statewide benefit - med.und.edu

2 NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Winter 2007

AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS, SO DOour goals to continue building upon thesuccess of the School of Medicine andHealth Sciences. A primary focus forupcoming years is to significantlyincrease financial partnerships withalumni, friends, foundations andbusinesses to grow North Dakota's onlymedical school into an even strongerinstitution. The school is fortunate tohave talented educators on staff, andthey are ready to take the next step inpreparing the future generation ofphysicians, scientists and allied healthcare professionals, but they need help!

Almost HumanLearning via simulators is nothing new; ithas been prominent in the aeronauticsfield since the 1940s. State-of-the-artmedical simulation technology is nowavailable, and the days of "see one, doone, teach one" is quickly changing.With the use of a human patientsimulator, a faculty member can nowensure a student has achieved thedesired knowledge and skill level beforetreating a real patient. Imagine what thiscan mean for confidence building.Imagine what it can mean for patientsafety.

I was impressed when I saw these

mannequins - at first because they wereactually breathing, and then because Ilearned they were inhaling oxygen andexhaling carbon dioxide at the same rateas you and me. They are remarkablylifelike, capable of responding tomedical treatment and drugs, allowingstudents to diagnose and administercorrect treatments. They can blink, dilatetheir eyes, drool, bleed, talk and more.Once the instructor initiates the software,the mannequin is completely responsiveand no interaction from the instructor isneeded (so the instructor can activelyguide or demonstrate the procedure). If aprocedural error is made, the mannequinresponds accordingly. The technology issophisticated and can provide learningin real-time, and is capable of simulatingnearly any possible human medicalemergency, including heart attacks,seizures, allergic reactions, effects ofnerve gas, drug overdoses or severedlimbs to name a few.

Statewide BenefitA Human Simulation Laboratory wouldbe particularly beneficial in NorthDakota, because aside from students, thelab could also be used by practicingphysicians, nurses, EMT's, healthcareprofessionals, firefighters and lawenforcement officers as a tool to learn orrefine skills. That's a powerful asset in arural state where every healthcareprofessional may not have theopportunity to practice every procedurethey are expected to know.

It is a goal of ours that the onlymedical school in North Dakota willsoon be home to the only HumanSimulation Laboratory in the state. Thislab will be expensive, but it is a realitythrough financial partnerships andendowment funding. Our students andcitizens are outstanding, and we owethem the best possible education! Welook forward to providing this newservice in the future.

H. David Wilson, M.D. Vice President for Health Affairs andDean

H. David Wilson, M.D., (center)and Charles Christianson, M.D., Co-Director of year 01 PCL ClinicalSciences, demonstrate intubation onan infant simulator.

DEAN’S LETTER

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Winter 2007 3

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For address corrections:ND Medicine Address Correction UND School of Medicine and Health SciencesOffice of Administration and Finance Attn: Kitty Monley501 North Columbia Rd. Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037 e-mail: [email protected] phone: 701-777-2431

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE and past issues of THE REVIEW are available at www.ndmedicine.org

FEATURESHeart and Soul 4

Exploring the similarities and connections of our emotional and physical hearts

A Woman's Heart 9Women are even more different from men than previously understood;

educators seek to raise awareness of those differences in consumers as

well as clinicians

When in 'ROME' 12 Medical students RAVE about ROME, the Rural Opportunities in Medical Education Program, that offers them lots of direct, hands-on, clinical experience with a focus on continuity of care

On the Mend 14Physical therapy students learn cardiac rehab throughout theireducation

Research Meets Real World 16By partnering with ProLogic, BORDERS opens new doors for

marketing technology that advances quality of care for trauma victims

Inside and Out 18Diagnostic imaging gives medical students another view ingross anatomy lab

DEPARTMENTSStudent Profile 20Alumni Profile 22News Briefs 24Alumni Notes 27In Memoriam 29Planning Ahead 30Parting Shots 31

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

CHARLES E. KUPCHELLA, President,University of North Dakota

H. DAVID WILSON, Vice President for Health Affairs Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences

WRITERS Pamela Knudson, Amanda ScurryCONTRIBUTORS Blanche Abdallah, Wendy OpsahlGRAPHIC DESIGN John Lee, Victoria SwiftPHOTOGRAPHY Joseph Hartman, Pamela Knudson,

Wanda WeberCOVER ART V. Swift

www.ndmedicine.org

DESIGN Eric WalterCONTENT Amanda Scurry

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE (ISSN 0888-1456; USPS077-680) is published five times a year (April, July,September, December, February) by the University ofNorth Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences,Room 1000, 501 N. Columbia Road Stop 9037, GrandForks, ND 58202-9037. Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks ND.

Printed at Fine Print Inc., Grand Forks, ND.

All articles published in NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE,excluding photographs and copy concerning patients, canbe reproduced without prior permission from the editor.

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Soul&

Exploring the similarities and connectionsof our emotional and physical hearts

Heart

Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.,executive associate dean, professor ofmedicine, and practicing cardiologist.

Rosanne McBride, Ph.D., a clinicalpsychologist and assistant professorof family and community medicine.

Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H.,executive associate dean, professor ofmedicine, and practicing cardiologist.

Rosanne McBride, Ph.D., a clinicalpsychologist and assistant professorof family and community medicine.


ORE AND MORE STUDIES ARE showingthat our emotional hearts and our physicalhearts are connected. North DakotaMedicine's Amanda Scurry sat down with

Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H., executive associatedean, professor of medicine and practicing cardiologist,and Rosanne McBride, Ph.D. (Psychology ‘95), a clinicalpsychologist and assistant professor of family andcommunity medicine to discuss the similarities andconnections of our hearts.

ND Medicine: Does our physical heart react to what ouremotional heart is feeling?

McBride: Absolutely. Studies have shown that the humanexperience of an emotion occurs in part because of thebrain and the heart interacting. For example, when youexperience a negative emotion such as anger or sadness,your brain sends the heart a signal and your heart's rhythmtends to become more erratic. These changes in the heartrhythms are recognized by the emotional centers in thebrain as stressful or negative feelings. This interaction ofsignals between the brain and the heart contribute to thephysical feelings we experience in the heart area of ourbody when we are sad, grief stricken, and so on. On theother hand, heart rhythms are smoother in response topositive emotions and experiences and contribute to thewarm feelings we experience in the heart area when we are,say, in love. The heart is letting the brain know that it feelsgood. There are even some treatments to improve cardiacrhythms that involvehaving patients recallpositive experiencesthat elicit warmfeelings-also called emotion-focused techniques.

Wynne: Emotions and psychological factors may haveprofound influences on the heart. An example of this ispersonality types. Two types of personalities have beenfound, Type A and Type B. Type A personalities are timefocused, goal orientated, and work obsessed. They are alsomore likely to have underlying emotions that include angerand hostility. Type B personalities roll with the punchesand are much more laid-back. Type A personalities aremore associated with heart disease than Type B. The flipside of that association, however, is that being a Type Apersonality may actually help you to treat heart disease.Type As tend to be more committed to their treatmentplans, spend more time in cardiac rehabilitation, and aremore intense about exercise.

ND Medicine: What effect do personal relationships, likebeing in love, have on our emotional heart and ourphysical heart?

W: People who are married seem to fare better from ahealth perspective than those who are not, not only from aheart disease standpoint, but from all-cause mortality. Theidea being, that it appears that people who have robustsocial networks and feel fulfilled in their jobs, do better.

M: Helen Fischer at Rutgers University is an anthropologistwho studies the chemistry of romantic love. She studied alarge number of couples who had been in a relationship forat least seven months. She had them look at a neutralpicture and a picture of their partner and then did MRIscans on them. She found increased dopamine activity intheir brains when they looked at a picture of their partner.

One of the things that scientists are finding is thatduring this romantic, more lustful stage of love, the brain isawash in dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the brainthat gives you energy, makes you feel good, makes you feellike you can stay up all night-like what many peopledescribe when they fall in love-"we stayed up all night andwatched the sun come up". So, when you are talking aboutfalling in love, this is one of the things that is going on inyour brain.

Other studies have shown that in addition to increaseddopamine, people experiencing romantic love showdecreased levels of serotonin, another brain chemical.Interestingly, one study compared "lovesick" people withindividuals diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder.They found decreased levels of serotonin in the brain,which is characteristic in obsessive-compulsive disorder, inboth the obsessive-compulsive group and the lovesick

group and not in acontrol group. In theend, the authors of thestudy said that it is

difficult to differentiate between the brain activity of the"lovesick" individuals and those with obsessive-compulsivedisorder. This might help to explain why people in lovecan't get their mind off their lover.

On the other hand, if a person stays in a relationshipover a longer period of time, the dopamine level graduallydecreases and the brain chemical or neurohormone thatthen comes into play is oxytocin, which is sometimes calledthe "attachment hormone" which is released in response totouch, hugs, etc. Animals like dogs, cats, and birds areused in therapeutic and institutional settings like nursinghomes in order to improve the emotional well-being ofthose residing there. A recent study was done looking atanimal therapy effectiveness using dogs and measuredblood pressure and the levels of several hormones,including cortisol (the hormone released during stress) andoxytocin in both humans and dogs. After allowing a periodof time in which the people interacted with the dogs, theyfound decreased blood pressure, decreased cortisol levelsand increased oxytocin levels in the person as well asincreased oxytocin levels in the dog.

m

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heartthe spirit is broken. -Proverbs 15:13


“Just like there are twosides to the brain, thereare two aspects to illness -the physical and theemotional. One of thethings we do well in thisschool is that we addressboth aspects.”

