XT March 2018

02 XAVIER

CHANCELLOR HONORED

05 ALUMNI GLOBAL MEET 2018

08 XAVIER RESEARCH DAY

The

March

Vo lu m e 8, I ss u e No. 4

2018

XAVIER TIMES

A Medical School Experience on an Island unlike any other in the region!

Xavier Hosts International Congress for Doctors on Aruba On Saturday, February 24th, 2018, Xavier University School of Medicine had the honor of hosting the International Congress for Doctors on Aruba.

Events began with a welcome by Dr. Gil Apacible, Dean of Students of Xavier. Following him was Mr. Glenbert Croes, Minister of Social Affairs, Aruba, who opened the Congress. The first half of the day was focused on issues of Domestic Violence. The Chair for this half was Mrs. Magaly Maduro. Guest speakers included Mrs. Suzette Kock, President of Fundacion pa Hende Muhe den Dificultad, Mrs. Daphny Tecklenborg, Bureau Sostenemi, Mrs. Trudy Hassel, Head of the Recherche Korps

Mr. Glenbert Croes, Minister of Social Affairs, Aruba

Politie Aruba, Mr. Bryan Mohamed, Ambulancedienst, Mrs. Corina Rolfast, Mrs. Louise Rafael Croes, Pediatrist, Mrs. Hermine Mensink, GZ psycholoogpsychoterapeut, and Mr. Erik van der

Elst, Drama- en Systeemtherapeut Lorentzhuis Haarlem. After these speakers was lunch, followed by a new series of speakers who spoke about Palliative Care. The Chair for this half was Mr. Wouter van Kempen. Speakers included Mrs. Benita Britt-Croes, GP, Mrs. Nienke Gonzalez-Smits, Specialist Elderly Care, Mr. Willem van der Kraan, GP, Mr. Dennis Willemsen, and Mr. Peter Paul Hermans, GP and promoter of the Hospice Atardi in Formation.

Afterwards workshops were given about “Conversation with the patient about ‘bad news’” and “Pain treatment”.

Xavier looks forward to more events like this in the future.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OFFICIAL NEWS PUBLICATION

Xavier Chancellor Dr. J.G. Bhat Honored by American Kidney Fund

IN THIS ISSUE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

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CHANCELLOR HONORED

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MATCH DAY 2018

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: DR. HONNAVAR

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ALUMNI INTERVIEW: DR. ABOUD

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ALUMNI GLOBAL MEET 2018

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GUEST LECTURER INTERVIEW: DR. DERMAN

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NEW FACULTY INTERVIEW: DR. SPASSOVA

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RESEARCH DAY

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FACULTY BLOG

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On Tuesday, March 20th, Xavier’s Chancellor Dr. J.G. Bhat was honored by the American Kidney Fund as Nephrologist of the Year. Members of the Board of Trustees, Xavier President Ravishankar Bhooplapur, and Xavier staff members were in attendance at the event. Congratulations Dr. Bhat!

Xavier Chancellor, Dr. J.G. Bhat

FMIG 11 EXERCISE CLUB

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Xavier University School of Medicine

@xusomaruba

From Left to Right: Mr. Edwin Casey, Xavier Chairman, Dr. Obi Nwasokwa, Xavier Trustee, Dr. J.G. Bhat, Xavier Chancellor, and Mr. Ravishankar Bhooplapur, Xavier President

@XUSOM

Match Day 2018 Xavier University School of Medicine

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Friday, March 16th, 2018 was the largest Match Day in history.

According to an article in MedPage Today, 37,103 applicants applied for 33,167 positions.

Xavier is proud to have our students among those who Matched. Not only did U.S. students successfully secure residencies, but international students did as well. For the second year in a row, one of our students Matched for the Integrated Plastic Surgery program. For the first time, one of our students obtained a residency in Canada.

XUSUOM Student Group XUSOM Alumni Group

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Xavier is continually committed to cultivating the minds of medical students for primary care medicine, and this Match year reaffirmed that commitment. Congratulations to all who participated in Match!

Microbiology and Immunology Lecturer Dr. Prasanna Honnavar Invited to Present at a Conference Lecturer Dr. Prasanna Honnavar has been selected to present at the “20th Congress of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM)”.

