Second Annual CME /Alumni Reunion
 

This article by William Gillis originally appeared in the Nov/Dec issue of Rounds

 
     Following in the successful footsteps of the first Alumni Reunion and Continuing Medical Education conference, OU-COM held the second conference — also very successful — the weekend of Sept. 26–28. Sponsored by the Society of Alumni and Friends, Office of Alumni Affairs, Area Health Education Center and the Center of Excellence for Multicultural Medicine, the all-class event brought back more than 100 graduates, for the second year in a row, for a weekend of continuing education sessions and social events.

     One of those graduates was Charles Mehlman, M.P.H., D.O. (’98), a pediatric orthopedic surgeon now practicing in Cincinnati. “Last year when I came, it was a chance to see some old friends and how the town had changed. Of course, the program sounded good, too. I had such a good time the first year I thought it would great to come back this year.

     “I attended sessions all day Saturday and learned some interesting new things. Whenever you learn from a group of people who are good at this, there is always something new to pick up. I went through the sports medicine track.

     “I’d love to come back next year — I’m planning on it.”

     For Lt. Cmdr. Michael Lappi, Ph.D., D.O. (’98), it was his first trip back to Athens since he graduated. Lappi serves as senior undersea medical officer for Naval Special Warfare Group FOUR, based in Norfolk, Va.

     “It’s been way too long since I’ve been back, and I was looking forward to seeing some of my old friends. The lectures and workshops have been excellent, and some of my old classmates presented,” says Lappi.

     “I talked to some of the administrators who were here when I was here, and they expressed some interest in the things I’ve been doing as a Navy doctor and asked me come speak to the students. I said I’d absolutely love to. It’s been great being here.”

     The conference began early on the morning of Sept. 26, with the all-day course, “Joint & Trigger Point Injection Skills for Family Physicians,” directed by Katherine Clark, D.O. (’88), and instructors H. Dusty Rhodes, D.O.; Edward Hosbach II, D.O. (’87); and Jay Shubrook, D.O. (’96). Later that evening, there was a reception held at a local blues club.

     Saturday’s morning consisted of a sports medicine track and a specialty medicine track, which included HIV treatment, adolescent obesity and larynx disease. Following these sessions, the conference’s participants gathered on “The Bricks” of Irvine Hall for lunch and a keynote lecture by Roger Garcia, J.D., D.O. (’83), a trial lawyer with the Columbus law firm Colley, Shroyer & Abraham, LLP.                                                           
                                                                          

     Prior to the keynote lecture, Shubrook, president of the OU-COM Society of Alumni and Friends, thanked all the alumni who traveled to Athens for the CME conference/ reunion. Shubrook said that just about 100 alumni returned to OU-COM for the weekend, including Rachel Swigris, D.O. (’96), who won “the farthest traveled” award, flying all the way from Palo Alto, Calif.

     Shubrook then introduced OU-COM Dean Jack Brose, D.O., who provided a brief “state of the college” overview. Brose also thanked past and current students for their participation in the weekend’s events and praised their accomplishments. “We’re extremely proud of you, and we hope you are proud of your college,” Brose said. “We feel we have the best medical college in Ohio.”

     After Brose’s remarks, Shubrook took the time to give special thanks to Margo Marazon, director of AHEC; Sharon Zimmerman, director of alumni affairs; and Lynne Chapman, alumni affairs administrative assistant, for their hard work — without which the CME conference would not have been possible. Marazon, Zimmerman and Chapman were each given a bouquet of flowers and received an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience.

     Shubrook then introduced Garcia, who delivered an entertaining keynote lecture, “Medical Documentation: The Good, Bad, and the Ugly.” As an experienced D.O. and a medical malpractice trial lawyer, Garcia brought with him a uniquely knowledgeable perspective on the importance of professional medical documentation practices.

     Garcia began the lecture by discussing why many doctors do not take the time to perform proper, thorough medical documentation. “Because of our busy schedules, we might take shortcuts [in documentation],” Garcia said. “It’s not because we’re bad physicians.”

      However, Garcia told the audience that unprofessional, sloppy documentation not only puts patients’ health in danger, but also puts doctors at risk if they get embroiled in a medical malpractice suit. “Documentation is the best evidence I have in a courtroom to determine what happened to the patient,” Garcia said. “This is the best way to convince a jury.”

     Garcia’s presentation included slides showing shocking examples of unprofessional documentation by various doctors. While some of the most egregious examples elicited chuckles from the audience, Garcia reminded the audience that the consequences of poor documentation are no laughing matter. For that reason, attention to documentation is essential, Garcia said.

     Garcia advised doctors to follow a commonly repeated mantra: always read what you sign. “Read what you write, and read what you sign,” Garcia said. “If you sign something, even with a signature stamp, the court will assume that everything you signed is accurate.”

     Garcia concluded with one final slide — a photograph of his newborn twin daughters. The proud father then soaked up plenty of applause from the audience.

     After the luncheon, a standing-room-only OMT workshop, “OMT for the Masses,” was given by Shawn Kerger, D.O. (’96). The remainder of the day was filled out by an Ohio football game with Western Michigan and reunion cookout and reception held in Irvine. Third-year student John “Spider” Sillery rocked the house with music from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s.

     The final day’s sessions were moderated by John Howell, Ph.D., associate professor of physiology, and included topics on diabetes, pulmonary medicine, hypertension and WMD response/countermeasures.

     “Once again,” says Zimmerman, “the OU-COM Annual CME/Reunion provided a venue for our graduates to reunite with former classmates and colleagues, reminiscing with one another and re-engaging with their alma mater. Most importantly, they were able to gain valuable insights on up-todate, cutting-edge medicine from fellow graduates through the CME didactic sessions and workshops.”

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