This Week@WesternU, March 4-8, 2013

Interprofessional Health Fair

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, 2013 on the Esplanade in front of the Health Education Center, 701 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. Free health screenings, free health education and awareness. Fun health activities for children. Free parking in Lots 26 and 27. Organized by WesternU’s Student Government Association and the American Pharmacists Association. Click here to view a flier in English and Spanish. Click here for more information.

Virtual Pre-Health Advisor Conference

Western University of Health Sciences held its first virtual Pre-Health Advisor Conference (PHAC) on Feb. 21, 2013. The Office of University Recruitment/Strategic Enrollment Management held the virtual conference to showcase WesternU’s academic programs for pre-health advisors from across the country, including Oregon, Washington, Utah, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Iowa, Alabama and Arizona. Pre-health advisors provide guidance and resources to undergraduate students interested in health professions careers. Click here to read the full story.

From the College of Optometry:

WesternU provides Vision Rehabilitation Service

Pomona resident Raul Orona, 8, went through an extensive eye examination Feb. 25, 2013 as part of the Vision Rehabilitation Service at the Western University of Health Sciences Eye Care Center.

He has an iris coloboma in his left eye and choroidal colobomas inside both eyes, structures inside the eyes that didn’t develop fully. He had surgery and has worn glasses since age 2, said his mother, Martha Orona.

“I heard good things about this clinic,” she said. “I’m pretty happy that he’s here. I’m hoping it will improve his vision.”

Click here to read the full story and to view a slideshow.

From the College of Pharmacy:

Ray Symposium to address obesity

The nation’s worsening obesity epidemic will be the topic of Western University of Health Sciences’ annual Ray Symposium, to be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 2013 in the Health Education Center, Lecture Hall 1, 701 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. 91766.

Keynote speaker Dr. Patricia Crawford, RD, director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, and a Cooperative Extension Nutrition Specialist, will present “Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention.” Click here to read the full story.

Kudos on accomplishments

The WesternU chapter of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP), under the very able leadership of faculty advisors Drs. Mark Nguyen and Patrick Chan, and student leaders Eva Levbarg (President) and Ranjit Sidhu (President-Elect), received the Student Chapter of Distinction Award for 2012. This marks the second straight year that our students earned this prestigious award. The award is based on several criteria, including financial, business processes, membership, member satisfaction and application of the chapter towards promoting the mission of the organization.

http://www.cshp.org/award/student-chapter-distinction-award

James Scott, PharmD, MEd, FCCP, was inducted on Feb. 27, 2013 as the President of the San Fernando Valley Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists. Dr. Scott serves as Associate Dean for Experiential and Professional Affairs for the College of Pharmacy.

From the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific:

Dr. Brion Benninger, MD, MSc, COMP-Northwest Professor/Vice Chair, Medical Anatomical Sciences, conducted an oral and facial nerve blocks CME/pain workshop with Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, Acute Care and Sports Medicine physicians. The session consisted of didactic lectures and lab instruction. For many of the attendees, this was their first visit to COMP-Northwest. The feedback for both the course and the University was outstanding. Dr. Benninger received comments from several attendees who would like to return to COMP-Northwest to participate in teaching anatomy and collaborating on research projects.

From the College of Veterinary Medicine:

Kudos on accomplishments

Veterinary Associate Professor and pathologist Dr. Tracey McNamara was recently appointed by the One Health Commission Board of Directors to serve on the Commission’s Council of Advisors. This appointment for a three-year term recognizes Dr. McNamara’s ongoing commitment of leadership and support in the One Health concept.

The mission of this non-profit organization is the establishment of closer professional interactions, collaborations, and educational and research opportunities across the health sciences professions, together with their related disciplines, to improve the health of people, animals, plants and our environment.

Leadership and expertise from the Council of Advisors is particularly needed to help identify, develop, and implement demonstration projects that would tackle high priority health challenges using the One Health approach. In addition, expertise and input is needed as the Commission strives to develop a leading center for One Health communications and resources.

Veterinary Professor and anatomist Dr. Wael Khamas published an article titled, “A Survey of Camel production in three different ecological zones of Pakistan.” His collaborators were two Pakistani scientists who with Dr. Khamas have studied dromedary camel herders and assessed their economic success. Camel herds are the major source of income of the camel herders at all zones were sale of milk and meat, sale of animals and crop cultivation. The socio-economic value of the animals as well as management techniques, health management and reproductive records are analyzed.

The complete citation for this paper is: Pasha, R.H., A.S. Qureshi and W.A. Khamas, 2013. A Survey of Camel production in three different ecological zones of Pakistan. Int. J. Agric. Biol., 15: 62‒68.

From University Advancement:

Austin Lectureship gifts

Gloria L. Austin and her three adult children – Doug, Charles and Lynette – and their families recently gave two generous gifts totaling $75,000 in continuing support of The Dr. Robert L. Austin Endowed Lectureship in Pediatric Medicine and Pediatric Health Care Policy.

Lawrence B. Harkless, DPM Scholarship Fund

Through the generosity of individual donors, podiatric faculty and Dr. Harkless himself, The California Foundation for Excellence in Podiatric Medicine (CaFFE) has established the Lawrence B. Harkless, DPM Scholarship Fund.

As a result of the endowed fund, the College of Podiatric Medicine will receive $1,000 per year from CaFFE to be given to a podiatric student(s).

Alumni Kudos

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the WesternU Alumni Association gave away hundreds of free Kudos granola bars to students outside their office in the University Services Center. The giveaway event, titled “Sudden Snack,” was held from 4-5 p.m. to coincide with the end of the IPE small group meetings for first-year students, and provided a place for those students to meet up with their friends and classmates, as well as for other students to take a break from studying.

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Western University of Health Sciences, 309 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. 91766

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