The Arch
summer/fall 2012 edition • physical assistant studies division college of health professions • medical university of south carolina
WHITE COAT CEREMONY Smiles shined as brightly as the warm sunshine when 65 Physician Assistant Studies students from the class of 2013 were formally presented with their white coats on July 20, 2012. This cohort began their intense studies in May 2011 and are now ready to embark on the clinical phase of their education working with physicians and other health care professionals to hone their craft to a higher level. Congratulatory words of wit and wisdom were shared with the class by Dr. Lisa Saladin, Professor and Dean of the College of Health Professions; Dr. David Garr, Executive Director of the South Carolina AHEC, Professor and Associate Dean for Community Medicine; and Hyman Fowler, President of the MUSC Physician Assistant Studies class or 2012. The class of 2013 has come a long way in their quest to becoming licensed PAs. This ceremony recognized their passage into the final phase of their studies where they will develop the full complement of skills necessary to provide quality health care throughout the nation and world. Congratulations to the class of 2013!
Metz Retires The end of the this school year saw the retirement of one of the programs most recognized and loved of its faculty, Mr. Arnold Metz, MA, PA-C. Mr. Metz joined the MUSC Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) faculty in 1996 and over the years has served in the capacity of Program Director and most recently as Director of Admissions, in which capacity he provided thoughtful guidance to thousands of interested students. He taught in many courses but is probably best remembered as expert instructor for Physical Diagnosis and Clinical Applications, a course series that teaches PAS students many of the basic skills for hands-on patient evaluation and treatment. His calm and wise counsel as well as his friendliness to all will be missed.
INSIDE
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Class of 2012
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SCAPA Fall Conference
2 What Legacy Will You Leave?
The Arch
page 2
summer/fall 2012 edition • physical assistant studies division
CLASS OF 2012 On Friday, August 17, 2012, 58 physician assistant studies students received their diplomas after completing 27 intensive months of education. These remarkable individuals entered the program in May of 2010 with an interest in medicine and a desire to help others achieve a healthy life. On this day in August they completed a process which gives them the skills and knowledge to help the citizens of South Carolina and beyond achieve and maintain health. These graduates will work in fields as diverse as general surgery and neurosurgery, internal medicine and pediatrics, psychiatry and cardiology. Dr. Lisa Saladin, Dean of the MUSC College of Health Professions, encouraged the graduates to keep the needs of their patients foremost among their goals. Dr. J. Herman Blake, MUSC’s Inaugural Humanities Scholar in Residence, asked
the graduates to always keep the 4 key goals of biomedical ethics in mind: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Ms. Rebecca Zerwick, MSPAS, PA-C, President of the South Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants, underscored the importance of each PA becoming an active contributor to the growth and development of the PA profession by helping to educate legislators and others to the contributions which PAs currently make and have the potential to make in supporting the health of our nation. Through their time in the Physician Assistant Program, the graduates of 2012 have proven themselves to be astute health care providers as well as compassionate humanitarians. The Division of Physician Assistant Studies and the College of Health Professions are proud of our fine graduates.
SCAPA FALL CME CONFERENCE SCAPA will again host its fall conference at the Wild Dunes Resort on the Isle of Palms, SC. The conference will take place October 7 – 11, 2012 and present 52 hours of continuing medical education. Guest lecturers will cover the full spectrum of medical specialties and numerous workshops will be offered; BLS and ACLS recertification, coding, joint aspirations and steroid injections, basic suturing, basic radiology, basic and intermediate EKG, and ER/Urgent care update. This conference will be a great opportunity to learn some more medicine, update your current knowledge, see old friends, meet new people, and get a little R&R. http://www.scapapartners.org
What Legacy Will You Leave? We all desire significance – to lead happy and fulfilled lives surrounded by family and friends. And for many of us, there is a compelling need to make a difference – to leave a lasting impact on the people most dear to us and the world in which we live. The search for significance and desire to plan for the future leads many to ponder their legacy. What kind of legacy will you leave? A bequest is perhaps the easiest and most tangible way to have a lasting impact on the people and organizations that mean the most to you. And a bequest may be an effective way to make a gift and lessen the burden of taxes on your family and on your estate. To learn more about how you can leave your legacy, please contact Leslie Brady, Director of Development at (843) 792-8547 or bradyl@musc.edu to have a confidential conversation. Click here for more information.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please send us your comments, compliments or concerns! Contact: Lauren Melton Dickerson meltonl@musc.edu
Office of Development | College of Health Professions | 843.792.9134 | http://www.musc.edu/chp