2018_Digest_No2

NUMBER 2

2018–2019

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

BEHIND THE

WHITE COAT RECLAIMING JOY IN THE ART OF HEALING

FEATURE

VOL. 79, NO. 2, USPS, 413-060 Digest Magazine is produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications under the direction of Wendy W. Romano, chief marketing and communications officer.

EDITOR Jennifer Schaffer Leone, MA PUBLICATION DESIGN Abigail Harmon CONTRIBUTORS – FEATURE Janice Fisher Katie Smith David McKay Wilson CONTRIBUTORS – UPDATES Renee Cree Barbara Myers CONTRIBUTORS – CLASS NOTES Institutional Advancement Staff Meghan McLaughlin PHOTOGRAPHY – COVER Melissa Kelly PHOTOGRAPHY Bruce Fairfield Heather Fuller Photography Kathryn Hyslop Photography | KHP Creative Ben Jenkins Cheryl Kaiser Melissa Kelly Photography Daniel Shippey Anthony Stalcup Wilson Studio of Fine Photography SEND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT DIGEST MAGAZINE TO: Marketing and Communications, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 4180 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695 215-871-6300 communications@pcom.edu SEND INFORMATION FOR CLASS NOTES AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Institutional Advancement, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine 4180 City Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19131-1695 215-871-6120 alumni@pcom.edu

Dear Alumni and Friends, The practice of medicine can exact a toll—a loss of enthusiasm and satisfaction for one’s work, an increase in detachment, emotional exhaustion, cynicism. Burnout manifests in high rates of depression, substance abuse and suicide.

According to Medscape’s 2018 National Physician Burnout and Depression Report, over 40 percent of physicians report they are burned out. Nearly two-thirds say they feel burned out, depressed or both. And annually, in the United States alone, some 400 physicians take their own lives.

Let those statistics sink in.

The problem of physician burnout is indeed complex and there is no easy solution.

Periodical postage is paid at Upper Darby, PA, and at additional mailing offices.

This issue of Digest Magazine contemplates the issue of burnout by artistically moving “behind the white coat.” In the feature, alumni impart their personal struggles to regain what is being lost in the daily practice of patient care and to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Other articles center on potential remedies for burnout; one introduces the genre of narrative medicine, which employs the arts and humanities to refocus medicine and medical education. Another article focuses on positive psychology and a pilot program, A Happier You, created by Scott Glassman, PsyD ’13, associate director, MS in Mental Health Counseling, and a PCOM alumnus.

Opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by the College or the editor.

Important considerations for all of us in the healthcare profession/business of educating future healthcare professionals . . .

DIGEST

© 2018 Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

All rights reserved.

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Jay S. Feldstein, DO ‘81 President and Chief Executive Officer

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

C O NT E N TS 2 Updates 10 Behind the White Coat:

Reclaiming Joy in the Art of Healing

26 Reclaiming Joy in the Art

of Healing: Unfolding Empathy Through Stories

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28 Reclaiming Joy in the

Art of Healing: Building Habits of Positivity

30 Class Notes

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UPDATES

PCOM WELLNESS FEST BRINGS OSTEOPATHIC PHILOSOPHY TO THE COMMUNITY On September 22, PCOM held its first-ever community Wellness Fest, title sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.

PCOM students, faculty and staff welcomed nearly 600 members of the surrounding community to the Philadelphia campus for a day of free food, health screenings and fun for the entire family.

In addition, attendees learned about healthy meals through cooking demonstrations, learned about chronic health issues from PCOM faculty and alumni, and enjoyed live entertainment and a variety of meal options from local food trucks.

“PCOM Wellness Fest allowed us to open our campus up to the community to educate them about the whole person approach to wellness that comprises the osteopathic philosophy,” says Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and chief executive officer. “When we focus on the health of the community, we improve health outcomes for the individual.”

Proceeds raised from Wellness Fest sponsors will benefit PCOM Healthcare Centers, which provide care to underserved populations in Philadelphia and rural Pennsylvania and serve as training sites for PCOM students. All told, this year’s event raised more than $220,000.

PHARMACY RESIDENCY PARTNERSHIP BEGINS In July, two PCOM School of Pharmacy graduates began a postgraduate year one (PGY-1) pharmacy practice residency, as part of a new partnership between the PCOM School of Pharmacy in Suwanee, Georgia, and Wellstar North Fulton in Roswell, Georgia.

Lauren Avery, PharmD ’18, and Irandokht Khaki, PharmD ’18, were selected for the 12-month program, which will prepare them to practice in a variety of patient care clinical settings, as well as in academia.

The PGY-1 residency program builds on educational outcomes from doctor of pharmacy programs, while contributing to the development of clinical pharmacists who will be responsible for medication-related care of patients with a wide range of conditions. This training prepares residents for board certification and for PGY-2 pharmacy residency training.

The program operates under the direction of Residency Program Director Samuel John, PharmD, BCPS, an associate professor, pharmacy practice, at PCOM School of Pharmacy.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

CRAVER NAMED VICE PROVOST– GEORGIA PCOM has named H. William Craver III, DO ’87, as vice provost—Georgia, in addition to his roles as dean of the Georgia osteopathic medicine program and chief academic officer at GA–PCOM. In his new capacity, Dr. Craver will assist in the oversight, management and operations of all Georgia academic activity, especially related to cross-campuses and cross-programmatic units such as student affairs, the research division and professional development.

“It is an honor to be asked to take on this position,” Dr. Craver says. “Being able to help with the growth and development of the many academic programs, new campuses, new programs and new beginnings is exciting. I can think of no greater personal fulfillment than to be able to help contribute to one’s alma mater.”

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UPDATES

PCOM SOUTH GEORGIA CONTINUES PROGRESS

Progress continues on the development of PCOM South Georgia, an additional location of PCOM in Moultrie, Georgia.

From construction, to faculty and staff hiring, to student interviews, to accreditation proceedings, the new osteopathic medical campus is rapidly moving toward an August 2019 start date.

Construction of the 75,000-square-foot PCOM South Georgia facility has been underway since May 2018, with JCI Contractors of Moultrie serving as the general contractor. More than 90 percent of the subcontractors working on the project are local to the region.

In April 2018, a groundbreaking ceremony was held—bringing a broad cross-section of some 500 of South Georgia’s healthcare, education, development, political and community leadership together to celebrate the establishment of PCOM’s additional location.

In May 2018, Michael J. Sampson, DO, FAOASM, was named the chief academic officer and associate dean, while Joanne

Jones, a 33-year veteran of PCOM, was appointed to serve as the campus officer. Marla Golden, DO ’88, FAOCP, was named the full-time director of clinical education, covering both the South Georgia region and the Jacksonville, Florida, areas.

Teaching faculty are interviewing for positions, while admissions representatives are making visits across the region. At the end of September, the Office of Admissions had received more than 4,000 applications for the inaugural 55-member DO student body.

Accreditation for the additional location, under the purview of the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, is progressing for the Moultrie location, with a site visit planned for February 13–15, 2019. All in all, the project is moving full speed ahead so that the class of 2023 will be off to a smooth start on August 12, 2019.

SAMPSON, JONES TO LEAD PCOM SOUTH GEORGIA Michael J. Sampson, DO, FAOASM, has been named associate dean and chief academic officer, PCOM South Georgia. Dr. Sampson previously served as associate dean for clinical integration, clinical education coordinator, director of the Simulation Center, and as an associate professor of family/sports medicine at GA–PCOM. Joanne Jones, MBA, has been named campus officer, PCOM South Georgia. Ms. Jones’ most recent experience includes serving as the executive director of PCOM’s MEDNet and as the College’s designated institutional official to ensure that all residency programs under PCOM’s authority adhere to compliance standards of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Under the direction of Dr. Sampson, Ms. Jones is responsible for directing the school’s operational, non-academic activities.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

communities amazing dedicated

A new elective at PCOM focusing on Medical Spanish aims to train students to overcome language and cultural barriers that can make communication difficult between non-Spanish-speaking physicians and their Spanish-speaking patients.

The online course for third- and fourthyear DO students is designed to teach not only common words and phrases but also some of the cultural issues that can play a role in a Spanish-speaking patients’ health.

“There have been studies that demonstrate the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care,” says Beth Vitucci, DO ’10, course director for the Medical Spanish elective and director of osteopathic education at Suburban Community Hospital in Norristown, Pennsylvania. “This course not only teaches Medical Spanish but also helps prepare students to become culturally competent physicians.”

The online course, which was the initial idea of alumna Anne Marie Kennedy, DO ’16 (then a student), teaches vocabulary and grammar, but also listening skills in the form of video vignettes or “telenovelas.” Students are tested throughout the course and, at the end, participate in a virtual patient encounter with a standardized patient (SP).

Since its launch in 2017, more than 200 students on both the Philadelphia and Suwanee campuses have taken part. Amanda

humanistic

sano

la medicina

benigno

diabetes

healers

care

A BILINGUAL APPROACH TO HEALTH

assistance la obesidad holistic

nutrition la emergencia help el corazon

Scott (DO ’19) says that she realized how helpful the course could be while on a subrotation in PCOM’s Family Medicine program.

“I saw a patient who had diabetes and spoke only Spanish,” says Ms. Scott. “He had moved to the U.S. but didn’t understand that his medication never transferred over, so he wasn’t taking anything to manage his diabetes. I was able to explain to him why his insulin was so important and how to check his blood sugar.

“When these patients come to see you, they’re already nervous and vulnerable, and they don’t understand what you’re saying,” she continues. “But once you can speak to them in their own language, you can see them relax physically. As a physician, you can miss so much without that connection.”

Dr. Vitucci says she and the team in the Office of Clinical Education are looking to expand the popular program with more Spanish-speaking SPs and in-person SP encounters. Operation of the Medical Spanish elective is funded by the Judith Pell Weinberger Endowed Fund for Medical Spanish.

NEW ACADEMIC STRUCTURE, NEW SCHOOLS As part of PCOM’s recent academic restructuring, the institution has formed two new schools: the PCOM School of Health Sciences and the PCOM School of Professional and Applied Psychology.

The new schools join the PCOM College of Osteopathic Medicine, which encompasses the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine programs across all campuses and locations; and the PCOM School of Pharmacy.

The PCOM School of Professional and Applied Psychology brings together all of the College’s psychology and leadership graduate programs under one roof, while the PCOM School of Health Sciences brings the College’s health sciences graduate and doctoral programs together.

Robert A. DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP, and Gregory McDonald, DO ’89, were chosen as the deans for the PCOM School of Professional and Applied Psychology and the PCOM School of Health Sciences, respectively. Dr. McDonald previously served as the head of forensic medicine and pathology, and as the medical director for the Physician Assistant Studies program. Dr. DiTomasso had served as the chair of the Department of Psychology for more than 14 years.

“The restructuring is intended to strengthen academic offerings within the college and schools, to continue to enhance professional collaboration in PCOM’s teaching and research missions, and encourage a shared vision for excellence in interprofessional education, clinical work and scientific discoveries,” says Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, provost, senior vice president of academic affairs and dean. “The deans will have the structure they need to achieve success and potentially grow or expand offerings within their schools.”

