August 22, 2012
®lf* ^orttani» (Observer Diversity Special Edition
Page II
------------ ------------ -______ H F A IT H
Diverse Class of Medical Students Seated
Future doctors
start journey in
new era of
healthcare
The Oregon Health and Science
University School of Medicine on
Friday welcomed 132 students on
their journey into the medical pro
fession by receiving their time-hon
ored white coat— a traditional sym
bol of medicine.
"This class is entering medicine
at a truly remarkable time in our
nation's history, when the nation's
health care system is undergoing
rapid and significant transforma
tion,” said Dr. Mark Richardson,
dean of the OHSU School of Medi
cine.
Richardson said the m edical
school “is preparing the next gen
eration of physicians to not only
flourish in this climate of change,
but to lead the evolution. With Or
egon in the vanguard of national
health care reform, these students
will become agents of change.”
The OHSU School of Medicine's
125th class is characterized by a
wide diversity of students, all of
whom have already distinguished
themselves in the health care field
and have accomplished many things
in other areas.
"We are thrilled to welcome this
highly accomplished class to OHSU,”
said Dr. Molly Osborne, OHSU asso
ciate dean for student affairs. “They
bring a wide variety of life experience
that lends itself to becoming a well-
rounded physician.”
The entering class includes mili
tary veterans, a journalist, an anima
tor, teachers, nurses and EMTs, a
scientist, policymakers, a former
sheriff, a drummer, ranchers, world
class athletes, and many others.
The following are select snap-
//J
Taryn Cansler Hansen
Geoffry Gillespie
shots of how some of these soon-
to-be first-year medical students
found their way into medical school.
Taryn Cansler Hansen, 35, grew
up in Longview. She holds a biol
ogy degree from Portland State
University and a biochemistry de
gree from the University of Kansas.
Most recently, she spent a year as
an Americorps volunteer assisting
low-income and minority patients at
a clinic in Salem. The experience,
she said, reinforced that similar cul
tural disparities and barriers to care
exist in the United States. After
medical school, she hopes to prac
tice in Portland working with the
underserved community.
Geoffry Gillespie, 36, was bom in
Longview and grew up in the Port
land metro area. The son of a
firefighter and nurse, he says he
always had a respect for public ser
vice which led him to become a
police officer. While serving on the
force in Georgia, his roommate was
in the first year of his emergency
medicine residency. "Watching him
work at the hospital and at home
was intriguing. That was when I
began to think I might be interested
in medicine.” After medical school,
he hopes to work in emergency
medicine and someday to carry on
his joy of teaching by training new
residents.
Ann Oluloro, 23, was bom in
Boomers Should
Test for Hepatitis C
( AP) — The government is rec
ommending all baby boomers get
tested for hepatitis C.
Anyone bom from 1945 to 1965
should get a one-time blood test to
see if they have the liver-destroying
virus.
It can take decades to cause liver
damage, and many people don’t
know they're harboring the blood-
borne virus. Baby boomers account
for about two-thirds of the 3.2 mil
lion Americans thought to be in-
fected.
Previously, testing was recom
mended only for people considered
at highest risk. It's most commonly
spread today by sharing needles to
inject illegal drugs.
The Canters for Disease Control
and Prevention proposed the new
guidelines earlier this year and made
them final on Thursday. CDC offi
cials took the step after seeing a
near doubling of hepatitis C deaths
since the late 1990s.
Ann Oluloro
Elizabeth Suh
Portland, and attended the Robert She has a strong desire to help the
D. Clark Honors College at the Uni underservedpopulation. She would
versity of Oregon. During college, also like to do some form of interna-
she completed medical internships tional medicine, like helping the
in Bolivia and the Dominican Re people in herhom e country of Nige-
public, with a focus on public health. ria, where her parents were bom.
Attracted to the humanism behind
medicine, Oluloro said, "When done
with respect and compassion, medi
cine allows those who feel like they
have been neglected by society to
feel loved, and most importantly like
people and not inanimate objects.”
Elizabeth Suh, 28, is from the
W ashington, D.C. area. She re
ceived a bachelor's in journalism
with a m inor in biology from the
U niversity o f M aryland and com
pleted her post-baccalaureate pre
med coursew ork at Portland State
U niversity. Suh loves getting to
know different cultures and is pas-
sionate about helping div erse
people. A fter medical school, she
h o p e s to w o rk w ith the
underserved and m inority popu-
lations.
Dr. Billy R. Flowers (above center) and his skilled staff are ready to help those in need.
THE
SPINA COLUMN
An ongoing series of questions and answers about America’s natural healing profession.
Part 15. Back Pain: Why “oh, my aching back
has become such a popular phrase.
Q
: I always know when my
back hurts. But I rarely know
why.
A : Statistics tell us 80% o f all
/ i men, women, and children
will experience back pain in their
lives. Chiropractors can also tell
you why. There are, for example,
several mechanical malfunctions
that cause back pain. Among them
are: Direct pinching on the nerve.
This is the reason many people
give for their back pain, but in fact,
pinched nerves” only account
for about 10% of it. Edema (swell
ing) This occurs from inflamma
tion due to simple strain or sublux
ation. Fixation. This is yet another
component of what we call the ver
tebrae are not moving the way na
ture intended. Other factors include
muscle spasm and disc herniation.
O f course, in addition to knowing
you have back pain, chiropractors
also know how to make it go away.
By eliminating the components of
the subluxation complex and allow
ing the central nervous system to
function the way nature intended,
we Chiropractors not only relieve
your back pain symptoms, we re
move the cause. Without drugs.
Without surgery. Without doubt.
Call our office for an appointment
today to find out how Chiroprac
tic can help your “aching back.”
Or if you have any questions about
your health, just call us at the
number below.
Flowers' Chiropractic Office
2124N.E Hancock Street, Portland Oregon97212
Phone: (5 0 3 ) 2 8 7 *5 5 0 4