A few quick facts about physician assistants:

• They are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision in physicians’ offices, hospitals and other health care settings.
• They are formally trained to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, provide treatment and prescribe medications.
• According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job opportunities for physician assistants (PAs) are growing at a rate of 30 percent – “much faster” than the average among various professions.

Posted in Community Service, Current Students, Life in Des Moines, Physician Assistant, Student Life | Leave a Comment

Hats off and hearty applause to several students in DMU’s College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery (CPMS) for their recent achievements:

• Kyle Duncan, CPMS Class of 2014, was elected president-elect of the American Podiatric Medical Students Association at its House of Delegates meeting in February.

• Jeff Weber, CPMS Class of 2013, received the Robert Barnes Memorial Scholarship from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM). This $1,000 scholarship, which was presented to Jeff on campus by AAPSM vice president and CPMS graduate Paul Langer, D.P.M.’99, is awarded to a pediatric medical student who has demonstrated a commitment to advancing pediatric sports medicine and who is active in an AAPSM student chapter.

Posted in Current Students, DMU News, Podiatric Medicine, Student Life | Leave a Comment

Posted in Current Students, DMU Events, Student Life | Leave a Comment

I had the great pleasure last week of observing a nutrition/healthy cooking class taught in the University’s wellness center kitchen by David Spreadbury, Ph.D., chair of biochemistry and nutrition; Wayne Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and nutrition; and Joy Schiller, M.S., CHES, wellness program director. This very popular elective lets osteopathic medical students apply their knowledge of nutrition in preparing healthy, delicious meals. Their experiences, the students agree, will help them counsel their future patients on diets and dishes that are healthful, delicious, affordable and not too complicated or time-consuming to prepare. Plus students in the class get a really wonderful meal every week.

Posted in Current Students, DMU Wellness, Healthy Cooking, Prospective Students, Student Life | Leave a Comment

DMU has a new student organization that’s also a feather in the University’s cap: The Genetics Student Interest Group of Des Moines University recently made DMU one of only seven medical schools in the U.S., and the first and only osteopathic medical school, to earn affiliation with the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG).

Alisdair “Rod” Philp, Ph.D., a DMU assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, was inspired to help students create the group because of student anxiety over genetics questions on medical licensing examinations. He is an elected affiliated scientist of the ACMG, which enabled the student interest group’s affiliation. Philp says the rapid advancement in genetic knowledge and research, along with DMU students’ interest in both, affirmed the idea for such an organization.

Posted in Biomedical Science, Current Students, DMU News, Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Prospective Students, Research, Student Life, Student Organizations | Leave a Comment

DMU has the perfect way for pre-med students to get a head start…

The DMU Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program (Health P.A.S.S.) gives them a taste of what it’s like to be a student in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physician assistant or physical therapy.

The FREE three-week program takes place at the end of July and is open to college sophomores and juniors who want to get a taste of what med school will be like and pad their resumes with a little hands-on experience. Enrollment is limited to 10 students and applicants must have a minimum cumulative college grade point average of 3.0.

Posted in DMU Events, New Students, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Prospective Students, Student Life | Leave a Comment