MUSC Catalyst 5-20-2016

Commencement: Special Issue

May 20, 2016

MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA

Vol. 34, No. 36

Couple’s journey: Four weddings and a graduation

By Mikie Hayes hayesmi@musc.edu

Calm

I

magine it’s a little more than two weeks before your wedding day, and rather than tallying the beef or fish entrées or planning mani-pedis for the bridal party, you’ve got a tent strapped to your back, filtering the water you’re drinking straight from a stream. You are about to begin a 16–day hike with your betrothed. That was precisely the situation when Jessica and Brandon Bentzley, who graduate Friday – she with an M.D., and he with an M.D.–Ph.D., set out on a 220-mile wedding adventure on the famed John Muir Trail.

Their ultimate goal was to climb Mount Whitney, which, at a breath–defying elevation of 14,505 feet, claims the highest summit in the lower 48 states. Once firmly footed at the top, they would exchange marriage vows for the first time. The long–distance hiking trail in the majestic High Sierra backcountry is considered by many hikers to be God’s country. The trail follows the Sierra Nevada mountain range, which rarely dips below 8,000 feet. For the last 30 miles of their trek, it will be entirely above 10,000 feet, until it reaches its high point.

The couple, who share a passion for backpacking that has taken them around the world, timed the hike so they would arrive at Mount Whitney before sunrise August 15, 2013. Before reaching the top, the trail becomes dangerously narrow, with no paved paths and just piles of rocks to climb over while the hikers, at certain points, must practically hug the mountain to pass. The 99 switchbacks, which zig–zag hikers back and forth along the side of the mountain, are physically exhausting, especially considering the air at that altitude is thin. Being well above the tree line, the humble sky pilot is one of the rare plants that blooms on the ridge below the summit, and the final two miles offer a path that traverses a razor–back ridge top.

No worse for wear, 16 days and 220 miles later, the couple awoke on cloud nine the morning of their nuptials. As they held hands and looked into each other’s eyes, the sun barely began to peek above the horizon, spraying the skyline with magnificent hues of orange, red and yellow and painting the rocks upon which they stood a deep scarlet. For a couple who is partial to the handiwork of Mother Nature, these

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Couple

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breathtaking moments were the perfect backdrop for their special day.

With no unity candle or Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Jess and Brandon said, “I do,” in front of their two best friends, Katy and Eric Stimpson. Katy officiated the modest ceremony and Eric chronicled the morning with photos.

Their loved ones were gathered not terribly far away, waiting 12 miles down the mountain at a picturesque lake to witness them repeat their vows. It would have been impossible for them to make the demanding hike to the summit, so Jess and Brandon, and the Stimpsons, hiked back down to a spot three miles in from the trailhead, still wearing their backpacking gear. “We hiked down to the compromise spot —Lone Pine Lake — an extremely beautiful lake. That was the highest point we could actually ask them to hike to without them hating us forever,” Brandon said laughing.

The following day, the party traveled nearly 250 miles to a quaint bed and breakfast in Sonora, California, where the couple exchanged vows for a third time in two days, and more guests could join in the festivities. For this more traditional affair, Jess and Brandon wore formal wedding attire, and Brandon partially shaved for the occasion. It was hard to imagine a scene more beautiful than the vistas created by Mount Whitney, until the bride made her entrance, Brandon said. This event featured a more party–like atmosphere with dancing and a full reception.

Still, at the end of the day, Brandon and Jess missed those who couldn’t travel to the West Coast and wished all the important people in their lives could

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have been involved in their special day.

This led them to New Jersey for their fourth and most lavish wedding, where everyone could celebrate with them. All was well.

Mentor and soon–to–be colleague, Christopher Pelic, M.D., associate chief of staff for education at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and associate professor of Psychiatry at MUSC, gets it. “Jess and Brandon not only do things well, they do things right, and they do them for the right reasons. Some may not understand four weddings,” he said with a laugh, “but they did it for the benefit of others and to include those important to them. If you know them, it makes perfect sense.

They are the kindest people I know.” a GraduaTiOn Four years prior, in 2009, the Bentzleys met in the addiction psychology lab when they were doing research at the small, prestigious liberal arts school, the College of New Jersey. Since that time, their lives have been on a dynamic trajectory — one that brought them to MUSC and will land them back on the West Coast in adult psychiatry residencies at Stanford University.

Residencies there are exceptionally difficult to secure as individuals, let alone a couple trying to match programs.

That success didn’t surprise Pelic.

He refers to Jess and Brandon as the Dynamic Duo, and for him it was a pretty good bet they would do something extraordinary like achieving a dual match at one of the nation’s top institutions.

“Jess and Brandon are an extraordinarily talented husband–wife combination. In my humble opinion, both of them are destined for greatness,” The Catalyst is published once a week.

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Enjoying the view atop Mount Whitney, Drs. Brandon and Jess Bentzley, from left, and Katy and Eric Stimpson celebrate their accomplishment.

Pelic said. “I liken them to thunder and lightning — they are both exceptional and distinguished in their own rights, and they’re also quite different but complementary. They are an allaround great couple and powerful team, and I predict we will be hearing a lot more about them and what they’ve accomplished in the future.”

Friday, they graduate together from MUSC: Jessica from the College of Medicine and Brandon from the Medical Scientist Training Program, a dual–degree program in the Colleges of Graduate Studies and Medicine designed for students who wish to become physician scientists and pursue research careers in an academic environment.

It’s been a whirlwind, and they paused to look back on how they got to this day and what sustained them through very challenging times.

When they met in 2009 at TCNJ, Brandon was doing his post– baccalaureate year, after obtaining a degree in physics. Jess, a psychology major, was in her junior year.

“The thing that brought us together was working in the psych lab,” Brandon said, “but what got us talking was our love of backpacking and mountains.”

Jess agreed, nodding. “Our relationship started as we were both running the same mountain — Baldpate Mountain — every day,” she added.

Brandon said they met and immediately fell in love. It was perfect —

they did everything they loved together: backpacked, hiked, cycled, cooked, danced. The only problem was, he had already accepted a position at MUSC, known to be one of the most demanding programs of its type, and she still had a year of college left and would be headed to New Zealand to do an ecology research program for the summer before her senior year.

They made a decision to pursue a long–distance relationship, knowing it would be challenging. Every night they talked for close to two hours and saw each other four times during that year. deal sealed Jess decided late in the game, in her junior year, that she wanted to pursue a medical degree instead of a clinical psychology degree. With that, Brandon devised a plan to lure her to Charleston to see MUSC, and pulled out all the stops. When her summer program was over, she flew from New Zealand to Charleston the weekend the College of Medicine was throwing its annual kickoff event at the Charleston Aquarium.

Before the upscale event, he took her to what he called the “nicest restaurant in Charleston,” Peninsula Grill. “I ordered her the coconut cake, and I think that actually did it,” Brandon said with a wink.

Jess laughed, knowing that was only partly true. She would have come

See Couple on page 8

THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 3

Grad overcomes struggles to prove differences are gifts

By J. Ryne Danielson daniejer@musc.edu

G

raduating College of Medicine student Camilo Mateus, M.D., moved from Bogota, Colombia to New York City at the age of three. Fleeing drug violence and political instability — almost 100,000 Colombians have gone missing over the past five decades, assassinated or kidnapped by leftist rebels and right–wing paramilitary groups, or “disappeared” by the Colombian government — his parents, Mary and Gil, came to the United States on a tourist visa, hoping to apply for permanent status once they arrived.

“My parents weren’t involved in politics or anything,” Mateus said. “But, my sister Nat and I were very young, and they saw how dangerous it was to raise a family there. They thought the United States would be a better and safer place for us to live.”

The immigration process was not as easy as they had anticipated. At the end of six months, the family’s tourist visa expired, and their status changed. They became undocumented.

Immigration law is opaque and always changing, Mateus said. His parents didn’t speak English well, so he became something of a makeshift translator, helping to file immigration applications and other paperwork, even at a young age.

“I quickly became familiar with the immigration process, what it means to buy a car, pay taxes,” he said.

“I can remember helping my parents with all of that.”

When Mateus was nine years old, his family moved to Hilton Head Island, S.C. By this time, he was fluent in both English and Spanish. But, he said, he tried to resist speaking Spanish, even at home.

