out the following website for more information. http://amsa.org/AMSA/Homepage/Events/Convention.aspx

The registration deadline is this Friday February 5th if you would like AMSA to help subsidize some of the cost of attending. Please email Abi Struck-Marcell at abigail-struck-marcell@uiowa.edu if you have any questions about the convention or if you are interested in attending.

Stephanie Lichtor says that with the semester in full swing, Vital Signs, the student newspaper, is now accepting submissions for the next issue.  In case you missed it, here's the link to previous issues:

http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/osac/student_orgs/vitalsigns.html

Please submit your Poems, photos, thoughts, reviews, essays, info about
your student organization, etc.

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE WELCOME!!!

Deadline: Monday, Feb. 15

Please email your submissions, or any questions or concerns to Stephanie.

Justin Glasgow announced previously that MEDIQS will be having a pot-luck this Wednesday starting at 5:00. The event will be held at the LGBT Resource Center which is located at 125 Grand Avenue Court. The house is roughly positioned between the Law School and Slater Hall, one of the dorms on the west side of campus. There may be some limited parking around the law school, but generally it's best to walk or catch a bus if at all possible.

If everyone can bring a dish: appetizer, main dish, or dessert, Justin will make sure we have some drinks and eating utensils.

Justin does have one request: if you plan on attending please send him a quick email so he has an estimate of how many people will be there.  Also feel free to let him know if you have any drink requests.

AMWA's Shivgami Arora wants to let you know about some more volunteering/outreach opportunities that you can get involved with through AMWA! The first one is coming up on Feb. 16th: Wood Elementary (here in IA city) is hosting a Family STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) night from 6-7pm. It is an opportunity for students and their families to come to school and learn about various STEM areas via hands-on learning. The students/families are divided up into groups and then they rotate every 10-15 minutes through the different stations. AMWA would like to get medical student(s) to show the families plastinated specimens, talk about them to the kids and parents as they stop by our table, let them touch and hold them - basically, get kids excited about science and medicine!

For those of you with culinary talent and interest (or not, that's ok, too), we will be making an evening meal for the Ronald McDonald House inhabitants on Saturday, March 6. AMWA will buy the supplies and then get together in the Ronald McDonald kitchen space to make a wonderful meal together to share with the families. This is an incredibly rewarding and heart-warming experience...please join us.

Let Shivgami know if you're interested in either (or both) of these opportunities!

There are a limited number of places still avaliable for this great opportunity. Please email Lajja Desai or Lisa K Roberts by Tuesday, Feb 2 at 8 am if you are interested!

Spring Break Trip to Ecuador!

The CCOM Global Medicine Society is sponsoring a spring break trip to Quito, Ecuador through Manna Project International (MPI). MPI is a non-profit that utilizes the passions and energy of young people to empower developing international communities through hands-on learning and service.

A little about MPI: "Our model is a collaborative community-based approach to development. By working within and alongside communities, our volunteers strive to promote each community’s success while simultaneously learning from them. Our approach stresses holistic development, recognizing that the challenges facing these communities are multi-faceted. These challenges must therefore be addressed through a variety of disciplines, as well as a combination of direct service, local leadership, and broader policy change." GMS has worked with for several years and students have always had positive experiences.

To know more about MPI check out their website: http://www.mannaproject.org/ecuador

Projects

Below is a brief list of the MPI programs that are possible project ideas. The MPI leadership is open to other and will cater the week to fit the group's interests. They are been incredibly helpful and accommodating to each group in the past.

