Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA
Co-authored by: Dr. Paul J. Mackarey and Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA, Interim President and Dean, TCMC
Happy New Year! Try Something New! Health and Exercise Forum Welcomes The Commonwealth Medical College!
For many years I have encouraged readers of this column to celebrate the New Year by “trying something new”…exercise, diet, activities, people, places. This year, I am pleased to “try something new” with the hope that it will benefit the health and wellness of many.
It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I announce the collaboration of The Times-Tribune “Health and Exercise Forum” and The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) for the advancement of community education in medicine, health and wellness. TCMC is a tremendous asset to our community as it offers an innovative and community-based curriculum. Community education is a vital component of their mission and “Health and Exercise Forum” will be a vehicle by which they can accomplish this goal to promote health, wellness and prevention of illness.
Beginning January 2012, some TCMC students will participate in a Healthcare Journalism Club and will learn how to share the information they learn in the classroom through the media and various journalism activities, including with readers of The Times-Tribune through this column. The ultimate goal is that TCMC students, faculty and administration will be featured as guest columnists once a month.
As always, this column is YOUR column and I invite you to continue to communicate your interests and concerns so that I may continue to satisfy your needs. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Nora:
I’m pleased that our students will be partnering with Dr. Mackarey and The Times-Tribune to share valuable health information for the benefit of our community. Serving the community in many ways, such as sharing health information, is important to our students’ education, their experience at TCMC, and lifelong learning as a healthcare professional.
TCMC’s three classes of Medical Degree (MD) students and the Master’s of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) students are committed to community service; in fact, they’ve already logged more than 7,262 hours with 85 organizations across northeast and north central Pennsylvania.
Our community-based curriculum introduces medical students to patients early in their education with clinical experiences in their first and second years of study. These experiences prepare students for the third year when they live and work full-time in our regional campuses shadowing doctors and health professionals in their offices and area
hospitals. This model places patients and their families at the center of the learning process. You may have already seen our students during one of your recent healthcare experiences.
Sharing their acquired knowledge with the community is a natural progression of our medical student’s education and another demonstration of their commitment to the community. Students are learning that classroom knowledge, compassionate care, interprofessional healthcare teams, and effective communication are essential to become a
community-minded physician, prevent illness, and positively affect the health of the region.
I’m pleased that this column will serve as another great example of how TCMC students demonstrate their commitment to community service. I hope the topics they discuss will benefit you and your family now and in the future.
Co-author: Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA, Interim President and Dean, TCMC
Read Dr. Mackarey’s Health & Exercise Forum – Every Monday
This article is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. If you have questions related to your medical condition, please contact your family physician. For further inquires related to this topic email: drpmackarey@msn.com
Paul J. Mackarey PT, DHSc, OCS is a Doctor in Health Sciences specializing in orthopaedic and sports physical therapy. Dr. Mackarey is in private practice and is an associate professor of clinical medicine at The Commonwealth Medical College.
