In honor of James Walker...

NYCOM Pulse V O L U M E 5 , I S S U E 3 NOVEMBER 2011

N Y C O M

S T U D E N T

G O V E R N M E N T

A S S O C I A T I O N

AOA President, Martin S. Levine,

DO, Visits NYCOM December 6th

Annual Holiday

Gathering

December 15th

Glen Cove Boys

and Girls

Club Holiday Party

December 16th

Deadline to Submit

Articles for

Pulse Issue #3

December 31st

NYCOM Ski Trip to

Hunter Mountain

January 7th

Third SGA General

Council Meeting

January 9th

UPCOMING

EVENTS Remembering James Walker, Class of 2012

By Nick Beatty, OMS IV

James was passionate about our class from the get-go, organizing class T-shirts in the summer of 2008 before classes started. I messaged him a few times, a bit frantically because I thought I missed the informal class gathering, and he reassured me everyone was getting together again and he would make sure I got the email. “What a nice guy,” I thought back then. It wasn’t until our common interest in sports medicine brought us together at NYCOM that I realized this nice guy was a big dude- I envisioned him spiking and blocking in volleyball with authority! We had ideas for the sports medicine organization, exchanged numbers, and that began our 4-year friendship and working closely together on lots of things at NYCOM. As fellow class-officers and later SGA officers, I spent more time day-to-day with James than I

did with most other NYCOM students and came to know him as an amazing person with a heart of gold and the passion to reach any goal he set for himself.

James was quick. He thought quickly, processed quickly, and when the time was right, he acted quickly. I used to laugh to myself as I felt him waiting patiently for me to finish what I was discussing at a meeting. He didn’t need to hear something twice; he just got things quickly. He made everyone around him sharper, more efficient, and more productive. He wasn’t rushing, but rather doing things at a pace that was right for him. It’s a skill and a gift not everyone has, and he would have made an excellent emergency physician. For those of us that knew him, I am sure we can all envision James, in the center of a trauma room, calmly organizing and running the show with utmost attention to the needs of the patient, the patient’s family, and the medical staff.

James’ energy and enthusiasm was contagious. He would get so excited about a project, an idea, an event, or a cause, that it would permeate the air and soon everyone would be excited and working together. He had ideas ranging from before school even began (e.g. summer gatherings and t-shirts) to long-after graduation (e.g. alumni events, expanded networking with current students, and professional development). Beyond just school things, he could get anyone excited about a new song or group, a restaurant to go to, a concert or a sporting event. He didn’t have to be persuasive- you just saw him living it and wanted to hop aboard.

James was uniquely multifaceted. Like most friendships, James opened up more to many of his friends as time went on at NYCOM. He was sensitive and caring despite his large presence. He cared deeply about things and wanted them to go well and became quiet at times as he thought about how to share his view. For the things out of his control that he didn’t agree with, he had an amazing wit and sense of humor that was contagious as well. He had a vision for all things in his life and knew when it was time to have fun and when it was time to get some work done. From intramural sports, to Big Brother Big Sister, to class leadership, to weekend adventures, he did it all-- with passion and excellence that will be greatly missed.

To express the sentiment of all the people James enriched, our thoughts and prayers are with his close friends, family, and loved ones.

“I will never forget our dear friend James; he will always live in my heart and soul.”

- Vishal Metha, OMS IV

P A G E 2

Our Little Treasure

The NYCOM Legacy of James Walker, OMS-IV, Class of 2012

By Beth Varadian, OMS-V

James was a brother to all of us at NYCOM. Although many of us were older, he was always our big brother, with a hug and a smile that he gave freely. James’ smile was radiant and electric, bringing his spirit and joy for learning and medicine to everyone who had the pleasure of his company. As an active student government leader, he changed the face of the Big Brother Big Sister Program at NYCOM, celebrating new students and welcoming them to our community. James was a hard worker and natural leader. No matter what size the meeting, task or event was, James took charge and was behind the scenes making sure that everything ran smoothly. He was proud of his students, proud of his school and committed to his profession. I’ll never forget the day when we were standing in the SGA office and James noticed that there was a misspelling of his title on the table sign for the SGA meeting. The sign read, “Treasure,” leaving out the final “r.” James truly was NYCOM’s little treasure. He was larger than life and his spirit will live forever as a NYCOM legacy of leadership and service.

Ada Lee, OMS II

In the memory of James Walker Continued...

"Rest in Peace, James" By Vishal Mehta, OMS IV

It’s hard to believe yet another one of our fellow classmates, and another great friend of mine, has passed. James Walker was not only an excellent, efficient, and smart colleague in the SGA, he was someone who I got along with and got to know very well over the past few years. While working in the SGA, James’ leadership abilities were apparent from the start. He was someone I knew I could learn from, and I did a lot of learning during our 2nd year of medical school together. He was one of the most passionate people I knew, someone who knew exactly what needed to be done and knew that he could do it better than anyone. He was someone who had the bravery and the brains of a true leader in every sense of the word. His impact at NYCOM will not be forgotten for a long time; but his impact on the way I conduct myself and the way I do things will be lifelong. James was proud of his school and where he came from, and I know that he will continue to look after us as we move forward in life. I will never forget our dear friend James; he will always live in my heart and soul. Thanks for everything buddy, and say hi to Shibu for all of us….see you on the other side.

“James truly was

NYCOM’s little

treasure.”

- Beth Varadian, OMS V

P A G E 3

I brushed my hands through my hair, interlaced my fingers behind my head, and leaned back in my executive chair with my penny loafers crossed on top of my desk. Snapping my suspenders, I thought, “Life is good. No, great.” Yes, this Gordon Gekko moment was how I celebrated finishing a challenging first year of medical school. Throughout my first year, I had a resounding feeling that I was being thrown into a jail cell without warning. I studied with as much focus and intensity as an inmate at the prison library—reading the penal code to find a loophole in his 30 year prison sentence. However, it was also a year that offered so many chances to grow personally. Moving forward with energy and an open-mind, I mastered a slew of new interpersonal, writing, time-management, and study skills. I’ve even gotten a chance to explore new hobbies and ideas with the guidance of the most diverse group of people I have ever been around. The first year of medical school is not just another year of school, but it’s a turning point of opportunity that will help mold one’s professional and personal life. Of course, my greatest sense of accomplishment is...you guessed it, transitioning my official title on my email signature from OMS I to OMS II.

Now after a refreshing summer, I’ve washed my bed sheets properly, gotten a real haircut, shaved against the grain, and rolled up my sleeves because it’s back to business, baby. As I enter the second year, I have the confidence of the D.O. resident at the beach in the Hydroxycut commercial. It’s reminiscent of the feeling I had as a high school senior, college senior, and the feeling I’m sure I will have as a senior resident. I feel like I possess an aura that let’s everybody around me know that every seat and every brick in NYCOM has my name engraved in it. Arrogant? Perhaps. But I see it as my feelings of attachment to the school I belong to.