Last year, students have volunteered/shadowed at the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health (a public institution), as well as a private hospital (clinics and emergency department). They also participated in a local nutrition project, as well as assisted in community development projects by helping to set up an after school center and library,

• Agriculture-- projects with Christian (a local foundation that works with organic farming)
• Art-- planning teaching projects for the week
• English-- practicing english pronunciation with teachers/ beautification of upstairs room/ teaching
• Finance-- probably unlikely, but if groups are interested, we could ask EPV (a local cooperative)
• Geography/Natural Science-- teaching/aiding the cirriculum
• Health-- shadowing/ build furniture for 3rd floor/ plan health fair/ give charlas or workshops/ teach nutrition or cooking classes
• Library-- build bookshelves/ sort books/ set up book club or some other reading program for kids
• Teen Center-- music classes/ build bookshelves/ give seminars on teen-related topics
• Other-- minga/ fix up alinambi playground

Of course, it is spring break so we won't be all work and no play (we all know how that ends up). Last year the group climbed Pichincha, one of the tallest peaks in Ecuador (which is also an active volcano) and traveled to Ecuador's resort town, Banos, famous for it's hot springs, waterfalls, and scenic bike rides. The group toured major sites of Quito (including beautiful churches and cathedrals, an art museum of Ecuador's most famous artist, Oswaldo Guayasamin, breakfast at the national basilca, downtown district, etc) and enjoyed all Quito has to offer on St. Patrick's day (who knew there was an authentic Irish-owned and operated pub in Quito?).

Schedule

Tentative skeleton schedule:

• Sunday, March 14 -- arrival
• Monday-- cultural event AM/ work project PM
• Tuesday-- cultural event AM/ work project PM
• Wednesday-- work project AM and PM
• Thursday- Friday or Saturday-- travel/cultural/fun stuff
• Saturday or Sunday-- departure

The schedule is modifiable and should be suited to the group. As a group you can set the departure and return days. Also, you can cater your time to include more or less work projects or cultural/tourist stuff.

Budget

• Housing and some food (to MPI): $28/day
• Flight: $800-$900 (purchased by student)
• Spending Money: Up to you, it's pretty cheap!

How to sign up!

1. Fill out the attached application. (It is very short and simple!)
2. Put it in Lajja Desai's mailbox by 8:30 am Tuesday, Feb 2.

The GMS leadership will notify you if you have been selected for the trip. We will then expect a $25 deposit by Wednesday, February 3rd. The deposit will go towards the cost of housing at MPI (so you are basically paying one night's fee up front).

Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Questions about the site, projects, etc. Contact Mohammed T Khan (he was there last year)
Other questions: LIsa K Roberts or Lajja Desai.

Amber Reighard tells us that the Johnson County Medical Society will be having a meeting on Wednesday, February 3rd at the University Athletic Club (on Melrose). Here is the agenda:

• 5:45-6:30: Social hour
• 6:30-7:00: Dinner (free 3-course meal)
• 7:00-8:00: "Australia Adventure: Sabbatical Below the Equator," by Dr. Charles Helm, who recently spent 6 months in Australia.

The JCMS loves it when students attend, so if you would like to go, please RSVP to Mona Peterschmidt at mpetersc@southslope.net by Wednesday, 2/3.

The Global Health Fellows Program is announcing some exciting paid internships for summer 2010 with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, DC. Positions will be based in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health. To learn more about the Global Health Fellows Program, visit www.ghfp.net.To learn more about USAID, the largest government donor organization in the development field, please visit www.usaid.gov.

These internships will provide a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in the field of global health. You’ll be working with experienced professionals on health projects of international importance. Technical areas may include:

• HIV/AIDS
• Infectious diseases (e.g. malaria, avian influenza, TB)
• Maternal and child health
• Reproductive health
• Nutrition
• Commodities and logistics

Detailed information, including online applications and instructions, are available on our website. Applications will be due by February 7, 2010 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).

A variety of competitive, paid positions at the graduate level will be available. We are interested in a broad range of disciplines including:

• Public health
• International relations/development
• Commodity security and logistics
• Medicine
• Nursing /midwifery
• Public policy
• Pharmacy
• Business administration
• Law
• Social work

All internships will be located within US Government facilities, requiring US citizenship or permanent resident status.