Joshua Wynne, M.D., M.B.A., M.P.H

Human beings in long-termrelationships have higher levels ofoxytocin, which as I said before iscalled by some the "attachment" or"bonding" hormone. Studies havefound higher levels of the hormoneoxytocin in animals in the wild thatmate for life, and if the oxytocinreceptors in the brain are blocked inthese animals, they tend to roam.

Also interesting is that scientistshave started looking at the oxytocinlevels of autistic people because peoplewith autism have profound difficultieswith social relationships andinteractions.

Some recent experiments treatingautistic people with oxytocin haveshown improvements in their socialinteraction. The bottom line is that itappears that oxytocin affects the qualityand longevity of relationships and visaversa--relationships affect the body'srelease of oxytocin. Hugs are good forus!

ND Medicine: Can our hearts break? If so, can we die from it?

W: There is a cardiac syndrome calledthe acute apical ballooning syndrome.This was first described in the Japaneseliterature and was called TakotsuboCardiomyopathy because the damagedheart looks like the trap Japanese use totrap octopus (which is called takotsuboin Japanese). This fascinating anduncommon condition is typically found

in young to middle-aged women whoappear to have what looks like a heartattack. What is unusual about thissyndrome is that it typically occurs afterintense emotional stress, and thepatients have normal coronary arterieswithout the expected blockages. Withthis condition, the damaged heartreturns to normal function over time,which would be very unusual in a"normal" heart attack. It has been

reasonably demonstrated that thecondition is due to really high levels ofhormones in the blood that appear todamage the heart. The hormones arereleased by the glands in directresponse to an intense emotionalexperience such as bereavement. Thus,this condition is almost literally abroken heart and although mortality islower than with a regular heart attack,people can die from it. The good newsis that complete recovery is the rule.

ND Medicine: What benefits doesexercise have on our physical andemotional hearts?

W: One of the critical components in aweight control or weight loss program isexercise. Weight reduction can haveother secondary positive effects. First,there is the simple mechanical one:Your knees wear out more if you'reheavier, so you'll improve that withweight loss. Two, blood pressurecontrol is better and easier. Third,diabetic control is better. Lower bloodpressure and better diabetic control canhave direct beneficial effects oncardiovascular health.

People who exercise feel better andin some cases are better. Exercisepositively influences the quality of lifeand to some degree the quantity of life.

Many people who exercise say, "Ilike to exercise because I feel the highfrom it." Most of us who exercise knowwhat they mean. When people feel

better, they tend to exercise more. Nowwhat leads to what? Are they feelingbetter because they're exercising or arethey able to exercise because they arefeeling better?

M: Endorphins are naturally occurringopiates in the brain. Exercise not onlycounteracts the effects of stress, but itmakes us feel good because it results inan endorphin release in our brains.

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.Happy people just don't shoot their husbands. They just don't.”

-Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods“Legally Blonde” (2001)


W: That's right. They are naturallyoccurring hormones that are elevatedduring exercise and they have opiate-like activities on the brain. They are amediator of why you feel better afterexercise. That "runner's high" isattributed to high levels of endorphinsand similar compounds.

M: Also, although more well-controlledstudies need to be done, many studiesare showing strong evidence that regular

exercise can decrease the symptoms ofdepression because of its effects on therelease of certain brain chemicals aswell as interactions between the centraland peripheral nervous systems.

W: One of the biggest benefits ofexercise is with depression. Exercisehas been shown to have an effect ofimproving depression. The problem isthat when we're depressed, one of thethings you don't do is exercise, becauseyou don't feel like it. When people feelbetter, they exercise more. So, to somedegree, it is the horse and cart. Whichcomes first? Are they feeling betterbecause they are exercising? Or arethey exercising because they feel better?

The data are not clean, but it doesappear that exercise can have physicallybeneficial effects in addition to thepsychological benefits. It isn't that youjust feel better. You probably are better.Now, how much of that is mediated byactual conditioning and how much isthrough emotions and endorphins is notknown. But we do encourage sensibleexercise for everyone, but especiallypeople who already have cardiacproblems. We know they will feelbetter and they probably are better, soexercise is good for both physical andemotional well being.

ND Medicine: Do our physical andemotional hearts like sex?

M: Many studies are showing that thiswhole concept of falling in love issomething that is hard-wired in ourbrains and driven by survival factors.Scientists are finding that certain aspectsof who we are attracted to are hard-wired in terms of body proportions,facial features and proportions, and agesuch that our brains are hardwired to

pick up on the primary age of fertilityfor example.

Obviously, relationships are morecomplex than this but there issubstantial evidence that aspects ofhuman attraction are deeply rooted inour survival instincts.

Another example of this"hardwiring" is a study that hadheterosexual women sniff men's sweatyt-shirts and rank them from the mostpleasant smell to the least pleasantsmell. They found that the t-shirts thatsmelled the "best" were those from aman who was the most geneticallydifferent from themselves. One of thetheories used to explain this is that themost genetically dissimilar couplewould provide two immune systemsthat would be the most different. Interms of their offspring, this would allowfor better survival because it wouldcombine aspects of both immunesystems.

W: From the standpoint of heartpatients, one of the things that we talkabout if someone has had a heart attackis an exercise prescription. But one ofthe things physicians and other healthcare providers sometimes don't talkabout, because it is very private, iswhen is it OK to resume normal sexualrelations. Patients and their partners area little uncomfortable talking about it,

It is a curious sensation: the sort of pain that goes mercifully beyond ourpowers of feeling. When your heart is broken, your

boats are burned: nothing matters any more.It is the end of happiness and the beginning of peace.

-Ellie,"Heartbreak House"George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

“Many studies are showingthat this whole concept offalling in love issomething that is hard-wired in our brains and isdriven by survival factors.”

Roseanne McBride, Ph.D.


but it needs to be discussed. The goodnews is that for most heart diseasepatients, with common sense and someguidance they can resume this normalpart of life.

ND Medicine: How do you teach ourmedical students to take into accountboth the physical and the emotionalheart?

M: Our students learn a lot aboutcardiac anatomy, physiology, pathologyand so on, but because we have apatient-centered curriculum, studentsreally get at the core of another aspectof healing that involves the relationshipbetween the doctor and patient. Intalking with people from other medicalschools, it would appear that we're wellahead of the game in teaching patient-centered care in terms of our course-work and PCL cases. Further, the

organization and processes of thiscurriculum send a message to ourstudents that our institution places ahigh value on relationship- or patient-centeredness. This by itself creates apowerful learning experience for thestudents in terms of the implicit messageit conveys. Namely, that the relation-ship between the doctor and patient is acentral aspect of good medical care.

W: Just like there are two sides to thebrain, there are at two aspects to illness-the physical and the emotional. One ofthe things that we do particularly well inthis school is that we try to address bothaspects. You wouldn't want to have adoctor who is a wonderful communicatorbut didn't know how to take care of aheart attack, for example.

But similarly, you don't want adoctor who knows all about the latesttreatment for a heart but doesn't talkwith the patient about resuming sexual

intercourse, for example. Our schoolhas traditionally focused on thebehavioral aspects of health and illness.With our patient-centered learningcurriculum, it enables the students touse a holistic approach with the patient,integrating both physical and emotionalcare.

One of beauties of patient-centeredlearning is that the questions about the

case under study come from thestudents themselves. A natural out-growth of this learning process is thestudents come to understand not onlywhat causes heart disease and how wetreat it, but they also understand thepatient's reaction to it, the psychologicalissues for the patient, the emotionalissues for the families, and the attendantstresses on relationships. The studentslearn not only about heart disease, butalso about the person in whom thatheart disease resides. That person hasemotions, fears, baggage, andrelationships. The students have toknow the principles of biochemistry,they have to know the drugs that weuse to treat disease, but they also haveto know the dynamics of relationshipsand the importance of emotions.

-Amanda Scurry

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understandingmay outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug… I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, acancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability.My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

-Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University


HEART DISEASE IS THE NUMBER ONEkiller of women, nationally and inNorth Dakota.

Statewide, it is estimated that, eachday, three women die of cardiovasculardisease, defined as heart attack andstroke. One in every three women willdie from cardiovascular disease.

"It's very serious," said ElizabethBurns, M.D., M.A., professor of family

and community medicine and directorof the National Center of Excellence(CoE) in Women's Health Region VIIIDemonstration Project, Grand Forks.

She stresses the need for everyoneto be aware of women's heart diseaseand is working "to increase theawareness at the consumer level andthe physician level."

Men and women are more different

A Woman£s HeartCenter of Excellence in Women's Health Supports Efforts to Improve Cardiac Health

The CoE project focuses on outreach and encouraging women to become informedconsumers and managers of their health and health care, says director Elizabeth Burns,M.D., M.A., pictured here with the Red Dress symbol of the American Heart Association

Women are even moredifferent from men than

previously understood;educators seek to raise

awareness of those differences in consumers

as well as clinicians.


than previously understood and, whenit comes to heart disease, "there aredifferences in symptoms and in (patient)presentation," Burns explains. Withwomen, physicians "tend to think it'ssomething else" such as agastrointestinal problem like refluxdisease or a pulmonary problem --"although I think that's changing."

