The Pitt Pulse - Volume I Issue I

— School Spotlight —

Volume I Issue I

University of Maryland School of Medicine Mohammad Mahmood Staff Writer About the School Established in 1807, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was the first public medical school in the United States and currently is part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland, according to its website. The School of Medicine contains 2,600 faculty members, 1,288 medical, graduate and health students, 631 M.D. students and 32 M.D./Ph.D. students. The University of Maryland Medical Center and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center serve as the school’s clinical partners. Notably, UMMC teaching hospital was included among the nation’s best for safety and quality.

Setting The University of Maryland School of Medicine is located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore on the west side of downtown Baltimore. Nearby attractions include the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the Harborplace Mall and several professional sporting facilities including the Baltimore Ravens’ and Orioles’ stadiums. A variety of museums such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Fire Museum of Maryland, theatres and restaurants are within reach.

Student Life Like many schools, on-campus apartment-style housing is available but limited.

Transportation options including free shuttles provide access throughout the UMB campus. While medical school is certainly a hectic time for students, the university and the city provide several opportunities beyond the academic curriculum. Universitysponsored student events include an admissions open house, white coat and clinical

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ceremonies, Locks of Love, and Project Feast in which students and faculty provide a Thanksgiving meal to Baltimore residents.

Rankings Since this is a research-oriented school, as highlighted by facilities such as the UMB, rankings are based on funds that the school receives from institutions such as the National Institute of Health. Among public universities the school ranks 6th out of 76 universities and among all medical schools ranks 18th out of 131 schools. The latest US News & World Report ranking places UMB 40th in research and 46th in primary care.

Admissions Statistics (Class of 2014)*

*Adapted from school website Dual-Degree Programs The UMB School of Medicine offers several combined degree options which may be of interest to students interested in pursuing further research in areas such as anatomy, epidemiology, human genetics, immunology, toxicology and others. The M.D./Ph.D. program offers a combination of scientific skills and clinical experience and provides the necessary prerequisites required for future medical discoveries.

The Ph.D. requirements are demanding and include research in the field of interest.

We Never Skip a Beat...

September 2010

Chris Hansen | The atrium of the Weinberg Building, UMMC Those students who have enjoyed undergraduate research and would like to pursue a career in biomedical discovery may be interested in applying to such a program.

Recruitment and advising is provided by the Medical Scientist Training Program.

Other dual degree programs offered by the University include an M.D./M.S. in Preventative Medicine, M.D./M.P.H. (Masters of Public Health), and D.D.S./ Ph.D. for those interested in dentistry.

Further Information To find out more about the University of Maryland School of Medicine visit its website. Student profile may be particularly useful to gain a personal perspective from current UMB medical students and may be found on the following website: http://medschool.umaryland.edu/studentprofiles.asp.

References 1. http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/leapfrog09.htm 2. http://www.whiting-turner.com/ projects/umb-biopark-building-2.html 3. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/ top-medical-schools/items/04045 4. http://somvweb.som.umaryland. edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=700

Have medical school interview stories to share?

E-mail us at thepittpulse@gmail.com, and we’ll upload them.

Submit letters and prehealth questions by e-mail. The Pitt Pulse reserves the right to either print or hold submissions and edit them for clarity.

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Some Advice for Freshmen The Nuts & Bolts of Volunteering at Pitt Profile of a UPMC Oral Surgeon Health care Policy, Britain’s Proposed Overhaul Thoughts on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Reflection of a Pitt Biology Course A Look at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

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Editor’s note The Pitt Pulse is a brand-new student organization committed to providing a respectable, reliable and relevant monthly periodical available to all on Pitt’s campus. We focus on issues concerning pre-health students. Within these pages you can find advice on academics and gaining experience, accounts of volunteering and conducting research, discourse on admission and standardized tests and opinions of politics and medicine. You can also enjoy profiles of local health care professionals and graduate schools of interest. Think of The Pitt Pulse as an extension — ­ not a replacement — of your academic advisor, though with our advice you take advantage of an unparalleled student perspective.

You are about to read the very first issue of The Pitt Pulse. We hope you find reading it as rewarding as we found putting it together.

-Abdul-Kareem

Thank you all

Dr. Edward Stricker, Faculty Adviser

Andrea Abt, Pre-Health Adviser

For joining us in our endeavor

For the collaboration and invaluable insight

Dr. Alan Sved, Chair, Dept. of Neuroscience

Patty Reagan, Neuroscience Adviser

For aiding us and doing incessant paperwork

For helping us assemble

Rashid Ahmed, Neuroscience

Drew Singer, Former Editor of The Pitt News

For the clever organization title

For the advice so long ago

This publication funded by,

The Student Activity Fee &

Department of Neuroscience The Pitt Pulse Staff 2010 - 2011

Editor in Chief

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Matt Schaff

Dan Bowman

Secretary

Photographer

Webmaster

Sarah Weber

Farha Ali

Jan Kalkus

Staff Writers

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Farha Ali Varun Badami Sarah Bonaffini Laura Cifrese Nicholas DeStefino Vince DeStefino

Ragini Grace Gupta Diana Huang Niaz Khan Mohammad Mahmood Omid Moghimi Sameera Nadimpalli Cover art by Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Scott Perkins Sameer Shakir (Pitt Med) Rebecca Theophanous Jessa Tunacao Sarah Weber Lauren Zammerilla

Classes ex-Zamm-ined: Summer biochemistry Lauren Zammerilla Staff Writer

Summer Classes. About a year ago, I firmly believed that these two words just didn’t belong together. Summer is supposed to be a time to relax, a time for my brain to recover from the endless synaptic processes, organic compounds and reaction mechanisms I had oppressively forced into it over the year. When it comes to the premedical track, however, it seems that time to “relax” and “recover” is not allotted.

Advanced Placement credits from high school, along with careful scheduling during my first two years at Pitt, would have enabled me to graduate a year early … if I took biochemistry over the summer. Logically, I chose to take the summer course — why spend another year as an undergraduate when I could finish the class in a mere six weeks? Looking back, this was a great decision — the class moved at a steady pace, the information was fascinating and the small class size made student-professor interaction easy.

This summer, biochemistry was offered during the second six-week session and met Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Optional recitation sessions were for an hour after class. While it might seem grueling to the normal student who is used to classes that meet only twice, the frequency of biochemistry actually proved to be quite beneficial. Biochemistry is a class that builds on previous material. Therefore, having it everyday ensured that the information learned before was fresh in my mind.

In addition, when it came time to study for exams, I only had to recall information that had been learned a week or two earlier. A semester’s worth of information was crammed into the summer course, including a lot of memorization and understanding of different processes and cycles.