GHFP’s summer 2010 internships in Washington, DC include:

• Bureau for Global Health, Office of the Assistant Administrator
• Highly Vulnerable Children Intern
• Office of HIV/AIDS, Implementation SupportDivision
• Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) Intern
• HIV/AIDS Program Management Intern (OVC)
• HIV/AIDS Program Management Intern (New Partners Initiative – HIV Prevention)
• HIV/AIDS Private Health Sector Engagement Intern
• Office of HIV/AIDS, Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Reporting Division
• HIV/AIDS Health Policy Initiative Intern
• HIV/AIDS Policy Research Analyst Intern
• HIV/AIDS Health Systems Strengthening Intern
• HIV/AIDS Surveillance Intern
• HIV/AIDS Family Planning Integration Intern
• Office of HIV/AIDS, Technical Leadership and Research Division
• HIV/AIDS Nutrition Intern
• HIV/AIDS Research Intern
• HIV/AIDS Prevention Intern (potentially 2 hires)
• HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Intern
• HIV/AIDS Community Care and Prevention Intern (potentially 2 hires)
• TB and HIV Global Health Prevention Intern
• HIV Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT)/Pediatric Intern
• Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Policy, Evaluation & Communication Division
• Demographic and Health Surveys Intern
• Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Commodities Security and Logistics Division
• Commodities Security & Logistics Intern
• Commodities Security & Logistics (Policy and Finance) Intern
• Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Service Delivery Improvement Division
• Fistula and Postabortion Care Intern
• Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, Infectious Diseases Division,
• Tuberculosis Program Intern
• Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, Nutrition Division
• Health Research Analyst Intern
  Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, Infectious Diseases Division
• President’s Malaria Initiative Monitoring & Evaluation Intern

Ning Lu says UFS has the following dates available for vision screening opportunities at Pheasant Ridge (in Iowa City). All clinics will be from 5-7pm. Since Mobile Clinic will be there too, there should be a pretty good turnout.

• Wednesday, February 24
• Wednesday, March 31
• Wednesday, April 28

Please email Ning if you would like to volunteer. She'd like ~4 volunteers per clinic.

Christopher Groth sends a reminder that today, Monday, February 1st from 5:30-7 is the annual All Communities Specialty Fair. It's a great opportunity to learn more about a variety of medical specialties. 34 physicians representing 23 different specialties are all volunteering their time to speak with you and answer your questions about both residency and life in a particular field.

So please join us for a free meal and a chance to chat with physicians representing:

• Anesthesia
• Dermatology
• Emergency Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Allergy/Immunology
• Neurology
• Nephrology
• Radiology
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Oto and Plastics
• Otolaryngology
• Orthopaedics
• Pathology
• Organ Transplant
• Urology
• Physical and Rehab. Medicine
• Ob/Gyn
• Cardiothoracic surgery

Leslie Harrington, Assistant Director of the Medical Student Research Program, hopes that M1s are considering spending this summer in Iowa City doing research with one of the many CCOM faculty members who are engaged in exciting research projects on the Health Sciences campus.

If this is of interest to you please visit our Iowa Medical Student Research Program webpage for details about the Summer Research Fellowship. http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/osac/research/srfstudent.asp. You will find details about the Program including:

1. a link to the Research Mentor database which includes a listing of faculty who are interested in mentoring medical student for summer research projects
2. Instructions about how to prepare and submit a proposal.

The deadline for filing a Summer Research Fellowship proposal is coming up quickly (February 5).

To participate in Summer Research, students must be in good academic standing and not currently held back to repeat a class. The stipend for the fellowship will be $5295 for a twelve-week period. Fellowship applicants are usually notified within 3 to 4 weeks of the application submission deadline.

OF SPECIAL NOTE: We have developed a list of outside grants/fellowships for summer research. The list is available on the Summer Research Fellowship webpage: http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/osac/research/srffellowships.html. Another good list of funding sources is available at http://research.downstate.edu/development/student.htm. If you apply for and receive an outside research grant to support your summer research here at Iowa you may be eligible to receive up to $500 stipend increase and up to $1000 in travel support to academic conference(s).

If you would like help identifying a mentor/research project or if you would like to learn more about applying for outside grants, please contact Leslie Harrington, Assistant Director of Medical Student Research (335-8304) or Dr. Christie Thomas, Director of the Iowa Medical Student Research Program.