I had returned to my sanctuary, walking into the lecture hall during the first day of second year orientation with nearly 300 of my classmates. It felt as though an invisible force field had been placed around us, protecting us from any harm. We were a clan—a room full of faces I know and respect. Instantly, words like loyalty, passion, and pride filled my thoughts... and no I’m not reading off the metal water bottle NYCOM gave us, or looking at one of my t-shirts that I wear on a Saturday night (or should I say Monday night?).

Relationships between students and faculty are really beginning to develop. Shoot, I might even be gutsy enough to give the OMM professors the wink and the gun and call them by their first name next time I see them outside of Serota. Having this kind of access is great since, let’s face it, the second years will be engaged in a war before we know it. When board season comes along, there are no longer ‘Professors,’ but allies; and we are no longer students, but ‘soldiers.’ Silent study will be our trenches, and we need all the firepower we can get for our target next summer.

Please refrain from tossing your 3-hour borrowed laptop on the ground since I made a board reference; we already have the U.S. debt-ceiling agreement increasing the costs of school for us. If you think I’m passionate about this topic, wait until you see my boards article.

By John Hassani, OMS II

My Sentiments On Transitioning to Second Year

The scope of international medicine is highly diverse and extensive. This was put on full display at the Bureau on International Osteopathic Medical Education and Affairs (BIOMEA) Seminar in this year’s Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Fl. The seminar showcased unique presentations from several highly distinguished osteopathic physicians such as the Chief of Space Medicine from NASA and a Major General from the US Air Force. The seminar also hosted a poster session where several NYCOM students, in collaboration with the NYIT Center for Global Health, displayed their global health projects from this previous summer. Overall, the seminar displayed how osteopathic physicians are engaged in significant roles in the global community. A very intriguing speaker at this event was J.D. Polk, DO, MS, MMM, CPE, FACOEP. Dr. Polk is the Chief of the Space Medicine Division at NASA, and he gave two captivating presentations. His first presentation focused on disaster and crisis management in the Chilean Mine accident in 2010. A crisis such as that incident generally becomes an international health dilemma, and the Chilean government reached out to several countries, including the US and NASA for aid. Technology and techniques reserved for astronauts were used to keep all 33 miners alive, and they were ultimately rescued after 69 days. The second presentation focused on the actual mechanics of Space Medicine itself and what type of physiological impacts it may have on an individual. Further research on the physiological impact of space travel on humans is still being conducted, but now it is more so a collaborative and international project. This is because the primary focus for NASA has shifted away from the space shuttle project and is now geared more towards distant projects such as strategizes for sending astronauts to an asteroid and then maybe even to Mars. Another highly esteemed speaker at this event was Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Douglas J. Robb. General Robb is the Joint Staff Surgeon, Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. The focus of General Robb’s presentation was medical support for soldiers from the battlefield to tertiary care. He highlighted a full spectrum of healthcare management ranging from tactical combat causality care,

resuscitative care, patient movement, critical care air transportation, operation theaters in aircrafts, combat casualty care, and finally, highlighting statistics for the continuing improvements in outcomes. It was fascinating to see the strides that have been made in medical support in the battlefield, and a lot of this has been accomplished through international health data collection. Osteopathic medical students were also actively involved in this seminar as well. As part of the BIOMEA/SOMA Poster Session, medical students from various osteopathic medical schools displayed their research and global health outreach projects. Representing NYCOM were Diana El-Neemany, OMS-IV, Jenny Dudko, OMS-II, and Piyal Alam, OMS-II. With support from the NYIT Center for Global Health, all three students highlighted

various projects conducted in Belize, El Salvador, and Ghana. On the whole, the International Health Seminar truly displayed that medicine in the global community is very diverse. We saw how osteopathic physicians are influencing International Health in various aspects. Hopefully, this will inspire and motivate all of us, as osteopathic medical students, to get involved and impact the global health community as well.

P A G E 4

The 13th Annual International Seminar and Poster Session at OMED

By Piyal Alam, OMS II

P A G E 5

Washington, D.C.- The Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) held a conference in Washington, DC on Friday, October 28 and Saturday, October 29th, 2011. The conference was based in Gallaudet University, a world-leading university for the deaf. There were two NYCOM students in attendance, Alex Friedman, OMS II and I (Robin Petrizzo, OMS II). I received a scholarship, which enabled me to attend the conference. I was fortunate to be placed on a board of 10 people to meet in the offices of New York State Senators Kirsten GIllibrand and Chuck Schumer at the Hart Senate Building to discuss leadership backing for developing a Single-Payer health care system in the US. Others who attended these meetings were: Len Rodberg, Carol Schneebaum, Steve Auerbach, Ken Weinberg, Oli Fein, Dick Pierson, Adam Gaffney, and Mary Dewar. Dr. Steve Auerbach offered Sen. Schumer backing with PNHP, the Occupy movement, and other organizations in exchange for his support on this issue. Our talking point was "Professional and grassroots groups are working together to reverse the shredding of our social safety net. It is a political movement that elected officials need to recognize." (PNHP). As the Secretary of AMSA NYCOM chapter, I added that the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is also a strong supporter of National Health Care, and AMSA will back Sen. Schumer if he takes on this issue.

Later we met with Canadian physicians who are advising us on how to go about transitioning to such a system, as well as on what the impact of national health care has been on them and their patients. Dr. Oli Fein pointed out that "Instead of closing corporate tax loopholes and raising taxes on the wealthy, the lawmakers are blaming people who need health care." (from PNHP Press Release "Physicians group: debt deal threatens health of seniors and disabled"). The conference dinner featured speakers and a Q&A focused on the argument for a national healthcare system. Dr. Martha Livingston, professor of Health and Society at my alma mater, SUNY College at Old Westbury, who spoke at the last Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) meeting here at NYCOM, was in attendance.

After the conference dinner, a group of us visited Occupy D,C. at McPherson Square (there is another Occupy D.C. at Freedom Plaza). On Halloween night, a Channel 11 News reporter asked a protester at Occupy Wall Street, "Do you think 350 people sleeping in a park will bring about change?" What this news reporter has overlooked is the breadth of the movement and the true purpose of the occupations. By placing their living quarters in public, these disenfranchised people are declaring their right to dignity and their refusal to be swept aside as an inconvenience of labor statistics. Unemployment and lack of healthcare is a systemic, social problem, not an individual’s failure. And this truth is what is motivating Americans all over the country to follow suit: hundreds more are sleeping in a park in Washington D.C., Kansas City, Orlando and Los Angeles. In small towns, places that are ignored by most news media, people are camping out and forming new communities. Across the Atlantic, Paris and Rome has seen their own protests. This is a worldwide movement that cannot be ignored. People of two generations have united in protest for change, the change that President Obama promised the last time I was in D.C. on January 20, 2009. Our purpose of going to Washington, D.C. was to tell our politicians to stop being afraid of addressing these movements and to take a stance. If voters don't see the action they want, there will be no re-election for them. If no action is taken, our citizens lose. We, the people, will not lose. At Occupy D.C., Dr. Steve Auerbach said "I'm with the health care for the 99% and I just want to bring wishes and warmth and dryness and revolution." Vive la revolution.

