Bronwyn Sing
DO, Class of 2011
Time commitment: Most of the time classes are scheduled in a manner that allows a lot of study and free time in the afternoons and evenings. What I choose to do with the time usually varies. I try to balance my time between studying, working out or playing a sport, and social time. Studying often takes up the larger chunk of my free time. I take short breaks to relax and then work hard when its time to study.
WesternU distinctive: I enjoyed the Pilot Interprofessional Program since we were exposed to other health professions by working together on a case. We learned how each person approached the problem differently, discussed it, and came to mutual conclusions that we all felt good about.
Beyond the classroom: APHHSA runs a clinic in downtown L.A. each semester to do physicals and some osteopathic manipulation on the Asian community. It's great to see how much the people in the community like the OMM treatments.
Favorite WesternU professor: Dr. Thrush is really invested in his students and shows how much he cares. He attended every lecture for the courses he was directing. He understands how overwhelming the information can be and he does his best to make sure we understand it. He even will make review PowerPoints and discussion boards to help us understand how to study, how to approach test questions, and get the big picture.
Career impact: The clinical experience at WesternU and focusing on the person, not just the disease, will have a positive affect on my career. I think we will be well prepared for clinic interaction when rotations start!
Courtney Beth Martin
DO, Class of 2011
Research experience: I have been thrilled with the grant coordination and encouragement the school provides for students to do research projects. I started my own research on parental attitudes toward the HPV vaccination and have been supported endlessly by Dr. Mackintosh, Dr. Thrush, and Matt Katz.
Most memorable clinical experience: The Montclair Clinic. It has helped me to see where I need to be, what more I need to learn, and inspired me to work hard to get there. The best part was that I was donating my time and helping real patients in a unique situation—people who aren’t poor enough for Medi-Cal but not wealthy enough for insurance. This is the most underserved group in my opinion, and Western University provides a way for us to directly affect this patient group.
Academic environment: The review sessions provided by second-year students were very helpful, especially in the beginning of the year when we were new to med school.
Beyond the classroom: I have been involved in PHOP, PCHAT, Montclair Clinic, and the Humor and Medicine (HAM) club. Besides the aforementioned Montclair Clinic, the HAM club visits to the Montclair Manor Senior Center have been the most illuminating. Some of these people have been forgotten about. But when you talk, sing, and spend time with them, you can see a glimpse of who they really are. I am always touched and reminded of how short life is and of the need to slow down and volunteer in the community. I have developed a passion for elder care, because of how cheered the residents are by the visits of our club. I’ve been so touched by these experiences. I am now President of the HAM club and we are looking to expand our visits to Alzheimer's facilities and facilities for disabled adults.
Favorite WesternU professor: Dr. Thrush. He is incredibly devoted, honest, and hard working. He goes out of his way to help and encourage students and I have experienced this myself. Also, the courses where he has been the course director have been well-organized, well-presented, and enjoyable.
Best advice: Don't hesitate to apply and do everything you can to get in!
Rajivinder Brar DO, PhD
Assistant Professor
Value of a WesternU education: I think one of the most valuable parts of a WesternU education is the commitment to life long learning and the exposure that students will get to other health related fields.
On interprofessional education: IPE curriculum at WesternU will be valuable for students after they graduate as they will be familiar of the roles that other health professional play which ultimately will improve patient care.
I personally chose to teach at WesternU because of its strong dedication to student needs and faculty development.
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Anna Yeung, DO
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Division Chief of Geriatric Medicine
WesternU distinctive: Enhancement of the geriatric curriculum is currently underway. This will provide a unique opportunity for students to participate in the expansion of medical student exposure to senior care. The college fosters innovative development of curricula which is both relevant and practical for its students in their future careers.
Why WesternU: As a graduate health sciences academic institution, WesternU provides a unique opportunity for both faculty and students from varying healthcare disciplines to learn about and from each other. Provision of optimal healthcare requires a multifaceted team approach which underlies the core of how this university operates.
Most valuable aspect of a WesternU education: Integration. With each new college, WesternU is committed to providing an integrated education in which students are exposed to one another to foster a deeper understanding of the resources each discipline has to offer on the healthcare team. Within each college, students are encouraged to learn how to learn; the goal is to graduate a proactive self-motivated lifelong learner.
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Raj Kandpal, PhD
Associate Professor
WesternU distinctive: A unique aspect of COMP is its size. In terms of student strength, COMP is comparable to any other medical school. However, we have the opportunity to interact with or know pretty much every student in the college. I don’t think that it happens or is possible in any other school.
I came to WesternU because of the vision: be it the expansion of its research program or the proposed opening of the newer colleges such College of Biomedical Education or the inter-professional education (IPE) curriculum.
Our students get a high quality education because students are our first priority and the members of our faculty are committed to mentor, motivate and challenge our students. Not only do our students get there first patient encounters (through standardized patient program) early on in their first year of the program, they also have an opportunity to participate in research directly relevant to the practice of medicine.
Research Interests: My laboratory is interested in the regulation of gene expression in human health and diseases. In particular we are taking advantage of gene profiling to describe molecular differences in normal and disease tissues. The following projects are being actively pursued.
- Aberrant regulation of Eph receptors and their ephrin ligands in breast, prostate and ovarian carcinoma. We are taking advantage of epigenetic changes in invasive breast carcinoma cells to develop diagnostic markers and to identify targets for therapeutic intervention.
- Transcript maps of human chromosomal regions harboring loci for genetic deafness and characterization of candidate gene expression in mouse inner ear.
- In collaboration with the Neurobiology, Neurodegeneration and Repair Laboratory at National Eye Institute we are involved in defining the molecular changes associated with diabetic retinopathy.
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Susan Mackintosh, DO, MPH
Assistant Professor & Curriculum Advisor
Unique aspect of the DO program: The ECM course combines a multitude of different areas that will affect the future physician in his or her lifetime career. We teach everything from communicating with patients and taking a history and physical, to developing a diagnosis and plan, to the business of medicine, and even topics such as disaster response.
Beyond the classroom: I am personally involved in the Christian Medical Society and the Dance Club, but I deal with many of the clubs by participating in their activities such as health fairs and other community outreach project. Additionally, since many of our clubs are service oriented, many of the community based projects in the Service Learning Course are under the umbrella of the different clubs, so I work with those clubs as part of Service Learning.
On interprofessional education: I firmly believe IPE is very important. In this day and age of medicine, there are a wealth of resources available to your patient, and it is important to understand not only what those resources are (including the many health care professions), but it is critical to understand the scope of practice of those professions. It is also imperative that the future healthcare professional knows what role each of the professions will play to maximize the team based approach to patient centered care.
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Dat Trinh, DO, MS
Assistant Professor
WesternU distinctive: The Clinical Performance Evaluation is an examination involves taking histories and physical examinations. Each second medical student (OMSII), is required to pass before going on to the third year or taking the national board.
Best advice: You will grow as a person and a professional by being in the environment WesternU presents - of scholarship and diversity.
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Alan Cundari, MS, DO
Chair, Department of Family Medicine, Director Medical Education Physician Assistant Program
Value of a WesternU education: The opportunities of early involvement with patient interactions that will aid in the educational process that students are studying.
On Interprofessional education: I have been a strong advocate for interprofessional education since I came here. I have worked to include all programs in the various clinical outreach and community service projects I have been involved in to bridge the professions with which we are connected. Each program has unique characteristics and services that impact and assist the daily lives of the community and patients that we serve.
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Charles Maynard, DO
DO, Class of 1983
WesternU distinction: The small class size and relationship to other students and faculty.
Most memorable clinical experience: At University Heights/Heights General Hospital in Albuquerque, we were given a chance to manage patients as soon as we showed we could safely do so.
Once, while on an anesthesiology rotation, a family practitioner in town had a heart attack. In the afternoons, after doing cases in the morning, the anesthesiologist and I went to the stricken doctor's office and I would see his patients (always presenting each to the anesthesiologist before letting the patient go). It was great training and helped me fall in love with family practice.
Beyond the classroom: Dr. Steven Horowitz and I would connect again years after graduation, this time I was a very ill patient and he was the physician who kept me alive for years. His compassion and clinical knowledge are the reason I am alive today.
Why WesternU: My family doctor and mentor, Dr. Travis Ferguson, suggested I apply. (Growing up with Dr. Ferguson a few doors away, I didn't really understand what an MD was. I thought all doctors were DOs!)
Best thing about WesternU: Getting early patient care responsibility.
Best advice: I meet prospective students all the time and recommend WesternU as an exceptional institution.
William Fraser, DO
DO, Class of 1989
About me: I have been the director of an emergency medicine residency in central Ohio for 10 years. The WesternU graduates I have accepted into the program are easily in the top 20 percent of all other residents I have trained. From day one, WesternU grads seem better prepared for residency than those of most other schools. I rank WesternU in the top three or four osteopathic schools in the country.
Most memorable clinical experience: Working with Dr. Alan Rosenthal, an internist who has since left the area. He was a brilliant diagnostician and really challenged me throughout my months in his service. Also, I really felt like the faculty and administration cared about my success.
The academic environment: I liked the small, family like campus. Even during the interview, I felt like WesternU was looking out for me. They seemed truly interested in making my academic career as stress-free as possible.
Favorite WesternU professor: Duane Foley, PhD. He was my advisor. He is also an excellent teacher. He seemed to really enjoy being a faculty member at WesternU.
Best thing about WesternU: I was challenged to think for myself, rather than just regurgitate facts on an exam. This was especially helpful during clinical rotations.
Career impact: WesternU stressed acquiring the ability to think, assess, evaluate, and plan. Medicine is very easy from the standpoint of learning facts and memorizing lists of information. The practice of medicine is very different and emphasizes thinking.
Interprofessional collaboration: From my colleagues in behavioral health, I have learned how to maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle. It is amazing how inner peace and happiness translate into happier healthier patients.
Anna Ryabets-Lienhard, DO
DO, Class of 2008
Time commitment: My first two years were very intense in terms of study time, but I was still highly involved in extracurricular activities. It was very manageable, but I had to be very organized and not procrastinate.
The clinical years were different. In addition to studying for didactics, I was physically tired from the day's clinical work
Most memorable clinical experience: At CHLA I participated in a liver transplant surgery for a seven-month-old baby. I had to fly to Oakland, CA to harvest a liver and fly back to transplant it. It was the most amazing experience I've ever had.
Beyond the classroom: I was very involved with Peds Club - helping and serving the underpriveleged pediatric population of Pomona.
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