Private Study

Single 2nd year male seeking friend to scout out and save rooms in Sackler for studying… we’ll see where it goes from there!

Better Late than Netter

Divorced 2nd year female overcoming bad break up with Frank Netter after short intense relationship last year. My interests include long walks up the stairs in Sackler, highlighting, and inventing mnemonic devices.

Anal Wink

Single 1st year female seeking non-committal fun-lover as physical diagnosis partner. Must have good surface anatomy!

Romeo-Pathic Medicine

Single 1st year male. I will be your complementary and alternative answer to romance. Your may think I have cardiomegaly, but if you do a CT scan on me the most abnormal thing you will see is an abundance of receptors for that most important of biologically active substances - love.

Charlie Sheen

Single white male seeking advice on how to avoid hiatal hernias while still subsisting on Courvoisier, White Castle, and 3 hours of sleep per weekend. Come for the consultation, stay for the party!

SAD and pale

Married second year seeking the accompaniment, warmth, and light from the only star in our solar system. Board studying in Boston has left me pale a grumpy, please Sun come out more often and stay out later.

The second year of medical school presents the biomedical sciences through an integrated systems based approach. The physiology and pathology blend with one another to prepare students for the clinical wards in third year and beyond. Healthcare providers in every aspect of medicine face ethically challenging cases and must be prepared to think through them critically for themselves and their patients. Instruction in clinical ethical reasoning includes the first year course on Ethics and Professionalism and continues throughout the curriculum. To support this important pillar of the medical education, the Medical Ethics Club has partnered with Dr. Steve Ralston, Tufts Medical Center Ob/Gyn and TUSM Ethics Curriculum Director, to host lunchtime seminars discussing clinical and research ethics cases.

When it began in the fall, a small group of students discussed the challenges of scarce resource allocation of kidney transplants. Throughout the year, meetings have gained momentum and enthusiasm attracting up to 35 students and faculty. The strong support and assistance of TUSM course directors has allowed the cases showcased during the hour to correlate with the material being presented in the classroom. Student feedback highlights the lively open forum discussion and the clinical correlation of fundamental ethical principles such as: autonomy, beneficence / non-maleficence and justice.

Our next upcoming event on February 16th in Sackler 221 at noon presents an Endocrine themed meeting focusing on the use of growth hormone in children and gender identity in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Dr. Sanjay Bansal, a Pediatric Endocrinologist of Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center will lead the discussion. Lunch is provided and we hope to see you all there!

Valentine’s Day, pretty much the mother of all romantic comedies, after this, there should be no more. Every angle, every possible scenario is covered in this film. The storyline is somewhat convoluted so I better start somewhere in the middle.

Caution, spoiler alerts ahead.

Reed (Ashton Kutcher) is the owner of a florist shop. On Valentine’s Day, he proposes to his gorgeous girlfriend, Morley (Jessica Alba). Morley is not all that into him, but selflessly accepts his proposal in the morning, only to reject before lunchtime. Too bad for Reed, but he’s still a florist and says stuff like “sunshine makes everything better”. Meanwhile, Reed’s best friend Julia (Jennifer Garner) is a elementary school teacher dating a stud doctor(Patrick Dempsey), who also moonlights as a husband and father.

On the other side of town, just beneath the rainbow, star NFL quarterback Sean (Eric Dane) is about to make a “lisp” filled announcement. The QB’s publicist is unlucky with love Kara (Jessica Biel), who has a crush on her friend, TV sports anchor and self anointed “playa” Kelvin (Jamie Foxx). Following the more conventional storyline is mid twenties yup Jason (Topher Grace) dating Liz (Anne Hathaway). Jason feels that Liz’s job as an adult phone operator is a “bad”. However, he later learns a valuable lesson from a senior citizen named Edgar, that “love means that you accept the person for the good AND the bad”. Subsequently, Edgar, having been happily married for 50+ years, finds out that his wife cheated on him way back when. Edgar has a grandson in first grade who is very interested in his teacher, who is Julia! See how the stories are interconnected?!

