Sie sind auf Seite 1von 8

The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education

Faculty Interview with Dr. Dorn


How long you have been at Sophie
Davis?


I have been at Sophie Davis almost
exactly one year - I started November 15,
2014.
Where were you before you came to
Sophie Davis?

Davis mission and transition to a School


of Medicine. My favorite part of the job
is the students and my least favorite part
of the job is e-mail. I much prefer face to
face conversations.
What inspired you to choose your
career?


I started my professional life as a

Before this, I was in Atlanta, Geor- high school physical educator. I taught
gia at the Centers for Disease Control
high school physical education for four
and Prevention. I was the Physical Activ- years and coached many different sports,
ity and Health Branch Chief in the Naincluding womens and mens cross countional Center for Chronic Disease Pretry. What got me to this point is that I
vention and Health Promotion within the have a very strong family history of heart
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity,
disease; my grandfather and my father
and Obesity.
both died suddenly. I wanted to learn
more about heart disease to try and preWow, thats so cool. Youve done
vent it so other people would not feel
a lot! How do you describe your
how I felt when I lost two of the most
job, and whats your favorite part important men in my life very suddenly.
about it? Whats your least faSo, thats really what inspired me to study
vorite part about it?
and do cardiovascular disease research.

I am a Professor and Chair of the
Department of Community Health and
Social Medicine. I teach, do some research, and have a number of administrative duties right now because we are
building a newer and bigger department.
We have eight faculty, of which four are
new, and we are working together to
ensure our department supports Sophie

Clubs & Activities, Page 3

December 2015

IN THIS ISSUE:

(continued on page 6)

Feature, Page 6


She is a New Yorker for life and a
strong believer in family first. In school,
she was an athlete and today her passions include physical activity and heart
disease prevention. A soft-spoken, wise
woman with an accomplished career, she
is one of Sophie Davis newest faculty
members, having arrived just last year.
As Chair of the Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, she is
whole-heartedly invested in getting students to realize the mission of the school.
Meet Dr. Joan Dorn.

Op-Ed, Page 4

Volume L Issue 2

Hey everyone!

EDITORS NOTE

We at the Biograph hope that youve all had a wonderful fall semester. As always, we
would like to thank our faculty advisor, Dean McBeth, and all who have contributed to
this current issue. This issue has a variety of topics to offer: the AMSA fall conference,
the Sophie Davis auction, an exclusive interview with our very own Dr. Dorn, a feature
article on gene therapy, Vision Latinas Fall Soccer Kick-Off, and an Op-Ed on medical
school curriculums. The Biograph has new members and contributors, and we would like
to welcome them all to our growing family. Were looking forward to all of your future
contributions! Have a wonderful break everyone!
2015-16 Biograph E-Board
If you would like to contribute to the Biograph, e-mail us at: sophiebiograph@gmail.com.
Also visit our website at http://www.sophiebiograph.com/

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS
Gabriella Schmuter
Caleb Garard
Loren Moon
Amaris Geisler
Richard Xia
Swati Patel
Muna Amadife

Club Advisor
Dani McBeth, Dean of Student Affairs
Executive Board
Monica Rizkalla, President/Editor-in-Chief
Sujith Maracheril, Vice President/Layout Editor-in-Chief
Tanzib Razzaki, Treasurer
Nora McNulty, Secretary
Article Editors
Jennifer Puthota
Sanya Goswami
Madona Gadalla
Nora McNulty, Chief Article Editor
Layout Editors
Samantha Calpo
Elizabeth Kim
WeB Design Editor
Joseph Kennedy

If you are interested in writing for the


Biograph or have any feedbacks/suggestions, please contact us at
sophiebiograph@gmail.com
Check out our website:
http://www.sophiebiograph.com
For any updates and archived issues!