For more information on Single-Payer Health Care, Alex Friedman, OMS II has written a very informative, evidence-based article on his argument in favor of change. It is accessible on the AMSA NYCOM chapter Facebook page.

NYCOM Students attend Physicians for a National Health Program Conference, Washington, D.C.

By Robin Petrizzo, OMS II

P A G E 6

NYCOM Students Take Part in Ramadan

As the school year had begun over a month ago in August, many Muslim students had begun fasting for the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the month of fasting. During these 29-30 days, Muslims are to refrain from eating, drinking and some other activities from sunrise to sunset. It is a time intended for those who are fasting to learn about patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. It is also a time when everyone comes together to participate and pray together. And that is what took place at NYCOM.

Although everyone had busy schedules and exams, many students were able to participate in the iftars, which is breaking of the fast, hosted by NYCOM’s Muslim Student Association (MSA). There were three iftars held, once a week, and all of them had a decent amount of students attending. It brought in a very strong sense of unity as medical students and Muslims. Many non-Muslims also participated and joined as everyone broke fast.

Breaking of the fast is traditionally done with dates and water as the Prophet did. So as per tradition, students first broke their fast with dates and water and then went to pray in the prayer area on the third floor landing of Riland. After the prayer, food was served in the cafeteria and many students were able to eat together and relieve their momentary stress from the studying.

At the end of Ramadan, there is a celebration known as Eid-al-Fitr. Since Eid fell on August 30, which was very close to exam time for both 1st years and 2nd years, MSA had decided to host an Eid celebration later on September 13. The celebration had a very nice turnout as well comprising of both Muslims and non-Muslims. There was a guest speaker, Anwer Imam, who gave a talk about Ramadan. It is also a tradition during Eid to have henna tattoo designs, and hence henna was brought in during the celebration so that students were able get henna designs done on their hands. Food was also provided by MSA and everyone was able to enjoy a good dinner and gathering.

By Trisha Barua, OMS II

Everyone is invited to attend the NYCOM 2011 Scholars Symposium.

When: November 30, 2011 12:00-2:00

Where: Riland II Auditorium and front hallway

Each student will be presenting a poster of their work from 12:00-1:00 p.m. From 1:00 pm to 2 pm, 3 students, encompassing different types of research activities currently active at NYCOM, will present short talks of their work.

Come learn about the Scholars research activities over the past year and support the Scholars and their research mentors. For 1st year students, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the NYCOM Academic Scholars Program by talking with the current Scholars. Please make every effort to attend.

Research Scholars Symposium

NYCOM Joins the Heart Screen New York Initiative

P A G E 7

By Alexa Clement, OMS II

In support of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month, NYCOM students joined the Louis J. Acompora Memorial Foundation, Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation and the Nick of Time Foundation to take part in Heart Screen New York. These foundations along with other organizations across the nation are participating in Screen Across America to provide free cardiac screening with the goal to increase awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and to raise awareness among schools and public institutions about the importance of having automated external defibrillators (AED).

In an effort to help reduce and prevent sudden cardiac arrest, NYCOM students screened over 240 youths, taking blood pressures, performing physical exams and EKG’s, as well as screening for heart murmurs. These findings were presented to local cardiologists, including Dr. Skipitaris, who then determined the need for ultrasound screening with an echocardiogram. At the end of the day of screenings at Northport High School, 19 students were recommended for closer follow-ups with cardiologists.

This was a great experience for NYCOM students to help provide free cardiac screenings to our local community and help in the early detection of heart pathology. Hopefully we were able to not only save young lives, but also to educate and empower students, parents, and community members. We would like to thank Anthony Guerne for the opportunity to participate in this great cause as well as for his help throughout the hectic day. To donate or get more information regarding these organizations, please visit: www.la12.org, domheart21.org, and nickoftimefoundation.org.

Participants Included:

Jason Brustein OMS II Alexa Clement OMS II

Sejal Tamakuwala OMS II Danielle Turrin OMS IV Elizabeth Kurian OMS II

Melissa Meghpara OMS II Atif Farooqi OMS IV

Iris Jo OMS II Johanna Lee OMS II Neha Sanan OMS II

Joe Lau OMS II Alex Chan OMS II

Sejdo Mulic OMS II Ehiozogie Adu OMS II Chris Husko, OMS II

Daria Abolghasemi OMS II Annamaria Arias OMS II

Trisha Barua OMS II

Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish

for yourself. It's what you do for others."

-Danny Thomas

P A G E 8

On August 22, 2011, a rather unique opportunity was given to the members of the NYCOM chapter of the Student National Medical Association. Interested students were invited to attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Health Equity Summit to be held in Washington, D.C. in time for the unveiling of Dr. King’s Memorial. The magnitude of such an invitation was not felt until the six NYCOM students and two NYIT nursing students walked into the ballroom where the summit would be held. Prior to attending the Martin Luther King Jr. Health Summit, general assumptions about the topics that would be addressed were made. For the most part, we assumed that the majority of the panels would discuss health disparities in the United States, health care reform, and other common topics addressed on various media outlets. We were, however, pleasantly surprised once the summit started. We found ourselves surrounded by distinguished and much accomplished leaders in the field. To add to that, their discussions focused on the positive and future movements of health care. The panels were very innovative and caused us to think of our future roles as health care professionals. As we were the only medical and nursing students in attendance at the summit, there was a definite individual call to action to further improve health equity during our clinical practice.

Every panel discussion brought to light the multi-faceted nature of health care improvement. The most inspiring panels addressed the need for community involvement in addressing health care needs. Every community is different which requires special attention to the delivery of health I information and care. In addition, many speakers spoke about various pipeline programs that involved children in the health care system. This approach is an important one because it allowed children to trust and understand the health care system. Furthermore, the goal of these types of programs is to influence current health behaviors and possibly influence future careers. While the community based program and pipeline programs have different end goals, the overall effect is to increase the number of culturally intelligent health care workforce and, in effect, the greatest benefits for vulnerable communities.

In following with the theme of the summit, Martin Luther King’s quote, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane," resonated in almost every speaker’s discussion. It was, therefore, a truly profound experience to walk through the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and read some of his most powerful quotes. Every student had the opportunity to reflect on these quotes and the panel discussions throughout the summit to appreciate the progressive thinking of Dr. King in regards to health care.

MLK Health Summit

By Sara Hyatt, OMS II

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and

inhumane.” -Martin Luther King’s

So You Think You Can Diagnose…?

