Hello Doctors, Doctors-To-Be!
We already are almost halfway into 2022 - Hope it’s been going all well for you. Now, take a 5-minute break and catch up on the latest activities and updates from your university, delivered right from the campus:
1/ Keep your calm, doctor — A message from Vice-Chancellor.
Dear Students,
You all are on your way to becoming great doctors and saving thousands of lives with your noble work. As you already know, the job of a doctor is not an easy one.
The world has always been short of doctors and as a physician yourself, you are always going to be filled with work. There will be days when you need to put in longer hours, no matter how exhausted you are feeling. There will be times when you will need to see and treat the patients who are looking forward to your healthcare expertise to get well, even when all of your body is calling you to go home and just rest. As a doctor, you always need to put your patients’ needs first.
When you are exhausted, tired, and have been dealing with patients for long-long hours, it can be very tempting to lose your calm, get angry even on small things, and behave stormy with your patients. They say to make errors only makes you human. To get angry and lose calm at times only makes you human. But, as a great doctor, you don’t get to do that. There is a reason why people treat doctors like Gods.
As a doctor, you must stay calm and cool with your patients, no matter what you are feeling inside. I am not saying that you shouldn’t express your feelings, you should absolutely but not with your patients.
When you are with your patients, you need to understand that they need the very best of you to heal, feel safe, and feel relaxed. Patients are already going through so much always, so it’s never cool to lose your calm when you are with them.
To avoid burnout, you must always be practicing staying positive, do meditation daily, take short breaks and deep breaths at regular intervals, and always maintain a “care and cool” mindset. That will not only help you as a doctor in your professional life but also as a person, someone who people admire and respect as “cool and calm.” Keep your calm, doctor!
Best wishes,
Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor
AVSM, VSM, and BAR (Retd),
Former Director-General of Medical Services (IAF),
Vice-Chancellor, Lincoln American University
2/ LAU Leaders with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana.
LAU Leaders shared a warm evening with Mr. Hugh Hilton Todd, Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana, in an event organized for welcoming H.E. during his visit to India on 29-April-2022. H.E. Charrandas Persaud, High Commissioner of Guyana to India, also graced the event. Few glimpses 👇
3/ VC & LAU Team with Honorable Health Minister of Guyana.
Vice-Chancellor Air Marshal (Dr) Pawan Kapoor, along with the LAU team, met the Honorable Health Minister of Guyana, Dr. Frank Anthony, to deliberate on issues including quality of medical education, expansion plans of LAU, clinical rotations, and student and teacher evaluation.
During the meeting, the Vice-Chancellor applauded the remarkable and phenomenal efforts of Dr. Anthony in improving and strengthening the medical infrastructure of Guyana. The two legends also deliberated upon the requirement of doing organized community-related projects in a manner best suited for both the students and the local community.
4/ ✅World Health Day: What does it mean to be healthy?
“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.”
On this world health day, we’d like to remind you that health is not limited to being physically fit. And you must feel well, mentally as well as emotionally to call yourself healthy. For centuries, we have been comfortable with seeking care to get fit physically. It’s time we do the same for our minds and spirit as well.
5/ Join LAU in an Admission Expo!
We are organizing Admission Expos in multiple cities to help medical aspirants get the right counseling and career guidance. In the Expo, you can also get your eligibility checked and get on-spot admission to LAU Medical Program. To keep a tab on and attend an upcoming event, you can follow LAU Events on Facebook 👇
6/ A day of ‘day out fun’ 😀
This time, instead of our usual “For your health” tip, we are using this section to promote and highlight WHO’s “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide” – It’s a practical and beautifully illustrated guide to help you deal with any kind of stress and reclaim happiness. During the crazy times we live in, when about one in every three people has reported feeling extreme stress, a guide like this is much needed. We recommend you must download and read your free copy today 👇
7/ Read. Lead. Succeed. — Handpicked stories for you.
