SCNM’s Student Advancement Team

This summer, 24 students came together to form another SCNM first: The Student Advancement Team (SAT). This new student group is committed to advancing naturopathic medicine in Phoenix and nationally. SAT works under the direction of the Department of Advancement, and participates in a variety of projects that support public relations and fundraising efforts for Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.The team is composed of students from varying quarters, most of who have notably contributed to SCNM already by serving on other student groups or by demonstrating dedication to Naturopathic Medicine through community service work. Membership in SAT is regarded as an honor and is by invitation only.

Team members receive special gifts for their volunteer work each month from SAT founding sponsors Sprouts Farmers Market and Pei Wei Asian Diner.

Participating in the SAT allows students an opportunity to interface with the media and the public, allowing team members to hone their business skills while meeting potential future patients. Volunteering time through the SAT also creates media relationships that the students may want to pursue once they begin practicing medicine.

One of the projects which SAT members worked diligently on was creating a My Space page for SCNM. If you have suggestions for the page; information that you would like to see posted; or the ability to chat with alumni, friends and others interested in Naturopathic Medicine please visit SCNM on My Space at www.myspace.com/naturesmedicine.

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Manuscript Accepted for Publication

The manuscript "Hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women: Past problems and future possibilities" by John W. Schmidt, Debra Wollner, Jessica Curcio, June Riedlinger and Linda Kim, has been accepted for publication in a peer reviewed journal, Gynecological Endocrinology, and will be published in one of the next volumes.

A Message from Dr. Mittman

The winter quarter at the College is unique in several ways. It is our longest quarter, bisected by the holiday break and then extended yet another week by the board exam study week. With graduation in December, followed shortly by the holiday season, visits from and to family give the quarter a festive feeling.

Late fall also signals the end of the fundraising year, a time when philanthropic individuals finalize their charitable giving and Susan Kavanaugh and I find out how our well best-laid plans fare. Because of this we’ve been meeting with donors (locally and in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and even Winnipeg, Manitoba), and submitting grants non-stop for the past 2 months, raising money for the new Medical Center, programmatic support and donations to assist our extended clinical sites in medically under-served communities. I eagerly await what fruits we may reap from our labors. We’ll share the news as soon as we find out.

In the midst of all this, we hosted a site visit from the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, our programmatic accrediting body. We facilitated meetings with the SCNM community – our students, staff, faculty and Trustees.

I’m excited to say that 12 states are engaged in naturopathic licensure efforts and the progress we made over the past three years in New York make this next legislative session particularly promising. Recent developments and new alliances in North Carolina have dramatically increased the chances for licensure there as well.

This Winter I’m particularly proud to welcome a new adjunct faculty member, Jonathan Weisbuch, MD, MPH, who will be teaching Public Health and Epidemiology. Dr. Weisbuch is the past Director of Public Health for Maricopa County. Not only is his knowledge and expertise in this field quite broad, but he is one of the most engaging lecturers I know. Thank you to Dr. Tim Schwaiger, our Clinical Sciences Division Director, for bringing Dr. Weisbuch on board.

On November 3, four outstanding young Naturopathic physicians completed their residencies. Congratulations to Drs. Melissa Dengler, Anesia Groves, Jessica Mitchell and Jessica Tran. When one residency cycle ends another begins. Welcome Drs. Courtney Crance, Barbara Ezrre, Schuyler McHenry and Katie Swedrock. We look forward to working with you over the coming year.

During the renovation last summer, Dr. Christine Girard added a hydrotherapy suite at the Medical Center. This quarter, Dr. Sara Hazel will supervise a hydrotherapy rotation on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Dr. Hazel is an NCNM graduate with a wealth of experience. I look forward to referring patients to her.

On January 1, 2007 full time Deans of Clinical Sciences and Biomedical Sciences will replace our four part-time Division Directors. The Deans will be responsible for attracting exceptional faculty – full-time and adjunct – orienting them to the Southwest College experience, and developing core competencies in the classroom and in the exam room.

Can I share with you something I learned recently? It should be no surprise that recognizing when someone excels in a particular way will surely improve their self-confidence – this is particularly helpful with patients. But did you know that we can only notice the traits we most admire – and aspire to ourselves? So every time you recognize positive traits in others you are not only sharing a kind word with another person, you also increase your own self confidence. So spread your words of recognition, express your thanks for a job well done, and increase the positive focus in other peoples’ lives as well as your own.

