THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 4, 1996 TAG: 9608040049
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 119 lines
The past five weeks of Alisha Miller's life have been condensed into a yardlong strip of computer paper, with black sketches of a rat's heartbeat climbing steadily upward before plunging.
``This is the effect of what I've been talking about - anandamide, the chemical in your body that acts like marijuana,'' said 17-year-old Miller, sounding much more lab-literate than she did weeks before - when she had never been inside a research laboratory.
``See how it falls, rises, falls again. . . . The hypothesis is if we can find out how it causes this, it's possible in the future to help folks with high blood pressure.''
Six weeks ago, the extent of the Eastern Shore student's lab experience was the dissection of a dead frog in her Northampton High School biology class.
That's piddly stuff now for Miller, who, along with 29 other students, had a real hands-on experience with medicine and research at the Governor's School for Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia this summer.
Governor's School students spent six weeks watching baby deliveries; working with ether, lab rats, IVs; and witnessing open-heart surgeries in a program touted as one-of-a-kind in the country.
The uniqueness is in the pairing of the students with physicians and medical researchers; the teenagers learn patient care, study research findings and develop their own research projects at MCV, one of the country's largest medical centers.
``This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students,'' said David Mitnick, a guidance counselor at Norfolk's Lake Taylor High School who serves as director of the 7-year-old program during the summer. The program ended last week.
``During the summer, they will get the chance to observe surgery, childbirth and emergency medicine - procedures that many medical school students don't see until their third year.''
Because the program is demanding - some of the students work 13-hour days along with their mentors - only the best of the best are considered for a slot. A minimum 3.5 grade-point average is required, as well as scoring in the 95th percentile on a standardized test such as the SAT.
Students vying for the slots are required to write two essays, get teacher recommendations and list their five top state and national awards. The residential program requires students to live on the medical college's campus, so teachers are asked to grade students on maturity, using a scale of zero to two.
Only twos are considered for the program.
This year, more than 300 students applied. Of the 30 picked, nine are from Hampton Roads - the region's highest representation ever.
``I didn't realize how competitive it was and didn't realize it was such a recognized program,'' said Marcus Artis, a 16-year-old rising senior at Nansemond River High in Suffolk.
``None of us realized how great a program it was, or how great the experience was until getting here.''
Artis, like many of the students, applied to see if science and medicine would be a doable career aspiration. Family and friends have always pushed him in that direction because of his academic record - currently a 4.2 GPA and enough awards and honors to fill a medical journal.
``People have always said, `Smart young people should be lawyers and doctors.' Growing up, I liked the idea.''
But he had to see if the passion was there.
During the program, Artis wore the white smock of Dr. James Shaw, assistant professor of medicine in hematology/oncology at MCV, and followed Shaw as he monitored cancer patients. He became used to the colon cancers and blue and purple lesions that often come with inoperable breast cancer.
``It's hard to keep your composure when you're dealing with people who know they could die,'' Artis said. ``But after a few days, I didn't get upset to the point where I took it back to the dorm with me.''
He had full access to Shaw's packed bookcase of medical texts and guides and completed a research paper on the pros and cons of tamoxifen, a treatment for breast cancer.
Artis learned he does have the passion for research.
``Not to say that I'm not personable, but I'm not the kind of person who wants to spend the rest of my life saying, `So what's wrong with you today?' '' Artis said.
``I like the research end of medicine, finding out what medicines help this illness and these symptoms.''
While Artis spent time in cancer research, Rainier Poley of Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach logged hours under the supervision of pediatric cardiologist Dr. Scott Gullquist.
The tour kept the high school senior busy.
``If any doctor detects anything abnormal with their patients' hearts, they call him,'' Poley said, nodding to Gullquist.
``We currently don't have any cardiac patients, but we've had some doctors who've asked us to take a look at their patients.''
When Gullquist checks an erratic heartbeat, Poley follows. Gullquist consults a chart, and Poley is over his shoulder. Poley observed two open-heart surgeries in the past six weeks.
Congenital heart disease, U-waves, fibrillation, flutter waves - Poley knows the lingo.
``He's learned in four weeks all the cardiac terminology,'' Gullquist said. ``He can look at the fog - ultrasound - and understand it. He knows as much as some pediatric residents.''
Poley said simply: ``This has been an incredible experience.''
It's an experience that will take many students a long way, Mitnick said.
``Kids we're talking about here are sought out all over the country,'' Mitnick said. Of the 164 medical students at MCV, 10 are graduates of the program.
``When you think of 5,300 applicants, and of the 164 they pick, 10 are from this program. That's pretty amazing.'' ILLUSTRATION: BETH BERGMAN color photos/The Virginian-Pilot
Above, Norfolk Collegiate student Rainier Poley listens to Matthew
McVey's heartbeat at the Medical College of Virginia. Poley is
learning about medicine with the help of Dr. Cesar Igor Mesia. At
right, Marcus Artis, left, talks with his mentor in the program,
Dr. James Shaw.
Photo
BETH BERGMAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Dr. Scott Gullquist, left, is Rainier Poley's mentor at the
Governor's School for Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University's
Medical College of Virginia. Poley follows Gullquist in his daily
routine, looking in on everything he does. by CNB