Xavier Times (June 2022)

THE XAVIER TIMES A Medical School Experience on an island unlike any other in the region!

JUNE 2022

Vol. 13:/No.05

XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

CELEBRATES 2022 GRADUATION

MR. RAVI BHOOPLAPUR PRESIDENT

MR. EDWIN CASEY CHAIRMAN

DR. J.G. BHAT CHANCELLOR

DR. PRAHALED TRUSTEE

Recognized by New York State Board of Education | Fully Accredited by ACCM

3 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

7 AWARDS CEREMONY

XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE / ARUBA

(516) 333-2224

GLOBAL 10 ALUMNI 14 CONTEST WINNER MEET

www.xusom.com

admissions@xusom.com

Named a “Top 10 Caribbean Medical School” by MoneyInc.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

CELEBRATES 2022

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2022 Xavier University School of Medicine Aruba celebrated their 2022 commencement ceremony on June 4, 2022 at Xavier’s brand new residential campus. There were a total of 52 graduates in the class, with more than half of them joining the ceremony in-person in Aruba.

The ceremony was started by the emcee, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Arun Dubey.

Dr. Dubey first welcomed the graduates, families, and friends. In his speech, he told all in attendance that “It takes a lot of people to turn the mission at Xavier into a reality, and we are so lucky to have such great faculty and staff. I know they have found it a privilege to be part of your experience.”

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Chairman Mr. Edwin Casey next addressed the crowd.

He explained that it was not just graduates’ hard work that had led them to this point, but also the support of the people around them, including family and friends as well as Xavier faculty and staff. Mr. Casey added “Graduation is the beginning, not the end. Few great journeys are completed alone. Those that stand with us make us stronger and make them stronger.”

Mr. Casey then introduced Dr. Ismail Mourad, the Salutatorian from the Class of 2022. Ismail explained to the graduates that this was not just the end of one journey, but the beginning of the rest of their lives, noting to his fellow graduates that “we become MDs, but more important than the title is the responsibility of being a guardian of your community’s trust and care, and providing them with the utmost respect and compassion for the rest of your career.”

Board of Trustee member Dr. P.K. Prahalad followed, giving a speech entitled The Biggest Challenges for the Twenty-First Century and How Little We Know About It. Dr. Prahalad explained that “only by understanding the causes and consequences of the tidal wave of multimorbidity that confronts us will we be able to respond effectively and transition to more patient-

centered health systems characterized by high-value, integrated primary care.” He explained that this aligns with the mission and vision of Xavier University School of Medicine, noting to the graduates that this has been our mission at Xavier, and that “we have laid our foundation, now go rise and grow beyond.”

Next up was Chancellor Dr. J.G. Bhat, who explained to the graduates that doctors need to provide care to patients above and beyond their technical knowledge.

Dr. Bhat exclaimed that “Sick people need something more than a doctor. You must also be a healer, an advisor, and often a cheerleader for their cause.”

Dr. Bhat then introduced the Valedictorian from the Class of 2022, Dr. Nikhale Malik. Nikhale underscored the need for the graduates to practice medicine with empathy. He remarked that “In medical school we have studied countless pathologies, examinations, medications, side effects, bacteria, the list goes on.

Despite this, it is important that we remain cognizant of the patient experience so that we can empathize with them and enhance the quality of care we can provide.”

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President Mr. Ravi Bhooplapur also spoke to the graduates about keeping the passion and drive as they embark on their careers in the medical field.

He added that “You have made your mark on our institution and leave Xavier better than when you arrived. Remember you will always have a home with Xavier University School of Medicine.” He concluded his speech reminding the students to stay in touch with their classmates, faculty, and staff.

His Excellency Mr. Endy Croes, Minister for Education and Sport of Aruba, was the keynote speaker and addressed the graduates on perseverance and overcoming challenges in their lives. Minister Croes beamed with pride that Aruba has played a role in developing 52 new doctors this year for the global healthcare system. He also urged the graduates to remember their time in Aruba fondly, adding “You may all not have been born in Aruba, but I am sure that wherever you go, you will remember us and will keep the nation of Aruba in your hearts.”