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From the Library

Library Use for All

Just a quick reminder…Unless you are an upper-level SCNM administrator, all other SCNM staff members have exactly the same Library rights as students. Having the same Library rights as the students means that you may borrow up to eight items (books, disks, videos, audiocassettes, etc.) at any one time. Everything from the main book collection or the Audio Shelf checks out for three weeks and may be renewed twice, either in person or by telephone, unless someone puts a hold on the item. Video Shelf items check out for one week and may be renewed once. You also have access rights to various electronic, computerized “free” access to interesting and helpful programs such as the Natural Standard, Natural Medical Protocols, MD Consult, and Alt-Health Watch, and some medical journals that we have online.

It’s your Library, too! We have various free guides and information sheets, and (usually!) answers to any of your questions: Health, wellness, and well-being are universal human concerns. We are not physicians, but we have information. Also, we have a slogan posted up which reads as follows:

Building a better Library is a group effort.
We support you.
You support us.
Our teamwork gets the job done!

Clinical Pharmacology Now Widely Available
SCNM Library is very pleased to be able announce that in response to increasing demand, the campus community will now have greatly expanded computer access to the program Clinical Pharmacology, which until now has been accessible from just two computer workstations, with one at the Library and one at the Medical Center. This greatly expanded access has been made possible through the generous donation of Kenneth J. Bescak, the father of Steve Bescak, SCNM student, and that $1,000 donation pays for well over half of our annual subscription charge. Now, from any workstation on campus or at the Medical Center, or using the wireless SCNM Internet access, just go to: http://www.clinicalpharmacology-ip.com

All user workstations at the Library and the four general-use workstations at the Medical Center now have desktop shortcuts to the program for easy access.

Beyond this, if you need remote access from your home or other workplace (wherever else you have Internet access), that, too, is provided with our new license, but for that you will need to come to the Library Circulation Desk and get a card from the staff with instructions, and that different procedure will mean going to a different website than the one above, and then establishing your own separate (free) account. See the explanations on the back side of the card--and do not loose the card, with its unique access number. There is also a hand-held computer (PDA) option at that website.

These SCNM subscription rights to Clinical Pharmacology will apply to anyone affiliated with the College, including currently-enrolled students and alumni, faculty, staff, clinical personnel, and SCNM Library community borrowers. Our thanks once again to Kenneth and Steve Bescak for being of major help in funding our new license, and to the IT Department and Library Assistant Robert Wilbanks who helped with the technical details, obtaining the license, and other arrangements.

NY Licensure Video Available
The video (a DVD) produced by Dr. Steve Nenninger, N.D., promoting the ongoing licensure effort in New York that was shown here in Room 7 on October 3 is now available for circulation at SCNM Library. Dr. Nenninger generously gave us ten free copies, of which the Library cataloged and processed three into the collection, with one Video Shelf copy (one-week circulation), and two copies on the Reserve Shelf, as one-day Reserve items. For a Reserve Shelf copy, you will need to return the item the next day the Library is open, two hours after opening (which is usually 9:00 a.m.). For the time being, the other seven copies may also be borrowed from the Library on a less-formal basis, but at some point a few weeks from now we plan to distribute those seven extra copies (free) to interested members of the campus community. So then, if you want one of those seven extra copies of this DVD about the licensure effort and illustrates how one might market naturopathy, let us know, please, and the Library staff will put your name on our list.

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The All-New Naturopathic Society

The Naturopathic Society is preparing for our best quarter yet. We have added additional board members to help meet the philosophy needs of our campus. Tara Peyman is continuing on as President, and Leila Fosdick joins us as Vice President with Heath McAllister as VP Co-chair. Erin Fitzgerald is now Fundraising Chair, with Alexis Smith taking over the Secretary position and Ruddy Ruddy serving as Fundraising Co-chair. Aimee Knauff remains the PR Rep and Benita Perch is still Treasurer. William Franklin and Tom Jemison are our new General Board Members. We are excited about the energy and inspiration our new board members will bring to the club.

Winter quarter will feature speakers, discussions, and our biannual Physician Heal Thyself Week, as well as an exciting series on homeopathic philosophy. Keep your eye out for emails and fliers about our upcoming events. The Naturopathic Society is open to all students who wish to come one time or every time, and we invite you to come check us out.

The Naturopathic Society has also developed an online philosophy discussion forum for ND's and students from all of the naturopathic schools, which provides inspiring communication among students and doctors throughout our field. We invite students and ND's to join and contribute your philosophical insights.

Click on http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NDPhilosophy/ for more information.

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