This Week@WesternU, July 16-20, 2018
WesternU is a ‘Great College to Work for’ seven years running
Western University of Health Sciences has been named a “Great College to Work For” for the seventh consecutive year by The Chronicle of Higher Education, a top trade publication for colleges and universities.
WesternU, which has campuses in Pomona, California and Lebanon, Oregon, was recognized in the category “Compensation and Benefits.” The results, released today, July 16, 2018, in The Chronicle’s eleventh annual report on The Academic Workplace, are based on a survey of 253 colleges and universities.
“To be recognized year after year as a ‘Great College to Work For’ highlights the WesternU mission: educating health professionals to become highly skilled, humanistic healers,” said WesternU President Daniel R. Wilson, MD, PhD. “This foundational commitment to humanism and compassion encompasses all who learn and work at our University.”
Click here to read the full story.
WesternU featured in Wall Street Journal article on virtual reality in medicine
WesternU is featured in the Wall Street Journal article, “How holograms are helping medical training,” about universities nationwide that utilize immersive technologies such as 360-degree video, interactive digital walls, virtual-reality and mixed-reality headsets and holographic-projection screens.
The story quotes WesternU College of Dental Medicine Associate Dean of Dental Medicine Emeritus Robert Hasel, DDS, who retired earlier this year. Hasel was instrumental in developing WesternU’s J and K Virtual Reality Learning Center, which includes an Anatomage Virtual Dissection Table, zSpace 3-D projection monitors, and Oculus Rift virtual reality immersion technology.
From the article: “It’s too soon to say whether mixed-reality or virtual-reality education will improve medical care. But, for Dr. Hasel, ‘this direction of technology is creating a revolution in the way we teach medical science.’”
Click here to read the WSJ article (WSJ subscription required): https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-holograms-are-helping-medical-training-1530795601?mod=e2fb
From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:
Kudos on accomplishments
Dr. Chaya Prasad and a team of rising second-year COMP students participated in the Huntington Park Free-Clinic on July 8, 2018. More than 500 patients were seen, and our WesternU medical students were responsible for a number of roles in facilitating their care. Some of their duties included obtaining present and past medical history, taking vital signs, triaging patients to receive appropriate services, educating patients about proper nutrition and exercise, and more. Students had the opportunity to work alongside physicians, nurses, medical assistants, registered dietitians, and other health care professionals. Interprofessional collaboration was a crucial component for the many patients to receive high quality care. Despite record temperatures of over 105 degrees our WesternU students successfully displayed their ability to work as a team and their commitment to serve others. Click here view photos on Facebook.
Medical Anatomy Center news
Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, Professor and Executive Director of the Medical Anatomy Center, has accepted an invitation as keynote speaker at this year’s Asia Pacific International Congress of Anatomists. This is a prestigious conference with a revolving host (Busan, Korea this year) which meets every two years and includes China, Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Dr. Benninger will present on future opportunities and directions in health care anatomical education regarding a shift in how we teach current anatomy and the latest novel imaging technique he designed revealing anatomy of the human body not seen on imaging before.
From the College of Graduate Nursing:
Message from CGN Dean Mary Lopez
I am very pleased to announce that Assistant Professor Khoa (Joey) Dang, MSN, RN, FNP-C, has assumed new leadership responsibilities within the College of Graduate Nursing as the Director of the Family Nurse Practitioner Program. In his new position, Dang will provide leadership and supervision for the Family Nurse Practitioner faculty and staff and work closely with the leaders throughout the college and across campus. Click here to read the full message.
From the College of Veterinary Medicine:
Kudos on accomplishments
A CVM research team headed by Drs. Pedro Diniz and Brian Oakley recently published an article titled, “Assessing Cat Flea Microbiomes in Northern and Southern California by 16S rRNA Next Generation Sequencing,” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29893631 in the journal Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. The paper was first-authored by Dr. Elton Vasconcelos (CVM post-doc/PBL facilitator) and included Dr. Lindsey Jett (DVM 2016) and Dr. Peggy Barr (CVM faculty) as collaborators. In this publication, the CVM researchers assessed the microbial populations of cat fleas from different geographical locations in California using high-throughput direct sequencing methods. Bacterial taxa identified in this study may help to improve epidemiological investigations, pathogen surveillance efforts, and clinical diagnostics of Flea-Borne Diseases (FBDs) in California and elsewhere. The paper is an example of ongoing work in the research group generally focused on applying microbiome methods to vector-borne diseases.
From Learning Enhancement and Academic Development (LEAD):
SPaRC 2018
On Friday, July 12, 2018, 20 incoming WesternU students from four participating programs (DO, OD, DMD, MSPA) celebrated the end of the five-week Summer Preparedness and Readiness Course (SPaRC). Enrolling in SPaRC can be an opportunity for incoming students to develop an important early foundation, especially for those who do not have a strong science or human anatomy background or students who have been out of school for a few years. In an interprofessional setting, SPaRC students complete a comprehensive skeletal system review, are exposed to anatomy lectures and the cadaver lab, experience an overview of pharmacology, as well as develop academic and emotional coping skills. Student also participate in a service learning with the House of Ruth.
For more information on SPaRC, please click: http://www.westernu.edu/lead/lead-summer-prep/
To see photos of SPaRC students in action, check the LEAD Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/WesternULEAD/
To see photos of SPaRC’s collaboration with House of Ruth, please check their Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HouseofRuthClaremont