The conference will be held in Amsterdam from June 3rd - July, 4th 2018. He has received the Young ISHAM Grant from the Congress. He is presenting his work entitled, “Molecular typing of Malassezia restricta, Malassezia arunalokei and Malassezia globosa isolated from seborrhoeic dermatitis/dandruff patients and healthy controls by Fluorescent Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (FAFLP)”.

Congratulations on this wonderful accomplishment!

Dr. Honnavar also recently published an article for our Blog. Here are some of his Tips for Medical Students to Keep their Work in Balance:

Dr. Prasanna Honnavar

1. Make a plan: Planning isn’t that exciting, and when you’re feeling overwhelmed it’s probably the last thing you feel like doing or can find time to do. Look ahead to the next year: what are your plans? What would you really like to achieve by the end of the year? By the end of three months? By the end of this week? By the end of today? What is the most important thing you need to get done today?

2. Pick the right things: It’s more important to be doing the right things than doing things right. You need to think about which tasks and projects deserve the most attention.

3. Make time for research: Research is only one part of your role. The most effective time for doing the demanding aspects of research, such as writing or analysis, seems to be early in the day when you’re fresh. Set aside one hour, say between 6 and 7 AM, that you dedicate to writing or analysis.

4. Learn how to say NO: For most people NO seems to be a hard word! It’s so easy to commit to things, to keep loading yourself up. Eventually you end up overloaded! Learn how not to say YES so readily. When someone asks you to take on a new commitment you might answer, “That sounds interesting. Can I get back to you?” or “I’ll just need to check my diary and I’ll give you a call back,” or “I can’t help you with that right now, but if you can wait until tomorrow I’ll have some time then.”

5. Delegate: Some people get overwhelmed because they feel they have to do everything themselves. In every job there are some things that you personally have to do, but in most jobs there are also parts you can get help with.

6. Set realistic standards: Researchers tend to be intelligent, high-achieving people. They also often tend to be perfectionists, and set very high standards for themselves. This has pluses and minuses. The pluses are that they produce high quality work and strive to do good research. The minuses are that the high standards can get in the way of producing good work. Perfectionists can be very critical of their own work, leading to a lot of self-doubt and concerns about their ability. Get an objective opinion from someone else.

7. Write regularly (and then submit it!): Many researchers find writing difficult. Firstly, it’s hard to find the time, and then there are the anxieties that it raises. Is what I’ve written good enough? Will it be rejected? Even when they write, many hesitate before submitting. They think I need to go over it one more time. I need to polish it up a bit. The most productive researchers write regularly even if it is only in small amounts. Research shows that even 30 minute blocks increase writing productivity.bout 20% by following this one simple tip. When most of us get to work our first inclination is to just quickly check our emails.

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Interview with Alumni Global Meet 2018 Chair Dr. Abdul Aboud This year Xavier will host its second annual Alumni Global Meet. Alumni Dr. Abdul Aboud will serve as Alumni Chair for the event.

1. What year did you graduate from Xavier?

I graduated from Xavier in 2016.

2. As a Canadian student, what made you decide to attend Xavier?

I initially became interested in Xavier by hearing about it from some of my friends at University. I learned that it is recognized by the Medical Council of Canada (MCC), which can make the transition back to Canada an easier possibility. I also liked that there were a lot of options in regards to where we could do our rotations, and many of those cities were close to Canada, making it easier to go home from time to time.

There are lots of flight options from Toronto to Aruba and the travel is not bad. I was even able to get financial aid from my provincial student loan program (OSAP). Those factors and the high success rate of students is what led me to choose Xavier as my medical school.

Attending Xavier has opened a lot of doors for me as a student. It prepared me well for the USLME, clinical rotations, and residency in general by providing me with the proper resources, tools, and support.

3. Did you Match? If so, where and what specialty?

I am grateful that I Matched at the Family Medicine Program at Michigan State University/ Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan.

4. What made you choose your specialty?

After doing my rotations, I learned that family medicine physicians are the gatekeepers to other specialties in medicine. Family physicians are the

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first to see the patients, and their work impacts patients’ lives directly. They are not limited in their scope of care, and are responsible for patients of all ages and stages of life from prenatal, pregnancy, delivery, newborns, their growth and development, to chronic conditions in the elderly. This specialty allows you to build long-term relationships with each patient. It doesn’t only focus on the medical aspect of care, but also the social and emotional aspect. As a person who believes in building good trusting relationships with your patients with interest in providing comprehensive health care for people of all ages, family medicine was the right fit for me.