The shortness of the summer class afforded little time to forget such information, ultimately making the class more manageable.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in health care or sciences, biochemistry is usually a requirement. Don’t let this scare

you … biochemistry is actually pretty interesting and allows you to combine knowledge learned in other science courses to get the “big picture.” Let’s start with general chemistry. Sure, you know that acids have a high hydronium ion concentration, pH less than 7, blah, blah, blah. As a freshman, you might be find little context to put this into.

Well, that’s where biochemistry comes into the picture. Acid-base chemistry is a key component of biological systems, catalyzing various reactions. Without acid-basis catalysis, many processes would not take place within the time frame they need to, which could severely harm the organism.

Consider non-covalent interactions, another vague topic skimmed over in general chemistry. Add some biochemistry into the beaker, and poof, you’ll see why it’s so important. Non-covalent interactions drive protein folding, a process that is vital in organisms. Mutations that lead to improper protein folding are linked to neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

In organic chemistry, you may have learned how to draw alpha ketoglutarate, but you probably did not learn the compound’s significance in biological systems.

Alpha ketoglutarate is a key intermediate of the citric acid cycle, which is essential to life and is part of the pathway that generates useable energy in living organisms.

Alpha ketoglutarate also undergoes transamination — the mechanism you know thanks to O-Chem — to become glutamate, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter.

As you can see, biochemistry pulls everything together. It’s rewarding to see those countless hours spent studying seemingly useless facts during past semesters actually pay off. New topics are also covered in biochemsitry, but having a strong background in biology, chemistry and organic chemistry allows nothing to be exceedingly difficult.

I have never been an office hour person. Between other classes, volunteering, research and meetings, it seems that I am never able to attend and therefore cannot comment on their benefit during the normal school year. This summer, on the other hand, I embraced the office hour, and I believe that it greatly helped my performance in the class. While the class was small already, attending the hours al-

CDC | Non-covalent interactions are essential for the structure of various proteins composing this influenza virion. lowed me to get to know my professor, Lydia Daniels, on a more personal level.

Additionally, reviewing the information after class ensured I fully understood it before moving onto a new concept the next day.

A unique aspect of the summer biochemistry course was a collaborative writing assignment discussing the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. During office hours, Daniels answered questions about the paper and gave instructions on how to use PubMed, a database of science journals. I will now be able to use this resource efficiently in my future classes.

I would definitely recommend taking biochemistry over the summer. Although sometimes it’s harder to choose the Hillman over the pool, in the long run it certainly has benefits. Biochemistry is a very intriguing course but is nothing that cannot be handled during the summer. Coming right after spring semester’s organic chemistry II, the topics were still fresh in my mind and therefore could be easily applied in biochemistry.

If you are unable to take it in the summer, you should still enroll during the year.

The course provides both a challenge and a sense of satisfaction, as it allows you to further understand how chemistry provides the basis for all biological processes. As a student interested in medicine, this class is of utmost importance — the knowledge of such biological processes is necessary to further understand the human body.

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Britain’s proposed health care a test for the general practitioner Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Editor

Several months after the U.S. finally “reformed” its healthcare system, Britain caught the bug and decided to do the same.

Fortunately for premed students, it seems the fate of physicians is rosier in this round.

To understand the British healthcare system’s change, it is helpful to recollect the U.K. National Health Services’ inception and structure. The NHS was born out of the aftermath of World War II. Hospitals formally run on a volunteer basis and often funded by the government were strung together under this new banner.

Today, but not for long, Britain enjoys socialized medicine, in the true sense of the term. Citizens pay a certain percentage in tax, which the government uses to provides healthcare for all citizens. Barring recurrent tax, everyone receives treatment free of charge and the allowable cost of a prescription drug is capped at $12, according to Time Magazine.

There are also caps in other param-

eters. You might have heard of a panel that puts a price tag on life, what some on this side of the Atlantic would call “death panels.” Ironically called NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, it determines the permissible efficiency of treatment. That means in the interest of providing everyone healthcare, no treatment is eligible for funding if it costs more than $45,000 to extend one year of life.

Fortunately — or unfortunately depending on your belief system — all citizens are equal to one another; a year gained by an 85-year-old gentleman is equivalent to a year gained by a bonny boy of 12.

NHS services are commissioned to hospitals by trusts, which also overlook fiscal matters, all as deemed appropriate by the Department of Health. Trusts determine how, where and by whom patients are treated, and each covers a different region. It seems these same trusts will be no more in the near future.

Britain, but not the entire U.K., plans to decentralize its healthcare system. As a way to moderate the budget, the government plans to dispose of the trusts and other bureaucratic sector altogether. Anticipating an annual budget of $100-120 bil-

lion, a drastic fall from $160 billion, money will be distributed to general practitioners.

These clinicians would use the money to fund services from hospitals and other providers, according to The New York Times.

Clinicians would determine which services to buy and be able to offer. Clinicians would be managing their own shop, sort of speak.

While the average clinician might happily await the plan’s implementation, others are more critical. For instance, eliminating the health bureaucracy means a major loss in jobs. Tens of thousands of jobs, at that, according to The New York Times. And then there is the concern that general practitioners will be entrenched in administrative work when there are clinical services to be delivered. Inescapably, the proposed plan puts considerable trust in personnel that were trained to treat, and not to manage.

However, these are only minor kinks that, with a little persistent ironing, will surely go right away. If this experiment holds strong, Britain will have found a way to cut costs and improve patient satisfaction. Secondly, the world will learn a little more on the versatility of clinicians. They might not just be technicians after all.

Johns Hopkins and former Pitt undergrad, Dr. George Otto Gey, was determined to establish the very first human immortal cell line. Gey would grab every cell he could get his hands on – be they skin cells, liver cells, cardiac cells or even cervical cells. During Henrietta’s visit, a dime-sized portion of her cancerous cervical cells were collected in a test tube, and Gey allowed them to grow in media. Whereas every other human cell before Henrietta’s died within a week, Henrietta’s cells grew. And they grew fast.

The HeLa cell line was born, and with it the field of cell culture was transformed.

Research into AIDS, cancer, cell growth and maturation, effects of radiation and toxins, gene mapping and countless other scientific achievements were done with the use of HeLa. The polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk was developed in Pittsburgh with the use of HeLa. Indeed, over 60,000 scientific articles have been published involving the use of HeLa, and this number is still growing.

The book can be at times sobering.

Not once during Henrietta’s diagnosis and treatment was she given informed consent that a sample of her cells had been taken.

After she died and companies began mass producing HeLa cells, none of her family members had any clue that the famous HeLa line was really their relative’s cells.

Skloot describes the pain and psychological distress that members of her family endured upon learning the identity of the woman science had termed “HeLa.” The book goes into great detail about ethics and privacy rights. Reading about some of the practices and experiments conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service in those times, such as permitting syphilitic African American men to die rather than cure with penicillin in order to observe the course of the disease, makes any reader today cringe.

