Tag Archives: Melissa Palma

Darren Hoffmann

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photo: Darren S. Hoffmann, PhD
Darren S. Hoffmann, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology

They stand up every day in the front of the room, going on about the nitty-gritty details of this or that, while your desperate fear of missing something that will be on the test is coming off you like an odor.  But who are these lecturers and professors, really? We find out in this series, Secret Lives of CCOM Professors. Continue reading Darren Hoffmann

SLoCCOMP: Denise Martinez

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They stand up every day in the front of the room, going on about the nitty-gritty details of this or that, while your desperate fear of missing something that will be on the test is coming off you like an odor.  But who are these lecturers and professors, really? We’ll find out in this series, Secret Lives of CCOM Professors.

Denise Martinez, MD, Assistant Dean for Cultural Affairs and Diversity Initiatives
Denise Martinez, MD, Assistant Dean for Cultural Affairs and Diversity Initiatives

Denise Martinez, MD, is the Assistant Dean for Cultural Affairs and Diversity Initiatives, and as such it may be fitting that she and her husband are foodies with a special interest in ethnic foods. Continue reading SLoCCOMP: Denise Martinez

Doctor, Artist, Writer, Teacher

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Melissa Palma met former transplant surgeon Hani Elkadi in the clinic, and when they got to talking  she realized she couldn’t keep him to herself. Kaci McCleary, John Pienta, and Nicholas Sparr join her for a discussion of his youth in the middle east, the choices (or lack thereof) that led him along the winding road of life.   Dr. Elkadi discusses the role of technology and how it’s changed medicine both for the better and the worse, shares stories from his medical training, the role of volunteering in medical training, and the trap specialists sometimes fall into when trying to treat patients.

Continue reading Doctor, Artist, Writer, Teacher

SLoCCOMP: Peter Rubenstein

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They stand up every day in the front of the room, going on about the nitty-gritty details of this or that, while your desperate fear of missing something that will be on the test is coming off you like an odor.  But who are these lecturers and professors, really? We’ll find out in this series, Secret Lives of CCOM Professors.

Peter Rubenstein, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Kreb's Cycle Lyricist
Peter Rubenstein, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry and Kreb’s Cycle Lyricist

Melissa Palma wanted to start SloCCOMP strong, so she spoke with the ever popular Peter Rubenstein, PhD…

Continue reading SLoCCOMP: Peter Rubenstein

How do you solve a problem like the Food Babe?

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Science is hard!
Science is hard!
The blogosphere is full of science misinformation, and lately Food Babe has been getting an earful for her contributions to that steaming pile of nonsense.  If you don’t know her, you should because she’s on a mission to teach people how to eat ‘like the Food Babe’ because she knows what she’s doing–and those people she’s teaching are your patients.  Is her heart in the right place–she just wants people to know what they’re eating–despite her lack of scientific knowledge, and does that make it okay? How did we get to this place where whether something is food or isn’t food has to be debated? What can medical professionals do to counter misinformation patients find on Dr. Google?  Continue reading How do you solve a problem like the Food Babe?

Uncomfortable Truths along the Border

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us mexico border photo
The US-Mexico Border Photo by brookebinkowski

In the fall of 2014, fourth-year students Melissa Palma and Hana Khidir left Iowa City for Texas’ Rio Grande Valley for an international health elective pediatrics rotation.  Their experiences there, along the porous border between the US and Mexico, brought home to them some truths that aren’t well-known to most Americans.

Continue reading Uncomfortable Truths along the Border