“I wanted to forget Spanish,” he said. “I wanted to assimilate and be like everyone else. When we were living in New York, I didn’t feel that different, because everyone was different,” he said. “But, in South Carolina, people look and speak a lot more similarly. It was harder for me to fit in.”

His parents encouraged him to continue speaking Spanish at home, and though he may have resented it at the time, now he’s glad they did. “We would read books in Spanish at night. I read Harry Potter in Spanish to my father. We would watch Spanish telenovelas,” he explained. “They wanted me to be successful in the United States and be able to assimilate to the new culture, but to never let go of where we came from and where our roots were. It’s not until you’re an adult that you realize your differences and the things that make you unique are actually the gifts that you bring to a team.”

Being an undocumented resident, however, still posed significant challenges — one of them, applying to college.

“Because we lived in South Carolina, the state schools, Clemson and USC, would not accept in-state

Dr. Camilo Mateus will graduate from MUSC with a passion for serving this community. students who were undocumented,” Mateus said.

He applied instead to a private school, Wake Forest University in Winston–Salem, North Carolina. He majored in biochemistry and double minored in biology and psychology. “While at Wake Forest, I did a lot of research,” Mateus said. “I worked with molecules that can alter gene expression in the human body and modeled protein interactions on the computer.”

After graduating, Mateus worked with patients who suffered from depression at the National Institutes of Health, serving as a research assistant and Spanish language translator. Being able to reach out to patients whose life experiences were so similar to his own was a meaningful experience, he said.

“I enjoyed working with a community that I could call my own. And, that seed blossomed into my future career path in internal medicine and psychiatry. I could see how emigrating from a foreign country to the United States took a toll on many of my patients’ psychiatric well–being. And because they weren’t able to cope with the transition, their health would deteriorate as well. It was not uncommon to see a patient at NIH with diabetes or hypertension along with depression or anxiety.”

Anxiety is something Mateus felt himself. As his family’s legal status fluctuated, due to red tape and changing immigration law, and as the political discourse

became increasingly heated, the threat of deportation always loomed. At one point, his mother was sent back to Colombia for more than two years, separated from her husband and two children while they navigated the immigration process. As his family fought to stay together, Mateus devoted himself to academics, hoping to make himself more valuable to his adopted country.

“I always thought that if I published enough papers and showed that I had huge academic merit, I could go to the immigration office and say, ‘See, I’m a very unique immigrant. You should keep me.’”

Eventually, Mateus’s father was able to apply for a work authorization permit with his employer — an industrial laundromat in Bluffton, S.C. — which gave the family social security cards and let them apply for driver’s licenses.

“That process took a long time,” Mateus explained.

“His employer had to post the job in several local newspapers, interview dozens of candidates, and then submit paperwork to the Department of Labor stating that no candidates were as qualified as my father.”

Only after being certified as essential by the Labor Department, verifying he had paid his taxes, going through a criminal background check and being interviewed by the Department of Homeland Security, was Mateus’s father granted permanent residency.

“We applied in 2001,” Mateus said. “My father didn’t get his permanent resident card until 2010. Luckily, my sister and I were still under the age of 21, so we could benefit under his application.”

Last summer, Mateus took the next step and became a U.S. citizen. Becoming a citizen was easy, he said, compared with the difficulty of becoming a permanent resident. “We talked to many immigration attorneys who said our case was too difficult, and many that said, ‘Sure, I’ll take your case,’ but asked for thousands of dollars up front and sounded like they were more interested in the business than actually helping us.

“We’re a family that is dedicated to working hard. We love this country and want to be here. But, there’s no easy way to prove that to the immigration system.”

Eventually, of course, they did prove it, but Mateus said he knows just how lucky his family was. That knowledge has driven him to succeed in medical school, which he said was challenging, and inspired him to help other families that haven’t been so lucky.

As president of the Alliance for Hispanic Health, a student group focused on outreach to the Hispanic community, Mateus helped run local health fairs; offered interpretive services at the free, student–run CARES clinic; organized school supply drives; and worked with Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach to offer medical care, English language classes and other life skills training to migrant workers in the Charleston area.

See Advocate on page 14

4 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016

Student charts a striking path in her return to medicine

By CinDy aBole aboleca@musc.edu An ancient Eastern proverb states: “The journey is the reward.”

This could not be any more fitting than to describe the quest of Mayith “May” Reddersen, a physician assistant student graduating Aug. 20 from the College of Health Professions.

Dedicated, tenacious, family–minded, driven, prudent, loyal, compassionate, dependable, eager: all words colleagues and friends use to describe her.

But as patient and self-assured as Reddersen had always been, at certain points along her journey, she felt challenged and unsure. A few times, she’s had to reinvent herself in order to fulfill her goals. In the end, her steadfast belief in the importance of her dream serves as a success story to others.

Reddersen’s journey to MUSC was inspired by different sources in her life, especially her own mother. Like many of the growing nontraditional students who are entering careers in health care, Reddersen’s story is both traditional yet very modern. Her upcoming graduation will be the final step in a long journey for this PA student.

Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Reddersen is the older of two daughters.

Raised by a single parent, Marina Ronan, a primary school teacher working in the public schools in Bogota, Reddersen and her younger sister, Carito, lived with struggles but had a happy childhood.

A standout student, Reddersen was drawn to medicine after watching her great aunt Nohora Mayorga struggle and eventually die from inflammatory breast cancer. Single and unmarried, ) Tia (aunt) Nohora was diagnosed in her early 50s and chose to be private about her medical condition with others. She refused medical treatments available to her and chose to “let nature take its course.” Only 10 years old at the time, Reddersen felt compelled to help her while at the same time, get to know her better.

At first, their time together was spent reading to each other. One afternoon, her tia asked if she would help her change her wound dressing. With eyes transfixed, Reddersen watched as she cleaned a huge wound on her left breast,

applied medicine and changed the dressing. This became a daily, almost silent ritual for them. After her great aunt died, Reddersen could never stop thinking about her — especially the look in her eyes.

“I could sense her desperation, her loneliness, the fear in her gaze,” said Reddersen, who realized her true calling was to be a calm presence, a form of support to her aunt, and more importantly, a witness to her daily battle with cancer. Observing her aunt’s vulnerability was what inspired her to pursue a career in medicine and oncology.

At age 16, she applied and was selected to study medicine at the National University of Colombia in Bogota. She breezed through basic courses and was happy when she finally got to her clinical rotations, working directly with patients.

“Taking care of people was a privilege for me. It was then that I understood that medicine is what I was meant to do,” she said. After graduating from medical school in 2001, she provided medical care to communities in remote jungle areas outside of Bogota.

Around that same time, Reddersen’s mother was following her own path. In 1998 she was invited to study abroad and earn a master of human science degree in marriage–family counseling at Texas A&M University. She graduated in 2000.

In 2002, Reddersen visited her mother who was working as an elementary bilingual teacher in Waller, Texas. At the time she arrived in Texas, Reddersen was unsure about her future. The country also was reacting to the aftermath of 9/11 and heightened security imposed by the State Department, including changes to the visa policy for business and leisure travelers to the United States.

Reddersen feared she would not be able to convert her B–2 tourist visa to a student F–1 visa. She had three choices: stay illegally in the U.S. after her travel visa expired; find a job and work, transferring legally to a work visa; or return to Colombia and reapply for a student visa — a difficult choice as she did not possess the time or finances to accomplish this.

“It was a really tough decision for me,” Reddersen said. “It came down to answering one question: What was the

photo provided

Physician assistant student May Reddersen, right, is joined by her mother Marina Ronan and sister Carito.

Mayith Reddersen best way for me to help and support my family back home?”

Around that time, the Texas Board of Education was promoting and recruiting for an emergency training program to certify teachers in bilingual education.

For Reddersen, it was an answer to her prayers but required a redirection in her career to education.

Determined to succeed, Reddersen approached the school district

administrator where her mother was working and presented her case with the help of a bilingual interpreter. She agreed to work wherever the school district’s immediate needs were. Four weeks later, Reddersen was working in a classroom and studying part–time to earn her teaching certificate.

She learned English and taught Spanish using the dual-language immersion, a two–way program model that was adopted in the schools, where half of the class’ students spoke English and the other half spoke Spanish.

“Although I loved teaching children and working in the classroom, I knew in my heart that teaching was not my ultimate calling. I yearned to get back to medicine,” she said. She would continue teaching for three years.