Expand your medical knowledge with these handpicked stories for you:
- 9 Stress Management Tips for Medical Students — Hospital Careers
- The Five Biggest Healthcare Tech Trends In 2022 — Forbes
- Famous Physicians Who Made Huge Contributions to Medicine — Staff Care
For more insights on the medical career and updates, visit LAU Blog.
8/ Don’t blame things; Fix them - A tale of action.
“In ancient times, a king had his men place a boulder on a roadway. He then hid in the bushes and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers passed by and simply walked around it.
Many people blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone removed.
One day, a peasant came along carrying vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the way. After much pushing and straining, he finally managed.
After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the road.”
Lesson: The world around you has got many issues and problems. You can’t change a thing just by complaining about what’s wrong. Instead, you have to take action to fix things, to make them right. So, if you want to change the world around you, stop complaining and start taking action.
9/ 🌳Think: What can you do to save the Earth 🤔
Because there is no better to celebrate Earth and Earth Day than by contributing to preserving it.
10/ #AskLAU: You Ask. We Answer.
Q. Can I apply online for admission to LAU?
A. Yes, we do accept online applications for admission to LAU medical programs. You can apply online via filling online application form on the website of LAU. Once you submit the form, LAU counselors will contact you for step-by-step process.
More questions? Visit LAU FAQs section or contact us.
🧩Quiz [The answer is hidden in the text of this newsletter.]
According to The American Institute of Stress, how many people (approx.) report feeling extreme stress?
A. 25%
B. 33%
C. 40%
D. 50%
⚠️ Monkeypox: The latest scare.
The Cause
Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease primarily found in West and Central Africa and presents with flu like viral symptoms and a palmar rash. This virus was first identified in monkeys.
The Origin
It was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of pox like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys that were kept for research. That’s why it was called monkeypox. The first human case of monkeypox was reported in 1970 in Democratic Republic of Congo during the period of intensified efforts to eliminate smallpox. Since then, monkeypox has been reported in humans in other central and western African countries.
The Mode of Spread
Monkeypox is transmitted through close contact. The virus spreads via large respiratory droplets, which cannot travel more than a few feet. Prolonged face to face contact is required for transmission, which can also occur through direct contact with bodily fluids, lesion and fomites (contaminated clothing, linen etc.). Animal to human transmission may occur through bite or scratch.
Reservoir Host
Reservoir host is still unknown though African rodents are suspected to play a part in transmission. The virus that causes monkeypox has been recovered twice from animal in nature. In the first instance in 1985 the virus was recovered from an ill African rodent (squirrel) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the second instance in 2012 the virus was recovered from dead infant mangabey (a wild monkey) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire.
Relationship with Smallpox
Monkeypox is related to the smallpox virus and immunity to smallpox is protective against monkeypox. In 1980, smallpox was eradicated in all humans and vaccination against smallpox has been stopped. Therefore, monkeypox human cases are on the rise. As herd, immunity to smallpox is lost, whether through vaccination or through infection, susceptibility to the monkey virus increases.
Clinical Features
The Infection with monkeypox virus generally presents itself with flu-like illness that is fever, headache, muscle ache, swollen lymph nodes and a rash, which looks like red dots on mouth, face and then spreads to arms and legs. Over the next 4-5 days, these spots turn into fluid-filled blisters that are often tender to touch, become doughnut shape and begin to crust over within 2 weeks. The R0 factor for monkeypox virus is 1.02 so it’s not very transmissible as measles or COVID.
The majority of the cases are mild and self limiting. There sould be secondary infection of the blisters that enhance the morbidity associated with this illness.
Treatment
There is no proven treatment for monkeypox but live attenuated non replicating smallpox vaccine, antivirals, vaccinia immunoglobulins can be used.
Precautions
Same mode of precautions that are used for COVID-19 like social distancing, hand sanitizers, sterilizing surfaces have to be followed.
The information regarding this virus is still evolving, but there is a need to be on high alert.