The month of November marks six months since our inaugural class’ graduation and the launch of our alumni association. Later this month, we'll release the first issue of our alumni newsletter. To commemorate this launch, I have had the opportunity to conduct video interviews with several alumni. To see the interviews, please click the following links: Dr. Joya Singh; Dr. John Rajala; Dr. Jessica Jacob; and Dr. Carlos Yeelot. These interviews will continue into the future and will be shared on our social media channels and newsletters.
I would also like to introduce a new video titled: Our Social Impact. This video will be utilized to communicate our story -- our impact on society -- as directed by our mission to our many stakeholders. Special thanks to Victoria Pineda, Nadia Whitehead and Chris Espinosa for their excellent work on producing this video. Following the release via this Bear Beat issue, it will be posted on our social media channels and website and everyone within the Burrell College can, and is encouraged, to share far and wide. To view, click this link: Burrell College Social Impact Video
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- Planning for the Spring semester is underway.
- Spring Break days are being strategically redistributed to preserve time off, with input from course leaders, students, and administrative leaders.
- We are now piloting synchronous delivery of didactics and plan to expand real-time offerings in the spring.
- We continue analyzing other ways to improve in-person engagement while safely complying with COVID guidelines.
- If you missed Dr. Stuart Slavin’s Nov. 4 FAME presentation on Learner & Faculty Well-Being: Finding a Path Forward, I highly recommend it. It is one of the best presentations on wellness that I’ve heard since COVID turned things upside-down. Faculty Affairs can share the link if you don’t still have their Nov. 5 email.
- The Dean’s office is facilitating discussions around developing an Office of Assessment as well as assembling a task force to analyze our curriculum and ways to improve it over the next 3-5 years.
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Institutional Advancement |
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On Saturday, Oct. 31, Burrell College hosted 'BOO to the Flu," a free flu shot drive-thru clinic in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Health. Forty medical students volunteered to participate in the event and vaccinated more than 500 community members over the course of four hours. Feedback from independent event evaluators has been positive thus far and the NMDOH considered the clinic a success. They have requested that Burrell College host "BOO to the Flu' again next year on Oct. 30, 2021. |
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Administration & Operations (HR, IT and Finance) |
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IT: Zoom was officially launched for faculty and staff on Oct. 30th. IT and Faculty Affairs are working together to help with the transition from WebEx to Zoom. Students will be the next group to be transitioned to full Zoom licensing. WebEx will be discontinued on Nov. 28th.
Finance: If you are working from home and you need supplies, please work with your department Administrative Assistant (AA) to order the supplies for delivery to the College. Once your department’s AA has been notified of delivery, arrangements can be made for a contactless pickup. Richard Garcia will contact the requestor when the supplies are ready to be picked up.
HR: HR has been finalizing the employee benefits plans that will be effective January 1, 2021. The open enrollment period will occur at the end of November; additional communications will be sent to employees from HR.
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The deadline for faculty to submit projects and be eligible for funding for the 2021 Summer Research Experience has been extended to Sunday Nov. 15, 2020. If you are reluctant to launch a laboratory project, consider a survey-based study, a meta-analysis, an interview-based project, an oral history project or an epidemiologic/public health study. Our students are outstanding collaborators and will benefit from faculty mentorship!
- The Biosafety Manual has been updated after undergoing IBC review and is available on the Burrell College website. A minor modification has been made to the Blood-borne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan and we are still finalizing an SOP to inform the process by which Burrell Investigators can document Hepatitis B vaccination.
- Biological Safety Manual
- Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan
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The AOA Research Grants Program provides support opportunities for faculty and students. Grant application cycles open on Dec. 14, 2020.
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Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology |
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The department of Anatomy and Cell Biology is looking forward to hosting our second Distinguished Research Seminar Speaker, John Sharkey, a clinical anatomist and exercise physiologist, on December 1st. More information will be coming soon!
We also wanted to spotlight Dr. Steven J. Ontiveros who recently attended the Society of Research Administrators International 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. He participated in the Practice of Research Administration and Management (PRAM) and Leadership training tracks that comprised over 30 hours of workshops and sessions that emphasized research leadership and management, faculty development, and integrity. “The PRAM and Leadership programs were excellent in allowing me to expand my understanding of leadership and management, but with a focused twist and emphasis on research administration which is important for my obligations at Burrell College,” said Steven J. Ontiveros, MBA, PhD. Congratulations on this accomplishment Dr. Ontiveros and keep up the good work!
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Department of Biomedical Sciences |
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- The department offers opportunities for the 2021 Medical Student Summer Research Experience in the areas of carcinogenesis (Dr. Szalai), immune responses to OMT (Drs. Szalai and Stauss), and baroreflex function (Dr. Stauss). Please contact PIs for more information.
- Dr. Bramblett works on developing a SHERLOCK assay for viral detection.
- Dr. De La Rosa, Dr. Goldsteen, Gina Gilderman (OMS-II), and Courtney Cyr (OMS-III) collaborate with the New Mexico Department of Health to investigate the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and social determinants of health.
- Dr. Ochs and Dr. Bramblett together with faculty from Chapman University, School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA organized a series of interprofessional education activities for 2nd year Burrell and 3rd year Chapman students.
- Dr. Stauss leads an effort in establishing a regional Chapter of the American Physiological Society. Currently, the group includes 46 physiologists from 14 regional institutions, including 8 faculty from Burrell College.
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Department of Clinical Medicine |
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The Division of Clinical Medicine would like to proudly announce the arrival of two new members of our team! Daniel Dodson, DO, has joined the faculty as a full-time educator in the department of OMM and also is board-certified in family medicine. We would also like to announce our new administrative assistant, Catherine Guitierrez, who comes to assist the department with the expansive weekly teaching sessions and faculty needs in the complex COVID environment. |
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Department of Physiology and Pathology |
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Dr. Mike Woods worked with three of our former students and two NMSU faculty to publish a paper in the journal Cureus: Taylor Z, Chory K, Wright M, Amatya A, Gard C and Woods ME. (October 29, 2020) Incidence and Survival for Common Cancers Are Lower in New Mexico and Along the US-Mexico Border Than Elsewhere in the United States. Cureus 12(10): e11234. doi:10.7759/cureus.11234
Beginning this month, Dr. Woods is participating in the Leadership New Mexico Core Program. Core Program sessions are designed to address current issues facing the state. Each program session features speakers who are acknowledged leaders in their specific fields, while program participants actively engage in discussion and debate.
Dr. Gosselink is honored to serve as Faculty Advisor to our newly-approved local chapter of the White Coats for Black Lives student organization (whitecoats4blacklives.org). She also proudly advises the student-led Neuroscience Interest Group on campus.
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Justin McHorse, MS, Assistant Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, has accepted an invitation to be part of a groundbreaking adaptive group sponsored and supported by AACOM. The group is entitled: Arming Osteopathic Medical Education to Address Racism in Healthcare.
November is recognized as Native American Heritage Month. Listed below are some links to learn more about Native American Heritage.
The Branigan Cultural Center celebrates November as Native American Heritage Month with the Indigenous Speaker Series from November 13-14, 2020. Visit their website for more information on registering for the events.
Nov. 13, 5:30-7 p.m.
- Indigenizing the Borderlands Workshop
Nov. 14, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Exploring Our Roots: Youth Writing and Reflection Workshop with Lyla June
Nov. 14, 7-8:30 p.m.
- Indigenous Science: Ancient Pathways to a Sustainable Future with Lyla June
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Office of Enrollment Services |
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The Office of Financial Aid is happy to announce that students can complete their free financial aid application, FAFSA, online now at studentaid.gov for the 2021-22 academic year. For Veteran’s Day, we want to thank our Veteran’s that we have the privilege of working with throughout the year. The College would also like to recognize the 20 students that are completing their degree with the Health Professional Student Program (HPSP) and have committed to a minimum of four years of service as a commissioned officer in one of the United States military branches. The Office of Financial Aid staff are currently working on the College's Title IV (federal program) recertification for academic year 2022.
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The links to attend the following virtual events are available on LEO.
SGA Virtual Study Hall: Every Monday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; open to OMS-I and OMS-II. Silent 50 minute study sessions with 10 minute built-in breaks and breakout rooms for topic discussion.
ACOEP: Guest Speaker John Ashurst, DO, Program Director at Kingman Regional Medical Center; 11/12 12 - 1 p.m.
Business in Medicine: Mr. Cuenca, CEO Mountain View, 11/13 11 - 12 p.m.
LMSA Medical Spanish Lessons: Monday 11/9; 11/16 7 - 8 p.m.
SOMA: Nasal Narcan Training, 11/10 6 - 8 p.m.
Financial Success Club: Paying off your student debt with guest speaker Dr. West, MD, 11/19 6:30-7:30 p.m.
