VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 WWW.USUHS.MIL MAY 12, 2008 

USU Newsletter 

In This Issue 

 

Research Week Begins...................2 

Bldg. E Ribbon Cutting...................2 

USU Commencement.....................3 

Ice Cream...........................................3 

Antietam March...............................4 

Fighting Fire......................................4 

Battlefield Big Picture......................5 

Dr. ‘Lear’.............................................5 

GSN Alumni with SPECFOR..........6 

MTN Staff Receives AAM................6 

High School Tours USU.................7 

Partial-body Irradiation...................7 

Dates to Remember.........................7 

Congratulations Graduates 
 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist Third Class 

Jeffrey Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

Publishing 

USU Duplicating Office

Production: 

Editorial content is 

edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU 

Office of External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Newsletter staff may include 

or exclude articles 

based upon news 

value, impact on the 

university and space 

availability. 

Submissions: 

The USU Newsletter 

will be published biweekly on Mondays 

and deadline for submission is Friday at 4 

p.m. Submissions can 

be sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or by 

calling 301-295-3925. 

PAGE 2 

Cover photo by 

HM2 Michael Oliver

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

 The Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences (USU) began its annual Research Week May 

12. The mission of Research Week is to promote research initiatives of faculty, staff and students and to 

provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and communication between USU graduate 

students and faculty. 

 Several symposia will cover a broad range of topics to include: traumatic brain injury, technological 

advances and research, and education research. The 

keynote address titled: Opportunities and Challenges for Translating Basic Research Into Clinical 

Practice, will be given by John I. Gallin, M.D., director, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health 

(NIH), Wednesday, May 14. 

 Other lecturers include: Bullard Lecture: Ca2+ /

Calmodulin Dependent Protein Kinase Kinase 2 

(CaMMK2), the Hypothalamic Regulation of Energy 

Balance and the Metabolic Syndrome, presented by 

Anthony Means, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke 

University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.; Henry Wu 

Symposium: Nipah and Hendra virus; from receptor 

discovery to therapeutic modalities, presented by

Christopher C. Broder, Ph.D., professor and director, 

Emerging Infectious Diseases Graduate Program, 

USU’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology; James Leonard Symposium: Treatment of Campylobacter Infections, presented by David Tribble, 

M.D., DRPH., associate professor, Infectious Disease 

Clinical Research Program, USU’s Department of 

Preventive Medicine and Biometrics. 

 This year’s event, Celebrating Excellence in Research, reflects the roles that nursing, public health, 

behavioral science, basic science and medicine play 

in health promotion and disease 

prevention. 

There will be 

poster presentations, distinguished guests 

speakers and 

panels to demonstrate USU's 

special role in 

civilian, public 

health and military research 

initiatives across 

the health sciences. 

 This annual 

three-day event 

incorporates Graduate School of Nursing and School 

of Medicine Student Colloquia which highlights the 

research interests and accomplishments of the 

graduate students in both fields. The Faculty Senate 

Research Day, including poster presentations, invited speakers and panel discussions, draws the entire USU community to share research achievements, 

foster collaborations, and stimulate intellectual exchanges. The week culminates as the students from 

the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Graduate 

Education programs and Graduate School of Nursing receive their degrees during USU's 29th Commencement ceremony May 17 at the Daughters of 

the American Revolution, Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. This year's commencement speaker is 

Elias Zerhouni, M.D., director, NIH. 

2008 USU Research Week Begins 

 The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) 

will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly constructed 

50,000 square foot Academic 

Program Center Thursday, May 

15. The event marks a historic 

day as the university celebrates its 

first major construction project on 

the USU campus since the completion of the original four buildings almost 30 years ago. 

 The new Academic Program 

Center will address urgently required classroom space as well as 

provide facilities for universitywide, mission-related and everexpanding educational programs 

and support activities for the Military Health System. 