Dr. DiTomasso

Dr. McDonald DIGEST 2018

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UPDATES

ACGME ACCREDITATION UPDATE PCOM’s General Surgery Residency Program, led by Arthur J. Sesso, DO ’81, professor and chair, surgery, recently received continued accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which is in effect for the next 10 years. The program is the first osteopathic general surgery residency in the country to reach this status.

“What I’m most proud of is that now our residents can sit for their exams with the American Board of Surgery, which until recently has only been open to allopathic physicians,” says Dr. Sesso. “This means that our residents now have the opportunity to advance to the highest levels of the profession.”

In 2015, the General Surgery Residency Program was the first DO residency to achieve initial accreditation status.

Since then, seven of PCOM’s residency programs have applied for or have received pre- or initial accreditation status. PCOM’s Family Medicine Residency Program also received continued accreditation status earlier this year.

As part of the move toward a single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system, GME programs at all osteopathic medical schools must achieve initial ACGME accreditation by June 30, 2020, after which the American Osteopathic Association will cease to provide accreditation. Once preaccreditation status is achieved, each program will have until 2020 to modify its training to meet the ACGME’s requirements for full accreditation.

MEDICAL SIMULATION CONCENTRATION OFFERED AT GA–PCOM The Department of Bio-Medical Sciences in Georgia now offers a Medical Simulation concentration designed to teach students how to manage and effectively run a medical simulation center. Coursework consists of learning, developing, designing and running high-fidelity mannequins, a standardized patient program, virtual reality simulations and task trainers for GA–PCOM’s osteopathic medicine, physician assistant studies, pharmacy, physical therapy and biomedical sciences programs.

Students also work with area hospitals, colleges and fire departments building medical simulations to enhance local interprofessional training. Upon completion of the program, students will have the knowledge to serve as directors, managers and medical directors of simulation centers.

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

PCOM FORMS RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP WITH CANSORTIUM PCOM and Cansortium Holdings, LLC, have announced the formation of a partnership to conduct significant medical marijuana research in Pennsylvania. PCOM has been certified as an Academic Clinical Research Center by the state. Cansortium will apply for a clinical registrant license.

This partnership represents a new research collaboration dedicated to generating knowledge that further defines marijuana’s therapeutic applications.

Under Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana laws, partners are permitted to conduct extensive research on the pharmacology, biochemistry and long-term best practices for patients on medical marijuana regimens. PCOM’s team of investigators has developed a collaborative, interdisciplinary research program that will examine the impact of medical marijuana on physical and mental health, quality of life, chronic pain and opioid utilization and addiction. Results of these studies will be shared among researchers to accelerate the pace of evidence-based recommendations of medical marijuana for the treatment of specific conditions.

Participants will be recruited on a statistically sound basis for voluntary longitudinal studies across multiple conditions and disciplines. To support these efforts, Cansortium as the clinical registrant is permitted to open up to six retail dispensaries across the state to coordinate research efforts and dispense product directly to patients. Those facilities will also play a vital role as hubs for physician education and outreach programs.

ACCOLADES FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

This year, PCOM was honored for its efforts to increase diversity within the medical, health and science fields. INSIGHT into Diversity, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education, recognized the College with the 2018 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award. The award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

INSIGHT into Diversity also named the College a recipient of the prestigious 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award.

In addition, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education named PCOM a “Top 100 degree producer” for minority students. The College ranked first for the number of DO degrees awarded to AfricanAmerican students and to students of two or more races.

EDUCATION AS PREVENTION

Research suggests that chronic pain is a key factor associated with opioid misuse. A new program at PCOM, Community Partners in Fighting the Opioid Epidemic (CP-FOE), seeks to educate patients suffering from chronic pain about the dangers of opioid misuse and teach them how to manage their chronic pain through techniques common in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

“Roughly half of patients with chronic pain seek treatment through primary care, which makes those practices an ideal access point to identify those at highest risk for opioid misuse,” reports Scott Glassman, PsyD ’13, associate director of the Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program and creator of CP-FOE. As part of the educational program where the dangers of opioid misuse are discussed, patients in PCOM’s family medicine practices who suffer from chronic pain will take part in a survey to determine their perceived level of pain as well as whether any other risk factors for misuse are present. They will then learn specific CBT techniques that can help change their mindset about their pain, such as relaxation training and mindfulness.

A second arm of CP-FOE will focus on educating primary care practitioners on areas such as signs of opioid misuse, who can be most at risk for opioid misuse, having productive, patientcentered discussions about treatment options and where to send patients if they are in need of treatment.

“Opioid misuse prevention in primary care demands a multipronged approach that includes education, risk assessment and behavioral approaches to pain,” says Dr. Glassman.

“PCOM Perspectives,” a monthly podcast hosted

by Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and chief executive officer, focuses on news and events on campus, and news of the day through the PCOM lens. Listen and subscribe today on iTunes or SoundCloud.

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UPDATES

CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2018 PCOM graduated more than 800 health practitioners, behavioral health scientists and researchers at commencement ceremonies in Philadelphia and Suwanee. This year’s ceremonies marked the inaugural graduating classes for the Aging and Long-Term Care Administration program in Philadelphia, and the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program in Suwanee.

Of the inaugural PA Studies class, Jay S. Feldstein, DO ’81, president and chief executive officer, remarked: “You now join the ranks of the College’s proud physician assistant alumni— nearly 1,000—engaged in practice across the nation. We are so excited that, beginning with you, we are adding competent, caring physician assistants to the workforce with our southern communities’ best health interests at heart.”

DO STUDENT INSPIRED BY FIANCÉE’S MEDICAL SITUATION Kevin Guzman (DO ’19) has learned firsthand what it’s like to be a patient’s loved one—while undergoing medical school training.

Mr. Guzman’s fiancée, Alyssa Ouano, was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy a week before Mr. Guzman began his studies at GA–PCOM. Set to receive a donated kidney from her father, Ms. Ouano learned that her father had a mass in his organ and that the surgery would not be viable. Without a compatible donor, Ms. Ouano started dialysis the same week Mr. Guzman began orientation. Complications soon began, and Ms. Ouano was taken off the transplant list, continuing dialysis for two more years.

When Ms. Ouano became healthy enough to receive a donated kidney, Mr. Guzman researched the paired kidney exchange program. “Since we’re not compatible, they put my blood type and her blood type in a nationwide database, and every week they ran the program to find the best match possible,” Mr. Guzman explains. In March 2017, a match from Michigan was found. “In exchange for the matched kidney, I would donate my organ on her behalf to a separate family in Michigan. They would exchange to another family in California.”

At least ten families were matched down the chain.

The health crisis with a happy ending unfolded during a time that is often described by most medical students as very stressful.

Mr. Guzman will graduate in May and plans to specialize in internal medicine. His personal experiences, he is certain, will make him a better doctor. “I will always have Alyssa in mind when treating my patients. How would Alyssa feel if I neglected to ask them a question? I don’t take things that patients tell me for granted.”

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

PCOM HONORS FORMER BOARD CHAIR LOTMAN

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OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE STUDENTS

ENROLLMENT MILESTONE As of fall 2018, GA-PCOM observed its highest student enrollment in its 13-year history: 1,117 students in various doctoral and graduate programs. This marks significant growth since the campus’s start in 2005.

In November, the College unveiled a portrait—to hang in Evans Hall—of Herbert Lotman, LLD (Hon.), a food-industry pioneer, philanthropist, and former PCOM Board of Trustees chairman who passed away on May 8, 2014. The portrait serves to celebrate Mr. Lotman’s invaluable leadership of and contributions to the College.

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BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS

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PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES STUDENTS

367 PHARMACY STUDENTS

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PHYSICAL THERAPY STUDIES STUDENTS

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

B

B

BEHIND THE

WHITE COAT RECLAIMING JOY IN THE ART OF HEALING Vignettes as told to David McKay Wilson

WHITE CLOTHING REVEALS CHARACTER: CRISP, CLEAN, CAPABLE OF RIVETING ATTENTION. For the physician, the white coat is synonymous with the virtues of altruism, responsibility, duty, respect and compassion. It reminds physicians of their professional duties—as prescribed by Hippocrates— to lead their lives and practice their art in uprightness and honor.

So, if the white coat embodies an expectation (conscious or unconscious) of hope, what happens when the practice of medicine begins to exact a toll on the wearer?

In the feature that follows, nine practicing physicians—in their own voices—bare their jobs and the strategies they employ to relieve potential burnout. As they refocus, they reexamine the awe and wonder inherent in the art of healing.

DIGEST 2018

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

M Melissa Kelly Photography

MARCIN JANKOWSKI, DO ’05 Trauma Program Medical Director, Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “This job takes a toll. You have to assume that every patient that rolls through the front door is going to die. It is my job to make sure they don’t. . . . When you receive a patient with devastating injuries that they should die from, and you and your team save that patient, it’s one of the greatest feelings, ever. But to tell a family that their loved one has passed—that’s the lowest of the low. Though the words are coming out of your mouth as you educate the family about what happened, it’s the human aspect of it that never gets easier. No one teaches you this in medical school. You think about it driving home. You think about it at night. From the beginning to the end, you think of all the things you did, and the things you didn’t do. Were your actions all correct?

You also have to realize that you are a human being—that the folks you work with, the folks you treat and their families—they are all human beings. You have to realize that every member of your trauma team is doing his or her best, every single time. . . . As trauma surgeons, we often work 24-hour shifts, which makes the job physically and psychologically demanding. Twenty-four hours, on your feet, doing rounds, in the trauma bay, operating, seeing patients.

These patients are often young adults who may have had an accident while riding a bike or driving a car. They could be severely injured and bleeding to death. Then comes the time when you have to talk to the family, who, just a few minutes ago, had a son or daughter who was just fine, who isn’t fine at all right now. It’s constant. And it’s emotionally draining. . . . I need to refuel, refill my buckets—that’s what I say all the time. I replenish by maintaining balance in my life. . . . There was a time during my surgical training and my early career that my job was all that I thought about and focused on. I gained a lot of early success; however, I ignored the rest of my buckets. Now, I spend time with the love of my life, my family, my friends. I spend quality time with my boys, ages 8 and 11; their needs and passions tend to balance things quickly because they make me realize what’s truly important. I also work out; I swim, I run, I climb, I ski. I listen to music. I also have my religion. I grew up Roman Catholic; my spiritual and my religious roots remain a profound part of my life. . . . I am cognizant of the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of my life. Each is a bucket; I look within to track which is full or empty. When one nears empty, I fill it. I replenish each one by giving it the attention, time, energy and effort it requires. . . . It is important to decompress and disconnect from the everyday world. It is a must. For me, it took several unfortunate events in my life to finally force me to pause and reflect. By doing so, I came to understand the significance of keeping all my buckets full.”

DIGEST 2018

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

“My close friend in high school had bone cancer. She lived effortlessly with a prosthesis on her lower leg, which made me very sensitive to the fact that we don’t know what people are going through. She died during my first year in college. . . . My friend was strong, her situation unimaginable; how was I fortunate to grow up healthy? Her passing solidified my desire to help children with cancer. I wanted to give back. I followed that passion. . . . It’s definitely tricky, dealing with the young who are dying. You can’t completely immerse yourself in their suffering.

At the same time, it is absolutely imperative to remain compassionate. I had to remain a little detached, so I was clearly thinking of the best treatment for them. It was important to give myself time to be sad, too. . . .

