Welcome to ROUNDS!
This weekly e-newsletter goes out to all OU-COM and CORE personnel and students.
The ROUNDS archive is here.
NEWS
Increase class size? Only after careful consideration.
Dean Jack Brose, D.O., is appointing a Class Size Analysis Task Force (CSATF) to assess the costs and benefits of increasing OU-COM’s class size and to make specific recommendations.
“No decision will be made until an analysis is completed and a series of discussions are conducted around the college,” Brose said. “However, a class size increase could further OU-COM’s mission to produce physicians for the state of Ohio, in addition to producing extra revenue to support the college’s educational mission in a time of declining budgets.”
Brose has appointed Leon Wince, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences, to chair the CSATF. Additional task force members will be announced soon.
OU-COM’s accrediting body, the AOA Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), approved a class size of up to 140 students in December 2007.
In 2008, after careful planning, OU-COM increased its entering class from 100 to 120 students. Following this, OU-COM received commendations and was described by COCA officials as “a model for how to effectively conduct a class size increase” (for more, go to www.oucom.ohiou.edu/News/stories/coca09/index.htm.)
Brose and Wince insist that CSATF recommendations maintain the high quality, collaborative learning environment at OU-COM. The task force may analyze an increase in the class size of either or both OU-COM curricula (CPC and PCC). Merging the two into a single track is not being considered at this time.
After reviewing CSATF recommendations, the college’s curriculum committees and Executive Committee will also make their recommendations to the dean.
Brose has requested that the CSATF complete its analysis by April, 2010. A class size increase, if approved, could take place as soon as fall 2011.
Policy news: New influenza policies and changed relocation policy
Two new college policies are in effect regarding both the seasonal and H1N1 influenza viruses. Also, the OU-COM relocation expense policy has been changed.
The first influenza policy, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, requires all students to be vaccinated for the seasonal influenza. All OU-COM students are considered Health Care Personnel (HCP) because they have direct contact with patients beginning in year one and continuing through clinical rotations.
The second influenza policy applies to all OU-COM students and personnel: Anyone displaying possible flu symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting or body aches) should avoid attending classes and Clinical and Community Experiences (CCEs) or coming to work. In addition, limit physical interactions with other individuals as much as possible for at least 24 hours after the fever (1010 F) has stopped without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Staff members who meet the above criteria should notify their respective supervisors that they will not come to work, according to unit protocols.
Finally, please note that OU-COM Policy Number 5.03 Relocation Policy was deleted effective today and OU Policy 41.111 will serve as the Relocation Expense Policy for Ohio University and OU-COM.
OU-COM kidney damage study receives NIH boost
Karen Coschigano, Ph.D., and Ramiro Malgor, Ph.D., both assistant professors of biomedical sciences, were awarded a supplemental grant of $16,101 in July for their work on “Cross-talk between growth hormone and inflammation pathways in kidney damage,” a research project that began last year with a $221,250 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/News/stories/Internal_Coschigano/index.htm.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Help restore vision in Kenya
Joanne Bray, M.S.N., director of clinical competency assessment, is leading an effort on behalf of RestoringVision.org to purchase 900 pairs of reading glasses and 200 pairs of sunglasses for OU-COM’s upcoming Share Kenya trip. Both reading and sunglasses are 50 cents per pair.
If you are interested in contributing to this cause, as in individual or as a holiday office project, you can make a tax-deductible contribution, payable to “OU/COM/Share Kenya fund.” In the memo field, please write “for glasses.”
Send checks to Lynn Chapman in Grosvenor 209.
RestoringVision.org is a non-profit group which sources reading glasses and sunglasses and supplies them at a nominal charge to groups serving the underprivileged around the world. Since their inception in late 2003, RestoringVision.org has supplied more than 850,000 pairs of glasses to people in need.
Call for Abstracts
Abstracts are being accepted for the Ohio Osteopathic Association (OOA) and CORE 2010 Research Poster Exhibition and Competition at the spring OOA Annual Convention, to be held at the Hilton Columbus at Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Students, interns, residents, faculty members, medical administrators and practicing physicians may participate in the poster exhibition. Please submit 250-word abstracts on clinical/biomedical research, case reports, and health policy or educational issues.
The poster exhibition Saturday, May 1, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be open to all convention participants. Presenters must stand by their posters from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The poster competition is restricted to students, interns and residents presenting clinical or biomedical research and case reports. In each category, $1,000 will be awarded for 1st prize and $500 for 2nd prize. Judging will take place Saturday, May 1, at 9 a.m.
Submit Abstracts to April Vale at valea@ohio.edu.
Ohio Medicine apparel sale
The Class of 2012 will be selling a variety of colors and sizes of “Ohio Medicine” apparel, including: hoodies, sweatshirts, t-shirts, long sleeved t-shirts, baseball t’s, soft track shirts and sweatpants Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday noon to 1 p.m. this week on The Bricks at Irvine.
CALENDAR
International Programs Fair
Come talk to representatives from the following programs:
You can also learn about funding for medical education abroad and about arranging your own international clinical rotation during your third or fourth year.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Faculty Development Tidbit: Working memory
In order to store information in long-term memory, a person must somehow actively manipulate it in working memory. In order to do so, we must pay attention.
The human attention span lasts about 15 minutes and that decreases if students are fatigued, hungry or distracted with personal issues. Think of your voice as a hypnotic agent. Students may look like they are paying attention but they won't remember the experience. As a teacher, you need to do something every 15 minutes to refocus attention. Here are some ideas.
1. Pause to allow students to reflect on what they’ve heard to move it from working to long-term memory.
2. Ask for questions to refocus attention, even if no one responds.
3. Changing topics.
4. Change focus by introducing a case, telling a story or making them laugh.
5. Involve the students in a short activity such as a quiz, demonstration or game.
Working memory has a limited capacity, so divide your content into chunks of seven items or fewer. Allow students to process the set of items by actively engaging them through questions, group activities and memory devices.
Find more “Teaching Tips” at your OU-COM & CORE faculty development web resources: www.oucom.ohiou.edu/fd/programs.htm or www.ohiocore.org/cf/index.htm. If you have a great strategy that seems to always work, please send it to me, and I’ll include it in a future Faculty Development Tidbit.
Tidbits courtesy of your Office of Faculty Development, with Steve Davis, Ph.D.; Robbin Kirkland, Ph.D.; and Olivia Sheehan, Ph.D.
OU-COM IN THE NEWS
The Athens News (11-9-09)
“$3.5 million for local children’s health and wellness network:
The Athens News (11-9-09)
“OU-COM Area Health Education Center to award grants for women”
The Athens News (11-9-09)
“OU-COM researchers: Acromegaly drug shown to stop cancer growth”
OUTLOOK (11-06-09)
“OU-COM Prof Named Surgery Mentor of the Year”
“Faculty member honored for excellence in teaching, humanitarianism”
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/News/press/drozek/
OUTLOOK (11-6-09)
“Watson named Distinguished Osteopathic Surgeon”
“OU-COM administrator recognized for clinical and leadership skills”
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/News/press/Watson/
OUTLOOK (11-5-09)
“Grants available for Women’s Health Week programming”
www.oucom.ohiou.edu/News/press/WomansHealthWeek/index.htm
Please send your news/announcements to rounds@oucom.ohiou.edu each week by Wednesday, 3 p.m. for consideration in the following ROUNDS. If you have questions, suggestions or corrections, please contact Anita Martin, assistant director of communication, at 593.2199 or martina@oucom.ohiou.edu.