ucalgary medicine magazine fall 2012

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UCalgary MEDICINE A University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine Publication HEALTH SCIENCES ALUMNA IN THE CITY What happens when a BHSc alumna gets accepted to medical school in New York City Well Doc? While physicians are concerned with the wellness of their patients, two UCalgary researchers are concerned with the wellness of physicians Researching the common cold Scientists may be unlikely to find a cure for the common cold but that hasn’t stopped them from trying Fall 2012

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Health sciences alumna in the city; Well Doc?; Researching the common cold; From patients to donors; What is a concussion?; A grey area; Residency expansion means more family doctors

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UCalgary

MEDICINEA University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine Publication

He a ltH sciences alUMNa in the cityWhat happens when a BHSc alumna gets accepted to medical school in New York City

Well Doc?While physicians are concerned with the wellness of their patients, two UCalgary researchers are concerned with the wellness of physicians

Researching the common coldScientists may be unlikely to find a cure for the common cold but that hasn’t stopped them from trying

Fall 2012

DepaRtments

MessAge FroM the DeAn 2

PhilAnthroPy

From patients to donors 3

reseArCh

What is a concussion? 8

eDUCAtion

A grey area 13 Residency expansion means more family doctors 17

news

Awards and recognition 14 In the news 15

serviCe to soCiet y

In the community 16

Fall 2012 Issue

01UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

pm agreement no. 41095528

Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to:University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine | Communications and Media Relations7th Floor, TRW Building 3280 Hospital Drive NW Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6

AlUMni

Healthsciencesalumnainthecity10

FeatURes

reseArCh

WellDoc?4 Whilephysiciansareconcernedwiththewellness

oftheirpatients,twoUCalgaryresearchersareconcernedwiththewellnessofphysicians.

reseArCh

Researchingthecommoncold6 Scientistsmaybejustasunlikelytofindacureforthecommon

coldnowastheywereahundredyearsago.Butthathasn’tstoppedthemfromtrying.

Look for this icon for more content found exclusively online at

medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

WaNt MorE?

UCalgary volume 4 | issue 3

MEDICINEUCalgary Medicine is published twice a year by the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine, providing news and information for and about our faculty, staff, alumni, students, friends and community.

For more information contact:

MANAgINg EDIToR

Kathryn Sloniowskit 403.220.2232e [email protected]

EDIToRIAl TE AM

Jordanna Heller, Director, Communications and Media RelationsMarta Cyperling, Manager, Media RelationsAmy Dowd, Manager, Internal RelationsAmanda Fisher, Communications CoordinatorAisling gamble, Communications Advisor, Events and Recognition

DE AN

Dr. Jon Meddings

VICE-DE AN

Dr. glenda MacQueen

SENIoR ASSoCIATE DE ANS

Dr. gerald Zamponi, ResearchDr. Jocelyn lockyer, EducationDr. Ronald Bridges, Clinical Affairs

ASSoCIATE DE ANS

Dr. Anthony Schryvers, Undergraduate Science EducationDr. Bruce Wright, Undergraduate Medical EducationDr. Jennifer Hatfield, Global Health and International PartnershipsDr. Doug l. Myhre, Distributed Learning and Rural InitiativesDr. Maureen Topps, Postgraduate Medical EducationDr. Frans A. van der Hoorn, Graduate Science EducationDr. lara Cooke, Continuing Medical Education and Professional DevelopmentDr. John Reynolds, Basic ResearchDr. Michael Hill, Clinical ResearchDr. Janet de groot, Equity and Teacher-Learner RelationsDr. Kamala Patel, Faculty Development

DESIgN

CoMBINE Design

PHoTogRAPHy

Jordin Althaus/Disney ABC Television group/gettyimages, ©iStockphoto.com/Akirastock, ©iStockphoto.com/abidal, Trudie lee, Janelle Pan, Bruce Perrault, Holly Womba

FRee Copy / alUmni UpDate

To receive a free copy of UCalgary Medicine please call 403.220.2819 or email [email protected]

The Faculty of Medicine is committed to staying in touch with our alumni. Please update your contact information at our website www.alumni.ucalgary.ca (ClICK oN “UPDATE yoUR INFo”)

CONTeNTs

oN THE CoVER

American Dream This local mural is in my largely Dominican community of Washington Heights. While it serves as an excellent guidepost for life in general, its themes seem particularly salient for members of the medical profession. –Holly Womba

From patients to donorsMessage from the Dean

MessAge FroM the DeAn mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe

a FeW monthshavepassedsinceIbeganmytenureinJuly,andsofarit’sbeenmorefunthanIimagined.Icreditthisinlargeparttothepeoplewhowork,train,teachandlearnwithinourFaculty–theyareadynamicgroupandtheseexperiencesbringnewjoytomyday. ThemoreinvolvedIbecomeinmynewrole,themoreIrecognizethattherearehugeopportunitiesfortheFacultyofMedicine.Weareayoungandvibrantschoolwithahistoryofinnovativeideasandprograms.Iwouldliketoseeusbuilduponthisfoundation. Wearecurrentlyworkingtosetnewandfocusedstrategicresearchpriorities

When CaRol WestbeRgwasdiagnosedwithmultiplemyelomain2004,shewastoldshehadaboutthreeyearstolive−fiveifshehadastemcelltransplant.Eightyearsandsixgrandchildrenlater,WestbergcreditsmedicalresearchtakingplaceattheUniversityofCalgary’sFacultyofMedicinewiththefactthatshe’sstillbeatingtheodds. “ThedrugsI’monnowweren’tevenavailablewhenIwasdiagnosed,”shesays.“Becauseofresearch,I’mstillaliveandkickingandhopingtobeforalongtimeyet.” ThemanbehindmuchofthatprogressisDr.NizarBahlis,ahematologistandoncologistattheTomBakerCancerCentre.BahlisandhisresearchteamattheSouthernAlbertaCancerResearchInstitutefocusonfindingnewtreatmentsforpatientswiththisrareanddeadlyformofbonemarrowcancer.Theirdiscoverieshavealreadyimprovedthestandardofcareforpatients,andheseesmorechangesonthehorizonthankstothesupportofpatients-turned-donorslikeWestberg. “We’reinaPhase1trialtestingthecombinationoftwodrugsinmultiplemyelomapatients,”hesays.“We’reseeingverypromisingresults.” Bahlisisalsointheprocessofbuildingatissuebank.Overthepastsixyears,he’scollectedsamplesfromnearly400patients.Thankstothegeneroussupportofdonors,Bahliswillsoonhaveanewmachinethatwillallowhimtoanalyzetheentirehumangenomeineachofthesesamplesinabouttwohours. “Ourplanistosequenceallthesesampleswiththegoalofuncoveringnew

fortheFaculty.Weareextremelyproudofthediverseandtranslationalresearchcomingoutofoursevenresearchinstitutesandtheintroductionofthesenewprioritieswillhelpustobetterfocustheallocationofourresources,andextendandpromotethecontinuedcollaborationthattakesplacebetweenthem. ThelossofAHFMRfundinghasbeenadifficultsituationthathascastalongshadowovertheFacultyforthelastfewyears.Iampleasedtosaythatwehavenowputthisfirmlybehinduswithaplantomoveforward.ThisplanhasbeenendorsedbytheUniversityProvost

genomicabnormalitiesthatwecantargetfortherapeutics,”hesays.“Thiswillhelpusunderstandwhat’scausingthesepatientstohavemultiplemyeloma,whytheybecomeresistanttocertaindrugsandwhytheyarereceptivetoothers.” Bahlissaysthismachine,combinedwithhistissuebank,couldbethekeytofindingsuccessful,personalizedtherapiesthattargeteachpatient’suniqueformofthedisease.Purchasingitwasmadepossiblethroughthehelpandsupportofpatient,KenZandee.Formorethanadecade,ZandeehasbeeninvolvedinacharitablehockeytournamentinCalgarycalledtheOilOlympics.Thispastyear,

theorganizerstoldhimalltheproceedswouldgotoacharityofhischoice.HechoseBahlis. “Dr.Bahlisis,inmymind,secondtonone,”saysZandee,whowasdiagnosedinOctoberoflastyear.“I’venevermetadoctorlikehim.Hebelievesinwhathe’sdoingandgenuinelycaresabouthispatients.Ithought,it’suptootherpeopletohelphimoutsohe’snothavingtoconcentrateonfinancesallthetime.” Zandeeandhiswifealsodonateda2011blackCamarotoberaffledoffthroughtheSouthernAlbertaMyelomaPatientSociety,runbyfellowpatientandself-proclaimedmyelomawarrior,CarolWestberg. Beforeherdiagnosis,Westbergworkedasaprofessionalorganizer.Thoseskillshavenowbecomeherlifeline.Sheco-foundedthepatientsociety,helpsorganizeitsannualfundraisingrun(thisyear’seventraisedmorethan$100,000forBahlis’research),doespeer

andpresentedtotheFaculty’sleaders.Itwillalsobethefocusofatownhallmeetingintheearlyfallandwhileitwillimpactrecruitmentabit,itmeansthatwithinaboutfiveyearswewillhaveabudgetforallcurrentlyAHFMRfundedpositions. Iamalsoverypleasedwiththeprogresswehavemadetowardseasingthepressureonourhealth-caresystem.Asadirectresultofa$10.3-milliongrantfromtheAlbertagovernment,ourfamilyresidencytrainingprogramhasincreasedthenumberofavailableresidencyspotsandourteachingclinicshaveexpandedbothinspaceandteachingstafftoaccommodatethem.Ourgoalistohave40percentofourmedicalstudentschoosefamilymedicine,andwhilewe’renottherejustyet,thismilestoneisastepintherightdirection. IwouldalsoliketoannouncethatDr.DonAddingtonistakingontheroleofinterimdirectorattheMathisonCentreforMentalHealthResearch&Education.Thecentre,whichstrivestoreducetheburdenofmentalillnessinyouth,wasmadepossiblebyagenerous$10-milliongiftfromCalgarybusinessleaderRonaldP.Mathisonearlierthisyear.IamextremelygratefultoDonfortakingonthisrole. Finally,Iwouldliketowelcomeallofthenewstudents,staffandfacultymemberswhohavejoinedusthisfall.ThisFacultyishometoinnovativeeducators,internationallyrenownedresearchers,acommunityoftalentedsupportandtechnicalstaff,andaccomplishedanddiverseundergraduate,graduateandpostgraduatestudents–welcometotheFacultyofMedicineattheUniversityofCalgary,I’mveryhonouredtobeyourdean.

Jon Meddings, MDdean, Faculty of medicineuniversity of Calgary

counsellingfornewlydiagnosedpatientsandspeakstostudentnursesaboutwhatit’sliketolivewithanincurabledisease. “Thisismymission,”shesays,“I’mnothappythatIwasdiagnosedwithcancer,butI’vefoundapurposebeingabletohelpothersandcreateawareness.” MaryKennedysaysshealsoseestheneedtobringmultiplemyelomaoutoftheshadows.Sheandherhusband,DaveDavenport,startedsupportingBahlis’researchafterDavenportwasdiagnosednearlytwoyearsago. “It’sjustsorare,”shesays.AcrossCanadafewerthan2,500peopleareaffectedbythediseaseeachyear.“Nottoomanypeoplearefamiliarwithit.”

KennedysayssheandDavenportarereapingtherewardsofsuccessfulresearchthathasmadethedifferenceformanymultiplemyelomapatientsintheirlongevity.TheirsupportisensuringBahlisandhisresearchteamcontinuetochangethefutureofthisdiseaseforpatientshereinCanadaandaroundtheworld.

it is with great pleasure that i write my first message from the Dean for UCalgary medicine.

03 PhilAnthroPy

Dr. Bahlis is, in my mind, second to none. He believes in what he’s doing and genuinely cares about his patients. I thought, it’s up

to other people to help him out so he’s not having to concentrate on finances all the time.