In order to address this tendency inhealth care, "we need to make sure thatwe have more primary carephysicians," she says, and "we need tomake sure that there are enoughprimary care physicians out there whoknow the differences."

Different symptoms, different structureIn the past, biomedical research hasfocused almost exclusively on men.Health professionals have practiced onthe pervasive assumption thatknowledge gained from this researchcould be applied to women.

"When women have cardiacdisease, they may have differentsymptoms," Burns asserts. "Whenthey're having pain, it may be in adifferent location. The doctor mayneed to do different kinds of tests" todetermine the correct diagnosis.

According to Susan Farkas, M.D.,cardiologist with MeritCare Heart

Center, Fargo, a woman's heart hassmaller arteries and when it is notfunctioning properly there is morepotential for spasm.

Research has found that, in womenwith heart disease, "the vessels areremodeled," Farkas says, instead of asingle lesion such as occurs in men,women are more likely to havemultiple little lesions. And, becausethe size of the vessel is smaller, it is notpossible to stent as well."

Women experience "worseoutcomes from bypass surgery or heartattack," she says, "and have a highermortality rate" from cardiovasculardisease.

Unfortunately they sometimesignore their symptoms, or they may"present with less pain and more withfatigue and generalized symptoms suchas nausea or a very atypical discomfortin the chest," she says.

"But they also can present withtypical symptoms such as crushingchest pain or a feeling of heaviness inthe chest."

Teaming up to raise awarenessWith Burns' leadership, the CoE hastackled the issues of women's health,including cardiac health, on multiplelevels and in multiple venues. Last fall,for instance, the CoE sponsored the firstNorth Dakota Women's HealthConnection in Grand Forks to encouragewomen to take a more proactive role intheir own health care. The eventfeatured endocrinologist and geriatricianSaralyn Mark, M.D., assistant clinicalprofessor of medicine and obstetrics atYale University School of Medicine andconsultant to NASA, who spoke onwomen's heart health.

The CoE also has partnered withthe state chapter of the American HeartAssociation in support of its "NorthDakota Goes Red" campaign designedto raise public awareness of heartdisease in women.

"Partnerships like these help us byproviding more opportunities to reach alarger audience of women and theirfamilies, and convince them to join themovement and to love their hearts,"

If you see or have any of these symptoms, call 9-1-1. Treatment can bemore effective if given quickly. Every minute counts!

Courtesy of the American Heart Association

. . . . . . . . . . .Warning Signs . . . . . . . . . . . Heart attack - Uncomfortable pressure,

squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back

- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, stomach

- Shortness of breath along with, or before, chest discomfort

- Other signs each as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

Stroke- Sudden numbness or weakness of

the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body

- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding

- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

- Sudden severe headache with no known cause


according to Joan Enderle, director ofthe Go Red for Women campaign,Jamestown.

"We want to encourage them tolearn their risk factors and ways toreduce those factors in order toimprove their health."

The state Go Red for Womencampaign also aims to reach healthprofessionals who take care of thesewomen, Enderle says, noting thatcardiovascular disease takes moreNorth Dakota women's lives than thenext four causes of death combined.

"Raising awareness at the consumerlevel and the physician level is key,"Burns says, "and we're here to help."

In the clinical realm, the CoEsponsored Michael Brown, M.D. '82,clinical assistant professor of obstetrics-gynecology and director of the CoEclinical component, and CindyAnderson, Ph.D. (Physiology '03),assistant professor of family andcommunity nursing, both of GrandForks, to attend training using "HeartTruth" materials in Washington, D.C.The training is aimed at increasingphysician awareness of women's heartdisease.

The goal is to "bring people in, getthem trained, so they can go out" andeducate other health professionalsabout new advances in knowledge ofwomen's heart disease, Burns says.

As director of the CoE educationalcomponent, Rosanne McBride, Ph.D.(Psychology '95), clinical psychologistand assistant professor of family andcommunity medicine, Grand Forks,analyzes patient "paper" cases used inteaching medical students "to ensurethat, if there's a gender difference inpresentation of diseases or in anydiseases found more often in women,that aspects of gender-based medicineare included," Burns said.

"We have a good number ofcardiac cases," McBride says, in which"we can bring out the fact that there aredifferences."

Medical students can learn tocompare differences in biologicalfunctions, development andpharmacological response in males and

females, she says, and learn aboutconditions that are more common,more serious or have interventions thatare different in women.

McBride uses guidelines from theAssociation of Professors of Gynecologyand Obstetrics to assess "what we'recurrently teaching and identify any gapsconcerning women's health education.

"There is so much communicationamong faculty and students aboutcurriculum issues and so manyopportunities to integrate changes intoour patient-centered curricularstructure," she says, "any gaps can berelatively quickly addressed."

"Our Office of Medical Educationworks very hard to consistently refinecases and our curriculum so it can bebetter and better all the time," she says."Women's health education is oneexample of this."

-Pamela D. Knudson

Medical School for the Public:Women’s Health through the Lifespan

Topics:● Hormone therapy● Infertility● Cancer screening● HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine● Depression and anxiety● Incontinence

Presented by UND Medical Faculty7 - 9 p.m., Tuesdays, March 20 - April 24, 2007UND Medical School campus sites in GrandForks, Fargo, Bismarck and Minot.

For more info: [email protected]: www.med.und.edu

Keeping North Dakotawomen connected to ahealthier tomorrow

WEB EXCLUSIVE:For more information about theCoE or the Go Red for Womencampaign visit:www.ndmedicine.org


When in R.O.M.E.Students Learn by DoingAT JAMESTOWN WHERE HE ISstudying and training for seven monthsin the Rural Opportunities in MedicalEducation (ROME) program, third-yearmedical student Justin Reisenauer sayshe has "been treated like a colleague"and has found tremendous enthusiasmfor teaching by physicians and otherhealth professionals who have madehim feel very welcome.

"Everyone here wants to teach youin their area of expertise," he exudes."They are all willing and excited toteach - from the nurses to the radiologytechs and respiratory techs to laboratorystaff to physicians in surgery andradiology, and many more health careteam members.

"Everyone goes out of their way tomake a teaching point, when they can."

The greatest advantage for studentsin ROME, Reisenauer says, is the

opportunity to witness the continuumof care. For example, he was part of anexpectant mother's office visit to herphysician, later helped to deliver herchild and, sometime later, conducted awell-baby exam on the infant.

In the traditional curriculum, therewould be three different students seeingthat patient on those occasions, he says.

Describing himself as "an activelearner," he says he "is able toformulate a better understanding whenallowed hands-on training. There is nocompetition for hands-on training in theROME program - no other residents orstudents actively seeking guidance fromthe preceptor." There's just the one-on-one, physician-to-student training.

"I enjoy working closely alongsidethe physicians in the diagnosis,treatment and management of eachpatient," he says. "It is valuable to gainexperience in dermatology, radiology,emergency medicine, anesthesiologyand other specialties.

"To have these exposures as well asparticipate with the specialist areinvaluable."

According to David Muhs, M.D.'85, clinical associate professor offamily and community medicine, whodirects the program in Jamestown, thestrength of the ROME experience "isthe fact that students get a wide varietyof exposure to a lot of different (aspectsof medicine) over a period of time, andit is more clinically-based," rather thanhospital-based, which is how medicineis practiced today.

"They can follow a patient througha process," Muhs says, "not just stickto" one specific specialty.

Reisenauer cites the "high qualityof education and training inJamestown," noting that the hands-ontraining is "extremely beneficial andallows you to strengthen the weakeraspects of your knowledge base."

The ROME program “is about doing, not passively watching or shadowing a physician,”says Justin Reisenauer, third-year medical student (center), shown here examining apatient with William McMillan, M.D. (B.S. Med. '82), clinical assistant professor offamily and community medicine, Jamestown.


Along with Muhs, Scott Rowe, M.D.(Family Medicine '85), Ryan Holzwarth,M.D. '02, Philip Jystad, M.D. (FamilyMedicine Residency '91), StevenMaier, M.D. '79, and Raymundo Tan,M.D., "have all been extremely helpfulwith their exceptional" teaching skills.

According to Joshua Ranum, aROME student in Hettinger, "We aretreated as equals by the staff andpatients, and not second-class labor.The doctors treat us (and expect us toact) like interns...

"We're not limited by the rotationwe're on, and the staff is very goodabout grabbing us" if a patient with anew problem walks through the door.

"The teaching is great," he says,"everyone is willing to teach and let uslearn by doing. All of the physicianshave been excellent teachers, and we'velearned a great deal from them all."

"Another great advantage of ROMEis the ability to become an active partof the community. Already this year,I've participated in the local band,officiated football games, helped out atchurch, and even found time to huntpheasants."

Ranum is "headed toward a careerin family medicine," he says. "I def-initely want to practice in a rural area

where you can have a much broaderpractice. I was set on practicing in asmaller community even before ROME,but the program has definitely made merealize that rural medicine is a great fitfor me."

Mandy Sorlie, a fourth-yearmedical student who plans to practicefamily medicine in rural North Dakota,says, "I thought that ROME wouldprepare me for my future practice betterthan a traditional curriculum."