Anywho, the kid’s mom (Julia Roberts) is on a flight back from serving overseas. During the flight she befriends what appears to be a successful and good looking guy named Holden (Bradley Cooper). The first grader’s nanny is high school senior Grace (Emma Roberts). Grace plans on giving it up to her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day, but her plans go awry when her mom walks in on her naked boyfriend playing guitar. By the way, Grace also goes to high school with PDA enthusiasts, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift. And the story comes full circle when, at the urging of his sage-like Mexican employee (George Lopez), Reed discovers that he has been in love with his best friend Julia all along.

So there you have it. With just one movie, dudes everywhere can witness every single chick flick that ever existed. Oh, and Holden has an “ambiguous” relationship with that star NFL quarterback.

Love is in the air and for some of us, it’s about that time to pull up OpenTable and take that special someone out for Valentine’s Day…but where to go? Being right in the heart of downtown Boston, the immediately surrounding area is abound with quality restaurants. Great for those of us who live around campus, not so much for those commuting in from Cambridge, Medford, North End, etc. So let’s have a quick look at several spots from neighborhoods both near and far.

Over in Harvard Square, Grafton Street (1230 Massachusetts Ave) will be serving their annual Valentine’s Day pre-fixe menu at $45 a person. The day boat scallops is especially well-executed here with perfect searing to seal in the moisture and achieve an almost creamy texture. Pair it with your favorite white - a great one being the 2009 Domaine Jean Masson Apremont, Savoie, France. This vibrant style of Apremont possesses floral notes followed up by hints of citrus that should please even the most discerning palates.

Making our way closer to downtown, Chef Charles Draghi’s Erbaluce (69 Church St) continues to be a hidden gem of contemporary Italian cuisine. The braised veal shortribs are outstanding with unrivaled tenderness and a refreshing juniper & honey seasoning that shines through bite after bite. Given its lighter weight and flavors relative to other cuts of beef, a pinot noir would match nicely with this dish. Consider the 2004 Domaine Rollin Pere & Fils Pernand-Vergelesses Premier Cru “Ile des Vergelesses.” The body is soft and elegant, seducing you further and further as it rolls over your tongue. Pinot noir is described in sensual terms more than any other wine and this example will show you exactly why that’s the case.

Now for some of us that may prefer to just go out for drinks or follow up the meal with libations, look no further than Barbara Lynch’s Drink (348 Congress St) on the Waterfront. The bartenders here are top-notch and will gladly come up with a concoction on the spot based on your preferences. If you’re looking to try something new, give a pegu club a shot or a sazerac for the whiskey fans out there. And while you’re sipping on that, munch on some delicious candied bacon cashews. “Bacon” must be Drink’s code word for crack because there has be some laced in there.

Regardless of where you decide to go, be sure to make a reservation early and have a great Valentine’s Day!

(The aforementioned wines can be found at The Wine Bottega, 341 Hanover St. Tell the owner, Kerri, that Eric sent ya.)

Hosted by the Tufts University School of Medicine PHR Chapter

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Boston, MA

Join 300 of the nation’s most committed student leaders, human rights activists, and medical and public health faculty for PHR’s 2011 National Conference: Our Role, Our Responsibility: Defending Health and Human Rights. Participants may choose sessions from three tracks that explore the roles open to health professionals who want to defend health, dignity, and justice:

1. Health Professionals as Clinicians: Clinicians can use their skills to treat marginalized groups, confront social disparities, or validate the claims of asylum seekers. In these sessions, you’ll engage with medical professionals who directly advance human rights through their clinical work.
2. Health Professionals as Researchers: Those who commit crimes against humanity may dispute the truth, but researchers can provide indisputable evidence. Join these sessions to learn how PHR uses evidence to demand accountability and justice.
3. Health Professionals as Advocates: The experience, training, and ethical obligations of health professionals give them a unique and powerful voice in advocacy. These sessions will not only stress the importance of advocacy by medical professionals, but will also provide attendees with valuable skills necessary for advancing their goals as human rights advocates

Hear human rights activists, physicians, public health researchers, journalists, and policy analysts speak about their experience defending human rights. Speakers include:

• Jack Geiger, MD, M Sci Hyg, father of the community health center model
• Howard Zuck, MD, JD, LLM, former Assistant Director-General of the World Health Organization and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health
• Ramin Asgary, MD, Mt. Sinai professor of Health Consequences of Torture and Abuse and many, many more!