 The first floor of the new building will house the Graduate 

School of Nursing faculty and staff 

who have been located in leased 

space in Silver Spring, Md., since 

the establishment of the GSN in 

1993. Also returning to the campus from leased space will be the 

USU Offices of Continuing Education for Health Professionals 

(CHE) and the Military Training 

Network; both offices manage 

MHS-wide educational and training programs. Joining CHE and 

MTN on the second floor of the 

new building will be the Administrative Office for the MHS Graduate Medical Education Programs 

in the National Capital Area. The 

ground floor provides six flexible 

small classrooms, which can be 

opened to provide three larger 

classrooms, in addition to a 100-

student capacity auditorium. The 

ground floor broadcast room and 

auditorium will be equipped for 

VTC capability in addition to conference rooms on the first and 

second floors. 

 A groundbreaking ceremony 

was held Oct. 23, 2006, which 

was attended by Sen. Daniel K. 

Inouye, Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, Sen. 

Barbara A. Mikulski, and Rep. 

Chris Van Hollen, Jr. In addition 

to the USU community, the May 

15 Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will 

be attended by more than 50 

distinguished guests, which include representatives for the 

Maryland elected officials, Office 

of the Secretary of Defense officials, and senior representatives 

from the Offices of the Surgeons 

General of the Army, Navy and 

Air Force.

USU Holds Bldg. E Ribbon Cutting Ceremony 

Photo by Tom Balfour 

LT Caroline Oyster, PHS presents 

her research week poster , “Can A 

Synthetic Framework (PRIME) 

Improve Written Performance 

Evaluations for Pediatric Residents?” during Research Week 

2007. 
PAGE 3 

Photo by HM2 Michael Oliver 

Just Desserts 

 Retired BG John Hutton, M.D., professor for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ 

(USU) Department of Surgery, is a man for whom the adage, “we all scream for ice cream” is particularly 

apt. An ice cream fanatic, the former physician to president Ronald Reagan has adamantly pursued the repair of the ice cream machine in the USU cafeteria since its fall into disrepair over a year ago. Here, Hutton 

is pictured preparing to enjoy the fruits of his labor. 

 Elias Zerhouni, M.D., the 15th director of the National Institutes 

of Health, will address the graduates of the Uniformed Services 

University of the Health Sciences (USU) at the university’s 29th 

Commencement exercise, Saturday, May 17. 

 Dr. Zerhouni came to the United States at the age of 24 after 

earning his medical degree at the University of Algiers School of 

Medicine in 1975. He went on to complete a chief residency in 

diagnostic radiology at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Zerhouni has worked 

to keep the institute at the forefront of federal agencies through 

initiatives such as the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research – an 

effort to transform the medical research enterprise. Dr. Zerhouni 

has also held several other leadership positions, such as the consultant to the White House under President Ronald Reagan and a 

consultant to the World Health Organization in 1988. 

 USU’s Commencement exercise is at the Daughters of the 

American Revolution Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C., at 11 

a.m. The F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine will award 157 

Doctor of Medicine and 71 Biomedical Sciences Graduate degrees, while the Graduate School of Nursing will award 35 Master 

of Science degrees in the Family Nurse Practitioner, Perioperative 

Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Nurse Anesthesia disciplines, as well 

as three Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing Science degrees. 

 Some of the university’s faculty members are world renowned 

experts in the field of post traumatic stress disorder, deployment 

psychology and traumatic brain injury. Research foci span a range 

of interest such as: CDR (Dr.) Jack Tsao’s study of Phantom Limb 

Pain, in which he uses mirrors to help service members with lower 

extremity amputations alleviate the pain; and CAPT (Dr.) Gerald V. 

Quinnan, Jr.’s collaborative new study, with other U.S. scientists 

that provides compelling evidence that two genes are linchpins in 

defining the course of immune restoration in HIV-positive individuals undergoing virus-suppressing therapy.

NIH Director to Speak at USU Commencement 
PAGE 4 

 If walking a mile in someone else’s shoes teaches understanding, what then does marching six miles in combat boots achieve? 

For students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health 

Sciences, an exhaustive formation road march provides engaging 

lessons in the tenants of battlefield care 

and offers new perspectives on the 

evolution of military medicine. 

 Brought in by the bus loads, first 

year medical students descend upon 

the rolling hills of western Maryland, 

interrupting the tranquil stillness of 

Antietam National Battlefield, to navigate the landmarks of the bloodiest 

one day battle in American history. 

