Students response to a Massage & Meditation medical school course elective.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Objectives: Due to high incidence of medical student and physician burnout, medical education needs to include skills for life-work balance. Patients complain that clinicians depend on technology during clinic visits, and use less touch. To address this educational need, we designed an 18-hour curriculum that combines massage (to reduce anxiety and teach skillful touch) and meditation (for burnout prevention). We explored whether learning basics of massage and meditation could give medical students tools for self-care and skillful touch. Methods: The curriculum was implemented as an elective at the Medical School since 14 years. We collected 181 anonymous student evaluations and conducted pre-post surveys to evaluate the curriculum. We assess mindful bodily awareness (by Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness questionnaire) and conducted thematic analysis of students comments. Results: Students appeared highly satisfied with the class (4.94 [Range 1-5]) and reported confidence in being able to apply massage and meditation in their personal and professional life. They commented on the importance of skillful touch and gained more confidence in using touch in clinical care. The pre-post survey showed improvements in interoceptive bodily awareness. Students felt that they developed new skills for self-care and stress management, experienced a sense of community among peers, and stated that the class provided necessary teaching complementary to the mandatory medical school curriculum. Conclusions: A course of Meditation and Massage may be a valuable complementary elective to medical school education, supporting self-care and stress management in preparation for a demanding profession, and may improve palpatory examination skills

Fitzpatrick skin phototype is an independent predictor of squamous cell carcinoma risk after solid organ transplantation

BackgroundSolid organ transplant recipients (OTR) are at an increased risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin after transplantation. In predominantly white cohorts, Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) has been reported to be a risk factor for developing posttransplantation skin cancers.ObjectiveOur goal was to determine if FST is a statistically significant risk factor for the development of SCC after solid organ transplantation in a diverse US population of OTR.MethodsA cohort of OTR completed a questionnaire of demographic factors, transplant type, FST, and skin cancer history. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the risk factors for development of SCC after transplantation.ResultsAs expected, male subjects had an increased risk for SCC compared with female subjects (P = .02), and those aged 50 years and older at the time of transplantation were more likely to develop SCC compared with those younger than 50 years (P < .001). The risk of SCC increased with each incremental decrease in FST, from FST VI to FST I (linear test for trend P < .001).LimitationsOur questionnaire did not ask specifically about immunosuppressive medications; instead, organ transplant category was used as a proxy for level of immunosuppression.ConclusionsFST, a patient-reported variable, is an independent risk factor for the development of SCC in OTR, and should be elicited from patients who have gone or will undergo organ transplantation

Clinton\u27s health care reform : an assessment

A forum presented by the Public Policy Working Group, Case Western Reserve University, October 21, 1993. Participants: Robert H. Binstock, moderator; J.B. Silvers, Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Charles A. Peck, Kenneth B. Frisof, Maxwell J. Mehlma

Clinton\u27s health care reform : an assessment

A forum presented by the Public Policy Working Group, Case Western Reserve University, October 21, 1993. Participants: Robert H. Binstock, moderator; J.B. Silvers, Joyce J. Fitzpatrick, Charles A. Peck, Kenneth B. Frisof, Maxwell J. Mehlma

Fitzpatrick skin phototype is an independent predictor of squamous cell carcinoma risk after solid organ transplantation

BACKGROUND: Solid organ transplant recipients are at an increased risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the skin after transplant. In predominantly Caucasian cohorts, Fitzpatrick skin type (FST) has been reported to be a risk factor for developing post-transplant skin cancers. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to determine if Fitzpatrick skin type is a statistically significant risk factor for the development of squamous cell carcinomas after solid organ transplant in a diverse US population of transplant recipients. METHODS: A cohort of transplant recipients completed a questionnaire of demographic factors, transplant type, Fitzpatrick skin type and skin cancer history. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for development of squamous cell carcinoma after transplant. RESULTS: As expected, male subjects had an increased risk for SCC compared to females (p=0.02), and subjects age 50 and over at the time of transplantation were more likely to develop SCC compared to those under 50 (p<0.001). The risk of SCC increased with each incremental decrease in Fitzpatrick skin type, from FST VI to FST I (linear test for trend p<0.001). LIMITATIONS: Our questionnaire did not ask specifically about immunosuppressive medications; instead, organ transplant category was used as a proxy for level of immunosuppression. CONCLUSIONS: Fitzpatrick skin type, a patient-reported variable, is an independent risk factor for the development of SCC in organ transplant recipients, and should be elicited from patients who have gone or will undergo organ transplantation