Dartmouth Medicine Spring 1998
Dear Reporter, Editor, or News Director:
Inside the Spring 1998 issue of DARTMOUTH MEDICINE, (to request a printed copy, call 603-653-0772 or e-mail dartmed@Dartmouth.edu), read about:
A Dartmouth internist who's heading the world's largest specialty organization: Dartmouth Medical School faculty member Harold Sox is about to become president of the 100,000-member American College of Physicians, the world's largest specialty organization. It promises to be a busy and challenging year. See page 4.
What effect it has when young movie stars smoke: Dartmouth pediatrician James Sargent recently made national headlines with the results of a study about the impact on beginning smokers of clothing and gear emblazoned with tobacco logos. Now he's got a new effort underway, to pin down what effect it has on adolescents when young movie stars light up onscreen. See page 9.
Why the format of medical information is so crucial: A new study by two Dartmouth faculty members suggests that if patients are to truly comprehend the risks and benefits of health-related behaviors and treatment choices, the information needs to be presented in an understandable way. See page 10.
A ground-breaking new course on the intersection of medicine and law: It's the best course they've ever taken say both medical and law students about one of the first courses in the nation offered jointly by a medical school and a law school. See page 13.
Why literature is key to psychiatry: Could it possibly make a difference if a psychiatrist has read The Brothers Karamazov? Yes indeed, posits a recent graduate of Dartmouth Medical School. He explores the ideas to be gleaned from the great Russian novel and two other works of literature, as well as from art. See page 22.
The complexities in the world of infectious diseases: Once thought to be nearly beaten by antibiotics and modern sanitation methods, infectious "bugs" seem to be making a come-back. Several members of the Dartmouth infectious diseases section who are players on the national and international scene share the insights they've gleaned. See page 28.
The value of caring, as well as curing: A recent graduate of Dartmouth Medical School recalls a patient for whom a friendly word or two--especially en francais--made a very real difference. See page 34.
The subtleties of teenage parenthood: Some of the myths about teenage pregnancy and parenthood are dispelled by the recollections of a nurse now on the Dartmouth-Hitchcock staff and by the inside story on a book whose coauthor is a Dartmouth Medical School alumnus. See page 38.
What a neurologist has to offer the Vatican: A neurologist and ethicist on the Dartmouth faculty is a member of a little publicized but high-level group that is advising the Vatican on the issue of brain death. The group is about to hold its last of three sessions in Rome, and the results could have far-reaching effects. See page 48.
If you'd like to pursue any of these stories, contact:
- Hali Wickner, communications coordinator for Dartmouth Medical School, at (603) 650-1520.
- The Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Office of Public Affairs, at (603) 650-7041.
Or feel free to give me a call, especially if you'd like to reprint an article; my direct line is (603) 650-4058.
Dana Cook Grossman,
Editor