5. What was your favorite part about the Alumni Global Meet last year?

It is really hard to pick only one favorite part of the event last year. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience of coming back to Aruba as a graduate and being able to share my knowledge and experiences with current students alongside other Alumni. It was really unique as all of us were able to gather and provide the most up-to-date information about the processes involved in becoming a physician as an IMG (International Medical Graduate). Students were able to interact with program directors, current physicians in the field, and residents. I met a lot of wonderful people, built new friendships, and was able to enjoy the beautiful island.

6. What are you most excited for with this year’s Alumni Global Meet?

I’m excited to be more involved this year as Alumni Chair. I look forward to meeting new people again and sharing my knowledge and experiences of first year residency. I found this event to be really beneficial not only for students, but also for the Alumni as it gave us an opportunity to share our experiences and to learn from one another. With the ever-evolving process of becoming a

licensed physician, along with the unique challenges that IMGs face, this event allows us to further discuss issues and provide support and guidance on topics such as what to focus on in clinical and basic sciences, what approach to take while applying for the residency process, the timelines involved, and provide tips on obtaining high scores on the USMLE. 7. Any advice for students about to start their rotations?

Clinical rotations are a very important step in your career. All your basic science knowledge now has to be applied in a clinical setting. This step represents a major transformation for you as a student.

During this time, many students will decide on their future specialty based on their experiences. It is vital that you take your time to research specialties you are interested in pursuing. Try to get the most experience you can in the short amount of time you have during each rotation.

My advice is to learn as much as possible.

This is your opportunity to sharpen your skills. You must learn how to collect appropriate information, practice proper patient care, learn how to build good rapport, and come up with the right diagnosis. These will be critical when you start residency as they are skills that you will be expected to have.

Rotations represent a very busy time in a student’s life. Learning to balance your work, study time, and social life while staying healthy is critical for your success. Learn to organize your time by creating daily, weekly, and monthly plans.

You need to be physically, mentally, and emotionally present so you can effectively apply yourself. Focus not only on medical care but also the social aspect of care. Finally, remember that as an International Medical Student what you do represents Xavier and paves the way for future graduates. I look forward to meeting you all at the 2nd Annual Alumni Global Meet!

Interested in attending this year’s Alumni Global Meet?

To register for this year’s Global Meet, visit our website at xusom.com/alumni-global-meet-2018. There you can find registration forms and more information about the event!

What events are included?

When is the Global Meet?

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Alumni Day at Xavier

Thursday, September 27th-Sunday, September 30th

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Panel discussions on topics such as Residency programs and how to prepare for Step 1

Why should I attend?

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Networking opportunities with students, faculty, clinical chairs, and alumni

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Special guest lectures from residency program directors

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Time on the beautiful island of Aruba

This event is a great networking opportunity for Alumni and Clinical students, as they reconnect with faculty members and meet Clinical Chairs. There will also be residency directors in attendance to teach both students and alumni about a variety of topics in the field of medicine.

Meet the Coordinators!

Dr. Abdul Aboud, Xavier Alumni Class of 2016

Mrs. Milly Woodward, Financial Aid and Enrollment Coordinator, and Ms. Soleil Greaves, Clinical Coordinator

Scholarships Presidential Excellence Scholarship - up to $65,040

Accelerate Excellence Scholarship- up to $75,040

Chancellor’s Scholarships$1,000 off a semester’s tuition

Clinical Science Scholarshipsvary based on USMLE scores

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Awarded to MD students

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Awarded to PM students

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Required minimum 3.75 overall undergraduate GPA, 3.5 science GPA, and MCAT score of 26 (old) or 500 (new)

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Required minimum 3.85 overall high school GPA, 3.5 science GPA, or SAT score of 1300

Applied to each clinical science semester

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Each semester lasts 12 weeks

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Only awarded to those students who have completed Basic Sciences at Xavier

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Awarded to first 10 qualified students in each incoming class

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Awarded to the first 5 qualified students in each incoming class

Awarded each semester to the top one or two students who are recognized for outstanding academic performance

For more information, visit our website at xusom.com/scholarships

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Interview with Guest Lecturer Dr. Derman During Xavier’s Research Day on Friday, Febuary 23rd, students had the privilege of hearing from Dr. Richard Derman, Associate Provost for Global Affairs and previous OB/GYN practitioner.