CLUBS & ACTIVITIES

AMSA Fall Conference: Raising Awareness of the Sophie


Davis School of Biomedical Education


On November 14th, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) conducted their annual fall
conference and all AMSA chapters from around the
United States were invited. The event hosted physicians-in-training and presenters who came together
from all over the nation to share their ideas about improving the quality of health care. This day was especially important because, among the schools that
were represented, Sophie Davis was given an opportunity to represent itself through Sophie students who
facilitated narrative medicine group discussions. The
group discussions allowed for the students to showcase their strengths as well as discover the extent of talents
among other medical students.

The theme was Humanity at the Heart of Health Care. Under the umbrella of this theme, the day was divided
into four paths, each focused on a particular topic. The first was Social Justice in Health Care, which addressed the
underlying operation of institutional racism within the health care system. The second was Empathetic Communication Skills, which was about transforming health care by listening to the narratives patients and care providers
give. The third path was Technology, Innovation, and Compassionate Care, which looked at both the untapped
potential of and the limitations of our technological innovations in healthcare and the need to maintain humanism
and ethics at the forefront of medical care. The last path was entitled Your Journey to Residency, which focused on
match-to-residency programs and the shift to competency-based education within residency programs.


Under the empathetic communications skills pathway, Sophie Davis facilitators (Khalid Awwal, Diana Yusim,
Soberjot Singh, Mary Anne Marshall, Victoria Twito, Jennifer Puthota, and John Mancini) all -lead workshops
centering on listening to the narrative of the patient. They used tactics such as drawing, reflective writing, and
group discussion to reflect on the interaction between the patient and physician and, more specifically, trying to
help their audience recognize that the motive for the patient coming into a hospital or clinic may or may not align
with what the doctor believes their motives to be, which needs to be considered before administering medical care.
It is up to the doctor to listen to the patients concerns, challenges, hopes, and desires to properly treat their patient.
These ideas are especially important for prospective physicians to build awareness of the grievances patients have
regarding the medical community and to understand the existing barriers and tactics that can be used to effectively
communicate with the patient and alleviate their concerns.

John Mancini reflected on his experience at the conference, saying, It was an amazing experience. It made
me realize how privileged I am to attend Sophie Davis, where integrating the importance of humanities and interpersonal care in medicine is part of our everyday curriculum. I was a nineteen-year-old mentor in a room full of
people in their mid-twenties, yet I felt, in the realm of Narrative Medicine, I was among the most knowledgeable.
Thats privilege.


While there were a lot of great presenters there at the AMSA workshop, Sophie Davis students were able to
use knowledge from Health, Medicine, and Society and Narrative Medicine courses to really stand out. This opportunity allowed for Sophie Davis to promote their name and to raise awareness.
Next year, the Sophie Davis chapter of AMSA is looking forward to hosting the event. Make sure to join AMSA
and get in on the action!
Caleb Garard
Second Year

OP-ED

Healing the Healer



The standard medical school curriculum includes: biomedical sciences, gross anatomy, physiology,
and, a hidden component, stress, lots of it. Thankfully, within our Sophie Davis curriculum, additional
classes such as Health and Medicine in Society, Practice of Medicine, and Biomedical Ethics help us to identify and address the topic of stress, but, within these classes, we focus more on the stress incurred by the
the doctor.
doctor.
patient,not
no the

As medical students and future physicians, we learn to treat stress in others, yet fail to acknowledge
our own stress. We neglect our own health while improving the health of others. Medical students often
disregard sleep, meals, exercise, and recreation, deciding the time would be better used studying. The neverending workload leads students to suffer from anxiety, depression, burnout, fatigue, emotional exhaustion,
loss of confidence, and stress. We aim to help patients create a stress-free environment for themselves, while
simultaneously creating a stress-filled environment for us; this cycle does not make sense. But, compounded
on the fact that medical students feel overwhelmed and anxious, as a result of the stigma around mental illness, students often fail to seek help. Additionally, some students are afraid to admit they are experiencing
these stressors since the stakes are so high in the competitive medical school environment when, in reality,
many of their classmates share their same feelings. Instead of seeking proper help, some students, unfortunately, find outlets in risky behavior including substance abuse, and, in more severe cases, suicide. The
American Medical Association (AMA) reports that the rate of suicide is twice as high in medical students
as compared to the general population. It is reported that during medical school, 50% of students experience burnout and 10% of students contemplate suicide. About 30% of medical students screen positive for
depression, yet most fail to seek treatment due to the stigma around mental illness.