How one researcher’s work has drawn support from his own patients. By Alison Myers

From patients to donorsMessage from the Dean

MessAge FroM the DeAn mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe

a FeW monthshavepassedsinceIbeganmytenureinJuly,andsofarit’sbeenmorefunthanIimagined.Icreditthisinlargeparttothepeoplewhowork,train,teachandlearnwithinourFaculty–theyareadynamicgroupandtheseexperiencesbringnewjoytomyday. ThemoreinvolvedIbecomeinmynewrole,themoreIrecognizethattherearehugeopportunitiesfortheFacultyofMedicine.Weareayoungandvibrantschoolwithahistoryofinnovativeideasandprograms.Iwouldliketoseeusbuilduponthisfoundation. Wearecurrentlyworkingtosetnewandfocusedstrategicresearchpriorities

When CaRol WestbeRgwasdiagnosedwithmultiplemyelomain2004,shewastoldshehadaboutthreeyearstolive−fiveifshehadastemcelltransplant.Eightyearsandsixgrandchildrenlater,WestbergcreditsmedicalresearchtakingplaceattheUniversityofCalgary’sFacultyofMedicinewiththefactthatshe’sstillbeatingtheodds. “ThedrugsI’monnowweren’tevenavailablewhenIwasdiagnosed,”shesays.“Becauseofresearch,I’mstillaliveandkickingandhopingtobeforalongtimeyet.” ThemanbehindmuchofthatprogressisDr.NizarBahlis,ahematologistandoncologistattheTomBakerCancerCentre.BahlisandhisresearchteamattheSouthernAlbertaCancerResearchInstitutefocusonfindingnewtreatmentsforpatientswiththisrareanddeadlyformofbonemarrowcancer.Theirdiscoverieshavealreadyimprovedthestandardofcareforpatients,andheseesmorechangesonthehorizonthankstothesupportofpatients-turned-donorslikeWestberg. “We’reinaPhase1trialtestingthecombinationoftwodrugsinmultiplemyelomapatients,”hesays.“We’reseeingverypromisingresults.” Bahlisisalsointheprocessofbuildingatissuebank.Overthepastsixyears,he’scollectedsamplesfromnearly400patients.Thankstothegeneroussupportofdonors,Bahliswillsoonhaveanewmachinethatwillallowhimtoanalyzetheentirehumangenomeineachofthesesamplesinabouttwohours. “Ourplanistosequenceallthesesampleswiththegoalofuncoveringnew

fortheFaculty.Weareextremelyproudofthediverseandtranslationalresearchcomingoutofoursevenresearchinstitutesandtheintroductionofthesenewprioritieswillhelpustobetterfocustheallocationofourresources,andextendandpromotethecontinuedcollaborationthattakesplacebetweenthem. ThelossofAHFMRfundinghasbeenadifficultsituationthathascastalongshadowovertheFacultyforthelastfewyears.Iampleasedtosaythatwehavenowputthisfirmlybehinduswithaplantomoveforward.ThisplanhasbeenendorsedbytheUniversityProvost

genomicabnormalitiesthatwecantargetfortherapeutics,”hesays.“Thiswillhelpusunderstandwhat’scausingthesepatientstohavemultiplemyeloma,whytheybecomeresistanttocertaindrugsandwhytheyarereceptivetoothers.” Bahlissaysthismachine,combinedwithhistissuebank,couldbethekeytofindingsuccessful,personalizedtherapiesthattargeteachpatient’suniqueformofthedisease.Purchasingitwasmadepossiblethroughthehelpandsupportofpatient,KenZandee.Formorethanadecade,ZandeehasbeeninvolvedinacharitablehockeytournamentinCalgarycalledtheOilOlympics.Thispastyear,

theorganizerstoldhimalltheproceedswouldgotoacharityofhischoice.HechoseBahlis. “Dr.Bahlisis,inmymind,secondtonone,”saysZandee,whowasdiagnosedinOctoberoflastyear.“I’venevermetadoctorlikehim.Hebelievesinwhathe’sdoingandgenuinelycaresabouthispatients.Ithought,it’suptootherpeopletohelphimoutsohe’snothavingtoconcentrateonfinancesallthetime.” Zandeeandhiswifealsodonateda2011blackCamarotoberaffledoffthroughtheSouthernAlbertaMyelomaPatientSociety,runbyfellowpatientandself-proclaimedmyelomawarrior,CarolWestberg. Beforeherdiagnosis,Westbergworkedasaprofessionalorganizer.Thoseskillshavenowbecomeherlifeline.Sheco-foundedthepatientsociety,helpsorganizeitsannualfundraisingrun(thisyear’seventraisedmorethan$100,000forBahlis’research),doespeer

andpresentedtotheFaculty’sleaders.Itwillalsobethefocusofatownhallmeetingintheearlyfallandwhileitwillimpactrecruitmentabit,itmeansthatwithinaboutfiveyearswewillhaveabudgetforallcurrentlyAHFMRfundedpositions. Iamalsoverypleasedwiththeprogresswehavemadetowardseasingthepressureonourhealth-caresystem.Asadirectresultofa$10.3-milliongrantfromtheAlbertagovernment,ourfamilyresidencytrainingprogramhasincreasedthenumberofavailableresidencyspotsandourteachingclinicshaveexpandedbothinspaceandteachingstafftoaccommodatethem.Ourgoalistohave40percentofourmedicalstudentschoosefamilymedicine,andwhilewe’renottherejustyet,thismilestoneisastepintherightdirection. IwouldalsoliketoannouncethatDr.DonAddingtonistakingontheroleofinterimdirectorattheMathisonCentreforMentalHealthResearch&Education.Thecentre,whichstrivestoreducetheburdenofmentalillnessinyouth,wasmadepossiblebyagenerous$10-milliongiftfromCalgarybusinessleaderRonaldP.Mathisonearlierthisyear.IamextremelygratefultoDonfortakingonthisrole. Finally,Iwouldliketowelcomeallofthenewstudents,staffandfacultymemberswhohavejoinedusthisfall.ThisFacultyishometoinnovativeeducators,internationallyrenownedresearchers,acommunityoftalentedsupportandtechnicalstaff,andaccomplishedanddiverseundergraduate,graduateandpostgraduatestudents–welcometotheFacultyofMedicineattheUniversityofCalgary,I’mveryhonouredtobeyourdean.

Jon Meddings, MDdean, Faculty of medicineuniversity of Calgary

counsellingfornewlydiagnosedpatientsandspeakstostudentnursesaboutwhatit’sliketolivewithanincurabledisease. “Thisismymission,”shesays,“I’mnothappythatIwasdiagnosedwithcancer,butI’vefoundapurposebeingabletohelpothersandcreateawareness.” MaryKennedysaysshealsoseestheneedtobringmultiplemyelomaoutoftheshadows.Sheandherhusband,DaveDavenport,startedsupportingBahlis’researchafterDavenportwasdiagnosednearlytwoyearsago. “It’sjustsorare,”shesays.AcrossCanadafewerthan2,500peopleareaffectedbythediseaseeachyear.“Nottoomanypeoplearefamiliarwithit.”

KennedysayssheandDavenportarereapingtherewardsofsuccessfulresearchthathasmadethedifferenceformanymultiplemyelomapatientsintheirlongevity.TheirsupportisensuringBahlisandhisresearchteamcontinuetochangethefutureofthisdiseaseforpatientshereinCanadaandaroundtheworld.

it is with great pleasure that i write my first message from the Dean for UCalgary medicine.

03 PhilAnthroPy

Dr. Bahlis is, in my mind, second to none. He believes in what he’s doing and genuinely cares about his patients. I thought, it’s up

to other people to help him out so he’s not having to concentrate on finances all the time.

How one researcher’s work has drawn support from his own patients. By Alison Myers

05UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012 reseArCh mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe

“theRe’s this tRainingasadoctor,almostanindoctrination,”saysDr.JaneLemaire,aclinicalprofessorintheFacultyofMedicine’sDepartmentofMedicine.“‘Youwillbeaphysician,youwillstayupallnight,youwillbetough,’buthowdoyougetdoctorstothensay,‘Ineedtotakecareofmyself.’” LemaireandsociologistJeanWallace,PhD,havebeenstudyingphysicianwellnessforthepasteightyears.Thetermwellnessencompassesthenotion

ofnotjustsurvivinginone’sprofession,butthriving.Whileanumberofpersonalconsiderationsforphysiciansthemselvesareatstake,suchaswork-lifebalanceandjobsatisfaction,theproductoftheseconsiderationshasthepotentialtoimpactpatientcare−drivingthisbodyofresearchtobeofparticularinteresttothemedicalcommunity. “IalwaysjokethatwhenIgettothepointwhenmyinsidevoicestartssaying,‘Idon’tcare,’IknowIneedtodosome-thingorI’mnotgoingtomakegooddecisions,”saysLemaire.“Whenyouworkwithpeople,youneedtocare.” TheideatostudytheconceptgrewfrompreliminarystudiesinwhichWallaceshadowed42physiciansinvariousspecialtiestobetterunderstandwhatitisthattheydo.Whilesheknewtheysawpatients,sherecognizedtheremustbealotmoretothejob. “Itwasreallysensoryoverload,”saysWallace,whoisaprofessorintheDepartmentofSociologyintheFacultyofArtsandanadjunctprofessorintheFacultyofMedicine’sDepartmentofMedicine.“Therewassomuchnoise,therewerebrightlights,andeverythingwasbusyallthetime.You’rerunningfromplacetoplace,noteating−afterawhile,Iwasdizzyandgettingheadaches.” WallacesaysthatwhenshediscussedherobservationswithLemaire,whoconfirmedthatwhatsheexperiencedwasquitetypicalforhospitalphysicians,itgotthemthinkingaboutthedifferentaspectsofphysicianwellnesstheycouldresearch.Whereastheliteraturetheyreviewedattheonsetofthestudyfocusedonpersonaldetrimentsbroughtonbyneglectingwellness,suchasburnoutandaddictions,theywantedtotakeamorepositiveapproach.Todate,thefocusof

theirresearchhasbeenonmanageablethingsthatcanbedoneintheworkplacetohelpimprovewellness,withaminimalimpactonaphysician’swork.Throughsurveys,interviewsandjobshadowing,they’vebeenstudyingthingssuchas:thebenefitsofconsumingadequatenutri-tionatregularintervalsduringworkhours,copingskills,genderdifferencesinmanagingone’scareerandfamily,andbiofeedbackstrategies,suchasbreathingandcalmingtechniques. Lemairesaysself-careisn’ttypicallyinalignmentwiththeaveragedoctor’sstandardofprofessionalismandethicsbecauseasprofessionals,doctorsfeelthattheirpatientsalwayscomefirst.Andthoughstudiesshowthatmostphysicians

areawareofthelinkbetweenbeingwellandjobperformance,theydon’tnecessarilytranslatethatawarenesstothemselves. “Someofthephysicianswesurveyedwouldn’tevengothere.Theyfelt,‘We’reprofessionals,sothatjustwouldn’thappen,’”shesays. WhileLemairefeelsthattheconceptofphysicianwellnessisrecognizedmoresotodaythanitwasseveralyearsago,thehealth-caresystemisstillwidelydependentonthetraditionalhealth-caremodel,whichcanrequirehospitalphysicianstoworkextendedhoursandworkweeks. “Ifsomeonewastodeclarethatalldoctorscanonlyworkamaximumof50hoursaweek,likeairlinepilots,thewholemedicalsystemwouldcollapse−youwouldneedtwicethepersonpower,andthatwouldn’tmaterializeovernight.” Assuch,theteamhascreatedtheWellDoc?initiative.Theinitiativereliesoneducationandknowledgetranslation

tohelpgenerateawarenesswithinthemedicalcommunityabouttheimportanceofstayingwell.Theysendoutnewslettershighlightingtheirfindings,andpersonalfeedbacktothosewhohaveparticipatedintheirstudies,inhopesofencouragingself-reflection.Theyhavealsobeeninvolvedinseveralnationalandinternationaltalks,includingoneatStanfordthispastJanuary,andhavebeeninvolvedinhelpingotherstoimplementwellnessawarenessprograms. “Yougettodifferentpeopleindifferentways,”saysWallace. “We’reabletoshowthestudypartici-pantswhatwefounddirectlyatthelocallevel,becauseit’swhattheythemselveshavetoldus,”addsLemaire.“Webelievethat’soneofthereasonswehavesuchbuy-in.” TheteamhasrecentlyearnedagrantfromtheCanadianInstitutesofHealthResearch(CIHR)tocontinueandexpandtheirresearch.Forthem,therecognitionvalidatestheimportanceofthisresearchforthemedicalcommunity.Whiletheyplantocontinuedrawingfromtheresearchtheycurrentlyhave,theywillalsoexplorehowphysicianwellnessisimpactedbythecomplexitiesinvolvedincaringforpatientsalongsideeducatingmedicaltrainees.

Dr. Jane lemaire and Jean wallace, PhD, are both members of the institute for Public health and are wellness leads at the w21C research and innovation Centre.

While physicians focus on the wellness of their patients, two UCalgary researchers are focusing on the wellness of physicians.By Kathryn sloniowski

I always joke that when I get to the point when my inside voice starts saying,

‘I don’t care,’ I know I need to do something or I’m not going

to make good decisions.

Well Doc?

Coping Strategies

as part of one of their studies, lemaire and Wallace examined the association between various coping strategies and overall wellness by surveying physicians on how burned out they felt, how emotionally exhausted they were and how much they liked their job. While the study can’t assign causality, the data was conclusive enough to show that there is an association between certain coping strategies and more/less burnout. For instance, they found that during difficult and stressful times, physicians who kept their stress to themselves, focused on what to do next, or went on as if nothing happened, experienced more emotional distress than those who interacted more heavily with their colleagues. “it’s the little things like deep breathing, taking a break, taking a few minutes to calm down, using humour and talking to colleagues that can be quite beneficial in helping physicians to get through their work day,” says Wallace.

Nutrition

lemaire and Wallace also explored the link between cognitive impairment and workplace nutrition. Through interviews, they discovered that physicians often felt they were too busy to stop and eat, or that it was unprofessional to do so. To build on those findings they implemented a nutrition intervention that involved providing free nutritious meals and snacks to doctors at regular intervals throughout their work day. They compared the data to a similar work day where physicians followed their typical eating habits, and the results did show that during the intervention cognition improved. upon reflection of the data, some physicians who took part in the study said they would make more of an effort to eat and drink regularly at work, but practical barriers such as a lack of time and inadequate food options would still be challenging to overcome. “Now every time i’m on service, someone talks to me about nutrition,” says lemaire. “One of my favorite stories is when someone yelled at me, ‘Hey Jane! i have a granola bar in my pocket!’”

05UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012 reseArCh mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe

“theRe’s this tRainingasadoctor,almostanindoctrination,”saysDr.JaneLemaire,aclinicalprofessorintheFacultyofMedicine’sDepartmentofMedicine.“‘Youwillbeaphysician,youwillstayupallnight,youwillbetough,’buthowdoyougetdoctorstothensay,‘Ineedtotakecareofmyself.’” LemaireandsociologistJeanWallace,PhD,havebeenstudyingphysicianwellnessforthepasteightyears.Thetermwellnessencompassesthenotion

ofnotjustsurvivinginone’sprofession,butthriving.Whileanumberofpersonalconsiderationsforphysiciansthemselvesareatstake,suchaswork-lifebalanceandjobsatisfaction,theproductoftheseconsiderationshasthepotentialtoimpactpatientcare−drivingthisbodyofresearchtobeofparticularinteresttothemedicalcommunity. “IalwaysjokethatwhenIgettothepointwhenmyinsidevoicestartssaying,‘Idon’tcare,’IknowIneedtodosome-thingorI’mnotgoingtomakegooddecisions,”saysLemaire.“Whenyouworkwithpeople,youneedtocare.” TheideatostudytheconceptgrewfrompreliminarystudiesinwhichWallaceshadowed42physiciansinvariousspecialtiestobetterunderstandwhatitisthattheydo.Whilesheknewtheysawpatients,sherecognizedtheremustbealotmoretothejob. “Itwasreallysensoryoverload,”saysWallace,whoisaprofessorintheDepartmentofSociologyintheFacultyofArtsandanadjunctprofessorintheFacultyofMedicine’sDepartmentofMedicine.“Therewassomuchnoise,therewerebrightlights,andeverythingwasbusyallthetime.You’rerunningfromplacetoplace,noteating−afterawhile,Iwasdizzyandgettingheadaches.” WallacesaysthatwhenshediscussedherobservationswithLemaire,whoconfirmedthatwhatsheexperiencedwasquitetypicalforhospitalphysicians,itgotthemthinkingaboutthedifferentaspectsofphysicianwellnesstheycouldresearch.Whereastheliteraturetheyreviewedattheonsetofthestudyfocusedonpersonaldetrimentsbroughtonbyneglectingwellness,suchasburnoutandaddictions,theywantedtotakeamorepositiveapproach.Todate,thefocusof

theirresearchhasbeenonmanageablethingsthatcanbedoneintheworkplacetohelpimprovewellness,withaminimalimpactonaphysician’swork.Throughsurveys,interviewsandjobshadowing,they’vebeenstudyingthingssuchas:thebenefitsofconsumingadequatenutri-tionatregularintervalsduringworkhours,copingskills,genderdifferencesinmanagingone’scareerandfamily,andbiofeedbackstrategies,suchasbreathingandcalmingtechniques. Lemairesaysself-careisn’ttypicallyinalignmentwiththeaveragedoctor’sstandardofprofessionalismandethicsbecauseasprofessionals,doctorsfeelthattheirpatientsalwayscomefirst.Andthoughstudiesshowthatmostphysicians

areawareofthelinkbetweenbeingwellandjobperformance,theydon’tnecessarilytranslatethatawarenesstothemselves. “Someofthephysicianswesurveyedwouldn’tevengothere.Theyfelt,‘We’reprofessionals,sothatjustwouldn’thappen,’”shesays. WhileLemairefeelsthattheconceptofphysicianwellnessisrecognizedmoresotodaythanitwasseveralyearsago,thehealth-caresystemisstillwidelydependentonthetraditionalhealth-caremodel,whichcanrequirehospitalphysicianstoworkextendedhoursandworkweeks. “Ifsomeonewastodeclarethatalldoctorscanonlyworkamaximumof50hoursaweek,likeairlinepilots,thewholemedicalsystemwouldcollapse−youwouldneedtwicethepersonpower,andthatwouldn’tmaterializeovernight.” Assuch,theteamhascreatedtheWellDoc?initiative.Theinitiativereliesoneducationandknowledgetranslation

tohelpgenerateawarenesswithinthemedicalcommunityabouttheimportanceofstayingwell.Theysendoutnewslettershighlightingtheirfindings,andpersonalfeedbacktothosewhohaveparticipatedintheirstudies,inhopesofencouragingself-reflection.Theyhavealsobeeninvolvedinseveralnationalandinternationaltalks,includingoneatStanfordthispastJanuary,andhavebeeninvolvedinhelpingotherstoimplementwellnessawarenessprograms. “Yougettodifferentpeopleindifferentways,”saysWallace. “We’reabletoshowthestudypartici-pantswhatwefounddirectlyatthelocallevel,becauseit’swhattheythemselveshavetoldus,”addsLemaire.“Webelievethat’soneofthereasonswehavesuchbuy-in.” TheteamhasrecentlyearnedagrantfromtheCanadianInstitutesofHealthResearch(CIHR)tocontinueandexpandtheirresearch.Forthem,therecognitionvalidatestheimportanceofthisresearchforthemedicalcommunity.Whiletheyplantocontinuedrawingfromtheresearchtheycurrentlyhave,theywillalsoexplorehowphysicianwellnessisimpactedbythecomplexitiesinvolvedincaringforpatientsalongsideeducatingmedicaltrainees.

Dr. Jane lemaire and Jean wallace, PhD, are both members of the institute for Public health and are wellness leads at the w21C research and innovation Centre.

While physicians focus on the wellness of their patients, two UCalgary researchers are focusing on the wellness of physicians.By Kathryn sloniowski

I always joke that when I get to the point when my inside voice starts saying,

‘I don’t care,’ I know I need to do something or I’m not going

to make good decisions.

Well Doc?

Coping Strategies

as part of one of their studies, lemaire and Wallace examined the association between various coping strategies and overall wellness by surveying physicians on how burned out they felt, how emotionally exhausted they were and how much they liked their job. While the study can’t assign causality, the data was conclusive enough to show that there is an association between certain coping strategies and more/less burnout. For instance, they found that during difficult and stressful times, physicians who kept their stress to themselves, focused on what to do next, or went on as if nothing happened, experienced more emotional distress than those who interacted more heavily with their colleagues. “it’s the little things like deep breathing, taking a break, taking a few minutes to calm down, using humour and talking to colleagues that can be quite beneficial in helping physicians to get through their work day,” says Wallace.

Nutrition

lemaire and Wallace also explored the link between cognitive impairment and workplace nutrition. Through interviews, they discovered that physicians often felt they were too busy to stop and eat, or that it was unprofessional to do so. To build on those findings they implemented a nutrition intervention that involved providing free nutritious meals and snacks to doctors at regular intervals throughout their work day. They compared the data to a similar work day where physicians followed their typical eating habits, and the results did show that during the intervention cognition improved. upon reflection of the data, some physicians who took part in the study said they would make more of an effort to eat and drink regularly at work, but practical barriers such as a lack of time and inadequate food options would still be challenging to overcome. “Now every time i’m on service, someone talks to me about nutrition,” says lemaire. “One of my favorite stories is when someone yelled at me, ‘Hey Jane! i have a granola bar in my pocket!’”

07UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

virushereinCalgary.Subsequently,theUniversityofCalgaryistheonlyplaceinCanadathatcaninfectcoldstudyvolunteerswiththevirus.

transmission

Concurrentwiththefirstinfectionmodelsofthe1960s,researcherswerealsotacklingtheoriesoftransmissionregulation. “Thereweretwoschoolsofthought:one,Ihaveacold,Isneezeinyourface,youinhaleandyougetit;two,Ihaveacold,Itouchyourcellphone,Iputitdown,walkaway,thenyoutouchthecellphone,mayberubyoureye,andyougetit.Thetwocampsdisagreedwitheachothervehemently,”saysProud.“Thoseargumentshavegoneonforyearsandwestillthinkyoucanprobablygetthecoldbothways.”Whatyoucan’tgetitfromisgoingoutsideinthecoldwithwethair–likeyourmotheralwaystellsyou.

immune response

“WhenIfirstgotintocommoncoldresearchbackinthelate1980s,Iwasshockedtofindout,comingfromabackgroundinasthmaandimmunology,thatnobodyknewmuchabouttheimmuneresponsetothevirus.It’sstillthecasethatforthemostcommoninfectiousagentexperiencedbyhumans,weknowfarlessabouthowyoumountanimmuneresponsetorhinovirusthanyoudotomanyotherthings,”saysProud. Thevirusappearstochangethebiologyofepithelialcells,inducingtheproductionofinflammatorychemicalsthatleadtotypicalcommoncoldsymptoms. “Wethinkit’sprobablyyourbody’sresponsetothevirusthatisactuallytriggeringyoursymptoms,”saysProud.“Youcouldsaythatwehaveaslightlyinappropriateorover-exuberantresponsetofightingthevirusthatgoesoverthetopandmakesusalittlebitill.” AccordingtoProud’sresearch,your

bodyrespondstothecommoncoldvirusintwoways:firstthroughanepithelialcellinnateimmuneresponse,whichfightsthevirusduringthesymptomaticperiodandlikelyregulatesthedurationandseverityofyoursymptoms;andsecondlythroughanadaptiveimmuneresponse–orcell-mediatedresponse–whereyougenerateT-cellsthatattackthevirus,andalsomakeantibodiesthatcombatthevirusandprovideprotectionagainstthenextinfection.

treatment

“Theideathatyouwilleverpreventpeoplefrombeinginfectedbyall150strainsofrhinovirus–Idon’tthinkisgoingtohappen.Theissueis,canwefindwaysofboostingyourdefencesorreducinginflammationtotheextentthatyouhavearelativelysymptom-freecold,”saysProud. Whenitcomestotreatingthecommoncold,researchersareinvestigatingthetherapeuticqualitiesofawiderangeofpotentialremedies,whilealsostudyingthepossibilityofnewapproachestointerventionatthemolecularlevel,suchasboostingyourimmuneresponse.Thoughthecostandpotentialside-effectsoftheseexperimentaltherapiesoftenpreventthemfrommakingitoutofthelab. AccordingtoProud,sincethecoldisaself-limitingdiseaseinmostgenerallyhealthyindividuals,theriskisn’tworththereward.Wherehedoesseethepotentialbenefitisforthosewithcompromisedlungfunctioninwhicharhinovirusinfectioncouldbelife-threatening. “Weknowthatifyoulookinyoungchildren,asmanyas85percentofallacuteasthmaattacksaretriggeredbycommonrespiratoryviruses,andofthose,60percentareduetorhinovirus,”hesays. “Whenyougettoadults,thenumbersgodownabit,mainlybecauseadultsdon’tgetasmany

coldsaskidsdo.Still,asmanyas60percentofexacerbationsaretriggeredbyvirusesandagain,about60percentofthosearecausedbyrhinovirus.” Anythingyoucandotoimproveyourgeneralhealthcan’thurtyourbody’sresponsetoacold.Medicationssuchasdecongestantsandpainrelieversmayhelptorelievesymptoms,buttheywon’tdomuchelse.AsfarasnaturalcoldremediessuchasvitaminCandechinaceaareconcerned,mostclinicalstudiesshowthattheydon’tappeartodoanythingtopreventinfection,treatthecoldorreducethedurationofsymptoms.Sadly,chickensoupdoesn’thelpeither.

Let’s put it this way,

right now you can do nothing and the cold will

last seven days or you can treat it vigorously and it will last a week.

Fast facts COPD includes conditions such

as chronic bronchitis and emphysema

Throughout the 1800s and into the turn of the 20th century, one of the common treatments

for asthmatics was asthma cigarettes

The British Common Cold Unit used to recruit volunteers by advertising their studies as unique

holiday experiences

Most of what we think we know about our immune response to the common cold virus is interpreted from other viruses from the same genome family as rhinovirus, such as polio

The average child gets about six to 10 colds per year (as does the average parent of a small child); the average adult gets about one to three

Rhinovirus season peaks in September, but contrary to popular opinion, you can catch

a cold year round

simply pUt,acoldisthesymptomaticresponse–congestion,runnynose,etc.–toanyoneofseveralhundredcold-causingviruseswecontract,themostcommonofwhicharetherhinoviruses.Sincethereareabout150typesofrhinovirus,notonlyisacommoncoldcureimprobable,butit’sdoubtfulthatanyonewilleverbeimmunetocatchingone. Fortunately,havingacold,despitethegeneraldiscomfort,isn’tahugeconcernforagenerallyhealthyindividual–itrunsitscourseinaboutaweek.Unfortunately,rhinovirusisalsothemostcommontriggerofacuteattacksinthosewithlowerairwaydiseasessuchasasthmaandchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD).Theseexacerbationscanbelife

threatening,andarebyfarthebiggestdriverofallthehealth-carecostsassociatedwiththesediseases.

studying the common cold

AmemberoftheFacultyofMedicine’sSnyderInstituteforChronicDiseases,DavidProud,PhD,investigatesthecoldvirusfromtwoangles.First,helooksathumanepithelialcells(thecellsliningtheairways)inthelabinanattempttounderstandwhat’shappeningatthemolecularandcellularlevelduringaninfectionandhowtoregulateit;andsecond,heinfectsvolunteerswithrhino-virustoexamineindividualresponsesinvivo–inaliving,intactspecimen.