My life was impacted by my patients and their families. I witnessed profound strength in them. They didn’t act as if nothing was wrong; rather, their strength was living with the waves of emotion, dealing with the unexpected, which with pediatric cancer can be the norm. . . . Personally, I found healthy

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outlets for physical activity to cope with stress. When my own children were older, I renewed my love of running. I signed up for half-marathons, just so I could have some time for myself and have a physical release of energy when there was so much emotional intensity. . . . In 2017, I transitioned from patient care to working for Seattle Genetics, developing and administering clinical trials for new treatments. More than half of my oncology patients had been on clinical trials or were treated by the protocols developed by trials. It got to a point where I wanted to do more than deliver the protocols and treat one patient at a time. I wanted to develop standards of care. I’m the only physician on a team with a project manager, programmers, biostatisticians and medical writers. At this point in my life, it feels like a way to have more impact. . . . My journey has taught me that there is always more evolution that we can have. I was just in Bangladesh, volunteering with MedGlobal, providing care to Rohingya refugees. After that experience, I’m looking to do more humanitarian care, which could include global pediatric oncology work. I’m thinking about the children with cancer overseas who don’t have access to the treatments. . . . I’m going with the progression. I’m sticking with the original plan: to provide care to people with cancer. I remain motivated to assisting those in the greatest despair who need help.

I am expecting the unexpected.”

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Ben Jenkins

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FAITH GALDERISI, DO ’01 Pediatric Hematologist/ Oncologist; Associate Medical Director, Seattle Genetics, Bothell, Washington

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KAREN E. ARSCOTT, DO ’86 Associate Professor of Medicine, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, Pennsylvania “At Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSoM), I enjoy teaching patient-centered medicine— making medical students aware of cultural biases and the ethics of medicine, teaching them how to interview a patient and conduct a physical exam. But after teaching for 15 years, I admittedly miss my patients and the physician/ patient connection. I tell my students that they are in the most wonderful profession because they have opportunities to make those special connections and that each connection is a gift. . . . Making connections can be hard, though, and they can lead to sadness and a sense of loss. The truth is, nobody gets out alive. Death is part of life. That’s part of the authenticity of human care we accept when we sign up to become physicians. . . . As an intern and a resident and then again as a hospitalist, I was often the physician who would come and sit by the bedside of a patient who was dying. I’d hold his or her hand. Is there a more moving experience than to be with a person when they pass? There is such an immensity to it. It never gets small for me. . . . I guess you can say that I’m grappling to find a balance between academic medicine and clinical practice. Six years ago, I started working—once a month— in a tuberculosis clinic, talking to patients, explaining to

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PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Cheryl Kaiser

BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

them what is going on with their disease. It helped with my desire to see patients—at least a little. . . .The opioid crisis has been building for many years and is going to demand a great deal of our focus for years to come. I first learned about the opioid crisis 15 years ago and started working to help educate parents in my area. I taught the family and addiction section of the Student Assistance Program for two counties. It was a natural fit for me to begin clinical work with people suffering from substance use disorder and so now I’m also working in a clinic to those patients. . . . At GCSoM, we have created a section of the first year where for four weeks the students are required to participate in some form of self-care or wellness at least one hour per week. These wellness sessions may be yoga, meditation spirituality, exercise, etc. My own self-care includes exercise. I was a runner for years. Now I walk for self-release. I’ve walked four marathons and six half marathons. I can walk a half marathon in three hours; it takes me six and a half hours to walk a marathon. . . . I have my own medical issues. In 2006, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. Sixteen months later, I had a recurrence. It was Stage 3, and I was given a 9 to 14 percent chance to live for five years. That was 11 years ago. During my recovery, I enrolled in a spinning class. When I would spin, I would close my eyes and pretend I was racing cancer. I always won. . . . Whatever you can do to boost yourself, do it. It’s a body–mind–spirit battle. I also pray a lot. I ask God to support me and give me strength to handle everything I need to get through. So far, that’s what I have gotten.”

“I’ve dealt with balancing a lot throughout my career— finding a balance between the demands of medicine, family and the military. I was mobilized five times, including four months in Iraq, where we cared for 20,000 detainees. I was fortunate. I did not see direct or intense combat. . . . I was forced to deal with stress as a child. I grew up as the son of a coal miner in Western Pennsylvania; my father was an abusive alcoholic. I learned to survive. . . . By the time I was 15, I was angry.

I hated life. At a youth service at my church, I decided I was done with hate. I said: ‘God, I surrender. My life is yours. I’m not going to hold this anger anymore.’ . . . My faith has served as a foundation for all I do. It’s very clear to me that God has used my past and my experiences to provide me with guidance and direction. I like to think I was called to be a physician. If you are called, you look

at your career differently. It’s not just a job. . . . My role as an osteopathic physician is to focus on the mind, body and spirit in patient care. I’m not afraid to ask my patients about their spiritual life. It’s a good thing to ask. . . . When I talk with patients who are in what looks like a hopeless situation, I think back to when I went through my divorce, with those real challenges and obstacles that I had before me. There seemed like no way out. I’d lost hope. It’s horrible to feel like you have no hope. I tell my patients: ‘While the situation may seem bleak, there’s always a choice. It might be a bad choice, but you are not stuck.’ And I encourage them to have faith. Currently, I am blessed to have the support of a wonderful wife and family. I could not continue this work without them. . . .

About a year ago, I came across a prayer written by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy. It reads, ‘Dear Lord, thou great physician: I kneel before thee.

Since every good and perfect gift must come from thee, I pray, give skill to my hand, clear vision to my mind, kindness and sympathy to my heart. Give me singleness of purpose, strength to lift at least a part of the burden of my suffering fellow man and a true realization of the privilege that is mine. Take from my heart all guile and worldliness that with the simple faith of a child I may rely on thee. Amen.’ The words resonate and comfort me. They have become my prayer.”

Kathryn Hyslop Photography | KHP Creative

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COL. RET. KARY JOHN SCHROYER, DO ’97 Associate Program Director, UPMC Horizon Family Medicine Residency; and Medical Director, New Horizons Drug Treatment Center, Farrell, Pennsylvania

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

“Eight weeks before I was to complete my residency, and 24 weeks into my pregnancy, I gave birth to twin boys—my miracle babies. One weighed 1 pound 3 ounces, the other was 1 pound 11 ounces. They were in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for three months. . . . After six weeks of healing from my C-section, I returned to complete my residency.

I’d already signed a contract to work at Avance Care, so once the boys were discharged from the NICU, my husband and I packed up to move from Pennsylvania to North Carolina with them. Life last summer was quite crazy. . . . Medicine, by its nature, makes it tough to raise a family. While more women today are becoming pregnant while building their medical careers, medical training has not traditionally been set up in a way to be supportive. The timing is off. The most intense period of your medical training is when you are supposed to start a family. I’m lucky that my residency program and current employer have supported me. Their support was profoundly important. It was the difference between my family being OK and my family not being OK. . . .

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I work in a family medicine group practice, with behavioral health specialists, nutritionists, with a full lab and X-ray services. We’re open seven days a week, which I think is a great model—especially if you are a doctor with young children. In any 14-day period, I’ll have six days off. This week I’ll work 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Next week it’s 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Such a schedule was important in the beginning because my sons needed so much intense health care early in their lives. The schedule allows me to have a work/life balance; when I get home, I turn off the doctor, and turn on the wife and mom without it having an impact on my job. I can’t imagine working 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day or taking 24-hour calls/ shifts. It makes me keenly aware of the difficulties that colleagues of mine go through. . . . There’s a lot of stress in the first year of a new job in medicine, but I think it would have been more stressful if I hadn’t done my residency training at the Crozer-Keystone Health System. The program did a good job of escalating our responsibilities as we moved through training. Though we were supervised, we were forced to get comfortable with making our own decisions. I’m not someone who readily likes to get outside my comfort zone. In hindsight, it was 100 percent the best thing for me and it set me up for success now.”

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Melissa Kelly Photography

COURTNEY HUDSON HINTON, DO’ 14/MBA Primary Care Family Physician, Avance Care, Wake Forest, North Carolina

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GREGORY MCDONALD, DO ’89 Dean, PCOM School of Health Sciences, and Chief Deputy Coroner, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania “Two days into my residency with the Philadelphia medical examiner’s office, I was hooked. I ended up working there as an assistant medical examiner from 1992 to 2008. It was overwhelming. We had four pathologists for the entire city. I was doing five or six autopsies a day in addition to testifying in homicide cases. We were understaffed and underfunded. For many years I’d bring my scrubs home to wash. I was getting carpel tunnel syndrome. Part of the problem was financial, too. It wasn’t viable to continue staying there. . . . When you are doing cases, you have to put your emotions aside. You have to be objective. It can take a toll. You are human. . . .When my two sons were young, there was a case involving my son’s friend, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. I recused myself from the autopsy. But I was there. My kids always knew when I had a bad day, like when I had a case with a kid who was beaten to death. I would stop at Toys ‘R’ Us on my way home and buy a couple of presents for

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Melissa Kelly Photography

BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

them. . . . I started working at PCOM in 2002, to develop the master’s program in forensic medicine. I progressively made the transition from full-time pathologist, to parttime coroner and teacher and administrator. . . . I like to keep my hand in forensics with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. I do autopsies and testify in cases. It gives me skin in the game. That lets me allow students to shadow me while I’m doing an autopsy. I like giving testimony in court. I’ve done it more than 800 times. You have some very sharp, aggressive attorneys who find every little problem with your autopsy report. You have to maintain a calm demeanor, no matter how aggressive they get. You remain professional. You have to stick to your guns. . . . It’s great being challenged by my students. I’ve done more than 8,000 autopsies. It may seem commonplace to me, but it’s refreshing to teach it, to go in on a basic level, and then to see a light bulb go off when you see the students make the connections. . . . I’ve found that practicing martial arts is a great stress reliever. I’m training for my black belt in Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art. It gets you thinking in a different way. It’s a great workout. It gets your heart rate up and scares you a little bit. It gives you clarity; but the art is still very cerebral. I can’t be worrying about my phone bill when someone is about to punch me in the face.”

“During my third year at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, I sat with my first dying patient, a courageous elderly man. I just sat with him. I was struck by how peaceful he was. Before he died, he woke up, and thanked me. That moment planted a seed. I’ve watered that seed ever since. . . . In medicine, we’re taught to cure, that death is the enemy. In hospice, we celebrate the lives of our patients and help them on the journey to their death, to prevent suffering and to help them with their fears. Death is the end point. But the journey is about living. You can be a healer up to their very last breath. . . . Dying is an intimate part of one’s life. You can’t escape it. Tragically, it can happen way before you think it should. It’s an honor to be invited into that intimate journey. It’s sacred work. Death is a one-time experience—for the person doing it, and for their family. Hospice workers are a courageous group. They hold people up. They see what can be done, in a good way, in a sad time. There’s lots of work to be done when you are dying. We face our mortality. . . .I’ve been in hospice for a

couple of decades. I’m asked why I’m not sad all the time.