In 2004, she met and married her husband, Juan Carlos Reddersen, an aerospace engineer who was an immigrant from Chile, working in Texas. When the couple moved to Dallas in 2005, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, most likely contracted while working years before in the jungle. She

See Journey on page 14

THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 5

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Calm in chaos, nurse credits military career

By Mikie Hayes

“In the Gulf War, we would disappear for what seemed like forever. When we Public Relations were involved in operations, we’d go into hether he’s chasing armed Somali River City and couldn’t communicate pirates off the coast of Djibouti, with anyone.”

Africa; running drug interdiction ops “River City,” a status that signifies from Vancouver, Canada to the Trireduced communications, cuts off border area of South America; tracking all contact with the outside world Russian spy boats in the Sea of China; when initiated, so satellite signals or responding to a code blue on the that could give away the location of 8th floor of the Medical Center, Leo the ship can’t be transmitted nor can Bersamina keeps his cool. sensitive information about operations.

Graduating today from the College of Communication blackouts could last a Nursing, he will tell you, he does his best few hours or as long as weeks. It was hard work in the midst of chaos. on families.

Bersamina is hardwired for action. You Japan served as home base as he might say, it’s in his DNA. His dad was in participated in operations such as the Navy, and his family was stationed all Dessert Storm, Enduring Freedom over the world, moving every two years. and Kuwaiti Liberation. After 9/11, Travel got in his blood. he participated in campaigns in Iraq, Taking a page from his role model, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Bersamina followed in his dad’s footsteps Emirates and parts of Africa. While on and joined the U.S. Navy, serving as an some operations, he assisted Marines aviation electronics technician and much with logistics, on others he built missiles, more. loaded bombs and armed warheads.

Stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi Once it was time to transition in Japan for 15 years, there he would from a 20-year career in the military meet his wife and have three children. back to civilian life, he decided to He loved everything about Japan. “I try something completely different – climbed Mt. Fuji three times – actually, I something “to help people and make ran it – up and down. I kept challenging a huge difference.” But the criteria for myself. ‘I wonder if I can run it a second whatever that would be had to include time or a third time?’” he said laughing – a healthy dose of action. “My life has something he does often. been stressful,” he said, “but it’s been From there, he was deployed on adventurous. I thought to myself, ‘I need missions that would sometimes keep something stressful back in my life – but him away from his family for two years. it’s got to be a good stressful, like it was

W

Leo, center, with crew working on a A-6 Intruder fighter jet aboard the USS Independence CV-62 during the Gulf War.

photos provided

Nursing graduate Leo Bersamina, center, and colleagues at the Ralph H. Johnson VA hospital in the heart catheterization area. in the military.’”

How did he define stress? “Working on an aircraft carrier flight deck during conflicts in the Gulf War – at any moment you could get run over by any of the 20 aircraft moving at one time. You had to keep your head on a swivel – 360 degrees at all times.”

It dawned on him – those maneuvers applied to nursing, too. In fact, it seemed there were countless similarities between the military and nursing.

“I chose the nursing field because of the dynamics similar to the military.

In both fields, there is a great deal of diversity; you meet people from all walks of life, with different personalities and cultural backgrounds. Both are fastpaced. No two days are alike – there is no such thing as normal when lives are at stake. There are sets of rules and regulations in the military that we must follow – same in nursing. In the military, something someone did may cost someone their life – that’s true in nursing. Now we have evidencebased practices that show we have to do things a particular way to prevent infections or unnecessary deaths – it’s that same dynamic that I get. It was a great transition for me because of those

dynamics and similarities. It fit together so well like a puzzle. No jagged edges.”

Three years ago, he moved his family to Charleston. When he enrolled in the College of Nursing, he found many appealing options. “Nursing was the focus – but there were so many fields to choose from: community, oncology, pediatrics – I could even be a helicopter nurse.”

With his extensive experience on helicopters, he seriously considered becoming a flight nurse. “I worked on Blackhawks and flew in helicopters for five years. I thought, ‘How neat would it be to have a nurse treating people on a helicopter, and if something ever happened to the helicopter, I could fix it.’”

He started classes and jumped in with both feet. While he works in the medicalsurgical unit on 8East, he’s the CON Student Nurse Association liaison and involved in the MUSC Multi-Cultural Student Nurse Association, MUSC Men in Nursing and CON Student Government Association. He spends time in Columbia advocating for nurses, serving on the executive board of the

See Nursing on page 7

THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 7 Far left photo: Leo Bersamina and his clinical group are joined by instructor Carolina Scruggs at the MUSC Labor and Delivery unit.

Left photo: Bersamina holds an M240 machine gun as part of the U.S. Navy’s counterdrug ops with the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL-43) Battle Cats. photos provided

nuRsing

Continued from Page Six

Student Nurses Association of South Carolina as treasurer.

While supporting a family of five, how does he manage? “Well, it’s actually expected that we will work as hard as possible,” he said, referring to his Filipino upbringing. “There’s a lot of pressure in that culture to excel in everything. Just doing my job isn’t enough. This is my way of doing community service. For me, sleep is what suffers,” he said laughing. “But I wouldn’t change anything.”

Eventually everything crystalized. After doing a medical-surgical rotation at the Ralph H. Johnson VA, Bersamina found his true mission. He knew his military experience could help the people who need it most – veterans.

“When I did my clinical over there, I knew that was it. I was working with veterans, and because I’m a veteran myself, I had a good rapport with them. I was able to communicate on their level, use their terms and was able to get what they needed. If you haven’t been in the military, you might not understand PTSD or amputations. Having served in the Gulf War, I understand the whole dynamic of how they think.”

Back he stepped into his military persona. “Living that military life is where the connection is – understanding moving around, being in conflicts, what it’s like to wait for things and not have things, being away from your family – it’s really hard to explain. The community in the military – you experience things with those people – they’re like your family. Any time you experience conflict and finish the mission or live through it, that’s a feeling people can’t experience. You have to be there to understand.”

Discipline and composure served him well in the military and now in nursing. “I’m used to chaos — in the military and in nursing. When someone codes, I don’t freak out. I assess the situation. ‘What equipment do I need? Get the Dynamap. Get an IV line in. Do we need to start compressions? You keep your cool and execute your plan with precision.”

That equanimity was not lost on his professor. Brian Conner, Ph.D., RN, director of VA Nursing Academic Partnerships and assistant professor in the College of Nursing, spoke of Bersamina in glowing terms.

“Leo is bright, articulate, and his strong character and professionalism were evident in the classroom.

Leo also demonstrated excellent clinical knowledge and critical thinking skills. Further, he maintained a positive attitude and truly embraced learning all there is to know about nursing. Leo was very active, and his positive, vibrant, and enthusiastic behaviors truly influenced all those around him. I believe Leo will become an outstanding and caring nurse who will positively impact the lives of all with whom he comes into contact.”

Bersamina takes Conner’s words to heart, considering it his privilege to care for his country’s veterans. While he hopes to work at the VA in Charleston, he knows he can make a difference at any VA. “I am a person who is flexible about moving or staying. If a VA needs me somewhere else, I’ll move in a heartbeat, if that’s what I have to do.”

While he contemplates his next steps, he’s working on his five-year plan, being recently accepted into the CON Doctor of Nursing Practice program in the

psychiatric-mental health track, which allows him to help veterans with PTSD and major depression.

In the meantime, he is creating his own medical empire: his daughter at Clemson aspires to be a physician’s assistant, another daughter just completed nursing school at Trident Technical College and his 8-year-old son plans to become a doctor. Making a difference is in their genes.

Bersamina received two medals of commendation for his participation in the Global War on Terrorism. It was quite an experience, he said. As proud as he is of those accomplishments, some days it can’t compete with the rewards of being a nurse. “It takes a lot to be a nurse.

You work hard, but when a patient tells you how much of a difference you made in their life that’s worth more than all the money in the world.”

He recounted a recent experience with a patient who couldn’t move or talk. “I took care of her the way I want to be taken care of,” he said. “I ran into her two months later.” He stopped talking, his voice quivering. “It was really emotional. She said, ‘You treated me so well and with so much respect. It made a huge difference in my hospital stay. Now that I can talk, I need to thank you.’

We both just started crying. That’s how I take care of all my patients.”

