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As a Peace Corps volunteer, Jenell C. Stewart, D.O.’13,M.P.H.’13, worked with women in Ghana to eradicate Guineaworm disease and create new sources of income by buildinga bakery and making soap. She observed that gender-relatedhealth care disparities are made worse for women in poorcountries where they face discrimination. During her nine-weekinternship with the World Health Organization in Geneva,Switzerland, in 2010, she developed training to educate front-line health care providers on gender-responsive health care.Her course materials were published by WHO in 2011 after ÀHOGWHVWLQJLQ.HQ\D(WKLRSLDDQGWKH3KLOLSSLQHV$VD Fogarty International Clinical Research Scholar, Stewart iscontinuing her public health research in Lima, Peru.

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Criterion Four Acquisition, discovery, andapplication of knowledge We promote a life of learning for our faculty,administration, staff, and students by fostering and VXSSRUWLQJLQTXLU\FUHDWLYLW\SUDFWLFHDQGVRFLDO responsibility in ways consistent with our mission.

We believe that faculty of a health sciences university are uniquely positioned

to use their talents to conduct research that advances medicine and healthcare. Because the University’s environment offers opportunity, infrastructureand a robust intellectual climate for discovery, research is embraced as not onlyan opportunity, but also an obligation. We feel more than an obligation to theUniversity; we are obligated to society. At Des Moines University, we take our REOLJDWLRQVHULRXVO\DQGIXOÀOOLWHQWKXVLDVWLFDOO\

CORE COMPONE NT 4 A

We demonstrate, through the actionsof our board, administrators, students,faculty, and staff, that we value a lifeof learning. The core values of Des Moines University, COM,CPMS, and CHS all relate to the importanceof life-long learning in support of our mission.At the entrance to our new Student EducationCenter is a wall adorned with a single inscription: Salutem Per Scientiam Conservare

(Preserving

Health Through Knowledge). To live these values,we participate in activities that foster a lifetimeof learning not only for our faculty, staff and stu-dents, but also for others ranging from children tosenior citizens. Outreach opportunities T

wo core values of our research program,collaboration and mentorship, underlie ouroutreach programs. While we hope that

some of the young people who participate willbecome medical professionals, we also want toprovide opportunities for pre-professional stu-dents to share in the active discovery and applica-tion of knowledge.

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The largest outreach program, in terms of ÀQDQFLDOLQYHVWPHQWLVWKH0HQWRUHG6WXGHQW5H

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search program, which has been in place for thepast ten years. Some of the participants are DMUstudents; others are undergraduates. Participantstake part in either an intensive, eight-week blockof research over the summer or a less intensive,but extended, research program throughout theyear. Due to educational commitments, extendedprograms cannot exceed 19 hours a week duringthe school year. Students may participate in labo-ratory research or clinical research studies. For Lynnville-Sully High School senior KatelynVan Wyk, a highlight of summer 2009 was takingmeasurements of the cadavers at DMU. “It is sucha unique experience and made me excited for myfuture of learning more about the human body,” shesays. Van Wyk was one of nine central Iowa highschool seniors who explored science and medicinein a pilot Youth Education in Science and Medicinecamp, or YES MED, offered by DMU and the CentralIowa AHEC.

Other outreach programs are designed to en- courage interest in health care careers: ‡

HEALTH CAREERS EXPLORING POST

—a

partnership with the Boy Scouts of Americathat provides high school students with hands-on exposure to health careers and a chance toexplore health topics in depth throughout theschool year.

‡

HEALTH PASS

—a program designed to expose

underrepresented minority students to careersin health care. ‡

YOUTH EDUCATION IN SCIENCE ANDMEDICINE CAMP (YES MED)

—a week-long,

scenario-based learning experience designed togive high school seniors a greater understand- LQJDQGDSSUHFLDWLRQIRUDYDULHW\RIVFLHQWLÀF principles, several standard clinical practices,and the vast array of career opportunities inthe health sciences. ‡

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVERSCIENCE ACADEMY (GWCSA)

—an award-

winning program that introduces low-income/ PLQRULW\VWXGHQWVLQJUDGHV²WRPHGLFDO careers through hands-on experience.

Development opportunitiesfor faculty and staff R

ecognizing the value of continuing develop-ment of faculty and staff, DMU provides funding for continuing education and for

attending conferences and seminars. As needsand desires for additional opportunities have LQFUHDVHG'08KDVHQKDQFHGWKLVEHQHÀWE\ adding new policies and increasing funding sev-eral times over the past ten years. In 2010, our

SURIHVVLRQDOGHYHORSPHQWEHQHÀWVUHFHLYHGVSHFLDO recognition from

The Chronicle of Higher Educa-

tion

when DMU was named a Great College to

Work For.

The professional development program provides funding for employees to attend seminars, confer-ences and job-related professional organizationmeetings and to fund professional license and/or FHUWLÀFDWLRQUHQHZDOVDVZHOODVSD\IHHVDVVRFL

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DWHGZLWKFHUWLÀFDWLRQUHFHUWLÀFDWLRQH[DPV1RQ exempt employees have funding through HumanResources to participate in similar professionaldevelopment activities.

The Professional Development Funding table demonstrates the increased funding that hasbeen budgeted for continuing education/profes-sional development over the past decade.

With the rising cost of attending meetings at which faculty were often not only attending, butalso presenting, it was evident that funding levelswere not high enough to also support clinicalfaculty in maintaining their clinical licenses. Inrecognition of this, deans began using other fundsin their department budgets for clinical licenses LQWKH²ÀVFDO\HDU7KHLQFUHDVHLQ funding provides a better opportunity for clini-cal faculty to attend conferences, seminars, andother events rather than using their professionaldevelopment funds to renew their licenses.

Each college dean also has funds available for faculty development budgeted at $500 per full-

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time faculty member. Faculty can ask for sup-port from these funds should their professionaldevelopment funds and program budgets not meettheir needs. Faculty development funds also sup-port group development activities, such as bring-ing in guest speakers.

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sional development leave for faculty averaged 51hours; for exempt staff, 36 hours; and for non-exempt staff, 12 hours of off-campus professionaldevelopment.

As mentioned in Criterion Three, Faculty Development offers a number of webinars andpresentations for faculty, some of which are ofinterest to staff employees: ‡ 7KH)ULGD\6HPLQDU6HULHVSURYLGHVVFLHQWLÀF

presentations on various topics by internal andexternal speakers. ‡

The Teaching Learning Technology Center(TLTC) provides support and service to facultyusing technology in the classroom. ‡

Information Technology Services (ITS) pro-vides ongoing computer training to faculty andstaff on applications, such as Microsoft Out-look, Word, and Excel.Our tuition assistance program allows em- ployee with appointments of 0.5 FTE or greaterto request tuition assistance after six months ofregular employment. Employees may be reim-bursed for tuition and textbooks at the rate of 75percent of cost, with a maximum of $6,000 for em-ployees employed at a level of 0.8 FTE or greater,while those employees with appointments rangingfrom 0.5 to 0.8 FTE have a maximum annual EHQHÀWRI7KHPD[LPXPEHQHÀWDYDLODEOH per employee has also been increased twice since2000, as shown in the Tuition Assistance Pro-gram Funding table.

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Assistance is provided for formal courses given IRUDFDGHPLFFUHGLWRUFHUWLÀFDWHRIFRPSOHWLRQE\ an accredited college or university. DMU pays the75 percent directly to the college or university, soemployees do not have to wait to be reimbursed.Employees are required to complete the coursewith a grade of

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courses and

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or better for graduate course work.

Failure to meet these standards requires repay-ment of the tuition assistance.

The tuition waiver program allows employees who choose to enroll in classes at DMU to take XSWRQLQHFUHGLWVSHUÀVFDO\HDUZLWKRXWSD\LQJ tuition. This is available only to employees whoselect a program that allows part-time enroll-ment, such as Health Care Administration,Public Health, and Post-professional Doctor ofPhysical Therapy programs. Lastly, through thetuition discount program, spouses or childrenof DMU employees pay a reduced (50 percent)tuition should they be accepted into any of ourprograms of study.

Human Resources works with selected provid- ers to broaden our training offerings. In 2011,we contracted with Dale Carnegie to develop acustomized training program to help managersdevelop skills in performance management andpersonal accountability. Employees will also beoffered development in the area of writing perfor-mance goals and objectives.