Case 1

An 8 year old second-grader is brought to the pediatrician by her parents who state that their normally quiet

and polite daughter has gradually started behaving boisterous and rude. She has been repeating the word

“cabbage head” while stumbling around the house running into doorways and tripping over steps. Her parents

also report that there has been a gradual decrease in her grades and states that she no longer can correctly

answer homework questions but rather draws pictures on her homework papers. Her parents have also noticed

that she has oddly had spells of hyperventilation or spells of breath-holding in addition to loud teeth grinding.

By Molly Kelly, OMS III

Case 2

A 78 year old elderly woman presents to her physician with the

complaint of her lower dentures falling out of her mouth for the past 2

days as she has pain and difficultly closing her mouth because her

“tongue has gotten too big to fit inside.” Upon exam she is noted to have

a fever of 100.4, stiff neck, and to be drooling. She also has a woody

induration in her submandibular area but no lymphadenopathy is

appreciated. The patient is immediately sent to the Emergency

Department where a CT is ordered. What is wrong with this patient and

what is the ideal treatment?

Case 4

A 25 year old man returns from a two month backpacking trip along the

Ogoouè River in western Africa where he was exploring the native

population’s healthcare remedies. His notices something in his eye that

looks like a squiggly line under the cornea after bouts of red itchy swellings

under his skin on his face. What is wrong with this guy’s eye?

Case 3

A 16 year old teenage male presents to his family physician appearing

apprehensive. Upon questioning, he admits he has recently started wetting the

bed at night. He also complains of involuntary muscle contraction in his

hands as well as generalized weakness and fatigue. Upon exam, he

demonstrates a positive Chvostek sign and is noted to have dry skin. What

electrolyte abnormalities are characterized by this patient’s disorder?

Answers on page 14

P A G E 9

Q: What colleges did you attend/jobs did you have prior to coming to NYCOM? A: I received my undergraduate degree from Campbell University. Our mascot was and still is a camel. In the homecoming parades, live camels would always be present. The school is actually in pre-accreditation status for an osteopathic medical school. I use to work in the financial industry and then later in a hospital setting before coming to NYCOM. My previous jobs have helped to add to my experiences at NYCOM.

Q: What is the day-to-day break down of your position? A: Each day is different. However the day usually begins and ends with answering emails and posting material on Akila. The second year class is my primary responsibility. I interact with the faculty, compile handout packets, and assist in preparing for upcoming courses.

Q: What has been the best part of working at NYCOM? A: I have met some very nice people at NYCOM. Through the years I’ve enjoyed meeting students and talking with them individually. It is wonderful to see students go from the lecture hall onto the graduation stage. In addition, I have really liked the opportunity to learn new skills and encounter new technology. It feels good to learn something new then to be able to share that knowledge with someone else.

Q: What is one thing that you have learned about medicine by working at an osteopathic medical school? A: I have a better understanding of what is means to be a physician. I no longer look at doctors in the same light. Also, people have shared their experiences with great osteopathic physicians with me. As a result, I have been able to recommend osteopathic medicine to others.

How Well Do You Know...

P A G E 1 0

Suzette Lawrence, Administrative Assistant

An inside look at some of the familiar faces of NYCOM By Ray Hunsucker, OMS II

New column brought to you by the NYCOM pulse!

Q: What college did you attend prior to coming to NYCOM? A: I have a Masters in juggling from CCC (Clown Community College). My dream was to make it big, under the Big Top. Sadly, my bout with claustrophobia prevented me from following my dream (who wants a clown that can’t get into a clown car). And, so I came to NYCOM shortly after, and started a new journey….

Q: What is the day-to-day break down of your position? A: Most of what I do is classified work. But I can tell you this; I deal a lot with handouts and exams. I think the faculty actual fear me in this respect. There’s nothing that won’t stop me from getting a lecturer to submit their handouts and exam questions on time, and well that’s all I can really say about that. Q: If you could be on any reality t.v. show, which would it be? A: I would love to be a contestant on the Bachelor. Not only would it jump start my career as a D list celebrity, but who wouldn’t want to go on extravagant dates all around the world for free and be a part of “the most dramatic rose ceremony ever”. I would have to talk to my boyfriend about this first though; not sure how he feels about the idea….

Q: What’s the most interesting thing to happen to you while working at NYCOM? A:It was the morning of an exam. The proctors were busy setting up the William Rogers auditorium when I received a call that there was an emergency and quickly ran down. To my shock and amazement, there, in the auditorium, were not 300 students, but 300 crickets! The exam was going to start in 30 minutes, what were we to do? I quickly googled “safe cricket removal”. Did you know that crickets enjoy the soft lullaby of a guitar? But where was I to find a guitar and on such short notice. Thankfully, our proctor Vinny (you know Vinny, everybody knows Vinny) is a flamenco guitar player. As it turns out, carries his guitar just about everywhere he goes. The next thing I know Vinny is serenading the crickets with the smooth sounds of his flamenco. Cricket crisis solved!

Q: Any closing remarks, advice or interesting things you would like to tell all your fellow NYCOMers. A: If you thought my cricket story was good, wait until you hear all the other stories I have to tell when my new book Adventures in NYCOM comes out. I hope for it to turn into a movie one day, although I haven’t yet decided who I would even cast to play the role of myself. It’s a toss-up between Kim Kardashian (for our extreme resemblance to each other) and Kate Gosselin (I hear she’s looking for a job).

Melody Bauer, Administrative Assistant

How Well Do You Know… (continued)

P A G E 1 1

An inside look at some of the familiar faces of NYCOM

New column brought to you by the NYCOM pulse!

Dr. Kym M. Carpentieri, D.O Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine

Q: What colleges did you attend/jobs did you have prior to coming to NYCOM? A: I started at NYCOM just out of college at 21 years of age! I attended college at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia on a full scholarship (1/2 academic and 1/2 athletic- yes, I was an athlete once). The scholarship allowed me to save up for medical school and not have to take out as many loans as other classmates (which by-the-way I am real close to paying off- maybe in the next 3-4 years, yay).Job wise I was an Ocean Lifeguard on Fire Island during my summers until I started at NYCOM.

Q: What is the day-to-day break down of your position? A: MWF I see patients from 9-5 at the Family Healthcare Center in Central Islip (one of NYCOM’s 2 academic healthcare centers).

TTh I am at NYCOM teaching in DPR, ICC and OMM sessions as well as taking care of administrative responsibilities. I am involved in research,and I am also the Clinician in charge of the Electronic Medical Record we use at the Academic Health Care Centers here which I find intriguing.

Q: What has been the best part of working at NYCOM? A: My interaction with the students who rotate through the office for their clinical rotations…

I have been able to establish some great relationships with the students I get to work closely with and hope I have helped to make them better clinicians.

Q: What is one thing that you have learned from working at NYCOM that has helped to improve your own personal medical skills? A: As a busy clinician it is hard to find the time to keep up-to-date, but working at NYCOM encourages me to be knowledgeable on all of the latest in the medical field (clinical knowledge, new teaching modalities or the latest in research).