Students, in addition to fear of diagnosis, fear falling behind with their already heavy workload. With
such a large amount of information to learn within the span of four years, medical students are required
to absorb an immense body of knowledge. The stress of this workload results in a higher percentage of the
use of alcohol, tranquilizers, and psychedelics among medical students. Substance dependence rates are at
around 5% and abuse rates only tend to increase with advancement through medical school. It is unfortunate to find that many whose job it is to prevent smoking and drug abuse are dependent on tobacco and
other drugs themselves. The heavy burden the workload puts on the medical student contributes to poor
overall physical and mental health, creating a generations of potentially unhealthy doctors.

One medical student once complimented another on his study habits and immense medical knowledge. Instead of thanking him, the student only expressed his fears of failing and feelings of stress. Compliments turned to mutual support as the two medical students were relieved to find they shared the same
feelings and anxieties over their school work. As medical students, it is important to communicate our concerns and doubts that contribute to stress. Supporting others and receiving that same support in return can
help to alleviate anxiety felt by our school as a whole. By creating an open environment conducive to conversation around mental health, stigma around mental illness and other stressors will dissipate.
The medical school journey should not be a lonesome one. As medical students and future physicians, it
is important to learn that it is possible to help others without hurting oneself in the process. One cannot
heal
if they
areare
simultaneously
harming
thethe
healing
body.
health
if they
simultaneously
harming
healing
body.
Amaris Geisler, Third Year
and Richard Xia, Fourth Year

OP-ED

Gene Therapy: The Medicine of Tomorrow?


Have you ever thought about
what makes you, biologically, who you
have come to be? The smallest thing
that makes you as you currently are
your genes or, more specifically, your
DNA. Genes are microscopically small,
yet so incredibly powerful. What happens when your genes are changed and
they are not as they should be? Gene
mutations are the result of these alterations in your DNA and around
four-thousand diseases can be traced
to gene mutations or disorders. Fourthousand genetic disorders means that
many people around the globe are affected, but, unfortunately, medical professionals, currently, cannot do much
to help these individuals other than to
attempt to alleviate symptoms. But, in
recent times, gene therapy has arose as
a new possibility for the millions with
genetic disorders around the globe: to
completely and permanently alleviate
their symptoms.

Gene Therapy? It sounds like
something out of a science fiction novel, but, with our recent advancements
in technology, it is not surprising we
are able to alter genes. Although gene
therapy has the potential to revolutionize modern medicine, it is a rela-

tively new form of treatment still in the


experimental stage. With gene therapy
research being conducted in over thirty-one countries around the globe in
over two-thousand ongoing clinical
trials. Gene therapy can potentially
impact millions of people, with current candidates for gene therapy trials
including patients suffering from cancer, AIDS, Cystic Fibrosis, Parkinsons
disease, Alzheimers disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrigs
disease), cardiovascular disease, and
arthritis.

So, how exactly does gene therapy work? Gene therapy involves the
transplantation of normal genes into
cells in the place of missing or mutated
genes and can be done either in-vivo
or ex-vivo. In ex-vivo treatments, DNA
destined for a particular target cell is
modified outside the patients body
and then, after modification, is transplanted into the patient. In-vivo therapy is slightly more complex and often
carried out using vectors that can carry
the correct genetic sequence to target
cells. Viral vectors are more commonly
employed in in-vivo gene therapy research because they can more effectively insert their DNA into the DNA

of other cells. The cells that have the


corrected DNA from the vector produce proper proteins that restore the
cell to normal functioning.

However, gene therapy is not entirely positive; there are side effects to
this treatment such as an immune response to the transplanted cells and viral vectors. In addition to the immune
system response to foreign invaders,
many of the in-vivo treatments are not
able to reach the specific target cell immediately and genes, as a result, can be
replaced in the wrong location, which
may result in disorders that span the
entire body.

