VOLUME 3, ISSUE 13 WWW.USUHS.MIL AUG. 4, 2008 

USU Newsletter 

Operations: Bushmaster, Kerkesner... Pg. 2 
Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

MC2 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

Christine Creenan 

Copy 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 photos by: 

TSgt André Nicholson 

HM2 Michael Oliver 

MC2 Jeff Hopkins

In This Issue: 

 

Bushmaster...................2 

Wayne Crawford.........3 

Psych Health.................3 

TRICARE Interns...........3 

Dr. Anna Pou................4 

Alumni Visit...................4 

S2M2...............................5 

SOM Alumni.................5 

Student Tour.................6 

Student Profiles............6 

USU News.....................7 

Dates to Remember...7 

 Medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences are getting a healthy 

dose of the challenges in providing battlefield 

medicine during two concurrent field exercises. 

 About 360 medical, public health and graduatelevel nursing students from the Defense Department’s only health sciences university were at a 

central Pennsylvania training post, experiencing 

the rigors of caring for patients in a simulated combat environment. 

 Operation Bushmaster exposed fourth-year students to the challenges of delivering medical care 

in support of warfighting, peacekeeping and humanitarian-assistance operations. Meanwhile, Operation Kerkesner gave first-year medical students 

training in a field environment. 

 Both exercises took place in mid-July, and Operation Bushmaster wrapped up with a convoy 

coming under a simulated attack during a nighttime operation, resulting in mass casualties. As they 

triage, treat and evacuate patients, the students 

came to recognize that part of being a military 

medical officer is the ability “to make order out of 

chaos,” said Navy Capt. Trueman Sharp, chairman 

of the university’s Military and Emergency Medicine 

Department and exercise director. 

 Sharp called the annual exercises the capstone 

of the Uniformed Services University curriculum. 

 “The field training aspect is essential for our students because we are more than a civilian medical 

school or graduate school of nursing,” Sharp explained. “We produce a physician, but we are also 

producing a military medical officer. That requires a 

lot of additional knowledge and skills that you 

wouldn’t get in a civilian medical school.” 

 Operations Bushmaster and Kerkesner merge 

students’ classroom training, with nearly 800 hours 

dedicated to military-unique subjects, in a field setting with realistic scenarios like those they’ll encounter as Army, Navy, Air Force and Public Health 

Service doctors. 

 This year’s scenarios involve a United Nations 

force called in to conduct peacekeeping and stabilization operations in the fictitious Middle Eastern 

country of Pandakar in the throes of unrest. The 

doctors “deployed” as part of the force and were 

tasked to set up battalion aid stations and an expeditionary medical support station with surgical capabilities until a combat support hospital arrives. 

 Casualties started arriving before they finished 

setting up their operations. The wounded 

“patients” -- actually first-year students with realisticlooking simulated war wounds like those being 

seen in Iraq and Afghanistan -- put the students to 

the test. 

 Increased emphasis on treating patients as 

quickly and as far forward as possible presents challenges traditional medical students aren’t likely to 

encounter, from treating patients while under fire 

to working with far less equipment than they’d find 

in fixed medical facilities. 

 First-year students role playing patients got a 

glimpse at the type of challenges they’ll face later in 

their training. But Sharp said they also get to see 

firsthand what it feels like to be a wounded patient 

in the hands of a military doctor. 

 “What’s going on here is pretty amazing,” said 

Army 2nd Lt. John Francis, a first-year student at his 

first field exercise. Role-playing a patient with 

asthma earlier in the day and now with “shrapnel 

wounds” on his face, Francis said the exercise reinforced what 

he’s learned 

so far at the 

university. 

“This brings it 

all together,” 

he said. “I’m 

really excited 

about what 

we’re getting 

out of this.” 

 “This 

makes it 

real,” said 

Navy Ensign 

Danielle 

Robins, a 

former Marine Corps captain now with a year at 

Uniformed Services University under her belt. “This 

training defines the uniqueness of what a military 

medical school means.” 

 Across the post, other first-year students were 

getting a better understanding of that as many got 

their first experience firing a weapon, navigating 

an orienteering course, and wearing chemical protective gear after a mock attack. Many also were 

learning how to live and operate in the field for the 

first time. 