Rhinovirusinfectionmodelsinpatientshavebeenusedsinceabouttheearly1960s,datingbacktoresearchattheBritishCommonColdUnit.Becauserhinovirusonlyreallyaffectshumans,invivoinvestigationisimportanttounderstandthewaythevirusandtheimmunesysteminteract. “You’regoingtogetonetothreecoldsayearanyway,soifIgiveyouonedeliberately,aslongasyou’rehealthy,it’snotarisk,”saysProud. Itusedtotakeaboutayearandahalffromstarttofinishtomakeacoldvirusfitforhumantrials.Priorto2001,researcherswouldrecruitandextensivelyscreenhealthyyoungvolunteers,infectthemwithacoldvirus,andwaittoseewhogotsick.Nasalwashesweretakeneverydayforthefirstfivetosevendaystoworkoutwhohadthemostsymptomsandthehighestconcentrationofvirus.Theluckywinner’svirusstockwouldthenbepurified,batchedandstoredforfutureuse.FollowingtheintroductionofstrictFDAregulationsin2001,thisprocessisnolongerused. “TheFDAdecidedthatanythingthatinducedaphysiologicalresponsewasadrugandthereforetheywouldregulateit.Onlyvirusesmadeunderso-calledgoodmanufacturingpracticescouldbeusedinhumantrials−thatdelayedeverybodyforyears,”saysProud. ResearchersattheUniversityofVirginiawereeventuallyabletocreateaviruspreparationinaccordancewithFDAregulations.OwingtoProud’sconnectionwiththeprincipleinvestigator,Dr.RonaldTurner,hewasabletosecureHealthCanadaapprovaltousethe

Depending on how you define a cure for the common cold, scientists may be just as unlikely to find one now as they were a hundred years ago. But that hasn’t stopped them from trying.

mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe reseArCh

By Amy Dowd

07UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

virushereinCalgary.Subsequently,theUniversityofCalgaryistheonlyplaceinCanadathatcaninfectcoldstudyvolunteerswiththevirus.

transmission

Concurrentwiththefirstinfectionmodelsofthe1960s,researcherswerealsotacklingtheoriesoftransmissionregulation. “Thereweretwoschoolsofthought:one,Ihaveacold,Isneezeinyourface,youinhaleandyougetit;two,Ihaveacold,Itouchyourcellphone,Iputitdown,walkaway,thenyoutouchthecellphone,mayberubyoureye,andyougetit.Thetwocampsdisagreedwitheachothervehemently,”saysProud.“Thoseargumentshavegoneonforyearsandwestillthinkyoucanprobablygetthecoldbothways.”Whatyoucan’tgetitfromisgoingoutsideinthecoldwithwethair–likeyourmotheralwaystellsyou.

immune response

“WhenIfirstgotintocommoncoldresearchbackinthelate1980s,Iwasshockedtofindout,comingfromabackgroundinasthmaandimmunology,thatnobodyknewmuchabouttheimmuneresponsetothevirus.It’sstillthecasethatforthemostcommoninfectiousagentexperiencedbyhumans,weknowfarlessabouthowyoumountanimmuneresponsetorhinovirusthanyoudotomanyotherthings,”saysProud. Thevirusappearstochangethebiologyofepithelialcells,inducingtheproductionofinflammatorychemicalsthatleadtotypicalcommoncoldsymptoms. “Wethinkit’sprobablyyourbody’sresponsetothevirusthatisactuallytriggeringyoursymptoms,”saysProud.“Youcouldsaythatwehaveaslightlyinappropriateorover-exuberantresponsetofightingthevirusthatgoesoverthetopandmakesusalittlebitill.” AccordingtoProud’sresearch,your

bodyrespondstothecommoncoldvirusintwoways:firstthroughanepithelialcellinnateimmuneresponse,whichfightsthevirusduringthesymptomaticperiodandlikelyregulatesthedurationandseverityofyoursymptoms;andsecondlythroughanadaptiveimmuneresponse–orcell-mediatedresponse–whereyougenerateT-cellsthatattackthevirus,andalsomakeantibodiesthatcombatthevirusandprovideprotectionagainstthenextinfection.

treatment

“Theideathatyouwilleverpreventpeoplefrombeinginfectedbyall150strainsofrhinovirus–Idon’tthinkisgoingtohappen.Theissueis,canwefindwaysofboostingyourdefencesorreducinginflammationtotheextentthatyouhavearelativelysymptom-freecold,”saysProud. Whenitcomestotreatingthecommoncold,researchersareinvestigatingthetherapeuticqualitiesofawiderangeofpotentialremedies,whilealsostudyingthepossibilityofnewapproachestointerventionatthemolecularlevel,suchasboostingyourimmuneresponse.Thoughthecostandpotentialside-effectsoftheseexperimentaltherapiesoftenpreventthemfrommakingitoutofthelab. AccordingtoProud,sincethecoldisaself-limitingdiseaseinmostgenerallyhealthyindividuals,theriskisn’tworththereward.Wherehedoesseethepotentialbenefitisforthosewithcompromisedlungfunctioninwhicharhinovirusinfectioncouldbelife-threatening. “Weknowthatifyoulookinyoungchildren,asmanyas85percentofallacuteasthmaattacksaretriggeredbycommonrespiratoryviruses,andofthose,60percentareduetorhinovirus,”hesays. “Whenyougettoadults,thenumbersgodownabit,mainlybecauseadultsdon’tgetasmany

coldsaskidsdo.Still,asmanyas60percentofexacerbationsaretriggeredbyvirusesandagain,about60percentofthosearecausedbyrhinovirus.” Anythingyoucandotoimproveyourgeneralhealthcan’thurtyourbody’sresponsetoacold.Medicationssuchasdecongestantsandpainrelieversmayhelptorelievesymptoms,buttheywon’tdomuchelse.AsfarasnaturalcoldremediessuchasvitaminCandechinaceaareconcerned,mostclinicalstudiesshowthattheydon’tappeartodoanythingtopreventinfection,treatthecoldorreducethedurationofsymptoms.Sadly,chickensoupdoesn’thelpeither.

Let’s put it this way,

right now you can do nothing and the cold will

last seven days or you can treat it vigorously and it will last a week.

Fast facts COPD includes conditions such

as chronic bronchitis and emphysema

Throughout the 1800s and into the turn of the 20th century, one of the common treatments

for asthmatics was asthma cigarettes

The British Common Cold Unit used to recruit volunteers by advertising their studies as unique

holiday experiences

Most of what we think we know about our immune response to the common cold virus is interpreted from other viruses from the same genome family as rhinovirus, such as polio

The average child gets about six to 10 colds per year (as does the average parent of a small child); the average adult gets about one to three

Rhinovirus season peaks in September, but contrary to popular opinion, you can catch

a cold year round

simply pUt,acoldisthesymptomaticresponse–congestion,runnynose,etc.–toanyoneofseveralhundredcold-causingviruseswecontract,themostcommonofwhicharetherhinoviruses.Sincethereareabout150typesofrhinovirus,notonlyisacommoncoldcureimprobable,butit’sdoubtfulthatanyonewilleverbeimmunetocatchingone. Fortunately,havingacold,despitethegeneraldiscomfort,isn’tahugeconcernforagenerallyhealthyindividual–itrunsitscourseinaboutaweek.Unfortunately,rhinovirusisalsothemostcommontriggerofacuteattacksinthosewithlowerairwaydiseasessuchasasthmaandchronicobstructivepulmonarydisease(COPD).Theseexacerbationscanbelife

threatening,andarebyfarthebiggestdriverofallthehealth-carecostsassociatedwiththesediseases.

studying the common cold

AmemberoftheFacultyofMedicine’sSnyderInstituteforChronicDiseases,DavidProud,PhD,investigatesthecoldvirusfromtwoangles.First,helooksathumanepithelialcells(thecellsliningtheairways)inthelabinanattempttounderstandwhat’shappeningatthemolecularandcellularlevelduringaninfectionandhowtoregulateit;andsecond,heinfectsvolunteerswithrhino-virustoexamineindividualresponsesinvivo–inaliving,intactspecimen.

Rhinovirusinfectionmodelsinpatientshavebeenusedsinceabouttheearly1960s,datingbacktoresearchattheBritishCommonColdUnit.Becauserhinovirusonlyreallyaffectshumans,invivoinvestigationisimportanttounderstandthewaythevirusandtheimmunesysteminteract. “You’regoingtogetonetothreecoldsayearanyway,soifIgiveyouonedeliberately,aslongasyou’rehealthy,it’snotarisk,”saysProud. Itusedtotakeaboutayearandahalffromstarttofinishtomakeacoldvirusfitforhumantrials.Priorto2001,researcherswouldrecruitandextensivelyscreenhealthyyoungvolunteers,infectthemwithacoldvirus,andwaittoseewhogotsick.Nasalwashesweretakeneverydayforthefirstfivetosevendaystoworkoutwhohadthemostsymptomsandthehighestconcentrationofvirus.Theluckywinner’svirusstockwouldthenbepurified,batchedandstoredforfutureuse.FollowingtheintroductionofstrictFDAregulationsin2001,thisprocessisnolongerused. “TheFDAdecidedthatanythingthatinducedaphysiologicalresponsewasadrugandthereforetheywouldregulateit.Onlyvirusesmadeunderso-calledgoodmanufacturingpracticescouldbeusedinhumantrials−thatdelayedeverybodyforyears,”saysProud. ResearchersattheUniversityofVirginiawereeventuallyabletocreateaviruspreparationinaccordancewithFDAregulations.OwingtoProud’sconnectionwiththeprincipleinvestigator,Dr.RonaldTurner,hewasabletosecureHealthCanadaapprovaltousethe

Depending on how you define a cure for the common cold, scientists may be just as unlikely to find one now as they were a hundred years ago. But that hasn’t stopped them from trying.

mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe reseArCh

By Amy Dowd

reseArCh

Dr. Brian Benson is the director of the University of Calgary’s sport Concussion Clinic, a research assistant professor in the Department of Clinical neurosciences, and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. sean Dukelow is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Clinical neurosciences, and in the Faculty of Kinesiology. he is also a member of the hotchkiss Brain institute (hBi).

a concussion is a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. there are many different definitions of traumatic brain injury, with upwards of 30 published sport concussion grading scales−none of which have been based on valid scientific evidence.

preventionrulEs aND rEgulatIoNs IN sports Strictly enforcing rules pertaining to behaviour that may induce concussion

attItuDEs aND bEhavIour emphasizing respect for teammates and opponents

EquIpMENt Wearing certified helmets that fit properly can help prevent focal head trauma such as skull fractures, epidural and subdural hematomas

EDuCatIoN Creating awareness around symptoms lets people know when to seek help

ENvIroNMENt evaluating the composition of equipment and the size of the playing facility, and assessing potential risks can reduce the number of hazards athletes may come in contact with

Children and concussionsChildren can experience similar symptoms to adults, but because the brain is still developing until about age 24, there is reason to worry more so for young people receiving concussions.

“ Certainly we don’t want a child sustaining repeat concussions that may not only prevent them from being the best they can be in sport, but can affect their whole livelihood from school and academic performance, to social activities and family/friend dynamics.” — dr. Brian Benson

Risks of receiving multiple concussionsStudies have suggested that multiple concussions can be detrimental to brain health, but how many is too many has not yet been defined. There is also increasing evidence to show that after receiving a concussion the risk is higher for repeat concussions.

treatmentrest (physical and mental) is the primary treatment for an acute sport- related concussion. a graded exertional return to normal activity protocol should be based on a physician’s recommendation.

Persistent post-concussive symptoms typically require the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team to manage them.

What happENs If a CoNCussIoN goEs uNtrEatED?

“ An untreated concussion is a big concern. If it’s not assessed in a timely matter and not treated appropriately from the start, it can lead to prolonged symptoms and put the individual at further risk of repeat or other injury.” — dr. Brian Benson

Diagnosesif a patient presents with plausible post-traumatic concussion signs or symptoms, a thorough history, physical examination, and assessment of cognitive status are performed by a physician to confirm an official diagnoses.

Traditional imaging technologies such as mri and CT scans contribute little to concussion evaluation and are not routinely recommended for diagnoses. This is primarily because the technology has not been shown to be sensitive enough to measure changes in the brain caused by a concussion.

how long do concussions normally last?most (80 to 90 per cent) concussions resolve in seven to 10 days when managed appropriately. But symptoms may persist for months or even years in a small percentage of individuals and may lead to additional symptoms such as sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and mood disorders.

Causesa direct blow to the head, face, neck or elsewhere on the body, with an impulsive force transmitted to the head.

ExaMplEs of EvENts WhICh CoulD lEaD to CoNCussIoN:

Hits received in collision sports such as hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and others; motor vehicle accidents; hitting your head in any other capacity.

DID you kNoW?

The brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid designed to protect the brain from impact by acting as a type of cushion. a rapid acceleration and deceleration caused by traumatic force can overpower this protective barrier, causing the brain to bounce off of the inside of the skull.

“ The brain wasn’t designed to do a lot of things people put it through.” — dr. Sean dukelow

symptomsHeadache, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, light sensitivity, double vision, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), impaired motor coordination, impaired balance, confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia (cannot remember events leading up to the injury).

Not all concussions present the same–individuals may experience few, or several symptoms.

09

What is a concussion?

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

reseArCh

Dr. Brian Benson is the director of the University of Calgary’s sport Concussion Clinic, a research assistant professor in the Department of Clinical neurosciences, and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine. Dr. sean Dukelow is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Clinical neurosciences, and in the Faculty of Kinesiology. he is also a member of the hotchkiss Brain institute (hBi).

a concussion is a complex pathophysiological process affecting the brain induced by traumatic biomechanical forces. there are many different definitions of traumatic brain injury, with upwards of 30 published sport concussion grading scales−none of which have been based on valid scientific evidence.

preventionrulEs aND rEgulatIoNs IN sports Strictly enforcing rules pertaining to behaviour that may induce concussion

attItuDEs aND bEhavIour emphasizing respect for teammates and opponents

EquIpMENt Wearing certified helmets that fit properly can help prevent focal head trauma such as skull fractures, epidural and subdural hematomas

EDuCatIoN Creating awareness around symptoms lets people know when to seek help

ENvIroNMENt evaluating the composition of equipment and the size of the playing facility, and assessing potential risks can reduce the number of hazards athletes may come in contact with

Children and concussionsChildren can experience similar symptoms to adults, but because the brain is still developing until about age 24, there is reason to worry more so for young people receiving concussions.

“ Certainly we don’t want a child sustaining repeat concussions that may not only prevent them from being the best they can be in sport, but can affect their whole livelihood from school and academic performance, to social activities and family/friend dynamics.” — dr. Brian Benson

Risks of receiving multiple concussionsStudies have suggested that multiple concussions can be detrimental to brain health, but how many is too many has not yet been defined. There is also increasing evidence to show that after receiving a concussion the risk is higher for repeat concussions.

treatmentrest (physical and mental) is the primary treatment for an acute sport- related concussion. a graded exertional return to normal activity protocol should be based on a physician’s recommendation.

Persistent post-concussive symptoms typically require the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team to manage them.

What happENs If a CoNCussIoN goEs uNtrEatED?

“ An untreated concussion is a big concern. If it’s not assessed in a timely matter and not treated appropriately from the start, it can lead to prolonged symptoms and put the individual at further risk of repeat or other injury.” — dr. Brian Benson

Diagnosesif a patient presents with plausible post-traumatic concussion signs or symptoms, a thorough history, physical examination, and assessment of cognitive status are performed by a physician to confirm an official diagnoses.

Traditional imaging technologies such as mri and CT scans contribute little to concussion evaluation and are not routinely recommended for diagnoses. This is primarily because the technology has not been shown to be sensitive enough to measure changes in the brain caused by a concussion.

how long do concussions normally last?most (80 to 90 per cent) concussions resolve in seven to 10 days when managed appropriately. But symptoms may persist for months or even years in a small percentage of individuals and may lead to additional symptoms such as sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and mood disorders.

Causesa direct blow to the head, face, neck or elsewhere on the body, with an impulsive force transmitted to the head.

ExaMplEs of EvENts WhICh CoulD lEaD to CoNCussIoN:

Hits received in collision sports such as hockey, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and others; motor vehicle accidents; hitting your head in any other capacity.

DID you kNoW?

The brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid designed to protect the brain from impact by acting as a type of cushion. a rapid acceleration and deceleration caused by traumatic force can overpower this protective barrier, causing the brain to bounce off of the inside of the skull.

“ The brain wasn’t designed to do a lot of things people put it through.” — dr. Sean dukelow

symptomsHeadache, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, light sensitivity, double vision, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), impaired motor coordination, impaired balance, confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia (cannot remember events leading up to the injury).

Not all concussions present the same–individuals may experience few, or several symptoms.

09

What is a concussion?

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

He a lt H sciences alUMNa in the city

AlUMni

1

My first gliMpse of New york City was dUriNg a faMily vaCatioN iN JaNUary 2011. one oF the highlightswasseeingaBroadwaymusicalcalledIntheHeights,aboutalivelyDominicancommunityinupperManhattancalledWashingtonHeights.Aslifewouldhaveit,Iwas

acceptedbyColumbiaUniversity’sMD/PhDprograminthe2011/2012applicationcycle.Thecombinationofmedschool,researchopportunitiesandlocationwasimpossibletoresist,soonJune20,2012Istuffedmybelongingsintofourlargesuitcasesandmovedclosetothemedicalcampus,intheheartofWashingtonHeights.

Photos and commentary by Bachelor of health sciences alumna holly womba

1 Rooftop View A glorious rooftop view of the concrete jungle that is Manhattan. while i will miss seeing the rockies every morning, my dorm at least has an excellent view of the hudson river. 2 alberta Pride Most U.s. MD/PhD programs

don’t fund international students. of those that do, it is usually only one. however, this year my entering class has two international students–myself and Chu Jian (Frank) Ma. while Frank did his undergrad at Cornell, he is originally from…MeDiCine hAt!

HavingspentthesummerinmyPhDlabworkingontissueengineering,IhavenowstartedmyMDprogram.AlthoughIwillbecontinuingwithresearchandgraduatecoursesthroughout,Iwon’tbeafull-timePhDstudent(inbiomedicalengineering)untiltwoyearsfromnow,whenIhavecompletedthefirsthalfofmedicalschool. Whilebusy,Iam,nevertheless,greatlyenjoyingmyprogram.Iamsurroundedbymotivatedandtalentedindividuals,whichIthinkismoreare-flectionofmovingupindegreeprograms

thansomethinguniquetoColumbia.WhatIdoappreciateaboutColumbia,specifically,isthediversityofitsmedicalstudents.TheycomefromallovertheUnitedStates(andtheworld)andarejustaslikelytohavebackgroundsintheartsastheyareinthesciences.Ithink,too,thatmyColumbiaexperiencecan’tbedisconnectedfromitslocation,bothinWashingtonHeightsandinNewYorkCity.Ifyou’recurious,IencourageyoutotuneintoNYMed,arealityshowaboutourhospitalthatrecentlyairedonABC(isn’tthatawesome?).

Undoubtedly,therehavebeenmanyluckycircumstancesthatledmetobeinthisposition,butIalsomadesomeimportantchoices.Lookingback,oneofthebestwasjoiningtheBachelorofHealthSciencesprogramattheUniversityofCalgary.Itnourishedmyinterestsinbothmedicineandscience,andithelpedmetodeveloptheskillsIwouldneedtosucceedatboth.IwillalwaysremembermyyearsatUCalgarywithfondnessandwithpride.Itis,astheAmericansliketoputit,myAlmaMater.

R i g h t s o f

Passage

When i UseDtohearthewordManhattan,Ienvisionedstreetsfullofhonkingtaxis,andsidewalksconsumedbypedestrians,

determinedlymarchingforthontheirdailymissions.Inreality,I’mnotsureifitisthatfast-paced,butIhavenoticedthepedestrianshereexhibitastrangesortofphenotype:theyseemtobecompletelyoblivioustotrafficsignals. InthemidstofaclearDONOT

WALKsigntheywillstrideintothestreet,makingmetersofprogressbeforestoppingabruptlyforacartowhizby,likeNeonarrowlydodgingbulletsinTheMatrix.Whilethereissomethingdeliciouslyrebelliousaboutthisbehavior,I’lladmit,itwasn’tsomethingIcould

embraceatfirst.IsupposeIfeltthatIwastooyoungandhadworkedtoohardtoendupassomesortoflife-sizeCanadianbumperstickersplayedacrossthefrontofataxi. However,afterweeksofbeingagoodytwo-shoes,stubbornlyobeyingthelaw,Ibegantoconvert.Yousee,Idiscoveredthatcarsdidn’tobeytrafficsignalseither–yieldingtopedestriansexistedmoreintheorythaninpractice.Ifyou’reatriskof

beingrunoverregardless,thenwhywait? AsItransitionintomynewjourneyasanMD/PhDstudentinNYC,Ihavelearnedthatthereare,ironically,norightsofpassage.Onemustsimplybeadefensivewalker.AndItrytotakesolaceinthefactthatIworkonlytwominutesawayfromahospital.

wHat i do appreCiate aboUt ColUMbia, speCifiCally, is tHe diversity of its MediCal stUdeNts.

3

mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe 11UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

2 4

3 Taxis 4 elmo/Mickey Day one of Med school orientation: a Manhattan-wide scavenger hunt. our group was quite pleased with ourselves for our

solution to ‘get a photo with someone unequivocally famous.’ we later found out that another group actually got a picture with tina Fey in Central Park.

subteRRanean

sy MPHoN y

my FiRst expeRienCewiththeNYCMetrowasonDecember2,2011,thedayofmyColumbiainterviews.Sinceinterviewsthreeandfourwerewiththefacultyonthemaincampus,56blocksfromthe

medschool,theprogramcoordinatorsarmedmewithamapandaMetroCardandwishedmeluck. Imanagedtogetmyselfontothecorrecttrainandstartedtocountdownthestops.MaybeitwasbecauseIwasusedtothediversityoncitytransitormaybeitwasbecausemymindwasoscillatingbetweenoveranalyzingmypreviousinterviewsandworryingaboutthenext,eitherway,Itooklittlenoticewhena20-year-old‘punk’steppedontothetrain−untilIheardanoffensivesoundcomingfromhisdirection.

No,itwasn’tprofanity.Itwas,well,anaccordion. Overthepasteightmonths,Ihaveexperiencedmanyothermusicalinterventionswhileonthemetro.I’vebeenanaudienceforDominicanacapellagroups,Mexicanmariachisandurbanjazzplayers,though,interestingly,playinginsidethetrainsisactuallyillegal. WhenIimaginethesealtogether,itseemslikeasortofsubterraneansymphony,providingadynamicsoundtracktothe‘citythatneversleeps’.

Fun/ U sefUl facts

New Yorkers are obsessed with straws. You will get one with everything from

bottled pop and juice to hot chocolate. One day, I made the mistake of asking the cashier if this was because the pop bottles weren’t clean. Clearly offended, she said, “No hon, New Yorkers just like straws!”

In prestigious academic institutions, bow ties are no longer an endangered

species.

People in Manhattan do not have the stereotypi-cal New York accent (this

was disappointing).

Get into a taxi before telling the driver where you want to go. As soon

as you are seated the driver is legally bound to comply (this doesn’t mean some don’t get frustrated in bad traffic and kick you out).

You can line up for cheap Broadway tickets on the day of the performance

at TKTS booths. The savings in cash will, of course, come at the cost of unnecessary time in Times Square.

The Soup Man (from Seinfeld) actually serves delicious soup.

5 amazing Things when you receive instruction from and work with internationally renowned physicians, surgeons, and researchers, it’s hard not to believe that amazing things are happening at Columbia. 6 Butler library the downtown Columbia

campus has some amazing architecture, with many buildings pre-dating the American revolution. this is an image of Butler library taken from behind the Alma Mater statue. 7 Fairway Market

5 6

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

7

1312 mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca/magaziNe eDUCAt ion

There is a lot of medical dialogue in the show. How accurate is it?Theydotrytobeaccurate.Forexample,

whenthey’rerunningcodestheytrytousemedicaljargonappropriatetothescenario;however,theirdecisionmakingfordrasticproceduresisveryarbitrary.Theydocertainthingsthatarenotevidence-basedorthatmightbeconsideredoldmedicine−nobodydoesitanymorebecauseit’stotallyoldschool. Why do you think the show would portray

procedures that way?It’smoredramatictosay,‘Let’s

crackopenthechest!’thanitistosay,‘Let’sadministersomemedicationthroughtheIV.’ The doctors seem to bring a lot of personal

drama to work. Do real doctors ever bring their personal issues to work this way?Idon’tthinkanybodyisdrama-less.

However,thehospitalisaveryprofessionalenvironmentandmostpeopledon’tbringtheirpersonallivesintoittotheextentthattheydoontheshow.I’mprettysurewhattheyhavegoingononGrey’sAnatomyisunethicalanddefinitelyunprofessional. We’ve seen several episodes where the

residents are left to do surgical procedures on their own. What are your real limitations as a resident?Proceduralautonomyisgraded

dependingonyourlevel.OnGrey’sAnatomy,they’llrunintosituationswheretheremaybetworesidentsrunninganoperatingroomwithnostaffaround.Thatdoesn’thappeninoursystem.Butasafirst-yearresident,ifaseniorresidentisaround,they’llassumetheroleofteacherandtakeyouthroughtheprocedure. Asyoubecomemoresenior,thenyou

gettodothingsonyourown−especiallyconsultsintheemergencyroom.Thereisstillastaffdoctortherethough,buttheytakeonmoreofahelpingorassistingrole. We see the doctors do everything from

start IVs to run CT scans and interpret results. Do most doctors utilize all of those skills on a regular basis?No.Ithinkoneofthemoreblatantly

poorexamplesofthisistheshowHouse,wherethedoctorsdoeverythingfromdrawingblood,toanalyzingitinthelab.Inthehospital,we’reahugemulti-disciplinaryteam.Doctorsdoordertheexams,buttheydon’tactuallyperformthemthemselves.Surgeryofcoursewedo,that’sinourdomain,butintermsofscansandothertests−that’sradiology,pathology,etc. There’s a lot of chit-chat that goes on

during surgeries on the show. Does that normally happen?