USU faculty and period actors await, 

positioned at each station and ready to 

discuss the historical events that 

shaped the battle between Union and 

Confederate armies. 

 The first stop, Dunker Church, 

named so for its congregation’s practice of baptism by full immersion, was 

used as a temporary medical aid station during the war but in the end was 

battle scarred beyond repair. Students filed into the new construction, took seat on wooden pews and listened as professors 

Charles Beadling and Truman Sharp regaled audiences with stories of wartime casualty. 

 Amid the modest architecture, medical students learned that 

diarrhea and dysentery were the most difficult illnesses to treat, 

according to Sharp, because it “broke the willpower” of many 

brave soldiers and spread 

through battalions like wildfire. 

 Continuing down the 

path, students are joined by 

a Civil War re-enactor who 

enthusiastically described the 

uniform of early soldiers 

down to the oil cloth haversack, knapsack and blanket 

roll before participants sat 

down to enjoy a modern day 

soldier’s meal: the MRE. 

 Refreshed and sustained 

now, battalions moved forward to a deeply worn ravine known as 

the Sunken Road where they were met by George Wunderlich, 

executive director of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. 

He relived the incredible battle that took place on the country 

road that divided the Roulette and Piper farms, pointed out an old 

barn with “beams riddled because it was in the line of fire” and 

shared its ominous nickname, the Bloody Lane, because of the 

bodies that covered the ground as far as the eye could see. 

 Nearing the end of this breathtaking day of revelations, students marched across the Boonsboro Pike, past the Otto Farm 

until they reached Burnside’s Bridge. It was here, they learned the 

important role military strategy plays in the conduct of warfare 

and how it was possible 450 Georgian sharpshooters, hidden 

atop a steep wooden bluff, were able to drive back the advances 

of 12,000 Union soldiers for several hours despite being outnumbered. 

 As students filed onto the buses, they had time to reflect on 

their journey through the Antietam battlefield, the tales of heroism and tragedy told along the way, and most importantly, the 

weight of their charge of caring for those in harm’s way. 

SOM Students March Through History 

By Christine Creenan 

Web writer, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by Leeann Ori 

SOM students pause in 

their march to learn 

about battlefield medicine during the 2008 

Antietam March. 

Photo by Leeann Ori 

SOM students march through the 

historic Antietam Battlefield, stopping at various points to learn 

about battlefield medicine from 

Civil War re-enactors. 

 John Bigott was enjoying a quiet Sunday afternoon at home 

one minute, and then the lead print specialist of the Administrative Support Division’s Duplicating section turned into a volunteer 

firefighter. 

 Every day John Bigott’s department uses several reams of paper to provide printing services for customers throughout the entire university, but recently his selfless act of heroism assisted in 

keeping important papers from being destroyed during a 

neighbor’s house fire. 

 As Bigott recalls, “I was sitting in my house around two Sunday 

afternoon and my neighbor came pounding on my door,” he said. 

“She was yelling ‘my house is on fire,’ so I threw on my shoes and 

coat, grabbed my fire extinguisher and shot out the door.” 

 When Bigott arrived at his neighbor’s unit he said the flames 

were rolling across the ceiling from the stove and microwave and 

he immediately pulled the pin on the extinguisher and hit the fire 

from the base which was coming from 

the stove. 

 “Everything happened so fast I didn’t 

even have time to think,” he said. 

“Looking back on it now I do remember 

going through fire extinguisher training 

about 5 years ago here at the university 

and I think it just all came back to me on 

how to use an extinguisher properly 

and put out a fire.” 

 Bigott was able to put the fire out 

five minutes before the fire department 

arrived and they took the microwave 

completely out and opened up the wall 

to ensure there was no fire. 

 Thanks to Bigott’s fast response and 

willingness to get involved, no one was 

injured and his neighbor’s home suffered only minor damage. 