Sure, there is sadness, but there are so many gifts that I’ve been given. I have so many stories of my interactions with the dying. They know they are not alone in their journey; that rekindles my soul. . . . Throughout my career, I’ve worn multiple hats: internal medicine with geriatric patients, medical director of a nursing home, and medical director of a hospice program. I love older people. They have taught me so much. In Wyoming, they taught me about the history of war, and just surviving amidst life’s challenges. In Philadelphia, my African-American patients taught me the history of slavery. . . . Hospice work has made me reflect more on my own living. The dying have taught me that the best testament to them was to live my life, and to live it even better. You have to recharge your batteries. I take time to write in a journal. I’m a big-time gardener who loves to work in the dirt. I try to inspire people to embrace joy—and not waste their lives waiting for something to happen. I laugh a lot. . . . What I need to do now is have a better work/life balance. I’m 65. So I’ve moved cross-country to Massachusetts from Wyoming. I’m taking time off to figure out what my next chapter will be. I have an extensive bucket list. It’s time to get back to it.”

Heather Fuller Photography

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BERNADETTE MEADE, DO ’79 Retired Geriatrician, Southbridge, Massachusetts

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

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ALICIA HUFF VINYARD, DO ’11 Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia “In my fourth year of medical school, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I actually cried more that day because I found out I would have to take a leave from medical school and not graduate with my friends. At the time, that reality was harder than my diagnosis. I was so close to realizing my dream, and it was pretty devastating when I was told I wasn’t going to finish on time. . . . I thought I would just power through my surgical rotation while getting my treatments. But those treatments were too intense. I took six months off. I had surgery, did radiation and chemotherapy. I was feeling better, but still had six weeks of daily radiation to go. I was really tired of just sitting around. So

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I did the radiation each day, then drove an hour to resume my surgery clerkship. . . . When I returned to my surgery rotation, I thought treating women with breast cancer would make me uncomfortable. It was the exact opposite.

I had empathy for them. I could explain things to them.

I was one of them. After five years of surgical residency, I did a year-long breast oncology surgical fellowship at the University of Miami. . . . I’ve been in my job for a year now and have come to realize that breast cancer surgery is something I’m always going to enjoy, inside and outside the OR. I like to motivate and encourage my patients.

Cutting out cancer is amazing work. I spend a lot of time

Wilson Studio of Fine Photography

using advanced techniques to make good cosmetic outcomes. I often think about what I went through, and make the experience for them as easy as I can. But it’s not easy.

It’s not easy at all. . . . I push myself a lot for my patients. I rush imaging. I rush scheduling the surgery. I want to give them the comfort of knowing that I’m getting the cancer out as soon as possible. After surgically removing the cancer, the reward is getting to tell them: ‘You are cancer-free.’ . . . I do surgery all day Wednesday and Friday. Monday,

I have tumor board. I have administrative days and give lectures on surgery to hospital residents and medical students. I enjoy that dynamic—feeling the students’ enthusiasm and having the opportunity to teach them something new. . . . To cope with stress, I load up my schedule so I can plan extra days off. I’m a big sports fan, too. I’m into the NFL and admittedly, I can sit my butt on the couch all weekend watching football.”

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BEHIND THE WHITE COAT

“I started medical school interested in pediatrics. As a fourth-year student, I did a rotation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and fell in love with it. What I found fascinating was that newborns can be such resilient patients. Babies can be on the brink of death, and a few days later be ready for discharge. The majority of babies successfully transition to extrauterine life with only minimal assistance in the delivery room. There are multiple physiologic steps that need to take place; if one of the steps doesn’t happen, babies can run into trouble. Our team is there to assist them. . . . People say it must be a tough field because my patients can’t talk. But we communicate and care for their families, too. We empathize with their vulnerability. That’s the reason I chose the medical profession in the first place; I wanted to help people heal. . . . Our ability to heal continues to evolve every day. Today we are resuscitating babies delivered as early as 23 weeks’ gestation, and now we are debating going as early as 22 weeks. Neonatology is a constantly changing field. Beyond what is medically possible, a myriad of ethical issues surround our work. We must consider how patients may develop and what degree of impairments they will live with.

All aspects of physiology are involved, and the job is very hands-on. I’ll be called to the delivery room to resuscitate a newborn; I may have to put in a breathing tube and perform CPR. During a single shift, I often have several infants who require my constant attention. . . . A lot of physicians are experiencing burnout. Neonatologists, as well as other physicians, have to figure out how to overcome it.

Working in the NICU is a very intense job with extended hours. Sometimes our patients don’t survive, even with the technology. So, in those cases, instead of saving babies, I have to discuss palliative care with the family so that we can ensure the remaining life of the baby is as comfortable as possible. . . . Because of the clinical demands of this job, I’ve found it helpful to develop another aspect of my career: research. Through the support of an NIH-funded research grant, I have been able to study antibiotic use in newborns. We are starting to see that overuse of antibiotics in the NICU, like everywhere else, is a problem. At the same time, preterm babies are very prone to infection.

My research has shown that most preterm babies continue to get antibiotics, despite awareness of overuse, and that treatment could have unintended consequences. I am using maternal and delivery data to determine which preterm babies are at the lowest risk of infection in order to see which ones may not automatically need antibiotics. Research provides a change in pace from the physical demands of the NICU, but challenges me professionally all the same. It lets me help babies in another way.”

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Melissa Kelly Photography

DUSTIN FLANNERY, DO ’11 Neonatologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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RECLAIMING JOY IN THE ART OF HEALING

UNFOLDING EMPATHY THROUGH STORIES

“ There’s something for everyone in narrative medicine.

Each patient’s personal narrative is an essential part of the art of doctoring.”

NARRATIVE MEDICINE AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF DOCTORING

by Janice Fisher

Kathleen Ackert (DO ’20) remembers her mother’s laughter as she listened to “The Moth Radio Hour,” the public radio component of live, open-mic storytelling “slams” (competitions) in 29 countries worldwide. “There’s a Moth in Philly,” Ms. Ackert’s mother told her. “You should go.”

“I first went to the Moth in my M1 year,” Ms. Ackert recalls, “which was a tough time for me.” Soon after, she was not only writing her own stories but performing them, and cajoling PCOM friends to join her. Not everyone at a slam performs; “getting up on stage is the rate-limiting factor,” Ms. Ackert acknowledges with a grin. “But I think that you gain a lot, in different ways, in the act of speaking and in the act of listening.

“There’s something for everyone in narrative medicine,” she says. Developed at Columbia University by Rita Charon, MD, PhD, a general internist and literary scholar, narrative medicine reflects burgeoning interest in the role of the humanities in shaping medicine and medical education.

Ms. Ackert learned during her family medicine rotation that “each patient’s personal narrative is an essential part of the art of doctoring.” She continues, “I’ve had people say to me, ‘You can’t be so sensitive if you’re in medicine.’

Yes, it’s hard to manage your emotions, because you don’t want to burn out. But burnout is being jaded; burnout is when you tell someone that they have cancer and you don’t care. Being empathetic is the antidote.”

PCOM’s Coalition for Healthcare, Humanities, and the Arts (CHHARTS) held the school’s first story slam in October 2017. Participants shared five-minute personal stories centered on the theme of medicine and health

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care. Brooke Saffren (DO ’20), then president of CHHARTS, says, “The faculty turnout for the story slam was wonderful, with people from different specialties and interests. It’s really inspiring for students to hear moving stories from their professors.” Ms. Ackert and Ms. Saffren both represented PCOM at a citywide medical school story slam sponsored by the College of Physicians in May 2018.

Ms. Saffren’s decision to be a doctor was shaped by observing her father’s treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, the bile duct cancer that would end his life. She has written movingly of “the good, the bad and the ugly” medical care he received from compassionate physicians and from seemingly callous ones. Her time at PCOM has shifted her perspective. Each of her dad’s doctors, she writes, “came into medicine with the intention to heal, and I imagine for each of them the effect of managing chronic illness, watching people’s pain, and not being able to do anything has worn them down in some way. . . . I imagine that after years of practice, it’s beneficial to let a wall build up between you and the awful things that the patient is experiencing. But that’s also how people become despondent and burned out.”

Pictured left to right: Ms. Ackert and Ms. Saffren

Paint Night, a knitting room, collage and mask making—CHHARTS’ wide-ranging activities are designed to “encourage ‘right-sided’ brain stuff,” says Ms. Saffren.

“Everyone is type A in med school—and I’m including myself! Using that part of our academic side that’s not just core science feels good for a lot of people.”

CHHARTS’ advisor is PCOM Counselor Ruth Conboy, DNP, LPC, who is completing a Certification of Professional Achievement in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University.

She incorporates the arts into many of her service and program offerings. In an hour-long wellness workshop for third-year medical students, for example, students read poems by Glenn Colquhoun, MD, whose work Dr. Conboy discovered in Tools of the Trade: Poems for New Doctors, provided to all graduating PCOM DO students last year

by Murray Zedick (DO ’62). The students respond to two poems: “Today I Want to Be a Doctor” and “Today I Don’t Want to Be a Doctor.” She uses reflective writing in support groups as well.

Last year, the first in a planned annual art contest at PCOM drew almost 100 participants. Dr. Conboy is excited about an upcoming pilot initiative sponsored by the

Barnes Foundation, the renowned Philadelphia art collection, and funded by its Weintraub Fund. In four sessions, twenty first-year DO students will participate in exercises in the Barnes galleries that will focus their attention on close observation, communication and critical thinking skills that are essential in the medical field. Similar classes take place in medical schools around the country.

During orientation, DO, PA and BioMed students complete a Post-it that identifies them as a PCOM student— and as something else. Dr. Conboy says, “It could be, ‘I’m a mother, I’m a dog lover, I’m an artist, I’m a soccer player.’ They know it when they come in, but they forget what else they are, because they get so engrossed in their studies. I’ve had students come to my office, months after being here, and say, ‘I don’t know myself anymore. All I do is study.’ And now I can say, ‘What did you put on that Post-it?’ We try to help them hold on to those parts of their personhood that were important before.”

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RECLAIMING JOY IN THE ART OF HEALING

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BUILDING HABITS OF POSITIVITY

by Katie Smith

Scott Glassman, PsyD ’13, associate director, MS in Mental Health Counseling, and clinical assistant professor, Department of Psychology, is a glass-half-full kind of guy. Dr. Glassman is the founder of “A Happier You,” a seven-week program launched at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in January 2017, designed to enhance a person’s optimism, increase the frequency of positive emotions and, by extension, improve overall health and well-being.

“The evidence for positive outcomes is there,” he says.

“Expressing gratitude is associated with less depression, less fatigue, better sleep and greater confidence in caring for one’s health. Feelings of love activate our brain’s pleasure center through the release of dopamine, and laughter has even been associated with improved immune system functioning.”

With the help of Nicole Ryan (PsyD ’20), a fourth-year doctoral candidate in clinical psychology—sporting a hockey puck–sized button that beams, “Happiness Guide”—Dr. Glassman has brightened the lives of nearly 100 participants in the course’s seven iterations. Each week centers on a different blissful tenet, including laughter, strengths and successes, positivity, gratitude, kindness and love, and equips participants with tactics for happiness in the real world.

One such class, catering to PCOM employees, came to a close in late September in a celebration of community, personal growth—and free gifts.

“In honor of our last class,” revealed one participant named Abby, “I brought everyone umbrellas!” The gesture was a reminder of an earlier act of kindness she offered to a stranger on a rainy day.

