Continuing a tradition started in 1900, the College of Osteopathic Medicine will award the doctor of osteopathic medicine degree to 221 graduates. The college will also confer the master of science in anatomy and master of science in biomedical sciences degrees to nine graduates. The College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery will award the doctor of podiatric medicine degree to 44 graduates. The College of Health Sciences will recognize 209 graduates from five programs – doctor of physical therapy, post-professional doctor of physical therapy, master of science in physician assistant studies, master of public health and master of health care administration. Some students earned dual degrees.

Former White House physician to the president Eleanor Concepcion “Connie” Mariano, M.D., FACP, will deliver the commencement address. A retired Navy rear admiral, Mariano was the first military woman to serve as White House physician to the president. She held the title for a decade, providing care for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. She is the founder of the Center for Executive Medicine, a medical concierge practice that provides presidential-quality medical care to chief executive officers and their families.

# # #

Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.

“I wanted to have the opportunity to play for dancers, as they are such an appreciative audience,” Joe says. “The goal was to make a band that was down to earth, we don’t wear suits and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Our goal is to have fun, make friends and play great music.”

That goal has attracted enthusiastic audiences. The band has been playing its “mix of traditional jazz, gutbucket blues, and swing tunes,” Joe says, around the Midwest, including for the Hawkeye Swing Festival, Kansas University’s Swing Society and at the Omaha Jitterbugs Night Out. They’ve also been playing at the Madhat Ballroom, 1751 28th Street in West Des Moines, gigs that include basic swing dance lessons.

And here’s great news for all live music fans looking to move their feet: Spicy Pickles will perform next Friday, May 24, in Des Moines’ Star Bar, 2811 Ingersoll Avenue, from 9 p.m. to midnight. The event is free and guaranteed to be a blast. Mark your calendar and get ready to dance!

Spicy pickles (adapted from Food & Wine)

• 8-10 kirby cucumbers (unwaxed), quartered
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
• 8 garlic cloves peeled and halved
• 2-3 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise, with seeds mostly removed (leave some for extra spice)
• 8 dill sprigs

Pack the cucumber slices, jalapeno halves and dill springs into a clean, 2-quart glass jar. In a container with a tight-seal lid, combine the salt, sugar, vinegar, coriander and garlic halves. Seal the top and shake vigorously until the salt and sugar dissolve.

Add 2 cups of water to the mixture and pour the brine over the vegetables. Add more water to the jar to fully cover the vegetables and seal tightly. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

PA students Daniel Cottrell, Emily Cardella, Katarina Conradson, Teresa Edwards and Alyssa Vold dedicated for the Physican Assistant Class of 2014 a memorial tree for the Body Donor’s of 2012 on Tuesday, May 14, 2013.  The tree is located in the green space behind Ryan Hall.  For more information regarding the Body Donor Program, please contact us at 271-1481.

As part of National Mental Health Month, Deborah Edelman-Blank, Psy.D., a Licensed Clinical Psychologist  and counselor within Educational Support Services here at DMU, has come up with a top ten list for students to help them on their path to mental health and wellness

You are not your class rank/GPA.  Striving for excellence in your academic and professional pursuits is an admirable quality.  Pursuing excellence may lead you to study harder and longer and increase your academic performance.  When excellence becomes perfectionism, however, your self-esteem will depend on your exam grades, you invite depression and anxiety, and your personal relationships will suffer. 

Breaks are productive.  Breaks from studying are not “unproductive” or “wasted” time.  Your brain actually needs the break to maintain its ability to process and store information efficiently.  By the way, breaks where you do-something-else-but-feel-guilty-for-not-studying-the-whole-time are not true breaks. 

Play nice.  Inevitably there will be people who have a particular talent at annoying the [insert four letter word here] out of you.  Do not fool yourself into thinking that there will be a time in your life when you don’t have to interact with these people.  They may be friends or family or professors or preceptors or supervisors or patients.  Treat everyone (without exception) with respect, regardless of your opinions or judgments.  This is a skill successful professionals in all fields must have. 

Your body is talking to you.  Listen. If you are having symptoms such as headaches, stomach upset, dizziness, change in appetite, body aches and pains, hair loss, frequent colds, it could be your body trying to give you a wakeup call.  Don’t ignore your symptoms.  Rule out any underlying medical condition by seeing your health care provider.  If medically you are fine, take the not-so-subtle hint your body is giving you to take care of yourself better.

Maintain your dignity.  The temptation to “cut corners” can be enormous in graduate school.  A friend offers you an Adderall tablet to take the day before an exam to help you study.  What’s the harm in that (besides the obvious medical risks)?  You miss an exam because you overslept but you lie to the professor and say you had a family emergency.  Why not?  Because you deserve better.  On graduation day, you deserve to hold you head high and feel proud not just of getting the diploma, but how you got the diploma.  Be the best version of yourself.  Don’t toss aside your ethics just because you may not get caught.