With the emergence of gene therapy, there has also been a rise in the
ethical conflict surrounding the subject. Somatic cell gene therapy, which
alters the body cells, can create changes in that individual and will not create
change that can be passed on through
generations. Germline therapy, however, involves the alteration of genetic
sequences in eggs and sperm and, thus,
causes generational change, making it
a topic of conflict. Somatic cell therapy
only targets a certain number of cells,
just enough to correct the problem
within the individual. But, germline
gene therapy would result in genetic
changes that, although not readily apparent within said individual, could be
present in every single cell of the body
in the following generation of said individuals family. The insertion of partial or multiple copies of genes would
be even more lethal for the future as
it would affect every cell in the childs
body, not just the gametes of the parent.

That leaves a question that may
be left unanswered for many years: Do
the potential benefits of gene therapy
outweigh the risks?
Swati Patel
First Year

FEATURE

Faculty Interview with Dr. Dorn


(continued)


Also, I have always been very athletic and enjoy taking walks with my
family. So, besides heart disease, my
other love is physical activity. Being
physically active is a great way to enjoy
good health. Including physical activity
in my research seemed like a natural extension from being an athlete to a teacher
to studying how it helps us be healthy.

Ithaca College in physical education, my


masters degree is from State University
of New York College at Cortland in exercise physiology, and my Ph.D. is from
The University at Buffalo in Epidemiology and Community Health.

How would you compare what it


was like being a college student
among other students to what it
is like now working with college
students?


I learned a lot from my peers and
If you could change one thing
colleagues as a student and I still learn a
about your college years, what
lot from students today. Young people are
would it be?
bright and have been exposed to so much
What has been the most signifiby the time they get to college. I have to
cant or rewarding moment of

I would have taken more chances
be on top of my game just to be able to
your career thus far?
and gotten more involved in campus life. offer something more. The challenges are
I went home too much because, as an
different. As a college student, I had to

Seeing students of mine become
only child, I was very close to my parents. make sure that I learn, but now I have to
successful and do things they never
And, also, my boyfriend, who is my hus- make sure that our students learn.
thought they could do. To be there when band for almost forty years now, was also
the lightbulb goes on and they realize
there. I would go home back to Buffalo
What do you think differentiates
they have just done something really
frequently on the weekend.
Sophie students from other colgreat. To see young people reach their

Those were my choices then, but,
lege kids?
potential is for sure the highlight.
as I watch young people now and as I
watched my own daughter when she was
I have been in academia for a really
As a child, what did you want to
in college experiencing so much more
long time, but I have never seen a group
be?
than just coursework, I think, if I would of students so true to themselves, so
have done anything, I would have exdedicated and hardworking, so passion
I wanted to be an astronaut the
plored more out of my comfort zone.
ate about what they do, and probably
first lady astronaut. When I was a little

I also would not have worried so
the scariest part so smart for only havgirl, I remember going to the school
much about my grades; it turned out
ing seventeen or eighteen years on this
auditorium to watch John Glenn launch they do not really matter. What matters is Earth. I was on the Admissions Commitinto space and I thought, Oh, I rewhat I learned.
tee last spring, and I saw that students
ally want to do that! But, I get sick on
who applied to Sophie Davis were not
amusement rides, so I figured out pretty What are some major differences only book smart, but also understanding
quickly that I was not going to do well up between your experience as a col- of the challenges of todays society. The
there! I needed to stay on the ground.
lege student and how the college students are the reason I came to Sophie
experience is now?
Davis. They are passionate and true to
Where are you originally from?
the mission of the School.

The major difference is technology.