Registrar Damien Ihrig wants to remind you of Monday’s M3 class meeting on M4 scheduling. Please pick up an M4 scheduling packet available at Marcia Hopp’s desk and review it prior to the meeting. Any packets not picked up prior to the meeting may be picked up at the meeting.

The presentation will be recorded. I will send out the web address the following day letting you know where the video can be found. Also, any students who cannot attend are more than welcome to meet with me or Marcia Hopp to go over the M4 scheduling process.

Dean Chris Cooper asks M4s to let him know if any of you believe you may be eligible for this Endocrinology award: 

The Endocrine Society's Medical Student Achievement Award program is presented to senior medical school students and osteopathic school students who have shown exceptional ability and interest in endocrinology. Most importantly, it was designed to encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in endocrinology and related fields of medicine and basic science.

The award provides the recipient with a one-year Fellow/Student Associate membership in the Society, free online access to all four Society journals through 2010, and an award certificate. Additionally, the recipient will be acknowledged on the Society’s Web site in the annual Awards Brochure. The award information is listed on the Society’s Web site at http://www.endo-society.org/awards/SocietyAwards/medical_Student/index.cfm

Because endocrinology is an integrative discipline spanning basic science and clinical medicine, it is taught in a variety of ways in different medical schools. Therefore, each school has the flexibility to establish its own selection process and criteria.

Andrea Smiens asks Leopold members to save the date:

• Thursday, February 11, 2010 (evening) for the M3 Ob/Gyn Residency Match preparation meeting!!
• At Guido's Deli & Market (directions below)
• 6:30 pm

Light hors d'oeuvres provided

Hosts = Marygrace Elson and Colleen Stockdale

This meeting will be for current M3s (or MSTPs) who will participate in the residency application process this fall. The focus of the meeting will be on what M3s need to do to prepare for participation in the Ob/Gyn Residency Match next year. (Any Leopold Members are welcome to attend, but focus will be on those preparing to do ERAS this fall).

Guido's Deli & Market
227 E 1st St
Iowa City, IA
(Between Nagle Lumber and Aero Rental)
52240-4701

319-338-5356

Click here for interactive map and driving directions from Mapquest

Melissa Jay sends along an e-mail forwarded from the National AMWA Society.

AMWA is pleased to announce the launching of their re-designed website! Check it out today and you'll be able to learn all about AMWA's efforts to support Haiti and the upcoming Women's Health Conference, including the special student track! http://www.amwa-doc.org/
______________

SUPPORT HAITI during this time of need. Please donate to help those affected by this catastrophic event through the American Medical Women's Hospital Service. All donations are tax deductible. You may donate directly to the Hopital Bon Samaritain through the HBS Foundation here. Please note AWHS, if possible, when donating through HBS Foundation. Your support of this hospital will go a long way in assisting those injured due to the earthquake.

You may also send supplies to Paul Hodges of the HBS Foundation: 13484 Sand Ridge Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 33418. For questions regarding acceptable donations, call (561) 533-0883.
______________

Please join us this year for the 95th Anniversary AMWA Annual Conference in Arlington, VA. Please register for the conference ASAP, as our conference sold out last year! You can visit our google page for more information about the conference and registering: http://sites.google.com/site/amwaconference2010/

As a student, here's the down-low: If you are planning on attending the 3 day conference, then register for the $195 student fee. You will have access to the whole conference for 3 days including the student track. You must also register and pay separately for the Gala and Advocacy Day if you would like to attend those events.

If you can only attend Saturday, then register for the one day $95 fee and again the Gala would be a separate $55 fee. Breakfast and lunch on Saturday are included in this fee as well as admittance to the WHC talks/seminars.

Why did the conference sell out last year? The same reason it will sell out this year. Attendees:

1. Are eligible to win up to $2,000 for excellent poster presentations (easy money!)
2. Can apply for one of 40 Travel grants in the amount of $400
3. Can apply for one of the 22 National Leadership positions that residency admissions officers are sure to love
4. Can network with powerhouse women from both AMWA and the Women's Health Congress
5. Receive free gifts from both the Women's Health Congress and AMWA
6. Excellent programming at the student and physician level
7. Free food
8. Great excuse to see DC AND be productive!

