Future of Medicine

UGA PREMED A MAGAZINE FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN SCIENCE AND HEALTH GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM

HEALTHCARE REFORM

DOCTOR DEFICIENCY

RELIGION AND MEDICINE

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PERSONAL HEALTH

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Table of Contents 4 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 18

Leara Scholarship A Message from Our Editor Senior Spotlight Student Organization Spotlight: Atlantis Fellowship Soon, Your Doctor Will Be a Click Away Doctor Deficiency Artificial Wombs: Fiction turned Future Where Are We with Health Care Reform? and‌ Where Are We Going?

The Merger of Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) Residencies Religion and Medicine: Friends or Foes?

Science Compassion Vigilance

Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences - Anesthesiologist Assistant Programs

http://healthsciences.nova.edu/healthsciences/anesthesia/

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LEARA SCH

ENTER FOR A CHAN

Premed Magazine is proud to offer you, our readers, a scholarship in each issue. You may submit an original piece of writing that represents your personal connection to our magazine. In each issue, the theme for the upcoming competition will be announced.

This issue’s topic: Write about what you think is the most issue in healthcare today as well as a well-researched solution. Submissions should be at least 500 words in length and include at least 3 expert primary sources.

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HOLARSHIP

ANCE TO WIN $500

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Remember, this scholarship is open to ALL MAJORS, not just pre-health students. The recipient of the scholarship will be announced in our next issue and will be rewarded with $500 to be used on furthering his or her education.

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STAFF FACULTY ADVISOR Dr. Leara Rhodes EDITORIAL BOARD Emma Burke Anson Dao Grant Mercer Sherry Luo COPY EDITORS Annika Jonker Christina Najjar Muhammad Siddiq Emma Burke

EMMA BURKE

EDITOR IN CHIEF

GRANT MERCER

COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR

WRITERS Emma Burke Neil Jacob Sherry Luo Katie Luquire Muhammad Siddiq Eric Santana Hallie Smith Skyler Tuholski DESIGNERS Sherry Luo PHOTOS Ushna Syed

ANSON DAO

TREASURER

SHERRY LUO

DESIGN EDITOR

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PERSONAL HEALTH

A MESSAGE

FROM OUR EDITOR

In the short time humans have lived on Earth,

amazing four years over again. No matter where our

we have learned an incredible amount about ourselves

education takes us, we are all lifelong learners. That is

and how to increase the quality and quantity of our

the beauty of working in science and healthcare - while

lives. While today we take for granted how much we

we might earn numerous degrees, we never truly leave

know about human anatomy, the study only began

the classroom.

3,600 years ago in ancient Egypt. It wasn’t until

almost 1,000 years later that anatomists identified the

University of Georgia, I am excited for what the future

distinction between arteries and veins. Around this

holds for PreMed Magazine. My time with this brilliant

time, the Hippocratic Oath was created to set ethical

and inspiring group of students has not been nearly

standards for caregivers. Flash forward to today and

long enough. However, I am thrilled to announce the

consider where we would be without these seemingly

new leaders of this publication. Katie Luquire will be

basic discoveries. Now, imagine telling Hippocrates or

the new Editor in Chief, Muhammad Siddiq will be

Leonardo Da Vinci that we no longer have to cut our

serving as Campus Outreach, and Neil Jacob is the

patients open to see what lurks inside - all it takes is a

new Treasurer. I am also excited that Sherry Luo will

trip down to the radiology department. It is important

be continuing on as Design Editor and Grant Mercer

for us as future healthcare providers to always be

will be returning as Communications Editor. I cannot

respectful of what we understand and have yet to

wait to see where you all take PreMed Magazine, I look

discover.

forward to seeing how you each leave your mark on

your fellow pre-health students. To our readers - thank

Much like we can reflect on how far science

As I look forward to graduating from the

and medicine have come in the last 6,000 years, we can

you all for your support over the last year. We create

also see how much we as students have grown over the

this magazine for you and we are thankful to be part of

course of the school year. Some of us began in August

your journey at the University of Georgia. We, the staff

as freshmen - excited and fearful of the unknown.

of PreMed Magazine, cannot wait to see how each of

Others are seniors, with similar emotions to their

you impact the future of medicine.

first-year counterparts, wishing they could start these

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SENIOR SPOTLIGHT Annika Jonker

This spring, Annika will be graduating with a triple major in avian biology, biology, and art history. She has loved discussing current events with other staff members, staying up-to-date on pertinent medical issues, and learn what other PreMed Mag contributors were interested in. After two and a half years as a staff member and Copy Editor, she is looking forward to taking a gap year before applying to medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Born in South Africa, Annika speaks four languages fluently. We are very excited to see where Annika goes next and will miss her dedication to the magazine!

Christina Najjar

Christina will be graduating in May with a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology. Her favorite part of being a member of PreMed Magazine for the past four years has been “the creative outlet the magazine has provided amongst predominately hard science courses.” After graduation, she will be getting married and attending medical school. In her free time, Christina likes to oil paint.

We will certainly miss Christina’s contributions as both a writer and Copy Editor next year and wish her luck with her future schooling!

Emma Burke

Emma will be graduating in May with a degree in genetics and biology. She is thrilled to be attending the Medical College of Georgia beginning in the fall. In her three and a half years with PreMed Magazine, she has served as a writer and Editor in Chief. Her favorite part of working with the magazine has been forming mentor-type relationships with other successful pre-health students. Emma ran her first half marathon in October and is looking forward to completing a marathon before graduating from medical school. We are thankful for Emma’s service to the magazine and wish her the best!

Hallie Smith

Hallie will earn her degree in journalism this spring. As a biology minor, she will be applying to medical school this upcoming summer. She is hoping to work as an entertainment staff member at Disney World during her gap year. In Hallie’s two years with PreMed Magazine, she loved being able to write articles that she could use to express her ideas free from the constraints of class-required writing assignments. Not only is she a UGA Majorette, Hallie is also an accredited parliamentarian. We cannot wait to follow Hallie’s journey to become a physician and wish her the best of luck!

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STUDENT ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT

ATLANTIS FELLOWSHIP

BY SKYLER TUHOLSKI

I could not imagine a better way to accumulate those critical, yet hard-to-find, shadowing hours than through a total cultural immersion shadowing program like Atlantis. Atlantis is a student-founded organization that hosts 20+ hour/week AAMC compliant shadowing experiences in Europe and Latin America. In addition to fostering medical education by offering weekly rotations through chosen specialities, each fellowship includes an exciting weekly excursion, 3 group meals, travel health insurance, and housing. After my 4 week fellowship in a small town in Spain, I left with unforgettable experiences both in the hospital and in exploring Spain with people that would become lasting friends. I shadowed in the specialties of pulmonology, OBGYN, general surgery, and nephrology while learning how tax-funded public healthcare and culture shape healthcare delivery. I stood next to a surgeon throughout a 4-hour laparoscopic colectomy, witnessed the birth of a beautiful baby girl, and learned in-depth about dialysis and how it impacts patients’ lives. I also went kayaking and swimming in a pristine lake, took a day trip and historical tour of Toledo, and visited our city’s wine museum to learn about wine tasting and the history behind the region’s greatest export. During our free time on the weekends, my group chose to travel to Madrid, Seville, and Valencia together by train and had so much fun exploring together. I highly recommend Atlantis fellowships to anyone interested in shadowing physicians and traveling! With locations in 10 different countries, the option to add MCAT prep courses, and summer 2018 programs that vary between 3 and 8 weeks, this experience is completely customizable and worthwhile! Please contact me at stuholski@uga. edu for exclusive application access and program insight!

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Soon, Your Doctor Will Be a Click Away

by Katie Luquire

If you’ve ever been to an emergency room for a

had spread. If there had been a way for her to see a

minor injury or ailment, you’ve likely waited hours on

doctor without taking a sick day, maybe Edna would

end for treatment. You also probably paid a large sum

have had a better outcome (Brawley and Goldberg,

of money for your treatment. Unfortunately, this is the

2011). One-fifth of Americans live in rural communities,

result of a healthcare system that relies on visits to the

where primary care is scarce and the only option for

emergency room, especially for low-income populations

treatment is costly emergency facilities (Freudenheim,

who may not be able to see a primary care physician

2010). However, telemedicine provides a solution to the

for a problem that grows increasingly worse. The novel

barriers to treatment that plague our current system by

How We Do Harm shines a light on individuals like Edna

generating an ongoing dialogue between patient and

Riggs, a fifty-three-year-old woman who has symptoms

provider.

of breast cancer. However, because her employer would

not let her take sick days, she didn’t see a doctor until

telehealth has emerged. This advance in medical

her breast had fallen off due to her tumor and her cancer

technology is defined as the use of electronic

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PERSONAL HEALTH

In the advent of increases in technology,

communication to exchange

Much of the focus of

cover telehealth the same as in-

medical information and deliver

telehealth is being directed towards

person services. However, states

remote healthcare (Loustaunau,

rural areas where primary care is

vary greatly in their coverage for

2013). Telehealth may be used

scarce. For example, telemedicine

Medicaid, and Medicare covers some

in many aspects of medicine

has also allowed providers of

services but not others. Additionally,

and covers a broad range of

emergency medicine to share ideas

because telemedicine is a new

treatments. For example, telehealth

due to the ease of communication

concept, there may not be adequate

includes online communication,

between rural doctors and trauma

technology to diagnose a patient.

appointments with a healthcare

specialists in big cities. In fact,

This disconnect might lead to lower

provider, and even includes online

teletrauma technology is projected

satisfaction by doctor and patient,

support groups. One of the most

to connect every hospital with

and even worse health outcomes.

popular forms of telehealth is two-

trauma facilities in the future

way communication between doctor

and has already saved many lives

improves, care will become more

and patient, where the patient

(Loustaunau, 2013). Victoria Corbett,

accessible and the patient-doctor

describes his/her symptoms and the

a nursing student who is studying

relationship might even change for

doctor determines the best course of

at the University of North Georgia

the better. Through telemedicine,

treatment. Telemedicine allows you

is optimistic about the future of

patients who are not currently able

to see a doctor wherever you choose,

telehealth. “It’s really cool,” she says.

to receive care will have better

and you are able to choose a doctor

“I think it will be used to help a lot

access to treatment, which will

regardless of your location. Many

of medically underserved areas

lead to better health outcomes for

illnesses, like respiratory illnesses

connect with doctors”. Victoria

the nation as a whole. While doctor

and urinary tract infections, often

also mentioned that she has seen

visits are currently an occasional

require a simple specimen sample

telehealth in action in the ICU at

experience, telemedicine could

for diagnosis. An at-home test and a

Emory. According to their website,

change the way we view medicine

quick video chat allows a patient to

Emory’s Johns Creek location has

and even transform doctor-patient

quickly receive the medication that

partnered with AcuteCare to help

interactions into an ongoing

they need without spending hours in

stroke patients gain timely access to

conversation.

an office.

specialty neurological consultations

via telemedicine in order to avoid

Telehealth has the potential

Although, as technology

to change how we view medicine

the debilitating effects of stroke

and to break down some of the

that occur due to late diagnosis

barriers that prevent patients from

(AcuteCare, 2014).

seeing their healthcare provider. An

article in the New York Times tells

electronic stethoscope and video

the story of Charlie Martin, a crane

conferencing, patients are able to

operator who complained of sharp

receive care no matter their location.

pains in his lower back. While most

However, while telehealth is gaining

of us would jump in the car and visit

traction, it is not without drawbacks.

a local doctor, Charlie was working

While many insurance companies

Brawley, O. W., & Goldberg, P. (2012). How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America. New York: St. Martins Press.

on an oil rig in Malaysia. Through

are starting to cover telemedicine, it

two-way video and an electronic

is not as universally covered as face-

FAQs: About Telemedicine. Retrieved from http://www.americantelemed.org/about/telehealth-faqs-

stethoscope, an emergency

to-face appointments. According

medicine physician was able to

to the American Telemedicine

remotely diagnose Charlie with a

Association, thirty-four states

kidney stone (Freudenheim, 2010).

require that private insurers

Through technology like the

AcuteCare Telemedicine Expanding Services at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. (2014, June 13). Retrieved from http://www. acutecaretelemed.com/press-releases/ACT_EmoryJohns.pdf

Freudenheim, M. (2010, May 29). The Doctor Will See You Now. Please Log On. The New York Times, p. BU1.

Loustaunau, M. P. (2013). Telemedicine. Magill’s Medical Guide (Online Edition). Xu, R. (2014). The Doctor Will See You Onscreen. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/ business/currency/the-doctor-will-see-you-onscreen

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Doctor Deficiency

meet patient demand (Dayaratna, 2017). The

on the country’s physician workforce

factor affecting all specialties and having the

(Marcus, 2017). Advancements in technology

largest effect on physician supply will be the

are another factor that could play a role

retirement rate of current practicing doctors.

in solving the crisis. Remote technologies

In the next 10 years, more than one-third of

such as telemedicine, which is the use of

all the current active physicians will be 65 or

telecommunications to remote diagnose

older (Mann, 2017).

and treat patients, could reduce the need

for as many specialists. Many fields such as

by Muhammad Siddiq

point to a major shortage that is only

dermatology are already using this service

growing, it is important to understand that

(Marcus, 2017).

the shortage is much more complicated than

reports suggest. There are many other factors

the future, it is difficult to predict how

that need to be taken into consideration

short the nation will be of physicians. The

and several suggestions have already been

physician shortage crisis is troubling to think

proposed to avert the crisis. For one thing,

about and there is certainly not one easy

much of the shortage lies in the hands of

solution to the problem, but if technology

government regulation. The Association

advances fast enough, the government lets

of American Medical Colleges is actively

in foreign doctors and chooses to increase

advocating for increased federal support

funding for physician training the increasing

for additional residency positions. Without

need for medical professionals can be

this support for medical graduate education

alleviated.

Health care debate seems to

constantly dominate headlines. Many Americans, however, are unaware of a major issue affecting the United States’ healthcare system. The United States is facing a significant shortage of physicians and evidence suggests that the recent deficiency of medical professionals is only going to get worse.

The United States’ physician

shortage is being fueled many factors including population growth, an increase in the number of aging Americans, and the retirement of practicing doctors (Mann, 2017).

A recent study done by the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the United States will be in a deficit of anywhere between 40,800 and 104,900 physicians by the year 2030. The study found that primary care physicians and other medical specialists are currently unable to keep pace with demands of the growing and aging population. These demands are significant as projections suggest that the total U.S. population is expected to grow 12% by 2030. Similarly, the number of U.S. residents aged 65 and older is expected to increase 55% by that time (Mann, 2017). AAMC President Darell G. Kirch, MD. explains, “This makes the projected shortage especially troubling, since as patients get older they need two to three times as many services, mostly in specialty care, which is where the shortages are particularly severe” (Mann, 2017).

As Kirch suggests, speciality care

faces the greatest demand as the projected shortage by 2030 is expected to be between 33,500 and 61,800 physicians compared to primary care’s projection of between 8,700 and 43,100 physicians (Mann, 2017). There are a number of factors that contribute to this, but it can be suggested that this is due to residency match system not producing appropriate distribution of doctors to

While all evidence and projections

With so much uncertainty regarding

it will be difficult to increase the number of active practicing physicians (Mann, 2017). Furthermore, it will be important to see how immigration policy over the next few years affects the number of foreign physicians able to enter the country. How welcoming the U.S. is to international medical graduates will have a huge impact

Dayaratna, K., & Singh, S. (2017, May 31). Solving the Physician Shortage Crisis. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www. dailysignal.com/2017/05/31/solving-the-crisis-of-physicianshortages/ Mann, S. (2017, March 14). Research Shows Shortage of More than 100,000 Doctors by 2030. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://news.aamc.org/medical-education/article/new-aamcresearch-reaffirms-looming-physician-shor/ Marcus, M. B. (2017, March 20). New report predicts “troubling” shortage of doctors in the U.S. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctor-shortageus-impact-on-health/

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Artificial Wombs: Fiction Turned Future by Sherry Luo

that is filled with amniotic fluid. Attached

have made it very clear that this device, if

recreated parts and functions of the human

to the bag and the lamb’s umbilical cord

approved for human testing, will not be used

body. Limb prosthetics have been used

is a machine that functions as a placenta.

on infants prior to 23 weeks as they are too

throughout history. Pacemakers help our

This “biobag” is meant to recreate all the

delicate and negative outcomes are more

hearts beat regularly. Mechanical ventilators

conditions a fetus would experience inside

likely to occur. There is no guarantee of

can move air into and out of our lungs. The

a mother’s womb. The scientists at the head

success that this device will work on human

list of medical innovations and inventions is

of this study have even gone so far as to

babies, and it could potentially cause a great

endless. These artificial means apply to those

keep the lamb fetuses in a dark, warm room

deal of stress and discomfort for them when a

who have exited the womb, but what about

and play sounds of a mother’s heartbeat for

peaceful death may be preferable. Scientists

devices for premature babies?

them. Videos of these lambs in their artificial

are concerned about what this device will

wombs are available online. The eight lambs

mean for the blurry line between fetus and

states that approximately 15 million babies

in this study spent a month inside these

baby, a point of serious contention in abortion

are born prematurely every year, a million

bags before the researchers euthanized

debates, and whether or not this kind of

of who die of complications that stem

them to study the developmental effects

technology might bring our society a step

from preterm birth. Ninety percent of them

of being inside the bag. The researchers

closer to a science-fiction universe, one that

survive with severe complications. One of

developed a particular fondness for one

is not far off from Gattaca or Aldous Huxley’s

the main problems is that preemies are born

of the lambs and donated it to a farm after

oft-cited Brave New World. Artificial wombs

with underdeveloped lungs and brains. The

it was healthily “born.” The researchers

also have multiple implications in issues

chances of survival for babies born at 26

emphasize that the purpose of this study,

such as maternity leave and abortion.

weeks are fifty percent; any earlier than that

however, was not to study long-term survival

and their chances drop significantly. Preterm

but fetal development. While this is not the

lives of many premature babies to come, but

birth rates are increasing in every country,

first time an artificial womb has been created

the future of this technology is unclear as it

and while postnatal treatment and therapy

or tested, this is the first time it has been

affects not only the babies, but also parents,

exist, there are no current methods for

this successful; previously, in a very similar

ethics committees, and physician decision-

prenatal treatment.

Japanese study in 1996, researchers ran into

making.

circulatory problems.

Over the years, we have artificially

The World Health Organization

In 2017, scientists at the Children’s

Hospital of Philadelphia successfully created

an “artificial womb.” They used premature

hopes to test this device on extremely

lamb fetuses that were developmentally

premature babies (born between 23 and

equivalent to 23-week-old fetuses as their

26 weeks) within three to five years. This

models. With this device, the lamb fetuses

artificial womb has the potential to decrease

were able to develop normally for a month.

preterm death rates, but this may not be

The fetal lamb is inside a clear, plastic bag

an ethically sound method. Researchers

Artificial wombs could save the

The group in charge of this study Swetlitz, I. (2017, April 26). Artificial womb keeps premature lambs alive for weeks. Are humans next? Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/artificialwomb-keeps-premature-lambs-alive-weeks-humans-next Stein, R. (2017, April 25). Scientists Create Artificial Womb That Could Help Prematurely Born Babies. Retrieved April 07, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/sections/healthshots/2017/04/25/525044286/scientists-create-artificialwomb-that-could-help-prematurely-born-babies

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Where Are We with Health Care Reform? and… Where Are We Going?

by Hallie Smith 14

PERSONAL HEALTH

Uncertain. Three failed attempts to replace the Affordable Care Act are the marker of 2017 for the Trump administration, yet the debate is not over. No issue has faced as dubious a future as the topic of healthcare.

In the fall of 2016, Jonathan Gruber, Ford Professor of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said it best, “Obamacare is not going away. There may be a few changes around the edges.”

Obamacare has given health insurance a solid foundation that will take time to build upon as medicine and the economy advances, he added.

Gruber predicted correctly as there have been a few changes made that will affect the way healthcare is administered in the United States.

Let’s take a look: · The enrollment period for federally run exchanges was shortened. · Enrollment assistance and advertising were cut substantially. · Payments to insurance companies to help with cost-sharing subsidy enrollees were discontinued. · Rules were issued to roll back a federal requirement for coverage of birth control to be in employers’ health insurance plans. · The mandate that citizens are required to buy insurance was eliminated.

These adjustments will definitely affect the way that states regulate insurance. They must work to cooperate within the bounds set by federal mandates, but also provide affordable plans and benefits while providing access to essential services.

The biggest threat to the stability of health care is the elimination of insurance requirements of all US. citizens.

Economists predict that the absence

of the mandate with rekindle the insurance death spiral that we experienced in 2010 when only 53 percent of the American population had employer health insurance plans.

This threat has sent policymakers back to the drawing board.

Among the many options is the single-payer system variation.

Many other countries use this system in which health-related costs would drop dramatically. Marketing and administrative expenses for the current health care system are much more than they would be under the single-payer system. Additionally, almost all practices, examinations and medications cost substantially more in the U.S. than any other country. In recent years support for the single-payer system has risen and a June 2017 poll demonstrated that 60 percent of Americans agreed that the federal government should provide universal coverage.

Even though millions of Americans are in support of universal coverage, millions still would mount up against any change in their current health coverage. Employer coverage hides the paycheck sacrifice while the single-payer system would be covered by taxes. This fact leads many to prefer the current system and shun any changes. Economically, the single-payer system barely changes the tax burden we presently have; however, the phrase “increasing taxes” tends to put a sour taste in almost all Americans’ mouths.

A recent proposal by the Center for American Progress entitled, “Medicare Extra for All,” is a universal system that would be available to all Americans and employ an out-of-pocket limit for expenses. This plan could be employer sponsored and would not replace private insurance entirely.

Medicare Part E, or Medicare for Everyone, is another idea formed

by Jacob Hacker, a Yale political scientist. His plan would allow anyone, no matter what age, to buy into Medicare.

As ideas are tossed about in the vast array of political debates, the White House budget proposal for fiscal year 2019 dictates that Medicare and Medicaid spending should be cut by 5 percent. This is predicted to save more than $490 billion within 10 years by cutting Medicare hospital payments, nursing home compensation, and funding for teaching hospitals. It hopes to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare recipients by requiring that insurance agencies and pharmacies share in the payment.

Since the biggest responsibility for health care falls on the states, legislators are working to develop plans that could meet their own state’s needs while upholding the national mandates.

Medicaid is of utmost importance, and Section 115 waivers are allowing states to waive certain requirements for distinct necessities. Many are working to shift care toward wellness and preventative services while attempting to lower drug costs through rebates and purchasing agreements.

From the provider perspective, Dr. Thomas Caven said, “Keeping people healthy is a civic duty.” As Vice President of Medical Affairs and Medical Director at Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas and University Medical Center Brackenridge, Caven has watched the climate change fairly drastically since he has been practicing medicine. “Healthcare is expensive. We’ve still got to debate if healthcare is a right – that everyone should have it; but some people still adopt the view that healthcare is a privilege,” he said.

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The Merger of Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) Residencies by Eric Santana

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DOCTORS TO-GO?

by Eric Santana

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Today, there are two options in terms of

meet the standards of the merger and accreditation

education for undergraduates who want to be a

system, it will be shut down. This would leave students

practicing physician in the United States. The first and

without a residency for the time being.

better-known option is to attend an accredited medical

university that will gain the status of Allopathic Doctor

merger it seems that it will be a positive change for the

or Medical doctor (MD). The second option is to attend

healthcare field as it will diversify the background of

an accredited medical university that will give one the

future physicians, while also creating a standard for the

status of Osteopathic Doctor (DO). These two options

quality of education received by students in residencies

in terms of what type of program to enroll in are very

around the United States. However, this transition will

similar and essentially achieve the same goal, the

prove to be very difficult as some students will be left

ability to practice medicine. The main differences are

in closing programs without anywhere to turn and the

often in areas of focus as well as the official license.

question of whether or not a true criterion will be able

Additionally, the residency programs students could

to be adequately and fairly set is still something that

choose from were also different. DO schools were often

is in discussion. How will the transition to this new

criticized due to their seemingly inferior programs; that

system bring new challenges to today’s current medical

is now changing.

students? Only time will tell.

After better understanding the nature of the

By the time the class of 2020, currently second

year medical students, apply for their residencies, students from DO and MD schools will both apply to same programs. A merger between the two organizations, the ACGME (MD) and the AOA (DO), that head the residences is occurring in order to promote a more respected and uniform standard of medicine.

This merger will consequentially form one standard

Alexander, Grant. “MD DO MERGER 2020 (BAD FOR DO?).” Student Doctor Network, 9 Sept. 2016, forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/md-do-merger-2020bad-for-do.1220951/.

Ella, Mary. “Residency Merger- The Impact on Current Med Students” Merck Manual Med Student Stories, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., 16 Nov. 2016, medstudentstories.merckmanuals.com/residency-merger-the-impact-oncurrent-med-students/.

“Single GME: Student Questions Answered.” American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Association., 2016, www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/ single-gme-accreditation-system/Pages/single-gme-student-faqs.aspx.

and shall be known as the General Medical Education (GME) Accreditation System. By establishing one standard, the process of applying to residencies will be made easier on DO students attempting to gain entry to MD residencies. Before the merger occurred, they had to take an additional test in order to gain entrance into these rigorous program. Furthermore, creating one standard residency program for medical students will also increase the quality of education, as the scholastic expectations will be raised within many programs that were less challenging before. The GME also hopes to diversify medicine with this merger and appreciate and interpret the various aspects that the two forms of medicine highlight.

Providing excellence and leadership in education, patient care and research Palmer College of Chiropractic provides a challenging, yet supportive academic environment that prepares you for one of the fastest-growing health care careers.

Despite the positive aspects of this merger, the

transition will also prove to be a very difficult process.

In particular, students are concerned this may make the residency applications much more challenging, particularly for DO students who previously had the option to exclusively participate in DO residencies.

Another problem students may face is that if they enroll in a program before the merger occurs and it does not

www.palmer.edu

Campuses in Davenport, Iowa, Port Orange, Fla., and San Jose, Calif.

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17

Religion and Medicine: Friends or Foes?

by Neil Jacob

According to the most recent reports on Americans and Religion in 2017, about 80% of Americans identify themselves as having an affiliation to religion (Newport, 2017). Most of these Americans will go on to teach their children about religion to ensure that they build a faith of their own. When children start to grow up, they go to school on weekdays to build on their education and to prepare for their respective future career. Interestingly enough, religion can be found in elementary schools all the way to high school.

During this time, children recite the Pledge of Allegiance, they chant four words: “One nation under God�.

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PERSONAL HEALTH

Then, in high school biology, topics such as the Big Bang theory and evolution are thoroughly discussed, leaving students confused whether or not religion is fantasy or reality.

After these children are accepted into college, many professors make it clear that they know that religion is indeed fiction. In fact, the number of college students with no affiliation to a religion has tripled over 30 years (Downey, 2017) and that Atheism is the most practiced religion amongst college professors (Amarasingam, 2011). With a vast majority of Americans practicing religion at a young age, why is it that the trend of religion seems to take a drastic turn when students get

older and how does in any way does this affect the medical field today?

To answer this question, the history of our distant ancestors must be explained.

One of the earliest known civilizations that emerged from the typical hunter-gatherer groups of humans was named Mesopotamia.

With the abundance of fertile land that surrounded the civilization, the Mesopotamians were able to advance technologically and intellectually at exponential speeds.

New methods of agriculture that were formed was a big part of how civilization advanced but one of the most interesting advancements that arose was the formation of

organized religion. Not only was religion formed, but it was also combined with medicine to create a new, unique treatment for its citizens. The Mesopotamians used supernaturalistic treatment methods along with natural treatments such as twigs, plants and leaves to heal other sicknesses that arose within the civilization (Koenig, 2000).

This created the pathway for other civilizations to form healthcare after Mesopotamia had disappeared and became the primary form of healthcare for thousands of years to follow. With evidence linking religion and medicine coexisting for tens of thousands of years, it is interesting that religion is completely underutilized in the medical field today.

A recent test was held at Harvard Medical School to determine the influence religion has in the medical school curriculum and the impact religion has on doctor and patient relationships.

According to the results, one key point to note was that religion was rarely discussed in the medical school curriculum and did not have a role in medical student socialization training. More interestingly, when the students that had indicated that they had no religious affiliation were asked about helping an emotional patient, they were less inclined to properly aid the patient than a medical student that indicated any religious affiliation.

The experiment also showed the effect of no religious affiliation in other training challenges such as loss of compassion for patients and a worse work-life balance than religious students. Coping is an important mechanism that practicing physicians need to properly choose to treat patients and to keep a healthy state of mind for the physician. Wrong forms of

coping can lead to consequences that can harm both the practicing physician and the patient. When the coping mechanisms of non religious students were analyzed, the most utilized mechanisms among these students were repression and compartmentalization, which are both categorized as harmful forms of coping, while prayer and faith were common coping mechanisms that are unique to religious students that shows no negative side effects for the patient or the physician (Balboni et al., 2015). With all of these trends showing a more positive patient physician relationship with religiously affiliated students, it is hard to understand why this topic is rarely discussed in medical school.

It is evident that medicine and religion have both been important implemented together in the most advanced ancient civilizations and have been proven to positively affect medical students and patients. Even practicing physicians have attested to the fact that religion is a great help to medicine. David Madder, a professor at Johns Hopkins University has discussed how his faith has encouraged him to view all people equally and has encouraged treatment of his patients. He states that his faith allows him to go the extra mile when it comes to dire situations and it helps him go above and beyond for each of his patients (Karani, 2017). Although the number of students with religious affiliation drops after college, it is evident that physicians and students that have any sort of religious affiliation creates better work ethic and better results, which is why religion should have a more pronounced role in the medical curriculum. This does not mean that students with no religious affiliation are worse physicians in any way, but it is important

that religiously affiliated students recognize the misconception that medicine and religion do not go together.

As Albert Einstein once said, “Science without religion is lame.

Religion without science is blind.”

My spin on this quote is that Albert Einstein was trying to say was that one cannot go without the other. To say one is right and the other is blatantly wrong is a grandiose misinterpretation that can be dangerous without knowledge on both. The two go hand in hand and with more utilization in the medical field, religion and healthcare can once again have a profound impact.

Amarasingam, Amarnath. “Are American College Professors Religious?” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 6 Oct. 2010, www.huffingtonpost.com/ amarnath-amarasingam/how-religious-areamerica_b_749630.html.

Balboni, Michael J., et al. “Religion, Spirituality, and the Hidden Curriculum: Medical Student and Faculty Reflections.”

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 May 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5267318/.

Downey, Allen. “College Freshmen Are Less Religious Than Ever.” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 25 May 2017, blogs.scientificamerican.com/ observations/college-freshmen-are-lessreligious-than-ever/.

Gallup, Inc. “2017 Update on Americans and Religion.” Gallup.com, 22 Dec. 2017, news. gallup.com/poll/224642/2017-updateamericans-religion.aspx.

Karani, Rabia. “Christianity and Modern Medicine.” Biomedical Odyssey, 10 Mar. 2017, biomedicalodyssey.blogs.hopkinsmedicine. org/2017/03/christianity-and-modernmedicine/.

Koenig, Harold. “RELIGION AND MEDICINE I: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND REASONS FOR SEPARAT

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\ - William J. Mayo

“The aim of medicine is to prevent disease and prolong life, the ideal of medicine is to eliminate the need of a physician.