Bersamina, center, serves as a member of the executive board of the Student Nurses Association of South Carolina, an organization that advocates for nurses.

The group was meeting at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.

8 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016

Couple

Continued from Page Two

without the cake, but it did seal the deal, she said.

“I didn’t have much money at the time, but I was going to put everything I had into getting her here so we could be together,” Brandon admitted. His plan worked.

“I met all his friends, and I loved the people here,” Jess said. “I never considered not moving here.”

They put a plan in place so that they could graduate the same year and pursue residencies together. Jess applied to receive an early decision from MUSC — the only medical school she applied to. She was accepted, and in 2010 she moved to Charleston with a job she’d already lined up in the Department of Neonatology, working as a research assistant for Dorothea Jenkins, M.D., associate professor in the College of Medicine. “That was one of the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had,” Jess said.

Brandon said it actually took an incredible amount of thought and planning to sync their programs, graduate at the same time and do the dual match together. It was because his program would take a minimum of seven years and hers would take four that she chose to do research in neonatology for two years.

The plan was complicated, but the only way they could guarantee matching the same year. He did his first two years of medical school, one during Jess’ senior year and the second while she conducted research. He moved into research for the next three years, working seven days a week beginning at 5:30 in the morning in an effort to complete his degree a year early. She worked another year in the lab and started medical school during his second year of research. He completed his Ph.D. work and defended his dissertation in three years, and they did their final two years of medical school together, enjoying their clinical years.

Both continued their love of addiction neurosciences. He did research related to cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids, and she studied marijuana use disorder with a particular interest in prevention and early detection of addiction in kids. exCellenCe rewarded Their planning and hard work paid off. Brandon graduates with a special

Brandon Bentzley, M.D., Ph.D. Medical Student Training Program

Jessica Bentzley, M.D. College of Medicine

College of Graduate Studies and College of Medicine distinction: He is both the first honor graduate for the College of Graduate Studies and first honor graduate in the College of Medicine, earning him the Henry Tracy Ivy Award. This is the first year in the history of the COM that three students received all 23 honors and share first honor graduate designation.

Jess and Brandon’s collective list of accolades at MUSC is impressive. It might be hard to believe that along with making stellar grades in tough programs and taking time to backpack and travel, there would any time left over to give back, but such was the case.

Jess said, “We tried to be as involved as possible. Helping our fellow man is the reason we’re both involved in psychiatry.”

Brandon was active with the M.D.– Ph.D. Big Brother–Big Sister mentoring program, believing it’s critical to help the next classes as they come up. During his time, he mentored five students. “I always gave them this advice,” he said. “‘You have to schedule your fun time, and you have to be really strict about it.

You can spend 24 hours a day and still not learn everything. You have to protect time to have fun time or you can’t sustain yourself.’ I do. I work out with friends or talk on the phone or go on vacations. It’s absolutely essential to life in general but especially in a high–stress environment.”

Jess was president of the student psychiatry interest group, an organization

that fosters a love of psychiatry that will translate to the highest quality of care for those with mental disorders and their families.

Jess started the mentoring program for the SPIG, and it was just what the doctor ordered. “It allows us to mentor younger students with an early interest in psychiatry and have an impact on them.

There are always things they want to ask the administration but can’t because it seems too trivial, but we can help guide and direct them. I felt that I received so much help from students who went through the program before me — so I thought, ‘It would be great to have a program like that in our student interest group.’ It was very well received, and we are all still in touch.”

Both were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, or AOA. Membership into AOA is one of the highest honors a student can be selected for.

Jess was also inducted into the Paul B. Underwood, M.D., Chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism Honor Society for her commitment to excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service.

The thing, perhaps, they are most proud of is a program that got them out in the community and into the local schools, talking about suicide, addiction and mental illness in general. Brandon credits Jess for doing 90 percent of the work and making it a success.

“It was one of the most rewarding parts of medical school,” Jess said. “It was extremely fun and very interactive for the kids. They were able to use cell phones to interact with the presentations and stayed involved the entire time — which these days is rare and wonderful.”

Brandon explained, “We made it user– friendly. We asked them, ‘What is your brain? How does your brain work?’ We talked about neurons, and we showed them how they shoot electricity to each other. We explained that there are more connections in their brains than stars in the sky — 100 billion cells just making up their brains, and each one of those cells has 1,000 connections. So we asked them, ‘What happens if some of these trillions of connections have a problem?

Could it cause depression? Anxiety? A problem with language or an intellectual disability?’ Framing it that way, they really got it.”

“We wanted them to understand that if they have depression or anxiety, it’s not their fault. People with depression or anxiety didn’t do anything wrong, and they aren’t weak. These things are so stigmatized in our society,” Jess said.

“One of the most frustrating things working with the brain is how society judges people with these disorders.”

Pelic said their program is successful because of the impact they made. “They are responsible for preventing suicides and teens seeking help. Jess gives so much back to the community in a way that’s engaging and fun and youthful.

She did such a great job. She is just one of those special people you meet who only come around once in a while. It speaks volumes for how accomplished I think she’s going to be in the future.”

Pelic will be hooding Jess at the oath ceremony. “I worked closely with Jess during her third year when she worked directly with me on the wards. She was one of the top students I’ve ever worked with. She functioned like a second–year resident. She is poised, professional, and super–kind. She is one of those rare people who is incredibly brilliant, friendly and incredibly humble. Brandon is amazing in his own right — his accomplishments to date rival that of a junior faculty member. The best is yet to come for both of them.”

On Monday, they will drive to California and begin to move their

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THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 9

MUSC Class of 2016 Graduation Wall

Students at the Nursing Stethescope ceremony.

Following the Mother Emanuel church shootings, MUSC students stepped forward in coordinating a Unity of Hope program commemorating the victims.

Physical Therapy Class held a prom for its students in 2015.

Graduating students shared their most memorable moments with The Catalyst in the form of photographs.

From the annual Nursing Stethoscope ceremony to the Mother Emanuel memorial, these memories will live on long after students have graduated from MUSC. Students celebrate their research achievements each year at the Perry V. Halushka Student Research Day. Graduates of MUSC’s Class of 2016 are celebrating their achievements on this commencement day. Many were invited to submit their reflections about their time as students at MUSC or credit an individual or group that got them through tough times. Some students were excited to participate.

Medical school wasn’t always easy.

What helped me get through the hard times was knowing how much of an inspiration I was to other people.

When I realized how many kids looked up to me as a role model, I knew that I had to keep pressing forward. I’ve met so many young “Doc McStuffins” over the years, I knew that I couldn’t let them down. My faith, my family and friends also were sources of support.

—Gregory Franklin II College of Medicine

I am super thankful to have been blessed with an encouraging group of friends in my PT class. My wonderful Bible study girls and other sweet friends are some of the only reasons I was able to manage those overwhelming times. I am forever grateful for their constant reminders of how lucky we are to be following the Lord’s calling in our lives.

—Megan Jones College of Health Professions–Physical Therapy My “aha” moment came when I realized that compassion can pacify a wide spectrum concerning a patient’s “problem list.” One time a patient was angry, and I just committed to listening with an open heart and mind, a process which was so effective that the patient verbalized in the end that they didn’t need to be treated but merely came so that someone would listen to their heart.

Students pitch in for the annual Sugar Free Diabetic Halloween event.

I never forgot that.

—Ian Neuhaus College of Health Professions–Physical Therapy

patients. This experience set the tone for all my rotations.

—Jessica Bentzley College of Medicine

I want to thank my husband, Juan Carlos Reddersen, for his unwavering support that kept me going all along my journey.

—Mayith Reddersen College of Health Professions–Physician Assistant Program

I was in my first year of graduate school after completing two years in medical school and had attended a lab meeting presenting data from my research work. Moving through my slide presentation, I noticed some people in the group were “hung up” on data that I presented in my earlier slides. They suggested that the data would make a good Ph.D. project. At the time I wasn’t interested in the research. Later that research became the focus of my doctoral dissertation and that aspects of that research project were published in several top scientific journals.

—Brandon Bentzley College of Graduate Studies & College of Medicine

Early on in my third year of clinical rotations, I remember having a tough time transitioning from course work to clinical work. During my rotation at the VA, I introduced myself to one patient who was very sick. After hearing his story, I broke down and cried. I apologized, and he was very accepting and compassionate in his response.

It taught me that it was OK for me to express how deeply I care around my

10 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016

It’s a small world...for six Global Health grads Patient populations are becoming more diverse and doctors are up to the challenge

By J. Ryne Danielson daniejer@musc.edu 2016 College of Medicine graduates will step into a brave new world, one in which issues thousands of miles away can affect patients sitting right in front of them. The principal health challenges of the 21st century — war, human migration, climate change, economic development, international health policy, pandemic disease — all transcend state and national borders, and to keep up, doctors are increasingly learning to think and act at the global level.

“The world is becoming smaller, even as it’s getting more complex due to social, cultural, political and economic issues,” said Andrea Summer, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, who serves as program director for MUSC’s Global Health Certificate Program.

“Infections in one part of the world are just a plane ride away. In addition, our patient population continues to become more diverse.”

Summer believes anyone entering the health professions should have at least basic training and education in global health issues. In 2011, she created a global health certificate program for just that reason. The program’s four courses cover topics ranging from infectious Dr. Caroline West, right, with Tanzanian ambassador Liberata Mulamula.

Mulamula visited Charleston in 2015 to express gratitude for the work MUSC has done in her country. photo provided

diseases to epidemiology and public policy, incorporating interprofessional perspectives and emphasizing case-based discussions instead of lectures.

“Students must also complete a field study, either overseas or locally,” Summer said. “They work with faculty to plan a project, and we try to equip them to carry it out in a sustainable way.”

This year, six students will graduate from MUSC having completed the program. Summer believes they will be well prepared to face tomorrow’s global health challenges, no matter where their careers take them.

CarOline wesT Caroline West, M.D., is one of those students. After graduating this spring, she will go to the University of Utah for a residency in dermatology. “I’ve always been interested in global health,” she said. “I wanted to take the program as soon as it was announced.”

West said she felt conflicted when she first became interested in dermatology.

“I didn’t like the idea of going into dermatology because I didn’t think there would be much global health application.

I wanted to find an expertise I could use globally. But I did some research, and found a doctor at the University of Utah, Bethany Lewis, who specialized in global

photo by J. Ryne Danielson

Drs. Margaret Brown, from left, Thomas Larrew, Caroline West, Rachel Reynolds, Eliza Barnwell and Melissa Hite will graduate from MUSC with certificates in global health. health and dermatology.”

West emailed Lewis and was surprised when Lewis invited her to go to Ghana.

West’s previous field work was in Tanzania, working with Michael Sweat, Ph.D., director of the Center for Global Health, to conduct preventative care screenings and study the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and chronic kidney disease in rural villages west of Dar es Salaam, a port city on the country’s eastern coast. She was thrilled to be able to travel abroad again, this time working in her future specialty.

“Dermatology doesn’t get a lot of attention globally because skin diseases don’t kill as many as HIV and AIDS, for example, but people suffer from skin diseases all around the world. And there is a tremendous need. We think we don’t have enough dermatologists here, but in Ghana there might be one for every million people. So, I was thrilled to see not only that dermatology could be applied globally, but that it was desperately needed.”

ThOmas larrew Another student who will graduate with a global health certificate, Thomas Larrew, M.D., chose not to go abroad, but to instead work with underserved communities closer to home. “I worked to increase our medical outreach to the Hispanic community,” he said. “The project felt sort of like coming full circle to me because I had first gotten

interested in global health after working at a Hispanic clinic in college.”

Larrew’s specialty is neurosurgery, and he will be staying at MUSC for his residency. “Early on I fell in love with the complexity of the brain,” he said. “I knew I had to do something with it, but I didn’t decide on neurosurgery until I got into the operating room. I really enjoyed the environment.”

He believes neurosurgery provides unique opportunities for growth as a physician and surgeon, and that incorporating a global perspective can be useful to that growth. “As a neurosurgeon, you get to study unique diseases that still have a huge gap in terms of our understanding and treatment options,” he explained. “Most people who have traveled would agree that exposure to new cultures helps to expand your mind and how you perceive the world. I think exposure to how people practice medicine abroad does something similar, casting old challenges in a new light and giving us inspiration to solve new problems.” raChel reynOlds Rachel Reynolds, M.D., will be doing her residency in pediatrics at Greenville Health Systems in upstate South Carolina. “Working with younger patients is so rewarding,” she said. “I love

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THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 11

gloBal

Continued from Page Ten

the atmosphere.”

Reynolds traveled on a medical mission trip to Honduras her senior year of high school. “I believe that experience helped define my future path in medicine,” she said. “I was so inspired and motivated by the doctors on our team, and I could see what a difference basic medical care makes in people’s lives.”

That trip cemented her love of global health, she explained. “I was in the middle of nowhere, sleeping on the floor, working long, tiring days, and I had never been happier.”

Reynolds was able to accompany the same medical team to Honduras twice more in the following years and also traveled to Uganda with a team from Palmetto Medical Initiative during the summer after her first year of medical school. These trips opened her eyes to the profound impact that location and access to resources can have on a patient’s quality of care and their overall health and well–being. “When I heard about MUSC’s global health program, I knew it would be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the field of global health and what it takes to develop global organizations and health care programs,” she said.

Those experiences abroad helped Reynolds keep long hours spent studying and agonizing over tests in perspective.

She knew it would be worth every second, she said.

For her capstone project, Reynolds applied those experiences to help develop a telehealth program for clinical and educational use, allowing doctors and other health care providers to build collaborative partnerships with colleagues worlds away.

One example, last year MUSC carried out a pilot meeting between doctors in Charleston and a clinic in Masindi, Uganda — the same clinic where Reynolds has worked. Doctors in Uganda consulted with MUSC Health specialists to diagnose and recommend treatment for patients with complex conditions.

“We have a wonderful telehealth program at MUSC that is constantly expanding,” she said. She hopes this program, and others like it, may one day revolutionize global health care.

eliza barnwell, marGareT brOwn, melissa hiTe Three more graduating medical students, Eliza Barnwell, M.D., Margaret Brown, M.D., and Melissa Hite, M.D., traveled together to Haiti for a weeklong medical mission trip with Service Learners International. They were accompanied by Barnwell’s brother, Parker, who will graduate next year.

Barnwell explained their field study was a project on hypertension. “It was my first time in a developing country. It was eye–opening to see people living every day without running water or electricity.

I’d never seen poverty like that before.”

Barnwell, who will specialize in ophthalmology, said building a sustainable model for care is important for ensuring a patient’s health after they leave the clinic. “There’s a special challenge with chronic health problems.

People can come into the clinic and maybe get medicine — maybe not — but you don’t know when they will get more.

It’s hard for them to come back again, and there might not be a supply left when they do.”

Brown, who decided on a medical career only after completing an MBA with an emphasis in international business, is also going into ophthalmology. She had traveled abroad in Asia before medical school and wished to incorporate global outreach into her future practice. “Seeing the prevalence of eye diseases and their impact on quality of life in places like Nepal and China was one of the reasons I originally became interested in the field.”

The topics covered in her global health classes, and the discussion-based seminars, provided a welcome balance to the basic science focus of her preclinical years, she said. “I would highly recommend the certificate program to interested students or staff in any of MUSC’s six colleges. During my time at MUSC, these courses were definitely the most sustained and practical application of interdisciplinary education that I experienced. I really benefitted from hearing the experiences of my classmates.”

The hypertension project in Haiti was Brown’s first experience with designing a study to be carried out beyond the borders of the United States. “It was a great learning opportunity that I hope to build upon in the future to better understand patient populations, both in

photo provided

Dr. Rachel Reynolds poses with children at a rural clinic outside the town of Masindi, Uganda. the U.S. and abroad.”

Hite will begin a general surgery residency at MUSC Health in July.

“Originally, I thought I’d end up in primary care, but after my surgery rotation and some exploration of surgery’s role in global health, I realized it was the right path for me.”

She was interested in global health from the start and saw the certificate program as a unique opportunity to enhance her education and help her stay focused on her long–term goal of practicing medicine in a global context.

“The first few years of medical school, I felt a little lost,” she said. “But, the global health classes helped remind me why I started medical school to begin with, and gave me encouragement to keep working toward the end goal.”

Hite said she especially enjoyed the mix of hard science with economics and the humanities. “I felt that not only did I learn concrete information, I also grew my analytical and critical thinking skills as well.”

She enjoyed the opportunity to apply what she’d learned firsthand with the medical service trip to Haiti. “Four of us were already going to Haiti, so we decided to work together to create a patient survey about hypertension and its management via mobile clinics, which are a large part of the primary care delivery system in developing nations worldwide.

“Several of us had already been to Haiti, so we had a good understanding of what the trip would be like and what our patient population looked like.

This helped us design a feasible research project we could carry out in a one-week period.”

Barnwell, Brown, and Hite’s project turned out more successfully than they could have anticipated. Their abstract was accepted for presentation at the Global Health and Innovation Conference, held at Yale University in April.

“We are all very proud of this project, and we learned a lot from it,” Hite said. “Research doesn’t have to be complicated. Answering a few simple questions can make a huge impact.”

All of these students have taken one thing away from their courses in global health and fieldwork at home and abroad. West, who is looking forward to working in dermatology, spoke for them all: “We have no right to complain about EPIC or any of the minor problems we face here. I spent two years working on my project, figuring out how to screen for diabetes in Tanzania. Every little bit was complicated — just printing the questionnaire was a challenge, let alone testing and treatment. Here, all you have to do is press a button. We are so lucky, and it’s easy to take that for granted if you don’t have a global perspective.”

12 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016

Dental grad shines as student ambassador

By Mikie Hayes hayesmi@musc.edu

E

veryone wants to grow up in “that house” — the one where all the friends and neighbors naturally congregate – a lively hub offering gracious hosts, great conversation and copious amounts of food and laughter.

That describes Rebecca Shamis’ family home and may also explain why Shamis, DMD, who graduates today from the College of Dental Medicine, is considered the “ambassador” of the college. Her love of the school is said to be contagious and a magnet for recruitment.

While preparing to graduate from Tulane University in New Orleans, Shamis came to Charleston to visit MUSC’s dental program. She’d heard the two cities shared a lot in common.

She relished her four years living in the Big Easy, experiencing Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the French Quarter, but at the end of the day, Charleston had one important feature that New Orleans — which she calls “Charleston’s funky cousin” — didn’t: the beach. She was sold.

“The first thing that drew me here was the city itself. Charleston is very similar to New Orleans — there’s a lot to do in a small space,” she said. “Being from Long Beach, New York, getting back to the beach was important to me, I really missed it. So having a beach in a city that reminds me of New Orleans was amazing

Dr. Shamis feeds a monkey.

to find.”

During her four years at Tulane, she made lifelong memories and friends.

When she found herself so happy at MUSC, she couldn’t help but share that with friends who were considering the dental route.

According to Tariq Javed, DMD, associate dean for academic and student affairs and professor in the Division of Periodontics, Shamis is a one-woman recruitment team. “Rebecca has an all–encompassing love of the college and a special gift for making prospective students feel welcome here. She easily connects with them and enthusiastically shares her experience, which has resulted in many students, including those from her alma mater, coming to MUSC. Rebecca is a dedicated student and has flourished in our program. I have every confidence she will excel in any field of dentistry. We are proud of her and her accomplishments, and we will miss her.”

That attitude, said Javed, earned her a seat on the college’s predoctoral recruitment and admissions committee.

“People here really care,” she said.

“There is a very strong connection between students and students, and students and the faculty. When friends who were years behind me were considering dental school, I reached out and told them what a great program this is. Everyone saw what I saw — a lot of positivity and a lot of room to thrive.

And the city doesn’t hurt. I love sharing this program and city with others.”

Shamis always knew she wanted to be in a medical field and contemplated medical school. But after shadowing a few different doctors in various specialties, nothing had that spark for her. “There was no time,” she said, “where I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’” Until she shadowed a dentist.

“The entire time I was thinking, ‘I want to be the one with the tools in my hands.’ It’s the perfect combination for me. I saw how great the patient-doctor relationship is — I watched the dentists connecting to patients on so many levels – and at the same time, using such fine technical skills.”

Once she decided on dentistry, there was no looking back. She said while the program was difficult, it was always

photos provided

Dr. Rebecca Shamis provides much-needed dental care to a patient in Peru on a dental mission trip. stimulating. “I loved dental school and to care for people in dire need in Haiti, value this experience. Nothing is routine India, Ecuador and Peru, she was eager about it. You have to use your brain. to help.

There is a lot of problem solving and She traveled with William Sasser, treatment planning. Each person is so DMD, director of Dental Community different — you can’t always go by the Fellowship (DCF), an organization that book — sometimes you have to come up facilitates mission trips to economically with something new. I won’t stop seeing developing nations. “He’s the most new things probably ever. I chose right. ” dedicated, amazing, inspiring person I’ve Another element that made her ever met. He has got a heart for service education at the college special was and always encourages us to do our best helping those in need, something she for humanity.” did frequently in New Orleans’ inner– Sasser, currently on a mission trip city. Mission work, for Shamis, was in Africa, talked about how Shamis central to her experience. No stranger has a heart for people. “It has been to travel, she’s circled the world caring my privilege to share some very special for patients. When opportunities came

See Dental on page 15

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THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 13

Pharmacy graduate embraces arts and science

By J. Ryne Danielson daniejer@musc.edu Graduating College of Pharmacy student Anthony DeClue, PharmD, arrived at MUSC via a nontraditional path. When most of his peers were studying prerequisites like biology or chemistry, he was critiquing poetry and literature, pursuing his master’s degree in English.

“Though I very much believe in the power of the written word, I was becoming demoralized by the postmodern condition,” he said. “I had a tough time answering the question, “‘What good did you do today?’”

He was increasingly attracted to medicine because he wanted to be able to answer that question in a concrete, tangible way. “Now that I’m in health care, I can say, ‘That kid was sick. Now he’s not sick. And I had something to do with that.’”

DeClue considered medical school, but having spent almost a decade in school already, he felt becoming a physician was impractical. He contemplated medical law, but after a visit from his brother Robert, then a third-year College of Pharmacy student, he began to take pharmacy seriously as an option.

“I sort of chuckled when my brother suggested it,” he said. “I had the same misconceptions of what a pharmacist is as much of the public has. I thought of them as human Pez dispensers. But, as I learned more about the valuable role of the pharmacist as an integral member of an interprofessional team, I was really turned on to the idea.”

Robert arranged a meeting for his brother with James Sterrett, Pharm.D., an assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy. Sterrett invited DeClue over for dinner, and the two discussed career options in Sterrett’ s kitchen.

“He talked to me about pharmacists not just being people who count pills, but stewards of responsible medication use,” DeClue said. “It’s not just about getting people the medicine they need, but also about steering them away from

ones they don’t and taking care of people who don’t fall easily into precheckable boxes. He illuminated the responsibilities of a pharmacist, not just the mechanics.”

Over the next few years, Sterrett became a friend and powerful mentor.

“I just finished my last rotation with Dr. Sterrett this past month,” DeClue said.

“I literally started and ended my time at MUSC with him. He’s become a great advocate for me professionally.”

Sterrett said the respect is mutual.

“Anthony is a natural leader and mentor among his colleagues. He listens well, is caring and honest, and has the ability to relate in a way to maximize potential. He is the ‘go to’ guy, the one everyone trusts when challenged with a tough decision.”

Upon graduating this month, DeClue will begin his career in community pharmacy, a role for which he believes he is well-suited. “For me, the impact of a community pharmacist is compelling because you have to convince a patient to follow your advice the other 23 ½ hours of the day, when they’re not standing in front of you.”

Though he’s no longer teaching English to undergrads, DeClue said he still thinks of himself as a teacher. He believes his humanities background makes him a better pharmacist by helping him to better interact with and relate to patients. “To communicate doctor-speak and guidelines and research to someone who has to then implement it in his or her life takes a significant amount of energy dedicated to patient education. I have to help them understand not just what I want them to do, but why I would have them do it, what I expect them to get out of it, what challenges I anticipate they’ll face and how I would advocate overcoming those challenges. That’s the aspect of community pharmacy that really speaks to me.”

In fact, DeClue thinks more health care professionals would benefit from a background in the humanities. “What I learned from my degree in literary studies was to analyze texts and contexts, to put in conversation with one another

photo provided

Among many service activities over the course of his MUSC career, Dr. Anthony DeClue, fourth from right, volunteered at the Low Country Food Bank. He is pictured with his classmates during their first year of pharmacy school. would be one thing,” he explained.

