Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research

Medical School Honors Chaminade Graduate Jacquelynn Pratt with ‘Diversity Excellence Award’

June 16, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University alumna Jacquelynn Pratt has received the “Diversity Excellence Award” from A.T. Still University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, where she graduated this spring. The annual award recognizes her commitment to diversity and inclusion in graduate healthcare education.

Born and raised on Oahu, Pratt majored in Biology and English at Chaminade. She earned both bachelor’s degrees in May 2006, while receiving the “Outstanding English Graduate” award.

Pratt participated in numerous research programs at Chaminade in the fields of psychology, cancer biology, ecology and epidemiology. She was also highly involved with campus clubs and organizations, including the Delta Epsilon Sigma and Sigma Tau Delta honor societies.

After graduating from Chaminade, Pratt worked with the Ministry of Health on the Cook Islands to computerize patient data and thereby more accurately calculate the incidence and prevalence of cancer among the native Maori population.

She later returned to Chaminade and served as the Assistant to the Associate Provost in the Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research.

Vidinha and Baldauf First Alumni to Graduate from Medical Schools Through Articulation Agreement

June 15, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Chauntelle (Maduli) Vidinha and Ashley Baldauf recently became the first Chaminade University alumni to graduate from medical school through an articulation agreement with A.T. Still University (ATSU). These women, both born on Oahu, studied osteopathic medicine and plan to practice in Hawaii after completing their residencies.

The articulation agreement, negotiated by Chaminade’s Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR), permits early admission to ATSU for qualified students. Chaminade also maintains articulation agreements with seven other mainland universities.

Chaminade President Bernard Ploeger, SM., said Vidinha and Baldauf are “a source of pride for our campus ‘ohana.”

“I’m delighted that these compassionate, hardworking young women will share their medical talents with Hawaii residents, especially those living in underserved communities,” Bro. Ploeger said.

Vidinha, who enrolled at ATSU’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri, graduated from Chaminade in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She competed on the Silversword volleyball team for three years, and participated in biomedical research programs at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and the University of California, San Diego.

Ashley Baldauf (B.S. Forensic Science ’12) with family

Vidinha will complete her residency in family medicine at Kingman Regional Medical Center in Arizona.

Baldauf majored in Forensic Sciences and minored in Chemistry at Chaminade, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2012. She began her medical studies in 2013 at ATSU’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona, then was allowed to spend the following three years studying and working at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on Oahu.

Baldauf will serve her residency in family medicine through a University of Hawaii program in Mililani.

In addition to two ATSU school campuses, Chaminade maintains articulation agreements with Boston University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Dayton and Western University School of Health Sciences.

Time Management is Key, Undergraduate Says, to Balancing Pre-Med Studies, Soccer and Social Life

June 8, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Incoming senior Megan McClanahan is one of Chaminade University’s “super achievers.” Along with excelling in her pre-medical studies, she competes on the Silversword women’s soccer team, immerses herself in campus issues through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and still has time for social activities.

Megan McClanahan and Silversword soccer teammates — Silversword Women’s Soccer Team

How does she strike a balance among these diverse interests? McClanahan says time management enables her to “not only balance soccer and academics, but to also enjoy a social life.”

“Soccer practice helps me fire up my brain early in the morning so I can perform better in morning classes,” she says. “I usually do homework in the afternoons and evenings. I am a big believer in study groups, and I have found a great group of friends to study with. The last thing I do to balance my life is to get enough sleep. I shoot for at least eight hours a night.”

That formula obviously works for McClanahan, who plans to earn her undergraduate biology degree next year from the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Then this future surgeon will enroll at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences through an articulation agreement negotiated by Chaminade.

“I have known for a very long time I want to be a doctor,” McClanahan says. “During my freshman year, I became aware of the articulation agreement Chaminade has with George Washington. My sophomore year I did more research about GW and viewed it as the next place I want to stop on my journey through life.”

With guidance from Chaminade’s Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research, McClanahan was accepted for an interview at George Washington “and fell in love with the Washington, D.C., area and the campus while I was there.”

“As a part of the agreement, I am finishing my time at Chaminade pursuing a humanities minor of Hawaiian and Pacific Island Studies,” McClanahan says. “I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me at Chaminade, and I am eager to begin my next steps to becoming a doctor.”

McClanahan, who hails from the Omaha suburb of Papillion, Nebraska, was initially attracted to Chaminade as a high school junior when she participated in a National History Day contest. On the last day of the competition in the nation’s capital, McClanahan won a Chaminade merit scholarship. Then she discovered the Silversword soccer team.

“I spent the next year trying to find a way to get the coaches and athletic department at Chaminade to notice me,” McClanahan says. “Once I was able to fulfill my lifelong dream of playing college soccer, I had a decision to make.

“Should I be fearless and decide to spend the next four years in Hawaii, a place I have never been? Or should I play it safe and stay closer to home? Needless to say, I took a leap of faith and have never looked back with regret.”

Chaminade’s undergraduate Biology program prepares students for medical school, other health professions, graduate school and careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, science policy, nongovernmental organizations and academia. For information on articulation agreements allowing early admission to health profession programs at numerous colleges and universities, visit hpa.chaminade.edu.

Chaminade Marks Its 15-Year Anniversary of Na Liko Na’auao–The Celebration of Student Scholarship

April 24, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

More than 100 Chaminade students participated in the 15th Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship – Na Liko Na’auao. Held on April 21, the conference provided a place for the exchange of research ideas and afforded participants a time to celebrate a culture of diversity and scholarship. Open to students from all divisions, the event exhibited 62 projects which demonstrated student learning and research covering a range of disciplines. From Business to Russian politics, from the sciences to the fine arts, students explored in depth their fields of interests.

Available to answer questions and discuss their projects, the students showcased their exhibits in various forms. Categories included poster presentations, artwork, video and portfolio displays. Presentations were done individually and by small groups and completed in the past academic year. All Chaminade University day undergraduate students who had a faculty sponsor to mentor them through the process were eligible to present.

At the closing ceremony, Chaminade associate provost Patricia Lee-Robinson recalled the early beginnings of the Na Liko Na’auao. She and Henry Halenani Gomes co-founded the event in 2003. Then the conference only took up half of the Clarence T. C. Ching Conference Center. This year the number of student exhibits nearly overflowed the room’s capacity.

Lee-Robinson reminded the crowd, “President Bro. Bernie and the late President Sue Wesselkamper supported Na Liko from the very beginning 15 years ago. Since our first Na Liko on April 24, 2003, hundreds of students have participated in this event.” Then turning towards Bro. Ploeger with a lei, she offered the school’s heartfelt gratitude, “We would all like to thank you, Brother, for your unwavering support of undergraduate research at Chaminade.” The crowd applauded in agreement.

Bro. Bernie Ploeger, Arielle Regis (BSN ’17), and Patti Lee-Robinson

Lee-Robinson praised the students for their hard work and pursuit of academic excellence. She also thanked the 21 invaluable faculty mentors and sponsors who motivated, guided and inspired students to pursue their scholarship and publically present their endeavors.

Lee-Robinson also announced the winners of the President Sue Wesselkamper Prize and the Outstanding Mentor Award.

Arielle Regis won the President Sue Wesselkamper Prize, endowed by Henry and Charlotte Clark. Nominated by faculty members Eva Washburn-Repollo, Ph.D. (Communications) and by Edna Magpantay-Monroe, Ed.D. (School of Nursing), Regis was recognized for her academic excellence, community service, leadership and work ethic. Regis will graduate this spring with her bachelor’s degree in Nursing.

Chaminade associate professor of English Allison Paynter, Ph.D. was the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Mentor Award. Nominated by Chaminade student Madison Choi, Paynter continues to be instrumental in opening students’ minds to the value of the Humanities and literature. She teaches courses on creative writing, poetry, short story and novel, women’s Literature, gender, and ethnicity, and she facilitates the Aulama (Chaminade’s student literary journal). Dr. Paynter inspired Choi’s choice of English as a major.

After the two announcements, it was time for student participants to be recognized. Students had their names individually read aloud as they received their certificates of commendation. The crowd applauded for each student individually in appreciation of the excellence demonstrated.

Alumna Expounds on the Value of Interprofessionalism for Healthcare-Career Success

April 17, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Dr. Charissa Kahue BS Biology ’07 returned recently to her Chaminade University alma mater to meet with students of the HP 390–Advanced Topics in Health Professions Preparation class. The Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR) invited her to share on March 28 and March 31 about interprofessional healthcare and collaboration and then on life after Chaminade.

The Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research regularly features guest speakers from health-professions schools and health professionals. These speakers are invited to share valuable information and insight with Chaminade students through its guest speaker series each semester. Also offered are HP 190 for first-year students and HP 390 for upper-division students. HP 390 addresses advanced topics regarding the preparations necessary for applying to schools of medicine or schools of other health professions.

Students were impressed and listened intently to Dr. Kahue, as she shared her experiences and clarified career pathways to success.

Chaminade student Ann-Janin Bacani said, “I was able to understand the importance of having a group of individuals from different disciplines that can communicate and work well with each other to work towards specific goals together.”

Another Chaminade student, Melissa Ponce, agreed. “In healthcare, it requires an entire team to make sure that the patient is well taken care of. Communication is highly substantial when deciding what treatment or procedure is best for the patient. However, before Dr. Charissa Kahue’s presentation, I had no idea the number of professionals needed to treat one patient,” she said.

Looking ahead to her personal career goals, Chaminade student Kaikeline McCarthy shared, “As a future healthcare professional, I can practice being a professional individual now, especially when I am at conferences, internships, and dealing with superiors.”

Stories of Dr. Kahue’s experiences at Chaminade as an undergraduate student, her transition to a two-year research experience for her post-baccalaureate, then entrance into Vanderbilt School of Medicine and her matched residency for the specialty of Otolaryngology inspired Bacani and Ponce.

“Her decision to leave for medical school to grow and explore her options for her medical career pathway was one of the things that stood out because this is a decision that I will need to consider when it comes to applying and deciding whether or not I would want to leave home to attend medical school,” said Bacani.

Ponce asked Dr. Kahue, “Have you ever had any moments in your career where you told yourself that you couldn’t do it anymore, and if so, how’d you motivate yourself to keep going?”

Dr. Kahue shared that many medical students either drop out in the middle of medical school or decide to pursue a different career path after they graduated. Every medical student will go through doubts and challenges.

“A final thought that I took as words of wisdom was Dr. Kahue’s statements on perseverance and determination. Although there are obstacles that we may encounter during the pathway into the medical field, a strong mind and motivation will conquer,” Bacani said.

Dr. Kahue felt honored for the opportunity to give back to Chaminade and believed that she was where she was today because of the university. Through Chaminade’s network of partners, access to national conferences, and amazing faculty and administrators, she was able to gain access to opportunities that she did not know existed. “I was able to work under the guidance of prestigious researchers and present that work at conferences. I learned that an even greater emphasis was being placed on research experience in considering medical school applicants,” remarked Dr. Kahue in a Chaminade Quarterly interview.

Dr. Kahue graduated from Chaminade University in December 2007 and was distinguished with the honor of the Outstanding Biology Graduate of her class.While at Chaminade, she participated in summer research programs and presented her research at several national conferences.In the summer of 2006, Dr. Kahue participated in a Pediatric Oncology Education Program internship at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital–Department of Biochemistry in Memphis, Tennessee. At St. Jude’s, she collaborated with a postdoctoral fellow on a research project involving novel drug therapy for imatinib-resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia. She collaboratively published with fellow researchers in the Journal of the American Society of Hematology in 2007 on the results of their hematological anti-cancer research. In 2007, Dr. Kahue participated in Yale’s Biomedical Sciences Training Program and Enrichment program. In 2007, she was honored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) along with nearly 80 other undergraduate students from across the nation for their undergraduate research, by presenting her work at the “Posters on the Hill” (Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.) event.

After graduating from Chaminade, Dr. Kahue completed a post-baccalaureate research fellowship from 2008 to 2010 at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland under the mentorship of Dr. Ira Pastan. She graduated from Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee in May 2014. In July 2014, she began her five-year residency program at Vanderbilt in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery.

The Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research assists students who seeking advanced academic opportunities. It provides students with information and advising about careers they wish to pursue after graduation, guidance for planning their academic and professional timeline, and expertise to strengthen their applications to their desired program of study. Services include advising, test preparation, internship and shadowing opportunities, summer research programs, professional seminars, guest speaker engagements, and community service activities.

Missouri Trip to ATSU Inspires Medical School Dreams

April 12, 2017 by University Communications & Marketing

Chaminade University students Vanessa Ignacio, Dexter Manglicmot and Adam Perez have set their eyes on becoming medical doctors. So, when offered the opportunity by the Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR) to tour the world’s oldest college of osteopathic medicine, they enthusiastically went for it.

Accompanied by OHPAUR advisor Amber Caracol Noguchi, Ph.D., the students made the 4,000-mile trek March 22-26 to A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCOM) in Missouri. Known for its rigorous studies to engage biomedical research and its cutting edge healthcare delivery program, ATSU/KCOM has a legacy that stretches back to 1892 when Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D. O, founded the American School of Osteopathy in Kirksville, Missouri.

KCOM staff and faculty generously gave of their time and energy to the Chaminade students, and the Chaminade students appreciated it. “This trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the amount of accommodation we received from the staff showed how much they care for individuals,” said Ignacio. “I was able to speak one-on-one with an admissions counselor and really go over the details concerning my application to the school.”

The students received overviews and demonstrations in a myriad of laboratories, including osteopathic skills, anatomy, ultrasound, and simulation skills laboratories throughout the campus. ATSU KCOM student ambassador and Chaminade alum Ryan Santos ’13 (BS Biology) helped answer the students’ questions and showed them around campus.

Manglicmot’s interest was piqued by the demonstration of the manipulations of osteopathic medicine. “I did a little research and learned that manipulation is a modern diagnostic test of illness and injury called osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). This hands-on care involves stretching, pressure, and resistance of the muscles and joints, a holistic healthcare approach that considers a patient’s medical history, lifestyle, emotional, and mental health. Ultimately, it acknowledges the mind, body, and spirit of the patient,” Manglicmot explained with fascination.

For Perez, it was the anatomy lab. “It was beautiful to see their anatomy lab and see how the school goes through great measures to accommodate for the cadavers. It says a lot when you take care of people like that, even if they are dead…It was probably one of the best anatomy labs with the ventilation system and their practice of trying not to use too many chemicals,” he said.

The trip opened the eyes of the Chaminade students to the possibilities and the challenges of medical school and provided wisdom for accomplishing their goals. All three students thought of KCOM as somewhere they would like to attend for medical school. “After this visit, I can firmly say that A.T. Still University–Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine is my first choice for medical school,” Ignacio said.

The Office of Health Professions Advising and Undergraduate Research (OHPAUR) assists students interested in healthcare careers, regardless of their major. Services include: advising, test preparation, summer programs, guest speaker presentations, professional seminars, community service activities and internship/shadowing opportunities. OHPAUR also maintains articulation agreements with four ATSU campuses, as well as Boston University School of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Pacific University, Samuel Merritt University, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, University of Dayton and Western University School of Health Sciences.