The class began by sharing some examples of kindness from the previous week—the listening ear of an empathetic friend and Ms. Ryan’s offering a makeup class one-on-one— before diving into the final topic of love. In their activity books, each decorated to depict the participant’s “happiness,” the group reflected on someone or something each person loves and why, and potential ways to express that.

“Loving someone means you start each day with a clean slate,” shared Allana. “It’s not like I won’t love you on Wednesday as much as I did on Saturday. It’s about acceptance.”

As a closing and a takeaway, Dr. Glassman and his team distributed spinners with each course tenet as an option, as a way to prompt yourself to look for the positive.

“Do you have an extra spinner?” one participant, Renee, asked. “I need one specifically for traffic.”

Dr. Glassman’s goal, fostering happier people, is certainly not a hard sell. His methodology is based in positive psychology and the work of Martin Seligman, PhD, the Fox Leadership professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Glassman’s former mentor.

Seligman’s 2002 book Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment steps away from the personal states that make life miserable—that is, mental illness—to focus on building those that make life worthwhile. “The time has finally arrived for a science that seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the ‘good life,’ ’’ he writes.

His book dives into positive emotions and how to increase them, while tearing down the idea that happiness and altruism are inauthentic. Seligman offers three pillars for positive psychology—positive emotions, traits and institutions—and the relationship between each as a way to navigate one’s meaning and purpose.

“Some of Seligman’s work focuses on the idea of resilience,” explains Dr. Glassman, “the ability to reframe negative experiences or emotions in a positive light. Our weekly evidence-based lessons give students the tools to do that, fostering gratitude and attention to personal strengths and positive life effects.”

In part, the course codifies these practices through behavioral activation: helping participants identify and plan meaningful and enjoyable activities that take a person out of a negative mindset and developing a habit or ritual around them.

Dr. Glassman so strongly believes in sharing the practices of positive psychology that he and Ms. Ryan facilitate a Facebook group of the same name, offering prompts to past participants and interested social media users alike.

Users share positive affirmations and answer questions that help them think in positive directions. One prompt, asking the over 1,000 participants to complete a sentence, reads, “I feel fulfilled when ____.”

Ms. Ryan, whose thesis explores physician burnout, thinks the program is vital for members of the PCOM community who feel tapped out. “Burnout can stem from feeling a lack of control,” she says. “If we accept that through a mindfulness practice, it becomes easier to find the humor in a situation or take comfort in an act of kindness.”

The pair believe “A Happier You” has implications for employee and human resources programs, inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment and patients in healthcare clinics—both at PCOM and throughout the country. The most recent group’s exit survey reported improved job performance and satisfaction during the seven-week program.

And what about Dr. Glassman, an expert in cultivating these skills in others?

“This class is uplifting,” he says. “It’s a breather. Coming here every week is a reminder to look at what’s going well, so I keep seeking out the positive in my own life.”

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CLASS NOTES

1961

Donald R. Stoltz, DO, Philadelphia, PA, published a joke book titled My Favorite 120 Jokes: Dirty, Clean, and In Between.

1962

Murray Zedeck, DO, Steamboat Springs, CO, gifted a book of poetry, Tools of the Trade: Poems for New Doctors, to 2018 DO graduates from PCOM. Dr. Zedeck’s gift was the subject of an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “A Medical Degree and a Poetry Book, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Graduates Receive Both” (June 2, 2018). Dr. Zedeck is also serving as a spokesperson and consultant for Amgen, Inc., in video segments that the company is airing on ABC affiliates in Miami and Houston.

1967

Michael Cordas, Jr., DO, Harrisburg, PA, was named a Leading Physician of the World by the International Association of HealthCare Professionals. Dr. Cordas has over four decades of experience in sports medicine and practices at PinnacleHealth Bone and Joint Centers in Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg.

1976

George K. Kamajian, II, DO, Indian Shores, FL, shared his experiences as a National Guard recruit with Pulse: Voices from the Heart of Medicine in an article titled “Basic Training” (May 25, 2018).

Francis P. Sutter, DO, Gladwyne, PA, was co-director of the Philadelphia Cardiovascular Summit in November. Dr. Sutter was also featured in an article

for Seven Mile Times titled “The Ultimate Lifeguard: WorldRenowned Heart Surgeon Sutter Stays Close to His Roots in Avalon.” (Summer 2018).

1980

Benjamin Abraham, DO, Snellville, GA, received the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians’ Master Preceptor Award at the 2018 ACOFP Convention and Scientific Seminars. The award recognized Dr. Abraham for his dedication in precepting GA–PCOM DO students in the practice of family medicine. Dr. Abraham has served as a preceptor for GA–PCOM students for 11 years.

1981

Jean-Paul Bonnet, DO, Sparta, NJ, and his son, Andre Bonnet, DO ’08, opened Skylands Urgent Care in Lake Hopatcong.

1982

Joseph M. Kaczmarczyk, DO, Drexel Hill, PA, received the Executive MBA in Healthcare Academic Award from Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. Kaczmarczyk is among the first cohort of PCOM alumni to complete the online Executive MBA in Healthcare from Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. Kaczmarczyk graduated from the program with a flawless GPA.

1983

Thomas A. Boyle, DO, Elmhurst, IL, was promoted to dean of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.

1984

Benjamin S. Chack, DO, Washington Crossing, PA,

New! PCOM Alumni Assocation Professional Development Grants The PCOM Alumni Association is excited to announce a new initiative to support alumni growth and development during the early and often challenging years following graduation. Twice each fiscal year, the PCOM Alumni Association will distribute five $1,000 Professional Development Grants to help young alumni pursue professional development opportunities such as conferences, educational courses, trainings and continuing education. Alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years from any PCOM campus or program are eligible to apply. Applications will be distributed via email each fall and spring.

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received a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Scranton in May.

1985

Jeffrey M. Bishop, DO, Royal Palm Beach, FL, was elected to the board of Trustbridge Hospice Foundation. Dr. Bishop is the medical director of Wellness Counseling and Residential Detox Services, LLC, in Martin County and Daylight Detox in Palm Beach Gardens.

Wayne G. Miller, DO, Conshohocken, PA, was named to two roles by Mercy Health System. Dr. Miller will serve as medical director for Mercy Accountable Care, LLC, and as associate program director of the Internal Medicine residency program at Nazareth Hospital.

Steven L. Zelenkofske, DO, Center Valley, PA, was appointed executive vice president and chief medical officer of Achillion Pharmeceuticals, Inc. In this role, Dr. Zelenkofske has responsibility for the clinical development of Achillion’s oral factor D small molecule portfolio of compounds to treat complement-mediated diseases.

1987

H. William Craver, III, DO, Braselton, GA, dean, chief academic officer, GA–PCOM, was named vice provost of GA– PCOM. In this role, Dr. Craver will assist in the oversight, management and operations of academic activity at GA–PCOM and PCOM South Georgia campuses.

Lisa J. Finkelstein, DO, Jackson, WY, was elected to serve as president of Wyoming Medical Society for 2018–2019.

As president, Dr. Finkelstein will focus on expanding technology, especially telemedicine, in Wyoming.

Richard C. Gaibler, DO, Chalfont, PA, was the recipient of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s July Everyday Hero Award. A family medicine physician at Doylestown Health Primary Care in Chalfont, Dr. Gaibler was the subject of an article on PAMED’s website titled “Listening to Patients Is a Priority for This Chalfont, PA Family Physician & PAMED Everyday Hero” (July 18, 2018).

Joan M. Grzybowski, DO, Conshohocken, PA, assistant professor, family medicine, PCOM, was installed as the 107th president of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association in May.

1988

Gregory G. Papadeas, DO, Greenwood Village, CO, was named one of Denver’s Top Doctors in 5280 Magazine (August 2018).

Paul S. Zeitz, DO, Potomac, MD, received the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from PCOM. Dr. Zeitz gave the commencement address, titled “Waging Justice: A Physician’s Call to Service,” at the College’s DO commencement ceremony on June 2, 2018.

Daniel J Parenti, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was recently certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Parenti also recently completed the Philadelphia Half Marathon (13.1 miles).

1989

Gregory McDonald, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was named dean of PCOM School of Health Sciences.

1990

Lindsay J. Benedict, DO, Youngstown, OH, was certified by the Ohio Pharmacy Board and State Medical Board to recommend medical marijuana to patients across the state. Dr. Benedict is an anesthesiologist affiliated with Trumball Memorial Hospital.

James A. Caffrey, DO, Easton, PA, was named medical director of the Emergency Department at North Mississippi Medical Center–West Point.

Donald J. DeBrakeleer, DO, Lansdale, PA, gave a lecture at the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia titled “The Aging Bladder: Friend or Foe?” on June 7, 2018. Dr. DeBrakeleer is an OB-GYN physician at the Center for Women’s Health of Lansdale.

Dwight C. Johnson, DO, West Chester, PA, was ordained as a deacon by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Dr. Johnson is also a physician with Penn Medicine.

1991

Emily J. Williams, DO, Harrisburg, PA, joined the medical staff at Senior LIFE Reading.

1992

Rocco J. Crescenzo, DO, London, had an article titled “Impact of Serum HER2, TIMP1, and CAIX on Outcome for HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients: CCTG MA.31 (lapatinib vs. trastuzumab)” published in Breast Cancer Treatment and Research.

Gary J. Della’Zanna, DO, MSc ’98, Woodbine, MD, was profiled in the Mayo Clinic’s Cancer Prevention Network bi-annual newsletter (Spring 2018).

Louis A. Friedman, DO, East Brunswick, NJ, was invited by the Republican majority and Democratic minority leadership to testify about his experiences with the comprehensive primary care plus model before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

1993

Kimberly Legg Corba, DO, Orefield, PA, spoke at the Healthcare Costs NJ 2018 Townhall in August, focusing on why health care is so expensive.

Dr. Corba’s private practice in Allentown follows the model of direct primary care.

Steven S. Yocom, DO, Camden, NJ, published two articles in World Neurosurgery titled “Acridine Orange as a Novel Photosensitizer for Photodynamic Therapy in Glioblastoma” (April 2018) and “In Vivo Microscopy in Neurosurgical Oncology” (July 2018).

1995

W. Allen Fink, DO, Tacoma, WA, spoke at Carthage Area Hospital’s Community Engagement Series forum titled “Stroke Awareness: Know the Signs.” Dr. Fink is the hospital’s chief medical officer and Emergency Department director.

113 PCOM ALUMNI NAMED TOP DOCS BY PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE

Congratulations to the following PCOM alumni who were named Top Doctors by Philadelphia Magazine in its May 2018 issue.