Duplicating Lead Print Specialist Keeps Flames From Replicating 

By TSgt André Nicholson 

NCOIC, Office of External Affairs 

John Bigott 

Lead Print Specialist 

Administrative Support 

Division’s 

Duplicating Section 

USU 

A Traditional Academic University with a Unique 

Focus 
PAGE 5 

 Ongoing developments in medical science and technology are continually expanding physicians’ options and capabilities in providing health care to their patients. Advances in medical imaging and 

breakthroughs in genetic testing, for example, are changing the face of health care 

practices. Parallel developments in information technology are transforming the role 

that medical data play in the lives of patients and doctors who treat them. Electronic health records are becoming increasingly more important and are changing the 

nature of health care practices. 

 COL Claude Hines, Jr., USA, Program 

Manager for the Department of Defense’s 

Theater Medical Information Program - 

Joint (TMIP-J), is responsible for directing 

the development, acquisition, integration 

and sustainment of a “family of systems.” 

 TMIP-J refers to the software systems 

that capture and maintain EHRs, provide 

medical command and control information, 

track and report logistics of the location of 

medical personnel, supplies, equipment 

and blood, and track patients in transit. 

This suite of software solutions assists physicians and other deployed medical personnel in demanding war conditions. 

 “I’m always careful when I speak about 

the role that technology plays in delivering 

better health care in theater,” explained 

Hines. “We have to remember that the physicians are the ones delivering improved 

health care, and the technology we provide merely enables them to apply their 

expertise in the most effective manner possible.” 

 First and foremost, Hines is dedicated to 

the health of war fighters and the medical 

professionals who care for them on a daily 

basis. He leads more than 150 personnel 

whose mission is to integrate medical information systems for the Army, Navy, Air 

Force and Marines into one unified system. 

 Speaking about the progress that has 

been made since Operation Iraqi Freedom 

began, Hines remarked, “In 2003, our reach 

extended only to the Army, but as time 

went on, the Navy, the Air Force and the 

Marines also began deploying TMIP-J software programs. We are enabling clinicians 

across the Services to quickly share up-todate information on patient injury and care. 

We are delivering reports on medical 

trends and the health status of deployed 

units and individuals, and providing precise 

information about patients in transit.” 

 Today, the Air Force is using TMIP-J programs at its Theater Hospital in Balad, Iraq, 

as well as at the Craig Joint-Theater Hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan. The Navy is 

using TMIP-J systems in Kuwait, and the 

Army is using them in more than 100 units, 

including 50 combat medical units and 12 

combat support hospitals. The systems are 

enabling physicians to effectively collaborate with other health care providers in 

ways that would have been unimaginable 

only a few years ago. 

 “TMIP-J is providing a total operational 

picture in theater,” stated Hines, “including 

bringing in non-medical data sources such 

as where warfighters were located in theater when they received their injuries or 

developed symptoms. So if we see a pattern of six people in a location developing 

similar symptoms, we can detect a potentially serious problem before it worsens.” 

 Illustrating the patient tracking capabilities provided by TMIP-J, Hines said, “Now 

we can tell commanders, medical personnel and other soldiers in the unit, ‘Your 

buddy has received care and he’s on his 

way to Walter Reed.’ The information is a 

comfort to those who want to know the 

status of their wounded or ill colleagues.” 

 Explaining the impact of longitudinal 

electronic health record system, known as 

AHLTA, Hines stated, “When patients leave 

the battlefield and go to any military treatment facility worldwide, providers can access their medical history and data from 

AHLTA. Later, when individuals leave the 

military, their medical documentation can 

follow them electronically throughout their 

lifetime to the Department of Veterans AfTMIP-J Software Helps Battlefield Physicians See “Big Picture” 

Courtesy Tricare Management Agency 

 On weekends, Dr. Louis Pangaro trades in his lab coat and 

briefcase for the opulent wardrobe of Elizabethan royalty thus 

beginning his transformation from studious doctor to foolhardy 

King Lear. Pangaro plays the title role in what has been hailed 

Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy for its probing observations into 

the nature of betrayal, human suffering and the delicate fabric of 

society. 

 The acting vice chair for research at the Uniformed Services 

University’s Department of Medicine, has been performing Shakespeare since high school but says his current role, “is a part in a 

play that is so good you feel inadequate.” He bridges that discrepancy by dedicating his nights and weekends to the theater in order to achieve the “technical mastery” needed to bring King Lear 

to life. 