In addition, employees may take approved outside courses, such as ATW’s Manager’s Boot

Camp. Past sessions have included such topics as 'HDOLQJZLWK'LIÀFXOW3HRSOH3HUVRQDO$FFRXQW

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ability, Maximizing Multi-Generational Talent,Building a High Performance Team, ProjectManagement, POWER Business Writing, and 5 '\VIXQFWLRQVRID7HDP:HÀUVWRIIHUHGWKHVH programs to those traditionally considered super-visors/managers. In 2010, at the request of somemanagers, we opened the sessions to employees WKDWVXSHUYLVRUVPDQDJHUVIHOWPLJKWEHQHÀWIURP the various courses/sessions available. Faculty development programming

Since

2007, two faculty development needs

assessment surveys were performed to determinethe professional development needs of the DMUfaculty. Results shaped subsequent faculty de-velopment programming through the year. For ex-ample, faculty indicated interest in more trainingin computer technology and educational software,student learning styles, leadership development,curriculum development, assessment of studentlearning, disabilities and higher education, cul-tural competence and others. These results ledto programming on those topics. Programming LVDOVRLQÁXHQFHGE\FXUUHQWQDWLRQDODQGLQWHU

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grams (e.g. Student Services, threat assessment,research program, and Friday Seminar Series). ,QDGGLWLRQSURJUDPPLQJLVLQÁXHQFHGE\RWKHU survey results, including the actual schedulingof faculty development experiences, the advanced QRWLÀFDWLRQRISURJUDPPLQJH[SHULHQFHVWKH diversity of content in the faculty development e-newsletter and topics for larger workshops. New CITL position

As noted under Criterion Three, several profes- sional development programs were organized bythe COM assistant dean of Faculty Development.

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Attendance at events coordinated through this RIÀFHZDVXVXDOO\DURXQG,QGLYLGXDOIDFXOW\SDUWLFLSDWLRQZDVWUDFNHGE\WKHRIÀFHDQGSUR

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vided to the faculty and their chairs annually. Inthe future, it is anticipated that these activitieswill be coordinated by the Center for the Improve-ment of Teaching and Learning (CITL).

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opment Calendar so there is one repository of in-formation. Examples include the Friday SeminarSeries, organized by the Basic Sciences Researcharea; Aging Mind Discussion Groups; and theCPMS Foot and Ankle Symposiums. Alumni and graduateopportunities Continuing education offerings O

ur mission supports the concept of lifelonglearning, which includes DMU-sponsoredcontinuing education events. All health

care professionals must remain current regard-ing new developments in medicine. We recognizeour responsibilities and opportunities to providea mechanism to support graduates and other UHJLRQDOKHDOWKFDUHSURYLGHUVLQIXOÀOOLQJWKHLU need for continuing education.

Up until late 2009, the University had a 0. FTE position dedicated to the area of continuingeducation. With those resources, we were able tooffer the following hours of continuing educationactivities over the past four years:

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As can be seen, until 2011, most of our of- ferings were for a partner, Iowa Chronic CareConsortium. With only a 0.5 FTE position, we hadlimited capacity to sponsor additional offerings forthe faculty and alumni of the University.

To address this issue, the University created a new full-time manager of Continuing Medi-cal Education (CME) position. A national searchresulted in the hiring of a candidate who had beenworking for a large hospital/clinic system. SinceJuly 2010, this employee has met with all collegesand programs to determine their interests andneeds for continuing education. In addition, themanager of Continuing Medical Education hasdeveloped an online CME transcript system thatassists faculty and staff in tracking their CME/CE activities and the CME credits associated witheach experience. Having a full-time individualin this position also encourages faculty and staffto bring a variety of meetings and conferences tocampus since the CME manager can oversee all ofthe on-campus arrangements (room reservations,speaker contracts, food, registration, etc.), leavingthe faculty free to focus on other aspects of theconference.

DMU has sponsored very successful CME events, such as the annual Foot and Ankle Sym-posium. We have also collaborated with externalorganizations, such as the American Physical

Therapy Association (APTA), to host events thatserve a wide variety of our stakeholders: clini-cians, graduates, and the general public. Otherofferings have included credit for faculty devel-opment subjects and alumni reunion activities.Alumni continue to express interest in our capac-ity to assist them in meeting their continuingeducation requirements, and we will continue toseek opportunities to do so. In addition, requestsfor new continuing education offerings may be sub-mitted on the Continuing Medical Education pageof the DMU website.

Because our various constituencies continue to express strong interest in quality CME offerings,we expect the number of total educational contactsto increase beyond the record 4,518 set in 2011. DMU Osteopathic PostdoctoralTraining Institute (OPTI)

An OPTI is a community-based training consortium consisting of a College of OsteopathicMedicine and graduate medical education teach-ing hospitals. The objectives of the HEARTlandNetwork, the OPTI to which we belong, are to en-hance residency curriculum, faculty development,University liaisons, clerkship directors, researchsupport, resident recruitment, and residencystandards.

The HEARTland Network, one of 19 OPTIs in the country, to date has 9 members in addition toDMU, including hospitals and family medicineprograms at the University of Minnesota andUniversity of Wisconsin.

In addition to promoting excellence in education and training for osteopathic medicine students,interns and residents, the network will fosterfaculty development and collaborative researchamong member organizations. The HEARTlandNetwork also has a connection through DMU toIowa’s Area Health Education Centers, or AHECs,which work to recruit, train and retain a healthprofessions workforce committed to the under-served, starting with students in grade school.

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Community and professionalopportunities Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) T

he Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) is the VWDWH·VODUJHVWDQGROGHVWVFLHQWLÀFRUJDQL

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zation, with over 800 members and a his-

tory spanning more than 100 years. Des MoinesUniversity and its faculty have played major rolesin the Academy’s recent history. DMU hosted theIAS Annual Meeting in 2009; this event broughtmore than 350 Iowa undergraduate and gradu-ate science students, faculty, and researchersto our campus for a two-day event. A member ofthe DMU faculty served as Academy presidentin 2008. The IAS Board of Directors has had atleast one DMU faculty member serving for thelast nine years, and eight current DMU faculty KDYHVHUYHGDV$FDGHP\RIÀFHUVGLUHFWRUVFRP

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mittee members, or committee chairs in the past ÀYH\HDUV North Central Branch of the AmericanSociety for Microbiology (NC-ASM)

A branch of the American Society for Microbiol- ogy, the largest society of microbiologists globally,the NC-ASM is comprised of microbiologists andmicrobiology students from dozens of colleges anduniversities located in North Dakota, SouthDakota, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. TheDMU Department of Microbiology and Immunol-ogy was selected to host the annual meeting ofthe NC-ASM in the fall of 2011. Iowa Physiological Society (IPS)

The mission of the Iowa Physiological Soci- ety (IPS) is to unite physiologists in enhancing,networking and advancing physiology throughoutthe state of Iowa. Its members may be teachers orbasic and applied researchers at the molecular,

cellular, organ and organismal levels. IPS is as-sociated with the American Physiological Soci-ety (APS) as the Iowa Chapter of the APS, andholds its meetings on an annual basis. The 2010meeting was held at Des Moines University. Arecord-setting 71 individuals attended, includingphysiologists at all levels—high school teachers,researchers, college faculty, and trainees from thestate of Iowa and surrounding states (Nebraska,Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois). Ju- OLD$0RIÀWW3K'DIDFXOW\PHPEHUDW'08LV the current president-elect. RECOMMENDATIONS FORCORE COMPONENT 4A: We demonstrate through the actionsof our board, administrators, students,faculty, and staff, that we value a life oflearning.

Des Moines University provides a variety of life-long learning opportunities. This is mostevident in the offerings we have not only for ourown faculty, staff, and students, but also for themany young people who have expressed an initialinterest in medicine or the health sciences. Thesuccess of programs such as camp YES MED andthe George Washington Carver Science Academyis evidenced, in part, by the quality of studentswho are interested in the programs and the factthat interest far exceeds our capacity.

At a time when many institutions have had to eliminate or greatly reduce funding for profes-sional development, we have been able to increase ÀQDQFLDOVXSSRUWIRUIDFXOW\VWDIIGHYHORSPHQW In addition to enhanced funding for continuingeducation, funding for programs that supportlicensing fees and the University’s various tuitionsupport programs has also increased. In 2010, The Chronicle of Higher Education

’s Great Colleg-

es to Work For survey cited DMU for excellencein three categories, including Professional-Career

Development Programs and Compensation and %HQHÀWV

After a comprehensive discussion of our most pressing needs, two strategic planning tacticswere developed to improve our ability to sup-port life-long learning. First, as called for bySP Tactic 1.4.2, one faculty evaluation tool wasdeveloped for all colleges and programs. Thenew comprehensive faculty evaluation form,available in WingSpan, will be used to createan individualized annual development plan foreach faculty member. Second, SP Objective 4.2is “establishing a center for the improvement ofteaching and learning (CITL).” Such a center ZLOOIDOOXQGHUWKH2IÀFHRIWKH3URYRVW2QFH the CITL is operational, it is anticipated that theCOM assistant dean of Clinical Affairs will focuson programming to develop the clinical teachingskills of COM clinical preceptors, instructors and VXSHUYLVRUVZKLFKIXOÀOOVWKHRULJLQDOLQWHQWRI the position.