ADDICTION PSYCHIATRY Thomas B. Richardson, DO ’97, Philadelphia, PA ALLERGY/IMMUNOLOGY Denise A. DiPrimio-Kalman, DO ’86, Newark, DE Gregory R. Toci, DO ’93, Marlton, NJ CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE David J. Addley, DO ’96, Philadelphia, PA Bradley M. Bacik, DO ’00, Merion Station, PA Joseph T. Conroy, DO ’94, Media, PA Peter Correnti, Jr., DO ’87, Garnet Valley, PA Christopher J. Droogan, DO ’90, West Chester, PA Craig A. Frankil, DO ’87, Newtown, PA Eric M. Gnall, DO ’00, Narberth, PA John T. Godfrey, RES ’04, Bryn Mawr, PA Kathleen M. Heintz, DO ’92, Delanco, NJ William S. Hirsch, DO ’91, Newtown, PA Bruce Kornberg, DO ’78, Wynnewood, PA Rose Lee-Dorn, DO ’93, Wallingford, PA David M. Masiak, DO ’77, North Wales, PA Daniel J. McCormick, DO ’77, Moorestown, NJ John A. Saia, DO ’75, Mays Landing, NJ Kelly A. Spratt, DO ’87, Ambler, PA CHILD NEUROLOGY Joseph J. Melvin, DO ’90, Villanova, PA ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM Deebeanne M. Tavani, DO ’86, Garnet Valley, PA FAMILY MEDICINE Vicki L. Bralow, DO ’87, Philadelphia, PA David A. Broyles, DO ’97, Glen Mills, PA Paul M. Caracappa, DO ’88, Newtown, PA

Sean P. Conroy, DO ’95, Glen Mills, PA Donna L. Winter Delfin, MS/Biomed ’01, DO ’05, Garnet Valley, PA William R. Dickerman, DO ’86, Norristown, PA Anthony E. DiMarco, DO ’87, Kennett Square, PA John M. Fanning, Jr., DO ’77, Rose Valley, PA Kelly L. Gannon, DO ’05, Warrington, PA Lisa Kenis, DO ’88, Havertown, PA Evan Kessler, DO ’85, Lansdale, PA Scott W. Kuptsow, DO ’93, Voorhees, NJ Kevin R. Melnick, DO ’83, Blue Bell, PA Christie L. Mousaw, DO ’02, Glen Mills, PA John C. Munshower, DO ’91, Wayne, PA Rachel Notte, DO ’03, North Wales, PA Anita M. Ott, DO ’93, Glen Mills, PA Michael F. Prime, DO ’91, Media, PA John N. Riccardo, Jr., DO/ MBA ’01, Downingtown, PA Carolyn G. Ryan, DO ’89, Jamison, PA Christopher J. Scaven, DO ’94, Philadelphia, PA Michael F. Shank, DO ’80, Thornton, PA Becky A. Souder, DO ’99, Malvern, PA Catherine Spratt-Turner, DO ’88, Langhorne, PA Michael R. Wisser, DO ’97, Glen Mills, PA GASTROENTEROLOGY Norman M. Callahan, III, DO ’91, Berwyn, PA Neil M. Cohen, DO ’76, Newtown, PA Brian Charles Copeland, DO ’02, Wallingford, PA Steven Lichtenstein, DO ’90, Penn Valley, PA

Michael A. Waronker, DO ’94, West Chester, PA HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE Stanley J. Savinese, DO ’87, Ridley Park, PA INTERNAL MEDICINE Alan I. Abramowitz, DO ’89, Doylestown, PA Aaron Sean Best, DO ’04, Havertown, PA Maria C. Bucco, DO ’88, Media, PA Lisa C. DiMedio, DO ’92, Lindenwold, NJ Brian G. Friedrich, DO ’87, Thornton, PA Joseph D. Hope, DO ’93, Garnet Valley, PA Stephen M. Humbert, DO ’89, Drexel Hill, PA Daniel J. Hyman, DO ’90, Plymouth Meeting, PA Larry Keller, DO ’89, Lower Gwynedd, PA Daniel C. Lazowick, DO ’93, West Chester, PA Michael A. Renzi, DO ’91, Haddonfield, NJ Joseph A. Rigotti, DO ’84, Horsham, PA Armen M. Sevag, DO ’03, Media, PA Andrew D. Sitkoff, DO ’85, West Chester, PA Mortimer J. Strong, DO ’79, Wynnewood, PA Paul J. Zakrzewski, DO ’96, Warrington, PA MATERNAL & FETAL MEDICINE Robert H. Debbs, DO ’89, Voorhees, NJ MEDICAL ONCOLOGY Mitchell B. Alden, DO ’89, Lower Gwynedd, PA Marc J. Chernoff, DO ’90, Ambler, PA William K. Kelly, DO ’86, Norristown, PA Anthony J. Magdalinski, DO ’85, Blue Bell, PA Carlin J. McLaughlin, DO ’84, Langhorne, PA

DIGEST 2018

31

CLASS NOTES

NEPHROLOGY William F. McElhaugh, III, DO ’97, Ambler, PA NEUROLOGY Craig Joseph Gardner, DO ’02, Malvern, PA Jay Klazmer, DO ’82, Marlton, NJ OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY Renee T. Anderson, DO ’03, Conshohocken, PA Janine M. Barsoum, DO ’00, Penn Valley, PA Jennifer M. Landes, DO ’98, Quakertown, PA Richard L. Turner, DO ’79, Feasterville-Trevose, PA PAIN MEDICINE Scott Eric Rosenthal, DO ’94, Maple Glen, PA PEDIATRICS Joseph D. Becker, DO ’80, Glen Mills, PA Meghan M. Brooks, DO ’97, Boothwyn, PA Andrew J. Forman, DO ’98, Paoli, PA Christopher J. Keenan, DO ’82, Northfield, NJ Teresa Pirri McGrath, DO ’04, Wildwood, NJ Pamela Giliberto Mehalick, DO ’81, MSc ’85, Springfield, PA Joshua A. Rabinowitz, DO ’88, Philadelphia, PA Eric B. Shapiro, DO ’77, Chadds Ford, PA Daniel R. Taylor, DO ’97, Philadelphia, PA Andrea R. Thorp, DO ’95, Shamong, NJ PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION Jeffrey Joseph Citara, DO ’04, Exton, PA Mitchell K. Freedman, DO ’82, Melrose Park, PA Ari C. Greis, DO ’03, Lafayette Hill, PA Mary V. Krueger, DO, Arlington, VA, was named Family Doctor of the Year by the Uniformed Services Academy of Family Physicians.

1996

Charles J. Kovalchick, DO, Hanover, PA, joined Hamlin Family Health Center as a family physician.

32

Michael M. Weinik, DO ’85, Philadelphia, PA George W. Young, DO ’02, Haddonfield, NJ PULMONARY DISEASE Gary A. Aaronson, DO ’83, New Hope, PA Joseph C. Crocetti, DO ’93, Jenkintown, PA Gilbert E. D’Alonzo, Jr., DO ’77, Philadelphia, PA Paul S. Karlin, DO ’80, Huntingdon Valley, PA Nathaniel Marchetti, DO ’98, Collegeville, PA William L. Ward, DO ’90, Plymouth Meeting, PA RADIATION ONCOLOGY Wayne H. Pinover, DO ’88, Philadelphia, PA REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY/INFERTILITY John Joseph Orris, DO/MBA ’95, Chester Springs, PA RHEUMATOLOGY Thomas J. Whalen, DO ’79, Havertown, PA SURGERY Robin M. K. Ciocca, DO ’01, Bensalem, PA THORACIC AND CARDIAC SURGERY Francis P. Sutter, DO ’76, Gladwyne, PA UROGYNECOLOGY/FEMALE PELVIC MEDICINE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Donald J. DeBrakeleer, DO ’90, Lansdale, PA UROLOGY Lee M. Blatstein, DO ’84, Lafayette Hill, PA Justin D. Harmon, DO ’99, Newtown, PA Jamison S. Jaffe, DO ’00, Ambler, PA Brian D. Rosenthal, DO ’98, Blue Bell, PA

1997

Marc A. Greenstein, DO, Short Hills, NJ, joined Advanced Urology, working out of the Johns Creek and Sandy Springs locations.

1999

Lauri A. Hicks, DO, Decatur, GA, co-authored an article for

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Contagion Live titled “Managing Reluctant Antibiotic Stewards: Advice from an ID Physician and an ID Pharmacist” (June 28, 2018).

Erik I. Soiferman, DO, Horsham, PA, owns Liberty Urgent Care in Horsham, which was awarded a Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s 100 Best Urgent Care Facilities. Dr. Soiferman and his practice were also recognized by the Horsham Township Council for community service at the council’s August meeting.

2000

Donnel M. Apuzzio, MS/PA, Lewisburg, PA, was selected to be in Marquis Who’s Who. Ms. Apuzzio has worked as a full-time ophthalmology physician assistant with the Eye Center of Central Pennsylvania since 2014, part-time orthodontic assistant for Ralph L. Apuzzio, DDS, since 2016, and guest lecturer and part-time adjunct faculty member at the Pennsylvania College of Technology since 2014. Ms. Apuzzio has also served as a student preceptor for various institutions since 2000, including Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lock Haven University’s Physician Assistant Program.

Krista K. Buckley, DO, Severna Park, MD, practices general and cosmetic dermatology and dermatologic surgery with Annapolis Dermatology Center, which was recently acquired by U.S. Dermatology Partners.

John Chovanes, DO, Sewell, NJ, received the 2018 Cooper Military Employee of the Year Award from Cooper University Healthcare at a pre–Memorial Day celebration for Cooper employees who are veterans and/or active military.

Dr. Chovanes is a trauma surgeon who embarked on his fifth tour of duty with the Army Medical Corps in the Middle East on May 27.

Michael A. Magro, Jr., DO, Philadelphia, PA, was named president of medical affairs at Nazareth Hospital.

Edward R. O’Dell, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was named vice president, medical affairs at Nazareth Hospital in July. In this role, Dr. O’Dell will work closely with Nazareth Hospital president Michael Magro, DO ’00, to ensure clinical excellence and provide excellent patient care.

2001

Millicent A. Channell, DO, Philadelphia, PA, was elected to the board of trustees of the American Academy of Osteopathy. Dr. Channell is the assistant dean for curriculum at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

John D. D’Angelo, DO, Westfield, NJ, received the Humanism in Healthcare Award from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey. Dr. D’Angelo is chairman of Emergency Medicine at Trinitas Regional Medical Center.

2002

Lori Lorant-Tobias, DO, Pottstown, PA, received the YWCA Health Award during the YWCA Tribute to Exceptional Women event in Pottstown. Dr. LorantTobias is Pottstown Hospital’s first female chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine.

2003

Gregory E. Valania, DO, Longmeadow, MA, participated for the fifth consecutive year in the Pan-Mass Challenge to raise money for adult and pediatric cancer research. Dr. Valania cycled 192 miles in honor of his mother-in-law and in memory of his maternal grandmother. Money raised by Dr. Valania was donated to the Jimmy Fund, which supports the DanaFarber Cancer Institute.

2004

Melissa Robin George, DO, Bernville, PA, assumed the role of interim chair of the Department of Pathology at Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center on August 1.

2005

Charmaine S. Chan, DO, Philadelphia, PA, joined Nazareth Hospital as the designated institutional official for its Graduate Medical Education Department and director of the Osteopathic Recognition Graduate Medical Education Program. Dr. Chan will also help develop an osteopathic manipulative therapy consultation program at the hospital.

Lucas M. DeJohn, DO, Reading, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

Angelica L. Kloos, DO, Mill Hall, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

2006

Robert A. Bassett, DO, Philadelphia, PA, completed a fellowship in medical toxicology at Einstein Medical Center. Dr. Bassett joined the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and was appointed the associate medical director of the Poison Control Center.

Sean P. Conley, DO, Rockville, MD, took over as Physician to the President of the United States in March.

James R. Gengaro, DO, King of Prussia, PA, was appointed regional vice president of medical affairs for Paoli Hospital and Riddle Hospital.

Tiffany L. Reed, DO, Jamestown, NC, was featured in a segment on My Fox 8 titled “Aging Parents: When to Stop Driving” (April 16, 2018), in which she discussed the factors beyond age that should be used to determine if it’s safe for aging parents to keep driving.

Ralph Riviello, MD, MS/FM, Swedesboro, NJ, was appointed chair of Emergency Medicine at Crozer-Keystone Health System.

Christopher D. Wenger, DO, Lititz, PA, was named one of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

Dr. Wenger joined the American College of Cardiology Nutrition and Lifestyle Work Group and is the principal investigator of the WholeLIFE study, testing the effects of a whole-food, plantbased diet on advanced lipid serology. Additionally, Dr. Wenger is working on a local, hospital-based Food Farmacy program for poverty-stricken patients with metabolic syndrome, providing free meals and nutritional counseling to reverse their chronic diseases.

2007

Dennis A. Burachinsky, DO, Florham Park, NJ, was promoted to partner at ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP. William E. Neway, III, DO, Columbus, GA, joined Coastal Spine and Pain Center’s Orange Park and Riverside locations as an orthopedic specialist.

BRETT BROWN, MS/PA ’13 Former Career at Apple Offers Unique Advantage

by Meghan McLaughlin

In 2011, Brett Brown, MS/PA ’13, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, abandoned a career in tech support with Apple to pursue his master’s degree in physician assistant studies at PCOM. Today, as a hospitalist physician assistant at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, New Jersey, he’s finding that his past experiences give him a unique advantage as the healthcare industry becomes increasingly reliant on technology.

Mr. Brown’s path to becoming a PA is not the most traditional.

Originally set on a career in research, Mr. Brown was left scrambling for employment when funding fell through for a research job he landed right after college. With a strong background in computers, Mr. Brown was hired at a new Apple retail store in White Plains, New York, in 2002—one of only a few Apple retail stores in existence at the time.

“Working at Apple before the iPhone and iPad was a different world,” recalls Mr. Brown. “When I started with Apple, the iPod was just coming out. Since they were such a new device, no one was really bringing them into the store because people didn’t own them. It was a lot of computer repairs.”

As the iPod gained traction, Mr. Brown’s daily volume of work slowly picked up. Then, in 2007, the launch of the iPhone changed everything.

“There had been rumors that Apple was releasing a phone, but it was so secretive,” recalls Mr. Brown.

“In tech support, we didn’t receive any information on the product until the night before it was released.

We had less than 24 hours to learn how to troubleshoot and teach others how to use this device.”

Almost overnight, Mr. Brown’s job, which had traditionally been a few computer repairs per day, escalated to having as many as 12 iPod or iPhone appointments and six computer appointments per hour.

“I was scrambling to keep up and started to think it might be time for a change,” says Mr. Brown.

While Mr. Brown was working at Apple, his wife, Bonnie, was studying to become a PA at Arcadia University.

“It wasn’t until I started helping her study on a regular basis that it really galvanized something in me,” recalls Mr. Brown. “I found the field really interesting. At a certain point, I came to the realization that being a PA would be a lot more fascinating than fixing iPods and iPhones all day.”

With that, Mr. Brown began applying to PA programs in the Philadelphia area and chose to attend PCOM. Today, Mr. Brown has settled into and is finding success as a hospitalist PA at Our Lady of Lourdes, the same hospital where his wife works in another department.

“I’m always told that I’m remarkably calm,” says Mr. Brown. “I think working in customer service gave me a comfort level and experience working in situations that can only be described as managed chaos.”

Mr. Brown’s calm demeanor is not the only skill from his former career that has helped him as a PA. With his knowledge of computers and technology, he’s often able to solve problems that arise with electronic medical records and other software used at the hospital.

“With my background in technology, I can see why the software engineer made the choices that they did, but as a clinician, I can see why those choices don’t always make sense when it’s put to use,” says Mr. Brown.

While Mr. Brown says he loves working as a PA and plans to do so for the foreseeable future, his past and present careers have merged to create a new goal.

“It may be a pipe dream, but as I see how much technology is becoming relevant in medicine, I’d love to eventually find myself in some sort of hybrid clinician-technical role,” explains Mr. Brown. “I want to create systems from the perspective of a clinician so technology exists that actually works with and helps them provide a better experience to their patients.”

Erik G. Polan, DO, Cherry Hill, NJ, general internist, instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, PCOM, was interviewed for an article in Family Circle titled “Five Signs You Need to Have Your Thyroid Checked” (March 2018). Dr. Polan also wrote articles for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Q&A: What Do I Need to Know About the New Diabetes Recommendations?” (March 13, 2018) and “Q&A: How Do I Know

If I Have Poison Ivy?” (June 8, 2018).

2008

Peter F. Bidey, DO, Philadelphia, PA, assistant professor of family medicine, PCOM, discussed ways to prevent and alleviate muscle cramps in an article for the AOA titled “Muscle Cramps: How to Prevent and Soothe the Pain,”

(March 1, 2018). In an article for Medical Economics titled “The Fight Against Paint-by-Number Medicine,” Dr. Bidey discussed challenges faced by some doctors when patients’ treatments are no longer covered by insurance (March 25, 2018). Dr. Bidey wrote articles for philly.com titled “Protecting Your Family as Tick and Mosquito Related Illnesses Increase” (May 16, 2018) and DIGEST 2018

33

CLASS NOTES

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Costello baby

Hassman wedding

McQuellon wedding

Novi wedding

Brian J. Costello, DO ’05, Macungie, PA, and his wife, Ashley, welcomed a daughter, Emily, on March 16, 2017. Emily joins big brother Connor.

Howard A. Hassman, DO ’83, Berlin, NJ, married Andrea Perez on July 14, 2018, at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, FL. Brendan T. McQuellon, DO ’14, Winston-Salem, NC, married Kelly Forester on April 14, 2018, at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Winston-Salem.

Joseph M. Novi, DO ’90, Columbus, OH, married Traci Lewis on June 9, 2018, at the Welsh Hills Inn. The couple honeymooned on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.

“Should Your Teen Get the MenB Vaccine?” (August 21, 2018).

Andre J. Bonnet, DO, Sparta, NJ, and his father, Jean-Paul Bonnet, DO ’81, opened Skylands Urgent Care in Lake Hopatcong.

Amanda M. Michael, DO, Pittsburgh, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

2010

Luisa Galdi, DO, Philadelphia, PA, joined Beebe Healthcare and Beebe Medical Group’s Women’s Health–Plantations practice in Rehoboth Beach as an OB-GYN. Jennifer Anne Lorine, DO, North Wales, PA, clinical instructor, Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, PCOM, was named vice president of the Montgomery County Medical Society.

Stefania Nolano, DO, Springfield, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

2011

Jason Arora, DO, West Orange, NJ, has joined Atlantic Spine Center as an interventional pain management and physical medicine specialist.

Christopher J. Connor, DO, Clifford Township, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

Dustin D. Flannery, DO, Philadelphia, PA, completed a fellowship in perinatal-neonatal medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and joined the Division of Neonatology as an attending physician.

Antonio A. Graham, DO, Atlanta, GA, appeared on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” discussing the secrets to aging well. Dr. Graham is a geriatrician at the Atlanta VA Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine and geriatrics at Emory University School of Medicine.

Update Your Contact Information Ensure that you are receiving the latest news and updates from PCOM by verifying that we have your current contact information on file. Visit alumni.pcom.edu/stayconnected to update your information.

34

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Rachael L. Polis, DO, Narberth, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

Dr. Polis also partnered with the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County and the William Penn School District to receive a $15,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence to establish a community of practice alliances through schools, agencies and health systems in Delaware County to decrease incidences of adolescent relationship abuse and increase adolescent health and safety.

Trevor S. Smith, DO, Saint Louis, MO, joined Geisinger Gray’s Woods as a family medicine physician.

Alicia Y. Huff Vinyard, DO, Augusta, GA, wrote a column for the Augusta Chronicle titled “As Cancer Surgeon and Patient, I Know Your Journey” (June 23, 2018).

2012

Umar R. Abdullah-Johnson, MS, PsyD, Philadelphia, PA, served as the keynote speaker at a fundraising event for the Cleveland African American Museum in May. John R. Burger MS/Biomed, DO, Dover, DE, joined Bayhealth Orthopaedics, Dover.

James L. Dowling, DO, Waycross, GA, joined Oconee Heart and Vascular Center, practicing out of Monroe.

Gene A. Falkowski, DO, Lilly, PA, joined Anchorage Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic. Dr. Falkowski is an orthopedic spine surgeon who specializes in spine and nerve treatment.

David N. Fife, MS/FM, Shelton, CT, was named executive director of Benchmark Senior Living at Split Mark, an assisted living and memory care community .

Rudy D. Marciano III, DO, Bangor, ME, joined Eastern Maine Medical Center Neurosurgery and Spine Specialists as a neurosurgeon.

Dr. Marciano specializes in spinal and brain tumors, minimally invasive and general spine surgery and peripheral nerve surgery.

Wilbur N. Montana, DO, Tulsa, OK, joined the Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation.

Christopher R. Scheid, DO, Lititz, PA, joined UPMC Pinnacle’s College Avenue Family Medicine and Columbia Regional Health Center.

Mohit Sood, RES, Linwood, NJ, wrote an article for Shore Medical Center titled “Dispelling Myths About CoolSculpting” (September 6, 2018). Dr. Sood serves cosmetic plastic surgery

patients at the Sood Center in Linwood and reconstructive surgery patients through his affiliation with Shore Physicians Group at their surgical division in Somers Point.

Valerie G. Vilbert, DO, Downingtown, PA, was named one of Pennsylvania Medical Society’s 2018 Top Physicians Under 40.

2013

David A. Ciaccia, DO, Matthews, NC, was inducted into Central Montco Technical High School’s Distinguished Alumni Association. Dr. Ciaccia specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of South Florida Medical Center in Tampa.

Scott D. Glassman, PsyD, Cherry Hill, NJ, associate director of MS in Mental Health Counseling, clinical associate professor, PCOM, was featured on 6 ABC discussing the psychology behind Netflix’s show “The Push” on February 28, 2018. Dr. Glassman was also interviewed for an article in The DO titled “Beating the Blues If You Don’t Match” (March 5, 2018). Dr. Glassman wrote articles for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Is It Time to Look Away? Health Effects of Watching Violence in the Media” (March 14, 2018) and “How to Stay Positive in a Negative World” (June 4, 2018).

On July 9, 2018, Dr. Glassman discussed his program, A Happier You, on Sirius XM’s “Dr. Radio.”

A Happier You was also the subject of an article on the AOA’s website titled “Program Teaching Patients Happiness Skills Aims to Improve Participant Health” (June 21, 2018).

Taryn M. Reichard, DO, Harrisburg, PA, joined the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania. Dr. Reichard is board-certified in anesthesia and perioperative medicine and pain management.

Crystal C. Tidwell, DO, Santa Rosa Beach, FL, was named Best Pediatrician in Northwest Florida Daily News’ “Finest on the Emerald Coast.”

