Military and Research Come Together in New Collaboration

Over the past year, the Military Medicine Program, the Office of Research, and the Physician-Scientist Track at RVU have forged a new partnership that has resulted in an increased volume of research projects at the University. The partnership provides a solid foundation of support for students and faculty and has resulted in RVUers presenting their research at numerous conferences, participating in and winning several competition events, and being published in national and international journals. South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR), a local fire protection district, also collaborated on a significant number of the research projects.

This new coordinated effort between departments and campuses is a phenomenal achievement for Anthony J. LaPorta, MD, FACS, Director of Military Medicine Program and Professor of Clinical Surgery. After 11 years with RVU, Dr. LaPorta will be partially retiring from his role—a transition that will take place over the course of the next couple of years—following his appointment as Associate Editor of Military Medicine, an international, monthly medical journal that promotes awareness of federal medicine. The Military Medicine Program at RVU will then be led by K. Dean Gubler , DO, MPH, currently the Director of Military Medicine Program on the Southern Utah campus. Dr. LaPorta has also nominated Dr. Gubler as his replacement on the Defense Health Board Committee on Trauma, which is presently awaiting White House approval.

On the Colorado Campus, Rebecca Ryznar, PhD, Director of Physician-Scientist Track, will be continuing to cultivate the partnership between RVU and SMFR that has resulted in innovative research, including studying the changes in the physiological response of paramedics in mass-casualty scenarios. Read more about this research on the RVU Blog at https:// bit.ly/3J6QplW

Dr. Ryznar will also oversee the research collaborations between the Physician-Scientist Track and the Military Medicine Program. According to her, the latter "has the potential to advance and enrich both programs by providing students with opportunities to not only understand the underlying biochemical basis of training efficacy and performance, but to unlock the pathways to resilience."

For Amanda Brooks, PhD, Director of the Office of Research, the most rewarding aspect of the Office of Research’s collaboration with the Military Medicine Program is "the expanding breadth of topics it covers. From uncovering the basic molecular underpinnings of resilience, to the psychology of emotional intelligence, to exploring and mitigating the impact of the stress and fatigue faced by both military and civilian physicians, as well as first responders on clinical practice and emergency response."

The early successes – of which there are many – of the collaboration between the Military Medicine Program and the Office of Research and the Physician-Scientist Track point to a bright future for research at RVU.

Research Elevates Trauma Training

One of the highlights for RVUCOM’s military students is participating in the annual Intensive Surgical Skills and Trauma Course, better known as Cut Suit Week, which immerses students in an array of Hyper-Realistic® training simulations including car accidents, active shooters, and explosions. Through

these high-stress simulations, students learn cricothyroidotomies, deep wound packing, suturing, and combat application tourniquet placements while under extreme stress. This year, there were also two new skill stations: Intraosseous Infusion and Point-ofCare Ultrasound. Read more on the RVU Blog.

RVU Alum Presents to Students

Military students were honored with a presentation from RVU grad, Captain Renato Rapada, DO '19. Captain Rapada matched into Emergency Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center—the Department of Defense's largest facility and the only Level 1 Trauma Center with the distinction of being the U.S. Army's flagship medical institution.

He is currently the Chief Resident at the EM clerkship at SAUSHEC Emergency Medicine Residency Program and the current RAMOPS Vice President. His presentation, "The Joint Service Graduate Medical Education Selection Board," was packed with useful information from GME application requirements to navigating audition rotations.