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Awards were then presented by President Bhooplapur followed by a recognition of the absentee graduates.

After this, all of the graduates in attendance received their diplomas and were given their Medical Doctor hoods.

The ceremony concluded with Dr. Richard Pestell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, leading the graduates in the Hippocratic Oath and President Bhooplapur officially conferring the degrees.

A party was thrown for all of the graduates, families, friends, and dignitaries after the ceremony, including a live band, carnaval dancers and drumline, and catered food and drinks.

Graduation is a special time for these students as we are able to celebrate and reflect on all they have achieved during their medical school journey with Xavier University School of Medicine. The administration, faculty, and staff of Xavier is excited to see all the great success our students will have in the future, and are proud to call them alumni!

THE XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

CLASS OF 2022

Mary Abdelmalak*

Naveed Elahi*

Mohammad Nadim*

Noor Abdulla

Juan Garcia Vaca*

Ugochi Ojinnaka*

Mohammed Anwer*

Lakisha Haran*

Tochukwu Okafor*

Aaron Armorer

Amin Ibrahim*

Kellon Olusola

Swathi Arunachalam*

Johannes Jacobs*

Jorim Parmar*

Rana Atamna*

Sriharsha Jammula

Vivek Patel*

Navtej Athwal*

Haseeb Khan

Sayani Patra*

Adeyemi Ayandeji*

Arya Koolaee*

Diana Puicea

Dupinderjit Bhangal*

Allexes Koroleva

Stephanie Rawana*

Nimish Biswal*

Amanpreet Mahal*

Andrew Rofail

Alice Bukrinsky*

Shreyas Maheshwar

Sawanjit Saini*

Riyadh Chowdhury

Nikhale Malik

Rasha Saleh*

Gina Cicero

Rajver Mann

Chrissy Sharma

Sanchez Colo

Nadir Matti*

Sarah Tahir*

Rebeen Darwish

Andrew Melek*

Veera Thind*

Luisa Devia

Hardee Mistry*

Israel Umoh*

Harpreet Dhanjal*

Layuren Moodley

Henna Dhir*

Ismail Mourad* * denotes graduates with honors.

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Valedictorian & Salutatorian

2022 VALEDICTORIAN DR. NIKHALE MALIK TORONTO, CANADA

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2022 SALUTATORIAN DR. ISMAIL MOURAD OAKVILLE, CANADA

Awards & Recognitions

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4 AWARDS WERE PRESENTED

by President Bhooplapur during the 2022 Graduation ceremony 1 Dr. Gopi Shivaramaiah was presented with the Basic Science Faculty of the Year award 2 Dr. Madhu Rangraj was presented with the Clinical Science Faculty of the Year award 3 Mr. Omanpersaud Boodhu was presented with the Staff Excellence award 4 Mrs. Jeane-Betsy Mackintosh was presented with the Staff Excellence award 5 Minister Endy Croes was presented with an award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to the people of Aruba and his support of advanced medical education through collaboration

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Congratulations!

TIME TO PARTY

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XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

ALUMNI GLOBAL MEET 2022

A HUGE SUCCESS XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE’S ANNUAL ALUMNI GLOBAL MEET EVENT, WHICH STARTED IN 2017, HAS BECOME BETTER AND MORE INFORMATIVE EACH YEAR.

By Dr. Rachel Karmally ’12, Trustee & Alumni Global Meet Co-Chair The event is enriched with information about succeeding on the medical board exams, the residency application and match process, and educational sessions to prepare students for the next steps in their medical school journey - clinical medicine and residency.

Unique to the meet is the attendance by a variety of alumni from different medical fields who share their experience and candidly discuss the routes that took them from graduation to present day.