Disappointing others is often good.  Doing what is best for you can have the side effect of causing someone else emotional pain.  This is often something kind people struggle to do.  However, the other person will get over it.  You cannot hold yourself hostage in the name of protecting the feelings of another.  Life is full of disappointments.  You will not be the first person to disappoint an individual, nor the last.

Make mistakes and admit them. If you have overcommitted yourself and you need more time to study, admit your mistake, apologize sincerely, and change something.  Withdraw from an activity, cancel plans, postpone an event, take a break from tutoring.  I’ve seen numerous students with excellent intentions go quite loopy because they are trying to do too much.

You are no imposter.  DMU did not make a mistake when they admitted you.  They didn’t mix up your application with someone else’s.  Luck doesn’t explain your success, nor does the good will of your professors.  You are here because you deserve to be.  You got the grades you deserved to get.  You are going on rotation because you are ready to go.

Friends are not optional.  The students I see in counseling that struggle most are usually the ones who confide in no one, either because of lack of friends or for fear of “burdening” their friends.  If I could give every student only one piece of advice on what it takes to be successful at DMU, it would be to find one or two close friends and get through this experience together.  The amount of stress and pressure in graduate school can be so overwhelming that having emotional support is absolutely crucial to your success. 

Ask for what you need. Do not expect someone else to know what you need.  If you need empathy when you are upset and all you get is advice, don’t be afraid to provide instructions to the person trying to help you.  Don’t be afraid to ask professors for help with courses.  Don’t be afraid of asking for a leave of absence if you are struggling so much you can’t function.  And, pretty-please-with-cherries-on-top, don’t be afraid to meet with one of us in Educational Support Services if you need some help.  We are here for you.  We want to help you.  And, believe it or not, we really and truly love our jobs. 

Currently enrolled DMU students wishing to meet with a Counselor, e-mail counseling@dmu.edu to schedule an appointment.

The project is in partnership with local community coalition members including the Iowa Department of Human Rights, Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines and the African American Leadership Council. The Polk County Community Betterment Grant Program was designed to provide financial support to non-profit organizations that provide cultural, recreational, educational and human needs services to the citizens of Polk County, Iowa.

Dr. Geletta also provides leadership to his colleagues by heading, along with Rachel Reimer, Ph.D., the public health area of research emphasis group. Four areas of research emphasis were recently named for DMU; public health, movement science, pedagogy in the health sciences, and cardiology sciences.

To see more details of the involvement of this project in the community and all of the screening locations, visit the Des Moines Register article that was recently published highlighting Geletta’ s project, as well as DMU’s impact in the community.

Beaverdale Farmers Market
www.beaverdalefarmersmarket.org
4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, June 4 through Sept. 17
3422 Beaver Ave. (new location), green space just north of Boesen’s

Drake Neighborhood Farmers Market
www.drakefarmersmarket.com
4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 5 through Sept. 25
Parking lot of First Christian Church, 25th Street and University Avenue

East Side Farmers Market
3-6 p.m. Tuesdays, May 21 through mid- to late October
3200 Delaware Ave. (Collectamania)

Johnston Farmers Market
3:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, May 21 through Oct. 8
Johnston City Hall, 6221 Merle Hay Road

Pleasant Hill Farmers Market
4-7 p.m. Thursdays, May 9 through Oct. 24 (except July 4)
Berean Assembly of God, 5299 E. University Ave.

Southridge Mall Farmers Market
3:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays, May 13 through Oct. 14
Parking lot north of Sears, Southridge Mall

Uptown Ankeny Farmers Market
www.uptownankeny.org
8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, May 18 through Sept. 28
Southwest Third and Maple streets

Valley Junction Farmers Market
www.valleyjunction.com
4-8 p.m. Thursdays, May 2 through Oct. 3
(except July 4; special market and holiday celebration on July 3)
Fifth Street (downtown Valley Junction)

Paleo and palate-pleasing! Photo: Elana’s Pantry

Strictly duplicating the diet of Paleo people is impossible for probably 99.9 percent of us given our lack of access to wild game and the realities that meats are domesticated and most modern plant food is cultivated rather than wild. Embracing something even close to a Paleo diet may take more effort than most modern Americans are willing or able to do. But I think these lessons of the Paleo approach can benefit everyone:

• A diet rich in lean protein and plant foods contains fiber, protein and fluids that work together to satisfy, control blood sugar and prevent weight gain and type 2 diabetes (WebMD).
• The Paleo diet plan also encourages people to be physically active on a regular basis, something beneficial to almost everyone.
• Adopting even some of the Paleo diet principles – again, more lean meats, beans, vegetables and fruits, and reduced or no processed foods – can enhance the health of many people, particularly those with celiac disease or other gluten-averse conditions.

