PCOMLINK
NOVEMBER 2009
Researchers Meet to Share Ideas PCOM’s Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA) hosted a research retreat this past summer bringing together researchers from the Philadelphia and Georgia campuses and members of PCOM’s MedNet.
The research retreat brought PCOM and GA–PCOM scientists together with researchers from outside the College to share ideas and find common ground for collaboration.
“The goal of the retreat was to be an open forum for researchers to share their work and identify areas in which we can collaborate,” explains retreat organizer Camille DiLullo, PhD, professor, anatomy. Dr. DiLullo conceived the retreat over a year ago as the chair of PCOM’s research committee. “We thought that the time was right to discuss research at both campuses,” says Rick Kriebel, PhD, professor and chair, neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology.
Brian Balin, PhD, director, basic science research, CCDA; and professor, pathology, microbiology, immunology and forensic medicine, agreed that the timing of the retreat was ideal. “The CCDA has begun funding pilot grants for collaborative research within the College and with external collaborators,” notes Dr. Balin. “External collaboration increases the critical mass of our research; it makes a small institution much larger.” The two-day retreat opened with a campus tour, dinner and welcome by Ken Veit, DO ’76, vice president for academic affairs and dean. Forty researchers participated in small-group meetings and poster presentations. “Having the total PCOM research community together gave energy and commitment to the PCOM research agenda and hopefully gives PCOM greater visibility and credibility to external funding sources,” Dr. Veit points out. Gary Watson, PhD, chair, basic science and professor, biochemistry, GA–PCOM, says the retreat was a “wonderful opportunity for the faculty members from both campuses to get to know one another.” He also mentions the timeliness of the meeting as coinciding with the first year of the master of biomedical sciences thesis research at the Georgia campus. One outcome of the meeting was the creation of a faculty development series initiated by Francis Jenney, Jr., PhD, assistant professor, biochemistry, GA–PCOM and Dianzheng Zhang, assistant professor, biochemistry/molecular biology. The meetings, which will take place via video conferencing between the two campuses, will cover curricular issues and teaching methods in addition to research. “This retreat was an important first step, and a great success,” says Dr. Kriebel. “The feedback was very positive, and the momentum to continue this type of group interaction is strong.” A research forum is expected to be held on a yearly basis.
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Walter Ehrenfeuchter, DO ’79, professor and director, osteopathic manipulative medicine, GA–PCOM (left), had the opportunity to discuss research ideas with Lindon Young, PhD, associate professor, pathology, microbiology and immunology.
COLLEGE EARNS A+ ....................2 DEPARTMENT PROFILE ..................4
DON’T WORRY, STAY HEALTHY ..6 NEW HIRES ........................7
PCOM news College Hosts Chinese Delegates Two years ago, Ken Veit, DO ’76, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean, traveled with a contingent of American osteopathic physicians and educators to China’s Sichuan provence at the request of the Chinese central government’s Ministry of Health. The mission was to educate Chinese physicians and hospital administrators about primary care and family medicine. This past July, a delegation of twenty Chinese physicians and health care administrators visited the United States to see first-hand how osteopathic medical schools train future physicians.
Among the highlights of the delegates’ visit was a tour of
After two days of group meetings, the PCOM’s Clinical Learning and Assessment Lab. Here, Dr. Veit explains how students learn a range of medical procedures representatives broke into four groups, on the human patient simulator. Joining the group are Brian each visiting an osteopathic medical school. Rudd (far left), simulation specialist, and Dr. Zhang (left). PCOM was honored to host one such group comprising four medical administrators and one physician. The team toured the campus, met with President Schure, visited two of the College’s Healthcare Centers and saw the sights of historic Philadelphia. Much of what they learned about PCOM and educating primary care physicians was new to them, including the concept of student doctors working alongside physicians and seeing patients. Two PCOM employees—Dianzheng Zhang, PhD, assistant professor, biochemistry/molecular biology, and Jane Meng, senior staff accountant, financial reporting—joined the group as interpreters and PCOM emissaries.
School of Pharmacy Gets Green Light The PCOM School of Pharmacy – Georgia Campus moves closer to accreditation having received Pennsylvania state approval. This approval extends PharmD degree-granting authority to PCOM, which gives PCOM the green light to begin recruiting for the first class of students to enroll in fall 2010. The College has also gained the approvals of the Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission of Georgia and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The final authorization, the ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education) precandidacy accreditation, is still in process, and is necessary to begin instruction.
