Geisinger College of Health Sciences

On Nov. 11, 12 Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) students traveled to the University of Pennsylvania to attend the Racism in Medicine Conference 2017. The purpose of the conference was to provide an opportunity for people in healthcare or related fields to examine the ways that racism affects the health of marginalized people and to develop strategies to oppose it.

Josephine Sinamano, a master of biomedical sciences (MBS) student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) Doylestown campus, is conducting research with Roshan Thapa, M.D., assistant professor at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute (BSBI). Geisinger Commonwealth's Doylestown campus is co-located with BSBI at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County.

On Monday, Oct. 30, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute at the Pennsylvania Biotech Park, home to Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) Doylestown campus, hosted its biannual Red Cross Blood Drive. Several Geisinger Commonwealth master of biomedical sciences (MBS) students planned and organized the event.

Ryan Flick of Johnstown, a third-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, has been named recipient of an Apollo Scholarship, bestowed by the Cambria County Medical Society in collaboration with Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, which serves Bedford, Cambria, Somerset and Indiana counties.

Nick Kaiser of Stroudsburg and Nick Maffetone of New Hope organized Step It Up Bucks, a wellness and walking initiative sponsored by the Graduate Student Council at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Doylestown campus. Step It Up Bucks encouraged participants to record their steps every month, beginning in July. If they reached their goal the step goal, participants were eligible to win a monthly prize. The campaign to promote physical activity in the community successfully enrolled 120 individuals who, by Nov. 1, had walked more than 25 million steps.

To reduce the carbon footprint at the Pennsylvania Biotech Park, home of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Doylestown campus, master of biomedical sciences (MBS) students Adriana Feliz of Canton, Massachusetts and Josephine Sinamano of Carrollton, Texas, initiated a recycling campaign.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine master of biomedical sciences (MBS) students recently volunteered to run the registration booth at the ninth annual YMCA Kids Triathlon in Doylestown.

Student leaders from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) attended the CONQUER Student Leadership Conference at Marywood University on Nov. 12. Amy Kline, MA associate director of Geisinger Commonwealth's Center for Learning Excellence was also a presenter at the conference. The purpose of the conference was to help students hone their leadership skills. The keynote speaker at the event was Eric McElvenney, a Marine who was injured by an IED in Afghanistan, who discovered that the technique he used to reach the finish line at the Ironman Triathalon could be used to surmount challenges every leader faces. Student leaders at Geisinger Commonwealth cited several things they took away from the conference, among them: the power of resiliency, the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and goal-setting. They also learned ways to be agents of social change. "I didn't know what to expect, but this conference actually helped me answer some questions I had been thinking about regarding the world and my place in it," said one student leader.

On Nov. 30, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's student organization, Physicians Representing Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality (PRIDE), will hold a ceremony marking World AIDS Day and remembering all lives lost to the disease. The event is free and open to the public.

Members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) Military Medicine Interest Group (MMIG) helped celebrate Veterans Day on Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's chapter of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) held a "mock baby shower" event to benefit St. Joseph's Center Baby Pantry. Students brought shower gifts and enjoyed lunch, dessert and traditional baby shower festivities, including a "guess the baby food flavor" game. All gifts were donated to the Baby Pantry. The Baby Pantry is a free, local community service supplied entirely by donations and is available to all families who need baby food, clothing, diapers, and other baby items. The shower event raised more than $500 worth of items to give to the pantry.

Doug Wells, a Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine second-year medical student, has founded the Community Healthcare Advocacy Team for Individuals with Disabilities (CHATID). Imagine approaching a receptionist's desk that's so high you can't see over it. Or arriving for a cancer screening only to confuse staff because they are not sure how to properly lift you from your wheelchair. Or being deaf and having interpretive services that don't speak the sign language to which you are accustomed, rendering the service virtually useless. These are challenges people with disabilities face in our community every day. They comprise the largest minority group that anyone can join at any time, yet far too few of their neighbors comprehend the difficulties they encounter. Doug said these barriers unacceptable -- especially when they are encountered in healthcare. Because his father copes with multiple sclerosis (MS), Doug has firsthand knowledge of some of the difficulties people with disabilities face. That's why he founded CHATID.

