Why the UC Physician Assistant Program?
by David Payne
This is a very exciting time in PA Education and especially for the University of Charleston Physician Assistant program. We have been working diligently over the last several months to develop an outstanding program. I’m happy to report that we are now accepting applications. So what’s going to be so great about the UC PA Program?
UC physician assistant program director David Payne
Dedicated caring faculty
We have three core experienced Physician Assistant faculty members who are passionate about PA Education. Each of us has been involved in PA Education for years. Given the remarkable gift of a blank canvas with which to build a new program, we have asked ourselves from day one, “How can we do things differently? How can we do things better? What was missing in our experiences as PA students and the previous programs we’ve been a part of as educators?” Asking these fundamental questions has resulted in a creative curriculum designed with the student in mind. We are also fortunate enough to benefit from having two physicians on our team, both contributing some of their invaluable time in their capacities as Medical Director and Associate Medical Director. We will add three additional full-time faculty who will begin October this year in preparation for our inaugural class matriculating in January 2013.
Faculty led learner-centered teams
We understand that many of the most profound learning experiences come in the context of strong mentoring and collaboration in close knit groups. We have structured our program to have small class sizes and excellent faculty to student ratios so we can take advantage of this idea. Each student will be placed on a faculty-led team with around five other students. These teams will meet regularly to talk medicine and help each other become the best they can be.
Analytical thinking and problem-solving
Our curriculum will have a heavy emphasis on the meat of medicine, problem-solving! Medicine is not about memorizing facts and figures. Don’t get me wrong, there are certain things that must be memorized. But the art and practice of medicine is not about regurgitating the proper dose of an antibiotic or memorizing the three most common presenting symptoms of Cushing’s disease. Rather, it’s about having a sound understanding of fundamentals and being able to logically work through a complex set of data. It’s about appreciating the unique dynamics involved in human interaction and understanding the role they play in making clinical decisions. The focus of our curriculum will be upon learning and applying critical principles of disease and patient care. Throughout the pre-clinical phase of the program, during our Patient-Centered Care series of courses, students will be challenged by paid actors and sophisticated simulation mannequins to apply their knowledge and skill to simulated clinical situations.
Resourcefulness
Our curriculum will include a focus on training our future Physician Assistants to be exceptionally resourceful. Beginning in the first semester, students will learn to access excellent information quickly. There are several outstanding web-based tools that have been designed for clinicians to use at the point-of-care. Our students will become extremely comfortable with these tools so they can take advantage of maximizing patient care through clinical decisions that are backed by evidence.
Pass/fail credit system
The entire concept of the Physician Assistant profession is based on collaboratively working with a supervising physician. Furthermore, the entire medical industry is rapidly moving toward a model of patient-centered, team-based care. We want to reinforce this concept by communicating to our students that the patient is what truly matters, not the grade. In our program, students will be challenged to learn as much as they possibly can so they can treat patients to the best of their ability, not so they can obtain a certain grade. From day one, students will be asked to do everything they can to elevate each other to excellence, rather than striving to outperform each other. The patient is what truly matters.
Outstanding medical community
The Charleston area has an outstanding medical community. CAMC Memorial Hospital, one of the best medical centers in the Appalachian Region, sits less than a mile from campus. Even before I began my duties as Program Director, during the interview process, I could feel the enthusiasm for this program. We have been overwhelmed by how supportive everyone in the medical community has been. Medical and educational leaders from around the entire region have extended their hand in offering whatever support they can. We are confident this will result in outstanding training opportunities for our students.
Active and collaborative learning
We strongly value utilizing innovative educational techniques. We will consistently employ educational approaches that break away from the traditional lecture. There will be more learning through engaging students as active participants, and less from sitting as passive listeners. Consequently, students will retain more and feel comfortable in applying their knowledge and skills in real world settings.
Self-reflective practice portfolios
For their capstone project, students will create a self-reflective practice portfolio. Towards the end of their didactic phase, students will use several tools to perform a critical self-analysis of their knowledge, skills, and attitudes. They will identify their strengths and their weaknesses. They will then develop detailed plans of improvement where needed. Throughout their clinical year, they will continually assess their progress in overcoming their weaknesses through self-reflective practice and establish new goals and plans. This project will better prepare students to be well-rounded clinicians and will cultivate a consistent pattern of self-reflective practice that will prove to be a major strength for them throughout their careers.