College Earns an
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Standard and Poor’s, a company that rates corporate debt, raised its longterm rating for PCOM to A+ from A. According to their report, “The new rating reflects increasingly sound operating surpluses in recent years…. PCOM demonstrates good budgeting practices as management budgets for both a small emergency reserve and full depreciation.” The report also notes “solid student demand and diversity of graduate programs” among its strengths. According to Standard and Poor’s primary credit analyst Charlene Butterfield, “The stable outlook reflects our expectation that PCOM’s solid demand will lead to continued operating surpluses and liquidity growth despite the planned increase in capital spending to open the pharmacy school at the Georgia campus. The sound balance sheet, with both the unrestricted cash pool and endowment, provide[s] stability at the current rating and allow[s] PCOM to accommodate the capital spending.” 2
PCOM news Graduate Programs Mark Anniversary PCOM held its 10th commencement for students from the College’s graduate programs on July 31 at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. A total of 237 students graduated from nine degree programs. Laurada Byers, founder of the Russell Byers Charter School, and chair of Byerschool Foundation, offered the commencement address. Through Ms. Byers’ interest in PCOM, the Russell Byers Charter School has become an invaluable resource to the College, serving as PCOM’s school psychology laboratory school in a partnership that mutually benefits PCOM’s psychology master’s, EdS and PsyD students and the K-6 students at Russell Byers.
Among the graduates of the ODL program were PCOM employees (from left) Tanya Ray, coordinator, school psychology; Mark Cassidy, athletics and recreation manager; and Donna Cleary, annual giving officer.
Research News Thanks to an endowment from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation, interdisciplinary research is ongoing under the umbrella of the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging (CCDA). These are some recent initiatives:
Adwoa Aduonum, PhD, adjunct faculty, biomedical sciences, GA–PCOM, is studying the long-term effects of methamphetamine on learning and memory in collaboration with a researcher at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Denah Appelt, PhD, professor, neuroscience, physiology and pharmacology, is using unique markers developed by an investigator at Drexel University to look at how Chlamydia pneumoniae can trigger events that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Brian Balin, PhD, professor, pathology, microbiology, immunology and forensic medicine, is studying whether a particular immune system molecule can be used to combat Chlamydia pneumoniae infection as it relates to Alzheimer’s disease.
Qian Chen, PhD, research assistant professor, pathology, microbiology, immunology and forensic medicine, is examining what causes vascular complications such as blindness, kidney failure and heart disease in diabetes. Dr. Chen is also examining the role of PKC inhibitors. PKC inhibitors may be used in the future to help patients having procedures such as heart bypass and organ transplant surgery. Dr. Chen is working on specialized techniques with researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.
Marina D’Angelo, PhD, assistant professor, anatomy, is researching the role of factors in cartilage that cause tissue damage and abnormal bone growth in osteoarthritis and Marfan’s syndrome. Dr. D’Angelo is collaborating with a laboratory at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Dental Medicine. Farzaneh Daghigh, PhD, associate professor, biochemistry/molecular biology, is studying how certain enzymes may be linked to the inflammation that occurs in periodontitis (gum disease) and rheumatoid arthritis. C. Scott Little, PhD, associate professor, pathology, microbiology, immunology and forensic medicine, under the auspices of the Food Allergy Research Initiative (FASI), is researching strategies to identify, treat and prevent allergic reactions to food products. Initially, Dr. Little’s research is focused on peanut allergies. 3
Department profile The Office of Admissions – It Takes a Team A school without students is like a book without pages. Putting the pages between the covers of the PCOM story is the Office of Admissions. Fourteen employees strong, the Department fills the College’s programs not just with students, but with students whose interests, skills and personalities are well-suited to the unique school that is PCOM. “As representatives of the College, we provide a glimpse into the world of graduate and professional studies at PCOM,” explains Kari Szentesy, associate director of admissions. When Admissions employees visit colleges and universities to Marsha meet with academic and medical advisors and students, they put PCOM’s best foot forward. The goal is to get the Janice students to visit campus. “Once they’re here on campus, they fall in love with the energy of PCOM,” Deborah Kari proclaims.
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that PCOM is a good fit for the student. Meeting one-on-one with potential students is an important part of the process. “Not only do the students have to be academically strong,” explains Jonathan Cox, admissions recruiter, “we look at intangibles. Are they passionate about being here? If they’re interested in the DO program, have they shadowed a doctor – do they understand what osteopathic medicine is? We see the whole person, not just the numbers.”
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Assistant Director Marsha Williams, who often spends twoto-three Kari weeks a month on the road, focuses much of her efforts on recruiting Johnathan underrepresented students in medicine for the DO program. Named Chris Student National Medical Association mentor of the year, Marsha emphasizes the importance of mentoring and counseling students. “It takes followup – it’s not just about meeting students on the road – you have to keep reaching out to them.”
With Admissions as the gateway to the College, “everyone in the department is an ambassador,” Admissions Director Deborah Benvenger points out. All members of the staff are ready, willing and able to answer the many and varied questions of students, parents and academic advisors. One of the newest members of the staff, Admissions Assistant Mark Chalmers, is often the first to field phone inquiries. “I help trouble-shoot students’ questions about the application process,” he explains. Admissions Assistant Yolanda Chase notes that helping potential students is the best part of her job. “When an applicant calls and asks what they need to do to complete their application, I get a lot of satisfaction helping them move forward.”
To encourage minority students to consider medicine as a career, Marsha works with the College on a variety of pipeline programs. She brings urban high school students to campus through Philadelphia Futures and encourages young inner-city girls to learn about health care careers and osteopathic medicine through a new initiative known as SEEDS (Sisters Empowering Excellence, Determination and Success).
As much as Admissions wants to help all College departments fill their classes, it’s more important to ensure that each student is a good fit for PCOM and
“It’s important to have diversity in all professions,” says Marsha. “Through diversity, we can all gain cultural competence.”
Yolanda
Department profile In addition to meeting, counseling and educating students about the College, the Office processes thousands of admission applications a year, and that means hundreds of thousands of pieces of paper. But that is changing. With Deborah as project manager, Information Systems Analyst Tiffany Pang has spearheaded a project, two years in the works, that has replaced the overflowing DO applicant file folders with electronic files. Tiffany explains that she collaborated with MIS and the registrar’s office and babysat the programming code to make it work. Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Carol Fox proclaims the new paperless system “wonderful. We are so appreciative of Dr. Schure’s support of us. Right now, only the DO applications are processed this way. The graduate programs application process will go paperless by the beginning of the next cycle.” Kari adds that “the paperless system has created a huge opportunity for us to grow as a team. Everyone’s learning how to do everything and coordinate with each other.” But working as a team has always been a strong suit of the Office, especially since several employees have been working together for over twenty years. After 41 years at the College, time has not diminished Carol’s enthusiasm for PCOM and Admissions. “As exciting and challenging as Admissions is, I can’t help but sit back and think about what an awesome responsibility we have. The work we do, and the decisions we make, may influence the future of our applicants. It’s not a job to be taken lightly.” Chris Naulty and Janice Tonkin, both admissions assistants, have a combined forty-three years of service. When Chris joined the office in 1986, there were no computers, only word processors. “We had to manually enter every application. Of course there weren’t as many applications then. The number of DO applications has risen from about 2,600 to about 7,000 since 2000,” she explains. Janice works primarily with the graduate program applications, but when things get busy, she helps out with the DO applications as well. “Whatever they need, I’ll do,” she says. “It gets crazy at times, but it’s fun and satisfying to see a class get full and to meet our goals.” But filling classes is not the end of the job for Admissions. The Office also plays a major role in Commencement, and much of that work is handled by Nancy McCullen, supervisor. “We reserve the space, whether it’s the Kimmel Center or the Academy of Music, notify the graduating students about what they need to do, update the Web site, oversee the production of the program,
contract with the speaker, put together the marshalling order, invite faculty and collect responses and handle the set-up for the graduate barbeque. We start in January to get ready for all three commencements in the spring.” Even though Nancy has worked in Admissions since 1994, she admits that she still gets a lump in her throat at Commencement. “I know how important this day is for the students and their parents.” It’s a lot of work, and the Office couldn’t do it all alone. “We can’t do what we do without help from the PCOM community,” claims Deborah. “Students get involved with outreach – they work at our open houses and lead campus tours; they’re our best representatives. Faculty plays a critical role by meeting with potential students and sitting in on interviews. Our work is truly a team effort.”
From left, Trena, Trina and Aisha.
Admissions at the Georgia Campus While the Admissions team in Philadelphia recruits students primarily from the mid-Atlantic states, the Admissions folks on the Georgia campus focus their efforts on Georgia and the surrounding states. Admissions Coordinator Trena Gologan and Admissions Assistant/ Recruiter Trina Bursey recruit for the DO and Biomed programs. Admissions Coordinator Aisha DeBerry’s goal is to acquire applicants for the new School of Pharmacy. To attract prospective candidates to the GA Campus, the admissions team holds open houses several times a year and offers tours and one-on-one visits on a weekly basis. In addition, they visit colleges and universities and have developed solid relationships with premed advisors. “Applications for the DO program have continued to increase, peaking last year at almost 2700 for 86 places in each class and we have every confidence that we can build a strong applicant pool for pharmacy also,” says Carol. In addition to recruiting applicants, the GA–PCOM team has worked hard during the past five years to spread the word not only about Georgia’s newest medical school, but about osteopathic medicine as well. 5
kudos! H. William Craver, III, DO, associate dean for undergraduate clinical education, GA–PCOM, participated in a forum on medical school admissions sponsored by the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center. Jane Dumsha, PhD, director of research and sponsored programs, was a guest speaker at the 3rd Annual OPTI-West Resident and Faculty Development Research Conference. She presented a talk on “Conducting Research on a Shoestring Budget.” Walter Ehrenfeuchter, DO ’79, professor and director, osteopathic manipulative medicine, GA–PCOM, taught an eight-hour faculty development class on muscle energy technique for the osteopathic manipulative medicine faculty at Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Katherine Galluzzi, DO, professor, chair and director, geriatrics, is the chair of the American Osteopathic Association Council on Palliative Care Issues and was asked to become a member of the Pain and Palliative Care Cancer Core Competency Advisory Committee. She presented two lectures at the 2009 joint annual conference of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association and the Texas Society of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians: “Dispelling Myths: Evidence-based Treatment of Fibromyalgia” and “A Holistic Approach to Smoking Cessation.” In addition, Dr. Galluzzi wrote the article “Managing Herpes Zoster and Postherpetic Neuralgia,” which appeared in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association Supplement. David Kuo, DO ’96, was promoted to program director of the PCOM – Mercy Suburban Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program.
Gregory McDonald, DO ’89, vice chair, clinical associate professor and director, forensic medicine, was named PCOM 2009 Teacher of the Year. Harry Morris, DO ’78, professor and chair, family medicine, was named national advisor to the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Board.
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Don’t Worry, Stay Healthy With the H1N1 virus, sometimes called swine flu, headlining the news, it’s hard not to be concerned. But “there is no need to panic,” says Rani Bright, MBBS, assistant professor, pathology, microbiology and forensic medicine. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “the H1N1 does not seem more serious than seasonal flu. In seasonal flu, certain people are at ‘high risk’ of serious complications. This includes people 65 years and older, children younger than five years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions. About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with this 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at ‘high risk’ of serious seasonal flu-related complications…One thing that appears to be different from seasonal influenza is that adults older than 64 years do not yet appear to be at increased risk of 2009 H1N1-related complications thus far.” But we do need to practice good personal hygiene and keep our immune systems healthy. One step the College has taken to help us stay healthy is installing hand sanitizer dispensers around campus. We encourage you to sanitize your hands after you’ve been in a high use area such as an elevator. Here are some other suggestions for staying healthy this winter. Help keep your immune system strong:
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Get plenty of rest Drink plenty of water Get regular exercise Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially those that are good sources of Vitamin A such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, collards, kale and winter squash. Wash your hands – a lot. Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth. Sneeze into a tissue and throw the tissue away. Try to avoid people who are sick. If you do get sick, please stay home from work. A good rule of thumb is to stay home for 24 hours after your temperature has returned to normal.
For the latest information about the H1N1 virus, visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov.
News from HR
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New Hires 1. Trina Bursey, Admissions Assistant, Office of Admissions, GA–PCOM
2. Mark Chalmers, Admissions Assistant, Office of Admissions
3. Alisia Curtis, Administrative Assistant,
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Lisa D’Addieco, from Administrative Assistant to the Campus Executive Officer, to Business Services Coordinator, GA–PCOM Trena Gologan, from Admissions Assistant to Admissions Coordinator/Recruiter, GA–PCOM Petra Kottsieper, from Clinical Assistant Professor, to Assistant Professor, Psychology
Basic Science, GA–PCOM
4. Gina DeGregoria, Secretary, Physican Assistant Studies
5. Michael Deimling, RPh, PhD, Professor, PCOM School of Pharmacy
6. Oliver Epps, Jr., Sergeant, Security and Public Safety
7. Huo Lu, PhD, Assistant Professor, Basic Science, GA–PCOM
8. Marta Motel, DO ’88, Director, PCOM Healthcare Center – Lancaster Avenue Division
10. Susan Panichelli-Mindel, PhD, Core Faculty, Clinical Psychology
11. Timothy Poole, PharmD, Associate Professor, PCOM School of Pharmacy
12. Jiayin Zheng, PhD, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology
Promotions Aisha DeBerry, from Administrative Assistant to Admissions Coordinator/Recruiter, GA–PCOM
PCOMLINK WENDY ROMANO Executive Editor
CAROL WEISL Editor/Writer
Love Cures All For six years, Lisa Wooten, office manager, PCOM Healthcare Center – Roxborough Division, watched student doctors pass through the Healthcare Center. She was always friendly, answering their questions and helping them find their way around. But one day, five years ago, she did more than watch, she took notice. “Each group of students does an eight-week clerkship at the Center,” Lisa explains. Six weeks into one rotation she noticed a fourth-year medical student and, “for some reason, he caught my interest,” she recalls. Yet she didn’t say anything to Ted Colterelli until the day before the end of his clerkship. “I walked up to him and asked him out. He was surprised, but pleasantly so. We went on a date, and we hit it off immediately.” That was in 2004. The two were married this past April. “I originally wanted to be an English teacher,” she recalls. “Ted was accepted into other medical schools but he chose PCOM. It’s amazing how things work out.” Send, fax or e-mail news items to: Marketing and Communications, Levin Administration Building; fax 6307; e-mail: carolwe@pcom.edu. We can also be reached at x6300.
ABIGAIL CLAYTON Graphic Designer
BRUCE FAIRFIELD Photographer 7
calendar of events NOVEMBER 11 Annual Meeting of the Corporation Zedeck Amphitheater 10:30 a.m. Board of Trustees Meeting Evans Hall 327 A&B Noon
DECEMBER 8 PCOM Holiday Luncheon PCOM Cafeteria
DECEMBER 17 GA–PCOM Holiday Luncheon GA–PCOM Cafeteria
JANUARY 22 Founders’ Day Ginsburg Amphitheater 11:00 a.m.
Faculty Senate Meeting Zedeck Amphitheater 4:00 p.m.
go green Don’t Flush the Forest Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about toilet paper – we’re just happy to have it when we need it. But maybe it’s time to give toilet paper some thought.
Where to Find Toilet Paper with Recycled Content The following brands of toilet paper contain 100 percent recycled paper: Seventh Generation, Trader Joe’s, Nature’s Balance and Whole Foods 365. Two brands that are easier to find at the local grocery store are Marcal Small Steps and Scott Naturals. These brands contain 40 percent recycled material.
Although brands differ, 25 to 50 percent of the pulp used to make toilet paper in this country comes from tree farms in South America and the United States. The rest comes mostly from old, second-growth forests that serve as important absorbers of carbon dioxide, the main heattrapping gas linked to global warming. In addition, some of the pulp comes from the last virgin North American forests, which are an irreplaceable habitat for a variety of endangered species. What can you do? Look for toilet paper made with either some or all recycled paper. If every household in the United States replaced just one roll of virgin fiber toilet paper (500 sheets) with 100 percent recycled ones, we could save 423,900 trees and about 169 gallons of water a year.
If you can’t find toilet paper made with recycled fiber, you can switch to one-ply paper. And, believe it or not, pulling toilet paper over the roll rather than from under reduces the amount of paper used. Quilted toilet paper also uses more virgin fiber than regular toilet paper. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a difference.
PCOM is on Facebo ! 30% PCW
This newsletter was printed on Finch Casa Opaque digital, a paper manufactured with 66% renewable energy, utilizing 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber.
Become a fan of the “official” PCOM facebook Page! PCOM will soon have its offical Facebook page! Become a fan and see your friends and coworkers rap in the video “PCOM Rocks.” Be the first to know about PCOM events. Find out what’s on Dr. Schure’s mind by reading his blog. Be in the loop. You can become a fan by logging on to www.facebook.com and type in “Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.” You must have a Facebook account to become a fan.
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