I was born in Niagara Falls, NY
We had very little when I was an underWhat was the funniest moment
and I grew up in a suburb of Buffalo
graduate student. We did not have peryouve had with Sophie students?
called Williamsville. I have spent most of sonal computers, cell phones, and we had
my life in New York State except for the
maybe two or three TV stations. Tech
The funniest moment was actually
last three and a half years when I was in
nology has changed the way students
involving a high school student who was
Atlanta.
learn and has tremendously increased
attending the Summer Pipeline program.
access to information! It has also reduced She was terrified of dogs, but eventually
Do you have any siblings?
the need to memorize important facts
worked up the courage to pet my dog
and enhanced the need to become critiMillie. Her reaction to her own success in

I have no siblings I am an only
cal thinkers.
overcoming her fears was both funny and
child and I have one daughter.

It has also changed the way stutouching. She was very excited but more
dents get to know and interact with each importantly quite proud of herself. That
Where did you go to college?
other. While it has helped students stay
was a joy to see!
What did you study?
in touch and communicate quickly, just

She returned just last month and
like email, technology has also reduced
participated in our Saturday morning

My bachelors degree came from
interpersonal interactions.
Walk with a Future Doc program (where

FEATURE
Millie is a regular participant). Again, she
made me laugh as she approached Millie and was still pretty excited about her
comfort with petting a dog.
Speaking of Walk with a Future
Doc, can you tell me more about
it and why students should be a
part of it?

Walk with a Future Doc at Sophie
Davis is the first of its kind in the United
States. It is patterned after a national
initiative called Walk with a Doc. Walk
with a Doc was started in Ohio by Dr.
David Sabgir. He started it on a Saturday
morning with his patients. Together they
would walk, talk, and enjoy each others
company. Walk with a Doc has grown
across the country, with groups walking
in almost every state as well as internationally. But, walking is only the vehicle;
it is really about developing relationships,
social support, making new friends, and
physicians and patients talking with each
other out of the office.

The health benefits of physical activity are well known, yet many
Americans do not even get the minimal
amount recommended. What better way
to help people be more physically active
than to create opportunities to walk and
talk with future physicians from their
own community? The community walks
and our students get to interact with our
neighbors and learn that, just by walking
and talking with people, they can make
them feel better. The hope is that Sophie
Students will embrace this program and
carry it with them as they go on to be
Primary Care physicians.
What is CHASM and what is its
purpose?

CHASM is the Department of
Community Health and Social Medicine.
It is a department that trains our students
to have a solid understanding of the
many factors that impact health. It has
been said, Your zip code may be more
important to your heath than your genetic code. The conditions in which we
live explain in part why some of us are
healthier than others and why all Americans are not as healthy as they could

be. Our health depends on where we


are born, grow up, live, work, and grow
old. In our courses and our research, we
emphasize the importance of the community in the health and well-being of
its citizens. We focus our work on where
people live, learn, work, play, and pray,
with the ultimate goal of achieving health
equity for all.
What can 2nd year students expect to get out of their summer
experience?

The unexpected! What students get
from their field training experiences are
things that are not in a textbook, online,
or in the literature. It is a hands on interaction with clients or patients, medical
staff and agency administrators, or family
members of patients, in a variety of settings in the community that they might
not be thinking about when pursuing
medical school training.

The field training is a chance for
students to interact with people inside
and outside the health care system during the summer when they are not being
challenged by other course requirements
and exams. Students dive right in and become part of the fabric of an institution.
They get a chance to see real life experiences and learn how to work with people
they never imagined working with. For
example, last year, one of the students
who was placed in an agency that served
senior citizens was surprised how much
she enjoyed her experience. At first, this
was not her favorite agency, but, by the
end of the training, she remarked how
very glad she was to have had that experience.
When youre not working, what is
your favorite thing to do?

Spend time with my family. I also
really like to run and feel very lucky to
have beautiful paths along the Hudson
River and Central park nearby!
What is your favorite movie?

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989) with Chevy Chase. It is re-

ally old, but the reason I like it is because,


ever since my daughter was a little girl,
we would watch it the day after Thanksgiving. It is tradition now.
What is your favorite place?

My favorite place is generally
where I am. If I were to take a vacation, I
would have to say Bermuda would be my
first choice.
What was the happiest day of
your life?

