May 23, 2014
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY of SOUTH CAROLINA
Vol. 32, No. 38
MUSC students inspire junior doctors of health By Dawn Brazell Public Relations
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eaching kindergarten children is much like herding cats. Energetic and curious, the children love information but can be easily distracted. “Let’s catch bubbles in our mouths,” pharmacy student Tom O’Donnell said, puffing out his cheeks to get the children to mimic him, something he didn’t think he’d be doing at this stage of his career. They puff out their cheeks, too, and stop talking, which is exactly the objective of O’Donnell, who is one of five Junior Doctors of Health instructors from MUSC here to teach kindergarten students at Meeting Street Academy. His other objective today, beyond getting their attention, is to explain the good effects of exercise and why watch it’s so good to drink water a ViDeo versus sweetened beverages. O’Donnell points to a body model next to him and pulls Visit MUSC’s out a lung. News Center “Does anybody want to hold to see videos a lung?” and a photo “Ugh,” one student grimaces, gallery on this but another reaches for the program at www. lobe, and the conversation musc.edu/pr/ turns to exercise and breathing. newscenter/2014/ After the 50–minute session, JDOH.html. the students leave tired but happy. Dietetic intern Magie Young said she loved getting the children’s perspective and figuring out what resonated with them. “I think they’re hysterical. It’s fun to engage them on a topic you know that you’re going to get funny answers,” she said, referring to one child’s answer that chocolate milk comes from chocolate– colored cows. “It makes me aware of my audience and try to find out what they know and where they’re at.” O’Donnell agreed, saying the experience was good practice for him in explaining health topics to a lay
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Colleague Remembered Beloved researcher leaves a hole in the heart of a department.
photo by Sarah Pack, Pubic Relations
MUSC dietetic intern Keely Flynn reads a book to Meeting Street Academy kindergarten students during a Junior Doctors of Health lesson at the school. audience, a skill he will parlay into his work as a pharmacist. With the program celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, JDOH is proving to be effective in its mission of getting students, teachers and parents on healthier tracks. JDOH director Scotty Buff, Ph.D., said that was the original intent. While a student and participant in MUSC’s Presidential Scholars Program, she helped found JDOH with the vision of putting undergraduate and graduate
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students in interdisciplinary teams to go into schools to encourage underserved youth to lead healthy lifestyles and to consider health care professions. In the past 10 years, JDOH has trained more than 850 students and reached more than 3,000 children. It has expanded across the state through a collaboration with the S.C. Area Health Education Consortium.
See Junior on page 6
Communications Corner
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Employee Wellness
Results of a physician engagement survey paint a picture of key issues.
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Meet Carrie
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Classifieds
READ THE CATALYST ONLINE - http://www.musc.edu/catalyst