Continuing Medical Education has had lim- ited resources in the past. Having only half-time SHUVRQQHOVXSSRUWPDGHLWGLIÀFXOWWRSURYLGH consistent continuing education programmingfor the faculty, alumni, and other regional healthcare providers in need of continuing education IRURQJRLQJOLFHQVXUHFHUWLÀFDWLRQ5HFRJQL]LQJ that this is a very important piece of life-longlearning, the University has re-established thisfunction through the hiring of a manager of Con-tinuing Medical Education. This full-time personhas greatly expanded both the number and typesof CME programs offered and is bringing bothregional and national conferences to campus.Over the past 12 months, the CME departmenthas sponsored over 29 on-campus conferences andseminars, attended by 1,654 participants.

We encourage continued support for the CITL and Continuing Medical Education.

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CORE COMPONE NT 4 B

We demonstrate that acquisition of abreadth of knowledge and skills andthe exercise of intellectual inquiry areintegral to our educational programs. For over 100 years, DMU has valued and main-tained an environment of teaching excellence.More recently, we have made a concerted effort tobuild the infrastructure and gather the expertisenecessary to create an environment of not simplyknowledge transmittal but knowledge acquisition. Faculty research activity D

uring previous HLC evaluations of ourUniversity, concerns were raised aboutthe University’s level of research activ-

ity and faculty scholarly efforts. (See 1996/1997Comprehensive Evaluation and 1999 FocusedEvaluation.) During the 2001 ComprehensiveEvaluation, the evaluators noted that DMU“moved decisively and forcefully” in respondingto some of these criticisms and made additionalsuggestions for improving the culture of researchand scholarship on our campus. These sugges- WLRQVLQFOXGHGÀOOLQJH[LVWLQJDQGIXWXUHIDFXOW\ vacancies with individuals actively engaged in re-search, establishing a limited number of centersof excellence and reinvesting all indirect costsrecovered and savings on faculty salaries real-ized from extramural support into our researchenterprise.

Over the last decade, DMU has continued to recruit and retain high-quality educators. Inorder to expand the number of faculty activelyengaged in scholarly endeavors, we have continu-

DOO\ÀOOHGIDFXOW\YDFDQFLHVZLWKLQGLYLGXDOVZKR not only possess effective teaching skills, butalso demonstrate excellence in and motivation forscholarship.

All faculty candidates for positions in the basic science departments, as well as many of theclinical departments, are required to not onlydeliver a didactic/instructional lecture as part ofthe interview process, but also a seminar outlin-ing their research interest and plans for future LQYHVWLJDWLRQV,QWKHODVWÀYH\HDUVZHKDYH more than doubled the number of faculty activelyengaged in research and scholarly endeavors, asmeasured by faculty actively mentoring students,submitting grant proposals and manuscripts, andhaving active IRB protocols. In 2005, 21 facultymembers were engaged in these activities; by2010, the number had grown to 54.

In order to support the faculty’s scholarly endeavors, we have committed considerable

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frastructure. This includes a commitment to pro-viding part-time technical support for new basicscience investigators to help them establish theirresearch laboratories, and full-time technical sup-port in the Human Performance Lab. Addition-ally, matching funds are available to help supportthe full-time employment of research technicianswhen investigators are able to generate a mini-mum of 50 percent of the technician salary fromextramural grants.

Over the last decade, the University has spent more than $11 million on renovations and addi-tions to Ryan Hall, which, in addition to housing FODVVURRPVDQGIDFXOW\DQGDGPLQLVWUDWLYHRIÀFHV also houses all of the basic science research labo-ratories and the DMU animal facility. This newlyrenovated space has made DMU a more attractiveteaching and research environment for potentialfaculty candidates as well as student applicants. (ZZPZ[HU[7YVMLZZVYVM(UH[VT;HÅPUL(YIVYKPNZ into the body’s structure, literally, by combiningpaleontology and anatomy. At the MakapansgatFossil Site in South Africa, above, Arbor uses toolsand explosive caps to extract fossils from geologicaldeposits. “Everything I do in my research relates to TVYWOVSVN!OV^IPVTLJOHUPJZ[YHPUZHUKZ[YLZZLZ impact bones, what neurovascular bundles are con-veyed through particular foramina, and how musclesare oriented in relation to a joint,” Arbor says. “I loveanatomy. It’s the foundation of my research.”

Dr. Wayne Wilson, left, and Dr. Andrew Brittinghamare among the DMU faculty who have received NIH NYHU[ZMVYZJPLU[PÄJYLZLHYJOWYVQLJ[Z[OH[LU

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gage both graduate and undergraduate students. >PSZVU»Z[LHTPZ\ZPUNIHRLY»Z`LHZ[[VKLÄUL[OL mechanisms that regulate glycogen accumulationin cells. Brittingham’s project explored the triggers [OH[JH\ZL^OP[LISVVKJLSSZ[VWYVK\JL[OLPUÅHT

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search productivity by our faculty and students.However, we need to be mindful of the impact of ÀOOLQJIDFXOW\YDFDQFLHVZLWKWHDFKHUUHVHDUFKHUVZKRFDUU\D²SHUFHQWWHDFKLQJORDG:HDOVR need to increase the level of funding from exter-nal sources.^ E X T ER N A L F U N D I N G, 20 01–

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While the University continues to provide a substantially increased level of internal supportfor research and scholarship ($12.82 million from ² WKLVLQYHVWPHQWKDVUHWXUQHGRQO\ percent of that amount in external grants ($2.7 PLOOLRQIURP² 

Faculty scholarship includes more than 256 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chap- WHUVGXULQJWKHODVWGHFDGHVFLHQWLÀFRUSUR

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fessional presentations, and over 300 editorialand peer-reviewed activities. Many of thesemanuscripts and presentations include studentsas coauthors.

DMU faculty have been recognized by ap- pointment/election to numerous state, regional,federal and professional boards, agencies, andleadership positions. These include President ofthe Iowa Academy of Science (Finnerty); Chair ofthe Education Committee of the Gait and Clini-

cal Analysis Society (Vardaxis); Voting Memberof Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute(Gray); Fellow of the Iowa Academy of Science(Brittingham); Fellow of the National Academyof Osteopathic Medical Educators (Canby); TitleV Friend of Iowa’s Children Award (Hansen);Physician of the Year, Iowa Osteopathic MedicalAssociation (Figueroa); and national coordinatorfor Level III of COMLEX (Wattleworth).

The University’s expansion of research and scholarly endeavors is not limited to clinical orbiomedical research; in fact, many faculty havebecome actively engaged in educational, publichealth and social science research studies. Thiswork includes studies from multiple colleges anddepartments that examine diverse topics suchas the usefulness of podcasting, online teachingmodules, medical simulation and the implemen- WDWLRQDQGHIÀFDF\RIHYLGHQFHEDVHGSUDFWLFH content into our curriculum.

Over the last several years, the University has instituted policies that provide additional sup-port for research activities and reward facultywho procure extramural grants and contracts.The policy on Facilities and AdministrativeCosts Allocation ensures that 30 percent of fundsrecovered from external agencies in the form ofreimbursement for facilities and administrativecosts are returned to the administrative depart-ment to which the principal investigator or projectcoordinator is assigned. These funds are to beused to further support research activities withinthat department.

In 2009, we instituted a policy on Bonus for Extramural Research Grants and Contracts.This policy provides the opportunity for facultyto be rewarded with a salary bonus based on theamount of University funds recovered due to indi-rect costs and salary savings.

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Research opportunitiesfor students P

erhaps the most vibrant of DMU’s researchactivities are those involving students. Cur-ricula in all four of the clinical programs

(D.O., D.P.M., PA, and D.P.T.) include some didac-tic coursework related to research with a focus onclinical research. Required content ranges fromone credit of coursework in the D.O. program tothree credits of coursework in the D.P.M. pro-gram. All students in clinical programs have theopportunity to enroll in an elective one-creditClinical Research Methods and Ethics courseeach fall. Curricula for both the M.P.H. andM.H.A. programs include a three-credit researchand statistics course as well as a second three-credit course in Community Research Methodsand Health Services Program Evaluation, respec-tively. Students in the Biological Science pro-gram enroll in seven credits of didactic researchcourses as well as a 15-credit bench researchexperience with their major advisor.

