Apr. 2021

Office of the President

Happy April everyone. It has been great to see steadily increasing live activity on campus.    As reported nationally, New Mexico has been recognized for its performance in distributing vaccines. We consistently rank #1 in percentage of citizens being vaccinated and have the third lowest positivity rate. Please join me in thanking our students, faculty, and staff who have been on the front lines and part of the statewide vaccination effort.     By the time you read this, we will have completed our planned trip to our regional academic center in the Space Coast of Florida (Melbourne and Rockledge), to meet with our students, hospital affiliates, and the leadership of our university partner - Florida Institute of Technology. As travel restrictions lift, we will be implementing frequent trips by key staff members, to grow our clinical campus in Florida.   More information will be shared at our April Towne Hall meeting regarding this site visit as well as other key initiatives underway. Thanks everyone.

Office of the Dean

Congratulations to our Class of 2021 on a successful NRMP Match and on their impending graduation. The ’21 Class improved on last year’s Match rate and also outperformed the national average for osteopathic schools. And kudos to our faculty and staff for their contribution to the Class of ‘21’s success. Like the turtle on the fencepost, we know the students did not get where they are by themselves. Our 2020-21 application cycle is nearing its close, and we are excited to see the Class of 2025 taking shape. Special thanks to our Enrollment Services team, as well as our faculty and staff who contribute to the all-important interview and selections process. It has been great seeing more people in the building as we continue our transition back to in-person work and learning. Our Return-to-Campus Task Force continues its efforts to align our processes with NMDoH and CDC guidelines.

Institutional Advancement

Graduation is just around the corner! The virtual commencement ceremony will be held on May 7th, at 4 PM MDT on Facebook Live. The Drive-Thru Diploma Event will be held on campus on May 7th from 10AM – 12PM MDT for all those who signed up in advance to attend. Class of 2021, keep an eye out for a mailed graduation gift from the President and the Alumni Association!  The April session of the Diversity in Medicine Series focused on Asian American and Pacific Islanders Stigmas. The discussion featured Dr. Nicole Tong-Mitchell and Dr. Thao Pham as they discussed their experiences as immigrants, medical students, and care providers. To watch the recorded session click here.

Administration & Operations (HR, IT and Finance)

Finance/HR: Facilities has been active in supporting the opening of Beck’s at the Bear Den this month. Beck’s at the Bear Den offers an assortment of coffee, espresso drinks, signature specialty drinks, teas and other beverages, fresh baked goods, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and snack items. We are excited for the opportunity to help to bring this service to campus.  Facilities and Finance have also been involved in supporting the plans to provide additional space through the construction of a new library and student services building. Finance has been supporting the budget request process though multiple Board submissions this month, with the final presentation scheduled for the last week of April, after which approvals will be shared with requesting departments.  Human Resources has opened the performance evaluation process; please contact Human Resources with any questions.

Research Office

Grant Submission Process The Standard Operating Procedure for submitting extramural grants is detailed in RSP.020 Grant Submission Process. Please contact the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs with any questions and remember that advanced planning is the key to a successful grant submission. Leave of Absence for Advanced Study The Standard Operating Procedure for student Leave of Absence: Research and Creative Scholarship has been revised and renamed “Leave of Absence for Advanced Study”.  The SOP is applicable to all students requesting a Leave of Absence for extended periods of research, creative scholarly activity, or any other form of advanced study.  Laboratory Standard & Hazard Communication Training In Person Training is required for all individuals prior to beginning research in the College BioScience Research Laboratory. The next Laboratory Standard & Hazard Communication Training is: Friday, May 14th, 2021 1:00 – 3:30 PM. Room 160 CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology

The Anatomy and Cell Biology department has successfully wrapped up the 4th year Anatomy Elective and was thrilled to get to work with several of our wonderful 4th year students in more specialized areas, relevant to their future clinical areas of practice. The department has also kicked off the NSI course with the first virtual lab and is busy getting ready for the second virtual lab, as well as open labs that will get the students back on campus and interacting with dissections of the nervous system, head and neck.   Dr. Cindy Funk had an abstract accepted to this year’s IAMSE conference, entitled: “Use of Guided and Frequent Formative Assessments to Enhance First Year Medical Student Engagement and Learning in a Virtual Environment.” Congratulations, Dr. Funk!