Chattingduringsurgeryhappensatappropriatetimes.Mostofthetime,peoplearefocusedonthesurgerysothere’snotalotofconversation–especiallyifit’scomplexorit’sapartofthesurgerythat’smoredifficult−itcanbeprettymuchsilent.Butitwouldbeboringtowatch

ashowwheretheydidn’ttalkaboutwhat’sgoingonintheirlivesforhoweverlongthesurgerylasts. Is there anything you find humorous

about the show that a non-medical audience might miss?Ohyeah,theshowisactuallyquite

comical.Intermsoftheoperatingroom–Imean,sterileproceduresarecompletelythrownoutthewindow−they’retouchingeverything!Andoneofthemosthilariousbitsiswhentheywearheadlights.Wewearthemtoo;however,theobjectiveoftheheadlightistoputlightintothesurgicalfield.Theirheadlightsareallovertheplace.Andthesurgicalloupsthattheyweartomagnifythesurgicalfieldaremostlyhangingoffoftheirnosesorhangingofftheirneckstrap–it’squitefunny.

grey’s Anatomy is one of television’s leading medical programs, but while some might get caught up in the love triangles and ensuing drama, we wanted to know how the show measures up from a medical perspective. Fifth-year head and neck surgical resident Dr. Monica Hoy, weighs in.

A grey area

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

subteRRanean

sy MPHoN y

my FiRst expeRienCewiththeNYCMetrowasonDecember2,2011,thedayofmyColumbiainterviews.Sinceinterviewsthreeandfourwerewiththefacultyonthemaincampus,56blocksfromthe

medschool,theprogramcoordinatorsarmedmewithamapandaMetroCardandwishedmeluck. Imanagedtogetmyselfontothecorrecttrainandstartedtocountdownthestops.MaybeitwasbecauseIwasusedtothediversityoncitytransitormaybeitwasbecausemymindwasoscillatingbetweenoveranalyzingmypreviousinterviewsandworryingaboutthenext,eitherway,Itooklittlenoticewhena20-year-old‘punk’steppedontothetrain−untilIheardanoffensivesoundcomingfromhisdirection.

No,itwasn’tprofanity.Itwas,well,anaccordion. Overthepasteightmonths,Ihaveexperiencedmanyothermusicalinterventionswhileonthemetro.I’vebeenanaudienceforDominicanacapellagroups,Mexicanmariachisandurbanjazzplayers,though,interestingly,playinginsidethetrainsisactuallyillegal. WhenIimaginethesealtogether,itseemslikeasortofsubterraneansymphony,providingadynamicsoundtracktothe‘citythatneversleeps’.

Fun/ U sefUl facts

New Yorkers are obsessed with straws. You will get one with everything from

bottled pop and juice to hot chocolate. One day, I made the mistake of asking the cashier if this was because the pop bottles weren’t clean. Clearly offended, she said, “No hon, New Yorkers just like straws!”

In prestigious academic institutions, bow ties are no longer an endangered

species.

People in Manhattan do not have the stereotypi-cal New York accent (this

was disappointing).

Get into a taxi before telling the driver where you want to go. As soon

as you are seated the driver is legally bound to comply (this doesn’t mean some don’t get frustrated in bad traffic and kick you out).

You can line up for cheap Broadway tickets on the day of the performance

at TKTS booths. The savings in cash will, of course, come at the cost of unnecessary time in Times Square.

The Soup Man (from Seinfeld) actually serves delicious soup.

5 amazing Things when you receive instruction from and work with internationally renowned physicians, surgeons, and researchers, it’s hard not to believe that amazing things are happening at Columbia. 6 Butler library the downtown Columbia

campus has some amazing architecture, with many buildings pre-dating the American revolution. this is an image of Butler library taken from behind the Alma Mater statue. 7 Fairway Market

5 6

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

7

1312 mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca/magaziNe eDUCAt ion

There is a lot of medical dialogue in the show. How accurate is it?Theydotrytobeaccurate.Forexample,

whenthey’rerunningcodestheytrytousemedicaljargonappropriatetothescenario;however,theirdecisionmakingfordrasticproceduresisveryarbitrary.Theydocertainthingsthatarenotevidence-basedorthatmightbeconsideredoldmedicine−nobodydoesitanymorebecauseit’stotallyoldschool. Why do you think the show would portray

procedures that way?It’smoredramatictosay,‘Let’s

crackopenthechest!’thanitistosay,‘Let’sadministersomemedicationthroughtheIV.’ The doctors seem to bring a lot of personal

drama to work. Do real doctors ever bring their personal issues to work this way?Idon’tthinkanybodyisdrama-less.

However,thehospitalisaveryprofessionalenvironmentandmostpeopledon’tbringtheirpersonallivesintoittotheextentthattheydoontheshow.I’mprettysurewhattheyhavegoingononGrey’sAnatomyisunethicalanddefinitelyunprofessional. We’ve seen several episodes where the

residents are left to do surgical procedures on their own. What are your real limitations as a resident?Proceduralautonomyisgraded

dependingonyourlevel.OnGrey’sAnatomy,they’llrunintosituationswheretheremaybetworesidentsrunninganoperatingroomwithnostaffaround.Thatdoesn’thappeninoursystem.Butasafirst-yearresident,ifaseniorresidentisaround,they’llassumetheroleofteacherandtakeyouthroughtheprocedure. Asyoubecomemoresenior,thenyou

gettodothingsonyourown−especiallyconsultsintheemergencyroom.Thereisstillastaffdoctortherethough,buttheytakeonmoreofahelpingorassistingrole. We see the doctors do everything from

start IVs to run CT scans and interpret results. Do most doctors utilize all of those skills on a regular basis?No.Ithinkoneofthemoreblatantly

poorexamplesofthisistheshowHouse,wherethedoctorsdoeverythingfromdrawingblood,toanalyzingitinthelab.Inthehospital,we’reahugemulti-disciplinaryteam.Doctorsdoordertheexams,buttheydon’tactuallyperformthemthemselves.Surgeryofcoursewedo,that’sinourdomain,butintermsofscansandothertests−that’sradiology,pathology,etc. There’s a lot of chit-chat that goes on

during surgeries on the show. Does that normally happen?

Chattingduringsurgeryhappensatappropriatetimes.Mostofthetime,peoplearefocusedonthesurgerysothere’snotalotofconversation–especiallyifit’scomplexorit’sapartofthesurgerythat’smoredifficult−itcanbeprettymuchsilent.Butitwouldbeboringtowatch

ashowwheretheydidn’ttalkaboutwhat’sgoingonintheirlivesforhoweverlongthesurgerylasts. Is there anything you find humorous

about the show that a non-medical audience might miss?Ohyeah,theshowisactuallyquite

comical.Intermsoftheoperatingroom–Imean,sterileproceduresarecompletelythrownoutthewindow−they’retouchingeverything!Andoneofthemosthilariousbitsiswhentheywearheadlights.Wewearthemtoo;however,theobjectiveoftheheadlightistoputlightintothesurgicalfield.Theirheadlightsareallovertheplace.Andthesurgicalloupsthattheyweartomagnifythesurgicalfieldaremostlyhangingoffoftheirnosesorhangingofftheirneckstrap–it’squitefunny.

grey’s Anatomy is one of television’s leading medical programs, but while some might get caught up in the love triangles and ensuing drama, we wanted to know how the show measures up from a medical perspective. Fifth-year head and neck surgical resident Dr. Monica Hoy, weighs in.

A grey area

For exclusive online content visit us at medicine.ucalgary.ca/magazine

15UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

In the newsAwards and recognition

the FaCUlty oFMedicinewelcomed170newandeagerfacesthissummer−thefutureMDClassof2015.Aspartoforientation,studentshadtheoptionofparticipatinginMed.Zero−aworkshoporganizedbyDr.DavidKeeganandtheDepartmentofFamilyMedicine.Theworkshopisdesignedtogenerateenthusiasmforfamilymedicineasacareeroption,andgivesstudentstheopportunitytoparticipateinactivitiessuchassuturingandcasting. MariannaHofmeister,PhD,actingeducationmanager

a team oFsomeofthecountry’stopmindsincancerresearchrecentlyreceivedan$8.2-millioninvestmenttoresearchnewtreatmentsforglioblastoma−themostcommonanddeadlyformofbraincanceramongadults.Dr.GregoryCairncross,aprofessorintheDepartmentofClinicalNeurosciencesattheUniversityofCalgary,willleadtheproject. Formorethanthreedecades,glioblastomatreatmenthasremainedlargelyunchanged.

a noRth ameRiCanstudyledbyDr.FrancoisBernierattheUniversityofCalgary’sAlbertaChildren’sHospitalResearchInstitutehasidentifiedthegenethatcausesNagerSyndrome−aconditionwhichcausesdeformationinachild’sfaceandlimbs,aswellasdeafness. “Geneticdisordersinchildrenareindividuallyrarebutcollectivelycommon,affectingthelivesofhundredsofthousandsofchildreninCanada.Andmostof

ReseaRCheRs at the

UniversityofCalgaryandAlbertaHealthServices’(AHS)TomBakerCancerCentreareexaminingthepotentialuseofthereovirusasapossibletreatmentformultiplemyeloma−acancerthataffectsbloodcells.Scientistsinjectedthenaturallyoccurringvirusintoanimalmodelscontaininghumanmultiplemyelomacelllines,andfoundthattheviruskilledthecancercellswhileleavingthenormal,healthycellsalone. “Thevirusappearsnottoaffecthealthycells,unlikeradiationandchemotherapy,”saysDr.DonMorris,leadauthorofthestudy,AHSmedicaloncologistandmemberoftheUniversity

forthedepartment,saystheeventisachanceforstudentstogettoknoweachotherandthatthehands-ontrainingisextremelypopular. “Theygettogettheirhandswetanddirtybeforetheycrackopentheirbooks,”shesays.“Theyworkwithruralandurbanpreceptors,startingtheirformaleducationinaverypositive,encouragingenvironment.” Keepingwithtradition,thenewclasshasalsobeenofficiallyinductedintotheMedicineMenagerieasthe…cows.

Theresearchteamisfocusingonthedevelopmentofnewdrugs,thefirstofwhichtheyhopecouldbereadyforclinicaltrialsintwotofouryears. Theinvestment,oneofthelargestevermadeinCanadaforglioblastomaresearch,camefromtheTerryFoxResearchInstitute(TFRI),theTerryFoxFoundation(TFF),AlbertaInnovates–HealthSolutions,theAlbertaCancerFoundation,GenomeCanada,GenomeBCandtheBCCancerFoundation.

thegenesthatcausetheseconditionshaveyettobefound,”saysBernier. ThediscoverywastheresultofaninternationalcollaborationbetweenFORGECanadaandtheUniversityofWashington.

ofCalgary’sSouthernAlbertaCancerResearchInstitute.“Inthefuture,thistreatmentmightbeusedinconjunctionwithothercancertherapies,aswehaverecentlyfoundthatthecombinationofreovirusandothernewtherapiescurrentlyusedinthetreatmentofmyelomaworkbettertogetherthanindividually.” Scientistshopethisresearchlaysthefoundationforanearlyphaseclinicaltrialusingreovirusforthetreatmentofmultiplemyeloma.Thissamegroupofresearchershasalreadystartedclinicaltrialsusingthereovirusonlungandprostatecancer.

ReseaRcHeRsDiscoveRRaRegene

stuDyinvestigatesviRusaspotentialcanceRtHeRapy

ReseaRcHeRstotackleDeaDlybRaincanceR

Welcome to the menagerie!

mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe news

FacultyofMedicinegraduatestudentRobin Walkerwasrecentlyawardedthe

VanierCanadaGraduateScholarshipinrecognitionofherresearchandacademicachievements.Byexamininghospitaladmissionsrelatedtocommonchronicconditions–referredtoasambulatorycaresensitiveconditions–suchashighbloodpressureanddiabetes,Walker’sresearchaimstodevelopnewwaysofidentifyingandmeasuringthenumberofavoidablehospitaladmissionsinCanada.

Carly Glasner, afamilymedicineresident,andherfacultyadvisor,Dr.DavidTopps,wonsecondprizeintheCHEC-CESCVirtualPatientChallenge2011forauthoringPoppyGone:AVirtualPrenatalPatient.TheprimaryobjectiveofGlasner’sprojectwastocreateavirtualpatientthatexploresproblemsolvingabilitiesinlow-riskobstetrics.

Colin Casault, athird-yearmedicalstudent,receivedtheCanadianMedicalAssociation(CMA)AwardforYoungLeaders.Casaultisbeingrecognizedbecauseofhisleadershipinadvancingmedicalstudentissuesatvariouslevelsofgovernment,andhisinvaluablecontributionstothedevelopmentofstudent-runeducationalinitiativesattheUniversityofCalgary.

