Class of 2016’s road to commencement
This spring, the Class of 2016 finalized the details of their medical education with four significant milestones. The following is the first article in a four-part series that features the final months of their OUWB journey.
Capstone Colloquium: Celebrating student success in research
The culmination of years of research concluded with poster presentations during the Capstone Colloquium, where the students shared the results of their work.
From traditional bench research and clinical translational retrospective to medical education, patient safety and quality improvement, the range of research was impressive. Some students had presented at medical conferences with a third of them receiving competitive scholarship awards, and some had the opportunity to see their research impact the lives of patients. Such is the case for Fatima Fahs, whose research reflected her two passions: art and medicine.
With a supportive mentor in Reyna Colombo, M.A., P.T., Rehabilitation Services, Beaumont Health, Fahs’s study, Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Art Therapy Stress Management was implemented at Beaumont Hospitals. Today, rehabilitation inpatients can paint a six-inch by six-inch tile during their stay to help distract them from their pain. The finished art is displayed on “The Art of Healing” wall, which was exclusively built to hold the tiles and installed permanently in one of the main walking corridors of the unit, where patients pass through multiple times a day either during their walking therapy, or on the way to other therapy.
“Having a long term project to work on during all four years of medical school really allows you to expand and see it through completely. It has been so rewarding for me to see the progression of a simple idea into an award-winning standard of therapy at Beaumont. Never discount where passion and commitment can take you,” said Fahs.
Capstone Course Co-Director Kara Sawarynski says that the skills that OUWB students learn as they do their research will serve them well in their medical careers.
“Throughout the research process they develop lifelong learning skills such as teamwork, communication, project management, presentation skills and time management – independent and self-directed learning,” said Sawarynski. “This set of solid research skill gives them a tremendous advantage when they leave OUWB.”
To read all of the Class of 2016 research abstracts, visit Capstone Colloquium.
Part 2: Match Day to run next week.