As a senior who will graduate inMay, she says, "I value the continuity ofcare that I was able to provide duringmy seven months in the ROMEprogram.

"Continuity of care is the basis offamily medicine in my opinion, and itis what draws me to this specialty. Itruly enjoyed the relationships I builtwith my patients during ROME."

She took the ROME program inJamestown where, she says, "everyonewas great to me, really taking time toteach me and make me feel welcome.

"My ROME experience reinforcedthat family medicine is the field for meand opened my eyes to a possiblepractice site.”

-Pamela D. Knudson

Dickinson added as ROME Site "We are very excited to add Dickinson" to the roster ofcommunities involved in the ROME program, says RogerSchauer, M.D. (B.S. Med. '69), associate professor offamily and community medicine, Grand Forks. "We havebeen working for several years to add Dickinson as aROME site." Students will begin their ROME experiencethere in November 2007.

Coordinators are: Heather Hughes, M.D. '01, andKamille (Bachmeier) Sherman, M.D. '99, both clinicalassistant professors of family and community medicine atthe UND medical school. Thomas Arnold, M.D. '84,clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology,was instrumental in getting the ROME program started inDickinson.

Hughes went through the ROME program in 1999-2000, at Williston, as a medical student at UND; she is oneof the first ROME students to establish a medical practicein North Dakota.

Other ROME sites are Devils Lake, Hettinger,Jamestown and Williston.

Trad

ition

alPr

ogra

mSt

uden

ts

ROM

ESt

uden

ts

Selected primary care* residencytraining after earning MD degree 62% 36%

Selected family medicine training after earning MD degree 38% 16%

Selected general internal medicinetraining after earning MD degree 21% 11%

*family medicine, internal medicine, combined medicine-pediatrics

Note: Data compiled by Department of Family and Community Medicine over a six-year period ending in 2004

ROME Research RevealsStudent Preferences


THIS YEAR ABOUT 1.2 MILLIONAmericans will have a first or recurrentheart attack. For those who survive, acomprehensive cardiac rehabilitationprogram may enhance recovery.

At the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences, physical therapy (PT)students are exposed to all four phasesof cardiac rehabilitation.

UND physical therapy students (fromleft to right) Heather Stecher of

Hettinger and Laura Parent of Minotsupervise fellow PT student Adam

Suedel of Grand Forks as he exerciseson the NuStep. In laboratory and

clinical experiences, PT students learnto place heart monitors on patients andmonitor patients' EKGs during exercise.

Physical therapystudents learn

cardiac rehabilitationthroughout their

education

On the Mend


Jerry Knute, B.S.P.T. '76,

established his physical

therapy practice at Warren

Community Hospital in

Warren, MN in 1976. Ten

years later, the hospital

established one of the first

cardiac rehabilitation

programs in the area.

Knute's PT facility can

serve up to four people at a

time. The Warren

Community Hospital cardiac

rehabilitation program has

up to 12 people enrolled at

any one time.

“We have excellent

community support,” said

Knute. “Almost all of the

equipment came from

individual donations or

fundraising efforts in the

community.”

Rehabilitation RundownAccording to the American HeartAssociation, cardiac rehabilitation is amedically supervised program to helppatients with heart dysfunction recoverquickly and improve their overallphysical and mental functioning. Thegoal is to reduce the risk of anothercardiac event or to keep an alreadypresent heart condition from gettingworse.

"Cardiac rehab isn't just walkingon a treadmill three times a week,"explains Renee Mabey, P.T., Ph.D.(M.S. Exercise Science '84, Ph.D.Teaching and Learning '95). "It is all-encompassing and includes maintaininga healthy lifestyle overall."

To help establish and maintain ahealthy lifestyle, patients typically workwith a team of health careprofessionals, led by a physician. Theteam can include a nurse, dietitian,physical therapist, occupationaltherapist, smoking cessation counselorand vocational counselor. Physicaltherapists assist the patients with safeexercise and return to activities.

Mabey was a practicing PT for 14years, 10 of which were in cardiacrehab, before she started teaching atUND where she provides an overviewof PT's involvement in the four phasesof cardiac rehabilitation.

The first phase occurs in thehospital directly after the heart attack.The PT works with patients to increasetheir activity levels safely in preparationfor going home. In the 12 weeksfollowing release from the hospital,patients move to Phase II. Phase IIincludes monitored exercise sessionsseveral times a week, often in anoutpatient setting. Phase III, acommunity-based program, has thepatient working to improve functionand maintain healthy habits with onlyoccasional guidance and help fromtheir rehabilitation team. Finally, atPhase IV, rehabilitation is complete andthe patient is able to self-sustain ahealthy lifestyle.

Once isn't enoughStudents who are pursuing a Doctor ofPhysical Therapy degree at UND areexposed to all phases of cardiacrehabilitation throughout theireducation. In lectures, they are taughtthe anatomy, function and disorders ofthe heart. In laboratories, studentsperform physical assessments, bodycomposition procedures and exercisetesting for heart and lung fitness. Theyalso use case studies to write exerciseprescriptions.

In clinical experiences, studentsgain an in-depth knowledge of Phases Iand II. Jerry Knute, B.S.P.T. '76,practices at Warren CommunityHospital in Warren, MN, and hasserved as a clinical instructor for UNDPT students for 15 years. He works tomake certain students are exposed to allaspects of rehabilitation.

"Before the patients come in,students get to read through the filesand see what procedures they've had,"said Knute. "They get to know thepatients' histories before they evenmeet them."

In addition to working with Knute,the students team up with a registerednurse and a dietician to provide thehospital's comprehensive cardiacrehabilitation program.

"We make sure the students knowto counsel patients on dietary changes,stress reduction, self-monitoring duringexercise and proper cool-downroutines," explains Knute.

During the nine-week rotation,students gain experience with all thetools of the trade as well. They leadpatients through warm-up exercises andtake regular blood pressures throughoutthe workout. They also learn to placetelemetry heart monitors on patientsand monitor the patient's EKG whilethey are exercising.

"UND sends us nothing butexceptional students," said Knute."They are always very knowledgeableand ready to work. I learn just as much from them as they do from me.”

-Amanda Scurry


THE UND MEDICAL SCHOOL'SBORDERS project and its corporatepartner, ProLogic Inc., are expected tobe the first tenants when the Center forLife Sciences and AdvancedTechnologies (COELSAT), a researchand commercialization facility, openingin late 2007 on the west end of theUND campus.

The $12-plus million, secured50,000-square-foot COELSAT facility isthe result of a partnership between theUND Research Foundation, the NorthDakota Department of Commerce andthe Grand Forks EconomicDevelopment Corporation.Groundbreaking took place inDecember.

The goal is to create high-wagejobs in new market sectorsthrough the development ofresearch innovations withUND into high-value productsthat are made in NorthDakota.

BORDERS (BiologicalOrganic RadiologicEducational Response System)was launched in the aftermathof the 9/11 attack with athree-year, $2.4 million grant

from the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services (DHHS) to trainhealth professionals to respond to man-made and natural disasters. It is now acollaborative project involvingcommercialization partner, the UNDResearch Foundation, and ProLogic,Inc.

BORDERS personnel created acomplete emergency preparednesstraining program for health careprofessionals with the DHHS fundingwhich ended in August.

Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)brought Pro-Logic and BORDERStogether and was successful in securing$1.3 million in 2007 federalappropriations funding for theBORDERS project from the U.S.

Department of Defense. "We created a curriculum

that would sustain itselfbeynd the grant period," saidLinda Olson, Ed.D. ‘96,BORDERS director anddirector of special projectsdevelopment in the Office ofMedical Education at theUND medical school, GrandForks.

"We ended up with a

RESEARCH Meets REAL WMoving Knowledge to the Marketplace BORDERS' Partnership Forecasts Job Growth and Expanded State Economy

The $12 million Center of Excellence in Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies will linkUND researchers with private companies to create new technologies and new jobs that strengthenthe region's economy.

Linda Olson


WORLD

Six corporate life-science and advanced technologypartners have signed on to occupy the COELSAT, joiningforces with UND to bring intellectural property from theuniversity to meet "real world" needs, according to JamesPetell, Ph.D., director of technology transfer andcommercialization at UND, including both well-establishedand start-up companies.

COELSAT, developed under the Center of Excellenceprogram, a new economic development initiativesponsored by the North Dakota Legislature, allows UND to

"change the dynamics of current jobs in North Dakota," Petell said.

The new facility provides an environment where high-paying jobs and new student internship opportunities canbe developed as UND faculty continue, or begin, mergingtheir research with the interests of private companies.

Over the next five years, activities at the center areexpected to generate 150 new jobs with an average annualsalary of $65,000, said Peter Alfonso, Ph.D., vice presidentfor research at UND. He expects up to three buildings tobe built in the park within that time frame.

About the Center for Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies (COELSAT) Commercializing Intellectual Property for Job Creation

product that has great potential toimprove patient care in the militarysector and in civilian settings," Olsonsaid.

In partnership with Virginia-basedProLogic, BORDERS is conductingcollaborative research on new productsand developing new contracts aimed atproviding up-to-date information ongiving emergency care to victims of anattack or natural disaster.

"We take the technology and put itin a format the Army can readily digest,"said Paul Maguire, ProLogic's vicepresident for business development.