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THE ALUMNI WHO ATTENDED THE EVENT THIS YEAR WERE: Dr. Rachel Karmally ‘12

Dr. Jessica Audet ‘21

Dr. Nikita Patel ‘09

Dr. A. Aboud ‘12

Dr. Jessica Pagé ‘21

Dr. Oladipupo Osunbunmi ‘20

Dr. Adrienne Hicks ‘07

Dr. Jonathan Mawere ‘06

Dr. Omar Nawab ‘17

Dr. Amanda Wolf ‘14

Dr. Kamal Deol ‘13

Dr. Shajan Ahmed ‘08

Dr. Chulou Penales ‘20

Dr. Mandip Mann ‘21

Dr. Sumeet Singh ‘13

Dr. Ella-Marie Kabia ‘20

Dr. Mousa Sawaged ‘17

Dr. Ugochi Ojinaka ‘22

Dr. Faraz Javed ‘14

Dr. Naila Manahil ‘20

Dr. Hassan Khalisy ‘13

Dr. Nikhale Malik ‘22

On Thursday, June 2, students and alumni were introduced, and I led the group in an overview of what they could expect over the coming days. After this, we split up into three smaller groups where alumni and students could have more intimate discussions based on their speciality, future plans, and specific situations.

After lunch, students participated in clinical workshops that would further their knowledge in the fields of patient-centered communication, basic and advanced cardiac life support, and point-of-care ultrasound.

Three 45-minute sessions were run by qualified Xavier alumni physicians with the goal to inspire and introduce these vital skills with the hopes of further sparking the students interest to learn more about these skills in their future.

On Friday, June 3, the day kicked off with speeches from President Ravi Bhooplapur and Chancellor Dr. J. G. Bhat, followed by additional question and answer discussions. The morning session was capped off with a presentation about residencies and residency-coaching and all of the students were then able to have lunch with clinical deans and co-chairs to learn more about their next step at Xavier after they successfully complete basic science.

We also took feedback from students and alumni for the first time to enhance the Alumni Global Meet experience for future years.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER VERY SUCCESSFUL ALUMNI GLOBAL MEET IN 2023!

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AARON ZAKES, MD3

NINA ENTCHEVA, MD3

Washington, USA

Manitoba, Canada

“Teaching me what has made previous students successful.”

The Alumni Global Meet event organized by Xavier University School of Medicine was a wonderful opportunity for students to get inspired, network and obtain a better understanding of the path ahead.

Xavier students had a chance to attend workshops on the proper use of the ultrasound machine, life support and professional communication. Being able to attend the workshops as well as alumni panels allowed us to reignite the passion for medicine and learn new tools to ensure our success in medical school. As basic sciences students it can be difficult to envision the full path past the STEP 1 exam, however, being able to speak to the alumni who have gone through it, helps remind us of the reasons we have chosen medicine.

Overall, the Global Alumni Meet was a successful event that inspired students and brought excitement to the daily lives of medical students at Xavier.

This last week at Xavier we had the Alumni Global Meet.

Initially, I was hesitant postponing classes to instead meet alumni, but my hesitancy was completely wrong.

Over the course of a few days, my classmates and I had the opportunity to attend lectures and network with former Xavier students. The classes the alumni put on included an ultrasound workshop, a basic life support class and communication skills lessons. These sessions allowed lots of student involvement and taught me skills that were very helpful. These meetings with the alumni were extremely helpful as well, especially in teaching me what has made previous students successful. Xavier capped off the Alumni Global Meet by hosting graduation which was quite fun as well.

KEVIN RAM, MD3 New York, USA The Global Alumni Meet is an event held by Xavier University School of Medicine to connect current students of the university with alumni in efforts to foster mentorship and deepen the connection between students and the university.

The meeting began with an introduction of the returning alumni, followed by encouraging words and advice to the current students regarding their journey through medical school. There were also planned workshops which allowed students not only a chance to work on professional skills, but a more intimate setting to meet with alumni personally to truly connect with one another. This was facilitated seamlessly by the efforts of the alumni offering students advice on things to do to develop their skills and résumés in preparation for residency applications. In addition to providing insight into the direction of the medical field in regards to occupational and technological advancements in the field, leaving students feeling more confident and prepared to take on the hurdles ahead of us when navigating medical school and beyond.

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MICHELLE MAWERE, MD3

ALAN ADAM, MD3

New York, USA

Ontario, Canada

“I feel recharged and more motivated to push my hardest to the finish line.”

“The 2022 Global Alumni Meet...was an eye-opening and educational experience for my classmates and I. The alumni, from all different specialties of medicine and in different parts of their careers, imparted an immense amount of knowledge and personal experience with all of us.”

This week I walked into school more proud to be a student at Xavier University School of Medicine. The annual Global Alumni Meet this year was phenomenal.

It was extremely informative and a great networking experience. The workshops were insightful and inspiring. I feel recharged and more motivated to push my hardest to the finish line. Seeing the variety of impressive alumni in lead in multiple fields of medicine was greatly encouraging.

Graduation was a beautiful ceremony that I was glad to attend. It brought the Xavier community together and we got to celebrate our graduates and faculty. I’m especially happy to have experienced a flare of Aruba culture during the graduation party with a live band and carnival performers.

There was truly something for everyone at the event. For myself, I was able to map out the next few years and get an idea of where I see myself and how to choose elective rotations for my preferred specialty. The global network of alumni that Xavier has managed to keep in contact with is very helpful for establishing our current and future professional networks. It was also great to see that a lot of the alumni were discussing the wealth of knowledge present and advising that we talk to as many of them as possible since they are familiar with most of our problems and experiences. They themselves, not too long ago, were in the same seats as we are today!

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Dr. Riddhi Patel ‘21

Wins Case Report Presentation Honor Dr. Riddhi Patel ‘21, currently a PGY-2 resident at HCA Medical City in Arlington, Texas, received first place in the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Cristian University (TCU) resident and fellow poster competition.

The contest was open to all residents and fellows at UNT and TCU, and Dr. Patel received first place in the case report poster presentation out of more than 50 entries. She was the lead author on the presentation.

Complicated case of spontaneous dissection of left main extending into proximal left anterior descending artery and ramus Riddhi H Patel, MD¹, Danny Le, DO¹, Tapan Jani, DO¹, Sathish Karmegam, MD¹, and Muhammed Kazim, DO¹ ¹HCA Medical City Healthcare UNT-TCU Graduate Medical Education Program

Hospital Course (continued) and Imaging

Introduction • With just about 300 cases recorded in the literature, spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute myocardial ischemia.

• It is usually fatal, and it is only discovered after a postmortem investigation in young people who have died suddenly.

• More than 70% of instances were documented in women, especially during pregnancy and peripartum, with the highest risk in the postpartum period.

• With the advent of sophisticated coronary angiography, our knowledge of SCAD has grown enormously since it’s initial characterization in 1931.

• An irregularity in the ST-segment, as well as an elevation of heart damage indicators, can be seen on electrocardiograms.

• The extent to which the coronary arteries are involved varies. The main culprit is commonly said to be the left main coronary artery.

• Cardiothoracic (CT) surgery was consulted for possible CABG. Given that she remained hemodynamically stable, CT surgery agreed that the best initial treatment is conservative with BP management and IABP. Trans-thoracic echocardiogram (TTE) showed EF >55%, no regional wall motion abnormalities, no valvular abnormalities, and a small pericardial effusion. The IABP was removed and the patient complained of chest discomfort with exertion. High sensitivity troponin was 1886, down from peak of 34608 on 1/11/22, but troponins started trending back up. Coronary CTA was performed and was negative for pulmonary embolism. She continued to complain of chest pain with exertion and was hypotensive with BP of (86/54) after receiving sublingual nitroglycerine. Given the change in her clinical status, CT surgery was asked to re-evaluate her for surgical intervention. She was started on Clopidogrel and received a total of 4 doses. Patient was determined to be a high-risk surgical candidate and could require left ventricular assistant device (VAD) postoperatively. Therefore, decision was made to transfer the patient to Medical City Heart and Spine, Dallas for higher level of care.

Case presentation • We present a case of a 28-year-old female patient, G3P3, now postpartum about 2 weeks, who presented to the ER with acute onset of chest pain. She was hypertensive on arrival 150/105 with mildly elevated troponin.

• Her pregnancy was complicated by HTN pre-delivery and post-delivery. She denied taking any antihypertensive medications.

• EKG taken at arrival revealed NSTEMI, and so she was started on a heparin drip and taken to the cardiac catheterization lab

Figure 1

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Figure 3

Hospital Course after Transfer and Discussion • After transfer, she underwent another emergent cardiac catheterization which revealed further propagation and compromise of the LM coronary artery which was very severely narrowed to 98% with staining noted in the proximal LAD (Figure 3). The ramus intermedius appeared to be unchanged with severe compromise of the origin through the proximal segments but reconstitution in the more distal portion of the vessel. The mid and distal LAD appeared to be intact with no dissection. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was markedly elevated at 35 to 40 mmHg. Percutaneous catheter-based heart pump was placed for maximal support. Patient was urgently taken to the operating room for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) of the LAD and the ramus. The patient tolerated the procedure well and was taken to intensive care unit in stable condition.

Hospital Course • Catheterization documented spontaneous coronary artery dissection involving proximal vessels including very large ramus intermedius, proximal LAD and propagation into the left main (Figure 2) with compromise and severe narrowing of about 75% of the left main (Figure 1).

• Furthermore, she was noted to have brisk flow so an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) was placed and was set to augment at 50%. She was hemodynamically stable and was not requiring pressor support or inotropes.

Figure 2

Conclusion • This case illustrates that a rare condition like spontaneous dissection of left main extending into proximal left anterior descending artery and ramus is often under-diagnosed among patients presenting with ACS. Connective tissues disorders, young women, systemic inflammation, and pregnancy are all risk factors for SCAD, which are typically worsened by triggering events. Patients who survive their initial SCAD presentation have an excellent long-term outcome. Nevertheless, repeat episodes are common, and these patients should be continuously monitored by cardiovascular experts. For stable patients with ischemia resolution, conservative medical therapy is usually sufficient. However, in a small percentage of patients, revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention or CABG may be required. Ongoing prospective research will presumably shed light on SCAD patients' long-term cardiovascular consequences.

This research was supported (in whole or in part) by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA Healthcare affiliated entity. The views expressed in this publication represent those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of HCA Healthcare or any of its affiliated entities.

Xavier Approved For Student National Medical Association Organization

by Fedny Agelus, MD2 (Xavier SNMA Chapter President)

SNMA stands for “Student National Medical Association.” This independent student-governed organization has been around since 1964 with the unique mission to “support current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians.”

I attended my first SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) in Orlando, FL last April 2022. It was an amazing experience that will never forget. One of my favorite moments was the opportunity I had to meet and chat with other students from the U.S., the Caribbean, as well as current physician residents. This conference has not only widened my network, but also further inspired me to pursue medicine with even greater passion.

Regardless of your background and/or how far you are in Basic science, please get involved because that can truly make a big difference for you.

SNMA has 10 regions covering all medical schools in the US with region 4 extended to include the Caribbean.

XUSOM becomes the 9th Caribbean medical school to join SNMA. SNMA provides great resources for International Medical Student (IMS) and International Medical Graduate (IMG), Leadership skills/training that can help improve your application for residency, Annual Medical Education conference that allows you to network with other medical students, physician residents, and SNMA Alumni in the US, scholarship and fellowship programs, international missions, and more.

These are just a few things you can benefit from when you join SNMA.

Go to WWW.SNMA.ORG to learn more and sign up to become a national member.

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NEW CAMPUS UPDATE

s n o i t a l u t Congra

!

S E T A U D A GR LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN Parking

Housing Block

Pool

Dining Hall

Named a “Top 10 Caribbean Medical School” by jçåÉófåÅ.

XAVIER UNIVERSITY XAVIER UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE / ARUBA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE / ARUBA

North American Admissions Office 1000 Woodbury Road, Suite 109 Woodbury, New York 11797 USA T: 516-333-2224 F: 516-921-1070 E: Admissions@xusom.com

Aruba Campus Santa Helenastraat #23 Oranjestad, Aruba T: 297-588-7766 F: 297-588-6222

(516) 333-2224 333-2224 •• www.xusom.com (516) www.xusom.com •• admissions@xusom.com admissions@xusom.com Named a “Top 10 Caribbean Medical School” by MoneyInc.