Dr. Trevor ThemanandMr. John Swiniarski,wasselectedtoreceiveoneofthree2012RoyalCollegeAccreditedCPDProviderInnovationAwardsforthedevelopmentofthePhysicianAchievementReviewProgram.

TheCanadianSocietyofImmunology(CSI)awardedPaul Kubes, PhD,the

Bernhard(Hardy)CinaderAward.TheawardisgiventoanimmunologistworkinginCanadarecognizedasanexceptionalresearcherinthefield.

TheAmericanSocietyforSurgeryoftheHand(ASSH)hasnamedDr. Kevin

Hildebrandasthe2012recipientoftheAndrewJ.WeilandMedalforOutstandingResearchinHandSurgery.Themedalrecognizesandsupportsoutstandingresearchinhandsurgeryinordertocontinuethevisionofhandsurgeonandresearcher,Dr.AndrewWeiland.

TheFacultyofMedicine’sDr. Brenda HemmelgarnandDr. Braden Manns,alongwiththeUniversityofAlberta’sDr. Marcello Tonelli,receivedthefirstAlbertaHealthServicesPresident’sExcellenceAward

ThisisthesecondyearinarowthataUniversityofCalgarymedicalstudenthasreceivedtheaward.

BHSc(honours)graduateMichelle HuiereceivedthePresident’sAwardforExcellenceinStudentLeadership.Inadditiontoexcellinginheracademicsandcarryingoutresearchthroughoutherdegree,Huiehasworkedtomaketheuniversitycommunityanengagingexperienceforotherstudents.

Dr. Morley Hollenberg isthe2012recipientoftheHenryFriesenAward,

aschosenjointlybytheCanadianSocietyforClinicalInvestigation(CSCI)andtheRoyalCollegeofPhysiciansandSurgeonsofCanada.TheawardrecognizesadistinguishedCanadianscientistwhohasdemonstratedleadershipindevelopingbiomedicalresearchatlocal,nationalandinternationallevels.

TheofficeofContinuing Medical Education and Professional Development (CMEandPD)attheUniversityofCalgary,ledbyJocelyn Lockyer, PhD, Claudio Violato, PhD,andtheirpartnersattheCollege of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta(CPSA),

forOutstandingAchievementsinResearch.HavingleadtheInterdisciplinaryChronicDiseaseCollaboration(ICDC),thegroupaimstosupporthigherquality,moreequitableandefficientcareforAlbertanswithoratriskofcommonchronicailmentssuchaskidneydisease,diabetesandheartdisease.

Inrecognitionofhiswide-spreadresearchaccomplishmentsandextensivecontributions

toCanadianintellectuallife,David Proud, PhD,hasbeenelectedasaFellowoftheRoyalSocietyofCanada.Thefellowshipisconsideredthehighesthonourthatcanbeattainedbyscholars,artistsandscientistsinCanada.

UniversityofCalgarymedicalstudentStephen AnnandreceivedtheTarrantscholarship.Thescholarshipisawardedtothird-yearmedicalstudentswhohavedemonstratedaninterestin,anddedicationto,ruralmedicalissuesintheirundergraduatework.

Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn,Dr. Todd AndersonandDr.Subrata GhoshwillbeinductedintotheCanadianAcademyofHealthSciences(CAHS)thisfall,fortheirdemonstrationofleadership,creativity,distinctivecompetenciesandacommit-menttoadvanceacademichealthscience.

15UCALGARY MEDICINE Fall 2012

In the newsAwards and recognition

the FaCUlty oFMedicinewelcomed170newandeagerfacesthissummer−thefutureMDClassof2015.Aspartoforientation,studentshadtheoptionofparticipatinginMed.Zero−aworkshoporganizedbyDr.DavidKeeganandtheDepartmentofFamilyMedicine.Theworkshopisdesignedtogenerateenthusiasmforfamilymedicineasacareeroption,andgivesstudentstheopportunitytoparticipateinactivitiessuchassuturingandcasting. MariannaHofmeister,PhD,actingeducationmanager

a team oFsomeofthecountry’stopmindsincancerresearchrecentlyreceivedan$8.2-millioninvestmenttoresearchnewtreatmentsforglioblastoma−themostcommonanddeadlyformofbraincanceramongadults.Dr.GregoryCairncross,aprofessorintheDepartmentofClinicalNeurosciencesattheUniversityofCalgary,willleadtheproject. Formorethanthreedecades,glioblastomatreatmenthasremainedlargelyunchanged.

a noRth ameRiCanstudyledbyDr.FrancoisBernierattheUniversityofCalgary’sAlbertaChildren’sHospitalResearchInstitutehasidentifiedthegenethatcausesNagerSyndrome−aconditionwhichcausesdeformationinachild’sfaceandlimbs,aswellasdeafness. “Geneticdisordersinchildrenareindividuallyrarebutcollectivelycommon,affectingthelivesofhundredsofthousandsofchildreninCanada.Andmostof

ReseaRCheRs at the

UniversityofCalgaryandAlbertaHealthServices’(AHS)TomBakerCancerCentreareexaminingthepotentialuseofthereovirusasapossibletreatmentformultiplemyeloma−acancerthataffectsbloodcells.Scientistsinjectedthenaturallyoccurringvirusintoanimalmodelscontaininghumanmultiplemyelomacelllines,andfoundthattheviruskilledthecancercellswhileleavingthenormal,healthycellsalone. “Thevirusappearsnottoaffecthealthycells,unlikeradiationandchemotherapy,”saysDr.DonMorris,leadauthorofthestudy,AHSmedicaloncologistandmemberoftheUniversity

forthedepartment,saystheeventisachanceforstudentstogettoknoweachotherandthatthehands-ontrainingisextremelypopular. “Theygettogettheirhandswetanddirtybeforetheycrackopentheirbooks,”shesays.“Theyworkwithruralandurbanpreceptors,startingtheirformaleducationinaverypositive,encouragingenvironment.” Keepingwithtradition,thenewclasshasalsobeenofficiallyinductedintotheMedicineMenagerieasthe…cows.

Theresearchteamisfocusingonthedevelopmentofnewdrugs,thefirstofwhichtheyhopecouldbereadyforclinicaltrialsintwotofouryears. Theinvestment,oneofthelargestevermadeinCanadaforglioblastomaresearch,camefromtheTerryFoxResearchInstitute(TFRI),theTerryFoxFoundation(TFF),AlbertaInnovates–HealthSolutions,theAlbertaCancerFoundation,GenomeCanada,GenomeBCandtheBCCancerFoundation.

thegenesthatcausetheseconditionshaveyettobefound,”saysBernier. ThediscoverywastheresultofaninternationalcollaborationbetweenFORGECanadaandtheUniversityofWashington.

ofCalgary’sSouthernAlbertaCancerResearchInstitute.“Inthefuture,thistreatmentmightbeusedinconjunctionwithothercancertherapies,aswehaverecentlyfoundthatthecombinationofreovirusandothernewtherapiescurrentlyusedinthetreatmentofmyelomaworkbettertogetherthanindividually.” Scientistshopethisresearchlaysthefoundationforanearlyphaseclinicaltrialusingreovirusforthetreatmentofmultiplemyeloma.Thissamegroupofresearchershasalreadystartedclinicaltrialsusingthereovirusonlungandprostatecancer.

ReseaRcHeRsDiscoveRRaRegene

stuDyinvestigatesviRusaspotentialcanceRtHeRapy

ReseaRcHeRstotackleDeaDlybRaincanceR

Welcome to the menagerie!

mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe news

FacultyofMedicinegraduatestudentRobin Walkerwasrecentlyawardedthe

VanierCanadaGraduateScholarshipinrecognitionofherresearchandacademicachievements.Byexamininghospitaladmissionsrelatedtocommonchronicconditions–referredtoasambulatorycaresensitiveconditions–suchashighbloodpressureanddiabetes,Walker’sresearchaimstodevelopnewwaysofidentifyingandmeasuringthenumberofavoidablehospitaladmissionsinCanada.

Carly Glasner, afamilymedicineresident,andherfacultyadvisor,Dr.DavidTopps,wonsecondprizeintheCHEC-CESCVirtualPatientChallenge2011forauthoringPoppyGone:AVirtualPrenatalPatient.TheprimaryobjectiveofGlasner’sprojectwastocreateavirtualpatientthatexploresproblemsolvingabilitiesinlow-riskobstetrics.

Colin Casault, athird-yearmedicalstudent,receivedtheCanadianMedicalAssociation(CMA)AwardforYoungLeaders.Casaultisbeingrecognizedbecauseofhisleadershipinadvancingmedicalstudentissuesatvariouslevelsofgovernment,andhisinvaluablecontributionstothedevelopmentofstudent-runeducationalinitiativesattheUniversityofCalgary.

Dr. Trevor ThemanandMr. John Swiniarski,wasselectedtoreceiveoneofthree2012RoyalCollegeAccreditedCPDProviderInnovationAwardsforthedevelopmentofthePhysicianAchievementReviewProgram.

TheCanadianSocietyofImmunology(CSI)awardedPaul Kubes, PhD,the

Bernhard(Hardy)CinaderAward.TheawardisgiventoanimmunologistworkinginCanadarecognizedasanexceptionalresearcherinthefield.

TheAmericanSocietyforSurgeryoftheHand(ASSH)hasnamedDr. Kevin

Hildebrandasthe2012recipientoftheAndrewJ.WeilandMedalforOutstandingResearchinHandSurgery.Themedalrecognizesandsupportsoutstandingresearchinhandsurgeryinordertocontinuethevisionofhandsurgeonandresearcher,Dr.AndrewWeiland.

TheFacultyofMedicine’sDr. Brenda HemmelgarnandDr. Braden Manns,alongwiththeUniversityofAlberta’sDr. Marcello Tonelli,receivedthefirstAlbertaHealthServicesPresident’sExcellenceAward

ThisisthesecondyearinarowthataUniversityofCalgarymedicalstudenthasreceivedtheaward.

BHSc(honours)graduateMichelle HuiereceivedthePresident’sAwardforExcellenceinStudentLeadership.Inadditiontoexcellinginheracademicsandcarryingoutresearchthroughoutherdegree,Huiehasworkedtomaketheuniversitycommunityanengagingexperienceforotherstudents.

Dr. Morley Hollenberg isthe2012recipientoftheHenryFriesenAward,

aschosenjointlybytheCanadianSocietyforClinicalInvestigation(CSCI)andtheRoyalCollegeofPhysiciansandSurgeonsofCanada.TheawardrecognizesadistinguishedCanadianscientistwhohasdemonstratedleadershipindevelopingbiomedicalresearchatlocal,nationalandinternationallevels.

TheofficeofContinuing Medical Education and Professional Development (CMEandPD)attheUniversityofCalgary,ledbyJocelyn Lockyer, PhD, Claudio Violato, PhD,andtheirpartnersattheCollege of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta(CPSA),

forOutstandingAchievementsinResearch.HavingleadtheInterdisciplinaryChronicDiseaseCollaboration(ICDC),thegroupaimstosupporthigherquality,moreequitableandefficientcareforAlbertanswithoratriskofcommonchronicailmentssuchaskidneydisease,diabetesandheartdisease.

Inrecognitionofhiswide-spreadresearchaccomplishmentsandextensivecontributions

toCanadianintellectuallife,David Proud, PhD,hasbeenelectedasaFellowoftheRoyalSocietyofCanada.Thefellowshipisconsideredthehighesthonourthatcanbeattainedbyscholars,artistsandscientistsinCanada.

UniversityofCalgarymedicalstudentStephen AnnandreceivedtheTarrantscholarship.Thescholarshipisawardedtothird-yearmedicalstudentswhohavedemonstratedaninterestin,anddedicationto,ruralmedicalissuesintheirundergraduatework.

Dr. Brenda Hemmelgarn,Dr. Todd AndersonandDr.Subrata GhoshwillbeinductedintotheCanadianAcademyofHealthSciences(CAHS)thisfall,fortheirdemonstrationofleadership,creativity,distinctivecompetenciesandacommit-menttoadvanceacademichealthscience.

the UniveRsity oF CalgaRy’s

FacultyofMedicineandAlbertaHealthServicesjointlyoperatethreefamilymedicineteachingcentresinCalgarythatactasateachingtoolforfamilymedicineresidents(recentlygraduatedphysicianstraininginfamilymedicine).Whilepatientsareassignedtoaprimarycarephysician,theyarealsooftenseenbyamedicalresidentwhoislaterjoinedbyaclinicalteachingdoctortoreviewdiagnosisandtreatmentoptions.

“Wearedelightedtobeabletoacceptthousandsofnewpatients,”saysDr.DennisKreptul,interimheadoftheDepartmentofFamilyMedicineattheUniversityofCalgary.“OurteachingsitesofferCalgariansaccesstofamilydoctorswhoprovideasup-to-dateandcomprehensiveprimarycareaspatientsreceiveanywhereelseinthecity.Alongtheway,theygettheopportunitytohelptrainfuturedoctorsbyallowingfamilymedicineresidents,

supervisedbyfullyqualifieddoctors,toparticipateintheircare.” Inadditiontofamilydoctors,theclinicsalsohaveotherhealth-careworkersonsiteincludingnutritionists,pharmacists,psychologistsandchroniccarenurses. Theexpansionoftheresidencyprogramwasmadepossiblethrougha$10.3-milliongrantfromtheAlbertagovernment.Thefundingwasusedtoexpandtrainingspaceandaddteachingstaffinpreparationfortheadditionalresidents. ThelongtermgoaloftheexpandedprogramistoproducemorefamilydoctorsforCalgaryandforAlberta.Theprogramhopestograduate25morefamilydoctorsannually.Anestimated200,000peoplearewithoutafamilydoctorinCalgary.

Finding a family doctor can be tough, but the University of Calgary’s family medicine residency program’s expansion has made it easier for approximately 12,000 Calgarians.

The teaching centres are located at three sites: Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, Sunridge, South Health Campus Hospital recently, the Sunridge clinic doubled in size and now occupies 18,000 square feet of space to accommodate new patients and staff; the clinic at the South Health Campus location officially opened on September 6 with Premier alison redford in attendance. it was the first phase of the South Health Campus to open.

17 eDUCAt ion04 mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe serviCe to soCie t y

diseasesget,”hesays.“SoIjustwantedtobringmoreawarenesstoit.” ThecontestcalledforChintohikeMountTemple,CascadeMountainandSulphurMountain−hereceived$15,000fortheKidneyFoundationofCanadaafterhecompletedallthree.Inaddition,BanffLakeLouiseTourismmatchedanadditional$5,000inpledgesthatheraisedonhisown.

In the community

Creative contest entry brings in big bucks for charity

the DepaRtment oFPsychiatrystartedtheCall4ACauseinitiativethreeyearsagotosupportlocalcharitieswithinourowncommunity.Theideawasbornofthenotionthatdespitebeingverytiring,stressfulandhectic,callshifts−ashiftoverandabovearegularworkweek,oftenoneveningsand/orweekends−couldalsohaveapositiveimpact. EveryDecember,eachresidentselectsonescheduledcallshiftanddonatestheirstipendfromthatshifttoapooloffundsthatgoestoacharityvotedonbytheresidentsinvolved.For2011,thecharityofchoicewastheAlexCommunity

RiCk Chin,astatisticalassociate/dataanalystintheDepartmentofMedicine,DivisionofNephrologywasthewinneroftheBanffNationalParkBigMountainChallenge.Asthewinner,

HealthProgram−thisyear,wehavechosentosupporttheMargaretChisholmResettlementCentre.Knowingthatthemoneyweareearningonaparticularcallnightissupportingaworthycharitymakestherealityofwhatwearecapableofdoingforothersverytangible.

In2011,weexpandedtheprogramandrecruitedseveralotherlocalresidentgroupstoparticipate:dermatology,familymedicine,internalmedicine,neurology,pathology,pediatricsandphysiatry.Thankstotheincreaseinparticipation,themoneywe

henotonlygottodosomehikingbutheraised$26,762forTheKidneyFoundationofCanadaintheprocess.Thecontestreceived719entriesfromacrossNorthAmerica. “Idon’tusuallywincontests,”saysChin.“It’skindofbeensurreal,tobehonest.I’msuperexcitedaboutthewholething.” ThecontestaskedforentrantstopostapictureontheofficialcontestFacebookpage,accompaniedbyacaptionoutlininghowtheywould

raisedmorethantripledfromthepreviousyear. Wealsoissuedafriendlychallengetothevariousresidentgroupstogetthehighestproportionofresidentsinvolvedinthecause.Psychiatryhadaheadstart,havingparticipatedfortheprevioustwoyears,andrecruited58percentofresidents,butinternalmedicineresidentsweren’tfarbehindwithanimpressive57percentparticipationrate.Afterseeingsomanyresidentsparticipate,severalstaffphysiciansdecidedtodonatetothecauseaswell. Ourgoalthisyearistoexpandtheprogramfurtherandrecruitevenmoreresidentgroups,aswellastoencourageahighernumberofresidentstoparticipate.Wehopetoraise$10,000overthemonthofDecember2012.

prepareforthechallenge.Chin,whosubmittedapictureofhimself‘singing’saidhe’dbepreparingforthehikesbysingingshowtunestokeepthebearsaway. ChinchosetosupportTheKidneyFoundationofCanada,ashiscurrentresearchpositionwiththeAlbertaKidneyDiseaseNetworkandtheInterdisciplinaryChronicDiseaseCollaboration(DivisionofNephrology),hasheightenedhisawarenessoftheseriousnessofthecondition. “Kidneydiseasedoesn’tusuallygetthespotlightlikecancer,orsomeother

Call 4 a Cause By Dr. Brienne Mclane and Dr. Anna Kalenchuk

residents interested in participating

in Call 4 A Cause this year can contact

Kanwal Mohan at [email protected].

Thanks to the increase in participation,

the money we raised more than tripled from the previous year.

The idea for Call 4 a Cause was put forth by psychiatry resident, dr. anna Kalenchuk. The goals of Call 4 a Cause are to promote a philanthropic spirit, support community programs, and ultimately, to improve the health and well-being of Calgarians.

Donations made to date:

2009

$4,033 to the Calgary Homeless Foundation

2010

$2,857 to the alex Community Health Program

2011

$9,868 to the alex Community Health Program

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Dr. Dennis Kreptul examines patient sylvia Pflug.

Residency expansion means more family doctors By Marta Cyperling

the UniveRsity oF CalgaRy’s

FacultyofMedicineandAlbertaHealthServicesjointlyoperatethreefamilymedicineteachingcentresinCalgarythatactasateachingtoolforfamilymedicineresidents(recentlygraduatedphysicianstraininginfamilymedicine).Whilepatientsareassignedtoaprimarycarephysician,theyarealsooftenseenbyamedicalresidentwhoislaterjoinedbyaclinicalteachingdoctortoreviewdiagnosisandtreatmentoptions.

“Wearedelightedtobeabletoacceptthousandsofnewpatients,”saysDr.DennisKreptul,interimheadoftheDepartmentofFamilyMedicineattheUniversityofCalgary.“OurteachingsitesofferCalgariansaccesstofamilydoctorswhoprovideasup-to-dateandcomprehensiveprimarycareaspatientsreceiveanywhereelseinthecity.Alongtheway,theygettheopportunitytohelptrainfuturedoctorsbyallowingfamilymedicineresidents,

supervisedbyfullyqualifieddoctors,toparticipateintheircare.” Inadditiontofamilydoctors,theclinicsalsohaveotherhealth-careworkersonsiteincludingnutritionists,pharmacists,psychologistsandchroniccarenurses. Theexpansionoftheresidencyprogramwasmadepossiblethrougha$10.3-milliongrantfromtheAlbertagovernment.Thefundingwasusedtoexpandtrainingspaceandaddteachingstaffinpreparationfortheadditionalresidents. ThelongtermgoaloftheexpandedprogramistoproducemorefamilydoctorsforCalgaryandforAlberta.Theprogramhopestograduate25morefamilydoctorsannually.Anestimated200,000peoplearewithoutafamilydoctorinCalgary.

Finding a family doctor can be tough, but the University of Calgary’s family medicine residency program’s expansion has made it easier for approximately 12,000 Calgarians.

The teaching centres are located at three sites: Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, Sunridge, South Health Campus Hospital recently, the Sunridge clinic doubled in size and now occupies 18,000 square feet of space to accommodate new patients and staff; the clinic at the South Health Campus location officially opened on September 6 with Premier alison redford in attendance. it was the first phase of the South Health Campus to open.

17 eDUCAt ion04 mediCiNe.uCalgarY.Ca /magaziNe serviCe to soCie t y

diseasesget,”hesays.“SoIjustwantedtobringmoreawarenesstoit.” ThecontestcalledforChintohikeMountTemple,CascadeMountainandSulphurMountain−hereceived$15,000fortheKidneyFoundationofCanadaafterhecompletedallthree.Inaddition,BanffLakeLouiseTourismmatchedanadditional$5,000inpledgesthatheraisedonhisown.

In the community

Creative contest entry brings in big bucks for charity

the DepaRtment oFPsychiatrystartedtheCall4ACauseinitiativethreeyearsagotosupportlocalcharitieswithinourowncommunity.Theideawasbornofthenotionthatdespitebeingverytiring,stressfulandhectic,callshifts−ashiftoverandabovearegularworkweek,oftenoneveningsand/orweekends−couldalsohaveapositiveimpact. EveryDecember,eachresidentselectsonescheduledcallshiftanddonatestheirstipendfromthatshifttoapooloffundsthatgoestoacharityvotedonbytheresidentsinvolved.For2011,thecharityofchoicewastheAlexCommunity

RiCk Chin,astatisticalassociate/dataanalystintheDepartmentofMedicine,DivisionofNephrologywasthewinneroftheBanffNationalParkBigMountainChallenge.Asthewinner,

HealthProgram−thisyear,wehavechosentosupporttheMargaretChisholmResettlementCentre.Knowingthatthemoneyweareearningonaparticularcallnightissupportingaworthycharitymakestherealityofwhatwearecapableofdoingforothersverytangible.

In2011,weexpandedtheprogramandrecruitedseveralotherlocalresidentgroupstoparticipate:dermatology,familymedicine,internalmedicine,neurology,pathology,pediatricsandphysiatry.Thankstotheincreaseinparticipation,themoneywe

henotonlygottodosomehikingbutheraised$26,762forTheKidneyFoundationofCanadaintheprocess.Thecontestreceived719entriesfromacrossNorthAmerica. “Idon’tusuallywincontests,”saysChin.“It’skindofbeensurreal,tobehonest.I’msuperexcitedaboutthewholething.” ThecontestaskedforentrantstopostapictureontheofficialcontestFacebookpage,accompaniedbyacaptionoutlininghowtheywould

raisedmorethantripledfromthepreviousyear. Wealsoissuedafriendlychallengetothevariousresidentgroupstogetthehighestproportionofresidentsinvolvedinthecause.Psychiatryhadaheadstart,havingparticipatedfortheprevioustwoyears,andrecruited58percentofresidents,butinternalmedicineresidentsweren’tfarbehindwithanimpressive57percentparticipationrate.Afterseeingsomanyresidentsparticipate,severalstaffphysiciansdecidedtodonatetothecauseaswell. Ourgoalthisyearistoexpandtheprogramfurtherandrecruitevenmoreresidentgroups,aswellastoencourageahighernumberofresidentstoparticipate.Wehopetoraise$10,000overthemonthofDecember2012.

prepareforthechallenge.Chin,whosubmittedapictureofhimself‘singing’saidhe’dbepreparingforthehikesbysingingshowtunestokeepthebearsaway. ChinchosetosupportTheKidneyFoundationofCanada,ashiscurrentresearchpositionwiththeAlbertaKidneyDiseaseNetworkandtheInterdisciplinaryChronicDiseaseCollaboration(DivisionofNephrology),hasheightenedhisawarenessoftheseriousnessofthecondition. “Kidneydiseasedoesn’tusuallygetthespotlightlikecancer,orsomeother

Call 4 a Cause By Dr. Brienne Mclane and Dr. Anna Kalenchuk

residents interested in participating

in Call 4 A Cause this year can contact

Kanwal Mohan at [email protected].

Thanks to the increase in participation,

the money we raised more than tripled from the previous year.

The idea for Call 4 a Cause was put forth by psychiatry resident, dr. anna Kalenchuk. The goals of Call 4 a Cause are to promote a philanthropic spirit, support community programs, and ultimately, to improve the health and well-being of Calgarians.

Donations made to date:

2009

$4,033 to the Calgary Homeless Foundation

2010

$2,857 to the alex Community Health Program

2011

$9,868 to the alex Community Health Program

MCKNIGHT BlvD

MeMOrIAl Dr

GleNMOre TrAIl

MA

Cle

OD

TrA

Il

MACleO

D Tr

AIl

a

C

SHelDON M. CHUMIr HeAlTH CeNTre

SOUTH HeAlTH CAMPUS

B

SUNrIDGe

Dr. Dennis Kreptul examines patient sylvia Pflug.

Residency expansion means more family doctors By Marta Cyperling

Last year, we introduced a bold new strategy

for our university called Eyes High. This year,

we delivered the new Academic Plan and the

new Strategic Research Plan: the roadmaps

to get us there. So what’s next as we head

towards our 50th anniversary in 2016?

CommunityReport 2012

Learn More At UCalgary.ca/Report

Alumnus of Distinction Award Winner

Honouring Dr. Evan Adams, (MD’02, a Pangolin) for his outstanding contributions to his community. Dr. Adams was the first Aboriginal Health Physician Advisor in the Office of the Provincial Health Officer, BC Ministry of Health and with the (BC) First Nations Health Council. He is currently the Deputy Provincial Health Officer for the province of BC.

MED-AlimniAd.indd 1 26/09/12 2:06 PM

pm agReement no. 41095528

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

University of Calgary Faculty of MedicineCommunications and Media relations7th Floor, TRW Building3280 Hospital Drive NWCalgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6