 Noncommissioned officers are leading the training, with Army Sgt.1st Class Franklin Abram overseeing the training, which he said helps develop 

warrior skills in medical officers likely to serve on 

the front lines. “The bottom line is that we need 

doctors who can perform in the combat zone as 

well as the clinic,” he said. “Don’t think for one minute that because you are a doctor, that (enemy 

forces) are not going to shoot at you.” 

 Air Force Maj. Glenn Burns, Operation Kerkesner 

course director, said the exercise teaches not only 

basic survival skills, but also leadership principles. 

“This is not a test of infantry skills, and we are not 

trying to develop them as infantry officers,” Burns 

said. “But as we teach them the basics, what we 

expect to challenge them with is leadership.” 

 Fourth-year students were facing those leadership challenges at Operation Bushmaster as they 

treated patients while rotating through a variety of 

roles they’ll play as medical officers, from litter bearers to logistics officers to unit commanders. 

 The exercise reinforces the fact that doctors are 

just one part of a vast medical care network, Sharp 

Future Military Docs Hone Field Medical Skills 

By Donna Miles 

American Forces Press Service 

Photo by Tech Sgt André Nicholson 

SSgt Lacy Johnson, USAF, applies 

“moulage” to simulate a combat 

wound on 2LT Dan Coughlin, USA, a 

first-year medical student. 

See FIELD, Pg. 5 
PAGE 3 

 Beginning in September, the Department of Defense’s Center for Deployment 

Psychology (CDP) at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) in conjunction with the TRICARE 

Management Activity (TMA) will offer a one 

week course to assist civilian providers in 

addressing the needs of deployed military 

personnel and their families. 

 The training courses, taking place in San 

Diego, San Antonio and Bethesda, are free 

of charge and will present strategies to 

identify and treat mental health problems. 

 The lectures will be lead by faculty from 

the CDP, Defense Veterans Brain Injury 

Center (DVBIC), or Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and includes psychologists, Dr. Elizabeth Parins and Dr. 

Jenna Ermold. 

 The event, named "Addressing the Psychological Health of Warriors and Their 

Families: PTSD, Depression and TBI," will be 

split into four separate training modules: 

Covering Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Military Culture and Deployment, Suicide and 

Depression, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Treatment. The agenda is 

approved by the American Psychological 

Association and participants will qualify for 

continuing education credits. 

 The CDP is designed as a “hub and 

spoke” program with the headquarters 

located at USU. Headed by Dr. David Riggs, 

a PTSD expert, ten satellite sites exist at military medical centers with APA-accredited 

psychology internship programs. 

Addressing the Psychological Health of Warriors 

 “Summer hire” for many means waking up in the wee morning hours to perform various clerical duties, in cramped offices, 

as a way to earn extra cash and buff student resumés. 

 Not so, for the TRICARE Management interns, who in addition to learning about health care systems, enjoy the benefits of 

visiting several points of interest, including the Uniformed Services University (USU), as part of their work experience. 

 On July 16, the interns, all of whom expressed interest in 

pursuing careers in medicine, sat in on a special presentation 

hosted by CDR Margaret Calloway, associate dean for recruitment and admissions, and Dr. Eleanor Metcalf, associated dean 

for graduate education, to learn more about the academic 

health center, including its unique programs. 

 Calloway told the students university candidacy is competitive but explained there are many benefits to the USU experience, including debt-free education, exceptional faculty and the 

university’s central location—in the hub of a bustling scientific 

community. “We also have the best dressed students,” Calloway 

lightheartedly quipped in reference to the Navy, Air Force, Army 

and Public Health Service uniforms worn by School of Medicine 

(SOM) and Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) students. 

 With a little bit of background knowledge, the group visited 

a university laboratory, where Dr. Sylvie Poluch, research assistant and professor, lectured on the human brain. 

 Before leaving, the interns toured the university’s Simulation 

Center and learned how USU students harness cutting edge 

computer technology to prepare for the unique responsibilities 

of uniformed medical officers. 

 Dr. Gilbert Muniz, director of administration, took the interns 

into the Surgical Simulation Laboratory and demonstrated the 

effectiveness of the center’s high-fidelity human patient mannequins, explaining this is where medical and nursing students 

practice surgical procedures, endoscopic skills and laparoscopic 

techniques. The mannequins are equipped with computer software that allows them to replicate many human symptoms. 