Using the latest information createdby BORDERS on an electronic, hand-held tablet, Army personnel can treatpatients and store individual medicalrecords that can be accessed bypersonnel wherever the patient may betransferred. A kind of electronic fieldmanual, this technology replacestraditional patient charts on paper,greatly reducing or eliminating lostrecords.

The device, which the Army calls a"joint theater trauma registry (JTTR)," isbeing used in Baghdad by U.S. militarypersonnel to provide improvedtreatment and follow-up care forcasualties. Outside the military, it'sbeen dubbed an "emergency medical

responder tablet," Maguire said.The welcome advantage of

this product is that "we can keeptrack of who has this (diseasecondition) and when we get newinformation, we can contactthem," Olson said, especially if,for example, vaccine protectionis very limited.

"New symptomology of adisease can be immediatelycommunicated," said JamesPetell, Ph.D., UND's director oftechnology transfer andcommercialization andexecutive director of the UNDResearch Foundation.

Maguire likened ProLogicto a "middle man" that "findscustomers for technology they(universities) have on the shelfto meet the unfundedrequirements of the military,"he said.

"For the federalgovernment, the best way tosolve problems is notstarting from scratch but takingtechnology that's 80 percentcomplete and modifying it a little tosuit (their) needs."

- Pamela D. Knudson

The new electronic field manual,containing information created by theBORDERS project at the UND medicalschool, is being tested by the U.S. militaryin Baghdad.


Inside & Out

"UNLESS THEY BECOME SURGEONS,this is the last time they are going to seetheir patients that way," said KennethRuit, Ph.D., associate professor andvice chairman of anatomy and cellbiology at the UND School of Medicineand Health Sciences, about the grossanatomy lab medical students arerequired to take.

Cadaver dissection is essential tomedical students' knowledge of basichuman anatomy, but instructors havefound it difficult to apply thatknowledge to what the students willexperience in their practices. But now,thanks to the medical school's newradiology chair, Edward ("Ted")Fogarty, M.D. (Transitional Residency

Clockwise from top right: Kenneth Ruit, Ph.D., and Patrick Carr, Ph.D., associate professors of anatomy and cell biology,show first- year medical students Lacey Armstrong and Justin LeBlanc, both of Bismarck, a diagnostic image of a patient'sheart.

Diagnostic imaging gives medical studentsanother view in gross anatomy lab


'98), first-year medical students arestarting to see anatomy lessons insideand out.

High-tech photo albumFogarty provides anatomy instructorslike Ruit with a library of electronicdiagnostic images of the abnormalitiesand pathologies the students are seeingin the cadavers. These images can befrom x-rays, Computed Tomography(CT), angiography, mammography,Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) orultrasound. Faculty members displaythe related images on a large screen,located in the gross anatomy lab, andexplain how to see the abnormality orpathology in the image.

"This lets them translate what theylearn with the cadaver to diagnosticimaging right in the gross anatomy lab,"said Ruit. "We are combining thetraditional dissection-based learning ofanatomy with state-of-the-art digitaltechnology for navigating andinterpreting clinical imaging ofpatients."

The faculty members are using afree, downloadable Apple platform-based program called OsiriX tomanipulate and display the images forthe students. The program allowsfaculty and students to createmultidimensional images and combinedifferent types of images. The programalso can separate out only parts of theimage so, as an example, an image canbe changed to reveal only bloodvessels.

The goal of the addition ofradiology to gross anatomy lab is

twofold: It will improve radiologyteaching among first- and second-yearstudents who have often foundinterpreting diagnostic images difficultwhen they entered their clinical yearsand it will connect cadaver dissection(which is not an option whendiagnosing a patient) to the reality ofdiagnostic imaging (which is).

Something old, something new The idea of connecting basic sciencelearning to real life is not a new one atUND. Since 1998, medical studentshave been taught using a curriculumthat places the patient at the center oflearning. From the first day of medicalschool, students are introduced topatients, in "paper cases," each weekand learn the basic sciences necessaryto arrive at the correctdiagnosis for the conditionpresented.

When Fogarty, aradiologist based in Bismarck,came on board as chair of themedical school's radiologydepartment in July, he wasdetermined to expose medicalstudents to radiology from thebeginning of their education.

"When I was in medicalschool, I had some greatanatomy teachers, but I neverfully grasped some of the relevance,"said Fogarty. "When I was learning toread diagnostic images later in medicalschool I remember thinking 'this wouldhave been nice to have in the grossanatomy lab.'"

"I hope this will create a bridge ofknowledge from clinical imaginganatomy to what is initially learned inthe first year," he continued. "This is away for the students to look at thewhole picture."

Although cadaver dissection is oneof the oldest forms of medical education,in the lab at UND it is being combinedwith modern-day technology to ensurethat medical students can fullyunderstand the anatomy of the humanbody and the diseases that affect it.

-Amanda Scurry

“When I was learning to readdiagnostic images later in

medical school I rememberthinking ‘this would havebeen nice to have in the

gross anatomy lab’.”

Edward (‘Ted’) Fogarty, M.D.,UND medical school radiology

chair

OsiriX, a free, downloadable Appleplatform-based program, can be used toperform "virtual" dissections ondiagnostic images. In this image, thesternum and portions the overlyingmuscles and ribs are removed revealingthe heart chambers.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Learn more about OsiriX image processingsoftware by visitingwww.ndmedicine.org


ON A DESK IN DICKINSON, ND,there are two framed acceptance lettersfrom the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences. Joel Blanchard, M.D.,is the proud father of two currentmedical students.

Richelle Blanchard is a third-yearmedical student, studying at themedical school's Southeast Campus inFargo and Miran Blanchard is a first- year medical student.

The siblings grew up aroundmedicine and discovered their passionfor it at an early age. Born in Canada, the Blanchards lived in Saskatchewanuntil moving to Dickinson in 1992.

Joel, who was a family practitioner inCanada, provided emergency roomcare in Dickinson for 14 years. Herecently joined the Medcenter OneWalk-in Clinic North in Bismarck.

"When we lived in Canada, ourdad was always so busy that onweekends we would spend time withhim while he was reading ECGs,"remembers Miran. "We always tried to guess if they were normal or not and toshow him what wasn't normal in them.We were probably five to eight years old."

"You could tell that he really liked what he did," remembers Richelle of her father's career as a physician.

STUDENT PROFILE

Richelle and Miran

BLANCHARD

MD Classes of 2008

and 2010

HOMETOWN:

Dickinson, ND

Doctor Duet


"People would stop us in the storeto say hello to him and send uscookies, all because he was theirdoctor."

"It is not unusual to have siblingsgoing through medical school within afew years of each other," said JudyDeMers, associate dean for studentaffairs.

"There is often times a familyinfluence in medicine and the firstsibling's interest clears a path for the

other sibling to develop their owninterest."

Still, the siblings agree that neithertheir father nor their mother, Marie-Anne, who was a nurse herself,pressured them to go into medicine.

"It was just a natural interest forus," explains Richelle. "We would goto medical explorers classes… anythingwhere we could learn more aboutmedicine."

DeMers said having an oldersibling who has just been through whatyou are going through has its benefits.

"They have someone to go to aboutformat or types of possible exam questions,the ideal order for their clerkships, whatto expect in interviews and whatresidencies to look at," she said.

Miran has reaped the benefits ofhaving a sister just two years ahead ofhim in medical school.

"You know what to expect," hesaid. "If I have a question I can alwaysask her and get a better idea of whatI'm heading into."

The siblings’ similarities continuebeyond medicine. Both graduated fromUND with Bachelor of Science degrees,Richelle in 2004 majoring in biologywith a minor in chemistry and Miran in2006 majoring in chemistry andbiology with minor in anthropology.Both have studied the piano extensively,traveled and studied abroad and havewell-rounded educations overall.

"They are the whole package ofwhat medical schools look for," saidDeMers about both Blanchard siblings."A varied background in the liberal artsis important because most doctors haveto relate closely to patients. Having avariety of experiences, like Miran andRichelle do, supports your under-standing of what is happening in theworld."

But wait… there's more. Onemore, actually. The youngestBlanchard, Stephane, will be a freshmanat UND in the fall and it seems dadcould be adding one more framed UNDmedical school acceptance letter tohis desk someday.

-Amanda Scurry

Richelle and Miran Blanchard, siblings who

used to elbow each other while forced to play

piano duets, are now both medical students at

the UND School of Medicine and Health

Sciences.


SIGNIFICANT STRIDES HAVE BEENmade in the field of oncology, saysWilliam Noyes, M.D. '89, radiationoncologist at the Cancer Center ofNorth Dakota and clinical associateprofessor of internal medicine, GrandForks.

"There’s more of a team approach"that encourages specialists to worktogether, he says. At the Cancer Centerof North Dakota "we designed the floorplan so that the different professionalshave to work together. That's what thefuture will look like - immunotherapy,radiation modalities, chemotherapy,various radioactive modalities, surgery,"all working together for the benefit ofthe patient.

Opened in June 2005, the CancerCenter of North Dakota is the result of

an idea that grew from an observation acouple of physician colleagues sharedwith Noyes, along the lines of "don'tyou think Grand Forks could use acenter dedicated to comprehensivecancer care?"

The idea germinated, grew and,after much study on Noyes' part,became a reality that now enhancescancer patients' options in the region.