 The performing arts have always interested the Walter Reed 

endocrinologist and he says there are many similarities between 

medicine and acting. They both require a lot of practice and 

preparation and whether studying the vernacular of older English 

or human physiology, “you still have to go to the books to learn 

what the words mean.” He went on to say, both disciplines tread 

a fine balance between art and science, intellect and emotion. 

 Through his participation in the theater group at Cedar Lane 

Unitarian Church, a close neighbor to USU, Pangaro has portrayed many of 

Shakespeare’s 

tragic men, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Shylock and 

Marc Antony. Pangaro admires the 

church’s devotion 

to music and theater, and how these 

contribute to spiritual life. The full 

time physician, an 

occasional thespian said, “In my 

own life, I have 

been enriched by 

contacts with plays 

and literature” and 

he hopes to continue acting occasionally in the 

years to come, 

taking on “big” 

roles such as Lear. 

USU Researcher Plays More Than Just One Role 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

See TMIP, Pg. 6 

Courtesy Photo 

Flanked by two actresses, Dr. Louis Pangaro 

(center) portrays the titular role of William 

Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” 
PAGE 6 

 TSgt Tuyen Tran, Basic Life Support (BLS) 

Program Manager of the Military Training 

Network (MTN), recently received the Army 

Achievement Medal from the Commander, 

Task Force 31, Medical Brigade in Iraq for 

outstanding accomplishments in support of 

Operation Iraqi Freedom, May 6. 

 Tran understood that the seven medical 

units in Iraq needed to continue to train 

health care personnel in BLS under the 

new American Heart Association (AHA) 

guidelines – even in a war zone. However, 

the time differences and the intense missions of the units in Iraq made it difficult for 

Tran and the medical groups to connect. 

Tran recognized that of all the units, especially for the medical teams that take care 

of troops that are in harm’s way, needed 

the most up to date information with the 

greatest amount of ease of use. 

 To ensure the BLS instructors overseas 

got what they needed in a timely fashion, 

Tran tracked down the training officers of 

each unit and the four major Armed Forces 

hospitals located in Baghdad, Balad, Mosul, 

and Tikrit. Because of the time zone differences, Tran came in during the weekends 

and evening hours and also established 

communication using his internet telephone line. Through all of his extraordinary efforts, Tran was able to troubleshoot 

issues and answer questions so that all 

units were in full AHA BLS compliance, 

resulting in fully trained health care personnel that were ready to care for our 

wounded heroes. 

 Tran, who is quite humble, innovative, 

and has an outstanding work ethic, said, “I 

think every person who supports our 

troops should do it in a way that works 

best for them. I spent four months in Kuwait City. Although it was not in a battle 

zone, it gave me very good insight about 

what the health care teams needed to support our troops that are in battle and I tried 

to put myself in their shoes.” 

 MTN is responsible for trauma and resuscitative medicine for Department of Defense personnel across the globe. TSgt 

Tran has worked at MTN since November 

of 2005 and oversees 220 sites for BLS administration. 

USU MTN Staff Member Receives Army Achievement Medal 

By Dr. Mauri Hamilton and CAPT Jaime Luke 

Continuing Health Education 

TSgt Tuyen Tran, USAF, Basic Life Support 

program manager for USU’s Military Training Network, received the Army Achievement Medal from the commander of Task 

Force 31, Medical Brigade in Iraq for outstanding accomplishments supporting OIF. 

Photo Courtesy of CHE 

 The accomplishments of Uniformed Services University alumni are a direct 

reflection on the outstanding education and training provided by faculty and 

staff at USU. The Office of Alumni Affairs is proud to share some of these 

achievements with the USU community. 

 MAJ Jennifer Glidewell, USA, class of 2004 and MAJ Stacy Weina, class of 

2003, both Graduate School of Nursing alumni, were chosen as the first nurse 

practitioners to deploy with a Special Forces group in Afghanistan. During 

their deployment, they provided health care to women and children primarily 

at small firebases where they managed the local national clinic. The mission 

was such a success more nurse practitioners are requested for the next rotation. 

