4 -- Tuesday, Januray 25, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4-Tuesday, Januray 25, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
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Lacking nutritional value
STEPHANIE STEINBERG
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MICHELLE DEWITT
and EMILY ORLEY
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KYLE SWANSON
MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board.
All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Stayv maize and blue
Grad programs should reach out to undergrads
Many University graduate schools feel that four years in
Ann Arbor just isn't enough to get the full experience.
Several of these schools - including the School of Public
Health and the Law School - have started to use on-campus pro-
grams to reach out to current Wolverines and assist them through
the application process. While it's great that some University gradu-
ate programs are working to increase the number of undergraduate
applicants from the University, many others aren't. Graduate pro-
grams at the University should heavily recruit University undergrad-
uates, and students should seriously consider staying in Ann Arbor to
receive their advanced degrees.
F or a long time, childhood
and obesity weren't a natu-
ral pair. It wasn't until later
- the teen years, specifically - that
issues of weight
loss became per-
vasive. But today,
that timeline -
has changed."
According to
the Centers for
Disease Control
and Prevention, MARY
obesity rates DEMERY
increased from
5 to 18.1 percent
from 2007 to 2008 among ages 12 to
19.
These statistics are alarming, and
it only gets worse. A recent study
in Britain found that girls are more
likely to be overweight by age 7 than
boys. According to the University of
London study, about one in four girls
are overweight by age 7, as compared
to only one in six boys.
Obesity has now invaded child-
hood. This isn't a problem unique
to Britain. Childhood obesity is an
issue across the United States. And
the problemis evenbigger for adults.
According to recent CDC statistics,
about 65 percent of adults are at
least overweight, if not obese.
Though it's clear that obesity is a
major problem in this country, it's
not yet time to panic. Obesity can
be tackled and prevented through
healthy eating. Because it can be
tricky to navigate through the world
of nutrition, registered dietitians
become essential. Dietitians are
food and nutrition professionals
with educational training. Many
accredited graduate and under-
graduate programs exist across the
nation, and the University's School
of Public Health has a graduate pro-
gram in Human Nutrition for stu-
dents looking to become dietitians.
As agents of preventative medi-
cine, registered dietitians are at the
forefront of the fight against obesity.
And yet the University doesn't have
a nutrition undergraduate major.
There is no easy way for students
hopingto become dietitians to major
in a speciality that will assist them
in achieving that goal as they gradu-
ate. These forlorn students are left
with some unappealing options: cre-
ate their own major, - also known as
the Individual Concentration Pro-
gram - study a loosely related major
or wait until graduate school and
attend the School of Public Health.
Any way you look at it, there's no
opportunity for Uniyersity students
to become a dietitian directly after
getting an undergraduate degree.
Although the University would
need the American Dietetic Asso-
ciation's accreditation before form-
ing a nutrition major, it's possible to
attain and has been done elsewhere
in the state.
It's not unusual for universities
to have undergraduate dietetic pro-
grams. Michigan State University,
for instance, has an undergraduate
program in dietetics that has been
approved by the ADA. After com-
pleting an internship and an exami-
nation, students in the program at
MSU are then qualified to be prac-
ticing registered dietitians.
But it's not so easy atthe Universi-
ty. As a sophomore, I was interested
in becoming a registered dietitian.
After realizing that there was no
way to do so as an undergraduate,
I decided to fulfill all the prereq-
uisites that graduate schools with
dietetics programs required. My
first step was to make my own major
under the Individual Concentration
Program. After meeting with an ICP
adviser, I learned that other stu-
dents had made their own nutrition
majors. Unfortunately, it's ICP pol-
icy to not share the details of other
students' devised majors. But there
was another issue blocking my way
- the graduate schools. Each one's
requirements varied slightly, mak-
ing it nearly impossible to devise a
logical schedule. The University's
School of Public Health wants stu-
dents to take calculus, for instance,
while Columbia University requires
statistics. Navigating the various
prerequisites was becoming a career
in itself.
My next step was to transfer into
the School of Kinesiology. While it
wasn't an exact fit, some of the pre-
requisites - biology and physics, for
example - for movement science
overlapped. But after a few months,
I found that I was learning very little
about nutrition. I decided to spend
my undergraduate education else-
where and transferred back to LSA.
U needs an
undergradate
nutrition major.
Ultimately, my interest in becom-
ing a dietitian waned. On some level
this is becausethe University doesn't
offer a compatible program for
undergraduates hoping to become
registered dietitians." Students at
the University who want to become
dietitians after they graduate must
first pay tuition for four years to
study an unrelated major, and then
they must pay even more for gradu-
ate school. They don't actually get to
help people until many years after
they've finished their undergradu-
ate education.
One of the reasons I turned away
from becoming a dietitian was
because I didn't want to wait until
after graduate school to start help-
ing people - surely this reasoning
applies to others too. Obesity - not
just for children - is a huge issue in
this country. It affects millions of
people daily. The University should
create an undergraduate program
geared toward those who want to
become registered dietitians. It's
time for the University to join the
fight.
-Mary Demery can be reached
at mdemery@umich.edu.
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The Law School, Ford School of Public Pol-
icy and School of Social Work are just some of
the graduate schools that have started target-
ing more University undergraduates. Some
of the schools hold informational lectures
throughout the year and send out e-mails and
postcards to potential applicants, while other
schools have developed programs specifically
for undergraduate students. The Law School's
program, Wolverine Scholars, allows current
undergraduate students to apply without tak-
ing the LSAT if they have a GPA of 3.8 or high-
er. The School of Public Health has a program
called 4 + 1, which allows students to graduate
in five years with their bachelor's and mas-
ter's degree. And the School of Social Work
now has a preferred admissions program. As a
result of these programs, application numbers
are climbing. According to a Jan. 20 article in
the Daily, the School of Public Health's appli-
cations from University undergraduates rose
from 1,650 in 2008 to 2,100 inx010.
It's encouraging that University gradu-
ate programs are reaching out to University
undergraduates and offering them advantag-
es. Undergraduates at the University already
have a solid understanding of the University's
environment and demands. Providing oppor-
tunities like the Wolverine Scholar's program
or preferred admissions programs allots
students deserved benefits. But more gradu-
ate schools, specifically Rackham Graduate
School, need to have programs like these. The
other professional schools - like the School of
Dentistry and Medical School - should also
reach out to students on campus. These feeder
programs help strengthenthe application pool
and maintain a high student retention level.
But graduate schools cannot expect under-
graduate students to build a model 'resume'
on their own. Graduate schools need to work
closely with students throughout their under-
graduate years to make sure they're on track
for the desired graduate program. Graduate
schools should provide class and extra-curric-
ular advising so that undergraduate students
are able to create a strong application.
But students need to also be interested in
these programs. The University has a variety
of excellent programs, and undergraduate
students need to remember these on-campus
resources when they apply to graduate school.
They should attend information sessions and
learn about the graduate programs that are
right in Ann Arbor. Students should at least
consider these options and seek out these
graduate schools throughout the application
process.
The University's graduate schools need
to work more closely with undergraduate
students and encourage them to stay in Ann
Arbor for one or seven more years.
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The Complete Spectrum: Chris Dyer takes a look at
* what qualifies as a 'real marriage.
poUi umIGo to michigandaily.com/blogs/The Podium
MARK J. LOWELL, M.D. I
Survival Flight needs animal labs
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Aida Ali, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer,
Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga,
Teddy Papes, Roger Sauerhaft, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner
SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Students need to learn more Let Chris Armstrong move
about drug policies past the Shirvell incident
TO THE DAILY:
Jake Fromm should be congratulated on his
thought-provoking comments in his viewpoint
(Talk policy, not pot, 01/20/2011). As faculty
members, it's our responsibilityto help educate
students educate themselves.
The Ann Arbor law that decriminalized
marijuana years ago was clearly a step in the
right direction for users as well as naysayers.
Controversial issues always have a pro and con
set of facts. Furthermore, the "facts" may not
always have as much truth as society needs to
know to formulate rational drug policies.
As a professor concerned with what drug
abuse does to the human body, it's important
to note some so called "facts" aren't actually
facts. This is especially true with occasional vs.
chronic use of pot. Personal education on the
pro and con use of pot, tobacco and other drugs
of abuse is far more helpful to society.
Chronic marijuana use has very serious
potential side effects. These include a greater
incidence of schizophrenia in young people,
reduction of male fertility and possible testicu-
lar cancer. These effects need to be studied fur-
ther - some of the money spent on the War on
Drugs needs to be used to support more medi-
cal research. Also, current medical marijuana
needs to be standardized for relative D9THC,
cannabidiol and tar content.
Jake: You and your fellow students here at
the University, take advantage to educate your-
selves. Personal education will do far more to
change drug policy and someday truly let our
remarkable country reach its full potential.
TO THE DAILY:
Last semester, The Michigan Daily
released a five-page story highlighting
Michigan Student Assembly President Chris
Armstrong and his attempts to overcome the
hurtful and inappropriate actions of former
Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew
Shirvell (The next chapter: MSA president
Chris Armstrong works to re-define his presi-
dency after Andrew Shirvell, 12/06/2010).
The article mentioned how Armstrong
and his executive board plan to put the issue
behind them and start addressing the many
important concerns that this administration
proclaimed they would tackle in the Winter
2010 elections. This goal will be extremely
hard for the Michigan Student Assembly to
attain if the Daily continues to publish sto-
ries about Andrew Shirvell and recent devel-
opments on his crazy antics.
Armstrong admitted that he experienced
setbacks when the Shirvell incident was atits
climax: "I felt to a certain extent I was letting
things get to me and had trouble refocusing,"
Armstrong said. If more attention is given to
this incident, more fuel will be added to the
fire and MSA will once again be consumed by
this atrocious controversy.
So I ask of you, The Michigan Daily, please
let MSA conduct their business and stop
bringing attention to something that we all
want to put past us. Let Chris Armstrong be
the amazing leader that he can be, and allow
him to implement positive change on this
campus.
The University of Michigan Survival Flight's first
obligation has been, and always will be, to provide the
best possible care to the critically ill patients we are
called upon to transport. Much has been said about the
training methods used to ensure Survival Flight nurses
can meet this obligation.
For quite some time we've been reducing the use of
animals in our training program with greater reliance
on simulators. In fact, of the 160 hours of ongoing train-
ing Survival Flight nurses are mandated to have, less
than 1 percent requires the use of animals that are anes-
thetized for the procedures.
To adequately prepare for their jobs, new Survival
Flight nurses undergo a four-month orientation dur-
ing which time they use simulators almost exclusively.
Survival Flight held three animal training labs in 2010,
using three cats (all of which were adopted) and 12 pigs.
One might ask, "Why can't we completely eliminate
the need for practice on animals?"
Survival Flighttransports some of the sickestpatients
in the country, who frequently require interventions the
referring hospital is incapable of performing - that's
why they're being transported to the University Hospi-
tal. On the way to the University, potentially life-threat-
ening complications can occur that require immediate,
sometimes surgical, intervention.
To save a patient's life during transport, our nurses
may need to insert a chest tube to drain blood, fluid or air
from the chest cavity to allow the patient's lungs to fully
expand. They mayhave to perform an incision to admin-
ister life-saving medications or to establish an alternate
airway when inserting a breathing tube isn't possible or
the patient's airway is crushed. Nurses may even have to
perform an invasive procedure called pericardiocentesis
to remove a dangerous build-up of fluid pooling around a
patient's heart. All these procedures require the skilled
use of a surgical scalpel..
Survival Flight nurses are trained above and beyond
the level of most all other flight teams because they're
required to perform these emergency life-saving pro-
cedures, which most nurses never will. And, because
they're not trained as surgeons, they rarely have the
surgical experience before joining Survival Flight that
they'll need to perform those procedures.
There's no rubber-coated mechanical simulator on
Earth capable of replicating the experience of perform-
ing these incisions on a living being.
The first time one of our nurses is called upon to per-
form one of these procedures will be for a critically ill
patient, and any hesitation or mistake made during the
performance of the procedure may result in the patient's
death - nurses must be 100 percent prepared to act
promptly and correctly.
There's no credible research that supports the com-
plete elimination of animals for Survival Flight nurse
training. Simulators haven't evolved to the point where
they're superior to training on an animal model for cer-
tain surgical procedures.
We're working toward complete elimination of ani-
mal labs in our Survival Flight training program, but
until new models are available, our commitment to
patient care requires us to stay the course.
When animals must be used, the labs are conducted
humanely. All animals are fully anesthetized so that
they feel no pain or suffering. The training procedures
used have been reviewed and approved by the Univer-
sity Committee for the Use and Care of Animals at the
University, whose membership includes veterinarians.
Earlier this year, in response to an outside complaint,
Survival Flight's laboratory protocols were reviewed by
the United States Department of Agriculture, and no
violations were identified.
Other flight programs across the nation still use
animal models but may not state so publicly. We know
from conversations with Michael Frakes, president of
the Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association, which
is an organization routinely referenced in claims made
against the use of animals in flight nurse training, that
organizations that host their Transport Nurse Advanced
Trauma Course select the type of lab skills they find
preferable and cost effective - not the ASTNA.
Anonymous surveys of our flight nurses who have had
training using simulators and animals overwhelmingly
agree that while simulators are beneficial for learning
when to perform certain procedures, they're no substi-
tute for scalpel-to-skin contact thatonly animal labs can
provide.
More than 35,000 patients have been transported by
Survival Flight - a testament to the training and exper-
tise of our nurses. Survival Flight has won national and
international patient care competitions fourtimes in the
past four years.
Though we look forward to the day when we can
phase out animal use completely, simulations for nurses
haven't all reached that level yet. When they have, be
assured that we will be using them. Until then, we must
continue to do what is necessary to ensure the safety of
the patients that entrust their care to us.
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Edward F. Domino, M.D. Steven Benson
Active Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology LSA-SG President
Mark J. Lowell, M.D. is Survival Flight's Medical Director.