"We wanted to create a cancercenter that would differentiate itself," hesays, "where people could go and bethe center of their care - not a number.Where they would receive the samequality of care that's as good asanywhere else, in- or out-of-state.

"We researched our options andthen invested in the latest generation oftechnology, including bringing the first

ALUMNI PROFILE

CCoommiinngg HHoommee ttooFFiigghhtt CCaanncceerrCCoommiinngg HHoommee ttooFFiigghhtt CCaanncceerr

William Noyes, M.D. ‘89,returns to his home state

to open the Cancer Centerof North Dakota,

adding another option forpatients in the region.


A compelling interest in the diseaseprocess, how cancer works, led WilliamNoyes, M.D. '89, to a career inradiation oncology and to establish theCancer Center of North Dakota inGrand Forks.

On-Board Imager to North and SouthDakota, to provide world-class cancertreatments here in Grand Forks, allowingpeople to stay close to family andfriends."

The Cancer Center of NorthDakota, a full-service, outpatient clinicwhich recorded more than 300 patientvisits in the past year, is designed toaccommodate up to four or fivedoctors, Noyes says. He and hispartner, medical oncologist, RichardCambareri, M.D., have privileges at thelocal Altru Hospital.

Why oncology? So what led this bright, personable andremarkably gifted North Dakota nativeto a career in medicine and eventuallyin radiology oncology?

"I thought about becoming a doctoroff and on from high school forward,"says Noyes who grew up in Cando, ND.

In medical school at UND he says"it was difficult" to narrow his careerchoice; he was drawn to internalmedicine and surgery. He creditsoncologist Judith Kaur, M.D. (B.S. Med.'77), then practicing and teaching inBismarck, and Irwin Epstein, M.D., aninternal medicine faculty member inMinot who has since passed away, asinfluential role models.

An "unbelievable experience" ishow he describes medical school. Theadvantage that students have in a ruralsetting is the one-on-one relationshipthey can build with faculty members, hesays. "I was allowed to see, do, manageand treat things that others haven't."

Intriguing disease process After graduating medical school, hetook training in internal medicine atGundersen Medical Foundation in LaCrosse, WI, and in general radiologyoncology at the University of Wisconsin,followed by two fellowships. As afellow, he wrote grants and receivedfunding to study the role of the drug,tamoxifen, relative to the effects ofradiation and another to study anti-androgen therapy for prostate cancer.

Noyes was excited to see how thefield was changing with the use of

computers. Ultimately, he choseoncology because "the pathophysiology,the disease process of cancer - how itworks, was very intriguing..."

Brighter prospects for patients "So much more is known about cancernow, a lot of things are changing."

Today, in his practice, "it's the rarepatient who we can't offer anythingfor," he says, "however, it’s difficultwhen you see a younger patient" who'sbattling cancer.

"It would be great if we could hithome-runs all the time," he notes. Forexample, the survival rate for bladdercancer, all stages, is 45 to 55 percent.

"What we need to do is figure outwhat we're doing well and do it betterso that number goes up to 85 to 95percent."

"Even when patients are facingend-of-life, we can improve theiroutlook and improve quality of life forthem and for their families," he says.At such a time, "little things mean somuch."

The hope lies in research, he says,adding that "we're getting ramped up todo clinical research. There are severaltumor groups that we're involved with."

Making a differenceAs he considers the medical landscapeof his home state, he recognizes theneed for primary care doctors,especially in rural regions, as well as alltypes of physicians.

"There is a large need for primarycare physicians," he says, but "whenpatients need a specialist, it becomesmore obvious that there's a need acrossthe board."

And further, he believes "peoplewho were raised here are the bestpeople to come back, stay and try tomake a difference," he says. He andhis wife, Kari (B.S.N. '87), anddaughters, Hannah, 11, and Rebekah,8, reside in Grand Forks.

"There's always something specialabout coming back to yourhomeland."

-Pamela D. Knudson


NEWS BRIEFS

Prospective Med Students Seek Admission toUND at Rate of 5:1Five applications for each available seat have been receivedfor the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) Class of 2011, accordingto Associate Dean Judy DeMers, student affairs andadmissions, at the UND School of Medicine and HealthSciences.

A total of 276 applications have been received for the55 state-supported seats in the first-year class which beginsstudy in August 2007, DeMers said.

"We are very pleased with the quality of the applicantpool this year," DeMers said. "Not only are they well-qualified academically, but they also appear verycommitted to helping people with their knowledge andskill."

The medical school's admissions committee recentlycompleted about 140 interviews to select students for theregular seats in next year's incoming class. In February, thecommittee will conduct interviews for seven federally-funded seats to select qualified students to be admittedthrough its Indians Into Medicine (INMED) Program.

Outstanding Occupational Therapy Awards

Jan Stube, Ph.D., O.T.R./L., associate professor ofoccupational therapy, was recognized with theOccupational Therapist of The Year Award for 2006 by theNorth Dakota Occupational Therapy Association. SoniaZimmerman, M.A., O.T.R./L., F.A.O.T.A., assistant professorof occupational therapy, was recognized nationally with thePi Theta Epsilon Scholar of the Year Award for 2006.Monica Lemoine, a senior OT student, was recognized bythe North Dakota Occupational Therapy Association withthe Occupational Therapy Student of the Year Award.

UND Neuroscience Research Takes Center Stagein India

"This helps put UND on theinternational screen," says JonathanGeiger, Ph.D. (Pharmacology andPhysiology M.S. ‘75, Ph.D. ‘82),professor and chair of pharmacology,physiology and therapeutics, about thesymposium he organized for theInternational Update on Basic andClinical Neuroscience Advances and24th Annual Conference of Indian

Academy of Neurosciences in December at Lucknow, India.He organized the symposium on neuropathogenesis of

HIV-1 dementia which showcased his research and that ofother authorities from the U.S. and India. At the event,supported by grants from the International Society ofNeurochemistry and the UND medical school, speakerspresented their latest findings to an audience of clinical andacademic neuroscientists.

The event is part of UND's efforts to increase ties withIndia. Peter Alfonso, Ph.D., UND vice president forresearch, spoke at the assembly about UND's researchgenerally and neuroscience research in particular. SurendraParmar, Ph.D., Chester Fritz Distinguished ProfessorEmeritus of Physiology, also has been involved in advancingUND's association with academic leaders in India.

INBRE to Host States Regional Meeting in MayThe North Dakota IdeA Network of Biomedical ResearchExcellence (INBRE) will host the annual IdeA (InstitutionalDevelopment Award) States Regional Meeting May 21-22,2007, at the Radisson Inn in downtown Fargo.

Participating states include North Dakota, SouthDakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. INBRE andCenter of Biomedical Research Excellence investigators andstaff are encouraged to participate. Meeting participants willinclude staff from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)National Center for Research Resources which funds andadministers the IdeA program.

The IdeA program broadens the geographic distributionof NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research.IdeA increased the competitiveness of investigators throughsupport for faculty development and enhancement of theresearch infrastructure at institutions located in the currentlyeligible 23 states and Puerto Rico.

Stube Zimmerman Lemoine


NEWS BRIEFS

North Dakota INBRE is a statewide networkadministered by the UND School of Medicine and HealthSciences in collaboration with North Dakota StateUniversity. Major projects are led by researchers atDickinson State University, Mayville State University, MinotState University, Turtle Mountain Community College andValley City State University.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: To learn more or register online, visit www.ndmedicine.org

Sens Appointed to National Association ofMedical Examiners' Board of Directors

Mary Ann Sens, M.D., Ph.D., chairand professor of pathology at theUND School of Medicine and HealthSciences, has been appointed to theboard of directors of the NationalAssociation of Medical Examiners(NAME). NAME is a professionalorganization of physician medicalexaminers, medical death investigatorsand death investigation system

administrators who perform the official duties of themedical and legal investigation of deaths of public interestin the United States.

Her appointment is significant because rural areas havenot had representation on this board. She also is a memberof the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP),currently serving on the group's nine-member FellowsCouncil. She serves on ASCP's President's Emergency Planfor AIDS Relief committee which oversees the BushAdministration initiative to establish quality laboratories inAfrica. Sens also serves as medical coroner for Grand ForksCounty in North Dakota and Marshall and Red Lakecounties in Minnesota.

Neuroscience Addition Completed The recently completed, $1 million addition to the Neuroscience Research Facility provides 2200 square feet of laboratory space for investigators studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, HIV-associated dementia, multiple sclerosis and nerve regeneration. The Neuroscience Research Facility, located west of the UND medical school at Hamline and Fifth Avenue North, is a 17,000square-foot structure constructed with total funding of $4 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Nominations Sought for Charles E. KupchellaPreventive Medicine and Wellness AwardNominations are being sought by UND for the Charles E.Kupchella Preventive Medicine and Wellness Award.

The award recognizes the achievements of individualsand organizations who have worked to improve health andwellness through lowered rates of disease and disability bydeveloping and delivering effective health promotion andprevention initiatives.

Named for the current president of UND, the KupchellaWellness Award will be presented in May during the UNDmedical school's M.D. Class of '07 commencement awardsbrunch.

UND is seeking nominations of individuals andorganizations in North Dakota and surrounding states who havecontributed significantly to disease prevention and healthfulliving.

The award recipient will receive a $1,000 cash award anda commemorative plaque. A picture of the recipient will bedisplayed on a plaque in UND's Student Wellness Center.