My colleagues Anna and Katie adopted a Paleo diet because of that third point. Anna was diagnosed with celiac disease in August 2012 and, per her doctor’s recommendation, immediately went gluten-free. She continued to experience hypoglycemia during work-outs, though, and wasn’t getting the health improvement she sought. She researched the Paleo lifestyle and embraced it fully in January.

“I felt a huge difference immediately as I cut out added sugar, grains, beans and legumes, any processed food – even if it was gluten-free – and dairy, and cut down my coffee intake significantly,” says Anna, whose recommended reading includes Diane Sanfilippo’s Practical Paleo. “I realized when I ate balanced, Paleo meals throughout the day, my blood sugar stayed completely level, I had no hypoglycemic episodes when I CrossFIt, I had lessened or no digestive symptoms, and my mood and outlook improved.”

Katie was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) more than four years ago and has since struggled with daily pain, unexpected flare-ups and extreme fatigue. Among the many tidbits of “unsolicited recommendations” for cures was her friend Lauren’s suggestion, The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. It sat on her bed table, ignored, for almost eight months.

“Finally I became so fed up that I reached for the book and read the entire thing from start to finish,” she recalls. “Although the thought of giving up all grains, legumes and dairy seemed impossible to me at the time, I was determined to try the diet for the recommended 30 days to see if I found any relief. What did I have to lose?”

Using Anna as a resource, Katie struggled with giving up her two-a-day energy drinks. As her third week of the Paleo diet ended, though, she “was happier, more energetic and hadn’t complained about a single RA pain in weeks.”

Katie says she also was able to ramp up her work-outs while losing weight, even while still getting to eat bacon. “After sticking to the plan for 30 days, I knew Paleo was the solution I had been looking for,” she adds.

Just remember: Gluten-free does not automatically equal “healthy diet.” Elana Amsterdam, the author of several books on Paleo and gluten-free cooking, notes on her website, Elana’s Pantry, “The best path to wellness is a well-rounded diet which includes many foods – it is far more work than simply bastardizing one ingredient, such as gluten. What does eating healthy entail? Consuming a diverse array of nutrient dense foods every day, day after day…eating close to the earth is, and always has been, the way to go.”

At the very least, the Paleo diet sparks the opportunity to explore new and different approaches in mindful, healthy eating. I’m all for embracing parts of various diet approaches that stretch my culinary imagination, satisfy my taste buds and achieves what Anna describes.

“Every meal I eat is guilt-free and totally enjoyed, because I know what I’m putting into my body is making me healthier and stronger instead of damaging it more,” she says. “Not to mention the food I eat is delicious.”

Today’s recipes, thanks to Anna, Katie and Elana, are case in point: Who doesn’t love a good cupcake?

Paleo cupcakes

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil or butter (coconut oil, ghee, or cooking oil)
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Seeds from a vanilla bean (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all the dry in ingredients and blend well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a mixer to blend, getting rid of any clumps of flour. Now, optionally, add the vanilla bean seeds and blend well. Fill 8 cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool and then frost. Store covered for a few days at room temperature, or refrigerate for a week or so.

Paleo chocolate frosting

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil. Stir in vanilla. Place frosting in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to thicken. Remove from refrigerator and whip frosting with a hand blender until thick and fluffy.

The first American president took an active interest in medical practice.

Take a trip through health care and medicine during President Washington’s life with a U.S. National Library of Medicine exhibition in the DMU Library May 13-June 22. Titled “Every Necessary Care & Attention: George Washington & Medicine,” the exhibition explores the “speculative hypotheses, domestic remedies, and the beginnings of scientific investigation and formal education” that characterized medicine and health care of his time.

The exhibition also describes the ways the practices of medicine played out in Washington’s own life. As chief of the Continental Army, for example, he made preventative health decisions about food storage, placement of latrines, disposal of animal carcasses and general provisions to clothe and shelter his troops, including during the brutal winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge.

Slave owner though he was, Washington made sure his slaves received routine dental care and treatment when they became ill. And while the first American medical schools were being founded around the end of his life, in 1799, standard medical treatment was unable to save him from his final illness and may even have hastened his demise.

The National Library of Medicine is part of the National Institutes of Health. The “George Washington & Medicine” exhibition in the DMU Library is free and open to the public, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The library is located on the second floor of the Student Education Center.

David Rettedal (DPM ‘13) and Dr. Vassilios Vardaxis received the first place award at the 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Medicine in Orlando for their project titled, “Reliability of the use of ultrasound in the assessment of the dorsal Lisfranc ligament.”