Be part of this movement.
Be part of this initiative.
Help advocate for women in medicine.
It all starts with YOU.
______________

4. Announcing the AMWA Student Outstanding Local Chapter Award

This award is given to one AMWA local student chapter that has made exceptional strides in their activities for the year, including recruitment, service projects, and professional activities.

Local chapter presidents may self-nominate their chapters by submitting a 50-100 word explanation of their chapter's accomplishments for the year to amwasecretary@gmail.com.

Questions? email: amwasecretary@gmail.com

Associate Dean Chris Cooper wants to invite M2s to attend a meeting from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm on Wednesday February 24, 2010. The meeting will be held in Room 2189 MERF and lunch will be served. At the meeting, Dr. Steve Craig, Director of the Des Moines Medical Education Consortium, will share information and answer questions about the opportunity for up to 24 students to complete their M3 clinical training in Des Moines during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Joining Dr. Craig at the lunch meeting, will be several current fourth-year and third-year medical students who have completed significant clinical training in Des Moines. They will share their observations and answer questions about the Des Moines campus and the clinical training provided.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, up to 24 students will be able to complete 40-44 weeks of third-year clerkships in Des Moines, which would allow these students to complete an additional 4-8 weeks of clinical training in Iowa City. The benefits provided to students in Des Moines will be explained and a PowerPoint display highlighting the housing and educational facilities available will be reviewed.

We do need students to RSVP by February 12th if they plan to attend the lunch meeting so we can order enough food. You can RSVP by accessing this link:

http://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/57/SteveCraigspresentation.htm <http://survey.uiowa.edu/wsb.dll/57/SteveCraigspresentation.htm

Reminder to RSVP if you haven’t already!

PA Renal Review Session:  provides preparation for upcoming FCP IV Nephrology Lectures

• Thursday, January 28, 2010
• 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• 2189 MERF

RSVP Requested: Sandy Tomas.

UI Haiti Effort Update: Dr. Chris Buresh's Community Health Initiative team will be accepting donations of food and medical supplies in boxes set up in each of the med school communities throughout the Spring 2010 semester. The CHI team is currently preparing to operate a 50 bed hospital in Leogane, Haiti, 22 miles west of Port au Prince. Items currently most in demand are orthopedic supplies, children's medications, medical equipment and food items such as rice, dried beans, milk powder, peanut butter, sugar, oil, and soy-fortified flour. Monetary donations can be left in Amanda River's mailbox in Flocks, with checks written out to World Wide Village. If you have any questions or would like more information about specific donations, please email Amanda River.

The Pheasant Ridge tutoring program is looking for CCOM students to help with their after school tutoring program on Monday and Tuesday nights. Pheasant Ridge is a low-income living community that offers after-school programs and services for neighborhood children. We are currently looking for students to help us out on either Monday or Tuesday night each week Feb.1-April 27, 2010. The sessions are ~1.5 hours, and take no preparation or special skills on your behalf. The kids are great to work with, and for all of the current CCOM tutors, this has ended up being one of the highlights of their week. If you are interested in helping out or would like more information, please email Amanda River. Thanks!

Marie Colbert is asking for SNMA volunteers:

 The last interview day is coming up on Feb. 1 and we have a number of students interested in meeting with SNMA members.

If you are available to accompany a lunch tour on Feb 1st please let me know ASAP. Thankyou again to all those that have volunteered this semester. Your presence on tours has truly made a difference!

• Mon Feb 1 - 2 students needed
  

Matt Noble passes along this tidbit on procedure clinics:

Whether or not you are participating in the Wii research study, everyone is welcome to attend the upcoming intubation and suturing clinics:

• Monday, February 1st at 12:30 – 1:30 pm in MERF 2189
• Monday, February 1st at 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the MERF atrium, during the specialty fair.
• Wednesday, February 3rd at 12:30 – 1:30 pm in MERF 2189

Come practice some vital skills!

You have till this Sunday, January 31 to get an amazing deal from USMLERx! Buy a 3- or 6-month Step 1 Qmax subscription and receive a FREE subscription to USMLE Step 1 Flash Facts, featuring over 10,000 Step 1 online flash cards integrated with First Aid for the USMLE Step 1. You can get this awesome combo offer for:

• $149for 3 months + FREE Flash Facts ($55 savings!)
• $239for 6 months + FREE Flash Facts ($75 savings!)

WARNING:You will not see this deal again this year! Save even more as an AMSA member!
Subscribe now at www.usmlerx.com. You can study right away or delay your start for up to 6 months.

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AMA members, if you are interested in attending our first annual state lobby day on February 2nd, please come to a quick (~20 min. meeting) today (Thursday)at 12:30 in MERF 1143. PLEASE NOTE- THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN ROOM NUMBER IN THE LAST E-MAIL. 1143 is the correct room. You can e-mail Heather Groth if you are unable to attend the meeting but still would like to go. We will talk about rides to Des Moines, what to bring, and more information about our lobbying topic as well as what to expect. Thank you very much for your involvement, and we look forward to seeing you!

Did someone say there was once a CCOM Jazz Band??

Well, it's true! Several years ago there was a fully functional medical school jazz band made up of students, teachers, and staff. The time has come for the jazz band's resurrection. We have the music. We have the rehearsal space. But, we need some musicians!!

If you are interested in playing with what is sure to be the premier College of Medicine jazz band, email Chris Healey with your instrument of choice!

Robin Paetzold of Global Programs reminds you that The Betty Ford Center offers an excellent one week opportunity to medical students interested in addictive disease and recovery. Past participants have thought that this was an excellent use of a week between their M1 and M2 years but could also possibly fit into the following M2 summer if done early enough. And the program includes a comprehensive scholarship!

If you’re interested in this possibility, please join Dylan Murray, M2 when he’ll discuss his participation last year. As Dylan will describe, participating Iowa medical students have had very strong positive opinions of this unique opportunity.

I also encourage you to go to http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/training/summerinst/ for further details. The application deadline is in MARCH.

Summer Program at the Betty Ford Center

Speaker: Dylan Murray, M2
Thursday, January 28, 2010
12:30 - 1:20 P.M.
MERF 2126

Summer Institute for Medical Students

The Summer Institute for Medical Students is a unique learning experience for medical students to gain understanding and insight into addictive disease and the recovery process.

Successful applicants to this program have the opportunity to spend five days experiencing what it is like to be a patient or a family member at the Betty Ford Center. Placements are available in the following programs:

Inpatient Treatment

Those selected to participate in Inpatient Treatment are assigned to a residence hall where they join patients in lectures, group therapy sessions, physical activity therapy, specialized groups, peer groups and meals.

Residential Day Treatment

Students who attend Residential Day Treatment participate in a program designed to address the needs of professionals who work in safety-sensitive jobs (pilots, physicians, nurses, attorneys) or who need extended treatment in a structured setting. Again, the students follow the patients through their day participating in most aspects of their care.

Family Program

Those selected to participate in the Family Program spend five days with family members of chemically dependent people. The focus of this program is to help family members see how they have been impacted by addiction and to assist them in finding ways to improve their lives. Family Treatment activities include lectures, workshops, and group therapy.

New this year, a chance for 1-2 medical students to work with us for the entire summer, doing follow-up research. These students will attend the 1 week SIMS program (with lodging and on-campus meals paid for), and spend the rest of the summer working gathering data while living at their own homes. You are not required to participate as a researcher in order to be accepted in the SIMS Program.

Participants in all programs attend lectures addressing the medical needs of addicted patients and the theory and philosophy of treatment at the Betty Ford Center. They also attend a Treatment Planning Update (TPU) meeting to observe the multidisciplinary care process at the Center. Finally, as a means for integrating the knowledge gained from this experience, students are required to develop a PowerPoint presentation.

Dates for the Summer Institute for Medical Students

2010

• May 17 - May 21
• May 31 - June 4
• June 14 - June 18
• June 28 - July 2
• July 12 - July 16
• July 26 - July 30
• August 9 - August 13

All programs begin on Monday at 7:00 am and end at 4:30 pm on Friday. Students must make a commitment to the full length of the program.