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is a must-read for anyone considering entering the scientific or medical arena.

Skloot interweaves the story of Henrietta Lacks and the Lacks family within the story of the development and use of HeLa. Skloot shows how a young black woman coming from a time when African Americans and women were not at the forefront of science could in fact – with or without her consent – move science and public health forward.

Thoughts on the recent book, ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ Vincent DeStefino Staff Writer

On a rainy day in late January 1951, a young couple drove up to the front entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the old beatup Buick with three of their children in the backseat. The mother, a young woman in her early 30’s who was suffering from deep, knot-like pains in her womb, hopped out of the front seat and scurried to the public ward filled with poor patients, most of them black. This was the era of segregation, and when the nurse called her name, Henrietta Lacks, she was led to the colored-only waiting room. It was this day that was to change the lives of Henrietta and her family as well as science and medicine itself.

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,”

by Rebecca Skloot, follows Henrietta Lacks through her diagnosis and battle with an aggressive form of cervical cancer. During her treatment, an ambitious cell researcher at

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Ode to freshmen: Your health career starts now Niaz Khan Staff Writer

On behalf of The Pitt Pulse, I would personally like to welcome you to the University of Pittsburgh. You have made a wonderful choice for your undergraduate experience, and I am sure you will make the most of it. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re are interested in a health-related profession. The fact that UPMC dominates the city skylines is a good indication you’re at the right place.

As freshmen, you are early in your academic career, but it’s important at this point to have a general overview of the requirements for graduate school so you can begin to plan as soon as you’re ready. In every issue, this section will be particularly targeted to you. There are two items I think would be most relevant to you currently.

One — classes. This is the single most important factor that will make or break your application. By all means, please take the time to go out and explore. Have fun.

Make lots of friends. This is your first year, and you’ll never have it back. But this is a just a friendly reminder that you are here for an education, and your performance in class is the initial test of your ability to handle graduate school. If you get off to a good start early and develop a good study strategy, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress.

No matter what major you pursue, you’ll have to fulfill certain course requirements by your junior year. For example, medical schools typically require two terms of biology with labs, two of chemistry with labs, two of organic chemistry with labs, two of physics with labs, one term of calculus and variable English requirements.

Science and engineering majors come ac ross most of these courses as requirements anyways. On the other hand, humanities majors really have to think hard about integrating these courses into the rest of their curriculum because there is only minimal overlap with general education requirements.

In either case, lab scheduling can be a hassle since they tend to fill up quickly and take chunks out of your day. If you notice that a lab is full at any point in the future, immediately contact the corresponding

department and ask for a waiting list because I guarantee that one exists. As may already be the case, students usually take biology during their freshman year. Since you can’t take organic chemistry without general chemistry, you should take the latter in your sophomore year, if not sooner.

Other classes such as genetics or physiology aren’t required but are highly recommended because they have more clinical relevance and demonstrate your intent to pursue a health profession. Furthermore, certain anthropology and philosophy classes provide more insight into the humane and ethical aspects of medicine that are often overlooked by students.

The History and Philosophy of Science Department offers the highly recommended Conceptual Foundations of Medicine Certificate in an effort to expand the prehealth undergraduate curriculum beyond the natural sciences. Many of the courses that are required for the certificate can also fulfill general education requirements.

Class scheduling can seem daunting, but you’re not alone. Your academic advisor and the pre-health advisor can > Freshman p.4

The mechanics of clinical volunteering at Pitt Sarah Bonaffini Staff Writer Amid the refilling of water pitchers, incessant calls for ice chips and stacks of patient information to be alphabetized, there are valuable lessons to be learned from volunteering. But first, consider why you should volunteer to begin with.

The American Medical College Application Service states volunteering is an optional but recommended extracurricular experience: What does that mean?

To be stated simply, in order to be a successful health care career candidate, you should understand why you want to be a doctor, why you are passionate about the field and why you and medicine want to begin your lifelong relationship.

Many people decide to volunteer to more fully understand these whys and to

Farha Ali | Magee Women’s Hospital make an informed and confident decision about entering health care. Volunteering is a rewarding taste of the medical field, a way to figure out if it’s really for you.

In college, learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do.

Perhaps during the volunteering process you’ll find you do not enjoy working with patients; however, you really enjoy your rigorous science coursework. This realization will allow you to explore other options

such as research or hospital administration.

Most importantly, volunteering will help show you if you are going into medicine for the right reasons. Does taking vitals give you a rush? After a long four-hour shift, do you feel at ease that you have found your niche? Does learning the diagnosis get you excited? Maybe you’ll do some soul searching and find medicine is not for you.

Realizing your objective early is essential.

Despite having to suffer through the loud buzz of helicopters and ambulances, living on a campus surrounded by many hospitals gives you varied choices in volunteering experiences. You have many departments to choose from, so choose something that you’re interested in.

The most utilized hospital by Pitt volunteers, primarily because of its proximity, is UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. There, Carol Ranallo, the volunteer coordinator, is in charge. After a short application, letters of recommendation and a TB test, you’ll find yourself in Ms. Ranallo’s office with a wide > Volunteer p.4

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Farha Ali | The Student Volunteer Outreach bulletin in the Union < Freshman p.3

help you choose the right classes so that you’re in the best position to prevail.

Scheduling also has the indirect impact of affecting your time for extracurricular activities. Keeping up with classes and acclimating to a new environment is enough as it is, but if you do have some extra time, volunteering is a great idea. A lot of the success in health-related profession hinges on interpersonal skills. If you make it as a physician or nurse, it’s expected that you have the requisite scientific knowledge. Therefore, the distinguishing factor is you yourself.

Unfortunately, keeping your head in the books will only get you so far. You can’t learn from a book how to be compassionate

< Volunteer p.3

For more information and material, visit us at www.thepittpulse.com.

Have questions about pre-health issues? We’ll put your letter in the next issue.

E-mail us at thepittpulse@gmail.com.

range of volunteering choices. If answering phones is your skill, you can become the receptionist you have always wanted to be.

If you love brains you can volunteer in the neurology department, or if surgery excites you volunteer in the surgery department.

You get to enjoy the field you want as long as you wear the sexy red volunteering jacket.

Magee Women’s Hospital of UPMC is also a popular choice for Pitt students.

Magee is a little homier than Presby and is different from other volunteer facilities because of its emphasis on women’s health. If you love babies and mothers, think about volunteering here. Magee also tends to be a bit more flexible with time slots than UPMC Presbyterian because it is not as inundated with students.

However, don’t be fooled by the feminine atmosphere in Magee’s lobby. The hospital boasts many other departments

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or how to care. It’s something you can only develop through experience and interaction. As a pre-health student, volunteering is essential. But keep in mind that the quality of the experience makes a huge difference.

While it’s great that you may spend a few hours of the week helping out in a hospital, if your description of your duties primarily involves answering phones or filing paperwork then I am sorry to say that it may all be for naught. The ideal volunteer position is one that allows you the ability to interact with a variety of patients as well as with nurses and doctors. People come in diverse forms, and it’s necessary to be comfortable interacting with various personalities.

Moreover, it’s a good idea to volunteer in a field that you would like to

enter, whether you’re still exploring or whether you’re completely set on something as evidence of your commitment.

How long you should volunteer can only be answered by you; how long it takes you to get an appreciation and understanding of the field and setting is the key. It is recommended though that your service be drawn out over a year or more.

Looking beyond the hospital, active involvement in student organizations is a great way to extend your volunteer experience. The Student Volunteer Outreach and Student Life, both located in the William Pitt Union and online, are great contacts to get started. No matter the brand or breadth of your volunteering, always remember and understand why you’re doing something.

If there is one piece of advice I would like you to take away, it’s that volunteering often counts for more than just hours on your application. Just like in the college admissions process, more students have the requisite grades and scores than can be accepted, leading to magnification of the personal statement and the interview.

Both of these components of your application ultimately drive at the question of why you want to enter the medical field.

I am confident that your volunteer experiences will provide great starting points toward answering this crucial question.

that do not focus solely on women’s health, such as the cancer center and surgery department. Boys, do not be intimidated about volunteering here — they allow male volunteers. Plus, you get to be surrounded by pregnant women all day.

An alternative to helping in a hospital is volunteering at Family House. Family House is different from other volunteer facilities as it is an organization that supports local hospitals. It provides an affordable place to stay for patients receiving treatment and their families. “It is good to see the other side of medicine — wellness and getting better. The hospitals take care of the physical aspect, and we take care of the mental aspect by providing a home away from home, ” Gerri Giles, the volunteer coordinator for Family House, said.

Family House gives you a different perspective than the hospitals give you because you’re able to focus on the person from a completely humanistic view.

You can appreciate the aftermath of decisions made in the hospital, decisions that you will eventually make as a professional.

If none of these options strike your fancy, consider volunteering with one of Pitt’s volunteer organizations. Check out the volunteering cove in the William Pitt Union across from the cafeteria. You will find information about the many volunteer organizations on campus.

If you are positive medicine is what you want to do, volunteer to reaffirm. If you are not sure, volunteer all the same. It will give you the necessary confidence in your career choice. Gain information, but equally, experience about whatever field you decide to pursue, whatever it might be. Getting into professional school is a long haul and requires time, energy and sacrifice. Volunteering can provide you the motivation and inspiration to study that extra hour for your biology test or set up camp in the library on a thirsty Thursday.

Pulse Profiles: Dr. Chung, oral surgeon cal degree with the oral surgery training.

Sarah Weber

Staff Writer, Secretary Professional Profile: Dr. William L. Chung M.D., D.D.S. Holding a degree in dentistry from Case Western University and a degree in medicine from Temple University, Dr. William L. Chung has been an esteemed member of the UPMC staff for eight years. Specializing in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Chung not only serves as a staff surgeon with University Dental Health Services, UPMC, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center and Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh but also as an associate professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Chung took a few moments out of his busy schedule to discuss with The Pitt Pulse his career, medical versus dental school and the challenges of balancing family and work.

TPP: Dr. Chung, here at UPMC you work in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Could you explain or elaborate on what kind of procedures fall into this category?

WC: Oral & Maxillofacial surgery is a recognized specialty of dentistry that treats conditions and diseases of the oral cavities and facial skeleton.

TPP: We understand that you not only have a degree in dentistry (D.D.S) but have a degree in medicine (M.D.) as well.

Is this typical for most oral and maxillofacial surgeons? Which degree did you pursue first, and can you explain what led you to complete both programs?

WC: As an oral surgeon, you typically go to dental school first. Then you apply to a surgical residency that lasts between four and six years. About 35 years ago, a medical degree became an optional and integrated part of the oral surgery residency training. Not every oral surgeon has both degrees — you have a choice. Having the medical [degree] in some situations is very beneficial. I am a proponent of pursuing an integrated medi-

TPP: Often students can be torn when choosing between medicine and dentistry.

As someone who has completed both programs, what would you say are the most marked differences between the two programs? Did you prefer one to the other?

WC: I don’t have a favorite because they are both so different. What I love about medical school is the seemingly endless volume of knowledge that is required to become a physician. What I love about dentistry is that you have to pay attention to the most minute of details because you are working on small objects [teeth]. I think dentists and oral surgeons develop great technical skills.

TPP: What led you to choose a career in oral surgery? Was this a lifelong dream and goal or something that you decided upon later in life? If so, were there any particular events that influenced your decision?

WC: As a teenager, I grew up with a condition where my lower jaw stuck out — like Jay Leno. So, I spent a lot of time in an oral surgeon’s office. That is where I was first exposed to surgery. I chose oral surgery because I truly felt that it combined the art of dentistry and of medicine and surgery.

TPP: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? The most challenging?

WC: The most rewarding aspect is imparting my experiences and knowledge on the young men and women that I teach, then seeing them independently function as surgeons. The greatest challenge would be trying to convince someone who thought they wanted to be a surgeon to continue to pursue their dream. Some people have the attributes to become a surgeon but get nervous when they realize the sacrifices that have to be made in order to actually become a surgeon.

TPP: Describe a typical day in your life.

WC: I come to work in the morning at 7 and complete administrative work for an hour. I’ll then see patients from approximately 8 to 4. I perform procedures both in the office and operating room.

I’ll perform surgeries after hours when I

Dr. William L. Chung am on facial trauma call for the hospital.

TPP: How many hours do you work?

WC: On a regular workweek, I work about 50 hours. On a trauma week, I might work as many as 80 hours.

TPP: What is it like balancing work with family and personal life? When you leave the office, are you able to leave your job behind you, or does this career carry over into non-working hours as well?

WC: It can be a challenge at times. You usually have to have a very understanding spouse. Knowing that I’m a Type A personality, I have to learn to put [work] aside when I get home. Otherwise your spouse and children can notice that you are still thinking about work. I take my work very seriously. Personally, I take things very hard and care about my patients. Some people are very good at leaving their work at the door. I’m not. My satisfaction comes from performing the best surgery I can each and every time.

TPP: What is that most important advice you feel you could give to students who are looking to pursue careers in medicine and dentistry?

WC: You have to know that this is a lifelong commitment to helping people and that learning never stops. It can be very tiring and trying at times, but it is the most rewarding job that I think one can pursue.

Further Information

http://www.mirm.pitt.edu/people/bios/Chung1.asp

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Farha Ali | The Student Volunteer Outreach bulletin in the Union < Freshman p.3

help you choose the right classes so that you’re in the best position to prevail.

Scheduling also has the indirect impact of affecting your time for extracurricular activities. Keeping up with classes and acclimating to a new environment is enough as it is, but if you do have some extra time, volunteering is a great idea. A lot of the success in health-related profession hinges on interpersonal skills. If you make it as a physician or nurse, it’s expected that you have the requisite scientific knowledge. Therefore, the distinguishing factor is you yourself.

Unfortunately, keeping your head in the books will only get you so far. You can’t learn from a book how to be compassionate

< Volunteer p.3

For more information and material, visit us at www.pitt.edu/~sorc/thepulse/.

Have questions about pre-health issues? We’ll put your letter in the next issue.

E-mail us at thepittpulse@gmail.com.

range of volunteering choices. If answering phones is your skill, you can become the receptionist you have always wanted to be.

If you love brains you can volunteer in the neurology department, or if surgery excites you volunteer in the surgery department.

You get to enjoy the field you want as long as you wear the sexy red volunteering jacket.

Magee Women’s Hospital of UPMC is also a popular choice for Pitt students.

Magee is a little homier than Presby and is different from other volunteer facilities because of its emphasis on women’s health. If you love babies and mothers, think about volunteering here. Magee also tends to be a bit more flexible with time slots than UPMC Presbyterian because it is not as inundated with students.

However, don’t be fooled by the feminine atmosphere in Magee’s lobby. The hospital boasts many other departments

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or how to care. It’s something you can only develop through experience and interaction. As a pre-health student, volunteering is essential. But keep in mind that the quality of the experience makes a huge difference.

While it’s great that you may spend a few hours of the week helping out in a hospital, if your description of your duties primarily involves answering phones or filing paperwork then I am sorry to say that it may all be for naught. The ideal volunteer position is one that allows you the ability to interact with a variety of patients as well as with nurses and doctors. People come in diverse forms, and it’s necessary to be comfortable interacting with various personalities.

Moreover, it’s a good idea to volunteer in a field that you would like to

enter, whether you’re still exploring or whether you’re completely set on something as evidence of your commitment.

How long you should volunteer can only be answered by you; how long it takes you to get an appreciation and understanding of the field and setting is the key. It is recommended though that your service be drawn out over a year or more.

Looking beyond the hospital, active involvement in student organizations is a great way to extend your volunteer experience. The Student Volunteer Outreach and Student Life, both located in the William Pitt Union and online, are great contacts to get started. No matter the brand or breadth of your volunteering, always remember and understand why you’re doing something.

If there is one piece of advice I would like you to take away, it’s that volunteering often counts for more than just hours on your application. Just like in the college admissions process, more students have the requisite grades and scores than can be accepted, leading to magnification of the personal statement and the interview.

Both of these components of your application ultimately drive at the question of why you want to enter the medical field.

I am confident that your volunteer experiences will provide great starting points toward answering this crucial question.

that do not focus solely on women’s health, such as the cancer center and surgery department. Boys, do not be intimidated about volunteering here — they allow male volunteers. Plus, you get to be surrounded by pregnant women all day.

An alternative to helping in a hospital is volunteering at Family House. Family House is different from other volunteer facilities as it is an organization that supports local hospitals. It provides an affordable place to stay for patients receiving treatment and their families. “It is good to see the other side of medicine — wellness and getting better. The hospitals take care of the physical aspect, and we take care of the mental aspect by providing a home away from home, ” Gerri Giles, the volunteer coordinator for Family House, said.

Family House gives you a different perspective than the hospitals give you because you’re able to focus on the person from a completely humanistic view.

You can appreciate the aftermath of decisions made in the hospital, decisions that you will eventually make as a professional.

If none of these options strike your fancy, consider volunteering with one of Pitt’s volunteer organizations. Check out the volunteering cove in the William Pitt Union across from the cafeteria. You will find information about the many volunteer organizations on campus.

If you are positive medicine is what you want to do, volunteer to reaffirm. If you are not sure, volunteer all the same. It will give you the necessary confidence in your career choice. Gain information, but equally, experience about whatever field you decide to pursue, whatever it might be. Getting into professional school is a long haul and requires time, energy and sacrifice. Volunteering can provide you the motivation and inspiration to study that extra hour for your biology test or set up camp in the library on a thirsty Thursday.

Pulse Profiles: Dr. Chung, oral surgeon cal degree with the oral surgery training.

Sarah Weber

Staff Writer, Secretary Professional Profile: Dr. William L. Chung M.D., D.D.S. Holding a degree in dentistry from Case Western University and a degree in medicine from Temple University, Dr. William L. Chung has been an esteemed member of the UPMC staff for eight years. Specializing in oral and maxillofacial surgery, Dr. Chung not only serves as a staff surgeon with University Dental Health Services, UPMC, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center and Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh but also as an associate professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Chung took a few moments out of his busy schedule to discuss with The Pitt Pulse his career, medical versus dental school and the challenges of balancing family and work.

TPP: Dr. Chung, here at UPMC you work in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Could you explain or elaborate on what kind of procedures fall into this category?

WC: Oral & Maxillofacial surgery is a recognized specialty of dentistry that treats conditions and diseases of the oral cavities and facial skeleton.

TPP: We understand that you not only have a degree in dentistry (D.D.S) but have a degree in medicine (M.D.) as well.

Is this typical for most oral and maxillofacial surgeons? Which degree did you pursue first, and can you explain what led you to complete both programs?

WC: As an oral surgeon, you typically go to dental school first. Then you apply to a surgical residency that lasts between four and six years. About 35 years ago, a medical degree became an optional and integrated part of the oral surgery residency training. Not every oral surgeon has both degrees — you have a choice. Having the medical [degree] in some situations is very beneficial. I am a proponent of pursuing an integrated medi-

TPP: Often students can be torn when choosing between medicine and dentistry.

As someone who has completed both programs, what would you say are the most marked differences between the two programs? Did you prefer one to the other?

WC: I don’t have a favorite because they are both so different. What I love about medical school is the seemingly endless volume of knowledge that is required to become a physician. What I love about dentistry is that you have to pay attention to the most minute of details because you are working on small objects [teeth]. I think dentists and oral surgeons develop great technical skills.

TPP: What led you to choose a career in oral surgery? Was this a lifelong dream and goal or something that you decided upon later in life? If so, were there any particular events that influenced your decision?

WC: As a teenager, I grew up with a condition where my lower jaw stuck out — like Jay Leno. So, I spent a lot of time in an oral surgeon’s office. That is where I was first exposed to surgery. I chose oral surgery because I truly felt that it combined the art of dentistry and of medicine and surgery.

TPP: What is the most rewarding aspect of your career? The most challenging?

WC: The most rewarding aspect is imparting my experiences and knowledge on the young men and women that I teach, then seeing them independently function as surgeons. The greatest challenge would be trying to convince someone who thought they wanted to be a surgeon to continue to pursue their dream. Some people have the attributes to become a surgeon but get nervous when they realize the sacrifices that have to be made in order to actually become a surgeon.

TPP: Describe a typical day in your life.

WC: I come to work in the morning at 7 and complete administrative work for an hour. I’ll then see patients from approximately 8 to 4. I perform procedures both in the office and operating room.

I’ll perform surgeries after hours when I

Dr. William L. Chung am on facial trauma call for the hospital.

TPP: How many hours do you work?

WC: On a regular workweek, I work about 50 hours. On a trauma week, I might work as many as 80 hours.

TPP: What is it like balancing work with family and personal life? When you leave the office, are you able to leave your job behind you, or does this career carry over into non-working hours as well?

WC: It can be a challenge at times. You usually have to have a very understanding spouse. Knowing that I’m a Type A personality, I have to learn to put [work] aside when I get home. Otherwise your spouse and children can notice that you are still thinking about work. I take my work very seriously. Personally, I take things very hard and care about my patients. Some people are very good at leaving their work at the door. I’m not. My satisfaction comes from performing the best surgery I can each and every time.

TPP: What is that most important advice you feel you could give to students who are looking to pursue careers in medicine and dentistry?

WC: You have to know that this is a lifelong commitment to helping people and that learning never stops. It can be very tiring and trying at times, but it is the most rewarding job that I think one can pursue.

Further Information

http://www.mirm.pitt.edu/people/bios/Chung1.asp

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Britain’s proposed health care a test for the general practitioner Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Editor

Several months after the U.S. finally “reformed” its healthcare system, Britain caught the bug and decided to do the same.

Fortunately for premed students, it seems the fate of physicians is rosier in this round.

To understand the British healthcare system’s change, it is helpful to recollect the U.K. National Health Services’ inception and structure. The NHS was born out of the aftermath of World War II. Hospitals formally run on a volunteer basis and often funded by the government were strung together under this new banner.

Today, but not for long, Britain enjoys socialized medicine, in the true sense of the term. Citizens pay a certain percentage in tax, which the government uses to provides healthcare for all citizens. Barring recurrent tax, everyone receives treatment free of charge and the allowable cost of a prescription drug is capped at $12, according to Time Magazine.

There are also caps in other param-

eters. You might have heard of a panel that puts a price tag on life, what some on this side of the Atlantic would call “death panels.” Ironically called NICE, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, it determines the permissible efficiency of treatment. That means in the interest of providing everyone healthcare, no treatment is eligible for funding if it costs more than $45,000 to extend one year of life.

Fortunately — or unfortunately depending on your belief system — all citizens are equal to one another; a year gained by an 85-year-old gentleman is equivalent to a year gained by a bonny boy of 12.

NHS services are commissioned to hospitals by trusts, which also overlook fiscal matters, all as deemed appropriate by the Department of Health. Trusts determine how, where and by whom patients are treated, and each covers a different region. It seems these same trusts will be no more in the near future.

Britain, but not the entire U.K., plans to decentralize its healthcare system. As a way to moderate the budget, the government plans to dispose of the trusts and other bureaucratic sector altogether. Anticipating an annual budget of $100-120 bil-

lion, a drastic fall from $160 billion, money will be distributed to general practitioners.

These clinicians would use the money to fund services from hospitals and other providers, according to The New York Times.

Clinicians would determine which services to buy and be able to offer. Clinicians would be managing their own shop, sort of speak.

While the average clinician might happily await the plan’s implementation, others are more critical. For instance, eliminating the health bureaucracy means a major loss in jobs. Tens of thousands of jobs, at that, according to The New York Times. And then there is the concern that general practitioners will be entrenched in administrative work when there are clinical services to be delivered. Inescapably, the proposed plan puts considerable trust in personnel that were trained to treat, and not to manage.

However, these are only minor kinks that, with a little persistent ironing, will surely go right away. If this experiment holds strong, Britain will have found a way to cut costs and improve patient satisfaction. Secondly, the world will learn a little more on the versatility of clinicians. They might not just be technicians after all.

Johns Hopkins and former Pitt undergrad, Dr. George Otto Gey, was determined to establish the very first human immortal cell line. Gey would grab every cell he could get his hands on – be they skin cells, liver cells, cardiac cells or even cervical cells. During Henrietta’s visit, a dime-sized portion of her cancerous cervical cells were collected in a test tube, and Gey allowed them to grow in media. Whereas every other human cell before Henrietta’s died within a week, Henrietta’s cells grew. And they grew fast.

The HeLa cell line was born, and with it the field of cell culture was transformed.

Research into AIDS, cancer, cell growth and maturation, effects of radiation and toxins, gene mapping and countless other scientific achievements were done with the use of HeLa. The polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk was developed in Pittsburgh with the use of HeLa. Indeed, over 60,000 scientific articles have been published involving the use of HeLa, and this number is still growing.

The book can be at times sobering.

Not once during Henrietta’s diagnosis and treatment was she given informed consent that a sample of her cells had been taken.

After she died and companies began mass producing HeLa cells, none of her family members had any clue that the famous HeLa line was really their relative’s cells.

Skloot describes the pain and psychological distress that members of her family endured upon learning the identity of the woman science had termed “HeLa.” The book goes into great detail about ethics and privacy rights. Reading about some of the practices and experiments conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service in those times, such as permitting syphilitic African American men to die rather than cure with penicillin in order to observe the course of the disease, makes any reader today cringe.

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is a must-read for anyone considering entering the scientific or medical arena.

Skloot interweaves the story of Henrietta Lacks and the Lacks family within the story of the development and use of HeLa. Skloot shows how a young black woman coming from a time when African Americans and women were not at the forefront of science could in fact – with or without her consent – move science and public health forward.

Thoughts on the recent book, ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ Vincent DeStefino Staff Writer

On a rainy day in late January 1951, a young couple drove up to the front entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the old beatup Buick with three of their children in the backseat. The mother, a young woman in her early 30’s who was suffering from deep, knot-like pains in her womb, hopped out of the front seat and scurried to the public ward filled with poor patients, most of them black. This was the era of segregation, and when the nurse called her name, Henrietta Lacks, she was led to the colored-only waiting room. It was this day that was to change the lives of Henrietta and her family as well as science and medicine itself.

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,”

by Rebecca Skloot, follows Henrietta Lacks through her diagnosis and battle with an aggressive form of cervical cancer. During her treatment, an ambitious cell researcher at

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Ode to freshmen: Your health career starts now Niaz Khan Staff Writer

On behalf of The Pitt Pulse, I would personally like to welcome you to the University of Pittsburgh. You have made a wonderful choice for your undergraduate experience, and I am sure you will make the most of it. If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re are interested in a health-related profession. The fact that UPMC dominates the city skylines is a good indication you’re at the right place.