What do you love the most about working as a professor in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department?

I have given up clinical care to focus on Global Health and Public Health at Thomas Jefferson University. On a personal note, it was during my practice of OB/GYN that I encountered women suffering from postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and sepsis. This helped direct my career path.

What are three qualities that every medical student should have during their clinical rotations?

True academic medicine is a blend of clinical care, support for education and lifelong learning, and the ability to understand and participate in research that will positively impact the enduser.

What is something you did in the past year that you are most proud of? Why was it important to you? What positive results were realized from this?

I convened a meeting of the world’s leaders on the topic of Anemia in Pregnancy and began laying the groundwork for the writing of a research proposal to address the untoward effects of this major morbidity.

As a Director of Global Health Research, what are some of the future goals you wish to accomplish?

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Build upon the initial work we have published on postpartum hemorrhage – taking research findings into practice (implementation and dissemination)

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Continue to focus on research strategies that address preterm birth

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Generate new programs/research in preventing postpartum sepsis

What is one piece of advice that you would give to those medical students entering their clinical rotations?

Keep a pad (electronic or otherwise) with you at all times. Make a daily note of one or two health related issues that you do not fully understand. When back at home, get on the internet and pull up the newest information on each of those subjects – this is a great habit which will always keep you current.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to medical students applying for residencies?

If you are listing abstracts or research, be assured that you will be questioned on everything you said you have participated in. It will become readily apparent to the interviewers if you really know everything about the area you have noted on your application.

Dr. Derman addresses students, faculty, and other attendees on Research Day

Graduation 2018 Be sure to register for our 2018 commencement ceremony!

When?

Saturday, June 16th, 2018, 5:00 PM

Register today at xusom.com/graduation Where?

D’Angelo Center at St. John’s University 8000 Utopia Parkway Jamaica, NY 11439

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Interview with Dr. Ralitza Spassova Dr. Ralitza Spassova recently joined Xavier’s faculty in our Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Physical Diagnosis department.

What countries have you traveled to in the past and which of them are your favorite?

I have travelled throughout Europe; we went to Greece, Bulgaria, Austria, and more. But my favorite country to live in is Aruba. I would also love to travel to South America.

Where are you from and what educational institution(s) have you attended?

I was originally born in Bulgaria, but I grew up in Vancouver, Canada. I attended UBC for my undergrad (BSc) and then Aureus University School of Medicine.

What do you prefer to do during your free time?

Spend time with my son, Gabriel, in his bounce house.

What sparked your interest in the field of medicine?

My mom was an open-heart surgery operating room nurse in Bulgaria and studied to get her RN in Canada when I was young. Growing up I was more interested in her medical textbooks than my Disney stories. I always loved the mystery of the human body and all its perfection, and wanted to know the how and why in more detail. And, of course, the typical thing you hear from everyone, I chose to study medicine because I want to serve humanity and to be a healer.

Why did you decide to enter academics and become a professor?

To be honest before I even started my clinical clerkships towards earning my MD. I asked for a position as an instructor at the university. After earning my degree, I took a year off to start a family.

Consequently, I didn’t match into a residency program my first year applying.

I took that as a sign that teaching is my path and purpose, and I really enjoy it. I love the “Aha” moment, or Eureka effect,

Dr. Ralitza Spassova

when students tie concepts together and make sense of what they are learning.

Why did you decide to join Xavier University School of Medicine’s faculty?

I really do believe that it is a progressive school that is constantly working to provide the best for its students. For example, computer testing for all exams, which closely imitates the board exams the students will have to take, CCP, and OSCE patients.

What do you love the most about the field of medicine?

The fact that it is a truly altruistic field.

Even though it takes a lot of hard work to accomplish the end goal, it is still all worth it. Also, with an MD, you are able to do a lot of other things like research, teaching, and medical law.

If you were to give one piece of advice to the students at XUSOM in their Basic Sciences what would that be and why?

Prepare for the marathon; knowledge and information is only half of it and the other half of it is to prepare your mind and body to sit through the extensively long 8-hour USMLE Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 3 (which is a 2-day exam).

How important is it for a doctor to be empathetic towards their patients and why? In the field of medicine right now there is a lot of mistrust because of the contradicting availability of information.

It takes humanistic qualities to establish a trusting relationship with a patient.

What is your definition of an ideal doctor?

One that follows the charter of new millennium physicians. Also, someone who is a non-judgmental well-rounded person.

Interview by: Riddhi Patel

Xavier by the Numbers: • 94% first-time USMLE Pass Rate • 80% Match Rate

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Conducting Research with Students: A Faculty Member’s Experience Recently, I had the privilege of working on a research project with my colleague Dr. Jonathan Lambo, and a group of five MD2 students: Mr. Paul Ademola, Mr. Albert Otoo Annan, Ms. Armelle Leukeu, Ms. Jennifer Khan, and Ms. Frankelle Outten. Since several of the students were from Ghana and Nigeria, we decided to focus on sub-Saharan Africa. After some preliminary research, a few interesting facts stood out to the students. The first was that worldwide contraceptive prevalence was 63.3% in 2010, versus 14.4% in Nigeria, 24.2% in Ghana, and 25.6% in Cameroon.

The second was that, in Ghana, the adolescent population is 22.4%. Of all the births registered in 2014, 30% were by adolescents. This was also accompanied by highly increased chances of birth complications and much higher mortality rates.

Some of the conclusions we were able to make from the study included: •

When we compare age-specific fertility rates in the three countries, Nigeria and Cameroon both show that the use of contraceptives can be very effective at significantly reducing fertility rates in adolescent women.

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Contraceptive use is significantly lower in adolescent women compared to the population of reproductive age women in all three countries.

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Contraceptive use in adolescent women is significantly lower in both Nigeria and Ghana compared to Cameroon.

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Because of this research, we decided to do a study looking at fertility rates and contraception used in adolescent women in 3 sub-Saharan African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon.

The students showed real interest and dedication and had several video calls with Dr. Lambo over the Christmas holidays to discuss how we were going to organize the data and what we were going to focus on. This was followed by many meetings during the first two months of this semester.

When we did a comparison of current fertility rates compared to religion we observed significantly higher fertility rates associated with the Islamic faith compared to Catholics or other Christians in both Nigeria and Cameroon. There were no significant differences in the data from Ghana.

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The prevalence of contraceptive use in adolescent women significantly increases from ages 15 to 19 in all three countries (Cameroon, Nigeria, and Ghana).

To do the study, data was extracted for all women of reproductive age (15-49-years-old) from recent Demography and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in three sub-Saharan countries in West Africa, namely, Cameroon (2011), Ghana (2014), and Nigeria (2013). Each DHS survey is a population-based household survey comprising a nationally representative sample of households across a country.

After completing the first stage of our research on this topic, we had the privilege of presenting this data at XUSOM Research Day on February 23, 2018. It was an invaluable experience for the students because they were able to prepare a poster of their research and talk about their findings with all of their interested colleagues and professors. Ms. Frankelle Outten and I were also given the opportunity to give a 10-minute oral presentation of our findings to the entire medical school, and hopefully encourage some of the other students to participate in other research projects and show some of the important research that is being done at XUSOM. We will now begin writing a journal article about our findings and have it published in a peer-reviewed journal. Currently, our research group is working on how we will proceed from here and in which direction we will take this project in the future.

One of the directions we are planning to take is to look at the availability of modern contraceptives and which contraceptives are most prevalent.

By: Dr. Kevin Pawlak

Dr. Pawlak presents research with student Ms. Frankelle Outten

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Research Day: A Student Participant’s Perspective All of the greatest discoveries in medicine have been due to extensive research by curious minds. When I was presented with the opportunity to participate in the XUSOM Research Day, I immediately accepted. During the summer of 2017, I worked in a private cancer center (Gabrail Cancer Center) in Canton, Ohio. The main focus of our research was patient quality of life during their respective chemotherapy treatments. This research is ongoing, and the results thus far are staggering. We have been looking at the effects of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting from both IV and oral chemotherapies, as well as immunotherapies. Our data to this point has demonstrated that 75% of patients experience some type of nausea and vomiting during their treatments. What we hope to accomplish with this study is to improve patient care and keep quality of life at the center of treatment.

Dr. Derman went to each poster for about 5 minutes asking questions in order to give awards. In the end, I finished with the second place award. I was very pleased with this due to the great projects that were presented that day.

In closing, I will absolutely be participating in every XUSOM Research Day that I can. Not only did I enjoy presenting my current findings, I realized how much research is going on here at XUSOM. It is important for any medical student to participate in research, especially at their respective schools. Not only is it a personal resume builder, it is also informative to their fellow students and faculty, and potentially the overall field of medicine.

By: Mostafa Hussein

XUSOM Research Day is an important event put on by the university each year. There were some very interesting projects that were presented that will make a true impact in the medical field. After listening to Dr. Derman give his talk, researchers were asked to give brief talks about their research. I gave a 5-minute description of our research and presented the data that we have collected so far. Following the presentations, 30 minutes was allowed for guests to visit the poster stations and ask any questions that they had. I had people ask about the different treatments and prevalence of CINV. I also had several suggestions of how to expand the data in order to view patient experiences from different views.

One example that sticks out in my mind was to take more of a psychological point-of-view to see the effects on the patients. This is something that I have discussed with my project leader and we may incorporate into the data collection. During this time, Dr. Little and

Mostafa Hussein presents at Xavier Research Day

Research Day: A Student Observer’s Perspective The research symposium was an incredible opportunity to get a first-hand look at current research in a variety of fields. The ability to directly engage with those who presented was, I believe, crucial to developing a deeper understanding of topics to which I had previously been unexposed. We were also very lucky to have an insight into Dr. Richard Derman’s work on maternal mortality and the factors affecting it from his research in developing countries.

Talking with students and professors on their work also broadened my exposure to the multitude of possibilities to do my own potential research. As an MD1 student, I am especially grateful for this opportunity early in my medical education, and hope to attend similar events in the future.

By: Chitra Salgame

Students and Faculty are awarded at Research Day

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Importance of Using Sunscreens With summer quickly approaching, check out our blog post from Dr. Narsimha Prasad Vijayashankar, Lecturer of Parmacology.

Xavier Times Team Faculty Editor: Ms. Kendra N. Parson Student Editor: Riddhiben Patel

Student Contributors: Riddhiben Patel Mostafa Hussein Chitra Salgame Pardis S. Vatan Faculty Contributors: Dr. Kevin Pawlak Dr. Prasanna Honnavar

Among the ancient cultures where lighter skin was more desirable, the purpose of sunscreen was solely cosmetic. Egyptians used rice bran, jasmine, and lupine. Greeks used olive oil, and sandalwood was used in Ayurveda. Although the hazardous effects of sun exposure was little known then, it was later discovered that rice bran absorbs UV radiations, jasmine repairs DNA, and sandalwood and olive oil have several beneficial effects on skin. Serendipitously, usage of extracts and their concoctions by the ancient civilizations for cosmetic purposes helped them to ward off the harmful effects of sun exposure.

Sun emits harmful UV rays year-round. Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate the skin. Snow, sand, and water increase the need for sunscreen because they reflect the sun’s rays. Radiations of sun mainly consist of UVA and UVB. While acute UVB exposure is responsible for erythema and sunburn, and UVA exposure is responsible for photo-aging (prematurely aging your skin, causing wrinkles and age spots), both UVA and UVB are responsible for suppression of immunity, and skin carcinogenesis in the long-term. Earlier sunscreens filtered mostly the high-energy UVB wavelengths (290-320 nm), but more recent broad-spectrum products can effectively absorb the longer UVA wavelengths (320-400 nm) as well.

Apart from protection against the harmful radiations that could cause several cancers, sunscreens have also gained popularity in cosmetology and are used to prevent photoaging. There are some safety concerns for the use of sunscreens such as photoactivation of sunscreen components, endocrine disruption, vitamin D deficiency, or increased risk of melanoma. However, these claims need to be supplanted with more corroborative evidence and a definitive causal association.

The following are some of the recommendations made by the American Academy of Dermatology for choosing and applying sunscreen: •

Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and water resistant.

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Use enough sunscreen to generously coat all skin that will not be covered by clothing.

Follow the “1 ounce, enough to fill a shot glass” technique while applying, which is the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body. Protect your lips with a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

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Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.

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Reapply sunscreen approximately every two hours, or after swimming or sweating.

Dr. Narsimha Vijayashankar When sunscreen is applied uniformly to the skin at a thickness of 2 mg/cm2, its strength is determined by Sun Protection Factor, or SPF (weighted for UVB wavelengths). SPF is a ratio of the protected to unprotected minimal erythemal dose. While sunscreens of SPF-15 filter 93% UVB radiation, sunscreens of SPF-50 filter up to 98% of UVB radiation. Ingredients with broad-spectrum protection include benzophenones, cinnamates, sulisobenzone, salicylates, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone, and ecamsule.

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By: Dr. Narsimha Vijayashankar

FMIG: Family Medicine Interest Group “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause, and prevention of disease.”

What is FMIG? FMIG (Family Medicine Interest Group) promotes interest in primary care, particularly family medicine. It’s for students who want to get some hands-on experience with the real world of family medicine. This means doing things such as blood pressure, blood glucose, heart rate, and patient interactions.

Our core principles are innovation, education, and excellence. Our program provides meetings, health fairs, and workshops outside and on campus to enhance your learning experience outside of the standard curriculum.

By: Pardis S. Vatan, FMIG President

On Feburary 14th, members of Xavier’s Family Medicine Interest Group participated in a Health Fair at Taco Bell Sasaki. This was just one of many Health Fairs that Xavier students participate in throughout the year.

Exercise Club How did you find out about the club?

I found out abut it from Ghaith Ati and I also saw a lot of posters throughout the school and then I was very interested. I approached Ghaith and asked more and he said to come on over the next weekend.

Ever since I have tried to keep going as much as possible.

Why did you join the club?

I joined it because I’m very passionate about exercise, health, and working out. It makes me feel more focused in school, so it’s important for me to keep that a part of my life and have hobbies as well.

How has joining the club improved your life?

It’s improved my life because I’ve noticed that it’s something that I look forward to each week on top of my other weekly workouts. It’s nice to have an event like this where you’re surrounded by a group of positive members encouraging and pushing me and it’s nice to also socialize

with other like-minded people.

What’s your favorite part about the club?

My favorite part is that it’s on a Saturday morning and you’ll start the weekend more energized and focused to get your studies done. Also, you’ll be working out with other people. Normally, if I’m working out alone then I’m less motivated, but, when I work out with other people who are pushing me and motivating me, I’m more motivated to push myself past my limit which I like.

What do you have to say to people who are interested in the club?

Well, it’s very important to have a worklife balance and especially since we as future physicians need to be in a good mental status to be able to provide service to those who need our help. The club has really enhanced my life and I think that you’ll see a great increase in your academic performance. I can say that I have been more relaxed and more

determined than usual. Also, the club is for all fitness levels, so even if you do feel tired during the workout it’s ok, Ghaith and Iman are still very motivating to help keep you going. At the end of the session there’s a meditation session for those who do not want to workout but only meditate and de-stress.

Interview with Fatima Elmedkhar

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North American Admissions Office 1000 Woodbury Road, Suite 109 Woodbury, New York 11797 USA TEL: 516-333-2224 FAX: 516-921-1070 info@xusom.com | www.xusom.com

Aruba Campus Santa Helenastraat #23 Oranjestad, Aruba Dutch Caribbean TEL: 297-588-7766 Fax: 297-588-6222

Jordan Admissions Office Al Husseini Building Office 614 Zahran Street between 7th & 8th Circle Amman, Jordan 11183 TEL: 962 (61) 586 1313 | FAX: 962 (61) 586 1317 infojordan@xavier.edu.jo | www.xavier.edu.jo

Pre Med Campuses - India

The TIPSGLOBAL Institute 361/1a, Karuvalur Road SS Kulam PO, Coimbatore +91 0422-6477377

Pre Med Campus - Jordan

Amman Madaba Street Amman, Jordan

Street No. 6, Uma Nagar Begumpet, Hyderabad Telangana 500016, India +91 040-23403200

Don Bosco Institute of Technology Kumbalagodu, Mysore Road Bangalore - 560074 +91 080-28437028

Pre Med Campus - Ghana

Troas Street Accra, Ghana