 CPT Jeffrey Robertson, USA, School of Medicine class of 2002, was 

awarded the 2007 U.S. Army Surgeon General’s Physician Recognition Award 

for his work at a theater level facility in Operation Iraq Freedom. This award is 

given to three Medical Corps officers annually. 

USU Alumni Make a Difference in Military Medicine 

By Leeann Ori 

Alumni Program Specialist, Office of Alumni Affairs 

MAJ Jennifer Glidewell, NC, USA, GSN Class of 2004 

provides health care to women and children while 

deployed with special forces in Afghanistan. She is 

among the first nurse practitioners to deploy with special forces. 

Courtesy Photo 

fairs, to help determine the future care and benefits they receive.” 

 TMIP-J is responsible for significantly improving the logistical 

processes associated with the planning and delivery of clinical 

care items in theater. The system standardizes the electronic reporting of information on medical personnel, supplies, equipment 

and blood, which not only improves inventory management but 

facilitates medical equipment maintenance processes. 

 More than 15,000 medical professionals are using TMIP-J 

worldwide, and since January 2005, the EHR system has captured 

nearly 900,000 outpatient medical encounters and over 1.5 million inpatient encounters, including pharmacy orders, laboratory 

reports and x-rays. AHLTA-Theater is currently processing more 

than 33,000 clinical encounters per month and is providing nearreal-time information sharing to health care providers in theater. 

 AHLTA-Mobile is a handheld device that first responders use to 

capture medical information at the point of injury. This EHR system is also used by medical staff serving the White House. The 

capability, which could be the envy of best-in-class commercial 

sector emergency medical personnel across the U.S., is transforming theater based health care. When Hines delivers lectures to IT industry professionals, he 

talks about the potential application of AHLTA-Mobile during civilian events such as natural disasters and pandemic outbreaks. He 

also tells how the system can be used for humanitarian assistance 

efforts, rural health care programs and visiting nurse services. 

 Providing complete and seamless connectivity among multiple 

levels of care in theater as well as among military medical facilities 

across the globe and on to VA is a complex challenge, but TMIP-J 

is meeting the challenge by delivering results that continue to set 

new benchmarks in the area of medical information management 

and technology.

From TMIP, pg. 5 
PAGE 7 

 Several Uniformed Services University of 

the Health Sciences’ (USU) School of Medicine students from the class of 2010 volunteered as guest lecturers for the Medical 

Careers classes at John F. Kennedy High 

School in Silver Spring, Md., March 19. 

 The JFK students, taught by Ms. Marchwicki, have been serving as mock patients 

for USU students as a part of their ICM III 

class. The students, many of whom are 

aspiring doctors, wanted an insider’s account of the process of applying for medical school and the opportunities in military 

medicine. 

 The guest lecturers taught two classes 

about the process of applying to medical 

school. MS2 students spoke about the 

course work required in undergraduate 

studies to prepare for medical school. The 

MS2’s explained the details of the Medical 

College Admissions Test and shared insight 

into completing the American Medical College Application Services application and 

the interview process that follows, and presented an engaging slide show explaining 

opportunities in military medicine, including USU, the Health Professions Scholarship 

Program and the Reserve Officer Training 

Corps.

 As a payback for being such an attentive 

audience, the MS2 students invited the JFK 

students to the USU campus, April 30. 

 A total of 33 students from three medical careers classes came to tour the USU 

campus. The students had served as mock 

adolescent pediatric patients for the MS2 

class throughout the spring-winter semester. Many of the high school students are 

aspiring physicians and skipped out on a 

day of classes to come to the campus and 

get a closer look at medical school. 

 The students were treated to a tour of 

the campus provided by the enlisted company, and were then handed the class 

notes for one of the second-year pathology 

labs, and were split into groups to attend 

lectures on laboratory medicine with medical students. The students followed the 

lecturers, asked questions and got a taste of 

medical coursework. After a break for 

lunch, the JFK students participated in a 

hands-on session, teaching medical exam 

skills conducted by volunteers from the 

class of 2010. 