 The group also visited the Wide Area Virtual Environment, a 

computer-based mass casualty simulator that creates realistic 

scenarios, in which uniformed nurses and physicians can train 

to care for wounded troops in combat situations. 

 Heading back to the TRICARE offices, students were abuzz 

with talks of their USU experience, and it became clear, their 

summer hire program, while not conventional, is certainly 

meaningful for these future health care professionals. 

TRICARE Summer Interns Experience USU 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

 Carlton Wayne Crawford, 57, passed away June 25, 2008, at 

Inova Fairfax Hospital after several years of a valiant fight with 

cancer. 

 Wayne was born in Norfolk to Elizabeth Winslow Crawford 

and Stanley Allen Crawford Sr. He graduated from Norview High 

School in 1968 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Old Dominion University. 

 Often and formally commended for his ability to visualize and 

manage large projects, Wayne worked many years in the visual 

information field with the Department of the Army. He was working as the director of the Audio Visual Services Center with the 

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences when he 

retired in January 2007. 

 An avid and skilled golfer, he played his last round only days 

before his final hospitalization. 

 Wayne is survived by his 

wife, Robin Hall Crawford of 

Alexandria; daughter, Nancy 

Crawford of Norfolk; daughter 

and son-in-law, Cathy and Dave 

Howell of Norfolk; granddaughters, Nicole and Madison of 

Norfolk; mother, Elizabeth 

Winslow Crawford of Norfolk; 

sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Mitch Hurdle; nephews, 

Daniel and Andrew Hurdle of 

Elizabeth City, Stanley Crawford III of Ivor and Steven 

Crawford of Woodbridge. 

Former Director of Audio Visual Center Remembered 

Carlton Wayne Crawford 

Former Director, USU Audio 

Visual Services Center 
PAGE 4 

 Dr. Anna Pou has faced situations few doctors will ever likely 

encounter and she is using her experience to bridge awareness 

about the importance of training physicians and other medical 

personnel in disaster preparedness. In the early morning hours of 

August 29, 2005, she reported to work at Memorial Medical Center as usual, but Pou’s shift and the days following would be far 

from ordinary. Hurricane Katrina would soon rip through New 

Orleans, leaving in its wake, a hospital and community in shambles. 

 “It was total, mass chaos,” she told students and staff at the 

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU). “The 

hospital became a very dangerous place.” 

 Imagine—food and water supplies were dwindling and the 

facility was being overrun by citizens seeking refuge from the 

brewing storm outside, generators failed, forcing hospital workers 

to care for patients at times in near-total darkness, intense heat 

wafted through the facility threatening the well being of many 

fragile patients, and just across the street, gun-wielding looters 

could be seen pilfering abandoned businesses and wreaking 

havoc on city streets. 

 “These were war like conditions. This was not medicine as 

usual,” Pou told the group. The people of USU are prepared for 

battlefield-like conditions though, because in the classrooms and 

through the university’s unique learning experiences, students are 

taught to bring order out of chaos. 

 “USU is an educational institution that has the unique responsibility of training us both as physicians and military officers at the 

same time. In doing so, they expose 

us to instructors who have experienced real-life wartime situations, to 

mass casualty events that may be 

experienced both in the US and 

abroad, and to a diverse patient 

population unlike any other in the 

nation. No other American medical 

school has the knowledge and expertise required to provide their students 

with such a diverse education,” said 

medical student, Timothy Ori, class of 

2009. 

 Pou believes these tenets have 

strong applications to civilian populations as well, particularly in the vortex 

of recent natural disaster, lessons 

learned in USU classrooms can be 

directly applied in times of stress. She 

urged, “Military and civilian physicians 

have got to work together to have 

feasible management plans.” 

 The Louisiana surgeon is certain catastrophe will strike again, 

but is hopeful medical communities will follow in sync with USU 

and begin mandatory education in all aspects of disaster medicine 

and triage as part of their credentialing packet. 

 “We have the incredible opportunity to make things better,” 

she told the crowd of uniformed members. There is understanding, because these men and women of this truly unique academy 

spend years learning to care for those in harm’s way. 

Katrina Care Giver Speaks to USU Community 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

Dr. Anna Pou 

Associate Professor 

Department of 

Otorhinolaryngology, 

LSU Health Sciences 

Center, New Orleans 

Photo by Leeann Ori 

Alumni and students of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ (USU) Graduate School of Nursing gathered at 

USU for the annual reception in conjunction with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, June 30. After the conference, 

guests were bused from the Gaylord Hotel to the university, where they enjoyed heavy hors' dourves, compliments of the USU 

Alumni Association. Afterward, alumni and friends were given the chance to explore the new Building E, which will primarily be 

used for the GSN. Above, alumni, friends, and current students of the Family Nurse Practitioner program stand in front of the 

newly completed Building E.

Exploring Building E 
PAGE 5 

said, while underscoring their responsibilities as medical officers. 

 “Being a medical officer isn’t just being a doctor,” he said. “It’s 

about leadership. It’s about planning and organization. It’s about 

communication. It’s about situational awareness. It’s about learning to prioritize because you never have enough resources or 

people, and you never have enough evacuation (capability).” 

 Navy Ensign Art Ambrosio got a taste of what it means to balance those challenges when casualties started arriving as he was 

serving as commander, overseeing the assembly of the expeditionary medical support unit. 

 A fourth-year student, Ambrosio had to resist the urge to drop 

everything and rush to the patients’ needs rather than allowing 

his staff to do that. “As a medical person, when you see someone 

hurt, you want to run, and you want to play doctor,” he said. 

 “But as the commander, you need to focus on what those responsibilities are,” he said. “Your job is to keep the whole machine 

running: the medical, the transportation, the security, the communications, the logistics. You have to manage people, but do it without micromanaging.” 

 For some of the students, the exercises offer a return to principles they learned during prior service in the Army, Navy, Air Force 

and Marine Corps, but with a new focus. 

 Among them is Army 2nd Lt. Gabriel Pavey, who spent 12 

years in the Marine Corps before enrolling in Uniformed Services 

University. Pavey was a Marine staff sergeant working in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and remembers the frustration of not 

being much help to the medics scurrying to help the wounded. 

He said it led to a major life decision. 

 Now an Army second lieutenant about to enter his second 

year of medical school, Pavey said he’s ready for the rigors of field 

medicine in a combat environment. “It’s my brothers and sisters (in 

the force) who really do the hard part,” he said. “We’re here to 

support them. The folks here all have the same call to duty.” 

 Army 2nd Lt. Barrett Campbell said the training he’s receiving 

at the Uniformed Services University is providing a foundation for 

what he hopes will be a 20-year career as a medical officer. 

 “I want to be a military doctor first and foremost, and this is the 

place to prepare for that,” he said. “I chose this school because of 

the military medical aspect. I wanted to be in a program that 

trained me for that, and that’s what I’m getting here.” 

 Robins said the exercise reinforces the connection she feels to 

her fellow Uniformed Services University students, but especially 

to the servicemembers she will treat as a Navy doctor. “We have a 

like-mindedness,” she said. “They are taking care of me, and I am 

taking care of them. They are amazing people, and they deserve 

great care.”

From FIELD, Pg. 2 

 For the past 10 years, Rebecca Rohrer, a 

1993 Master of Public Health graduate of 

the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU), has been working 

with the U.S. Agency for International Development as a foreign service officer focusing on development within the health sector of developing countries. She has held 

assignments in Central Asia, Uganda, Nepal, Eastern Caribbean nations, and Haiti. 

Her most recent assignment will soon take 

her to Ethiopia. 

 MAJ Amit Bhavsar, 2000 School of Medicine graduate and Brigade Combat Team 

Surgeon with the 101st Airborne, recently 

received national recognition from Newsweek for his work at Yarmouk Hospital in 

Baghdad. During his tour in Iraq, MAJ 

Bhavsar has worked with the country’s 

health care providers to improve the quality 

of care for Iraqi citizens, while bringing 

attention to the substandard care many of 

its citizen’s receive. The article entitled, 

“Wanted: More Than a Band-Aid” featuring 

MAJ Bhavsar can be found on the Newsweek Web site. 

 MAJ Tara Hall, who graduated from USU 

in 2002 with a Master of Science in Public 

Health degree, serves as chief, Preventive 

Medicine and Force Health Protection for 

the Multi National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) in 

support of more than 150,000 US and Coalition Forces in a joint operational headquarters during combat operations in Iraq. 

