Dartmouth Medicine Spring 2004
Dear Reporter, Editor, or News Director:
In the Spring 2004 issue of Dartmouth Medicine (to request a printed copy, call 603-653-0772 or e-mail dartmed@Dartmouth.edu), read about:
Screening considerations: A recent study and a new book by Dartmouth researchers illustrate why deciding whether to undergo screening for cancer should be not an automatic "yes" but a carefully considered choice. See page 3.
Data about clinical training: It's much easier to structure and assess what medical students learn in the classroom than what they absorb on their clinical rotations. But it's just as important to make sure their clinical training is balanced and effective. A new Dartmouth project is aiming to bring more rigor than ever before to that part of the educational process. See page 8.
End-of-life care: A renowned advocate for better integration between the nation's systems of curative and palliative care has recently come to Dartmouth. Ira Byock speaks and writes eloquently about dying as a natural part of human development. See page 9.
Plastic patients: Dartmouth is acquiring a growing family of patients who will never leave the hospital--because they're plastic simulators. These sophisticated mannequins allow medical students, residents, and nurses-in-training to learn how to manage difficult but rare complications in carefully controlled scenarios rather than during real-life crises. See page 17.
Crowning glory: A Dartmouth M.P.H. student was recently crowned Miss Deaf California and will compete for the national title in Kansas City, Mo., in July. She looks on the position as a platform from which to advocate for better access to health care for the deaf community. See page 18.
A rock collection: Five Dartmouth medical students keep their noses to the academic grindstone and practice four times a week with a rock group called "Lazyeye." They enjoy the outlet and feel it gives them renewed vigor for their studies. See page 19.
No longer all over the map: The point of entry into the health-care system for most patients is their primary-care physician. But until now, it's been hard for policy analysts to get a real handle on regional variations in primary-care resources. A new Web-based tool developed at Dartmouth has changed that. See page 22.
A harrowing wartime diary: In the brutal China-India-Burma Theater during World War II, a Dartmouth-trained doctor started keeping a diary on whatever scraps of paper he could lay his hands on. Published here for the first time are excerpts from his gripping saga--including details about the legendary Stilwell "walkout." See page 28.
When the student becomes the patient: A fourth-year Dartmouth medical student who has been battling lymphoma ever since his first year writes insightfully about what he's gained from being on the other side of the stethoscope. See page 55.
To pursue any of these stories, contact:
Deborah Kimbell, media relations manager, at 603/653-1913 or Deborah.Kimbell@Hitchcock.org.
Dana Cook Grossman
Editor