Special K...

For several years now, the WSU Department of Emergency Medicine has been one of most highly regarded clinical departments at the University.  I believe we are the only department to interact with the students in all 4 years (and even 'pre-pre'-med) with WSU Doctor Day-Future Docs, BLS, ED Observation, ACLS, EMIG Procedure Night, EM 3^rd year elective and 4^th year clerkship and more.  It is nearly impossible to separate what we do as a department and the person who oversees it all, Dr. Sarkis (Rich) Kouyoumjian.

It is easy to forget how popular the 4^th year clerkship in EM really is.  It is consistently among the highest rated rotations at the Med School.  While ER is fun and exciting, a big part of the success is because of how the rotation is run.  It is always consistent and firm without being onerous, with clear cut goals and expectations.  The latter characteristics are due to the effective leadership of Dr. K.  And because no one can be successful in this day and age without being rewarded with more work and responsibilities, Sarkis has assumed several more duties for the School and our Department.

An extremely popular program that Rich oversees is the EMIG (Emergency Medicine Interest Group) Procedure Night.  He draws faculty and residents from DRH, SGH, Henty Ford and St. John to help teach procedures to WSU Year 1, 2 and 3 students.  There are stations for suturing (good old pigs' feet), intubation, LP, central lines, splinting and chest tube insertion.  Dr. K designed the thoracostomy model himself using pork ribs!  (Hopefully he patented it.)  The students even went to the high fidelity simulator in the MCES simulation labfor which our group donated funds.  There, they were able to run an ACLS Megacode.  Can you imagine the excitement of a first or second year student getting to participate in such clinical endeavors?

Dr. Kouyoumjian also worked with the alumni association this year to put on the Future Docs Program.  (The Skipper and Little Buddy were together again as our own Dr. Trifun Dimitrijevski is the alumni president.)  Groups of children and their parents were introduced to the simulator and were able to perform many hands-on activities such as checking pupils, breath sounds, heart sounds and administering oxygen.  They were able to talk with the 'patient' by way of the volunteers behind the 2 way glass.  The kids and their parents were thrilled and the alumni association wants them back next year.

Dr. K is also the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education (DUME) for the DMC.  In this role, he was asked to be a QuESST Faculty Judge for the student research submissions to the DMC's annual QuESST Research Day.  Previously this was for resident research posters, but as DUME, Rich opened it up to medical students a few years ago.  The first year he received 5 student posters.  This year he received 27! 

If all of the responsibilities above are not enough, Sarkis has a new role as the Director of Career Advising in the Student Affairs Office.  He works with the Associate Dean of Students to advise medical students on career choices.  He also helps coordinate advising dinners and lunches for the students.  He recently held a faculty development session for WSU Faculty to train them on the use of the AAMC Careers in Medicine website.  This site is an important resource for students and faculty to properly advise the students on career choices.  As another part of this new role, he has 'drop in' advising office hours weekly and is writing the MSPE (formerly called a Dean's Letter) for 25 of the 4^th year students.  (Unfortunately my daughter was not assigned to him!)

When you see Sarkis, don't forget to congratulate him on all of his accomplishments and on how far he has taken our department in the eyes of the medical school and its students.  Please don't hesitate to put in some volunteer time when he recruits people for his activities.

Philip A. Lewalski, MD

Editor-in-Chief