The award has been made possible by a gift to theUND Foundation from Dr. Manuchair Ebadi, senior advisorto the president and associate vice president for healthaffairs and medical research at UND and associate dean forresearch and program development at the UND School ofMedicine and Health Sciences.

The nomination letter and supporting materials are dueby 5 p.m. on March 1, 2007, in the Office of Public Affairs,UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 501 N.Columbia Road Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: For award criteria, visitwww.ndmedicine.org


NEWS BRIEFS

New Program Brings Research into RuralPractice

The UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences isbringing rural physicians, nurse practitioners and physicianassistants together to look at the best way to maintain highquality of care in their practices. The new program is fundedby a Physicians' Foundation for Health Systems Excellencegrant of $370,000 a year for up to three years. Selected fromover 200 applicants, the UND program is one of only 15grantees to receive funding.

The Department of Family and Community Medicine atthe UND medical school will use the grant to establish apractice-based research network of rural health careprofessionals in the Upper Midwest. There are more than100 such networks nationwide, but the UND network willbe one of the few focused on rural practices.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: To participate in the researchnetwork or learn more about the project, visitwww.ndmedicine.org

Summit Addresses State's Health WorkforceShortages

Nearly 200 people with an interest in the state of NorthDakota's health care workforce met in Bismarck inDecember to discuss expanding, recruiting and retaining theworkforce.

The North Dakota Health Workforce Summit broughttogether state policy makers and government agencies;primary, secondary and college-level educators and careercounselors; health care administrators, state health careorganizations and licensing boards and public healthrepresentatives.

Participants shared efforts underway in North Dakotaand other states to expand, recruit and retain the healthworkforce, consider current and projected health workforceinformation in North Dakota and the nation, and worktogether to develop strategies to address North Dakota'shealth workforce needs.

Today, 81 percent of North Dakota's 53 counties arefederally designated health professional shortage areas andapproximately a quarter of the state's physicians and nursescould retire within the next ten years, according to a studyby the Center for Rural Health.

The summit was sponsored by the Dakota MedicalFoundation and Center for Rural Health Programs includingthe Dakota Geriatric Education Center, North DakotaMedicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, State Office ofRural Health, Robert Wood Johnson Policy Forums. Thesummit was supported by the North Dakota Department ofCareer and Technical Education, Community HealthCareAssociation of the Dakotas, North Dakota MedicalAssociation and the North Dakota Healthcare Association.

Wakefield Receives U-Mary Excellence in HealthCare Award

Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N.,associate dean and director of theCenter for Rural Health at the UNDSchool of Medicine and HealthSciences, received the SchaferExcellence in Health Care Award fromthe University of Mary.

The Schafer Excellence inHealthcare Award recognizes thosewho contribute or have contributed to

even greater possibilities in the field of health care for thecitizens of North Dakota.

UND to Host Rural Surgery SymposiumThe Department of Surgery at the UND School of

Medicine and Health Sciences will host the Third AnnualRural Surgery Symposium, a national meeting for surgeonswho practice in rural areas in Grand Forks this fall.

The event is dedicated to addressing and resolvingproblems encountered by rural surgeons in the United States,as well as providing an educational forum for these surgeons,according to Robert Sticca, M.D., UND surgery departmentchairman and residency program director.

David Antonenko, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery anddirector of surgical education, is coordinating the educationalcomponent of the meeting, set for September 2007 at theAlerus Center and Canad Inn. It is expected to draw up to200 rural surgeons from throughout the United States,especially those who practice in the Midwest and West.

The UND Department of Surgery's residency programalso has earned an exemplary reputation for its training ofsurgeons for rural areas, Sticca said, noting that more than 45percent of its graduates practice in rural communities inNorth Dakota and around the country.

The ND Opportunities feature offers information forphysicians and other health care professionals interestedin practice opportunities in North Dakota. Forinformation about these listings or loan repaymentprograms, please contact Mary Amundson, M.A., at 701-777-4018 or [email protected]

WEB EXCLUSIVE: For the complete list of NorthDakota practice opportunities, visit:www.ndmedicine.org

ND OPPORTUNITIES


ALUMNI NOTES

Christina Knott, M.O.T. '05, licensed certified occupationaltherapist, has joined Altru's Outreach Therapy departmentin Crookston and Red Lake Falls, MN. Before joining Altru,she provided occupational therapy services at NorthwesternMedical Center, East Grand Forks, MN.

Andrea Howick, M.D. '04, was recently voted Resident ofthe Year at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School ofMedicine in Maywood, IL. She is in the obstetrics andgynecology residency program at the Loyola UniversityMedical Center.

Jeffrey Geddes, M.D. '03, joined Altru Health System'semergency medicine team in Grand Forks. He received hismedical degree from the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences and completed an emergency medicineresidency with the Regions Hospital/Healthpartners MedicalGroup in St. Paul, MN. He is a member of the AmericanCollege of Emergency Physicians, the American MedicalAssociation and the Society of Academic EmergencyMedicine.

Augusto Alonto, M.D. (Internal Medicine Residency ‘02),infectious disease specialist, joined MeritCare BroadwayHealth Center in Fargo. He earned a medical degree fromthe University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, andcompleted a fellowship in infectious diseases at theUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, and aresidency in internal medicine at the UND School ofMedicine and Health Sciences. He was previouslyemployed as assistant professor of medicine and director ofinfection control at the University of Illinois Hospital andJesse Brown V.A. Medical Center, Chicago.

Keith Swanson, M.D. '01, a hospitalist with Altru HealthSystem, has been named associate medical director ofAltru's managed care department. His duties includequality improvement, guideline development and utilizationand referral management. He is also chair of Altru'sguideline utilization committee. He received his medicaldegree from the UND School of Medicine and HealthSciences and completed his internal medicine residency atMayo College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL.

’00s

Grants Encourage Use of Technology to ImproveRural Health Care Delivery

Six grants have been awarded to North Dakota facilitiesthat have shown the initiative to utilize information andcommunication technology to improve health care deliveryin rural communities.

Nearly $350,000 was awarded through the Blue CrossBlue Shield of North Dakota's (BCBSND) Rural HealthGrant Program, administered by the Center for Rural Healthat the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: For a list of the grantees and their projects, visit: www.ndmedicine.org

Hostetter Appointed Program Director atFamily Medicine-Bismarck

Jeff Hostetter, M.D. (Family Medicine Residency ‘03),assistant professor of family and community medicine, hasbeen named director of the UND Center for FamilyMedicine-Bismarck, effective Dec. 1, 2006. He replacesGuy Tangedahl, M.D. ‘82, who served as director for thepast 12 years and will continue on a part-time basis as anassistant professor with the Center.

Hostetter has been on the Center’s faculty since he

completed the program in 2003, serving part-time until2005 when he accepted a full-time appointment. In additionto teaching and caring for patients, he provides coverage ofemergency room and hospital services on weekends inGarrison, N.D. He has served as assistant professor andcommunity faculty preceptor during his tenure at the UNDCenter for Family Medicine.

His research includes work on resident education andhepatitis C treatment for state penitentiary inmates, the latterhe presented at national conferences sponsored by theCenters for Disease Control and the American CorrectionsAssociation. He is serving as sub-investigator for a study ofan investigational medication for obese patients.

A graduate of Montana State University, he earned theDoctor of Medicine degree from the University ofWashington School of Medicine, Seattle, and has receivedspecial training in Indian Health Pathway and wound care.He is a former teacher with extensive background ineducation.

Upon completion of residency training in 2003,Hostetter received the William Buckingham Award for anOutstanding Family Medicine Resident. He practiced atStanding Rock Indian Health Services Hospital in Fort Yates.

NEWS BRIEFS


Ender Raghib, M.D. '00, opened Pediatric Arts Clinic inFargo. His practice covers a wide spectrum of pediatric care,from newborn care to well-child checks, immunizations,acute illness and injury. He earned his medical degree fromthe UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences andcompleted residency at Creighton - University of NebraskaJoint Pediatric Residency Program in Omaha.

Mamad Bagheri, M.D. '98, board certified dermatologist, hasopened the North Dakota Center for Dermatology, MohsSurgery, and Aesthetics, located in the Aurora Medical Parkbuilding in Grand Forks. He practices general and cosmeticdermatology, and Mohs skin cancer surgery, the mostadvanced surgical technique for treatment of skin cancer.

He earned his medical degree from the UND School ofMedicine and Health Sciences. He completed his internshipand residency at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and NewYork Medical College, Valhalla, NY. His advanced fellowshipin Mohs surgery was done at the University of Wisconsin,Madison, and he is the only fellowship-trained Mohsmicrographic surgeon in North Dakota. In addition to generaland surgical dermatology, he has special expertise incosmetic dermatology, including facial rejuvenation,chemical peel, Botox, collagen and other fillers, fat transfers,sclerotherapy of leg veins, scar revision, lasers and acnetreatment.

Chris Meeker, M.D. '97, joined Medcenter One in Bismarck.He is an emergency and trauma physician responsible forstabilizing patients with all injuries, illnesses or traumas whoenter the emergency room. He earned his medical degreefrom the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences andcompleted his residency at the University of Arkansas inLittle Rock.