Thesis-based programs

In 2007, Des Moines University received HLC approval to begin two new graduate programs, anon-thesis based Master of Science in Anatomy(M.S.), and a research thesis-based Master ofScience in Biomedical Sciences (M.S.). To date,the Biological Science program has had 16students matriculate; 8 have completed all degreerequirements, and 8 are progressing throughthe program.

Since the launch of the Anatomy graduate program in August of 2007, 77 students have ma-triculated. Twenty-one entered as primary degreestudents and 56 pursued a dual degree. Enrollingthese students has further stimulated scholarlyactivity, principally through required coursesin advanced dissections and two semesters ofseminar. These courses have required students to FULWLFDOO\HYDOXDWHVFLHQWLÀFDQGFOLQLFDOVWXGLHV with assistance from their graduate faculty men-tors, in order to support their presentation topics.Lastly, the program has brought a few studentstogether with faculty to pursue research in areasof anatomic and clinical variation.

+4<+6Z[\KLU[1HZVU:LILZ[V^HZVULVMÄ]L winners of the American College of Physicians2009 National Medical Students Abstract Compe-tition. He presented his abstract “MRSA Detec-tion of Colonized Needleless Catheter PortsUsing Real-Time PCR” at the April convention.Jason began this research project with Jeff Gray, 7O+WYVMLZZVYVMTPJYVIPVSVNPTT\UVSVN as part of the DMU Mentored Student ResearchProgram. He and Dr. Gray continue to exploreways to treat bloodstream infections prevalent inhospital intensive care units.

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These two new graduate programs have invigorated our faculty, challenging them todevelop and implement approaches to educatingand training students of the basic sciences, incontrast to those students in professional clinicalprograms that we have trained for more than acentury.

Students have varied opportunities to engage in research with DMU faculty members. Teach-ers in the M.P.H. program are practitioner-scholars, which creates many opportunities forpublic health scholarship, including appliedepidemiology, community-based participatoryresearch, community assessments, and programevaluation. Students in the Master of Sciencein Biomedical Sciences program complete their15-credit laboratory-based thesis research underthe direction of a graduate faculty member inthe College of Osteopathic Medicine. PA studentscomplete a project using skills developed in theirResearch and Epidemiological Principles course.Projects are presented to the University commu-nity as well as PA faculty and students. Studentsin the D.O., D.P.M. and D.P.T. programs havethe opportunity to complete an elective researchproject under the supervision of a DMU facultymember.

Many students complete elective research projects during the DMU Mentored StudentResearch Program. Through this program, morethan 4 dozen students annually (increased fromjust 22 in 2001), gain hands-on research experi-ence. Participants include both DMU profession-al students and undergraduates from throughoutthe Midwest. In 2010, DMU committed $185,000to this valuable program. In addition to conduct-ing research, students attend seminars, presenttheir work at University-wide events, and receivetraining in laboratory safety and the responsibleconduct of research.

The popularity of this program has grown to the point that student demand far exceeds op-portunities available. In recent years, we havereceived more than 70 applications each year for

the 12 slots that we typically reserve for under-graduates. Student demand for research oppor-tunities is just one of many pieces of evidencedemonstrating that we have successfully culti-vated a culture of inquiry and scholarship. Pathways of Distinction

DMU has created a highly selective, guided track for students who want to be educators orglobal health researchers. Those who follow oneof two research pathways on the track will beequipped to teach in the academic medical centersof the future.

D.O. students are chosen during their second and third years based on academic standing,

faculty recommendations and performance inprevious scholarly activity. Selected students areawarded a percentage tuition scholarship. ‡

30500(5,+<(;69·*

This pathway devel-

ops osteopathic medicine students to becomemedical educators in their residency andbeyond. In one-to-one meetings with faculty,online modules, small group sessions and largegroup lectures, students learn the principlesof adult learning and curriculum development,and have opportunities to experience differ-ent teaching and learning styles. Studentsthen demonstrate their skills in various DMUsettings, create a medical research project forpublication submission and develop an educatorportfolio. ‡

GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCHER—

This unique

third-year rotation program, available to highachieving students, offers research scholarinternships with the World Health Organi-zation (WHO) or the Pan American HealthOrganization (PAHO), a regional branch of theWorld Health Organization based in Washing-ton, D.C. Scholar interns work under WHOor PAHO supervision to conduct systematicreviews or create evidence-based educationalmaterials for worldwide distribution. Students WKHQSUHVHQWWKHLUÀQGLQJVRQFDPSXVDQGDUH encouraged to submit them for publication.Skills gained during this experience will notonly translate to patient care, but are researchskills that can be shared with other health careproviders during residency and beyond.

Humanities W

e believe that a well-rounded physicianmust understand not only the science ofmedicine but the heart of healing. Our

Medical Humanities and Bioethics department

Kosta Antonopoulos and Valerie Tallerico, bothD.P.M.’10, gained insights on academia in a clerk-ship created by CPMS Dean R. Tim Yoho, center.Yoho began the program because “there were noorientation programs for students interested inthe administrative side–those who down the roadmight have an interest in academic medicine.” Eachyear, he mentors one or two students during a one-month academic experience. Clerks have accessto administrative meetings. In addition, each clerkgives a lecture in a course and is assigned a specialadministrative project.

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prepares physicians of the future to be competent,ethical, caring professionals and to live our corevalue of Humanism.

We currently provide three required courses to students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine.Year 1 begins with a survey course in history ofmedicine. We believe that the history of the heal-ing art, with special emphasis on A.T. Still andthe history of osteopathic medicine, is crucial tostudents’ understanding of today’s health careenvironment. Medical ethics is also begun in Year1 and continues throughout Year 2. By means oflectures, readings, and small group discussions,students are led through many of the real-worldethical dilemmas that they will be likely to faceas they enter clinical training and practice.Supplemented by distinguished lecturers, theethics curriculum provides a solid base for futureprofessional growth.

Interdisciplinary electives allow students to H[SORUHWKHÀHOGRIPHGLFLQHIURPYDULHGSHUVSHF

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tives. For example, Introductory Figure Draw-ing, which is open to all students, helps studentsunderstand anatomy from a different perspective.Other electives include Exploring the HumanCondition: Views from Literature, Sociology, Med-icine and Public Health; Spiritual and ReligiousIssues in Patient Care; and Images of Women inPopular Culture: Implications for Medicine. Abaton

journal

The University’s award-winning arts and liter- ary journal,

Abaton,

is published by the Medical

Humanities and Bioethics department. Foundedin 2007 and printed annually,

Abaton

publishes

artwork, poetry, essays and stories by students,faculty, alumni and many others. Well-knownphysician-authors such as Richard Selzer andJack Coulehan have been featured in past issues.

“ Abaton

works to examine the humanity and

soul of medicine,” said Rick Rapp, D.O.’12, editorof the 2010 issue. The annual Selzer Prize for :ULWLQJÀUVWSUHVHQWHGLQLVLQWHQGHGWR encourage medical students to follow the exampleof Dr. Richard Selzer, who “put into writing thespectrum of thoughts and emotions that camefrom his experiences in medicine.”

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American Association of Colleges of OsteopathicMedicine (AACOM) special publications category.Past issues of

Abaton

are available online at

www.dmu.edu/abaton/ Volunteer musical organizations

In 2009, members of the DMU Choir got an unexpected reward for their volunteer efforts:they performed with world-renowned opera singerSimon Estes at the Glanton Scholarship dinner.The choir was formed when Dr. Kendall Reedproposed the idea and more than 20 studentsresponded. Reed encourages participation in thechoir because “music is part of the culture of auniversity, and it gives students balance in their

lives.” Currently the DMU Choir has about 25members.

Our String Quartet was formed when instru- mentalists Nicole Nelson, D.O.’13, and classmateYoshihiro Ozaki met and realized that togetherthey formed half of a quartet. They recruitedother string players and now perform regularly atUniversity events.

Several members of the DMU community are also members of the Des Moines Community

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outlet for DMU students, faculty, alumni and otherhealth care professionals.

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explores senti-

ments of the provider and patient that are oftenunspoken. By allowing these stories to be heard,we give voice to the most fundamental aspect ofmedicine–humanism.

Members of the DMU Choir perform at the 2009Glanton Scholarship dinner. Founding members of the DMU String Quartetprepare for a performance. The quartet has growninto a string orchestra composed of students andemployee volunteers.

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Orchestra, including students Nicole Nelson andYoshihiro Ozaki, who is principal cellist; DebGordley, a DMU administrative assistant andthe orchestra’s principal oboist; and gastroenter-ologist Bernard Feldman, D.O.’80, a cellist andmember of the DMU Board of Trustees.

The DMU Choir and String Quartet have

become regular, albeit unpaid, stars at Universityevents. Ozaki sees an analogy between musicand medicine. “When you see patients, they don’treally care how much time you’ve spent in classor in board exams,” he says. “That’s like per-formance—the audience doesn’t care how muchyou’ve practiced so long as you’re giving them thegift of music.” Planning for the future D

MU has made great progress in creat-ing and sustaining a culture that valuesscholarship and intellectual inquiry. As

we continue to strengthen our foundation, we canalso begin to build for the future. The Universityhas committed to several new initiatives thatwill strengthen our own scholarly endeavors aswell as foster collaborative interactions withother entities. National Children’s Study

This federally funded program examines the LQÁXHQFHVRIHQYLURQPHQWDODQGELRORJLFDOIDFWRUV on the health and development of children. Inthe course of the study, 100,000 children fromover 100 counties in the United States will befollowed from conception through their 21st birth-day. As part of a subcontract from the Universityof Iowa, DMU will be responsible for the collec-tion, processing and shipping of biological andenvironmental samples from the Polk County(Iowa) study center to various repositories andresearchers.

Friday Seminar Series

Medical research is a rapidly evolving area, and Des Moines University is committed to keep-ing our faculty updated as well as identifying anddiscussing cutting-edge biomedical research. TheFriday Seminar Series was established in 2003 tocreate a forum in which DMU faculty, graduatestudents and professional students can improvetheir personal competency in designing andinterpreting cutting-edge biomedical researchand learn how it relates to disease prevention andtreatment.

Two series are conducted each year (one in the

fall and one in the spring). Attendees are educat-ed on the most up-to-date research methods anddiscoveries of emerging diagnostics and therapiesfor multiple disease states, including, but notlimited to, cardiovascular health, diabetes, oncol-ogy and infectious disease, therefore improvingpatient outcomes. The series focuses on researchconcepts and techniques as well as promoting re-search activities of high value and state-of-the-artclinical care. The series also places value on themost appropriate research and treatment proto-cols and fosters faculty communication, interpro-fessional teamwork and overall professionalism. RECOMMENDATIONS FORCORE COMPONENT 4B: We demonstrate that acquisition of abreadth of knowledge and skills andthe exercise of intellectual inquiry areintegral to our educational programs.

DMU encourages students and faculty to pursue research, balance the art and science ofmedicine, and keep up with technology and state-of-the-art treatment protocols. ‡

We recommend that the University increasethe level of external funding for research byencouraging grant-seeking, providing support

for writing effective grant applications, andlooking for new ways to generate revenue, suchas participating in community-based inquiryprojects. ‡

As recommended in the M.P.H. accreditationreview, another potential source of fundingworth exploring is managing inquiry projectsthat provide evidence for public health decision-making, such as community assessments.

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CORE COMPONE NT 4 C

We assess the usefulness of ourcurricula to students who will liveand work in a global, diverse, andtechnological society. Because Des Moines University is a graduateinstitution specializing in medicine and healthcare, training our students to function withina diverse society is critical. Within the scope oftheir careers, DMU graduates will work with anever-changing and increasingly diverse public,whether that diversity is based on ethnic, racial,religious, gender, geographic, or economic fac-tors. In addition, students must be prepared touse technology to assess and treat patients and tomanage medical information. Curriculum assessment M

any of the programs on the DMUcampus have professionally establishedcore competencies and/or programmatic

accreditation standards, many of which deal withthe area of cultural diversity and sensitivity. Allprograms have begun mapping their curricula.Curriculum mapping is an important process,not just for this particular component, but for anoverall assessment of whether all competenciesare covered.

Even when there is evidence that curricular components address cultural competency, whetherstudents experience anything more than justanswering required test questions or completinga writing assignment is something we are notat present able to discern. To be sure, a greatnumber of our students are involved in globalexperiences and service projects, but that does notguarantee that all of our students participate in

such events or are assessed on their actual abili-ties to function in a diverse world.

Because many of these experiences take place outside of the formal instruction that occurs atDMU, there has not been an effective system fortracking these experiences. Student Services usesactivity sheets from each of the clubs and specialinterest groups to track some of their activities,but given the magnitude of the number of currentclubs and special interest groups, this process isdaunting. Tracking may be improved by ensur-ing that all clubs are able to meet their goals andencouraging clubs that do not meet their goalsto consider disbanding or joining efforts withanother club to better focus volunteer efforts.Otherwise, it seems as though we may be on theverge of spreading ourselves too thin.

In addition, until 2010 the University had less than full-time support in the Community Rela-tions position, as well as turnover in this position,which has made it that much harder to trackthe extent and impact of these experiences. It ishoped that now with full-time, consistent cover-age in this department, these activities will betracked and then an assessment piece can bedeveloped. Self-directed learning

While completing the clinical phase of their respective programs, students are expected to beself-directed learners. Unlike the didactic phase,when students are tested often over the topicscovered in class, in the clinical phase studentsmust keep studying even if there is no exam inthe near future. In some cases, tests over theclinical materials are given at the end of a par-ticular rotation, but in other cases, material maynot be tested until comprehensive examinationsconducted just prior to graduation. Students aregiven objectives for each of the clinical rotations,but they are responsible for studying the materi-als on their own and in the manner of their ownchoosing. This information was once distributed

in hard copy prior to students’ departure forrotations. Students are now able to access thisinformation electronically.

In the College of Osteopathic Medicine, third- year students are tested at the end of each oftheir core rotations. The vast majority of the VWXGHQWVSDVVWKHH[DPVRQWKHÀUVWDWWHPSWDV shown in the End-of-Rotation Pass Rates table. EN D - O F- ROTAT I O N PAS S R AT ES—IN T ER N A L M ED I CIN E

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Formative exams are also used to help students identify areas of weakness. For instance, allOsteopathic Medicine students return to campusat the end of their third year after completingone year of clinical rotations. At that time, they DUHRQFDPSXVIRUÀYHGD\VGXULQJZKLFKWKH\ take a shelf exam, participate in team simulationexperiences, and complete cases in the Standard-ized Performance Assessment Laboratory (SPAL).Feedback is given to help students prepare fortheir national boards and successfully completetheir clinical rotations.

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In addition to study guides and objectives,

students have access to other learning materi-als. The Library portal provides access to ExamMaster, a program that allows them to create andtake practice examinations over the various sys-tems. The Library also provides print and onlineboard review books and study guides. Practiceexaminations for United States Medical Licens-ing Exam (USMLE) and Physician AssistantNational Certifying Examination (PANCE) arealso available. Results are captured and can beused by students to focus on areas in which they H[SHULHQFHGGLIÀFXOW\ Communication andcultural competency Formal assessment A

s noted in Core Component 3a, one out-come that all DMU graduates, regardless of academic program, are expected to dem-

onstrate is to “value the human experience withsensitivity to individual and cultural differences.”

Des Moines University offers many courses and experiences to train students in sensitivity and toconvey that one way of examining or talking witha patient will not work for all patients. Within thedidactic portions of the curricula, courses suchas the D.O. and CPMS Physical Diagnosis, PAEthics, M.P.H. Global Health Cultural Implica-tions, and M.P.H. Foundations for Global Healthall include objectives or activities that seek totrain students to be sensitive to the uniquenessof others.

Given the traditional didactic nature of such courses, the most prevalent method for assess-ing student competence in these areas is writtenexaminations. However, in the case of the M.P.H.Global Health Cultural Implications course, 25 SHUFHQWRIWKHSRLQWVSRVVLEOHIRUWKHÀQDO

written assignment are based solely on howculturally appropriate the students’ approach toproviding health care is while they are in-countryon their global health experience. In the case ofcivic engagement, students must complete a pre-and post-course assessment in order to pass thecourse.^ C U LT U R A L S EN SI T I V I T Y O B J ECT I V ES

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The Standardized Performance Assessment Laboratory (SPAL) provides another opportunityto assess students’ communication styles withvarious populations. For each case, standardizedpatients provide feedback to students that servesas a subjective assessment of their ability to effec-tively communicate. Although the standardizedpatients are not often racially diverse, they oftenare senior citizens, which provides students withthe opportunity to communicate effectively withthe elderly population. In addition, students inthe Medical Spanish elective are required to workthrough a case in which the standardized patientis Spanish-speaking.

In the Simulation Center, a few cases involving about 30 students annually feature language bar-riers with a Spanish-speaking or Russian-speak-ing patient. These scenarios help students realize

the need for translators and how to properlyutilize their services.

Several of the programmatic accreditation RUJDQL]DWLRQVDVVRFLDWHGZLWKVSHFLÀF'08 academic programs, including Council on Osteo-pathic College Accreditation (COCA), Council onPodiatric Medical Education (CPME) and Councilon Education for Public Health (CEPH), haveestablished core competencies associated with cul-tural sensitivity and diversity.

For example, DMU’s College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery has aligned its learning FRPSHWHQFLHVWRUHÁHFWWKRVHPDQGDWHGE\WKH CPME. The criteria specify that podiatrists will“practice with professionalism, compassion, andconcern and in an ethical fashion regardless ofthe patient’s social class, gender, racial or ethnicbackground.”

Several core competencies outlined by CEPH address communication and cultural competency: ‡

COMMUNICATION

—Listens to others in an

unbiased manner, respects points of views ofothers, and promotes the expression of diverseopinions and perspectives. ‡

CULTURAL COMPETENCY

—Utilizes appropri-

ate methods for interacting sensitively, effec-tively, and professionally with persons fromdiverse cultural, socio-economical, educational,racial, ethnic, and professional backgroundsand persons of all ages and lifestyle prefer- HQFHV,GHQWLÀHVWKHUROHRIFXOWXUDOVRFLDODQG behavioral factors in determining the deliveryof public health services; Develops and adaptsapproaches to problems that take into accountcultural differences; Understands the dynamicforces contributing to cultural diversity; andUnderstands the importance of a diverse publichealth work force.Similarly, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) includesseveral criteria addressing the consideration ofpatients’ differences, values and preferences whencommunicating with patients as well as develop-

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ing patient care plans (CC 5.18, 5.34, 5.41, 5.50).When last evaluated by CAPTE, the Des MoinesUniversity Doctor of Physical Therapy programwas found to be in complete compliance withthese criteria.

Each student in the clinical programs (D.O., D.P.M., D.P.T., and PA) completes a Myers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTI) assessment and is thenprovided with a two-hour interpretation workshop DQGFODVVIDFLOLWDWHGE\RQHRIVHYHUDOTXDOLÀHG trainers on campus. PA and D.P.T. students alsocomplete three two-hour modules in Flex Care.The Flex Care communication training providesstudents a tool that builds on existing communi-cation skills by setting everyday interactions intoa simple framework. The underlying premise isthat because people have different preferencesabout being approached, gaining information, andmaking decisions, using only one communica-tion style is not optimal. Participants learn tipsfor communicating with people with differentpersonality types. M.H.A. and M.P.H. studentshave access to the MBTI assessment, but that iscurrently an elective in those programs.

Effective communication is also addressed and assessed during the clinical phases of all clinicalprograms. In the health care arena, communica-tion is continuous and involves many different JURXSVRISHRSOH6WXGHQWVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVWDONLQJZLWKSDWLHQWVDQGIDPLOLHVGLVFXVVLQJWKHLUÀQG

-

ings with their attending physicians and precep-tors, and coordinating care with other membersof the health care team. A health care provider’seffectiveness is highly dependent on the ability to FRPPXQLFDWHHIIHFWLYHO\7KLVFDQEHGLIÀFXOWHYHQ under the best of conditions, but when a patientin pain or a life-threatening condition is added tothe mix, it is extremely important that the studentcan communicate calmly, succinctly, and clearlywith everyone involved.

Through a unique agreement with ToastmastersInternational, DMU’s Master of Health Care Admin-istration program offers two courses designed to^ LUOHUJLZ[\KLU[Z»JVTT\UPJH[PVUJVTWL[LUJ`!^ Run a Great Meeting and Give a Great Presentation.

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nicated both verbally and in writing. Learningobjectives dealing with effective communicationskills are included in the various evaluationsused by preceptors in each clinical program. Werecently started using a system called E*Value.This system allows both students and preceptorsto use one system for tasks that were once com-pleted by hand and then submitted individuallyfor each student. Previously, individual studentperformance could be assessed, but group per-formance data was not easily aggregated. As of2011, a year’s worth of data can be extracted forreview. For instance, CPMS data shows that over90 percent of students meet the expectations for“communicating appropriately and profession-ally with attendings, residents, team members,and other health care professionals” and alsofor “communicating appropriately and profes-sionally with patients and family members.” Inboth cases, approximately 75 percent of studentsexceeded expectations or were judged outstandingin that area.

Lastly, an important part of health care train- ing is recognizing when it is not appropriate tocommunicate. For instance, all clinical students

DUHWUDLQHGLQWKHDUHDVRISDWLHQWFRQÀGHQWLDO

-

ity and how to comply with the Health InsurancePortability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Stu-dents found to be non-compliant with professional FRQÀGHQWLDOLW\RU+,3$$UHTXLUHPHQWVDUHWDNHQ to the respective Student Promotion and Evalu-ation Committee (SPEC) for potential disciplineor remedial recommendations. Other communica-tion issues as they relate to professionalism arecovered elsewhere in this document. Student self-assessment

Health Care Administration has recently be- gun a curriculum-mapping project using the Na-tional Center for Healthcare Leadership’s HealthLeadership Competency Model, which includesinterpersonal understanding as a critical processin developing health care leaders. The requiredinternship experiences in the M.H.A. and M.P.H.programs also provide opportunities for studentsto self-assess their growth in cultural compe-tency. Using the Council of Linkages (M.P.H.)and National Center for Health Care Leadership(M.H.A.) core competencies as a backdrop, allstudents must rate themselves on each of the com-petencies and provide evidence-based informationshowing how and why they feel they are meet-ing each of these core competencies. In addition,during the program orientation courses, studentsrate themselves against these same criteria toprovide an opportunity to measure the growththey have experienced throughout the program. Cultural competence

According to the National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Compe-tence (2001),

Cultural competence refers to the processby which individuals and systems respondrespectfully and effectively to people of allcultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic

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backgrounds, religions, and other diversityfactors in a manner that recognizes, af- ÀUPVDQGYDOXHVWKHZRUWKRILQGLYLGXDOV families, and communities and protectsand preserves the dignity of each. Culturalcompetence is a set of congruent behaviors,attitudes, and policies that come togetherin a system or agency or among profes-sionals and enable the system, agency, orprofessionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. The didactic curricula in nearly all our pro-

grams include content and objectives that pro-mote diversity and cultural awareness. Whilemuch of this information is contained in ethics orethics-like course work, examples of more intenseand unique opportunities to become culturallyaware are numerous. During their third year,students in our D.P.M. program view a series of VKRUWÀOPVWLWOHG

Worlds Apart

that follow pa-

tients and their families faced with critical medi-cal decisions as they navigate the health caresystem. The series aims to raise awareness abouthow cultural barriers affect patient-provider com-munication and other aspects of care for patientsof diverse backgrounds. Faculty members in theD.P.M. program meet with students for facilitated GLVFXVVLRQDIWHUYLHZLQJWKHVHÀOPV

While these classroom exercises are designed to raise student awareness of issues related todiversity and cultural differences and to uncoverany biases they may possess, students needhands-on opportunities to put these competenciesinto practice. As our Global Health website states,“The global health experience can no longer beconsidered an elective in medical education butrather one that is absolutely required. Preparingtomorrow’s physicians is not just about being ableto recognize exotic infectious diseases and skindisorders in the medically disadvantaged; moreimportantly, it is a strong awareness of the con-nectedness we all share in today’s increasinglycomplex cultures, economies and political world.”

Last year, DMU students volunteered over 2,000 hours at free clinics throughout the commu-nity. Many of these clinics serve populations thatare culturally more diverse than our own Universi-ty community and students’ communities of origin.

For example, La Clinica de la Esperanza (Clinic of Hope) is a community-based clinic thatprovides service to under-served Latino patientsof all ages. Last year, more than four dozen DMUstudents volunteered their time working at LaClinica. The Islamic Center of Des Moines alsooperates a free clinic where DMU students oftenvolunteer.

Students in our D.P.T. program are required to take a Civic Engagement course. This require-ment encourages their development as socially re-sponsible professionals with greater awareness ofcommunity resources. Service is required in threecategories: 1) to the community, 2) to the profes-sion, and 3) to the University. Projects involvingunder-served or diverse populations are encour-aged. The goals of these activities include develop-ing these understandings: a sense of professionaland social responsibility that extends beyondwork and job expectations, an awareness of fac-tors that impact health and access to communityservices, and the ability to adapt communication VNLOOVDQGEHKDYLRUVWRUHÁHFWUHVSHFWDQGVHQVL

-

tivity to individual differences. Global awareness S

tudent demand for global educational op-portunities, including health educationprograms, is at an unprecedented level.

Nationally, more than 30 percent of all medicalstudents spend some period of time overseas aspart of their training. Des Moines University hasresponded to our students’ requests by establish-ing a department of Global Health, housed withinthe College of Osteopathic Medicine, whichcoordinates the University’s efforts to provide

global educational opportunities to all our stu-dents and to provide health care services to theglobal community. Clinical training opportunities

Our Global Health program provides all students, as well as some alumni and staff, an op-portunity to gain cultural and clinical competen-cies as they learn and work in another country.Working through Global Health, students canparticipate in medical service trips, typically toSouth and Central America, or complete electiveclinical rotations (for credit) around the world.Since 2006, nearly 100 students have participatedin medical service trips, and more than 200 stu-dents from 6 different programs have completedclinical rotations in nearly 24 countries. Whilemedical service trips typically last for only oneweek, clinical rotations abroad can last for as longas two months.

As the number of students traveling abroad has increased, so has the University’s support andinfrastructure for Global Health. The departmentis now led by a full-time associate dean (YogeshShah, M.D.) with a full-time administrative assis-tant. Policies and curriculum have been devel-oped to protect student safety and ensure that theeducational needs of our students are met.

Prior to departure, students are required to complete training modules (online and podcast)that discuss issues related to cultural competencyand personal safety. To assess the impact of theirinternational experience, students are requiredto complete a Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI)prior to departure, and again following theirreturn. The GPI is a 46-question survey designedto measure changes in attitude and behaviors re-sulting from exposure to individuals from differ-ent cultures. The pre- and post-experience surveyresults are compiled for each college as well as forall DMU students every six months. The GPI as-sessment tool collects information on the studentsin three domains: cognitive, intrapersonal, and

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interpersonal. The latest scores show small, but VLJQLÀFDQWJDLQVLQDOOWKUHHGRPDLQV Joe Kimbell, D.O.’13, helps meet the need for medi-cal care in Guatemala. “The thing that stands outmost for me was seeing all these people who, if theylived in America, wouldn’t have their problems,”says Kimbell. “Many had nothing, but they were sograteful and enjoy the simple things in life. Thatreally sticks with me.”

In addition to completing any programmatic VSHFLÀFSRVWURWDWLRQDOHYDOXDWLRQVVWXGHQWV are asked to provide a report that describes thehealth care system in the country they visited,list the three major health issues they encoun-tered in the community they rotated in, andoffer solutions or ideas to improve the health andsustainability of that community.

A University-wide Global Health committee meets quarterly and serves in an advisory roleto the Global Health program. This committeecontributes to the improvement, developmentand evolution of our Global Health initiatives. Aseparate Safety Committee meets annually to re-view all documents and policies related to studentsafety while traveling abroad.

Des Moines University has a very active student body involved in 42 student clubs and 16interest groups, honorary societies and special DIÀOLDWLRQV$OOFOXEVDUHUHTXLUHGWRGHÀQHDW

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least one community service project as a require-ment for recognition by the University, but thereare several whose main emphasis is on diversepopulations.

Recently, a new Global Health Student Club was formed on campus to help communicate glob-al health activities to interested students. Theclub is a medical outreach program that providesmedical care for the indigent populations of theWestern hemisphere through mission work.

Another student organization, the Interna- tional Medicine Club, is “aimed at promoting theimportance of multiculturalism in society today….The International Medicine Club has been a vitalpart of DMU’s commitment to cultural awarenessand the celebration of the diversity in America.”

On a local level, service is provided through DMU’s Homeless Camp Outreach (HCO) studentgroup. HCO seeks to establish personal, caringrelationships with the homeless around the DesMoines metro area that validate the campers’dignity and humanity. Since 2008, this group hasworked to establish trust with this populationthrough repeated visits. Their work has expandedto provide free medical care through the acquisi-

tion of the DMU Mobile Clinic. This Mobile Clinicis also used by other groups to broaden the Uni-versity’s outreach to these diverse populations;for example, we have contracts with Free Clinicsof Iowa and Proteus, which provides services tomigrant farm workers.

For a complete list of student clubs, see the

Academic Catalog or www.dmu.edu/student-services/student-clubs-and-organizations. Competence inusing technology A

ll students use technology in their academ-ic training programs. Those on campus use the wireless capability found through-

out campus. In addition, the major lecture hallsand auditorium provide for wired access. Bothon-campus and distance students access curricu-lar content through the ANGEL learning man-agement system. All lecture halls are currentlyequipped for lecture capture.

All students must know how to access informa- tion resources through the Library portal, a skill WDXJKWE\WKH/LEUDU\VWDIIGXULQJWKHÀUVW\HDU of study. The Evidence-based Medicine course re-quires students to show competence in conductingevidence-based reviews of the literature.

Other examples of available technology include E*Value, which clinical students use to tracktheir patient encounters; Turning Point, whichprovides for student/instructor feedback andinteraction; TurnItIn and RefWorks, which helpstudents learn how to properly cite sources andavoid plagiarizing; and Adobe Connect Pro andother mechanisms used to bring people togethereven though they may be geographically farapart. The Sim Center is another example of tech-nology in support of student learning.

A number of the core competencies of indi- vidual programs also deal with technology. For

example, D.O. students must meet these Commis-sion on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA)competencies: ‡

Use information technology to support theirdiagnostic and therapeutic decisions as well asfor patient education (1.0 Osteopathic PatientCare and 1.7.3 teamwork and documentation). ‡

Demonstrate the ability to use informationtechnology to manage and access online medi-cal information (3.7 integrating evidence intoclinical practice).One objective of the Evidence-based Medicine course includes the “ability to retrieve (from elec-tronic databases and other resources), manage,and utilize biomedical information for solvingproblems and making decisions that are relevantto the care of individuals and populations.”

Students in the M.P.H. program are required to apply data collection processes, informationtechnology applications, and computer systemsstorage/retrieval strategies. In addition, M.P.H.students must be able to use the media, advancedtechnologies, and community networks to com-municate information. In order to meet theserequirements, a new elective was developed forthe M.P.H. program, Technology Applications inHealth Promotion and Public Health. This course DGGUHVVHVWKHHIIHFWLYHQHVVDQGHIÀFLHQF\RIWHFK

-

nology in public communication (such as websitesand multimedia) that are dependent upon thequality of the strategies and methods used. This FRXUVHSUHSDUHVWKHSXEOLFKHDOWKRIÀFLDOZLWKSUR

-

tocol and skills to integrate various technologiesin promoting public health awareness. The stu-dent is provided with the basics of website design,message design, and instructional design, andthen explores the research and principles of howpeople learn. Students are expected to participatein critical thinking activities and in the develop-ment of a public health website resource, as wellas demonstrate basic understanding of designmethods and learning principles. In addition toquizzes over the material, students must also

The Pediatrics Club interacts with school childrenduring “What’s in the Doctor’s Bag?” Many of oureducational outreach activities focus on schools inlow-income neighborhoods.

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engage in group discussions and collaborate tobuild wikis that cover material presented in the FRXUVH7KLVFRXUVHZDVÀUVWRIIHUHGLQ6XPPHU 2010.

Five core competencies in the M.H.A. program address information technology, including these: ‡

3!05-694(;065;,/5636.@*^ MANAGEMENT

—the ability to see the potential

in and understand the use of administrativeand clinical technology and decision-supporttools in process and performance improvement. ‡

L12.4 SEEKS AND CHALLENGES THEORGANIZATION TO USE LEADING-EDGE ANDDEVELOPING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

in

ways that fundamentally alter the way theorganization operates or promotes wellness.The Health Information and Decision Analysis course, which is offered both face-to-face and on-line, can also be taken as an elective in the M.P.H.program. The course prepares students to effec-tively use and manage information in a healthcare context. Topics include the evolution, diffu-sion and management of health care informationtechnology; strategies and methods for planning,designing, and implementing strategic healthinformation systems and health decision supportsystems; and human-computer interactions.

An interprofessional/college research proj- ect was also conducted to evaluate the impactof podcasts on student learning. Faculty fromCOM and CHS tested the effect of podcasts onstudent learning. Professor of Anatomy CraigCanby reported, “The podcast quality and ease of24/7 access enabled students to optimize learn-ing by time-shifting their study of the material.Moreover, students overwhelmingly indicated apositive effect on their learning and enthusiasti-cally endorsed the adoption of podcasts in otherUniversity courses.”