“Unfortunately, medications have side effects that have to be negotiated, costs as well as benefits.”

One of those possible costs is cost itself. Because community pharmacists serve a wide range of patients from all socioeconomic backgrounds, they often find themselves on the front lines of rising health care prices. “Often physicians will prescribe exactly what I would have in a perfect world,” DeClue explained. “But, the patient doesn’t always have insurance. They can’t always afford the copay. Usually, it’s the pharmacist who has to initiate that conversation between the physician, insurer and patient. Of the members Anthony DeClue, PharmD of the health care team, pharmacists are the most intimately involved with voices from different backgrounds cost because we’re often the ones at the and perspectives in order to develop a meaningful interpretation. So, to be able register.”

Although DeClue’s eclectic to weigh the research, the prescribing background may seem unusual, habits, and the relationships I’ve built it doesn’t feel that way to him. with other members of the health care team — to take all those different voices Renaissance men run in the family.

DeClue, the third of five children, grew and put them into conversation with up in a close family in Virginia Beach, the patient to help him or her build a perspective on their health and their life Virginia. His father, Richard DeClue, was a mainframe computer technician – that’s very much been supported by in the navigation department on a my training in the humanities.” submarine, as well as a professional Many people think of medicine as a ballroom dancer. “My father owned and cut-and-dry field where questions have a single right answer. If only, DeClue said. “If there were always a way to do See Arts on page 15 something that would just help, that

14 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 Continued from Page Three

“It was inspiring to work for this community, in the area of the country where I grew up,” he said. “The Alliance for Hispanic Health was a big part of my life in medical school.”

Mateus also served as co-president of the Alliance for Equality, a student LGBT rights group, and was instrumental in getting sexual orientation and gender identity added to MUSC’s nondiscrimination policy, according to Laurine Charles, Ph.D., associate director of the office of student diversity, who serves as faculty advisor to both groups.

The two have grown close, Charles said, and Mateus invited her to attend his citizenship ceremony last summer.

“Seeing the smile of pride on his face reminded me of how much I take for granted as a citizen born in the United States. Cam is an inspiration to all who have worked tirelessly to overcome adversity and is realizing the American dream in a way that few can appreciate.

He will be a gifted and compassionate physician, and I am privileged to know him.”

Mateus sees many similarities between undocumented immigrants and LBGT individuals and said he is passionate about serving both communities. He believes civil rights should never be taken for granted.

“As an immigrant, I always saw the United States as a place where you could be different, and your difference was accepted. Undocumented immigrants face a lot of the same issues as LBGT people, from access to care issues to having to keep an important aspect of your life hidden. I just hope that everything I’ve done with the Alliance for Hispanic Health and Alliance for Equality will help others know that it’s

Couple

JouRney

research protocols, publications and brochures to medical documents for specialists. "I learned so much about different patient populations, their cultures and their specific needs. It was a privilege to work in that capacity. I got to see the providers in action and served my patient population too,” she said.

Late in 2010, the Reddersens relocated to Charleston when her husband was offered his dream job working for Boeing South Carolina.

After settling in, she worked part–time as a Spanish–English medical phone interpreter with Pacific Interpreters from March 2011 to August 2012. And being a certified medical translator, she also worked independently translating case studies, clinical research and other documents for her own clients.

Although she was busy and making good money, ultimately she felt unfulfilled.

Her husband suggested she consider returning to school and apply to MUSC. She was excited to learn that because MUSC was an academic medical center,

was admitted to the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and received treatment there for 10 days. She was released to complete her care at home under the supervision of the Tarrant County Health Department for the next nine months.

Her experience as a TB patient helped fuel her interest to return to medicine.

But Reddersen had arrived at another fork in the road of her life.

While she very much desired to work again in medicine, at the same time,she questioned herself and her own selfworth – could she actually care for and cure people?

After relocating to Houston in 2007, she worked for more than three years at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. photo provided As one of a dozen Spanish–English medical interpreters and translators Dr. Camilo Mateus with his assigned to patients and practitioners, mother, Mary. she got to assist the Cancer and OK to be different, and it’s OK to ask Hematology Center team by interacting for help.” and communicating with patients and Shannon Fleming, one of Mateus’s their families. closest friends, is also a member of the Reddersen translated everything from College of Medicine class of 2016. “Cam is one of the most heartfelt and genuine people I have ever known,” she said.

“He dreams big and encourages others View their listings at 150+ websites, including: to do so. I am amazed by his energy and www.TeamPape.realtor drive, especially in light of the many & www.BelleHallPlantation.com hardships he has overcome to get to this point. I have cherished his friendship Pinefield Plantation 1125 Pinefield Drive, Charleston, SC 29492 throughout medical school.”

Mateus, who will begin his residency in internal medicine and psychiatry at MUSC this summer, said he’s proud to continue his education at MUSC Health. “And, to be part of a hospital that has so quickly changed its policies to be more inclusive of the patient populations that it serves, I’m proud to $1,399,000 be part of that change.”

Stunning Lowcountry Paradise w/pool-spa

Continued from Page Eight

belongings into their new dwelling. They were able to get housing on campus and feel extremely fortunate. “The intern year is the hardest,” Brandon said. “Being on campus will maximize our free time. We may move to a suburban area next year.”

Their residencies will last four years, and Brandon hopes to stay on at Stanford in the research track as a junior faculty member for a few years,

Continued from Page Four

developing his research. Jess hopes to do a child–adolescent fellowship there.

As they head to California, they think back to their time at MUSC and can’t imagine having had a better experience.

They plan to continue backpacking — their “true love” outside of medicine.

But their real passion – other than each other – is addiction science, and they can’t wait to see the impact they can make at Stanford.

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THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 15

DenTal

Continued from Page Twelve

She said she will continue doing mission work forever. “Someday, I’d like times serving the dental needs of the to start my own type of organization poor overseas with this very special and bring students on these trips. It’s young lady,” he said. “I've rarely met a ambitious, I know.

But I think it’s really person with more dedication to use her important for students to see and be a education in dentistry to not only make part of this.

I would like to be the kind a living, but more importantly to make a of professional who can show them what difference in this world.”

I’ve gotten to see and give them that Shamis noticed that a number of kind of experience.” students were hesitant to participate in She feels strongly that the most faith–based mission work, so she and important thing they can do is to teach her friend Zakery James cofounded the endemic people how best to serve an MUSC chapter of the American their own people.

“Finding somewhere I Association of Public Health Dentistry really feel called to — even if we can only (AAPHD) to encourage more students come back once or twice a year — the to meet the growing need for trained best case scenario would be to set up dentists around the world and served some type of a sustainable clinic. I want as vice president and president, to work with the people so they learn respectively. how to continue providing health care “In my mission work,” Shamis said, “I to their people.” learned so much about dentistry, myself, Like many driven students, Shamis and Christianity and about being open has had a tendency to overextend and learning about others. I’m halfherself but loved every minute. While Jewish and half–Catholic, but I grew up co-leading AAPHD, she’s served Jewish and always identified as Jewish, on the executive committee of the even though we celebrate everything: American Student Dental Association Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah. This as its treasurer, community service was a big learning experience for me, chairwoman and website chairwoman and I’m so grateful to have had these and as social chairwoman of the dental wonderful experiences. At the same fraternity, Delta Sigma Delta. Add in time, we wanted to create a non-faithcollege admissions work, teaching yoga based missions community, where and dental class obligations, and she there’s room for people who might feels fortunate she was able to do so not be so open to going on a Christian much mission work. mission trip.”

aRTs

Continued from Page Thirteen

operated a Fred Astaire studio, which is where he met my mother,” DeClue said. “He also held degrees in sociology and economics and has worked as an electrical engineer for the last couple decades. He was really my model in terms of having so many professional interests.”

One thread that runs through DeClue’s career, stitching his many interests together, is education.

From educating patients to mentoring fellow students, DeClue said he loves teaching. “I feel like knowing something and knowing how to impart that knowledge to someone else are entirely different skillsets. It takes a certain personality type. I think my interest in education is what defines me as a person, and it was that interest that drew me to English and literary studies. I wanted to talk to my students about a number of different topics. If you’re a math teacher, you teach math. But, with English, we can be reading a story about a lawyer or a doctor or a journalist, and then we can talk about those things and how they fit into our understanding of the world.”

The travel she had done before dental school prepared her to travel to all points with DCF. Dental students only get one summer off during their program, and after her first year, she went on Birthright Israel, a trip she will forever treasure. After Birthright, she and friends traveled around the coast, visiting Prague, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Spain and Ireland.

Her junior year at Tulane, she studied in Townsville, Australia, at the James Cook University in the College of Marine and Environmental Sciences.

She credits her brother Jimmy for inspiring her love of the ocean and travel, which allowed her to venture to Australia to study. “He is an adventurer and gave me the travel bug. Even when I was little, he was always talking me into diving off waterfalls or pushing me into a wave.”

She loved the experience in that country so much, she will soon head back to Australia, this time to the western coast where she will surf and dive.

As she takes stock of where she’s been and where she’s headed, she credits her family for the love and support they’ve given her along her journey. She’s conquered her education and the world, and her family awaits her return to Long Beach. She shares that sentimentality.

And there’s little wonder why. From

Still, while he believes his humanities background has been invaluable, it was a jarring transition moving into the hard sciences. “I remember taking a prerequisite in physics, and I literally spent the entire class trying to figure out how to do exponents on my calculator,” DeClue said. “There was a bit of a learning curve.”

Readjusting to multiple choice exams was also difficult. “My evaluation for years had been in the form of papers or open responses to questions. I’d been trained to read a single question in a number of conflicting ways, which makes it very difficult when you’re taking an exam, and you have to find the single right answer.”

For support during that period of transition, and through the struggles of pharmacy school that followed, DeClue looked to his wife Brittany for emotional support. “We’ve been best friends since high school, even though she played hard to get for ten years,” he said. “She was incredible emotional support: someone to complain to when the struggles felt immense, someone to cry to when I felt overwhelmed, and someone to help celebrate my wins along the way.

the earliest times she can remember, the house has always been filled with love and laughter. Walk in the door and Motown or the Grateful Dead is blaring from speakers and dad, Les, is telling Miles Davis stories or playing his latest guitar solo. A lawyer by day, he plays in a classic rock band for fun, and mom Elaine is his biggest fan. She doesn’t miss a single gig, Shamis said, laughing.

“My friends love them,” she added.

After graduation, she’s headed home to do a general practice residency in a hospital on Long Island, learning how to manage bigger dental and medically-compromised cases and other specialties like surgery, endodontics and periodontics. She is deciding between general dentistry and surgery.

Either way, there she will stay, happily.

“I love where I’m from. I love my parents so much. If my mom’s not cooking for a full family, she’s not happy. I could say, ‘Mom, I’m bringing home 50 friends,’ and she’d ask, ‘Do you want lasagna or chicken cutlets?’”

She can’t wait to reunite with her partner-in-crime, sister Shannon, who she said is the funniest person she knows. “I didn’t go away to get away, I went away to see the world and learn.

Long Beach will always be home, and that’s why I have to go back, but I’ll always miss Charleston and love and promote the College of Dental Medicine,” said its favorite ambassador.

And, of course there are the practical considerations, like making sure we’re eating and paying bills. She was integral to my success.”

During his time at MUSC, DeClue served as the president of the College of Pharmacy Student Government Association. He was community service chairman for the Society of Interprofessional Students; chapter vice president and national speaker of the house of Phi Lambda Sigma, the Pharmacy Leadership Society; and a member of MUSC’s Honor Council.

But with all he’s accomplished, the things he’s most proud of don’t appear on his curriculum vitae.

“The things I’m most proud of, you might see on the CVs of my classmates and peers, but not on my own,” he said. “I hope my classmates, as they graduate and continue on in their careers, can speak about the unique impact they made while they were here. And, I would love to think I had something to do with that, with helping them to find that role, that opportunity for leadership of service. That’s what I’m most proud of — the people around me, and how my love and respect might have helped their light shine a little brighter.”

16 THe CaTalysT, May 20, 2016 Continued from Page Fourteen

and later motivated her class to raise funds to support patient programs at the it offered programs in multiple areas center. of medicine and health care. After “May is a natural leader. She’s considering her choices carefully, she proven that she can balance things chose to explore the physician assistant with academic rigor, hard work and studies program in the College of Health determination. I think she’s made Professions. a difference with her classmates by In summer 2013, she attended a CHP showing them the importance of being information session and was introduced culturally sensitive to all people so that to PA class of 2015 alumna Skylar they are respected and valued,” Stewart– Stewart–Clark, Ph.D. PA–C., now Clark said. working at MUSC Urologic Oncology.

Today, Reddersen and her big enjoy a At the time, Stewart–Clark was in her close friendship. They talk or text each first year of classes and volunteered as other all the time and refer to each other a student ambassador, giving tours and as “sis” or “sisters.” talking to prospective students about the She remembers a special text she photo provided program.

PA Class of 2016 president May Reddersen was instrumental in received from Reddersen just as she Almost immediately, Stewart–Clark coordinating a health fair for patients at the Dream Center Clinic. was beginning her gross anatomy class. was drawn to Reddersen, especially She wrote about how overjoyed and During PA Week 2013, she initiated a her accent, as she, too, is fluent in emotional she was feeling to be in a first–ever community health fair at the lab and how privileged she was to be Spanish. Several questions later, they “May is a natural leader.

Dream Center Clinic. In October 2014, working with her first patient, a cadaver. both discovered similarities between during PA week, the clinic had its first them – both were married, both She’s proven that she “It had been many years since she Hope for Healing walk and Reddersen practiced medicine, and at that moment, lived in the north area of Charleston, can balance things with saw the perfect opportunity to enhance May recognized that this was the start of both possessed advanced degrees the previous year health fair by (Stewart–Clark has a doctorate in her journey in doing something she was academic rigor, hard work involving her entire class, working with destined to do,” Stewart–Clark said. bioengineering) and both had previous community providers and faculty to careers before enrolling in the program. and determination.”

“May’s just a gem. And it’s been a provide screening services to uninsured, blessing to get to know her,” she said.

“We just hit it off from the start,” she low income North Charleston residents said with a smile.

Skylar Stewart-Clark Stewart–Clark went on to describe the admission criteria and explained the rigorous 27–month master’s important work–life balance that I program that follows a didactic needed,” Stewart–Clark said. curriculum, including a yearlong clinical From the start, Stewart–Clark phase. encouraged Reddersen to get involved “I told her that completing this in as many student and leadership program was very doable,” said Stewart– activities as she could manage. Within Clark. “‘Just look at me,’ I said. ‘If I can two years, Reddersen became a student do it, you can do it too.’” member of various campus and One aspect of the PA program that professional organizations, including the 2BR / 2.5BA has generated positive feedback among South Carolina Academy of Physician 1008 SQFT students is the Big–Little mentoring Assistants and American Academy of program — a transitional program Physician Assistants. She is also the connecting first–year to second–year student representative to the South students to provide academic and Carolina Society of Dermatology social support. Through this special Physician Assistants. Reddersen was Absolutely charming single family home with double porches, hard wood floors, and lots partnership, experienced peers help elected PA class of 2016 president. She of natural light. Located in the center of downtown Charleston, easy walking distance students with career and leadership was inducted in April to the MUSC to MUSC, CofC, shops and restaurants. Open floor plan downstairs, and two good size development.

Student Leadership Society and is a bedrooms with en suite baths. Master has a vaulted ceiling and a private screened in Stewart–Clark invited Reddersen recipient of numerous scholarships. porch. Granite and stainless steel appliances. New washer and dryer included in sale. to attend some PA classes with her, One program both women were proud MLS #16005913 • 469,000 to observe. “This was something that to support is their class’ contributions my ‘big’ did for me, and I wanted to to the Dream Center Clinic in North do it for May,” she said. PA alumnus Charleston. Stewart–Clark has Sherlonda Adkins served as Stewart– volunteered as a Spanish translator with THERESA EVANS Clark’s “big” mentor from 2013 to 2015. the free clinic since 2009 and wanted CIPS, CRS, CRP, e-Pro Vice President, Charleston Top Producers Club “Sherlonda helped me set goals to connect the PA program to more 49 Broad Street, Charleston and create a game plan to help me Specializing in a community–related service activities.

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