Q: Throughout your years of being a doctor, what is the most unique case you have been presented with? A: There have been so many unique cases over the years…It is hard to pinpoint one but sometimes it is not the unique case but those cases or people whose lives you have impacted most that stick with you!

A nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital who has now become a good friend of mine entrusted me to care for her husband 8 years ago at the age of 41. He had no medical history and needed a medical clearance for an upcoming surgery. His glucose had come back high on his pre-surgical clearance. I diagnosed him with new onset diabetes and began to care for him.

As a part of his initial evaluation I did a routine EKG, he was asymptomatic. His EKG was normal but I felt that he needed further evaluation by cardiology secondary to his risk factors of diabetes and family history of CAD, so I sent him.

I received a frantic but thankful call from his wife a few weeks later as he had a stress test and was immediately shipped off to St. Francis Hospital for a CABG!

To this day she tells others of how I “saved his life.”

Q: Once you are able to leave campus, what do you like to do for fun? A: Well if you know me at all you know my favorite thing to do outside of work is being with my 2 daughters, Jordan and Taylor, who are 6 and 4 respectively.

I also enjoy Spin, traveling, cooking and wine tasting.

Q: If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

A: Summer Elisabeth Sanders Olympic gold medalist in swimming.

Q: Any closing remarks, advice or interesting things you would like to tell all your fellow

NYCOMers.

A: Always trust your gut instinct in medicine and life!

And remember that everything happens for a reason!

“Always trust your gut

instinct in medicine and

life!”

How Well Do You Know… (continued)

P A G E 1 2

An inside look at some of the familiar faces of NYCOM

New column brought to you by the NYCOM pulse!

Dr. Brian Beatty, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy

Q:What colleges did you attend/jobs did you have prior to coming to NYCOM?

A: I studied Zoology & Geology (dual major) at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) as an

undergraduate from 1995-1999. I did research in the Dept. of Vertebrate Paleontology there as a

student, studying fossil relatives of camels. I had a job there identifying fossil bones, curating the

collections, and participating in fossil collecting trips in Florida and Jamaica.

I did my MS in Anatomy at Howard University (Washington, DC) from 2000-2002. While there I

was a Research Associate at the Smithsonian (which I still am today), and studied fossil marine

mammals that superficially look like hippos, known as desmostylians. At Howard I taught human

anatomy to allied health students.

From 2003-2006 I was a PhD student at the University of Kansas, still studying desmostylians and their relatives,

seacows, assessing methods for understanding their paleoecology. While at KU I taught human anatomy

cadaver-based labs to undergraduates and also taught the lecture course for 3 semesters. One semester of that class

has 405 students in it, all in a giant split-level auditorium – it was HUGE!

While finishing my dissertation after 2 years at KU, I moved to Chicago in August 2005 and worked at the

University of Chicago Dept. of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, teaching anatomy, embryology, and histology to

the students of the Pritzker School of Medicine and the MD/PhD students. I finished my PhD that summer,

interviewed at NYCOM in July 2006, and started here in August of that year.

Since August 2006, I’ve been at NYCOM. I love it here in this department with these students and faculty -it is

invigorating.

Q: What is the day-to-day break down of your position?

A: Like most faculty here, my position is described as 40:40:20, research, teaching, and service. I spend most of

August-December teaching human anatomy in the Anatomy Lab in our team-taught labs. We handle these as a

group and teach half of the NYCOM class at a time, making us teach each lab twice a year. There are a total of

283-hour labs for each student, making it add up to 168 hours of lab, excluding exams, extra reviews, and

preparation time. In addition to lab, I primarily give most of the lectures for the Head & Neck, which fall into the

Integumentary System course (in November-December). This is my all-time favorite region to teach and focus my

research on, and I am also in charge of the lab component of the course.

Service is supposed to be a small fraction of my position, but I am compelled to participate and do more than I probably should. I am one of the NYCOM representatives to the NYIT Academic Senate where I serve on the Communications Committee, as well as the Education Technology Committee (including its Emerging Technologies subcommittee). I’m also involved in NYCOM committees, including the Library Committee. I also serve as Chair of the IACUC (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee) and another new committee, the Web Content Coordination Group (aimed at improving NYCOM’s web presence). Lastly, I am currently President-Elect of the NYCOM Academic Senate, which means I will be the Senate President in the 2012/2013 academic year. I care about this school quite a bit, and hope that I am adding a rational and civil voice to it that will enhance our teaching and research abilities.

Service also includes professional service, and I try my best to help in that way too. I regularly review manuscripts for scientific journals, and am Editor of a small online peer-reviewed journal based in the Netherlands, Palarch’s Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology. I’ve been involved with PalArch since I was a student, and try to keep the ideals of promoting publication of good works in the historical sciences alive through it. Lastly, I am an active member of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, and have been so since 1998. I’m a member of the Program Committee, the group that reviews abstracts that are presented at the Annual Meeting. At this year’s meeting I was also a panelist in the Women in SVP luncheon workshop on "How to Land a Faculty Position: An Interactive Workshop Featuring Recent Hires."

What keeps me up at night (and coming in at 6am) is research. I am driven to work on a large variety of topics, largely driven at the questions of the evolution of vertebrate anatomy. I am particularly intrigued by the transition from terrestrial to aquatic that has happened dozens of times among amniotes, as these often unrelated groups have had to cope with very similar anatomical, physiological, and behavioral challenges to living in an aqueous environment despite retaining the need to breathe air. The novel ways many groups accommodate those limitations are great examples of the many possibilities of evolution, and some of the shared solutions that different groups have because of inescapable “rules” that come of the impact of ecology on vertebrate development. One of my favorite quotes is that “evolution is the control of development by ecology” (Leigh Van Valen) – aquatic amniotes are the perfect sort of animal to explore questions about how this works.

“I love it here in this department with these stu-dents and faculty - it is invigorat-ing.”

“If I could give any advice it would be, “Stay hungry, question everything, and don’t waste it.””

Along those lines, I try to share my research with students and other faculty as much as I can. I am especially involved in collaborations with Dr. Mihlbachler, Dr. Geisler, and Dr. Solounias. Many students have been involved in work over the years, including via the Summer Research Program, Academic Scholars Program, and through Research Rotations. In recent years these students have been presenting their work at international meetings, such as SVP, as well as smaller regional meetings at Harvard and the University of Rhode Island.

Q:What has been the best part of working @ NYCOM?

A:If I had to choose, it would be research with the other members of the Anatomy Department and students. I love teaching for the joy of seeing a student’s face when they finally understand something, but research with others is an opportunity to experience that myself, and usually in others as well. I’m insatiably curious about a number of aspects of how bodies work and develop, and the group of faculty we have here are top-notch and full of ideas and a breadth of knowledge.