 In one room of the Multi-Discipline Labs, 

two MS2 students taught a group of six 

high school students auscultation of the 

heart and lungs. In a darkened room 

nearby, high school students learned the 

use of an ophthalmoscope for eye exams. 

Further down the hall, USU students instructed an attentive group of high school 

students in the use of otoscopes for examining the ear. Students also learned how to 

test reflexes and how to tie suture knots. 

 The students were enthusiastic about all 

aspects of their visit to campus. Marchwicki 

said the events and tour provided, ranked 

among their most informative field trips. 

Pediatric Interest Group Invites High School Students to USU 

By 2d Lt Nathan Kelsey 

MS2 Student 

 

Basic Life Support Classes: Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers courses will be on the first and third Thursday of every 

month at 9 a.m. Seats are limited, so if you would like to attend a 

course, please contact mrogers@usuhs.mil for availability. 

May 15: School of Medicine Graduation Awards Ceremony— 

12:30 p.m. in the Sanford Auditorium. 

May 16: School of Medicine Graduation Awards Reception—

3 p.m. - 7 p.m. in the courtyard.

May 17: DARC Hall- Class of 2008 Commencement Exercise— DAR 

Constitution Hall,18th & D. St. NW, Washington, DC. P.O.C. University Affairs at 301-295-4796. 

May 19 : Seminar, “Regulation of Gene Expression During the 

Chlamydial Development Cycle” - Speaker will be Ming Tan, M.D., 

associate professor for University of California, Irvine’s Department 

of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Lecture begins at 11:30 

a.m. in Lecture Room A. 

May 23 : Brigade Enlisted Picnic— The Enlisted Brigade will hold a 

Summer Fun Day/Picnic May 23 at the pavilion behind the softball 

field at 10:30 a.m. Enlisted service members are encouraged to 

attend and will be released at the discretion of their supervisors at 

the conclusion of the picnic. Uniform for this event will be appropriate civilian entire. For more information, contact SFC Peña at 

(301) 295-3869 or dpena@usuhs.mil. 

June 6-8: Tom’s Run 2008— Tom's Run is a 200-mile fitness event 

in memory of CWO4 Tom Brooks, USCG (Ret.), who contracted 

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Each year teams of runners relay 

from Cumberland, Md. to Washington, D.C., and finish at USU. For 

sign-up information, contact SSgt Rogers at mrogers@usuhs.mil. 

June 30 : First USU/HJF Symposium — “Military and Civilian Medicine Joining Forces to Advance Research,” will be held from 7:30 

a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference 

Center in Bethesda, Md. For more information, visit 

http://www.hjf.org/symposium, or call 301-294-1218. 

July 10 – 25 : 2008 Field Exercises: Operations Bushmaster and 

Kerkesner will be conducted July 10-25 at Fort Indiantown Gap, 

Penn. These exercises are unique to our university and require the 

support of all university uniformed personnel. 

Dates to Remember 

 Some 90 researchers from the United States, France, United 

Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and Sweden participated in the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ 

(USU) Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute’s workshop, 

May 5-6. 

 The workshop dealt with how best to assess and treat military 

and civilian casualties of partial-body radiation exposure. Their 

deliberations are expected to be published soon in scientific literature. 

 "Our discussions addressed the need to prepare for emergencies that might result in mass radiation-exposure casualties and 

particularly for injuries resulting from partial-body exposures,” said 

AFRRI Scientific Director Dr. Terry Pellmar. "Although most research focuses on uniform exposures, in a real event partial body 

exposures are, in fact, more likely. Rapid diagnosis will be essential 

to protecting organ systems that are seriously impacted by radiation, including bone marrow, the gastrointestinal tract and skin.” 

 “The workshop discussions addressed the current status of our 

understanding of biomarkers for specific organ systems and 

pointed out the gaps in our knowledge. It became clear that to 

effectively treat partial-body exposures we will need to integrate 

our understanding of changes to various organ systems with clinical approaches,” said Pellmar.

Scientists Deliberate on Diagnostics for Partial-Body Irradiation 

By Donna Solyan 

Chief of Publishing, Office of External Affairs 
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences