Arrived in Ghana

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2011 Mission to Ghana
From Renee Brown & Kathy Galloway, Faculty Sponsors

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Our team of 6 departed Nashville on Friday July 23 for an African adventure (above)! Kathy Galloway (PT, DSc, ECS), Renee Brown ( PT , PhD), Sarahann Callaway, Hannah Peck, Mollie Carver (all 3rd year PT students) and Maggie Monteverde, Director of Study Abroad arrived in Accra, Ghana after a long crowded and delayed flight. We were met by our in-country guide, Albie, and checked into our hotel. We had a walking tour of part of the city, including an arts bazaar where drums were being made. We walked through the market streets (watch out for the gutters! Your car exhaust checks are worth the $10!) and enjoyed a cold refreshing one at a café (below). We returned to the hotel and had a quick walk on the beach before dinner. We enjoyed our first Ghanaian meal of Red Red, Tribal rice, tilapia, ground nut soup, and okra stew. We turned in as it had been a long 2 days!
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PT faculty and students take mission to Ghana

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2011 Mission to Ghana
from Belmont News
A group of Belmont faculty, students and alumni from the College of Health Sciences & Nursing are in Ghana this summer for a pilot medical service trip they hope will blossom into an annual mission for the University.
“This is really more of a relationship-building and fact-finding trip,” said Physical Therapy Professor Renee Brown. “Our goal is for it to become an interdisciplinary and an annual trip.”
Physical Therapy Associate Professor Kathy Galloway, Assistant Provost for International Education and Study Away Maggie Monteverde and third-year physical therapy students Sarahann Callaway, Mollie Carver and Hannah Peck also are on the 10-day trip.
Callaway visited Kpando, Ghana two years ago to carry out health initiatives, host community talks on malnutrition and diseases and work in a pharmacy.
“Even with the stress of PT school… the memories of Ghana still dance across my mind. I must admit sometimes during a lecture or two I have been known to daydream about my return,” Callaway said. She approached Brown about creating a Belmont University mission trip to the developing country, and she immediately approved. “To make a long story short, over the past year and half Dr. Brown and many other people have been working very hard to make this trip possible.”
The group plans to visit the country’s capital Accra, Kpando and Cape Coast. There they will work with the physiotherapy department in a Kpando hospital as well as tour clinics and physical therapy academic programs at local universities. They also will work with Standing with Hope (http://standingwithhope.com), a nonprofit organization founded by Belmont University alumni Gracie and Peter Rosenberger that provides custom-made prostheses to amputees and teaches them how to use their new limbs.

School of Physical Therapy recognized by APTA

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TPTA.jpgBelmont University School of Physical Therapy was one of nine companies and organizations recognized recently at the annual conference of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) for achieving 100% membership in the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association (TPTA).
Also recognized were Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute in Nashville, Pulaski Physical Therapy in Pulaski, Daymar Institute in Clarksville, McMinnville Physical Therapy in McMinnville, Benchmark Physical Therapy in Spring City, Church Health Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, and Life Care Center of Bruceton in Hollow Rock, Bruceton.
The mission of the Tennessee Physical Therapy Association, a member driven organization, is to represent and advocate for the profession of physical therapy and promote excellent, ethical, and autonomous practice, which serves the culturally diverse population of Tennessee. The 1700 members of TPTA are also members of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Pharmacy Student Begins Community Walking Club

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from Juanita Cousins
Belmont University
Since beginning her morning walking routine, Edgehill Apartments resident Sandra Chandler has felt less arthritis aches in her knees.
Thanks to a Belmont University pharmacy student’s mission project, she also has learned to drink a gallon of water daily, eat six small meals a day, cook with whole wheat flour and fill half of her plate with fruits and vegetables.
RoseParkWalkingClub.jpgFourth-year pharmacy student Adam Culbertson laid the trail for the Edgehill Rose Park Walking Club, a group of neighbors, civic leaders and Belmont University athletes who walk from 7 to 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He began the walking club in July to fulfill the mission portion of required rotations for Belmont pharmacy students and is relying on University athletes and civic leaders to continue the program.
“My goal was to go into an underserved community and give them something that they could do themselves and is sustainable,” he said. “I talked with community leaders about their wants and needs, and (Family Resource Center Director) Brenda Morrow said, ‘Why not get them outside and create goals for the adults and get sports players from the school to teach kids basic skills?’”

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Belmont OTD alum aids soldiers with PTSD

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Dr. Jenny Owens, a graduate of Belmont’s occupational therapy doctoral program, and her husband, Evan, were featured this week in a Tennessean newspaper story regarding their work with Reboot Recovery, a Christian ministry to veterans recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Jenny has been involved with treating returning soldiers and veterans in the Clarksville/Fort Campbell area since she graduated from Belmont. Scott McPhee, Associate Dean and faculty member in the School of Occupational Therapy said: “I am not surprised by her outreach to her client population. She is a special person. We are proud of her and happy that she continues her relationship with Belmont as a member of our OT Advisor Board.”
The Tennessean article is linked here.

Pharmacy Faculty, Student Participate in AACP Annual Meeting

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Eight of the Belmont University School of Pharmacy faculty and one student pharmacist recently traveled to San Antonio to participate in the 2011 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting, themed Bridges to Our Bright Future. At the event Shanna N. Harris was recognized as a Walmart pharmacy scholar, sponsored by Dr. Marilyn E. Thompson Odom. Belmont presented four posters, titled “Meeting Market Needs: Curricular Concentration Requirement to Broaden Student Career Prospects,” “Support Groups and Identity: Influence on Setting and Achieving Goals in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes,” “An On-Campus Community Pharmacy to Support Medication Safety Skills: Use of a Unique Educational Resource” and “Development and Implementation of a Collaborative Interprofessional Learning Program.” In addition, three Belmont faculty served as delegates, or alternate delegate, in the AACP House of Delegates, and Dr. Andrew Webster, chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Belmont, served as academic section officer and chair-elect of the section on chemistry. Faculty who were meeting participants, presenters, delegates, or alternate delegate included Drs. Cathy Ficzere, Angela Hagan, Condit Steil, Hope Campbell, Ken Reed and Phil Johnston.

Belmont Social Work student elected as NASW representative

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KelseyLalman2.jpgCongratulations to Kelsey Lalman for being elected to serve one year as the BSW Student Representative on the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Tennessee Chapter Board of Directors. This position was elected by the membership of NASW and is a great honor. Kelsey is a senior social work major and is also currently the President of the Social Work Club.

Belmont Nursing Students Excel in Summer Program at Vanderbilt Medical Center

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VESNIP2011A.jpgFor the past five weeks 22 Belmont nursing students participated in a summer internship program called Vanderbilt Experience: Student Nurse Internship Program (VESNIP) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center along with students from other regional nursing programs. Six Belmont nursing students were awarded the highest honors at the culminating awards ceremony held last Friday July 8, 2011 in the Teaching and Learning Center at Vanderbilt. Of the twelve total awards given, six went to Belmont students. Chelsea Stevens and Kathryn Russ received Credo awards, Christopher Russell received a People Pillar award, Emily Tice received the Evidence-Based Practice Award (which came with one-year access to the VUMC biomedical library), Chelsea Shirley (pictured at right with James Barnett, Director of the VESNIP program) received an award for fulfilling all five of VUMC’s pillars, and Katherine McFarland received the Nightingale award for overall professional leadership.
Chelsea Shirley was singled out for her quick thinking in a crisis situation. According to her preceptor, Ms. Shirley “stopped us from giving Amidate because she remembered he [the patient] had an allergy… It was quick thinking and she said it loudly enough for the team to hear. Her preceptor, other nurses, and I want to reward her for an action that prevented an allergic reaction that causes seizures.”
This is the seventh year of the VESNIP program. The program began as a partnership between Belmont School of Nursing and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, an outgrowth of Dr. Leslie Fold’s dissertation work. Dr. Folds leads Belmont’s efforts in the program and noted that “the caliber of students who are participating has increased each year.” It has now expanded to a total of 62 students from four area nursing schools. The VESNIP positions are very competitive and are considered elite opportunities for students from around the region.
All 2011 VESNIP participants from Belmont University are pictured below.
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Pharmacy Students Lead Summer Day Camp

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HealthSciencesDayCamp.bmpStudents in Belmont’s School of Pharmacy hosted a Health Sciences Summer Day camp for 18 local middle and high school students this past week. After a morning orientation, the students, who came from Harvest Hands community development organization, were presented a healthcare scenario that involved a patient with high blood pressure. After breaking into teams, the students were then taught to take pulse and blood pressure readings on SimMen in the Inman Center labs.
Following lunch, the students participated in a problem solving process in the Drug Information Center where they searched for the formula for Lisinopril liquid, a common drug for treating hypertension. The students were then able to go to a chemistry lab in McWhorter Hall to see how the drug was made and later watched a video of the patient (SimMan) receiving and responding to the medication. Before departing, all of the students received certificates for their participation in Belmont’s Health Sciences Summer Day Camp.

Ashley Campbell awarded 1st Annual David G. Greathouse Scholarship

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GreathouseAward.jpgThe inaugural award of the David G. Greathouse Physical Therapy Scholarship occurred during the 2010-11 academic year. The $1900 scholarship was awarded to Ashley Campbell, a third-year student in the School of Physical Therapy. The award is designated for a third-year PT student who demonstrates leadership, scholarship and exemplary clinical performance within the program and who has a minimum grade point average of 3.7.
From 1996-2005, Dr. Greathouse served as the founding chair and associate dean of the Belmont University School of Physical Therapy. During this time, he also was an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where he was a member of the anatomy team teaching gross anatomy to the first year medical students. Currently, Dr. Greathouse is the Director of Clinical Electrophysiology Services at Texas Physical Therapy Specialists in New Braunfels, TX. He holds a BA in biology and physical education from Marshall University, a Certificate in Physical Therapy from the D.T. Watson School of Physiatrics, and a MS (Education/Physical Therapy) and PhD (Anatomy) from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Greathouse has published over 45 manuscripts and 7 book chapters/monologues, and has given over 100 professional presentations. He was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA in 2006, the organization’s most prestigious recognition.
As she nears graduation in August, Ashley commented on her award: “I am both honored and thankful to be the first recipient of the David G. Greathouse scholarship. To be recognized and associated with a luminary in our profession and of course the founding Chair of Belmont’s PT program, is a privilege that I will not soon forget. My greatest thanks go out to all that contributed to this award.”
The deadline for submitting an application letter for the scholarship is in May each year. A new scholarship recipient will be announced in August.

Health sciences students serve at local community health fair

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Earlier this spring, students from the College of Health Sciences served at a health fair at the I.W. Gernert High-Rise in Nashville’s Edgehill community. Students from the School of Pharmacy explained and recruited individuals for a pharmacy needs assessment and students from the School of Nursing did respiratory system assessments and patient education. The health fair was planned and executed in part by members of the Nursing Education Partnering for Community Health Improvement (NEPCHi). Dr. Ruby Dunlap, Associate Professor of Nursing at Belmont, is chair of NEPCHi for 2011 and coordinated student participation in the health fair. In addition to Belmont’s College of Health Sciences, partners with NEPCHi include Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Tennessee State University School of Nursing, Metro Public Health Department, the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, and Tennessee State’s Extension services. NEPCHi is also facilitating a joint pharmacy study by Vanderbilt School of Nursing, Belmont School of Pharmacy, and the Edgehill community leadership.

OT Students present research findings at AOTA Meeting

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StudentResearchPresent.jpgThree graduating students in the doctoral program for Occupational Therapy presented research findings this spring at the annual conference of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Jessica Henry, Rebekah Cooper and Cheryl Smith (pictured left to right) joined with faculty members Dr. Yvette Hachtel and Dr. Christine Manville to present their project, entitled “Perceptions of Persons With Acquired Spinal Cord Injuries Regarding Rehabilitation Experiences”.
The study investigated the views of injured persons to determine how well their rehabilitation programs prepared them for discharge. Four themes were identified as being important considerations for rehabilitation practitioners: gaining perspective, community, honoring the individual, and sensitive material.

Dr. Andy Webster Published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

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AndyWebster.jpgDr. Andy Webster, Professor of Pharmacy, has co-authored an article published in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education. The paper is titled Pharmacy Faculty Workplace Issues: Findings From the 2009-2010 Council of Deans – Council of Faculties Joint Task Force on Faculty Workforce. Many factors contribute to the vitality of an individual faculty member, a department and an entire academic organization. Some of the relationships among these factors are well understood, but many questions remain unanswered.
The authors examined the literature on faculty workforce issues. They identified and focused on 4 unique but interrelated concepts: organizational culture/climate, role of the department chair, faculty recruitment and retention, and mentoring. Among all four resides the need to consider issues of intergenerational, intercultural, and gender dynamics.

A Plea for Help

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
Sihanouk HospitalFriends, family, and colleagues,
Those of you who have kept up with this blog know that our experiences here at Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE (SHCH) have been invaluable. From day one, we were welcomed with open arms and unbelievably warm hearts. The nurses and staff here have given us more experiences and love than we could have dreamed. We had the privilege of being the recipients of these generous hearts for three weeks, but the patients that depend on SHCH for medical and nursing care get that love every day.
It is with great sadness that we report that after 15 years of serving Cambodia’s poor, Sihanouk Hospital is facing a significant financial crisis. Losing some of its greatest benefactors to the tsunami and earthquakes in Japan, SHCH is at a crossroads. They give hope to the people of Cambodia who are unable to pay for needed medical care. The employees and staff that have become our friends and extended family give 100% of themselves to this organization every day because they believe in what they do. They will soon be out of work. The nursing and pharmacy students who have been lucky enough to visit over the years have been witness to the unbelievable quality of care given by SHCH’s health care team. The experiences they’ve had have changed and will continue to change their lives forever, but if the hospital closes, new classes and generations of Belmont students will never have the chance.
We are sending out a plea to any and all people who have benefited from Belmont’s Cambodia mission, be it former students, family members who have seen what an impact this experience has had on your loved ones, or blog readers who are moved by what you read here. We know how important SHCH has been to this country and just cannot stand to see it disappear. We truly believe that God sent us here for a reason, and this is it. This is how we can give back to Cambodia what it has given to us. Together, we can save the hospital! In order to keep the hospital at full capacity, we are setting a fundraising goal of $200,000 – an amount that, in the grand scheme of things, is a small price to pay for all the good things done here, and an amount that with God’s help can be exceeded. If we know just 200 people that could give $1000 a piece, we can save the hospital and the community of hope built by SHCH.
We reach out to you – those we know care about the people of Cambodia – to rise to the occasion! Please find it in your hearts to donate – even the smallest amount brings us that much closer to our goal. Also, share this page with your friends and family by copying this message to your Facebook page!
Follow this link to donate: https://www.hopeww.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=749
(Please be sure to include “Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE – Belmont University” in the comment box under “Additional Information”)
Never-ending thanks for the love and support you have given us!
Sincerely,
The 2011 Belmont Cambodia Mission Team

Surviving the “Dry Season”

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Rachel Franks, School of Pharmacy
Rachel - WaterfallThis is my very first blogging experience so please bear with me! I am excited to be able to blog about today, somewhat because it’s my birthday, but mainly because of what an AMAZING day we had. We are in the distant Ratanakiri province and after having to endure the 12 hour bus ride on a bumpy dirt road to get here, our day today has made it worth every mile. We had a very adventurous day!
We began our day by eating breakfast poolside. I would describe our hotel as a resort in the middle of a tropical garden. The buildings were carved out wood and the grounds were filled with deep green leaves and bright pink and orange flowers.
Our first adventure was swimming in a waterfall. We were so excited to be able to go swimming because the climate in Cambodia is extremely hot and humid. I am originally from Florida and I thought it was hot and humid there, little did I know, it can actually be worse! The waterfall was surreal like something from a movie set. The water felt great! Since we were the only one’s there it felt like our own secret playground. We swam around and climbed on the rocks. Some students claimed they could feel fish gently nibbling on their legs and feet. Luckily, this did not happen to me!

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Farewell for now…

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Suzanne Hutson, Nursing Student
As the week comes to an end our group is met with a bitter-sweet feeling. We must say goodbye to our new friend Cambodia and say hello again to our loved ones.
Today we said goodbye to our wonderful friends at the hospital. One of the nurses made us a feast that was served Cambodian style, called “hot pot”. There is a hot plate with a pot of broth in the middle of the table with vegetables, meats, noodles, and other yummy things such as pork rinds to put in the pot for cooking. It was a huge meal and we shared it with our friends who showed their immense appreciation. We tried to express our gratitude to them since we have found them to be truly servant-hearted, gracious, generous and full of love. We were showered with gifts. Different team members expressed their feelings and explained that our experience here in Cambodia has been one full of love. The main highlight that most everyone from the 2011 team shares about this country is the love. We can sure learn from this abundance of love!

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Back in Phnom Penh

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Cody Chlasta, Nursing Student
Arm Wrestle
We are back in Phnom Penh and starting home visits outside the city while the rest of the group is working in the hospital. Today was my first day back in the hospital since arriving from Ratanakiri. My clinical experience today was spent in the OR where I was able to witness a surgery on a patient who had been cut by a large knife or sword on both hands. It is only the second surgery I have seen, but I would like to try and compare and contrast the two. First of all the one I saw in the U.S. was an open heart surgery while the one I witness here in Cambodia was a reconstruction of the patients hands and wrists, so the surgeries had many procedural differences already. The surgery here had already started when I arrived in the OR. The surgeon started work on the left hand where he needed to fix two broken fingers through the use of screws and repairing tendons in the wrist. The same was done for the patient’s right hand as well. From what I saw everything the surgeon did for the patient here would have been done for a patient in the U.S. But like I said I have not witnessed this type of surgery yet in the United States. As for the staff in the room it was very much the same as in the U.S minus the perfusionist who is used in an open heart surgery and was not needed for this procedure. There was a first assistant who was helping the surgeon directly with the surgery whether it was cutting sutures or helping with moving the patient’s body into the correct position. There was also the anesthesiologist who monitored the patient’s vitals and another nurse assisting with supplies and lighting. Compared to the surgery I witnessed in the U.S I would say there is not much difference except for maybe the equipment here is slightly older. I left the OR feeling fascinated about how much they can repair the body after such extensive damage.

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Perspective of an Overwhelmed Soul

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
Arin Turnham, Nursing Student
Small SpaceSo many wonderful experiences occurred today. We all went to church at the Phnom Penh Church of Christ from 9:30 until 12:00. The speaker covered the subject of second chances and used Jonah as a Biblical example of how God seeks people out regardless of what trials and tribulations are happening in our lives. Three different people shared their experiences of second chances and every one of them were very moving. After church, we got to see a man be baptized.
Once we left the church, we then rode the bus to participate in a rice drive for different families who are in need of food for themselves and baby formula for their children. From the second I stepped off the bus and
looked into the eyes of the beautiful people, I was instantly moved. Regardless of what these families lack they expressed a happiness that I have never witnessed before. Boys around the age of 7 were holding their infant-aged siblings as if they were their fathers. Every child took care of one another. Many of the breathtaking mothers are currently pregnant. I met one woman who was holding a baby and is expecting her 9th child within the next few months. Another woman has four children and has not received contact from her husband since the last time she saw him four months ago when he left for work as a fisherman. She and her family live in a two room house that is the size of many living rooms in a middle class American home. This woman
held such dignity and optimism when I was around her, and it really amazed me that she could have such a beautiful outlook on life when it seemed like she was in a binding situation. It was truly moving.

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Saturday

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Daniel Stirling, Pharmacy Class of 2013
On Saturday the group woke up early and made a short but interesting drive from Stung Treng to Kratie. There we witnessed a true rarity, freshwater dolphin. In Cambodia these playful and enigmatic creatures number less than 100. A boat ride on the Mekong let us observe them upfront and in person. We then headed back to Phnom Penh, our Cambodian home away from home. By the time we reached our destination we were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from the previous days, but, as we have recently become accustomed too, had little time to rest. In this case we were all very glad for this as we were treated to an amazing home cooked meal from Ohmpea, Susan Taplin’s driver and dear friend. Not only were we provided with various dishes including chicken, fish, noodles, but we heard great stories and singing from Ohmpea himself. It was refreshing to see the bond Susan and Ohmpea had with each other, a true friendship that neither time nor distance could hinder; a friendship that should be an example to all of us.

You have entered the Twilight Zone Beyond this world strange things are known

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Candice Rose, Graduate Nurse, Class of 2011
We shall call this entry: the bus drive through the Twilight Zone!
Made it to Ratanakiri, finally. Ms. Taplin told us it was only going to be a 9 hour drive, well twelve hours later we climbed off of the bus, bones aching and sore butts!
We should go back to the beginning of the day first… We climb on the bus at the crack of dawn to venture on this grand trip across the rugged roads of Cambodia. When everyone had finally piled on the bus we set off. Taplin had been informed that the roads were in decent enough to travel, so there should have been no problem, right?! Wrong…
We found ourselves at the mercy of the bus driver for the entire trip. The seats in the back of the bus are bigger, so – having not sat back there before, I decided it would probably be best to sit back there since it was going to be such a long drive… BIG MISTAKE! The back of the bus was like riding on that amusement park ride that you first think is awesome but soon realize if you stay back there much longer you might puke! There were times when my butt came at least 6 inches (if not more) off of the seat! Guess that is what I get for trying to take over the “good” seats!

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Faculty to Present Interdisciplinary Research at World Congress on Exercise in Medicine

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Several faculty members in the Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences & Nursing recently joined with colleagues in the Department of Sport Science for an interdisciplinary research project that assessed associations of predominantly sedentary behaviors and physical activity status with physical fitness among college students.
Three members of the Health Sciences faculty – Dr. Lynn Shores, professor of nursing; Dr. Jeanne Sowers, associate professor of occupational therapy; and Dr. Christine Manville, assistant professor of occupational therapy – were among six research team members from Belmont and Vanderbilt universities who co-authored the study. Other Belmont team members included Dr. Sarah Adams, associate professor of sport science, and Dr. Patrick Schneider, associate professor of sport science. Dr. Mary Dietrich, research associate professor and statistician at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, was also part of the team.
A number of doctoral students in the School of Occupational Therapy assisted in the study of 122 students in a general education wellness class at Belmont. Participants completed a physical fitness battery consisting of cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility measurements. In addition, they completed a survey to assess time spent in predominantly sedentary behaviors including computer and internet use, television watching, texting and playing video games. Self-reported physical activity levels were also assessed to determine if participants were inactive, insufficiently active or active according to the aerobic component of the current physical activity recommendation. Tests of gender differences in each of the study variables were also conducted.
The findings will be presented on June 2 by Dr. Schneider at the American College of Sports Medicine’s World Congress on Exercise in Medicine in Denver, Colorado.

Bumpy Road Adventure

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Rachel Bettis, Pharmacy Class of 2013
Sun and Water
Today we checked out bright and early at 6am for a nine-hour trip to Ratanakiri. We stopped along the way for a chance to stretch our legs and eat some authentic Cambodian food. Much to one of the nursing student’s surprise, there aren’t many roadside rest stops so when you have to use the bathroom, the side of the road is your best bet! The dirt roads proved to be incredibly bumpy and the trip ended up taking twelve hours, but it was twelve hours of singing, laughing, and fellowship. Throughout the bus ride, it was apparent how connected the nursing and pharmacy students had become over the past two weeks. It was dark when we arrived at our destination, and as our road-weary group piled out of the bus we realized that the primitive bungalows we had been expecting to stay at were actually more comparable to a resort seen in a movie. After a delicious feast prepared by the hotel staff, several of us donned our swimsuits and hopped in the pool for an evening swim. Now we are all headed to bed for an adventurous day of waterfalls and hiking tomorrow.

S-21

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2011 Mission Trip to Cambodia
from Dan Myslakowski, Pharmacy Class of 2013
“Same same, but different” is a common saying for English speaking people in Cambodia. That is, the English word “same” sounds very similar to the Cambodia word for “different”. Many t-shirts have thus been produced for Americans, such as myself, to help remind ourselves how hard it can be to communicate ideas to other people. Today, after a 7 hour bus ride back into the city, our group went to a place known a “S-21”. It used to be a high school, but during the last regime was converted into a torture prison and death camp. Over 25,000 prisoners were recorded to have entered this prison. Less than 30 years later, only 12 survivors are known. It is very hard for me to convey the emotions and history behind this prison. No person could accurately convey the emotions that you feel when walking through this place of death. I have posted pictures taken by both Candice Rose and myself to convey with images what I cannot in words. I have also added some more inspiring pictures from other days (besides this one) as well to lighten the mood.