Paul Carson, M.D. '86, was appointed the president of theNorth Central Chapter of the Infectious Disease Society ofAmerica for 2006 and 2007. This chapter represents Northand South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and western Wisconsin.He is an infectious disease specialist at MeritCare BroadwayHealth Center in Fargo, ND, and an associate professor ofinternal medicine with the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences.

Tammy Smith, B.S.P.T. '86, has joined IntegratedRehabilitation Group at Murphy's Corner Physical Therapy inEverett, WA, as a clinical staff physical therapist and managerof the aquatics therapy program. She has more than 20 years’experience with specialization in industrial medicine andwork rehabilitation, geriatrics and orthopedics and aquaticsrehabilitation.

Larry Johnson, M.D. '83, a family practice physician atMedcenter One Jamestown Clinic, was recently appointed tothe North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners by GovernorJohn Hoeven. The North Dakota State Board of MedicalExaminers is the state agency responsible for the licensureand discipline of all physicians and all physician assistantswho practice in North Dakota. Johnson will serve a four-yearterm.

Clayton D. Fetsch, M.D. '01, began his practice at St. LukeHospital in McPherson, Kansas. He is trained in generalsurgery but has a special interest in laparoscopic procedures.Fetsch completed his surgical residency and internship at theUniversity of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita.

Mark Wiest, M.D. '77, M.S., C.P.E., medical managementexecutive, is medical lead for CIGNA's health benefits plansthroughout the region, including health advocacy programssuch as the award-winning CIGNA Well Aware for BetterHealth(SM) disease management programs and medicalmanagement.

Wiest rejoins CIGNA from Prevue Health Services inGreen Bay, WI, where he served as senior vice president andchief medical officer since 2003. Previously he was medicaldirector for CIGNA HealthCare of Arizona, where he ledbest-in-class clinical programs for the region. Prior to CIGNA,Wiest served in clinical leadership roles for a number ofphysician practices based in St. Paul, MN.

Wiest holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from UND,where he also earned a bachelor's degree in medicine. Hehas also earned a master's degree in administrative andpreventive medicine from University of Wisconsin-Madisonand a bachelor's degree in psychology from UND.

ALUMNI NOTES

’90s

’80s

’00s

CORRECTIONS


WEB EXCLUSIVE:For more advice, visit:www.ndmedicine.org

IN MEMORIAM

Vernon M. Griffin, M.D. (B.S. Med. '36), Mauston, WI, diedDec. 19, 2006. Originally from Devils Lake, ND, hegraduated from the UND medical school in 1936 andcompleted his medical degree from the University of OregonMedical School in Portland, OR, in 1938. He continued witha one-year internship at Anker Hospital in St. Paul, MN, anda two-year surgery preceptorship in Grand Forks.

A lieutenant colonel during World War II, he wasstationed at various Army medical units across the country.He retired in 1982 after nearly 40 years of active practice.He was a member of Burton-Koppang American Legion Post#81, past member of the Mauston Lions, and life member ofthe Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the AmericanMedical Association, the Juneau County Medical Society andthe Wisconsin Medical Society where he was elected vicechairman of the House of Delegates. He was an activemember of the board of directors of Hess Memorial Hospitaland served as president for 18 years.

Alvin L. Fields, M.D. (B.S. Med. '47) died Oct. 26, 2006 inSeattle, WA. He graduated from Whitman College, UND andTufts Medical College. He married Lee Bushkin in 1950 andserved in the Korean War as a lieutenant in the Navy. In1952, Fields practiced family medicine in north Seattle andin 1962 built the Terrace Park Medical Clinic, retiring in1988. He was a diplomat of the American Board of FamilyPractice, a clinical assistant professor at the UW for 17 years,and on the medical staff for Northwest Hospital from 1960 to1988. He was the president of the King County Academy ofFamily Physicians from 1960 to 1961.

Joseph H. Schoonmaker, M.D. (B.S. Med '49), Seattle, WA,died Jan. 3, 2006. Born in Lanovla, India, he earned degreesfrom Wheaton College, Central Bible College, the UNDSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Universityof Colorado Medical School. He married Marilyn Shively inMay 1943. They served three terms (1954-71) as BGCmedical missionaries at Baptist Christian Hospital in Tezpur,India.

Charles R. Myers, M.D. (B.S. Med. '56) of El Paso, TX, diedOct. 8, 2006. He graduated from the UND School ofMedicine and Health Sciences and completed his medicaldegree at the University of Nebraska, followed by aresidency in anesthesia at Brooks Army Medical Center inSan Antonio, TX. He served in World War II as chief ofanesthesia at William Beaumont Army Medical Center from1964 to 1967 and then went into private practice withAnesthesia Consultants until his retirement in 2001. He hadthe honor of being assigned as the medical doctor on therecovery ship for the first Gemini Space Mission.

Susan J. (Sheldon) McLean (B.S.P.T. '71) of Oakes, ND, diedSept. 2, 2006. She attended UND, graduated from thephysical therapy program in 1971 and married Steph McLeanlater that year. She worked as a physical therapy with theUND Rehabilitation Center before moving to Oakes in 1973where she established the first Physical Therapy Departmentat the Oakes Community Hospital. She worked there until2004.

Mickey Knutson, P.A. (B.S.N. '58, F.N.P. '78), founder andformer director of the PhysicianAssistant (PA) and Nurse Practitionerprograms, died Jan. 2, 2007 atOrlando, FL. She was 70.

In the early 1970s, she wasinstrumental in the development of thephysician assistant and nursepractitioner programs at the UNDmedical school. She served as directorof the Family Nurse Practitioner

Program from 1972 to 1977 and as co-director of the PAProgram from 1982 to 1998.

A native of Grafton, ND, Knutson earned a bachelor ofscience degree in nursing at UND and a master's degree innursing at the University of Washington in 1961. Shecompleted the Family Nurse Practitioner Program in 1978 atUND.

In 1963, she joined the UND College of Nursing facultywhere she served for three years before being named directorof St. Francis School of Nursing in Minot. In 1972, she wasnamed director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program atthe UND medical school where she wrote numerous grantswhich brought more than $2 million to UND.

During her career, she held many leadership positionswith the National Organization of Nurse PractitionerFaculties (including president in 1982), Association ofPhysician Assistant Programs, North Dakota Academy ofHealth Practitioners, among others, and wrote extensively onthe education of family nurse practitioners and related topics.She received the UND President's Award for OutstandingService in 1990.

She is survived by her husband, Larry Knutson, Orlando;son and daughter-in-law, Dr. James and Theresa Knutson andgrandson, Cole Knutson, all of Sioux City, Iowa.

Memorials may be sent to: The Mickey KnutsonScholarship Endowment, UND Foundation, PO Box 8157,Grand Forks, ND 58202.

PLANNING AHEAD


Faith (left) and Hope Stramer are the three-year-old twin daughters of Dani and Wyatt Stramer, Grand Forks. Dani works in the Office

of Research and Program Development at the medical school.

Here’s how you can help:

Endowed student scholarship fund Gifts of $5,000 and above will support theDean’s Scholarship Fund. $50,000 andabove will name a scholarship.

Endowed chairs and professorships$1.5 million will name a chair. $300,000 will name a professorship .

Human Patient Simulator Laboratory Start-up costs of approximately $2 million

and $300,000 each year in operationalcosts.

Naming OpportunitiesLaboratories, classrooms, various buildings and the

school itself are available for naming rights. Contactthe Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations for

more information.

Contact me for more information!Blanche E. AbdallahDirector of Advancement & Alumni RelationsUND School of Medicine & Health Sciences501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037Phone: 701.777.2004 Cell: 218.791.3916

PARTING SHOTS

Mohamad Hamad, Ph.D. '06,(left) of Saida, Lebanon, pictured with hisadvisor, Matthew Nilles, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology andimmunology, received his doctoral degree in microbiology at the UND wintercommencement in December. He has accepted a postdoctoral position withthe University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora, CO.


Kathryn Conrad, M.O.T. '06, of Vadnais Heights,MN, received her Master of Occupational Therapydegree at the UND winter commencement inDecember. She is working at the Sister KennyRehabilitation Institute at United Hospital in St.Paul, MN.

Norwegian medical exchange students, Anna Sorte Grindvik and ToveBirkeli (second and third from left), recently completed five months studying inNorth Dakota through a program of the UND medical school. Their rotationscovered a wide range of specialties including orthopedic surgery, dermatology,radiology, emergency medicine, infectious disease, among others, as well asexperience on a Native American reservation. Linda Olson, Ed.D. '96,director of program development (left), Office of Medical Education, and BenClayburgh, M.D. (B.S. Med. '47), retired clinical professor of surgery (right),coordinate the program.

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health SciencesThe Nation’s Leader in Rural Health - Serving North Dakota Since 1905501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037 ● Grand Forks ND ● 58202-9037 701-777-2516 www.med.und.edu

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Periodical POSTAGE PAID

Eric Swensen, M.D. '02(Psychiatry Residency '06), isfeatured in the AspiringDocsnationwide advertisingcampaign by the Associationof American Medical Collegesto encourage minoritystudents to pursue careers inmedicine. The psychiatrist,who practices in Belcourt, ishighlighted along withCandelaria Martin, M.D. '04,a third-year resident at theUND Center for FamilyMedicine-Minot. Bothattended UND medicalschool through its IndiansInto Medicine (INMED)Program.

statewide benefit - med.und.edu

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