Department of Biomedical Sciences

Dr. De La Rosa presented a poster on transcriptomic changes related to endocrine disruptor exposures in breast cancer cells at the Annual Society of Toxicology Meeting in late March.  Biomedical Science Department faculty are wrapping up the semester with instruction in the Neuroscience I course for OMSI and the Immunology, Hematology, Lymphatics course for OMSII, and Dr. Ochs directed and participated in another Inter-Professional Education experience for OMSII and Chapman School of Pharmacy students. Also, Biomedical Science Department faculty are actively preparing for the summer research program, planning excellent research experiences for seventeen medical students. Biomedical Science Journal Club, scheduled for April 29th, will be presented by Dr. De La Rosa on Endocrine disrupting chemicals in the placenta.

Department of Clinical Medicine

As the end of the semester nears, The Division of Clinical Medicine wants to congratulate all the students for their interest in the clinical classes. We have seen great progress in clinical skills. The clinical faculty continue to be open to suggestions from students and value their feedback in the first-year classes and the second-year students when they transition to rotations. The clinical faculty have made themselves available in the next 6 weeks to help students with their clinical skills (exam), medical decision making, test-taking skills, SOAP note writing, suturing, and oral presentations. Please reach out by email for an appointment with selected faculty, or to the course coordinators to book a meeting time. The faculty are committed to student success and have also volunteered their personal time to help. A sign-up sheet has been distributed by email for students to sign up directly with the faculty or staff.

Department of Physiology and Pathology

The department is excited to note that Dr. Del Corral has completed one year of service as a COMSAE Phase 1 Rationale Writer for NBOME. Dr. Oviedo is also competing her fourth month co-directing the American Association of Neuropathology Teaching Rounds. This is an online opportunity where students can attend a series of Neuropathology topic discussions by various experts. The cost is $5.00 for medical students and $50.00 for faculty. Register Here.

Diversity and Inclusion

For the Indigenous Pueblo communities who have farmed this land since time immemorial, the month of April coincides with ‘time to prepare for growing season.’ For those who have begun to tend to your gardens, you may find interest in a webinar offered by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.   Seasons of Growth: Preparing for the Growing Season: When: Sunday, April 18th, 11 AM – 1PM. Register Here.     Mark your calendars! On Wednesday, April 28, from 11:30 AM - 1 PM, Dr. Linda Solis will return to present Part II of the Unconscious Bias training for faculty and staff. The training is on behalf of the Diversity Council and sponsored by Faculty Affairs, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.   During this session, participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, ask questions, and learn strategies for self-awareness, micro-affirmations and micro-interruptions.   Zoom link to come via email.

Office of Enrollment Services

Join us in congratulating Ms. Courtney Lewis as she has been elected secretary of AACOM's Council of Osteopathic Medical Admissions Officers (COMAO)! The Office of Admissions continues to process applications for the current admissions cycle. Faculty assistance is still needed for April interview dates, so please mark any availability in the interviewer spreadsheet. Ms. Keziah Garcia has taken over the position of Interim Registrar. Please direct all Registrar related communications to her (kgarcia@burrell.edu) or the Office of the Registrar (registrar@burrell.edu).  The Office of Financial Aid is providing a virtual information session on April 14th at 12:00 PM (MST) regarding HPSP military award and other financial aid information. Air Force TSgt Aubrey Saenz will be attending the session. The National Health Service Corp Scholarship is open for the 2021-2022 scholarship applications cycle. The New Mexico Student Loan (NMSL) Guarantor is the newest student loan lender to partner with the College, offering fixed interest rates as low as 4.39% APR.

Student Affairs

March 30th: LMSA and PsychSIGN hosted Mel Racenstein, OMS-I, who lead a Zumba dance class for students. April 1st: SOMA in collaboration with Student Affairs will be hosted a virtual DO for a Day for interested pre-medical students. 11 Pre-Medical students from around the country were in attendance. April 6th: ACOS-MSS and SAOAO hosted a Zoom Dinner with Dr. Rex Cooley, DO an orthopaedic surgeon from Tucson, AZ. April 23rd: Educational Specialists will present ‘Board Prep Volume 3’ at 1 PM.

Accreditation and Compliance

Updated Standard Operating Procedures: FAF.007 Process for Faculty 1099 Contracts ES.007 Incomplete Grades GA.007 COVID-19 Exposure/Containment Plan RR.003 Leave of Absence for Advanced Study RSP.020 Grant Submission Process (new) RSP.019 COVID-19 Human Subjects Research Guidance (new) The Office of Compliance is planning to submit the application to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the College is expecting either a virtual or in-person site visit in May.  We continue to monitor directive from the NM Higher Education Department and the NM Department of Health regarding updates to COVID-19. The Office of Compliance has convened a Task-Force in preparation of our full return to campus on June 1st. The College will be hosting Ms. Heather McMurry from the Drug Enforcement Administration who will provide a presentation on DEA Regulations and Opioid Awareness. Please see your email for additional details and the Zoom link.

Faculty Affairs

Burrell has been awarded 5 years continuing accreditation as a Category 1 CME Sponsor by the AOA. Congratulations to Christa Vaudrey for completing Burrell's report, which earned a perfect score!  Many thanks to Stephanie Caballero for working with the search committee and Biomedical Sciences to coordinate a successful faculty candidate visit!  Please save the date for this year's Annual Burrell CME Conference June 25-26th.  Burrell Diversity Council and Faculty Affairs will co-sponsor the faculty and staff development session, "Unconscious Bias Training Part II" with Dr. Linda Solis April 28th, 11:30-1 PM.   Student Affairs will present on Advisory Colleges in a FAME session on May 12th.  Dr. Jeannette Geurrasio, author of Remediating the Struggling Medical Learner, will present during FAME on May 26th.  Registration is now open for this year's virtual IAMSE meeting June 12-17th. Faculty Affairs will host events during the meeting to discuss and apply what we are learning.

Library Services

On the heels of the Library’s month-long book discussion groups on Resilient by Dr. Rick Hanson (available for checkout from the library), and Art Happy Hour led by NMSU Art Department’s Tauna Cole, the Library kicked off its first ever Haiku contest in combined celebration of National Poetry Month, National Haiku Day (April 17th), and literature in medicine. Haiku contest details and the entry form were emailed to all Burrell students, faculty, and staff. Deadline for submissions is April 30th.  Students presently in Neuro I are keeping the library staff hopping by checking out a variety of skull and brain anatomical models.  Current library hours are Monday through Friday 7 AM to 8 PM; Saturdays 8 AM to 5 PM; Closed Sundays. Our library hours are always posted on our homepage. Email library@burrell.edu if you have any questions about our programs or need assistance with library research, services, and/or resources.

Faculty Council

Greetings, all! Not a lot from Faculty Council at this time, but we are gearing up for a couple of meetings in the near future. IMPORTANT: April 22nd – Faculty Assembly (8:30 AM on MS Teams) – This meeting will record the vote of the faculty to approve the graduation list for the Class of 2021. A Faculty Council meeting will be scheduled soon after the April 22nd Assembly meeting, to discuss some proposed Bylaws changes and a few other things. Remember that elections are coming up! Thanks so much to Miriam Donohue for getting this rolling, and to Daniel Dodson, Norice Lee, and Mike Woods for serving on the ad hoc Elections Committee.

Staff Council

We hope you enjoyed the first of many engagement opportunities with Mr. John Hummer and Dean Pieratt. Be on the lookout for additional engagement opportunities as we approach a full return to campus. Details to come!

Inspire Your Day

When the untapped potential of a student meets the liberating art of a teacher, a miracle unfolds. ― Mary Hatwood Futrell   The test of a good teacher is not how many questions he can ask his pupils that they will answer readily, but how many questions he inspires them to ask which he finds it hard to answer. ― Alice Wellington Rollins   The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less. — Socrates, 469 BCE   April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. — William Shakespeare (Sonnet XCVIII)   April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden. — Marty Rubin

Laughter Can be the Best Medicine

Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Why were the teacher’s eyes crossed? She couldn’t control her pupils. What starts with E, ends with E, and has only 1 letter in it? An Envelope. Apparently, you can’t use “beef stew” as a password. It’s not stroganoff.  What do you call two monkeys that share an Amazon account? Prime mates.

BEAR: Building Expectations of Alliance and Respect Learn more at Burrell.edu/newsletters.