If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others through becoming a highly competent medical practitioner, a world class education awaits you at the University of Charleston Physician Assistant Program!
Why I Transferred to UC
by Garret Listo
Hi my name is Garret Listo from Cincinnati, Ohio. I transferred to University of Charleston from Cincinnati State Technical College. Why did I choose to attend UC? I felt that it was the right fit for me and what I wanted to achieve in my learning career. It has the kind of environment I was looking for in a learning institution and they showed interest in helping me achieve my goals.
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The thing that stood out the most about UC was that they keep things personal when dealing with new students. I remember when I first came in contact with UC. I called the school and assistant admissions director Travis Chandler answered. He already knew my name and who I was. He had already reviewed my transcript and gave me an estimation of potential financial aid that I could receive. Any question that I had, he answered it as soon as he possibly could. He made my transfer process as easy as it could be.
I’m double majoring in Communications and Business Administration. Thanks to UC’s unique curriculum and committed academic advisors, I’ll still be able to graduate on time. This spring semester will only be my second semester here, but I already feel at home. Everything around the school is easily accessible and all the students around here are committed to getting involved in the campus community. The faculty makes it easy to adjust because of their level of involvement with students. There is also a ton of support for athletics at UC. Many of my professors often ask me about the team and how things are going on the field. I feel that they really care about me personally and not just another student in their class.
The University of Charleston provides a great learning experience for me. I enjoy success in the classroom and on the soccer field doing the things that I enjoy. I’m thankful for the opportunity of being part of UC and I see better things to come as the school continues to grow!
For more information about becoming a UC student, visit: www.ucwv.edu/admissions
To learn more about UC athletics, visit: www.goldeneagles.com
Presentation Time
by D’Juan McGee
Hello again friends and friend of my friends!! It is me again with another Japanese update.
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This week my classmates and I were focused on preparing for our Japanese presentation. I spent numerous hours getting help from my Japanese friends Sho, Yuki, Akane, Keita, Sara, Andy, and Mizaki. I am happy to say that my group presentation went very well and our Sensee was very impressed with our class as a whole.
In class on Tuesday we learned how to paint Japanese calligraphy on special paper, which was a lot of fun because it was new for me and very different. On Wednesday the international department had a farewell party for the exchange students that studied at the University for one year and the three Vietnamese students that participated in the two-week study aboard program. At the party I met a Chinese exchange student named Joe and he is majoring in English. I can now stay that I have a lot of Japanese Facebook friends now.
Since this is my last weekend here in Japan I will be spending time traveling to Kobe and hanging out with the Japanese students as much as I can before I go back to America. Well, I’m off to enjoy my last weekend here. Ja Mata.
My UC Experience
by Harry Machacha
I’m Harry Machacha an international student from Germiston, South Africa. I transferred to University of Charleston from Tyler Junior College in East Texas. Why UC? I felt that it was the right fit for me and what I wanted to achieve in my learning career. It has the kind of environment I was looking for in a learning institution and they showed interest in helping me achieve my goals.
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I saw UC as a growing university and there were countless opportunities for me to grow with the school. I wanted to be part of the growth. The university showed potential, not only at the academic level, but also in athletics.
At the school I picked communications/public relations for a major and play soccer. Once I moved to UC it didn’t take me long to get adjusted to the environment because everything around the school is easily accessible and all the students around are committed to getting involved in the campus community. I enjoyed success in the classroom making the on Dean’s List and in soccer I got recognized throughout the region winning conference championship three times in a row.
The University of Charleston provides a great learning experience for me and I learn a lot being part of the communities around the campus. I enjoy success in the classroom and on the soccer field doing the things I love. I’m thankful for the opportunity of being part of UC and I see better things to come as the school continues to grow!
A Japanese Adventure
by D’Juan McGee
Hello friends and advent readers!!! It is me again bringing you exciting stories about my adventures in Japan. The last four days were full of hard work and awesome experiences.
Last Wednesday my class learned about Japanese pop culture mainly in the area of アニメマンガ (anime manga). This was an exciting topic for me because I love to read and watch Japanese anime. In fact, I bought two anime comic books written in Japanese as souvenirs for myself. In class our group had to read a few pages from a comic book out loud and act out the character expressions. This activity was a lot of fun because we had to really work together as a team to make the comic reading a success.
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For the second part of class, we went on a field trip to the heart of anime culture located in Osaka, Japan. Our Sensee took use to a Maid Café, were they served junk food and all employees were dressed up like anime waiters. This was an amazing sight to see because there were a lot of people walking around the area dressed up like their favorite manga characters. If given the time and chance I too might have dressed up like one of my favorite anime characters.
On Thursday we learned about the different uses of は (wa) and が (ga). I’m still confused about the differences between the two so I’m not going to waste time trying to explain. The second part of class was spent riding on a bus for an hour going to the other Kansai Campus located in Meki, Japan. The focus of this trip was to learn about disaster prevention for all types of natural disasters. This was very interesting to me because in the case of a nature disaster the Meki campus is a certified shelter with a year supply of food and water stored within their stadium. While there I finally got a chance to meet Jungah in person. She was the main contact person between Kansai University and Audrey Pitonak-Goff for the study abroad program I’m currently experiencing. We took a detailed tour around all of Kansai and its facilities learning about their role in disaster prevention and relief. After the tour we headed back to Amagasaki and as a class we ate dinner at a little ramen shop. What a day indeed.
Friday’s class was focused on learning about the different Japanese dialect. I learned that people from Tokyo speak with a different Japanese dialect from the people in the Osaka area and Okinawa area. If you think about it, this is just like Northern New Yorkers and Southern Georgians with heavy accents using the same English language. During this class we had to pair up and do a mini skit using the different dialects we learned in class. In our next class we learned about Japanese survival cooking. This was very interesting because I cooked eggs with a wire hanger, tin foil and fire. I’m pretty sure this was just something fun to do on Friday.
Saturday was filled with memorable events. I started my day by waking up a 6 a.m. so I could meet my class at the Amagasaki train station at 7:30 a.m. From there we took a train to the Kyoto station and then took the subway to the Kyoto international community house. Our first event consisted of trying on a traditional Japanese Kimono. It took the guys 10 minutes to put the full Kimono on and it took the girls 20 minutes to get theirs on. In my opinion the kimono dressing was a funny process because our instructor was very strict and she kept yelling at us in Japanese and then she asked me if I spoke Spanish so then she started yelling at me in Spanish. All I could do at that point was laugh during the whole Kimono dressing process.
After taking numerous pictures we headed back to downtown Kyoto to eat lunch. Our next event was a four-hour tour around the Kyoto area to learning about the history. Our first stop was at the Heian Shrine. This temple was very beautiful and within the complex it had a garden and pond. The shrine was built in dedication to the emperors that reigned in the Kyoto area. Our next stop was to the Sanjusangendo temple that holds 1001 individual crafted six-foot statues of Buddha and one large two story-tall Buddha. You had to see it to believe it however, we were not permitted to take any pictures of Buddha. If you were caught taking a picture of Buddha your camera would get confiscated or you could be imprisoned. That was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.
The next place we stopped at was Kiyomizu-dera a temple in the mountains that is famous for its drinkable water from a waterfall that runs from the top of the mountain, the cherry blossoms and their flame red leaves during the fall. Our tour guide told us if you drink one cup of water from the temples waterfall you will live on one more day and if you drink two cups you will live for two more days. However, if you drink three cups of water from the temples waterfall you will live until you die.
The busiest time of the year for Kyoto is the spring and fall seasons when over 50 million people come to visit the area each year. After the four-hour tour our sensee took us to the Kyoto tower and from there we got to see a 360-degree view of the city. The view of the city was amazing however; I didn’t get a chance to take any pictures because both of my cameras and cell phone died by the time I got to the third temple. By the end of the day I was completely worn-out. Next week my class and I will be working hard preparing for our group presentations. So wish me luck!!! Until next time Ja mate!!!
To learn more about the UC MBAL program, visit: www.ucwv.edu/business/mbal
Konichiwa (こにちわ)
By D’Juan McGee
Hello friends and curious readers! Here is another awesome update from yours truly! So far this week our class received three new students from Vietnam, created Japanese flower arrangements with other students from Kansai, attended a disaster prevention seminar and was assigned groups for a major presentation that we will be presenting on February 3.
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On Monday our class talked about want we did over the weekend. I got a chance to visit many shopping malls, book stores and street shops in Osaka. I also hung out with my new friends at their home in Takatsu, Japan. After our mini update the class was split into groups of four students and each had to pick one topic from a list of seven options to present on. My group picked “Amagasaki.” This means we have to do a presentation about the history and culture of the Amagasaki area. Did I mention that the presentation must be in “Nihongo” (Japanese language)? No pressure at all!
The second part of class was spent learning about Japanese flower arrangement. Now I have to admit I have never done a flower arrangement in my life, but this class was very fun. One of the teachers said that my flower arrangement was very pretty and so I donated it to the English lounge at Kansai.
On Tuesday our class attended a disaster prevention seminar. This seminar was very moving because it talked about the Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake that occurred on Tuesday, January 17, 1995. We saw video footage of the earthquake in action and the devastation that it left behind. I have no personal experience with earthquakes but from what I have learned they can be really devastating if prevention isn’t taken serious. After the seminar my Senseii classmates took many pictures of the items that were recovered from the earthquake.
Well that is all that I have for the moment so until next time Ja mata desu (じゃまたです).
To learn more about the UC MBAL program, visit: www.ucwv.edu/business/mbal
Reunited
by D’Juan McGee
I’m happy to announce that my bag and I were reunited after being separated for three whole days. Though it was a joyous event my bag came back safe it did however suffer some major damages which will require me to buy a new one before my departure back to America.
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Right now the weather is cold and gloomy and it has rained for the last four days with overcast. Apart from the lovely weather and the damaged suitcase, my class at Kansai University is going well. Our homework for this weekend is to take pictures of the places we visited around Japan and then give a four-minute presentation on it in Japanese. For anyone who knows me I can give a presentation with no problem because I can talk all day long. However, giving a presentation in Japanese is very intimidating and will require a lot of work on my part.
Today the International Department hosted a luncheon with a presentation welcoming us again to their University. This was an awesome event because everyone wanted to take a picture with me. During the luncheon a few Japanese students sat down with us and asked us questions in Japanese. Half of the time my answers were “wakarimasen” which means “I don’t understand.”
One thing I have notice among the Asian culture as a whole is their genuine kindness towards other people. Anytime we are doing group work they always making sure Sara Fanger and I know what is going on in class. Sarah is the other American student from California University. Yes, I do hangout with Sarah a lot because she can speak English and her Japanese is really good. I did manage to make it to a wonderful little Ramen noodle restaurant near Kansai University. Ordering food at this place was super easy and you didn’t have to leave a tip because you paid for your food at a vending machine in the front of the restaurant. I know for a fact that we don’t have anything like this in America.
Well I’m off to study Japanese, so until next time “Mata de” (See you Later).
To learn more about the UC MBAL program, visit: www.ucwv.edu/business/mbal
A New Awakening
by D’Juan McGee
Editor’s Note: University of Charleston Master of Business Administration and Leadership (MBAL) student D’Juan McGee recently set off to study abroad at Kansai University in Amagaisaki, Japan. He is blogging about his adventures from across the world for “The UC Experience.”
As I was sitting in the Tacoma-Seattle Airport waiting to board my plane to Japan I looked around the room to see who might be that lucky person sitting next to me on the plane. When I got on the plane I noticed the plane was not full and I would be getting a seat all to myself. Apart from my TV screen going out 1 hour into my flight this was the best 11-hour plane ride I’ve ever experienced. Landing in Osaka was a little traumatizing. Just imagine looking out the window and thinking that your plane is going to land in the water and then all of a sudden “There’s a runway.”
Getting through customs was very easy however getting my bags was a challenge. My greatest fear has always been losing my bags and needless to say one of my bags didn’t make it to Japan that day. Standing there looking puzzled as to why my other bag didn’t show up on the turntable I cautiously approached the Delta customer service and asked them what happened to my other bag. I soon found out my other bag was in Hawaii!! How did it get to Hawaii? I will never know.
The attended assured me that it will arrive in two days and that the airport will personally mail it to Kansai University in Amagaisaki, Japan. After sorting out that I met up with Rina San who was patiently waiting for me at the arrival gate and we headed off to Kansai University. While riding on a bus headed to Osaka I meet a high school student that was learning English and just got back from a study abroad program in Korea. I was very impressed with her English skills.
The University is located in the middle of Amagaisaki behind a huge department store. My first impression of the school was “Wow I would LOVE to attend school here.” The students and staff are very nice and most of them know how to speak English. I love the sound of the bell that signals when classes start and finish. It is a very pleasant sound. Since I missed the orientation day, because of a 10 hour layover in Seattle, I went to meet all of my fellow participants in the program in our first class session.
The class was very intimidating at first because I felt like I step into an advance Japanese class. I slowly begin to notice that some students were very good and some students like me were like a fish out of water. After taking a quick tour around the school I was introduced to a room called the English Lab where you could only speak English. I quickly made friends with everyone in there because I knew that we could help each other with Japanese and English.
My accommodation is amazing. I am staying in Nada Japan which is a 20-minute train ride from Kansai University and there are a lot of foreigners that live in my building. My first night there I was freezing because I didn’t know how to work the heat.
I’m looking forward to all the new things I will be learning here in Japan. So until next time.. Ja mata (See you Later).
To learn more about the UC MBAL program, visit: www.ucwv.edu/business/mbal
Peer Educators at UC
by Mary Beth Romine
The First Year Experience (FYE) for incoming freshmen and transfers at the University of Charleston includes a University 101 class, which helps new students acclimate themselves to life at UC. Within this class there is a mentor and a student assistant otherwise known as a PE, or Peer Educator. Peer Educators are part of the Student Life Department on campus and have the major role of leading incoming freshmen to success throughout their college career.
The 2011-12 UC Peer Educators
A peer educator some may say is a friend, leader, role model, teacher and much more. We guide incoming freshmen into a successful transition from high school to college by teaching them techniques for studying, communication skills, and the use of resources available at UC. We are to help them understand the universities unique learning programs with the LLO’s (Liberal Learning Outcomes) to result in each student having the opportunity to learning your way.
In University 101 and 102 freshmen complete their communication portfolios equivalent to freshmen writing and other universities speech class. It gives them the opportunity to learn the correct way of effectively communicating to their audience and how to organize their thoughts. Also, the class demonstrates ethical thinking and community service activities to help lead students to actively commit to the universities mission statement “to educate each student for a life of productive work, enlightened living and community involvement.”
The Peer Education Program not only helps incoming freshmen with the transition but it also helps us as PE’s to stay actively involved with the campus and mission we wish to fulfill. You have a different set of students every year, a great variety of personalities and traits that you get to teach and handle. This experience lets upperclassmen stay in tune with campus activities and builds relationships and networking opportunities within UC with different faculty members and new students. It’s always a pleasure to service others and make a student’s experience here at UC positive and more efficient.
Fulfilling a Dream
by John Barker
Once, long ago, there was a young boy with a passion for books. He couldn’t get enough of them. As an excuse to spend his life reading, the young boy decided he would become an English professor; it didn’t matter what it would take.
When the time came for college, the boy expectedly chose to major in English, and it would forever change his life. He had only wanted to read, but the more time he spent around his love, the more he understood it. Reading was a way to identify with other cultures, other time periods, other perspective, through a unique and beautiful medium: language. What started as n excuse became a dedication, and the boy truly understood what it meant to be an English major. Fin.
While life is, unfortunately, not so fairy tale, being an English major is a lot like my little story. I love books, and so it only seemed natural to make it my major. But as I ventured deeper into this world, I came to understand the major, and what it really meant. One of my greatest dreams has always been to be an English professor, and due to my careful consideration,
I’m on the road to making it happen. I won’t lie, it isn’t the most secure of career paths. However, if you are willing to put the work in, you can really make a career out of it. “Work?” Haha, of course work. If you’re considering this, I know I don’t have to tell you that. No matter what anyone says, English is just as respectable a major as any other one, so long as you have the foresight. Professor, editor, newspaper manager, they are all necessary professions that many people neglect. They are pertinent, however. As for whom you’ll be gaining your knowledge from, they are great people. Considering the dedication it takes to immerse yourself in literature daily, you know you are in for an enjoyable experience when you walk into class. As we all know, though, hearing about something is just never the same.
Try out the major at the University of Charleston, and see for yourself. You might be in for a surprise.
To find out more about the English program at UC, as well as other great majors, visit: ucwv.edu/majors/