She is responsible for recommending, reviewing and implementing force health 

protection plans, guidance, policy and standards for the Iraqi theater of operations. 

MAJ Hall is the action officer and consultant for force health protection technical 

guidance and assistance to three U.S. Army 

division equivalents and a Marine Expeditionary Force in full spectrum of operations 

from direct combat to stability and support. 

Stationed along with MAJ Hall in Iraq is 

LCDR Dennis Faix, 2001 MPH graduate, 

and MAJ John Completo, 2002 MPH 

graduate. 

 COL John (Jack) Trakowski, who received his clinical psychology Ph.D. at USU 

in 1997, is leading an expansion of behavioral health services at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center in response to 

demands from Warriors in Transition. 

Where Are They Now... USU Alumni 

By Leeann Ori 

Alumni Programs Specialist, OAA 

 Students became the teachers at the 

culmination event for S2M2—Science, Service, Medicine, Mentoring—when the teens, 

mostly from local high schools, presented 

their informational posters to members of 

the Uniformed Services University (USU) 

learning community on July 25. 

 The week-long event is designed to encourage, nurture and enhance the commitment to science and medicine in a welcoming, intellectually stimulating environment. 

 The participants, all of whom express 

interest in various fields of medicine, showcased their knowledge by developing original content and literature in topics ranging 

from periodontics to peanut allergies, 

asthma to pancreatic cancer. 

 Students drew inspiration from a weeks 

worth of activities, including off site visits to 

the National Museum of Health and Medicine and the National Capital Area Medical 

Simulation Center, as well as opportunities 

to shadow physicians and sit in on special 

presentations hosted by USU faculty. 

 Participant Brian Starin, a junior at Walter Johnson High School, recalls visiting the 

suture lab and stitching beef hearts, calling 

S2M2 a “real learning experience.” The 

aspiring physician said his exposure to military medicine was impressive and he aims 

to attend USU, for its many advantages. 

S2M2 Makes USU Students into Teachers 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 
PAGE 6 

 The very nature of the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) inspires tales of bravery and inspiration. 

Sometimes though, there are people so incredible they stand out 

among heroes. Lend your ears to Gilberto Nieves and Demara 

Wright, and hear two stories of courage, spun on the heels of 

tragedy. 

 For Nieves it began in a West 

Point dormitory—a seemingly normal 

day for the aspiring infantry soldier. 

He was pursuing a family tradition 

by joining the Army, and Nieves was 

eager to graduate so he could join 

his brother on the battlefield. 

 His ambition would be halted 

with a single phone call. On the line, 

Nieves’ mother broke the devastating news: His brother was hit by a 

rocket propelled grenade, and killed 

at the hands of Sunni insurgents. 

 “It was like someone struck me in the heart, and for a long time 

everything seemed to move in slow motion,” lamented Nieves. 

But he persevered, eventually graduating from West Point and in 

the interim decided to pursue a career in military medicine, after 

visiting the USU campus. 

 Nearing the completion of his first year of medical school, his 

conviction remains steadfast and he is beginning to think about 

fields of medicine. Nieves is considering pediatrics—he calls himself 

a kid at heart—but more importantly, wants to mitigate any concerns soldiers have about their families. 

 Outside of school, he brings to life the memory of his brother 

and other fallen heroes by speaking to veterans groups. “I’m not 

forgetting what soldiers give up,” he said, knowing all too well the 

meaning of sacrifice. 

 Nieves is not alone though, his classmate, Demara Wright’s 

journey to USU also draws inspiration 

from despair because she too came to 

understand the most dire consequences of war. 

 Wright was married just weeks 

when her husband—an Army tank 

driver—was deployed to Iraq. They 

made the best of their situation, writing letters, speaking frequently, and 

even sending gifts back and forth. 

 As the weeks wore on, their correspondence became more sporadic 

and “I realized he was in a bad place,” 

Wright said. Even so, nothing could 

prepare her for the news she would 

receive in the early morning hours 

on April 29, 2004. Her husband of 

just two months, Sgt. Adam Estep, died in a RPG attack outside 

Baghdad while looking for weapons of mass destruction. 

 A widow at age 20, the once light-hearted bride was grief 

stricken by the loss of her husband. “I slept, I ate, I studied, I cried,” 

she said, “and that’s what I did for the next year and a half.” She 

graduated with the highest honors from University of California, 

Santa Barbara, and decided to pursue a medical degree at USU. 

 “Coming here was important to me because regardless of what 

area I go into, I’ll be helping people like Adam,” she said. 

 Wright still thinks about her late husband everyday, and eagerly recants the happy memories, but she is moving forward with 

her life. Recently, she married long-time friend, Renny Wright, and 

is exploring different career avenues. Interested in psychiatry, 

Wright is particularly keen on working with veterans suffering 

from post traumatic stress disorder. 

 Nieves and Wright are entering into their second year of medical school, and admit in these tumultuous times especially, nothing about uniformed service is easy. Still both soldiers boldly face 

the challenge of two professions—medicine and the military—and 

are advancing full steam ahead. 

Student Profiles: 2LT Gilberto Nieves, USA, 2d Lt Demara Wright, USAF 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

 Members of the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine 

came to the Uniformed Services University to learn about the only 

federally run academic health center, receive helpful tips and take 

part in a unique learning experience. 

 Dr. Margaret Calloway, dean of admissions, kicked off the event 

by giving a brief overview of the university, including details about 

school programs. “If you are interested in humanitarian medicine, 

USU is a way to truly engage in this type of care,” she told the 

aspiring physicians, referring to the university’s many initiatives 

aimed at mitigating disasters worldwide. 

 Calloway went on to describe the academic setting, which invites both civilian and military applicants to pursue high standards 

of education in the biomedical sciences. Even better—she told 

them—students attend free of charge, and in fact, receive the full 

salary of a junior officer. This news prompted one outspoken participant to wonder aloud, “They pay you just to be a student!?!” 

 After a brief question and answer session, students broke into 

groups and worked together to create the ideal applicant—an 

interactive game that seeks to encourage dialogue about the 

qualities medical schools look for in successful candidates. Admissions counselor, NaShieka Knight urged, “It’s good to build a 

strong applicant portfolio, but it’s also important to show your 

personality.” 

 Next, Dr. James Smirniotopolous, professor and chairman in 

the Department of Radiology, gave participants a small dose of 

the School of Medicine experience by hosting a discussion on the 

discipline he calls, “a window into the living body.” 

 After providing basic radiology instruction, Smirniotopolous 

presented slides of irregular X-rays and the aspiring physicians 

helped discern the location and culprit of the abnormalities by 

analyzing several views. 

 The day culminated in a visit to the National Museum of Health 

and Medicine, where docent, Marianne Solfronk, introduced students to the world of forensic anthropology, including a hands-on 

examination of human bones. 

 At days end, the students seemed wholly impressed and several participants expressed interest in pursuing candidacy at the 

university. Texas native, Ashley Bloskas, for example, said she enjoys the idea of working in Public Health and offered, “I do think 

about serving the nation.” 

High School Students Experience Life as a Med Student 

By Christine Creenan 

Web Writer, Office of External Affairs 

2LT Gilberto Nieves, USA 

2d Lt Demara Wright, USAF 
PAGE 7 

August 4—5: Board of Regents Quarterly Meeting—Committee of 

the Whole Meeting from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. (Aug. 4). Quarterly Meeting from 8 a.m. - noon in the Board of Regents meeting room 

(Aug. 5).

August 22: First Annual Education Day—The University Faculty 

Senate Education Committee will host the first annual Education 

Day forum to be held Aug. 22. The theme of Education Day, Best 

Practices in Health Sciences Education, was chosen to showcase 

the considerable experience of USU faculty in teaching learners 

across the spectrum of health science education. They have 

agreed to share their best strategies for effective teaching in the 

basic sciences, nursing, applied health sciences, and in clinical 

practice. This event will feature five interactive, sequential sessions, 

each focusing on teaching practices in one of the following settings: Welcome (8 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.), Small Groups (8:20 a.m. - 9:10 

a.m.), Large Groups (9:20 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.), Operational (10:20 

a.m. - 11:10 a.m.), Lunch and Poster viewing (11:20 a.m. - 12:50 

a.m.), Technology-Assisted (1 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.), Clinical/Bedside (2 

p.m. - 2:50 p.m.), Outcomes/Wrap up 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.), and 

Simulation Center Tour (4 p.m. - 5 p.m.) Registration will be required at: http://www.lrc.usuhs.mil/EducationDay2008. Questions may be sent to Dr. Cindy C. Wilson, Chairman Faculty Senate 

Education Committee at 301-295-9471 or cwilson@usuhs.mil.

Sept. 21 : 2008 Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation Ride for Kids— 

Attention MOTORCYCLE enthusiasts! The Baltimore/Washington 

“Ride for Kids” road ride is set for Sunday, Sept. 21, starting at the 

mall in Columbia, Md. Donations for the ride (minimum $35.00 

donation per bike) will benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 9:15 a.m. The 

police-escorted ride through scenic countryside starts at 9:30 a.m., 

rain or shine. Riders on all makes and models are welcome. After 

the ride, stay for the Celebration of Life program to hear from the 

local children we help. Award presentations will honor the highest fundraisers and distribution of premiums will follow. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Inc., is a federally-recognized nonprofit charitable organization. Their missions are to discover the 

cause of and cure for childhood brain tumors by supporting medical research, aid in the early detection of children's brain tumors in 

order to improve the quality of life of children. For more information contact CDR Rene Hernandez at 295-9635, or email at rhernandez@usuhs.mil. You can also log onto: 

www.pbtfus.org/rideforkids/calendar/2008/baltimorewashington

08.html.

Sept. 28 : Navy Five-Miler— The 2008 Navy Five-Miler will be held 

Sept. 28 in downtown D.C. FC2 Adam Race will be heading up a 

team from the university. The course is mostly flat and good for 

beginning runners. For more information, visit 

www.navy5miler.com. Contact FC2 Race at 295-9637 or email 

him at arace@usuhs.mil to join the university’s team. 

Oct. 10—13 : U.S. Annual Armed Forces 49th Open Chess Championship - National Naval Medical Center, will be the site event for 

the 2008(49TH) Armed Forces Open Chess Championship, which 

will take place on Oct. 10-13 (Columbus Day Weekend) at 8 a.m. 

in the Galley of the National Naval Medical Center. The tournament is open to all Active Duty, Reservists, Military Retirees, Cadets, 

Midshipmen, and ROTC personnel who have a USCF Membership. 

Please enter in advance by sending an e-mail to 

Erick.Toribio@med.Navy.Mil. Please include Rank, Name, USCF ID 

number, current rating and branch of service. Come and participate regardless of your chess experience. For more information 

please contact PS3 Erick Toribio at (301) 295-5805 or visit 

www.usmilitarychess.org. 

Oct. 15 – 28 : PFT/PFA/APFT Notice - The Fall 2008 Physical Fitness Test for all services is scheduled for Oct. 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 

and 28 at 7 a.m. and noon. All military personnel are required to 

select the time and date that they will take their test. All Sailors 

must complete the Health Risk Assessment questionnaire and 

Physical Health Assessment annually, and Navy weigh-ins must be 

conducted between 10 days and 24 hours prior to the Physical 

Readiness Test. If there are any questions please contact your 

senior service advisor. 

Dates to Remember 

 The USU Department of Medicine recently announced that four faculty members received the 2008 John F. Maher 

Award for Research Excellence. 

 The John F. Maher Award for Research 

Excellence was established by the USU 

Department of Medicine in memory Dr. 

John F. Maher, its first Director, Division of 

Nephrology, who died in 1992. Since 1997 

the award has been presented annually to 

USU Department of Medicine physicians or 

scientists whose basic science or clinical 

research represent a significant contribution to the understanding, remedy or prevention of disease, or an innovative contribution to medical education. 

 This year the Maher Awards are presented to the following researchers representing a broad spectrum of faculty, billeted and non-billeted to USU, and at both 

the sssociate and sssistant professor level: 

Teodor-Doru Brumeanu, M.D., associate 

professor, Division of Immunology and 

Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, 

USU; Mary A. Marovich, M.D., chief, Vaccine 

Development and Research, Walter Reed 

Army Institute of Research, associate professor; CDR Erich F. Wedam, MC, USN, Division of Cardiology, NNMC, assistant professor; and Xiaoming Zhou, Ph.D., assistant 

professor, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, USU. 

 The Awards were presented July 22. 

USU News: Department of Medicine’s 2008 John F. Maher Award for Research Excellence 

USU 

A Traditional Academic University with a Unique 

Focus 
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences