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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF ANTIGUA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

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To Derek Hem, P.S. - I love you! Jon K

Aliya W, I Love You! Chris B

To my beautiful sorority sisters (Brenda and AD): Thanks for always reminding me of the true definition of a DELTA woman. YID: Khrystal

To Student Body: On Behalf of SGA will all like to thank you for your support!! Your SGA President

Olumide, A Valentine’s Day without you is un-imaginable. I love you so much and I really miss you. Please come back to me. -kusu

To Heather,

Thank you for being such a

good friend.

With Love, Sal

Je t’aime mon

Coeur. Tu es mon autre. -Fro

From the Editors... By and large, Valentine’s Day is not exactly a beloved holiday among serious medical/nursing students attending classes on a remote Caribbean island. Who has time for love, much less romance when there are in-house exams as well as Shelves and the Comp to worry about? Any intimate relationships formed in Antigua are likely to be fleeting, and for those in long-distance relationships, V-Day simply serves as a reminder of how far away AUA is from their loved ones. This campus is a temporary blip on a years-long journey, and we all know it. …

That being said, there is absolutely no reason why we can’t still have a little fun this Valentine’s Day. No matter who you are or what your relationship status is, there has to be someone, or something, here in Antigua that you love. Be it is a favor-ite class, a beloved beach, or a new motorbike, love comes in many forms. … So with that idea in mind, this issue of The Pulse is dedicated to celebrating all kinds of love, including but not limited to the romantic variety. I hope the messages created by the students and faculty members who purchased ad space serve as an enjoyable re-minder of the creative and dynamic nature of love, and that the articles demonstrate the passion, commitment, and optimism of our writers.

Thanks for reading! See you next time,

Friends It has come to my attention that many people think Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate a significant other. But this day should also be recognized as a selected time to celebrate the most wonderful blessing anyone could receive, TRUE friendship. Then it hit me that many people don’t understand the meaning of friendship. There is a famous quote that says, “Those who you consider are your friends are really your foes and your foes are your friends”. Webster defines friendship as an attachment to another by affection or esteem. Others may say it is the bond between people who share common interests and goals. I say blah, blah… The definition of a friend is simple - that person who you feel you can turn to at anytime in this journey of life. In other words, a true friend is life-long. Here are some basic questions to assess when or if you are a good friend:

1. When I am having a bad/good day, who is the first person I want to call?2. If I am in trouble/sad, who do I call?3. When my back is against the wall, who is there to make sure I don’t fall?4. When I DO fail, who is my motivation for continuing? 5. When ALL I want to do is laugh, who do I find?6. When I feel like I can’t take life anymore, who is my driving inspiration?7. Last but the most important: When I look bad or do something that is not in char-

acter, who is the first to offer constructive criticism? A great man once said that, “Having a true friend is like seeing the face of GOD himself.” Love is the beauty of the soul.


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Katie SchmitzAUA Pulse Editor-in-Chief

Khrystal BooneAssistant Editor-in-Chief


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Faculty Spotlight on....Dr. Sanii! Last semester when I was enrolled in Physiology, I went to Dr. Sanii’s office to ask a question about EKG leads. In order to better explain the leads to me, he started looking for a heart model in his file cabinet. When he opened the lowest drawer, I saw it was filled with awards and recognition shields. He closed that drawer immediately saying “Just some stuff that I keep hid-den so I remain humble.” And humble is the word that defines Dr. Sanii.