April 6th, 1984 my daughters
birthday. And, of course, every day after
that became happier and happier.
In one or two words, how would
your friends and family describe
you?

Caring and passionate... intense.

What do you think is the most important virtue in life?


Honesty.
Where do you see yourself in 10
years?

I will be in my 70s then. I will still
be working somewhere I cannot imagine myself not working. I would love to
think I will have a grandchild, but I really
just see myself near my daughter and my
husband.
If there is one piece of advice you
would give all Sophie Davis students, what would it be?


Stay open minded, because you
never know where your life will take you.
I think about all the times I said Never,
for instance, I will never live in Atlanta and I will never live in New York
City and look where I am. So stay
open minded, be flexible, and see where
life takes you.
Muna Amadife
First Year

Clubs & Activities

Going Once! Going Twice!


Sold! The Annual Sophie Davis Fifth Year Auction
took place on November 6th in the Harris Hall Lounge
and, once again, it was an unforgettable event. A week
after Halloween festivities, Sophie Davis students dressed
in elaborate and imaginative costumes, put on a performance, and strut down the catwalk to blasting music as
competing audience members bid for a chance to win
the students presenting. Students from all years of Sophie
Davis competed and some students were bid off for hundreds of dollars with the money raised from the event going toward fifth years funds for future Sophie events. Most
students found themselves auctioned off in groups, but
there were a number of brave individuals who conquered
and fearlessly owned the catwalk themselves.

With performances including students in the first year to their fifth year of Sophie Davis, the auction featured
some of Sophies most talented, physically-exceptional, and hysterical students. Beloved first-year class representative,
Peter Ko, kicked off the night strutting
as he strutand
anddancing
danced his way down the catwalk to the popular K-Pop single, Gangnam
Style. A number of equally great acts followed, including first-year students who chose to show off their physiques,
dressing as body-builders, firemen, and policemen, as well as other students who incorporated Game of Thrones or
Duvalsaint
Pirate themes into their presentation to the audience. The winner for best costume of the night was
wentPascale
to Pascale
Saint
whose impressive makeup and style at the event would easily pass her off as Drake on the streets of New York.
Sophie Davis students hope the Fifth Year Auction will continue to be a Sophie Davis tradition and raise more money
as students are further encouraged to participate and develop the annual event.
Gabriella Schmuter
First Year

Vision Latinas Soccer Kick-Off


On Tuesday, October 27th, Sophie Davis most promising athletes participated in
the Annual Fall Kickoff, a soccer tournament hosted by the Sophie Davis Chapters of Vision Latina and the Student National Medical Association. The event was a great success
with student athletes playing for and viewers cheering for the best teams to ever grace the
floor of the Marshak gym. A grand total of three teams entered, each vying for bragging
rights and the chance to hold the title of the greatest Sophie Davis soccer team for the
2015-2016 year. So, of course, this was a huge deal for everyone playing.
Before reviewing the tournament itself, I need to mention the food. No Sophie Davis event is complete without food and the Fall
Kickoff was no exception. Event-goers were treated to all-you-can-eat sub sandwiches and, believe me when I say it was all-youcan-eat. We may have taken because, in hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to eat that many sandwiches just before playing.

The three teams playing for Sophie Davis glory, two freshman teams and one upperclassmen team, played a round-robin
tournament, where every team faced one another to build up a number of points to be crowned the ultimate Sophie Davis soccer team. Each team played two games with a classic soccer scoring system, meaning the winning team of the match received 3
points, the losing team gained zero points, and teams that drew scored one point each.

In the end, one freshman team took the entire tournament with six points, going undefeated after winning both of their
games. The upperclassmen took one win from the tournament, earning three points, while the second freshmen lost both of their
games, but not for lack of trying.

Regardless of who won, the event was a great success and enjoyable to both the players and spectators. Hopefully, the success of this event will translate in to future athletic events at Sophie Davis.
Congratulations to those who one and good game to all who played!

Loren Moon
First Year

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen