Campus Tidbits

Members of SAMOPS in Colorado participated in Wreaths Across America, an annual event in which volunteers place wreaths upon the graves of veterans to honor them during the holidays. The military students traveled to Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

Alison Hart, PAS II, helped to deliver the first baby of the decade for Torrington, Wyoming, during her rotation.

From The Torrington Telegram, "After a long two week wait, Goshen County finally saw the arrival of this year’s New Year’s Baby. Caleb and Rachel Shaner of Lusk welcomed Easton Riley Shaner to the family at 2 p.m. on Jan. 14, weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces. and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. He was delivered by Dr. Bonnie Randolph, with the assistance of Ali Hart, a medical student from Rocky Vista University in Parker, Colo."

"Delivering the first baby of the decade was a surreal experience," said PA student Alison Hart. "My preceptor and the mom-to-be were trusting and gracious enough to let me bring the sweet baby boy into the world.

Labor was pretty quick. The experience was over in about 35 minutes. This time frame includes sprinting from clinic to the hospital, putting a gown and shoe covers over my boots and clinic clothes as I didn’t have time to change, and grasping a babies head to bring him into the world. It was an experience I am so grateful for and will remember for the rest of my life."

Thomas Coyle, OMS I, and his wife Alicia welcomed a baby girl on February 11th. Claire Louise Bernadette Coyle weighed 6lb 8oz and was 20 inches long. Congratulations, SD Coyle, Alicia, and big sister Josephine!

In November, eleven RVU students attended CU’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Fair at their Anschutz Medical Campus. Set up were hands-on stations demonstrating ultrasound-guided injections, spasticity diagnosis/treatment, adaptive sports, amputee care/prosthetics, and wheelchair use. Lucas Zornoza, OMS II ran a station with Dr. Kristin Putnam, discussing and demonstrating an osteopathic approach to low back pain, which garnered considerable interest from the CU students.

The Campus Safety and Security Department has been trained and certified to carry OC Pepper Gel to better help protect the campus community and for Officer safety. The primary goal of the department is to maintain and safe and secure learning environment here on campus. We ask that if you see something, you say something. Together, as a community we can achieve greatness and obtain a consistently safe environment for ourselves and future generations.

Students provided Hepatitis A and Influenza vaccinations to the homeless—a population at great risk of contracting these illnesses—in Lakewood, Colorado. The event was funded by the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition (CCIC) as part of a larger vaccination series throughout the Denver Metro area. Jennifer Badolato, Director of Practice Management for Rocky Vista Health Center, and David Ross, DO, FACEP, Director of Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track, helped organize the student outreach event (and provided medical supervision). Students included first-year students Garrett Florey, Jenn Wu, Dellvin Nguonly, and Florence Yip. Second-year students included Hannah Chong, Parker Lewis, Candice Song, and Josh Bridge.

Catch Up on Your Reading

• The AOA: In a recent article, "COVID-19: What you need to know" (February 26, 2020), Dr. Cole Zanetti was interviewed about the novel coronavirus, its symptoms, how it's transmitted, and other frequently asked questions. https://osteopathic.org/2020/02/26/covid-19-what-you-need-to-know/.

• ChooseDO: Phillip Bennett, OMS IV, wrote an article for ChooseDO.org, a popular website created by AACOM for pre-med students. The article, "5 Essentials for Preparing for Medical School, According to a DO Student," offers information for incoming students such as figuring out one's learning style, why the people and location of a school can make a big difference, and how the amount of effort put into studying is more impactful than which school one attends.

Listen to a Podcast

• The Osteopod: "One unique way that I'm helping pre-med students learn more about DO medical school is through my podcast," says Phillip Bennett, OMS IV. "I interview fellow med students from different DO schools about their experiences. You can find it at https://anchor.fm/theosteopod.

• Primary Care Podcast: The newest episode features an interview with Beatriz Linn, MD, who trains students and residents at Rocky Vista Health Center at the Colorado campus. Dr. Linn discussed her incredible personal journey to get to where she is today: she grew up in the Andes Mountains of Colombia and went to medical school in Medellín before doing her internship year deep in the Colombian jungle in the late 1980s during a very dangerous time in the drug trade. She talks about maintaining her positive attitude while almost getting kidnapped by guerrillas and many other obstacles. We finish up by talking about her experience in the US doing her residency in internal medicine here in Denver and also talk about how she practices preventive medicine. Find it on any podcast platform!

• The Skeptics' Guide to Emergency Medicine: Andrew Merelman, OMS II, was interviewed on this podcast as a critical care paramedic and medical student. He discusses a case involving an elderly man presenting with sepsis from pneumonia. Visit thesgem.com episode notes for more information related to the case.

• Feeling Super: The Misinterpretation of Mental Illness in Pop Culture: This podcast is hosted by Jenifer A. Fisher, MLIS, Instructor of Medical Humanities. Along with her co-host, Nikki, Jen discusses different social issues and mental illnesses, then analyzes how movies, games, and television often get their subjects wrong.