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Accreditation and Compliance |
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New/Revised Standard Operating Procedures:
- ES. 004.00 Student Status Review (New)
- SA.024.01 Student Requests for Excused Absence(s) in Year 1 and 2
- RR.016.01 Academic Disciplinary Suspension
- PCE.009.03 Procedures for Determining Honors Designations
- RSP.017.00 Payments to Research Participants (New)
- GA.007.06 COVID-19 Exposure and Containment Plan
- RR.017.00 Credit Hour Determination (New)
- CE.009.02 Clinical Rotations: Remediation
- SPC.001.03 Student Performance Committee Procedures
- PCE.010.004 GPA and Class Rank
- RR.018.02 Administrative Withdrawal (Academic or Disciplinary)
The Office of Compliance continues to monitor COVID-19 updates from the Office of the Governor and modifies campus procedures to align with New Mexico guidelines. As a friendly reminder, there is a 14-day quarantine requirement for any out of state travel. Effective November 16th, an updated public health order goes into effect. Please continue to check the COVID webpage for frequent updates.
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- We have had some wonderful faculty development sessions this semester, including Dr. Stuart Slavin from the AAMC and a co-sponsored event with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion by Dr. Loretta Christensen and Ms. Shawnell Damon of the Indian Health Service, Navajo Area.
- The Faculty Affairs webpage now has a tab for Promotions where you can find links to the timeline and documents for this promotions cycle.
- We have been working with Dr. Oxford on procedures and resources for new faculty onboarding. A web page with faculty onboarding resources is in the works.
- Faculty, please save the date for an interactive workshop on NBOME Item Writing by Dr. Adrienne Ables, VCOM Carolinas, on Friday, Dec. 4 from 9 - 12 a.m. Please watch for an email with logistics for the session and how to prepare.
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The Library would like to welcome our new Library Clerk, Francisco Chavez. Francisco has been a wonderful addition to our team and we are thrilled to have him! He is currently a graduate student at NMSU studying biological sciences. While he was an undergrad at NMSU, Francisco worked in the Library’s Archives & Special Collections Department. If you are in the Library, please say hello and welcome him to the Burrell family.
We would like to let faculty and students know that if any copyright questions arise, they are able to email copyright@bcomnm.org. The librarians will be happy to offer advice and/or recommend additional counsel when needed.
The current Library hours are:
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - Noon
Sun: Closed
The Library staff remains available virtually outside of posted hours; please email with questions or to make appointments.
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Faculty Council and Faculty Assembly meetings were held on October 23rd and November 6th, respectively. Discussion topics included:
- planning for the spring 2021 semester;
- the 2020-21 promotions process and timeline;
- increasing understanding of student assessment activities;
- supporting faculty knowledge regarding financial and benefits concerns;
- continuous improvement of intra-institutional communication; and
- potential opportunities for leadership mentoring.
Thanks for your participation and input – we hear and appreciate your voices.
We would like to extend a long-overdue and very sincere THANK YOU to Dr. Cindy Funk for her significant and valued service as Assistant Dean of Student Assessment. Welcome back to Faculty Council – glad to have you with us!
Gentle reminder: please reach out to students where you can. Advisee grades are posted by exam in the LEO portrait feature; some students are struggling and may benefit from your support (as will the non-struggling students).
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As a friendly reminder, please be sure to swipe your badge when entering the building to ensure accurate contact tracing, if needed, for a COVID positive case on campus.
If you are utilizing the campus study spaces, please be sure to clean the study area after each use. Reservations can be found here.
Please continue to be aware of construction activities on the second and third floor and use caution when you are near the construction areas.
As always, please continue to social distance and wear your masks while in the building.
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If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. –Vincent Van Gogh
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. –Leonardo da Vinci
The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it. –Chinese Proverb
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. –John Lennon
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Laughter Can be the Best Medicine |
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I saw someone at Starbucks today. No iPhone, no tablet, no laptop. He just sat there drinking coffee. Like a psychopath.
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Potatoes make french fries, chips and vodka. It’s like the other vegetables aren’t even trying.
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Ate a salad for dinner! Mostly croutons & tomatoes. Really just one big round crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese. Fine. It was a pizza. I ate a pizza!
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1998: “Don’t get in a car with strangers.” 2008: “Don’t meet people from the internet alone.” 2020: UBER…Order yourself a stranger from the internet and get into his car alone.”
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BEAR:
Building Expectations of Alliance and Respect
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