The $45 conference fee includes breakfast, lunch, your conference attendance and all conference materials. To register, please visit phrstudent.org or email us at phr-tusm@googlegroups.com.

The Student National Medical Association and the Multicultural Performing Arts Group present…

Multicultural Performing Arts Show

When: Friday February 11th 7pm, doors open 6:45 pm

Where: 885 Washington St, corner of Oak St

(across from the Wang YMCA)

What: The culture show of the year is almost here! This year there will be 19 spectacular performances from medical, dental, and nutrition students as well as faculty!

Things to look forward to:

• Bagpipers piping
• Pathologists rapping
• Original songs and compositions on guitar, violin, and piano
• The multicultural fashion show
• A cappella
• Traditional dances from around the world
• A special video presentation starring one of our beloved deans
• …and more!

A reception with light snacks and beverages will follow the show in Sackler 114 where and you get to vote on your favorite student photographs to be displayed on the walls of the TUSM!

Ticket Sales: Monday-Friday Feb 7th-11th during lunch (12:15-1pm), 4th Floor of Sackler

Pre-sale tickets: $8

Tickets at the door: $10

Why: All Proceeds benefit the Colleen Romain Scholarship fund, which helps subsidize the costs of applying to college for select underprivileged high school seniors from the Boston Public School System. Proceeds from the bake sale during intermission will aide "The Tufts Disaster Relief Team" in its efforts to help coordinate efforts by Tufts students following catastrophic events such as the earthquake in Haiti in 2010.

If you have questions or would like to help out at this year’s show, please contact meena.bolourchi@gmail.com or scairo2@gmail.com.

With Valentine’s Day rapidly approaching, the TCI sat down to chat with Cupid about life, love, and the Jersey Shore:

TCI: I want to start by saying that it’s an honor to have you here for our Valentine’s Day edition of the TCI.

Cupid: The honor is mine. I’ve been a big fan of the TCI for a while now … I especially love the horoscopes, keep up the good work.

TCI: Thanks, we will. And speaking of work, how do you prepare yourself for Valentine’s Day?

Cupid: GTL.

TCI: GTL? As in gym, tan, laundry?

Cupid: Almost … for me, its gym, tan, love. I was inspired by the Jersey Shore, and the GTL regimen has really revolutionized my offseason. I hit the gym to maintain my bow strength, I tan for the look and the beta endorphins, and the love because who doesn’t enjoy a little loving?

TCI: What’s it like trying to bring love and romance to the students of TUSM?

Cupid: It’s a lot like working with high school kids, except they tend to give all the credit to oxytocin.

TCI: Before you go, is there anything you’d like to say to all the lovers out there?

Cupid: To quote H.L. Mencken, "To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia." I guess that’s the oxytocin at work!

Tired, overworked, and ready to graduate. The same feelings I held every Monday morning as I opened the door and stepped into the lecture hall at 8:00 am. It had been an exceptionally long semester. The advisor, who was supposed be the expert on the pre-medical school curriculum, mistakenly informed me last year that I had taken all the necessary requirements and that I should pursue my interests in music. Having being stifled by my overprotective, unimaginative, and money hungry parents as long as I remember, I immediately jumped at the idea. After taking almost a full load of only music classes the previous semester, I was crudely sent a letter by the university which succinctly notified me that with one semester to go, I had to fulfill four general education categories. As a result, instead of spending my last spring toasting to friends, tossing a Frisbee on the green or enjoying my recent admission to Columbia, I was slaving away deep into most nights reading the odyssey or writing an essay on Freud with too much caffeine in my system.

Yet again, frustrated with this unsuspected turn of events, I trudged my way up the mountain of stairs towards the rear of the crowded room.