FOR MORE DETAILS, GO TO http://www.bettyfordcenter.org/training/summerinst/

Just a reminder from AMWA Chapter President Melissa Jay and Andrea Smiens of the Leopold Society about their joint lunch meeting TODAY. They'll provide Olive Garden for lunch! Please bring your own drink though.

Leopold Society/AMWA Lunch Meeting
Balancing personal & professional obligations
within the medical profession
Dr. Ginny Ryan
Dept of Ob/Gyn, REI

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
12:30-1:20PM
2189 MERF
Lunch provided

The Leopold Society and AMWA have teamed up for the first meeting of the 2nd semester! Dr. Ryan from the Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility division of the Department of Ob/Gyn has kindly agreed to join us for a discussion about balancing family, personal, and professional obligations within a 2 physician household. Below is a more detailed bio - it should be a great lunch talk, so please plan to join us next Wednesday!! Hope to see you there!

Dr. Ryan is board certified in Ob/Gyn and Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility and recently received her MA in Bioethics. She is a full-time faculty member in the REI Division and head of the Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology clinic. Her husband, Dr. Chris Buresh, is Board certified in Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine and works full-time in the Emergency Medicine Department. They have two young children (3yrs & 20 mos) with another on the way. Both Dr. Ryan & her husband are active in community / volunteer organizations including medical mission work to Haiti with World Wide Village, and Girls on the Run Johnson County (after school prevention program for pre-teen girls), and enjoy being active & trying to stay in shape!

Bean Mayor Amy Domeyer says that the Carver College of Medicine All Community Leadership Banquet will take place on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 6:30PM in the 7th Atrium Dining Hall at the UIHC. This year’s keynote speech will be given by Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, Medical Director and Epidemiologist for the State of Iowa. Tickets to the event will go on sale in early February.

Each year the All Community Leadership Banquet is held to recognize and honor student leadership within the Carver College of Medicine. It is an opportunity to spend an evening in the company of UICCOM students and faculty, hear a great speech, enjoy a fine meal, and recognize those classmates who have shown a dedication to leadership and service.

Leadership Award recipients are chosen by each community based upon nomination by their peers.

NOMINATIONS: Nominate an outstanding M3/4/MSTP student leader from within your community who exemplifies leadership and service. Please send an email including the name of the individual and a few sentences (short, concise thoughts are enough) describing why you think he/she deserves this recognition to amy-domeyer@uiowa.edu. Deadline for submission: Sunday, January 31 by 9:00 p.m.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact any of the community leaders.

AMWA Co-President Melissa Jay passes along a message from AMWA's national organization. Please let her know if you are interested in attending the conference.

The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and AMSA have had the distinct please of working closely together on many projects pertaining to women in medicine. Specifically, we have worked on developing the Women's Empowerment Institute as well as developing a guide for success during residency just this year. We are proud of this partnership and also wanted to inform you about a great opportunity for you to get more involved with AMWA.

Please join us this year for the 95th Anniversary AMWA Annual Conference in Arlington, VA. Please register for the conference ASAP, as our conference sold out last year! You can visit our google page for more information about the conference and registering: http://sites.google.com/site/amwaconference2010/

Why did the conference sell out last year? The same reason it will sell out this year. Attendees:

1. Are eligible to win up to $2,000 for excellent poster presentations (easy money!)
2. Can apply for one of 40 Travel grants in the amount of $400
3. Can apply for one of the 22 National Leadership positions that residency admissions officers are sure to love
4. Can network with powerhouse women from both AMWA and the Women's Health Congress
5. Receive free gifts from both the Women's Health Congress and AMWA
6. Excellent programming at the student and physician level
7. Free food
8. Great excuse to see DC AND be productive!
   

Be part of this movement.
Be part of this initiative.
Help advocate for women in medicine.
It all starts with YOU.

In solidarity,
Your 2009-2010 AMWA Leadership

AMSA Chapter President Pooja Chitneni reminds us that it's not too late to sign up for lobby day!

• Medical Student Lobby Day
• Tuesday, February 2nd
• Des Moines

If you do plan on attending, you must let Lyndsay Harshman at lyndsay-harshman@uiowa.edu know as soon as possible. Please see the attached letter on instructions for clearing your schedule with the appropriate people.

There is also a lunch meeting this Thursday for all those attending. We will discuss our agenda and prepare what to say to our legislators. Please check out http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/ before Thursday and bring the name of the legislator representing your hometown to the meeting.

Feel free to email Pooja Chitneni or Abigail Struck Marcell with any questions.

Pooja Chitneni, AMSA chapter president, asks, "How do drug and device industries affect the practice of medicine?"

How can students, academic medical centers, and drug companies increase access to medicines for people who need them the most?

Is a gift ever just a gift?

Find out at the 2010 PharmFree Leadership Institute, in Reston, VA (outside Washington DC, March 20-22, 2010

Click here for more information

Stay informed: Sign up for the PharmFree listserv to receive the application first!

Questions? Contact Gabriel Palley at AMSAPharmFree@gmail.com

www.pharmfree.org

AMSA Chapter President Pooja Chitneni sends word that the AMSA National Convention will be held March 11-14 (the first weekend of spring break), 2010 in Anaheim, CA. This is a great opportunity to learn about medicine from leaders in the field, network with your peers from across the country, and of course make a visit to Disneyland!

The registration deadline is February 8th, and AMSA may be able to subsidize some of the cost of attending. Please let Pooja know if you have any questions about the convention or if you are interested in attending.

Adam Bauer is still looking for nominations of Boulware members wo are deserving of their community award. The due date is this Friday Jan 29th.

Here are the details pertaining to Nominations of Boulwarian Student Leaders for the Leadership Banquet:

The Leadership Banquet takes place on February 23rd, 2010 at 6:30pm. Tickets to the event cost $5. Each year, the All-Communities Banquet is held to recognize and honor student leadership. It is an opportunity to spend an evening in the company of UICCOM students and faculty, enjoy a fine meal, and celebrate classmates who make our school a better place to live and learn.

NOMINATIONS: Nominate an outstanding Boulwarian M3/4/MSTP student leader who exemplifies leadership and service. Please send an email including the name of the individual and a few sentences (short, concise thoughts are enough) describing why you think he/she deserves this recognition to Kris Dawkins. Deadline for submission: Friday, January 29, 2010.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Adam, Andrea Smiens (Leadership Banquet Chair) or Dr. Gordon.

Chip Wandling, IMS Board of Directors member sends along the AMA’s letter to Congress calling for health reform this year. It is just one of the many letters that have been written during this whole Healthcare Reform debate, and he thought this may clarify some questions that may have popped up.

If anyone has questions about the AMA's role in Healthcare Reform, our chapter here at Iowa, or anything from A-Z, please don't hesitate to contact Chip.

Chip Wandling tells us that Iowa Medical Society Executive Vice President Mike Abrams is looking for approximately 6 students for a lunch meeting next Tuesday Feb 2 to answer the question:

"How IMS can be relevant to medical students in the coming years?"

You do not need to have a position within our chapter for this meeting, only the desire to give input.  If you are interested, please shoot Chip an email.

Kyle Duchman wanted to make you aware of another volunteer opportunity available through DVIP. DVIP is holding their annual "Souper Bowl" next Thursday, February 4th. The Souper Bowl is a large fundraiser put on by DVIP, and it is essentially a large soup dinner where individuals purchase a bowl for $10 with all of the proceeds going to DVIP. We are looking for 6-8 medical students to volunteer at the event, which begins with volunteer orientation at 5:00pm. The work includes serving soup, clean-up, etc... nothing too difficult. The Souper Bowl runs until 8:00pm, but if you are not able to stay the whole time but would still like to sign-up, that is not a problem. There is a sign-up sheet located in the McCowen window, and car-pooling/transportation from MERF will be arranged prior to the event next week. DVIP really appreciates our help with this event, so please consider signing up.