At AUA, Dr. Sanii’s name has become synonymous with the greatest supporter of the student body. He is someone who everyone can talk to and in whom they always find a caring lis-tener, a great supporter, and someone they can trust to solve their problems. Like most students here, I have always found Dr. Sanii to be an amazing person. Because he is such a well-loved teacher and student advocate, we at the Pulse decided to interview Dr. Sanii for our first faculty spotlight article. Q: What was your childhood like, and what were your hobbies?Dr. Sanii: As the second of five siblings, my childhood was wonderful. My mom always made us feel very special and loved. I was always involved in sports and loved playing soccer. These days I love playing tennis and running. Q: Could you please tell us about your education and what made you interested in Physiology?Dr. Sanii: I attained the majority of my education in England and Canada. In my earlier years, I was a T.A. for Physiology and found it to be a very challenging subject that required little memorization and mostly under-standing. This, combined with my introduction to, and association with, world-class Physiologists peaked my interest in the subject matter. I became more curious and enthused about Physiology and decided to follow their footsteps. As a result I pursued the journey necessary in becoming a Physiologist. Q: Could you please tell us about your research and academic achievements?Dr. Sanii: I started doing research when I was still a student. I became interested in a group of patients who resided in the same region and were suffering from an endemic goiter, which stimulated my curiosity to find the cause of the endemic. Later, when I started my career as an academician, I conducted a number of re-search projects. I looked at the growth of lung tissue during fetal life and also in post-operative pneumonec-tomy patients. As a result, I discovered a growth factor that promotes the lung growth and maturation. The majority of my research was concentrated on the control of ventilation in the healthy subjects and diseased patients. Through this research we were able to offer a number of modalities for ventilating patients. We also came up with a ventilator that can be controlled by the patient. I also became interested in ventilatory neural control during sleep. This led me to become involved in opening sleep disorder clinics and learning about sleep physiology and cardiovascular abnormalities in patients with sleep disorders. Q: You explained your research; however, you haven’t mentioned anything about the papers you published and the awards and recognition shields I saw stacked inside a drawer in your office?


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Kimberly, I love you very much. Happy Valentine’s Day! Love Michael

Lelia, Pri, Kris: You guys are awesome. Thanks for all your support from the moment we met. Lelia you’re an awesome neighbor & friend. Pri no one understands better than you. Kris your no stop jokes & awesome food is exactly what I need down here. To all my other friends not mentioned (you know who you are), for thanks for everything we got a long way to go. Love Ya, Yogi

Danny & Sasha, Luv You Guys -CC. Deep

M ed 2 s, Tha n ks fo r c o ntinua l sup port. Your SGA P r eside nt

Hey Fur rba l l , Thank you f or coming to Ant igua and making m y

v a lent ine’ s day , month, and year! Y o u are the hot tes t

Pak ica n uckant iguan w i fe I ’ ve se en !

L o ve, E mra n (t he o ne with an E ! )

Brian , Thanks for help ing with m y compute r. Y o u’re t he bes t ! -L o ve Bhav

Drs. Wah e e d an d Has san A miral li

T han k y ou v ery mu c h fo r being s uch wo n derfu l teac h ers an d ro le mo de ls . I am gr at eful fo r e ve ry th in g that y ou have done f or me. Hap p y V ale nt in e's Day!

Wit h Gratit u de Abbas

Dr. Sanii: (smiling shyly) What is there to tell? I have published more than 150 papers in peer-reviewed journals. I still carry on my association with Canadian Universities, in particular with the University of Mani-toba. I am currently a member of several academic associations in United States and Canada. All my life I have been a scholar. I am a recipient of more than 50 awards and recognitions, for both my academic and non-academic involvement.Q: From my interaction with you, I have realized that you are a very humble person. Just right now you didn’t want to talk about your awards and recognitions. With so many achievements, how do you remain so humble?Dr. Sanii: The more I learn about science; the more I realize how much I don’t know. I am humbled by the fact that students continue to acquire knowledge in the field coupled with the desire to achieve their goals. The heroic action of our student body to come here to educate themselves and to be challenged in more than one way humbles me greatly.Q: I guess you are too humble to answer my previous questions, so let’s change the topic. How do you re-main so calm?Dr. Sanii: There are number of factors that contribute to my calmness. First and foremost I love teaching. Secondly, my mother always advised me; “Whatever you do, do your best and try to ignore the rest.” Third, I learn from my students especially regarding how to better deliver a subject. For this to be effective, one has to be very calm, focused, and a good listener. Q: What is the secret of your success and who has been the most influential person in your life?Dr. Sanii: Achievement, for me, comes from perseverance, assertiveness and knowing that there is nothing that can’t be achieved if you put your mind and might into it. My mother has been the most influential person in my life. My father passed away when I was nine and my mother was both a father and mother to me. She was my everything; she was the center of my life. My mother taught me to love unconditionally. I have twenty-six cousins (all in the medical field) and I love them all, I love every single member of my family dearly. So much so that sometimes my son becomes jealous of my love for all of them. Q: What do you like to do to relax?Dr. Sanii: I like listening to music, any type of music. I enjoy a wide variety of music from many different cultures. More specifically, I like music with drumbeats. I am also a drummer and maybe subconsciously this is why I am interested in heartbeats. I love music of all kinds and all ages. Reading (especially history books) and exercise also help to keep me relaxed. Q: Is there any advice you would like to give to our student body?Dr. Sanii: My advice for the student body is that they should value their time and stay away from negativity. There are enough positive things in our lives that can help us to focus, to be grateful, to be happy, to energize us, and to move us forward. Negativity brings nothing but sadness and uncertainty. There is a famous saying that “if you stay long enough at the barbershop you will eventually get a haircut.” If you stay long enough around negative persons, you will eventually become negative-minded. Stay away from ALL negativity.Q: The theme for this Pulse issue is love, due to Valentine’s Day. Would you like to say anything about love?Dr. Sanii: Love is a commodity that can’t be bought and can’t be imposed. It is a feeling that develops unintentionally. You can’t force anyone to love you or someone else. Love must be seeded, nourished and given time to mature. Along the way sacrifices and under-standing are constantly needed.


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By: Aisha Waheed – Med 3

continued from page 4

So Much Love...for NursingThe million dollar question is … “Why come to Antigua for Nursing?” The true question is why not? Nursing is a highly respected profession that is in high demand due to a global nursing shortage. Currently there are many challenging opportunities for personal growth and career advancement with flexibility beyond imagination. As a nurse you are free to work when you want, where you want and in whatever discipline that interest you. There has never been a better time to become a nurse. This is why I love nursing! Now why Antigua? Well, I like to consider it as having the best of both worlds. Let me explain…AUA understands the negative impact of the nursing shortage in the United States and other global communities and therefore has decided to consolidate the necessary resources to open a first-class nursing school in Antigua. I decided to attend AUA’s nursing program because it is considered to be a ladder program which is a multi-level degree program that is unique in its own way. I love the program because I have the luxury of studying on the beautiful island of Antigua. After successful completion of my program I will then receive an Associate of Science degree in Nursing and then will be eligible to become licensed registered nurse in the state of my choice. Then there’s a bonus, upon passing the NCLEX-RN exam, AUA offers us an amazing opportunity to matriculate into (CUNY) Lehman College BSN program. No more applications fees and automatic acceptance into one of the top BSN programs in New York State, a school with full accreditation by the National League of Nursing. Now that’s pretty lovely I must say!As you may or may not know the nursing program is an accelerated program and the curriculum is very intense and rigorous. Antigua gives me a sense of serenity and tranquility that is conducive for learning. For me it’s almost like studying while on vacation. While on the island students have an opportunity to grow individually while being exposed to various cultural backgrounds. We get early clinical exposure in various healthcare set-tings on the island along with a state of the art nursing lab. I have professors that are dedicated and passionate about teaching and developing us as future nurses and they also genuinely care about the students. Current AUA nursing students have an amazing opportunity of being pioneers in the establishment of what will soon be rec-ognized as one of the best nursing programs in the Caribbean. Now who could ask for more? An accelerated program on the lovely island of Antigua and licensure in your American state of choice! AUA puts me one step closer to making my dreams come true! I love the wonderful world of nursing.


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Shaquawna N. BraddockNursing 4

President of Student Nurses’ Association


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RUMOR MILL “You can park in faculty parking spots after 4pm at West Campus.” Fiction: Students with parking tags can park in the faculty-designated spaces at the West Campus park-ing lot after 6 pm. If you park there before 6 pm, you are subject to a ticket. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. If you do get a ticket, you can have SGA contest it on your behalf, but do not argue with the security guard while he or she is writing the ticket! You’ll get one anyway!

“If you move out of student housing after one semester, you don’t get your $1000 deposit back.” Fiction: Ms. Ho of Student Services has informed me that you will indeed receive your security deposit back as long as you paid your fees for housing and the unit requires no repairs. Any damages will be fixed and the cost of repair will be subtracted from your security deposit.

“By the Summer 2009 term, all classes will be held at North Campus.” Fiction: In an interview with Dr. Sanii, I learned that “the expectation of the university” is to have the North Campus facilities ready for use by September 2009. This timeline could change however, due to weather and other uncontrollable factors.

“If you get caught without a driver’s license, the Antiguan police will throw you in jail.” Fact: The Antiguan police are known to have check points around the island set up to see that people are driving with valid and current driver’s licenses. If you have an expired license, or none at all, they have the right to arrest you and send you to jail. I learned from Dr. Sanii that as of yet, there have been no AUA students who have been sent to jail, but there have been a couple of close calls. If you need a license, you can go to the DMV located near North Campus and obtain one for $50EC.

“Antigua doesn’t belong to a continent.” Fiction: Antigua is a part of North America. Shocking, I know - but I confirmed it by a search on Wikipedia.

Heard a rumor lately? Itching to have it confirmed? Drop me a line at [email protected] and I’ll get you an answer! Tune in next month for more facts and more fiction!

*Note: Issues above have been thoroughly researched and cited. Any questions or concerns should be directed to Vaseem Ahmed at [email protected]


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By: Vaseem Ahmed - Med 2

mailto:[email protected]




The Women’s CornerThe Food We Love Can Cause Pain in Our Hearts

This month’s column is about a lady with an ache in her heart, not due to love lost, but to an addiction and fas-cination with food that can easily turn deadly.The patient is a 55 y/o obese mother of four children, who loves to consume fried food at least three times a week. She started developing chest pain over the past two hours and presents to the ER, complaining of chest pain and bilateral leg edema that occurred two months ago and has been worsening. She has not seen a doctor for the past few years until now. An eager AUA medical student (Med 2); happens to be shadowing an ER doc-tor and is on the scene. Quickly, before anyone asks her a single question, she starts putting all the Med 1 and Med 2 knowledge she learned at AUA together. So she grabs the patient’s chart and starting thinking about what she’s learned so far!!!!

As far as Path, Micro, Immuno, Behavioral, Pharm and ICM, well, that part of my analysis is to be continued when I finish the Basic Science program!

So, from the presenting symptoms, my differential diagnosis for this patient is: acute myocardial infarction. Of course, this is a fictional story, but it represents a very common presentation of a middle-aged adult who is obese with a high cholesterol intake. I wrote this column to raise awareness for women to be aware that the foods we consume and love to eat can sometimes do more damage then good. Most women are in control their families’ dietary intake, hence controlling most of the food that most people on earth eat. So, the choice is yours, women of tomorrow: Will you control what you love to eat and feed your family healthier dietary choices, hence changing the entire world health status? If not you might just end up as real patient in the ER!

Reference: Anatomy-Moore, Keith; DPS- Mosby; Biochemistry-Baynes; Genetics-Thompson &Thompson; Physio-Costanzo; Histology- Ross; www.modernmedicine.com, AUA medical school - Basic Science program.


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By: Thara Foreste-Magloire – Med 2

DPS: I am going to take a thorough history and focus on chest pain – SOCRATES, followed by physical exami-nation. Anatomy: I am going to know where all my valves are located and that the apex beat is where the sound of the mitral valve closure is maximal - in the left 5th ICS region.Histology: I am thinking she has atherosclerosis from eating all that fried chicken. Her tunica intima is filled up with foam cells (macrophages and smooth muscle cells) that accumulated LDLs.Physiology: I grab the EKG and ask myself what happened to the ST segment? Wow it’s abnormal – there is an ST segment elevation. … I am thinking of an acute MI. I look down at her legs and see a visible thumb print left on her ankle region from the doctor who examined her a few minutes ago and I think to myself “Hmm. … Her albumin level must be low because she’s developed pitting edema. She could have a decreased oncotic pressure.”

Biochemistry: I need to order a series of blood test to see how her enzymes are doing. Let me think. … I order a Creatine Kinase (CK) and Lactate Dehydrogenase level (LDH1).Genetics: I make a pedigree of her family to visualize any multifactorial ideations/hereditability factors.Neuro: I do an overall motor and sensory exam.

http://www.modernmedicine.com

http://www.modernmedicine.com


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Dear Girls (Monica/ Madonna/ Mabel), You guys have made my stay in Antigua a memorable one. I love you guys so much and really appreciate your love and support these past couple of weeks. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day. Love Bimpie Howell s

Med 2s, Hey Guys, I love You!! Chris Deep

Dear Ashley, Ever since I attended your TA session last week I’ve had a HUGE crush on you. Do you have a girlfriend? Stay after your next session if you want to meet me. Your Secret Admirer

To Apt 3C: You guys pack the best bowls (and your Bhel Puri is not bad either)! Happy Valentine’s Day, you gorgeous ladies! Love, Apt 2C!

Abbas

Med 1s, Thanks for continual support. Your SGA President

Med 4s: On behalf of SGA I will like to thank you for your relentless work. Your SGA President

Jonathan Thoens, I appreciate all the hard work that you dedicate to this school. Thanks and keep up the good work! Jon K

L O V EMany, if not all, know that love is celebrated this month in the form of Valentine’s Day - February 14th. It is popularly known as a day when you express your feelings to the one you ‘love.’ The question that arises from this is “who do we love?”

It is easier to love those who love us, those we are familiar with, than a regular person we meet on the streets. Human nature is centered around loving only family, friends, and significant others. As we celebrate love this year, I begin to wonder if love should be centered only around those we know.

The Bible describes God as love. If God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, in order to redeem our souls and save us from eternal damnation (John 3:16), I wonder why people cannot seem to show love to one another, except if there is some sort of connection or relationship.

According to Matthew 22:39, we are instructed to “…love [our] neighbors as [our]selves.” Your neighbor can be anybody who you come across…at home, in class, on the bus, in the library…anywhere. Imagine what this world would be like if everyone loved each other.

Someone might ask, do we also love those who hate us and wish us evil? The answer is yes! “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spite-fully use you and persecute you” – Matthew 5:44. Basically, it does not matter who has wronged us or failed us. It is our duty to love everyone. It is definitely easier said than done, but if we consciously put our minds and hearts to work, trying to forgive and move on with our lives, we would get to the level where we need to be. Look at it this way - holding grudges gives the other person power over you and your emotions.

So, how do we show love? In 1 Corinthians 13, ‘Love’ is described as many things. It says love is patient and kind. Love does not envy, is not puffed up; and does not behave rudely. Love is not provoked, it is considerate and thinks no evil of the next person. When we are in class or in the library, are we considerate of others? Are we rude to the security guards or the administrative staff when we relate with them? The list is endless, but these are little ways through which we can express love to one another.

Finally, if we cannot love the people we see, how can we claim to love God whom we cannot see? Remember that this year is geared towards building a relationship with God (“New Season” from January’s edition of the AUA Pulse). Building a successful relationship involves essential ingredients of which ‘love’ is a major part.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!


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By: Tola Oyesile – Med 2


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Dear Bhavini P., You sexy thing… with your sweet tea, you make me go crazy. I watch ATL (movie) over and over dreaming about you. I wrote you a poem: Beautiful Honest Altruistic Very Sexy Intelligent Nubian Irresistible Always Yours, Gap Junctions

To Faculty and Staff: On behalf of SGA I will like to thank you for your relentless work. Your SGA President

Danny L. I appreciate all the hard work that you dedicate to this school. Thanks and keep up the good work! Jon K

Dr. Sanii

Have a very Happy Valentine's Day. You are a wonderful teacher and I am grateful for the fact that I had the opportunity to know you and learn from you. Thank you very much f or every thing.

Abbas

Med 3s, Thanks for continual support. Your SGA President

Bhavini P. Thanks for all your hard work and support. Your SGA President

To Katie Schmitz,I’m Sorry.

Love,Gary Livingstone

F rozan W . I l o ve you so m uch . Thanks f or y o ur h ard w ork . Y o ur S G A Pr es i den t

To Katie: On behalf of the students at AUA, I want to thank you for all your great work with the Pulse. We appreciate your hardwork and dedication very much. Remy KorKor & Vaseem Ahmed

From the SGA Executive President...No matter what religion, culture, or geographical region of the world one hails from, I believe we

all share the same values. Whether they were instilled in you by your parents, an eccentric teacher, or even a religious leader, these are the things that make you who you are today. We are all taught the im-portance of respect, kindness, and generosity.

So why do some of us forget these things when we get to medical school? How about starting each day with a smile at the security guard, and if they do not smile back, smile bigger and ask them how they are. … A “kill ‘em with kindness” approach.

One’s largess is not merely measured by money; it could be the gift of time or a kind word. Taking the time to listen to a fellow student when he or she is having a bad day, or just offer-ing a compliment can brighten someone’s day. Understandably, we are stressed, but let us try and not forget these small basic principles, because the amount of happiness we provide others with these simple gestures is just a small fraction of the happiness we get in return.

- Jonathan Khoury

SGA Executive President


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