Kyle Moore, Blake Hines and Rebecca Mullen (all DPM ‘13) received the outstanding student scientific poster award at the 2012 Heartland Conference for their project, “A literature review of recurrence rates and ulcer free periods of venous stasis ulcerations with conservative and surgical treatments.”

Drs. Tim Yoho, Vardaxis, Brian Dix (’11) and Scott Carrington (’13) were published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. The study was titled, “The association of metatarsus adductus to the proximal fifth metatarsal Jones fracture.”

Drs. Yoho, Vardaxis, Robert Renschler (’12), Jeff Dikis (’12) and Julian Rivera were published in the November/December issue of The Foot. The study was titled, “A biomechanical analysis of the effects of low-Dye taping on arch deformation.”

Drs. Kosta Antonopoulos (’10), Yoho and Vardaxis were published in the November/December issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. The study was titled, “Undergraduate GPAs, MCAT scores and academic performance the first two years in podiatric medical school at Des Moines University.”

Dr. Feilmeier was recently awarded funding in the amount of $6,414 from the DMU Research and Grants Committee for her research proposal titled, “Analysis of the relationship between first metatarsal frontal plane rotation and PASA in hallux abducto valgus and metatarsus primus adductus.”

Dr. Simon Geletta submitted a paper to the Annals of Long Term Care titled “Administrative turnover and the quality of care at Iowa Nursing Home Facilities” 

V Vardaxis, L Covill, L Koepp, J Nettrour, & C Mahoney Bilateral lower extremity stiffness during transition from stair descent to level walking in unilateral total hip arthroplasty patients and controls. European Society of Movement Analysis for Children and Adults (ESMAC). Stockholm, Sweden, September 14, 2012. “Podium”

Rettedal D, Vardaxis V. Reliability of the use of ultrasound in the assessment of the dorsal Lisfranc ligament. American College of Foot & Ankle Orthopaedic Medicine (ACFOAM). October 2012, Orlando, FL. “Poster”  The poster was awarded first place.

Robert M. Yoho, Scott Carrington, Brian Dix, Vassilios Vardaxis. The Association of Metatarsus Adductus to the Proximal Fifth Metatarsal Jones Fracture. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 51(6), November–December 2012, Pages 739-742

Robert M. Yoho, Valerie Tallerico, Vassilios Vardaxis. Relationship Between Student Academic and Clinical Performance in Podiatric Medical Education at Des Moines University J. Am. Podiatr. Med. Assoc. 2012 102:314-318

Dr. Marie Nguyen research publication:  Pradhan, P., and Nguyen, M.L., Early passage neonatal and adult keratinocytes are sensitive to apoptosis induced by infection with an ICP27-null mutant of herpes simplex virus 1. Apoptosis. 2012.

Dr. Marie Nguyen had a student (Scott Roberts, DO15) program in my laboratory this summer presented a poster at the Osteopathic Medical (OMED) Conference.  Roberts, S., Pradhan, P., and Nguyen, M.L., Investigation into a Potential Role for Telomerase in the Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Life Cycle. Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition, San Diego, CA, October 7-11, 2012.

Dr. Tim Steele submitted a research manuscript for publication: J. Crosbie, M. Magnussen, R. Dornbier, A. Iannone, T.A. Steele. Statins Inhibit Proliferation, Cytotoxicity and ERK Activation of a Human Leukemic Natural Killer Cell Line.

Dr Martin Schmidt has a paper resulting from his yeast research published in Microbiology.

The family of each donor, the DMU community and the public are invited to remember and recognize each generous gift.

The non-denominational service will begin at 1 p.m. in the Olsen Medical Education Center, 3200 Grand Avenue. The body donor memorial service has been held annually for more than 40 years. Military honors will be performed for the veteran donors. Family members at the service will be given a lapel pin that honors the gift their loved ones made.

“Thanks to the incredibly selfless gift made by these individuals, we are able to uniquely educate and train our DMU students in anatomy, as well as educating students from local schools about how to take care of their bodies,” said Donald Matz, Ph.D., chair of the DMU anatomy department.

The Body Donor Program at Des Moines University has been contributing to medical investigation and student education for as long as the University has. Since detailed recordkeeping began in 1955, more than 2,600 people have donated to DMU. Studying the body’s systems and organs contributes to a thorough understanding of human anatomy. When an individual donates to the program, the University pays a portion of the transportation costs and provides for the memorial service and entombment.

Making death preparations is not something most people like to talk about, but planning ahead ensures the option of donating your body to science. For more information about the Body Donor Program at DMU, call 515-271-1481 or visit www.dmu.edu/body-donor.

# # #

Des Moines University (DMU) is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, biomedical sciences, anatomy, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions.