Meetings are scheduled for the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month from September through April, starting at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 9:00 p.m. Meetings are held in Lecture Hall 1 in the Academic Center on the Des Moines University campus (see campus map and driving directions).
2011-2012 Exploring Post meetings
September 13
Kick off meeting! Welcome! This will be the first meeting of the year and EVERYONE is invited to attend! There will be introductions, information, an application packet, as well as a program. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend this introductory meeting.
Program: Get a firsthand look at being a doctor! Join us as we venture to the SPAL (standardized performance assessment laboratory) area and take your turn at playing the doctor role, in addition to the patient role! Current medical students will be assisting us for the evening and will be able to walk you through what you would do if a patient came into your ‘office’. Hope to see you there, and bring your friends!!
September 27
Business: Welcome back! Tonight you may turn in any necessary paperwork as well as pay the $20 program registration fee (if you did not do so at the first meeting). We will be discussing some community service activities as well as an ice breaker for the member’s to get to know each other a little better.
What is Osteopathic Manual Medicine? It is the college on Des Moines University’s campus that has the largest number of students. Please join us as we chat with OMM students, learn about treatments and what a D.O. actually does.
October 11
It’s not just about exercises to help you recover from an injury. Physical Therapy is so much more than that! Please join us tonight for a look at the many benefits to physical therapy. Our P.T. students will be on hand to help with this fun and informative program.
October 25
Get a glimpse at some organs! Interested in forensics? This program is for you! Please joins us as we take a tour and do 3 mini-programs tonight. We will start in the Anatomy lab, move on to the organs, and end on one about forensics. Anatomy teaching assistants will be on hand this evening to help give you a rare-look into one of the most interesting departments here at Des Moines University.
November 8
The PA Profession. Most of you have probably seen a ‘PA’ when you go to the doctor’s office. Tonight you will hear from two of our PA faculty members who will explain all details of the PA profession along with schooling requirements and what makes them different from a D.O. or an M.D.
Also tonight, you will get to spend some time with ‘Harvey’. Harvey is DMU’s heart sounds mannequin. The PA faculty will who you a demo of heart sounds and give you the opportunity to play cardiologist for the evening.
November 22
No meeting due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
December 13
Surgery! Tonight’s program will focus on the surgery profession. While you won’t actually get to perform any surgery, you will learn about many things that go into prepping for a surgery. Tonight’s hands-on program includes ‘Gown and Glove’ (learning how to scrub up and get dressed for the operating room), Intubation (prepping tha patient for surgery), and Ultrasound (using this machine to determine surgical needs of the patient).
Members of the D.O. class who serve as Surgery TA’s will be on hand to help you through this evening and make sure you get the most out of this experience! This will be our last meeting until January 2012 and it will be fun! We hope to see you all there.
December 27
No meeting due to the Christmas holiday.
January 10
Does vitamin-C work to fend off colds? Is taking a multi-vitamin good for me? Do I need to tell my doctor that I am taking over-the-counter medications? DMU faculty member, Luke Mortensen, will be joinging the group tonight for a presentation on alternative medicine. Dr. Mortensen will focus his program on health and herbal supplements.
January 24
Spend some time in DMU’s Human Performance Lab. The HPL combines diagnostic and biotechnology to evaluate and treat human movement deficits and physical conditions. The lab uses computerized motion analysis to assess movement problems related to muscles, joints, and nerves. In addition to the HPL, on this night members will get to visit the DMU Podiatry clinic. Spend some time with a podiatry faculty member, tour the clinic, and see some of the specialty items like orthotics.
February 14
An Exploring Post favorite, Mike Zeller is back! He is bringing with him his program entitled ‘DNA Smoothie’. Dr. Zeller will discuss how all living things have DNA, including fruits! Extract and examine DNA from a banana and finish the evening with a yummy banana smoothie!
February 28
TBA
March 13
Lori Graff wears many health hats! She is a licensed and registered dietician as well as a wellness coach, certified LEAP therapist, and AFFA certified group fitness instructor. Lori will be joining us tonight to discuss her profession as well as provide some hands-on activities for the members.
March 27
TBA
April 10
TBA
April 24
Final meeting of 2011-12 academic year. End-of-year celebration.