One small sniff of the air around was all it took to wake me from this depressing slumber. It was her scent; Powerful, entrapping, but still soft. She effused the refreshment and sting of fresh citrus as well as the gentleness of rose petals. As it had done for every Monday for the last half year, the fragrance lifted my eyes away from the floor and toward her outline. Her unusual appearance did not cease to amaze me further. She sat there carefree with her headphones place on her head, allowing her right foot to bounce along to the beat of the music. She sat apart from the row of girls with the magazine cover plastic appearance and matching high end purses. She reached for a pen from her book pouch that contained no Greek letters.

Everything about her screamed individuality. The single black streak through her lively auburn hair ran interrupting and unyielding. The unfixed hole in her jeans was warning of her non-conforming attitude. Although I had never seen it, I could only imagine as I walked by the tattoo of some untamed lioness on her lower back.

As the teacher droned on about Genghis Khan and his vast empire, I did not take my eyes off her. Sitting two rows behind, I was still within the reach of her poisonous beauty. Hypnotized, I watched her take notes with her thin, delicate fingers. Encapsulated in my own thoughts that were beginning to run wild, I almost didn’t notice her raise her hand. As she spoke, it was as if each of her words had floated behind and caressed my body. The recalcitrant tone which I was expecting was surprisingly replaced by the soothing rich voice that warmed me from the inside out. I decided then and there I had to have her.

I had purposely arrived at class early just so I could see him walk up those stairs. Never before had I arrived on time with this much consistency let alone even bothered to show up.

I was a rule breaker from day one. My parents were divorced before I could walk and my dad was forced to take custody since my mother had declined into drug use in the following years. He was busy finding odd jobs to sustain us and had little time to make sure I was handing my homework in on time. I never played any sports in high school and didn’t even go to my senior prom. My only passion was the guitar. I had taught myself over the summer before eighth grade which saw all the other girls in my class leave to go to cheerleading camp. My upbringing was not characterized by awards or trophies, but rather by the counseling from the shrink that dad sent me to after he found out about the tattoo that I got in Canada. I had switched majors a couple of times and finally settled on history since I had heard that it contained the least amount of work. However, I knew that after school I was going to be a songwriter. I spent most of my time listening to all types of music that I could get my hands on or writing my thoughts as lyrics on the pages of my notebooks.

I was lost in the talent of Jimmie Hendrix when I caught a glimpse of him entering the room. He carried himself upright with an aura that seemed to dwarf the people around him. He was something so far away from my previous experience. He had sculpted sharp features and effortlessly neat hair. Instead of the pierced ears and skateboarding apparel of the boy I lost my virginity to at 14, he wore a tight collard polo shirt that accentuated the subtle musculature underneath.

As he walked up the stairs I stared into his green eyes. It was in them that I knew of the logical and scientific intellect underneath. Through these holes in a veil it seemed that I could see life itself. Not usually intimidated by anything, let alone males, I nervously darted into my backpack in search of a pencil as he floated by. And again it overcame me. It was the scent that lifted the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. It was not strong or pungent cologne, but the unmistakable smell of clothes when they first come out of the dryer. Due to routinely hanging out with boys who turned their underwear inside out to last an extra week, this normally unimpressive trait almost made me get up and follow him up the stairs.

As is usually the case, I was distracted through the entire class. School was never something that I cared for and I would have found it hard to concentrate even if he hadn’t decided to sit two rows behind me. I wanted to write a song and play it for him. I decided that it would contain a bouncing melody that could show him how he made me feel. I began to think up some chords and record them by scribbling in my notebook. It was coming to the end of class when I suddenly realized that I had no clue when the next homework assignment was due. I snapped back to reality and raised my hand.

It was the final day of classes and this painful semester was already becoming a memory. I had packed up all my belongings the night before and had just finished my history final exam. I had thought it was relatively simple and that I had wasted too much time studying the night before. My thoughts ran away as I realized I was now free to do whatever I wanted until Columbia in the fall. After having a great time in the music classes the previous semester I decided that maybe I would take up an instrument. The guitar was of particular interest to me. I was walking back to my dorm to meet my parents when I turned the corner and was interrupted by a flash of black and auburn directly in front me. It was her. The mere thought of her had gotten me through this semester and suddenly she stood there in the flesh, within a few centimeters, staring into my eyes.

I had just taken the history final. I was hoping for a C so that I could graduate. I had found the test difficult and tricky but that may be a result of me not taken any notes all year. I did not let the class bother me as I knew it was not important for writing songs. I had decided to go to a concert that night and was thinking about how spectacular it would be to play music on stage for an adoring crowd. I suddenly caught a whiff of clean linen and before I knew it, I looked up directly into those infinite green eyes. I was caught off completely off guard. We stood there connected, frozen for an eternity. It was more likely just the longest two seconds of my life.

Top 8 Tips for Staying Fly in the Hospital

1. Use the bell of your stethoscope as a reflective surface to apply lip gloss
2. The thin paper covering exam tables can be used to blot excess oil off your chin and forehead
3. Long q tips used to wipe the cervix can be rubbed over your professional makeup to create a nighttime, smokey-eye look
4. Mix a dab of betadine with lotion for a quick, sunless tan
5. 6.0 suture can be used as floss
6. Needle drivers are a quick fix for bushy eyebrows
7. Dermabond is an instant fix for a run in pantyhose
8. Exam gloves can be used in a bind as contraception (five times!)

Neal Kumar M’ 13

Sackler and TUSM students don't spend all their time in class or in the lab. Led by Tyler Hickman, a Neuroscience Program graduate student, a talented group of soccer players played in the Boston Graduate Soccer League this fall and captured the championship recently.

Our team was composed of players from the various programs in the Sackler School and Tufts School of Medicine. Despite beginning on a $0 budget and developing team chemistry as we went along, we had an incredible year, losing only one game, and winning 6 including semi final and championship matches.

We ended tied for first with Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in our division after the regular season, but due to our head to head loss against GSAS we were the second seed. We played Harvard Business School in the semi finals, and won 2-1. We then played Suffolk Law in the championship in a match with few scoring opportunities for either team until the final 10 minutes, when each team began to create some chances. We managed to pull ahead 1-0 in the very final minutes, and held on through the stoppage time to win 1-0.

Sackler - TUSM were represented by:

Tyler Hickman, Neuroscience, Co-Captain

Pontus Bostrum, Postdoctoral Fellow, DFCI, Co-Captain

Brendan Oakes, Pharmacology

Gorka Murga, MBS

Andrew Coppage, ISP

Zach Williams, Microbiology

Stephanie Mitchell, Microbiology

Neil Kumar, M13

Luke Nicholson, M13

Stephen Sanoja, M14

David Kopelman, M13

Colin Jackson, M14

Mustafa Mohammad, M14

Mattia Chason, M14

Ruairi Robertson, Visiting Student

Reader #1 asks - Thanks TCI for taking my question. I have a real hard time finding a good singles spot on Valentines day. Do you have any suggestions?

Dr. Love - Great question. It really depends what you are into Reader #1. If your motivations are directed towards potentially finding your soul mate, then Gypsy bar is not a bad place to start. Sometimes discovering that you really like dancing to Fireworks by Katy Perry can spark a fire inside of you that you’ve never once before discovered. In addition, the dance floor is quite suitable for getting up close and personal early on in your encounter, given that you will most likely be all over the person next to you given the size of the space.

If you want to study late on Valentine’s Day because you are really working hard towards a 95% on your exam next week in our strenuous pass/fail curriculum, you could possibly go to Chau Chau City around 2 am. It may seem like an untraditional place to try to meet someone, but you would be quite surprised at the success rates of some of your fellow medical students who have simply sat down at tables with other fine/coherent individuals and sparked up interesting and delightful conversation.

Reader #2 writes - It’s so great that you guys/gals have worked so hard on this Valentine’s Day issue. I really want to ask out this girl in my class, and think that Valentines Day would be most appropriate to get the ball rolling. I’m just confused on what form of communication to transmit my message to her. Do you have any suggestions?

Dr. Love - I have your solution. This is what you should do. Next time you see him/her, go up to the individual, and utilizing the pharyngeal muscles and larynx that you learned about in anatomy, speak to him/her and using these apparatuses along with your cerebral cortex, create a verbal sentence that will “transmit” your message clearly and precisely. If that doesn’t sound like something you would want to do, then poking him/her on facebook may be your next option to get that individuals attention.

Reader #3 writes - I really have a hard time meeting people. I’ve realized that it’s just too hard to meet the right person on the 7th floor of Sackler. I’ve even tried mixing it up with people from the 6th floor and even ventured to certain Learning Communities, but it’s just not working out for me. What are your thoughts on online dating? Is that an avenue that I should try to pursue?

Dr. Love - I’ve heard mixed things about the online world. Just as a heads up, I’ve recently had a friend create a profile on okcupid.com, and instead of putting up a picture of himself, he typed “asian guy” into google and used the first picture that came up as his own profile picture. So if you do try the online world out, please do a strategic google image search of the respective individual you are thinking about messaging by typing “Indian guy” if the individual is an Indian male, or “Spanish girl” if the respective party is a Spanish female. If a picture comes up that matches the one from the profile you are viewing, you should probably give that person a chance.

Reader #4 writes - Thanks TCI again for really helping your readers with the difficult situations that life can confuse us with. This Valentine’s Day I want to do something special for my sweetheart. The problem is that I don’t know if she will have the time for me this year. I don’t want to disclose who this person is because I don’t even know if they know that I exist. I have seen her almost everyday for the past 3 years during lunch time, as I frequently go to the 4th floor for lunch. Should I just hold off until next year?

Dr. Love - Love really has no boundaries my friend, as you have clearly experienced. I think I’ve gathered that you are experiencing true love, as in the Romeo and Juliet sense. But just like those two legendary lovers, sometimes the practicality of situation doesn’t allow true love to blossom. Sometimes you just have to metaphorically minimize the window, and hide your true feelings, just like you did when you were 13 on your parent’s computer.

Reader #5 writes - Holla at your girl TCI! So there’s this fine fine boy in the class above me, and I can’t stop thinking about him. I never really thought about him much before, but then we started texting each other, and he really asks all the right questions. I don’t want to use my hands too much this week because I want to stay home on Valentine’s Day and text. Am I weird?

Dr. Love - Interesting situation Reader #5. What I think you are experiencing is just a guy that really has his way with the blackberry. I’ve read stories about individuals like the one that you have mentioned, but have never had the opportunity to actually encounter one, as the species is quite rare. Is it cool if I can get this individuals number? It’s only for research purposes, I promise.

Ever wanted to be the next CEO of a Fortune 500 Company? Ever wanted to start an online business that changes the world? What about be ranked as the 7th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes? Well rest assured because Tufts graduates have a reputation for doing all of these things.

Have you heard of eBay? Of course you have, everyone has. In fact statistics show that one out of every 10 people in the US has either bought or sold something on ebay. Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, was a Tufts graduate in 1988 with a degree in computer science. Pierre is a French-born Iranian American enterpeneur and founder/chair of the eBay acution site. His net worth is 5.5 Billion.

Does CHASE bank or JPMorgan ring a bell? In case it doesnt, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a global securities, investment banking and retail banking firm with assets of over $2 trillion dollars. Current CEO Jamie Dimon, is a former Tufts graduate who majored in economics and philosophy. Dimon was named to Time Magazine’s 2006, 2008 and 2009 lists of the world's 100 most influential people.

Did you know that the CEO for the largest pharmaceutical company by sales in the World was a Tufts Graduate? Yes that’s right. Up until just a few months ago, Jeff Kindler was CEO for Pfizer. Jeffrey Kindler graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University in 1977

Just to familiarize you a bit with Pfizer, they havemade a couple drugs you may have heard of: Viagra, Zithromax, Lipitor, Celecoxib... You get the point.

Finally, lets talk about Dupont. DuPont is the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009. Ellen Kullman, current CEO, received her BS from Tufts university majoring in mechanical engineering in 1978. In 2009, Forbes ranked her the 7th of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

What we can conclude from these examples is that even though Tufts may not have a business school or a even business major, we seem to have some skill in running a business.

Study hard.