As a kid growing up with my father’s graduate students all around, I always envisioned myself having graduate students and wanting that mentoring opportunity. At first I thought that NYCOM would limit that opportunity, but on the contrary, it has been very, very abundant. I’ve been trying to engage students into working on projects that sate their biomedical or methodological interests, and found myself constantly surprised by their creativity, incredible work ethic, and insight. Some Summer Research Program students have really surprised me with their ability to manage projects with unexpected complications, and Academic Medicine Scholars have gone above and beyond expectations in their thoroughness and problem-solving abilities. I’ve worked with three students on Research Rotations during their 4th years, and these have all been great as experiences to see a project come to completion. It is also satisfying to work with these students again years after they left the Anatomy Lab, just about to become doctors and having changed in so many ways.

I guess, in those ways, the best part of working here is that there are surges of new ideas and people as students come and go, and a continuity of ideas and people with this strong department. No single day is the same, and each one abounds in opportunity to learn something.

Q: What is one thing that you have learned about medicine by working at an osteopathic medical school?

A; I think I have learned more about the culture of medicine than actual medicine from working at a medical school. I have a great deal of respect for doctors, particularly because they depend on the biological sciences for their decisions, yet are expected to be infallible despite the fact that the nature of science is that one always has to look for weaknesses and revise understanding. Doctors are stuck at the interface between science and culture, translating the hazy reality of biology into the clarity of wise decisions that their patients depend on them to make. That is a tremendous responsibility, and we expect them to take in huge amounts of information and base life and death decisions on their ability to retain and integrate this knowledge.

As a scientist, I am a skeptic by nature, constantly revisiting ideas to test them against new information. That usually means that aside from some basic principles that have stood the test of time such as Newtonian physics, math, and biological evolution, it is good to rethink things and allow for change. The same can be said about the science behind medicine, even though most patients would rather assume that the advice they are being given is absolute and correct. The way our students and other doctors in training have to learn to balance this is perhaps the most fundamentally difficult things they experience, particularly because some of them may have had a mentality more like a patient than a scientific skeptic when they started.

One of my favorite phrases as a response to students that ask why gross anatomy in cadavers isn’t always like the generic descriptions in a textbook is, “this is biology, not physics”. This is a somewhat cynical comment that conveys the number of unknown variables we deal with in the complex systems of living organisms, something that the general public often misunderstands. The “soft sciences” of the past (biology) are quickly becoming the more difficult ones because we are getting better at exploring all of those variables, making an exponentially growing number of processes one must understand to make sense of it all. The ocean of information that medical students are diving into is sometimes a surprise to them, and then several years later they are charged with distilling that into simple, decisive terms that will give their patients comfort. Working here, and with students over the entire span of their years here has allowed me to observe some going through this, and it is breathtaking.

Q: Knowing that most of your research pertains to the animal world, if you had to relate yourself to an animal, what animal that would be and why?

A: I really wish I could compare myself to a manatee, as they are about the calmest animals around and models of energetic efficiency. But I guess I am too much of an obsessive-compulsive workaholic, coupled with being a committed father to be anything but an otter. I love to be busy with work, and like doing lots of different things, but tend to be easily distracted by new questions and enjoy exploring, even places or questions that I know I should leave alone. I’m also prone to putting my foot in my mouth, so maybe some sort of annoying animal, like a monkey, would be appropriate. Exploring and being silly with my kids is my absolute favorite thing in the world, and we probably resemble a group of otters or monkeys once in a while. I wish I could be a calm, efficient tortoise or manatee, but am realistically more like a shrew that doesn’t know he’s as tiny as he is and taunts a cat.

Q: Spending so much time in the anatomy lab, what’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you while in the lab after hours?

A: The oddest thing happened in the early mornings of lab when I was at the University of Chicago, often the first one in so I could prepare cadavers for upcoming exams. At first I thought I was hearing noises, as a “beep” would sound in the distant end of the lab. I first shrugged it off as my imagination, but then as days progressed I noticed it was real, and localized to one region of the lab. After some methodical testing of the region and timing, I noticed it would beep only once, and near one corner of the room. Eventually I discovered the cadaver that was beeping, and then the next time had the body bag open. Right on schedule it beeped, specifically from the excised pacemaker. It turns out that the battery was dying, and the warning sound of impending battery death that would normally save a person from a defective pacemaker was merely calling out after its usefulness was over.

Q:What’s the most interesting thing you have ever found as an anatomist and why?

A; When I was a student at Howard University, we had a cadaver of a small, thin, 98-year-old woman come in that looked outwardly normal. When we opened her thorax and abdomen, we found that she was one of the rare cases of situs reversus, a situation in which all of the viscera of the torso are on the opposite side of the body than they normally are. At Howard we had more of the medical history of the cadavers in the lab because the hospital was just down the hall from the medical school, and this individual’s record had no indication of it. Her medical records were almost nothing, as she probably rarely went to the doctor, if ever, and simply lived a long healthy life. But I keep wondering about what her physical exams must have been like, and why no doctor ever made a note about why they didn’t hear her heartbeat in the right place. If she ever had a physical and that wasn’t noted,

P A G E 1 3

it is hard to comprehend why. Don’t be that kind of doctor.

Q: Any closing remarks, advice or interesting things you would like to tell all your fellow NYCOMers.

A: First, thank you for the interest and great questions. If I could give any advice it would be, “Stay hungry, question everything, and don’t waste it.”

No other species has the gifts of curiosity, rational thought, and written language, and it would be a shame to not make the most of all three. Stay hungry for learning – don’t let the cognitive trauma of learning so much in so little time kill your desire to learn. If there is a reason to live beyond loving your family and friends, it is learning.

With new information constantly coming in, your understanding of how it all fits together is bound to change unless you are held back by blind faith in some dogma. Changing one’s mind isn’t as bad as a political campaign might make you think it is, and I would urge you to question those that think otherwise. No one knows everything, and even a seasoned doctor that could end your medical career can be wrong. Their experience should be a good reason to accept their decisions, as they are more likely to be right, but it is always good to find out why they decide one way or the other so that you can learn from them. You may want to carefully pick your battles, and should always be respectful, as you would want others to do the same for you, but respect needs to be mutual. I question others as I would want them to question me – some might find that argumentative or annoying (and to those, I apologize for the misunderstanding), but I’m more worried about making decisions without all the facts than somebody’s misguided sense of expertise or authority. Authority is a responsibility to others to ensure everyone works best toward the same shared goal, so don’t let the power of being a doctor someday let you feel comfortable ignoring the input of a nurse, PA, or even a medical student. They might be right, and change things for you and your patients for the better.

Lastly, we are the beneficiaries of countless generations of those before us that bothered to pass along what they have learned. Do the same. I love learning new things, and selfishly the fastest way to do so would be to simply read others’ work. Often the work of others doesn’t answer the questions I have, and as a scientist my research and reading allows me to discover new information and ideas. But writing those papers and doing the research takes more time, and the conflict of time spent learning by reading and learning by doing is a struggle. If you want to make sure that your contribution to future generations means something, you cannot simply absorb knowledge, you need to create it. So, though learning by reading is very satisfying, learn by doing, and then write it down. The power of written language is that your ideas don’t have to die with your body and subsequent people can learn what you did by reading. So learn by doing, then write it, so that we can get beyond repeating the same thing over and over. Endlessly taking information without creating it is like running on a treadmill that others have moved somewhere. Why not step off and actually get somewhere yourself?

P A G E 1 4

Case 1

This girl has Spielmeyer-Vogt-Sjögren-Batten Disease aka Batten’s Disease. It is the most common form of a group of disorders

called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (or NCLs) where an autosomal recessive mutation causes the buildup of lipofuscins in the

body's tissues. Symptoms of this rare, fatal autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder are of gradual onset where affected

children suffer mental impairment, onset of seizures, progressive loss of sight to eventually becoming blind, bedridden, and

demented. As there is no cure, children afflicted with this disease die at age of 13-18 years depending on the type of mutation.

Case 2

This woman has Ludwig’s Angina which is a bilateral polymicrobial infection of the submandibular space that consists of the

sublingual space and the submylohyoid space in the floor of the mouth. This diagnosis has the classical description of an

aggressive, rapidly spreading “woody” or brawny cellulitis involving the submandibular space without lymphatic involvement

and typically without abscess formation bilaterally. Computed tomography is the imaging modality of choice as treatment

consists of assessment and management of the airway in addition to empiric broad-spectrum IV antibiotics for 2-3 weeks.

Case 3

This guy has Gitelman’s Syndrome characterized by hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, and hypomagnesemia. This is an autosomal

recessive disorder with a mutation in the gene coding for the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter in the distal tubule

manifesting in late childhood and adolescence.

Case 4

This man has an infection with the filarial nematode, Loa loa. This parasitic worm is spread via the bite of the female Chrysops

fly in western and central African countries. The worm is often directly visible as it cross the conjunctiva, which usually takes

approximately 10 to 20 minutes. It is more common in individuals who are not native but have had extended exposure to

demonstrate Calabar swellings or red itchy swellings below the skin. Treatment of loiasis involves chemotherapy with

diethylcarbamazine (DEC) although in some cases, surgical removal of adult worms followed by systemic treatment is

appropriate.

Answers -So You Think You Can Diagnose?

As a young girl, I grew up with a tight knit family consisting of my parents, my brother and more members of an extended family than I could ask for. We took family trips together every summer, Disneyworld being our most-visited attraction, going on five times and counting. I remember the wide-eyed anticipation of jumping in line for rides and meeting Mickey Mouse. These trips were a symbol of my childhood and family.

Throughout the course of all the trips, I began to realize a common theme about my mother. She always had to go to the bathroom, and she walked slower than the rest of us. She evidently had a slow gait, but at 7 years old, the implications of those realizations were lost on me. Was my mother sick? No, to me that's how she’s always been. It wasn't until I grew older, more curious and more aware of the world around me that I finally began to understand the painstaking reality of my mother's illness. I never got “The Talk” about her illness. You know, the one where your parents sit their children down and say, "I suffer from this or that; don't worry everything will be okay". Maybe it was because she thought we were too young to understand or maybe she just wanted to protect us. She didn't have a terminal illness, so perhaps not acknowledging it was easier to deal with. I grew up having an inkling of what was happening but never really knowing what was going on. Even as we got older my parents never mentioned anything, so we silently absorbed the difficulties as they grew in front of us.

My mother’s condition grew worse and more evident with the passing time. I remember being in California on a family vacation in 1999. We couldn't find my mother at the hotel at which we were staying. This happened often when we went on trips. I had imagined she was right behind us on the escalator or so I thought. Afterwards I found her. I joked that we had "lost her on the escalator", but in fact she had just gone to the bathroom again. I was unaware that her bathroom habits were not a mere choice like the rest of us but due to the effects of the disease and drugs she was on.

It wasn't until medical school that I really learned what my mother suffered from. She suffers from primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune condition in which your bile ducts eventually degrade. Bile is important in breaking down fats in our body, which is produced by the liver and later stored in the gall bladder. She also suffers from hypothyroidism, a condition in which her body isn't making enough thyroid hormone, and so she takes synthy-roid, a synthetic form of the hormone. She also suffers from myopathy or myositis of un-known condition and origin. Primary biliary cirrhosis has been linked to a variety of other conditions and associated with other issues such as myopathy. Her doctors have done lab tests and muscle biopsies, but nothing has come to light as to where the myopathy came from.

In college, I moved six hours away from my home in Boston to Philadelphia and saw my parents less frequently. However, whenever they could, they'd drive the six hours and come visit me. Every time they'd visit, I saw a change in my mother. First, I noticed she walked much slower and needed an extra hand. I would hold her hand for support. The next time I saw her, she started using a cane. I moved into a 3rd floor apartment during my second year of college. There there was no elevator, and I felt bad that I had chosen an apartment that my mother might not ever see. I told her it was okay if she couldn't see it, and that once we were done, we'd grab dinner as a family. Lo and behold, when I got to the top of the stairs, moving the last pieces of luggage, my mom was there. She took her time to get up the three flights of stairs, and when I asked her why she did that, she said, "Well, don't you need someone to help arrange your kitchen?" Even with her disability, she never once faltered in her role as a loving and caring mother.

I watched as her life slowly changed and she required more of my help. Simple things like driving became too much to handle, so my father would drive her to work and back. Eventually, standing for long periods became too difficult, so she quit her job and tried to do what she could at home, working for Avon part-time. At my graduation, my proud parents came to see me and for the first time, I saw my mother in a wheelchair. She could still walk, but the strength was no longer there.; her chronic illness was taking over.

Today my mother's muscles have deteriorated to a point where she has difficulty walking and going to the bathroom on her own. She is no longer self-sufficient. As a human being, we only imagine dependency when are very young or very old. Even then, we still hope and assume we’ll still be active and moving forward. As for my mother, at 57, she is dependent on a walker, a wheelchair and another person. A cane is no longer sufficient for her, because of her weakness. And yet, she's the strongest person I know. She's also the most stubborn, loving and endearing person.

Even after spending what seemed like an eternity in the ICU, recovering from septic shock and the side-effects of antibiotics, she still wore the worried look on a mother's face - the one where you know your mother wonders if you've eaten today or if you've been sleeping. My mother has always had a quiet nature; she rarely speaks up but her eyes often speak for her. She never complains about her life, about the struggles that she's had to endure the past 25 years and what it is to feel like when you're an Indian wife and mother to have reached a point where you can no longer take care of your husband and kids, where they instead have to take care of you. For her, it has always been a matter of pride, and letting go and accepting that you can no longer do the things you used to is a painful realization in itself.

My family's life has changed dramatically in the past two years in ways I cannot put into words. Within the past year my mother has been hospitalized for pneumonia twice and recovered. For those of you with a chronically ill parent, it is not an easy road to go down, but it is a challenge, and the joys from overcoming those challenges are what make it worth it. Don't take for granted the precious moments you have with your family, and take life day by day. Sometimes it takes an incredibly sobering event to really shake us up, to shape us and to put into perspective that what we have in life is great, if not amazing.