As freshmen, you are early in your academic career, but it’s important at this point to have a general overview of the requirements for graduate school so you can begin to plan as soon as you’re ready. In every issue, this section will be particularly targeted to you. There are two items I think would be most relevant to you currently.

One — classes. This is the single most important factor that will make or break your application. By all means, please take the time to go out and explore. Have fun.

Make lots of friends. This is your first year, and you’ll never have it back. But this is a just a friendly reminder that you are here for an education, and your performance in class is the initial test of your ability to handle graduate school. If you get off to a good start early and develop a good study strategy, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress.

No matter what major you pursue, you’ll have to fulfill certain course requirements by your junior year. For example, medical schools typically require two terms of biology with labs, two of chemistry with labs, two of organic chemistry with labs, two of physics with labs, one term of calculus and variable English requirements.

Science and engineering majors come ac ross most of these courses as requirements anyways. On the other hand, humanities majors really have to think hard about integrating these courses into the rest of their curriculum because there is only minimal overlap with general education requirements.

In either case, lab scheduling can be a hassle since they tend to fill up quickly and take chunks out of your day. If you notice that a lab is full at any point in the future, immediately contact the corresponding

department and ask for a waiting list because I guarantee that one exists. As may already be the case, students usually take biology during their freshman year. Since you can’t take organic chemistry without general chemistry, you should take the latter in your sophomore year, if not sooner.

Other classes such as genetics or physiology aren’t required but are highly recommended because they have more clinical relevance and demonstrate your intent to pursue a health profession. Furthermore, certain anthropology and philosophy classes provide more insight into the humane and ethical aspects of medicine that are often overlooked by students.

The History and Philosophy of Science Department offers the highly recommended Conceptual Foundations of Medicine Certificate in an effort to expand the prehealth undergraduate curriculum beyond the natural sciences. Many of the courses that are required for the certificate can also fulfill general education requirements.

Class scheduling can seem daunting, but you’re not alone. Your academic advisor and the pre-health advisor can > Freshman p.4

The mechanics of clinical volunteering at Pitt Sarah Bonaffini Staff Writer Amid the refilling of water pitchers, incessant calls for ice chips and stacks of patient information to be alphabetized, there are valuable lessons to be learned from volunteering. But first, consider why you should volunteer to begin with.

The American Medical College Application Service states volunteering is an optional but recommended extracurricular experience: What does that mean?

To be stated simply, in order to be a successful health care career candidate, you should understand why you want to be a doctor, why you are passionate about the field and why you and medicine want to begin your lifelong relationship.

Many people decide to volunteer to more fully understand these whys and to

Farha Ali | Magee Women’s Hospital make an informed and confident decision about entering health care. Volunteering is a rewarding taste of the medical field, a way to figure out if it’s really for you.

In college, learning what you don’t like is just as important as learning what you do.

Perhaps during the volunteering process you’ll find you do not enjoy working with patients; however, you really enjoy your rigorous science coursework. This realization will allow you to explore other options

such as research or hospital administration.

Most importantly, volunteering will help show you if you are going into medicine for the right reasons. Does taking vitals give you a rush? After a long four-hour shift, do you feel at ease that you have found your niche? Does learning the diagnosis get you excited? Maybe you’ll do some soul searching and find medicine is not for you.

Realizing your objective early is essential.

Despite having to suffer through the loud buzz of helicopters and ambulances, living on a campus surrounded by many hospitals gives you varied choices in volunteering experiences. You have many departments to choose from, so choose something that you’re interested in.

The most utilized hospital by Pitt volunteers, primarily because of its proximity, is UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. There, Carol Ranallo, the volunteer coordinator, is in charge. After a short application, letters of recommendation and a TB test, you’ll find yourself in Ms. Ranallo’s office with a wide > Volunteer p.4

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Editor’s note The Pitt Pulse is a brand-new student organization committed to providing a respectable, reliable and relevant monthly periodical available to all on Pitt’s campus. We focus on issues concerning pre-health students. Within these pages you can find advice on academics and gaining experience, accounts of volunteering and conducting research, discourse on admission and standardized tests and opinions of politics and medicine. You can also enjoy profiles of local health care professionals and graduate schools of interest. Think of The Pitt Pulse as an extension — ­ not a replacement — of your academic advisor, though with our advice you take advantage of an unparalleled student perspective.

You are about to read the very first issue of The Pitt Pulse. We hope you find reading it as rewarding as we found putting it together.

-Abdul

Thank you all

Dr. Edward Stricker, Faculty Adviser

Dr. Andrea Abt, Pre-Health Adviser

For joining us in our endeavor

For the collaboration and invaluable insight

Dr. Alan Sved, Chair, Dept. of Neuroscience

Patty Reagan, Neuroscience Adviser

For aiding us and doing incessant paperwork

For helping us assemble

Rashid Ahmed, Neuroscience

Drew Singer, Former Editor of The Pitt News

For the clever organization title

For the advice so long ago

This publication funded by,

The Student Activity Fee &

Department of Neuroscience The Pitt Pulse Staff 2010 - 2011

Editor in Chief

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Matt Schaff

Dan Bowman

Secretary

Photographer

Webmaster

Sarah Weber

Farha Ali

Jan Kalkus

Staff Writers

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Farha Ali Varun Badami Sarah Bonaffini Laura Cifrese Nicholas DeStefino Vince DeStefino

Ragini Grace Gupta Diana Huang Niaz Khan Mohammad Mahmood Omid Moghimi Sameera Nadimpalli Cover art by Abdul-Kareem Ahmed

Scott Perkins Sameer Shakir (Pitt Med) Rebecca Theophanous Jessa Tunacao Sarah Weber Lauren Zammerilla

Classes ex-Zamm-ined: Summer biochemistry Lauren Zammerilla Staff Writer

Summer Classes. About a year ago, I firmly believed that these two words just didn’t belong together. Summer is supposed to be a time to relax, a time for my brain to recover from the endless synaptic processes, organic compounds and reaction mechanisms I had oppressively forced into it over the year. When it comes to the premedical track, however, it seems that time to “relax” and “recover” is not allotted.

Advanced Placement credits from high school, along with careful scheduling during my first two years at Pitt, would have enabled me to graduate a year early … if I took biochemistry over the summer. Logically, I chose to take the summer course — why spend another year as an undergraduate when I could finish the class in a mere six weeks? Looking back, this was a great decision — the class moved at a steady pace, the information was fascinating and the small class size made student-professor interaction easy.

This summer, biochemistry was offered during the second six-week session and met Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Optional recitation sessions were for an hour after class. While it might seem grueling to the normal student who is used to classes that meet only twice, the frequency of biochemistry actually proved to be quite beneficial. Biochemistry is a class that builds on previous material. Therefore, having it everyday ensured that the information learned before was fresh in my mind.

In addition, when it came time to study for exams, I only had to recall information that had been learned a week or two earlier. A semester’s worth of information was crammed into the summer course, including a lot of memorization and understanding of different processes and cycles.

The shortness of the summer class afforded little time to forget such information, ultimately making the class more manageable.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in health care or sciences, biochemistry is usually a requirement. Don’t let this scare

you … biochemistry is actually pretty interesting and allows you to combine knowledge learned in other science courses to get the “big picture.” Let’s start with general chemistry. Sure, you know that acids have a high hydronium ion concentration, pH less than 7, blah, blah, blah. As a freshman, you might be find little context to put this into.

Well, that’s where biochemistry comes into the picture. Acid-base chemistry is a key component of biological systems, catalyzing various reactions. Without acid-basis catalysis, many processes would not take place within the time frame they need to, which could severely harm the organism.

Consider non-covalent interactions, another vague topic skimmed over in general chemistry. Add some biochemistry into the beaker, and poof, you’ll see why it’s so important. Non-covalent interactions drive protein folding, a process that is vital in organisms. Mutations that lead to improper protein folding are linked to neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

In organic chemistry, you may have learned how to draw alpha ketoglutarate, but you probably did not learn the compound’s significance in biological systems.

Alpha ketoglutarate is a key intermediate of the citric acid cycle, which is essential to life and is part of the pathway that generates useable energy in living organisms.

Alpha ketoglutarate also undergoes transamination — the mechanism you know thanks to O-Chem — to become glutamate, which is an excitatory neurotransmitter.

As you can see, biochemistry pulls everything together. It’s rewarding to see those countless hours spent studying seemingly useless facts during past semesters actually pay off. New topics are also covered in biochemsitry, but having a strong background in biology, chemistry and organic chemistry allows nothing to be exceedingly difficult.

I have never been an office hour person. Between other classes, volunteering, research and meetings, it seems that I am never able to attend and therefore cannot comment on their benefit during the normal school year. This summer, on the other hand, I embraced the office hour, and I believe that it greatly helped my performance in the class. While the class was small already, attending the hours al-

CDC | Non-covalent interactions are essential for the structure of various proteins composing this influenza virion. lowed me to get to know my professor, Lydia Daniels, on a more personal level.

Additionally, reviewing the information after class ensured I fully understood it before moving onto a new concept the next day.

A unique aspect of the summer biochemistry course was a collaborative writing assignment discussing the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. During office hours, Daniels answered questions about the paper and gave instructions on how to use PubMed, a database of science journals. I will now be able to use this resource efficiently in my future classes.

I would definitely recommend taking biochemistry over the summer. Although sometimes it’s harder to choose the Hillman over the pool, in the long run it certainly has benefits. Biochemistry is a very intriguing course but is nothing that cannot be handled during the summer. Coming right after spring semester’s organic chemistry II, the topics were still fresh in my mind and therefore could be easily applied in biochemistry.

If you are unable to take it in the summer, you should still enroll during the year.

The course provides both a challenge and a sense of satisfaction, as it allows you to further understand how chemistry provides the basis for all biological processes. As a student interested in medicine, this class is of utmost importance — the knowledge of such biological processes is necessary to further understand the human body.

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— School Spotlight —

Volume I Issue I

University of Maryland School of Medicine Mohammad Mahmood Staff Writer About the School Established in 1807, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was the first public medical school in the United States and currently is part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland, according to its website. The School of Medicine contains 2,600 faculty members, 1,288 medical, graduate and health students, 631 M.D. students and 32 M.D./Ph.D. students. The University of Maryland Medical Center and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center serve as the school’s clinical partners. Notably, UMMC teaching hospital was included among the nation’s best for safety and quality.

Setting The University of Maryland School of Medicine is located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore on the west side of downtown Baltimore. Nearby attractions include the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, the Harborplace Mall and several professional sporting facilities including the Baltimore Ravens’ and Orioles’ stadiums. A variety of museums such as the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Fire Museum of Maryland, theatres and restaurants are within reach.

Student Life Like many schools, on-campus apartment-style housing is available but limited.

Transportation options including free shuttles provide access throughout the UMB campus. While medical school is certainly a hectic time for students, the university and the city provide several opportunities beyond the academic curriculum. Universitysponsored student events include an admissions open house, white coat and clinical

Done reading it?

Pass it on.

Page 8

ceremonies, Locks of Love, and Project Feast in which students and faculty provide a Thanksgiving meal to Baltimore residents.

Rankings Since this is a research-oriented school, as highlighted by facilities such as the UMB, rankings are based on funds that the school receives from institutions such as the National Institute of Health. Among public universities the school ranks 6th out of 76 universities and among all medical schools ranks 18th out of 131 schools. The latest US News & World Report ranking places UMB 40th in research and 46th in primary care.

Admissions Statistics (Class of 2014)*

*Adapted from school website Dual-Degree Programs The UMB School of Medicine offers several combined degree options which may be of interest to students interested in pursuing further research in areas such as anatomy, epidemiology, human genetics, immunology, toxicology and others. The M.D./Ph.D. program offers a combination of scientific skills and clinical experience and provides the necessary prerequisites required for future medical discoveries.

The Ph.D. requirements are demanding and include research in the field of interest.

We Never Skip a Beat...

September 2010

Chris Hansen | The atrium of the Weinberg Building, UMMC Those students who have enjoyed undergraduate research and would like to pursue a career in biomedical discovery may be interested in applying to such a program.

Recruitment and advising is provided by the Medical Scientist Training Program.

Other dual degree programs offered by the University include an M.D./M.S. in Preventative Medicine, M.D./M.P.H. (Masters of Public Health), and D.D.S./ Ph.D. for those interested in dentistry.

Further Information To find out more about the University of Maryland School of Medicine visit its website. Student profile may be particularly useful to gain a personal perspective from current UMB medical students and may be found on the following website: http://medschool.umaryland.edu/studentprofiles.asp.

References 1. http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/leapfrog09.htm 2. http://www.whiting-turner.com/ projects/umb-biopark-building-2.html 3. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/ top-medical-schools/items/04045 4. http://somvweb.som.umaryland. edu/absolutenm/templates/?a=700

Have medical school interview stories to share?

E-mail us at thepittpulse@gmail.com, and we’ll upload them.

www.thepittpulse.com

Submit letters and prehealth questions by e-mail. The Pitt Pulse reserves the right to either print or hold submissions and edit them for clarity.

Some Advice for Freshmen The Nuts & Bolts of Volunteering at Pitt Profile of a UPMC Oral Surgeon Health care Policy, Britain’s Proposed Overhaul Thoughts on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Reflection of a Pitt Biology Course A Look at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

www.pitt.edu/~sorc/thepulse/

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