During this upcoming Alumni Weekend, the Biology Department will be hosting the 27th Annual Rhyne-Duncan Symposium. Many of you may be thinking, "This has been going on for 27 years, and I have never heard of it before. What is this event about?" Well, the Rhyne-Duncan Symposium has always occurred on the Friday of Alumni Weekend; it serves as a place for the health care professionals and students of Oakwood University to present pertinent scientific research and more importantly to share their experiences with medical missionary work and ministry. If you are training to be any kind of health care provider or are one currently, and if you desire to make your practice a mission field where God can use you, then we encourage you to come to share ideas and hear testimonies. This year we are truly hoping to bring the majority of our students and health professionals to campus to participate in this symposium.

The featured speaker in the picture below is is Leesha K. Hoilette, M.D., M.A. 

 Dr. Hoilette graduated from Oakwood University in 1998 and from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2002, where she received her M.D. In 2006 Dr. Hoilette completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein Medical Center. In 2007 Dr. Hoilette finished her graduate studies at the University of Michigan where she recieved a Master of Science in Health and Health Care Research. The title of her talk will be "Trying to Make a Difference: Lessons from Health Services Research". 

Registration begins PROMPTLY at 8:00 a.m., on April 10, 2009 at the Oakwood University Science Complex Audiotorium. 

He is a committed Christian, a world-class pediatric neurosurgeon and director of Pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins, a renowned scientist, a teacher, an advocate of education, and an award-winning author.  Dr Ben Carson has made many contributions to the field of medicine and inspired thousands of America’s students to set their goals high, study and achieve.  For his efforts, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in June 2008. 

Dr Carson’s life story based on his award winning Memoir, “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story” starring Cuba Gooding Jr, will air on TNT in February 2009. The staff at HealthOU.org was able to catch up with Dr Carson for a brief interview about life, outreach, and upcoming movie.

Edward Martin II, MHA 

Edward Martin II, was born in Georgetown, Washington DC, in 1974.  Rooted in Christian education since kindergarten,   Edward attended high school at Pine Forge Academy where he then went on to pursue a BS degree in Biology Education from Oakwood College then onto receiving a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from Loma Linda University. 

Mr. Martin currently serves as Executive Director of Adventist Health International Services Zambia and has been doing so since 2005.  He is responsible for managing and providing direction for the SDA healthcare institutions within the country of Zambia. 

Edward Martin currently serves on the Institutional Support Committee as a Board Advisor to the Churches Health Association of Zambia (CHAZ).  He also serves as the Vice Chairman on Kings Highway School Board, Lusaka.  Prior to that, he served as AHIS Zambia Liaison, Lusaka, and Director of Community Kids Connection for the SIMS Program at Loma Linda.  Senior Administrator for Covenant Hill Facility,  Loma Linda, Student representative to Faculty for Health Administration and Deputy Director of The National Association for the Prevention of Starvation during his formative years at Oakwood College. 

He attributes the direction of his life first and foremost to God, who is the purpose giver and definer, then to his parents and sister who are committed to God and continue to share in the gift of outreach. Finally, he recognizes the committed and nurturing professors who helped to shape his understanding of what’s truly important. 

Benjamin F. Reaves DMin

Dr. Benjamin Reaves, serves as vice president of mission and ministries for Adventist Health System, and is responsible for helping enhance the mission priority and performance of the corporation.

Dr. Reaves previously served as general field secretary for the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Prior to that, he served as president of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama for 11 years. He also formerly served as chairman of the Department of Religion and Theology at Oakwood College, professor of preaching and urban ministry at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, campus pastor for college youth at Andrews University and pastored for 11 years in the Lake Region Conference.

Reaves is an ordained minister in the Seventh-day Adventist Church and holds a doctorate of ministry in church and society from Chicago Theological Seminary, a master’s degree in church history and a master of divinity in practical theology from Andrews University, and a bachelor of arts in theology from Oakwood College. He has served as Chairman of the Members of the United Negro College Fund, and vice-chair of the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. 

Dr Reaves has a deep commitment to outreach and health ministry.  For our new essay series entitled, "What is your vision of health mission?", Dr Reaves addresses "faith-based healthcare" and the Adventist Health System.

 HealthOU Spotlight:  Lorraine (Henry) Saintus

Healthcare is a dynamic and rapidly changing field.  The growth of managed care, an aging population, technological advances, emphasis on disease prevention, and the raising cost of delivery of care are just a few of the factors driving healthcare in this day and age.  With America’s diverse population, an equally diverse executive workforce is required to make management decisions.  According to the American College of healthcare executives, each year 2,000 students receive graduate degrees in healthcare management.  A survey conducted in 1997 revealed that 35% of Caucasian females and only 23% of African-American females held high-level management positions. 

Ms. Lorraine Saintus (Henry) 

Oakwood University has a rich history in training healthcare executives.  Today, we sat down to interview Lorraine Alicia Henry, now Lorraine Alicia Saintus, one of Oakwood University’s dynamic healthcare management alumni focusing on her education, spirituality, and outreach.

                "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:35-40, NIV)

Today we had the privilege of interviewing a physician who has certainly been an inspiration to us here at Health OU. Marlo Hodnett, then known Marlo Murray-Jackson, graduated from Loma Linda University School of Medicine in 2004. Shortly there after she married Mark Hodnett in 2005. She completed her Internal Medicine residency in Knoxville, TN and is now practicing in Huntsville, AL. This summer she went with the National Association for the Prevention of Starvation (NAPS) to Madagascar to provide medical and spiritual relief to those who have never heard the gospel. Her interview and some pictures are below:

Photo: Eric Weissman

The two parties' lists are combined by an NRMP computer, which (theoretically) creates optimal matches of residents to programs using an algorithm. On the third Thursday of March each year ("Match Day") these results are announced in Match Day ceremonies at the nation's 125 U.S. medical schools. By entering the Match system, applicants are contractually obligated to go to the residency program at the institution to which they were matched. The same applies to the programs; they are obligated to take the applicants who matched into them.

On the Monday prior to Match Day, candidates find out from the NRMP if (not where) they matched. If they have matched, they must wait until the Match Day (Thursday) to find out where. If they have not secured a position through the Match, the locations of remaining unfilled residency positions are released to unmatched applicants the following day. These applicants are given the opportunity to contact the programs about the open positions. This is what is known as "The scramble." This frantic, loosely structured system forces soon-to-be medical school graduates to choose programs not on their original Match list. Occasionally and unfortunately, this sometimes requires students to choose entirely new specialties. The scramble is widely considered to be an unfavorable and highly stressful way of obtaining a residency position.

Inevitably, there will be discrepancies between the preferences of the student and programs. Students may be matched to programs very low on their rank list, especially in the competitive specialties like radiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, radiation oncology, and urology.1

There also exists a similar program for dental students. This year, a number of Oakwood graduates have gone through this process (for medical and dental school) and have decided to share their experience. Please explore their experienes in this article:

At the very beginning of their first year of medical school, freshman medical students around the country are formally honored as they begin their journey to becoming a physician. The white coat ceremony was first started at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. in 1994, and has since spread to virtually all medical schools in the United States and many medical schools overseas.

The White Coat ceremony has come to mean much more than simply receiving a new jacket. The White Coat ceremony has been described the 'rite of passage' in becoming a physician. At most medical school White Coat ceremonies, the medical students are reminded about the importance and responsibility that their chosen profession entails. Most medical schools stress the core ethics that a physician must embody like Justice, Honor, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence. Also, virtually all medical students are required to repeat the Hippocratic Oath during the ceremony.