P A G E 1 5

I Am My Mother’s Daughter

a personal reflective piece by Punita Shroff, OMS II

At the young age of 19, I first witnessed death. As a summer intern in the Emergency Department at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, I helped doctors perform CPR on a woman who was in cardiac arrest. Although I was CPR certified, my mind drew an enormous blank when the physicians initially asked me to help them. I simply stared at them, dumbfounded. However, one of them quickly snapped me back to reality by sternly prompting me to ventilate the patient via the bag valve mask while the rest of the team attempted other interventions. After several fruitless minutes, she was pronounced dead. Seeing the woman expire right in front of me left me in a bit of a daze for a few minutes. Sure, I’ve seen people dying on TV in the past; however, it was nowhere close to how it felt in real life. It left me feeling empty and con-fused. But, it also imparted a true awareness of human mor-tality, including my own. I'm sure those in our class who are doctors, nurses, EMT/Paramedics, or other healthcare providers can also attest to this feeling. Throughout the ensuing years, I’ve performed CPR again as an emergency medical technician. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in thwarting death at every attempt. However, I experienced an epiphany about life each time. That first experience at Bellevue really struck a chord within me. Similarly, the recent death of our fellow NYCOM student, James Walker, elicited many of the same feelings of confusion and realization of mortality. Various questions such as “how” and “why” whizzed through my head. I did not personally know James, but I heard about the amazing person he was from those who knew him. Likewise, I did not know Shibu Abraham, another fellow NYCOM student who passed away in 2009 but, I also heard about his life and the positive influence he had over those around him. I felt an instant connection with these individuals without ever knowing them. These were students who were going through the same NYCOM struggles as I am, had similar aspirations in life, and comparable visions of their futures as successful physicians.

Death truly serves as a slap in the face. For me, this was either through witnessing a person transition from life into death or by hearing of someone similar to me passing away. These wake up calls reminded me to live TODAY as if it were my last, because it very well could be. I’m often guilty of being ignorant to the fact that life is so fragile and can drastically change or end at the drop of a dime. I say to myself: “Oh, that can’t possibly happen to me.” But in actuality, who am I to say that? Life is certainly unpredictable and occasionally very unfair. At times, I go crazy trying to figure out WHY exactly life is this way. However, recently I’ve been learning to not even think about those questions since there isn’t just one really good answer. The future is definitely uncertain, so I try to force myself to worry about living in the present to the best of my ability. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I’ve accepted the fact that life could end tomorrow if that’s what is meant to be for me. With this viewpoint in mind, I’ve certainly found that I’ve been able to live a more fulfilling life each and every day.

The Latin phrase, “Carpe diem,” is possibly one of the most cliché sayings in popular culture today. Most have heard it, but in case you haven’t, it roughly translates into “Seize the day.” Like I mentioned, I would be lying if I said I always remember and follow that mantra. However, I do try my hardest and find it best to keep the entire phrase in mind: "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”, translating into “Seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the future." By doing so, I cherish my life in the present more than ever since I have no idea when the countdown is going to end. I know that being in medical school is only a part of who I am, although it can easily consume my entire life if I allow it to. One of the “house rules” amongst my roommates is to NOT put the rest of our lives on hold just because of medical school. I’m sure we’ll all go on to do great things in medicine, but let’s not forget about taking pleasure in the other aspects of our lives. Regardless of one’s views on life after death, I think it’s still important to treasure the gift of life that we have right now. Enjoy the journey, live in the present, and don’t take life for granted. I’m positive that James, Shibu, and others we’ve lost would want us to do exactly that.

P A G E 1 6

Insights into Life Via Experiencing Death

By Gebe George, OMS II

P A G E 1 7

An Osteopathic Approach to Memorializing and Recovering From Loss

By Selena Levine, OMS II

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Selena Levine, a member of the class of 2014. The reason I am writing to you is related to the recent tragedy of the loss of James Walker. I remember when I first met James last year- I was a naive and timid first year member of the Morale Committee attending my first big SGA meeting. Sensing the fear and confusion on my face, James immediately jumped into action by introducing himself, pulling me up a chair and dispensing countless pieces of advice that I still remember today. But, I am sure none of this is a surprise to you. Through the marked sadness and shock, however, I have noticed the strength of the NYCOM community. Everyone has really pulled together to support one another. This collaborative effort is part of what drew me to the medical profession, and NYCOM, in the first place.

While I may never understand the reason for such tragedies as the loss of such a promising, young life, I do believe that something can be learned from every experience. More than ever, I have come to understand the importance of camaraderie and a support system. It is very easy to get lost in one's own ambitions or focus on specific test results while in medical school, but this put into perspective the crucial nature that we play in each others’ lives. We are peers today and colleagues of the future. Building upon the teachings of my professors, true osteopathic philosophy emphasizes the health and well-being of one's spirit and soul, just as much as the physical body.

As a result, I am reaching out to you to see if perhaps the NYCOM community can plan a memorial event in honor of James. Maybe some of his closer friends can shed light on a particular activity he enjoyed such as a basketball tournament, softball game, etc. I believe that by honoring the life of a very selfless individual, such an event will also serve to further foster the bond amongst us here at NYCOM. James was very active in the student government, as shown by his leadership roles and position on the morale committee, so an event in which we all come together to show our support and solidarity is something fitting to his character.

Rest In Peace James Walker

By SGA E-Board (2010-2011)

As the 2010-2011 SGA officers, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with James. James was an exceptional leader, who demonstrated enthusiasm and empathy for his fellow students and worked tirelessly to address their concerns. We were inspired by his dedication and have been striving to uphold that very ideal as we grow into our positions as student leaders. As an SGA officer, James had devoted much of his effort to the Big Brother Big Sister program; and when the torch was passed on to us, we used his vision as our guide for how to oversee the program. The word ‘supportive’ falls short in describing the extent to which James was there for us when we needed advice, a shoulder to lean on, or just someone to believe in us. Without waiting for us to ask, James would enthusiastically extend a helping hand, offer advice on how to balance school and SGA responsibilities, and how to stay sane through it all.

James touched so many lives during his time with us; it’s truly inspirational and remarkable. No words can do justice to all of his accomplishments that will surely be his legacy. As we move forward in our own lives, we are confident that we will remember James fondly in our hearts and that we will strive to uphold the values that James portrayed so gracefully.

Missing James Walker

By Kristen Hawkins, OMS IV

I know from my personal experience working with James when he was an SGA Officer, he was always kind and

helpful. He took his position as an SGA Officer seriously and worked hard to address the concerns of all students,

whether they pertained specifically to his role as SGA Treasurer or not. As a person, he was outgoing and enthusiastic

about school and seemingly his life in general. He was always smiling--I remembered thinking that his energy was just

as large as his stature. :) He certainly is missed.