Lindsay Falgoust of Hatboro, a second-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Medical Student Council community service chair, has organized the school's first "Geisinger Commonwealth Family Day of Service," which took place on Oct. 28.

Jessica Morales of West Jordan, a third-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, recently attended Primary Care Progress's (PCP) annual Gregg Stracks Leadership Summit, an invitation-only, three-day training bringing together faculty, student and professional leaders from across PCP's national network.

Vanessa Velez of Hazleton, a fourth-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, is the author of a poem, entitled "Body Field Meets Sterile Field," published in the September 2017 edition of in-Training, an online magazine for medical students.

The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society awarded the Alliance Medical Education Scholarship (AMES) to Pennsylvania medical students. Among the recipients is Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine fourth-year student, Rachel Z. Polinski of Sayre.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) students will host their eighth annual Turkey Trot 5K/10K run in downtown Scranton on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Student leaders representing Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) MD Class of 2020 recently organized a multi site "Day of Service." On Sept. 18, second-year medical students fanned out across Lackawanna County to clean parks, stock food pantry shelves and help care for youth, elderly and the homeless population in the region.

Students in the master of biomedical sciences (MBS) program at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Doylestown campus recently had the opportunity to receive "CPR for Healthcare Providers" training.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) MD Class of 2021 recently elected its class officers. Class officers join the school's Medical Student Council (MSC), which was established to advance the interests and well-being of the medical school and its current and future students.

On Sept. 14, two members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2020 delivered a presentation on mental health and substance use disorders in northeastern Pennsylvania. The region is among the top 15 areas for drug-related deaths in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The students, Stephanie Amendola of Mountain Top and Shane Zeshonski of Archbald, assessed the scope of the problem and described potential interventions. Both students are recipients of the Commonwealth Health Future Physician Scholarship.

On Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Physicians Representing Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality (PRIDE), a student group at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth), invites the public to join them in celebrating National Coming Out Day. This year marks the 29th anniversary of a day set aside to encourage people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) to live openly as their true selves. The student-organized event will expand the celebration to include any person who has had to summon the courage to reveal an identity they have kept hidden from friends and family.

A group of second-year medical students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) are this year's organizers of the school's annual Turkey Trot benefitting Friends of the Poor.

Student members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Christian Medical & Dental Association organized an Aug. 29 event with a Geisinger Commonwealth alumnus, who spoke about her experiences in missionary medicine. Samantha Conroy, M.D., a member of Geisinger Commonwealth's Class of 2014, not only shared her experiences working overseas during residency, but she also discussed her decision to participate in a two-year post residency program through Samaritan's Purse.

Alexa Mills of Renovo is the inaugural recipient of the "Stephen and Pamela Poorman Physician Annual Scholarship in Honor of Dr. Randle H. Storm and Dr. Sanjay Doddaman." The scholarship benefits medical students who either reside in Clinton County or have graduated from Lock Haven University. Ms. Mills is a member of Geisinger Commonwealth's Class of 2021 and is a native of Renovo, Clinton County and is a 2016 graduate of Lock Haven University.

Members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) first Doylestown campus cohort received master of biomedical sciences (MBS) degrees at a ceremony held Aug. 13 at the Scranton campus.

Brian V. Entler of Commack, a first-year medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, was co-author of a paper published in the August 2017 edition of Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, a primary research journal in neurophysiology. The paper, entitled "The Effects of Fat Body Tyramine Level on Gustatory Responsiveness of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) Differ between Behavioral Castes," examined the effects of the biogenic amine tyramine and its receptors in shaping social behavior. Although humans do not express this biogenic amine, modeling its projection neurons and its role on gustatory response may have implications for human neurology.

A group of second-year medical students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) have planned the sixth annual Steamtown Health Fair in partenrship with Scranton Primary Health Care Center.

Incoming first-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) students received the first symbol of their new profession as Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) held its ninth annual White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2021 on Friday, Aug. 4 in Scranton.

Several master of biomedical sciences (MBS) students have been elected to Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (Geisinger Commonwealth) Doylestown campus Graduate Student Council (GSC) for the 2017-18 academic year. GSC represents the united voice of graduate students and provides programs and activities, which support the school's mission and core values. The elected officers of GSC will work to strengthen existing bonds between students, faculty, staff and administration and to enrich the school's educational excellence and student affairs programs.