2014

Lauren D. Inners, DO, York, PA, joined WellSpan Orthopedics in Hanover.

TAYLOR BRANA, DO ’17 Creating Happy Docs, One Podcast at a Time

by Meghan McLaughlin

When Taylor Brana, DO ’17, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reached his third year at PCOM, he was in a rut, stressed and lacking a sense of balance. So he had conversations with physicians to find out what kept them fulfilled, happy and motivated. What resulted from these conversations was the idea for a one-of-a-kind podcast, The Happy Doc, that today has over 3,000 listeners.

As a gymnast at Temple University during his undergraduate years, Dr. Brana came to PCOM in the best mental and physical shape he’d ever been in. As medical school progressed, however, he spiraled into the unhealthiest he’d ever been. He saw several of his classmates feeling the same way and attributed it to the stress of medical school. It wasn’t until Dr. Brana was in his third year clinical rotations that he realized his negative feelings were not isolated to medical students; physicians had them, too.

“When I asked a doctor at my first medical rotation what got her excited about work and she told me that she was excited for her next days off, it was very impactful,” recalls Dr. Brana.

After some brief research, Dr. Brana learned that 50 percent of physicians report having at least one symptom of burnout (Mayo Clinic 2014) and that the number of physician suicides is more than twice that of the general population (Medscape 2018).

“I realized that while medical students and doctors tend to be perfectionists, we often wind up taking care of everyone but ourselves,” says Dr. Brana.

Not wanting to get stuck in a negative cycle, Dr. Brana made a change. He embarked on his own version of “self-care” by getting in touch with physicians who seemed to truly love what they were doing.

After a few conversations, Dr. Brana realized that these stories were too powerful to keep to himself.

“When you listen to conversations and speak with doctors who are happy, it expands your ability to take action and craft your life in the way that you want,” explains Dr. Brana. “PCOM instilled in me that we need to think ‘big picture.’ Solving an issue like physician burnout won’t happen by talking about it in private. To expand and make change, we need to improve and increase our voice.”

As Dr. Brana began his fourth year at PCOM, The Happy Doc podcast was born.

“In the beginning, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I went for it,” recalls Dr. Brana. “There were some people who advised me not to put myself out there creatively because it could affect my residency prospects, but many people encouraged me to continue it because there’s not really another podcast like it.”

Today, The Happy Doc has recorded over 50 episodes. Even as Dr. Brana transitioned into his psychiatry residency at Einstein Medical Center, the podcast has continued to grow and improve.

“I knew that transitioning from my light fourth-year medical school schedule to residency would make it challenging to keep up with the podcast, so I put together a team, including some of my friends from PCOM, to help with each piece of the puzzle,” says Dr. Brana. “Within a month, we developed a process to streamline production so The Happy Doc could continue while I was in residency.”

While Dr. Brana admits that balancing the podcast with his residency is challenging, he finds it extremely rewarding.

“I think listening to the podcast makes you realize that there are many paths to carving out your life that you didn’t think existed,” says Dr. Brana. “Once you hear all of these stories, it opens your mind to make you feel less trapped. If one person listens to an episode and it expands their mind, that’s what this is all about.”

Richard M. Pescatore, II, DO, Sicklerville, NJ, wrote an article for the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Medical Mystery: Headaches That Needed More Than Pills to Resolve” (April 8, 2018).

Luther D. Quarles, IV, DO, Jacksonville, FL, joined Ascension St. Vincent’s Primary Care in Jacksonville, FL.

2015

Emma C. Atherton-Staples, DO, Rome, GA, joined the

Floyd Primary Care network in Rockmart. Dr. AthertonStaples also works with Heyman HospiceCare and Floyd’s palliative care department. In her new role, she leads hospice clinical staff in developing patient care plans. She also recently graduated from the Floyd Family Medicine Residency Program.

Jessica N. Brumfield, DO, Moultrie, GA, was featured in Colquitt Regional Medical

Center’s Resident Spotlight in May. Dr. Brumfield is currently completing her residency with Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program.

Kenneth H. Burk, DO, De Leon, TX, joined Muleshoe Area Medical Center as a family practice physician.

Tara B. Churilla, DO, Roaring Brook Township, PA, and her husband, Thomas Churilla, MD, were featured in an article titled “Medical School Graduates DIGEST 2018

35

CLASS NOTES

Return to Area to Practice” in the Scranton Times Tribune.

Patrick McElwaine, PsyD, Willow Grove, PA, presented at the Lilly Conference in Bethesda, MD. Dr. McElwaine’s presentation was titled “Creating a Community of Leadership Through Innovative Pedagogical Approaches.” Dr. McElwaine is an assistant professor in Holy Family University’s School of Arts and Sciences’ Counseling Psychology Program.

2016

Michael R. Horn, DO, Pensacola, FL, earned his US Navy Flight Surgeon Wings on June 15. To receive this honor, Dr. Horn completed a sevenmonth flight surgery course that included aviation didactics, time

at the controls of fixed wing and helo aircraft, and aviation medicine education at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute. Dr. Horn was winged by his wife, Valerie Nguyen, DO ’16.

Marco Hur, DO, Gainesville, FL, was the subject of Colquitt Regional Medical Center’s Resident Spotlight in July.

Dr. Hur is in the process of completing his residency with Georgia South Family Medicine Residency Program.

C. Woodworth Parker, MS/ Biomed, DO, Pensacola, FL, earned his US Navy Flight Surgeon Wings on June 15. To receive this honor, Dr. Parker completed a seven-month flight surgery course that included aviation didactics, time at the controls of fixed wing and helo

aircraft, and aviation medicine education at the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute.

Dr. Parker was winged by James Black, DO ’62.

Evan W. Taxin, MS/ PA, Westminster, MD, has joined Carroll Health Group Orthopaedics as a certified physician assistant in spine surgery.

2017

Eva Karam, PharmD, Gainesville, GA, gave a presentation titled “Assessment of Compliance to a Nurse Driven Alcohol Withdrawal Protocol at a Large Community Hospital” at the Southeastern Residency Conference in April.

Shanna O’Connor, MS/MHC, East Stroudsburg, PA, coauthored an article for In Public

Safety titled “How Infants Are Falling Victim to the Opioid Crisis” (August 2018). Ms. O’Connor works as a mental health specialist in the Lehigh Valley area. Prior to that, she worked at a methadone clinic providing individual and group therapy for those suffering with an opiate addiction and dual diagnosis.

Elizabeth E. Tidwell Pennington, PharmD, Lawrenceville, GA, gave a presentation titled “Investigating Prescribing Patterns and Patient Safety Relating to the Use of First and Second Generation Anti-psychotics” at the Southeastern Residency Conference in April.

IN MEMORIAM Jerome J. Adler, DO ’53, Marina del Rey, CA, October 12, 2015 Diane M. Amalfitano, DO ’84, Arlington, VA, January 25, 2018 L. Edward Antosek, DO ’72, Fort Lauderdale, FL, November 9, 2018 Kathleen Runyon Armstrong, RN ’46, King City, OR, April 11, 2016 Anita H. Atkins, DO ’57, Jupiter, FL, July 29, 2018 John Bellis, DO ’77, Philadelphia, PA, October 10, 2018 Albert Bonier, DO ’44, Delray Beach, FL, October 8, 2018 Victor M. Bove, DO ’51, Lancaster, PA, November 10, 2018 Jackie R. Briggs, DO ’69, The Villages, FL, January 9, 2018 Keith A. Buzzell, DO ’60, Bridgton, ME, June 12, 2018 Neil A. Capretto, DO ’81, Beaver, PA, June 9, 2018 Kristin A. Carlin, DO ’00, New Port Richey, FL, April 21, 2018 Cheryl L. Carrao, DO ’93, Scarsdale, NY, September 29, 2018

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Gregory A. Ciminera, DO ’78, Richboro, PA, July 1, 2018 Morris J. Cherrey, DO ’44, Clifton Heights, PA, October 27, 2018 Leland E. Childers, DO ’53, Honolulu, HI, October 19, 2002 Barbara A. Coleman-Bracken, DO ’81, Media, PA, September 5, 2018 Deidre Christine Day, MS/ Biomed ’99, DO ’03, Belmar, NJ, June 27, 2018 Richard M. DiMonte, Sr., DO ’66, West Chester, PA, October 21, 2018 Andrew T. Fanelli, DO ’69, New Hope, PA, March 15, 2018 Francis A. Fucile, DO ’58, Cocoa Beach, FL, November 21, 2018 Donald J. Goldman, DO ’59, Hollywood, FL, October 27, 2018 Daniel S. Gordon, DO ’72, Reynoldsville, PA, January 31, 2016 Morton S. Herskowitz, DO ’43, Philadelphia, PA, August 6, 2018 James J. Julian, DO ’54, Rancho Mirage, CA, February 22, 2018

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Leonard M. Kabel, DO ’65, Lake Worth, FL, September 18, 2018 C. Roger Kendrick, DO ’74, Kennebunk, ME, September 13, 2018 George V. Kroll, DO ’54, East Stroudsburg, PA, August 6, 2018 William C. LeMasters, DO ’81, Sunbury, PA, October 31, 2018 David H. Loughran, DO ’83, Richboro, PA, October 16, 2018 Arnold Melnick, DO ’45, Rydal, PA, July 12, 2018 Michael G. Moncman, DO ‘81,Grove City, OH, October 13, 2018 E. Frank Muggler, DO ’53, Warminster, PA, December 15, 2016 Anna Mae Nagle, RN ’50, Weatherly, PA, November 7, 2017 Kathleen M. Neilon, DO ’89, Sewell, NJ, June 30, 2018 Joseph M. Pitone, DO ’72, Chadds Ford, PA, October 11, 2018 Fred E. Silbereisen, DO ’59, Sewell, NJ, March 12, 2018 Keith Swan, RES ’84, Vandalia, MO, November 16, 2013

Rudd B. Thabes, DO ’76, Walker, MN, September 2, 2018 Louis J. Totani, DO ’67, Pen Argyl, PA, March 8, 2018 Timothy R. Toward, DO ’73, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, January 18, 2018 Nancy Troast, DO ’83, Fort Myers, FL, July 4, 2017 Barry D. Walp, DO ’56, Lancaster, PA, August 26, 2018 Joseph A. Walsh, Jr., DO ’58, Folsom, PA, March 11, 2017 Richard Foster Waters, DO ’04, Lewistown, PA, October 27, 2018 Eboney N. White, MS/ODL ’13, Philadelphia, PA, February 19, 2018 David E. Wiley, DO ’58, Lancaster, PA, July 19, 2018 Barclay Wiseman, PharmD ’17, Cumming, GA, October 22, 2018 James E. Xanthopoulos, DO ’57, Lewistown, PA October 22, 2017 Lawrence H. Zinner, DO ’51, Philadelphia, PA, August 22, 2018

Krystal Carter MS/CCHP ’10

JOIN FELLOW ALUMNI IN SUPPORTING THE FUTURE At Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, alumni like you have launched successful careers in a variety of medical fields and acquired a wealth of knowledge to share along the way. PCOM invites you to join your fellow alums in our PCOM Pillars program and offer the same education, guidance and mentorship to current students that you received as a student at PCOM.

To learn more, visit: Alumni.PCOM.edu/Pillars

DIGEST 2018

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