:;<+,5;7,9:7,*;0=,! Bethany Morath

Bethany Morath, M.P.H.’10, originally wanted to be a public health administrator. But a Global Health class H[SDQGHGKHUYLHZRIWKHðHOG'XULQJKHULQWHUQVKLS she explored a new dimension of public health: com-munity education.

0RUDWKâVLQWHUQVKLSSURMHFWZDVRUJDQL]LQJDSXEOLF health assessment for the Knox County, Illinois, HealthDepartment. Her supervisor, director of commu-nity health improvement Michele Fishburn, praisedMorath’s “grasp of public health,” her broad perspec-tive, and her “ability to identify core issues.”

During her internship, Morath produced a 21-page

analysis of how the local health system performed.The report helped her pull together everything she’dlearned in her courses. Her work on the health as- VHVVPHQWSURMHFWDOVRFRQðUPHG0RUDWKâVVHQVHWKDW public health education is her calling. RECOMMENDATIONS FORCORE COMPONENT 4C: We assess the usefulness of ourcurricula to students who will liveand work in a global, diverse, andtechnological society.

With training in several different health pro- fessions being offered on our campus, we have anopportunity to foster additional interprofessionaleducational experiences. Although the Universityhas begun to turn its attention to this area, wewill need to work hard to get past old models that PDNHWKLVGLIÀFXOWLQFOXGLQJVFKHGXOLQJGLIÀFXO

-

ties when trying to work around the curriculaof several different programs. A more concertedeffort to promote interprofessional educationwould further foster team learning when studentsparticipate in the clinical phase of the variousprograms.

Two things need to be done to ensure that all competencies are covered: ‡

All programs need to complete their curricu-lum maps. ‡

Coverage of cultural competency in allprograms needs to be reviewed.Once students are away on clinical rotations and are not taking multiple exams each week,keeping up on self-directed studying may be more GLIÀFXOWIRUVRPH&RQVLVWHQWURXWLQHXSGDWHV done through online courses may be helpful sothat advisors are more assured that students aredoing what they need to do to keep up.

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CORE COMPONE NT 4 D

We provide support to ensure thatfaculty, students, and staff acquire,discover, and apply knowledgeresponsibly. DMU’s strategic plan includes statements of ourvision, mission, and values that demonstrate oursupport of the discovery of knowledge and our ex-pectations of integrity and professionalism. Ourvision states that “the University will improvethe health of society through its distinctive healthprofessions graduates, focus on health promotion,discovery of knowledge, empowerment of indi-vidual responsibility for health, and direct serviceto the community.” Our mission is to “developdistinctive health professionals committed tohealth promotion, the discovery of knowledge, andservice to the community.”

Three of the University’s core values address professionalism and integrity. ‡

LEADERSHIP

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progress and accountability while fosteringengagement and integrity. ‡

PROFESSIONALISM

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behavior that demonstrates trustworthiness,honesty, mutual respect and ethical practice. ‡

LEARNING

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educational practices, foster inquiry, and en-courage life-long learning.Over the past decade, DMU has dramatically increased involvement in basic, clinical, andeducational research. As a result of our increasedresearch activities, we have established new poli-cies, re-evaluated old policies, and implementedmechanisms that ensure that our faculty, staff,and students acquire, discover, and apply knowl-edge responsibly.

To best prepare our students for careers in

medicine and health care that require teamwork,respect for colleagues and patients, and dedica-tion to ethical behavior, we have created curriculaand policies to develop professionalism in our stu-dents. Additionally, our policies and proceduresfoster the development of a culture of integrityand responsibility in our faculty and staff. Codes of conduct A

s future health care educators, practitionersand providers, we are expected to act in a PDQQHUUHÁHFWLYHRIRXUFKRVHQSURIHV

-

sions. Over the last decade, a culture of profes-sionalism and ethical standards has evolvedinside and outside of the classroom. Our studenthandbooks, curricular requirements, employee

policies and procedures place high importance onprofessional codes of conduct, honor, and integrity. White Coat Ceremony andProfessional Codes of Conduct

Each student handbook includes the Profes- sional Integrity Code (formerly the Honor Code) DVZHOODVSURIHVVLRQVSHFLÀFFRGHVRIFRQGXFW However, no single document emphasizes our Uni-versity’s expectation of professionalism and ethi-cal conduct more than our White Coat Ceremony. Pharmaceutical Conflictof Interest Policy

In June of 2008, a task force of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) releasedits report on Industry (Pharmaceutical) Fund-ing of Medical Education. This task force was FKDUJHGZLWKH[DPLQLQJWKHEHQHÀWVDQGSLWIDOOV associated with industry funding of medicaleducation. It also developed principles, recom-mendations, and guidelines to assist membersin refashioning industry relationships to betterconform to high standards of medical profession-alism. In response to this AAMC report, as wellas DMU students’ concerns about the potentialimpact that pharmaceutical and biomedical de-vice industries may have on their education andhow they practice as clinicians, the University HVWDEOLVKHGDQHZ3KDUPDFHXWLFDO&RQÁLFWRI Interest policy. This policy establishes guidelinesfor interactions between industry representativesand students as well as health care staff andfaculty of Des Moines University. The policy wasreviewed using a scorecard developed by AMSAand the Pew Prescription Project to encouragemedical schools nationally to strengthen poli-cies limiting the contact, interaction and fund-ing between the pharmaceutical companies andmedical school faculty and students. This policyreceived an initial grade of

D

. The President’s

Cabinet charged the Clinic administrator and

,HJOMHSSHSSÄYZ[`LHYZ[\KLU[ZPUV\YJSPUPJHS programs are given a white coat sponsored byan individual alumnus or Alumni Relations. Theydon the white coat to symbolize our core values ofProfessionalism and Humanism. As they sign theProfessional Integrity Code, a member of the AlumniAssociation witnesses their signatures. The signeddocument is then hung in the primary classroom ofeach program. Finally, students take an oath indi-cating their willingness to assume the obligationsand responsibilities of a medical and health careprofessional.

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the provost with revising the policy in order to IXUWKHUOLPLWWKHLQÁXHQFHRIWKHSKDUPDFHXWLFDO industry. The campus hosted Dr. Allan Coukellfrom the Pew Prescription Project, as well asother speakers who addressed pharmaceutical FRQÁLFWVRILQWHUHVWDQGKHOGVHYHUDORSHQIRUXPV to discuss possible policy revisions. Dr. VictorKaylarian, Clinic Director Cheryl Dahms, andProvost Karen McLean then drafted a revisedpolicy that was submitted to AMSA in 2010. Acollective cheer was registered in December whenDMU was awarded a grade of

A

for the policy and

related documents. DMU was one of only threemedical schools nationally to increase from a

D

to

an

A

on the PharmFree Scorecard. Only 19 of the

152 medical schools in the nation received an

A

.

An important component of this new policy

is the development of an interprofessional cur-ricular module that is designed to help students XQGHUVWDQGWKHFRQÁLFWVWKDWPD\DULVHEHWZHHQ industry representatives and health care profes-sionals and how to develop and sustain productiveand ethical relationships. Ethics curricula A

ccording to our values, Des MoinesUniversity is committed to fostering an

environment of “interpersonal behavior

that demonstrates trustworthiness, honesty, mu-tual respect and ethical practice.” As a healthsciences University, we are obligated to instill inour students the ethical and professional behav-iors that their future peers and patients willexpect of them.

Each of our academic programs includes required course work that addresses ethical is-sues that students, practitioners and leaders intheir professions may face. In addition to re-search integrity, common subjects include ethical JXLGHOLQHVIRUSDWLHQWFDUHSDWLHQWFRQÀGHQWLDOLW\

protecting personal health information, informedconsent and clinical ethical dilemmas.

Although these curricular components have

been in place for many years, in most of ourprograms there has been an expansion in contacthours, an increased diversity in topics covered,and greater use of small group discussions andcase-based learning to more actively engagestudents. Assessment of professionalism T

he assessment of our students’ adherenceto professional and ethical guidelines isnot limited to encounters on campus and in

the classroom. In fact, during their clinical rota-tions and internships, all students in our clinicalprograms are evaluated by their preceptors inareas related to professionalism and ethics. Theseinclude reliability, response to feedback, self-directed learning, patient interactions, culturalsensitivity, working relationships, patient privacy, FRQÁLFWPDQDJHPHQWDQGPDLQWHQDQFHRIOHJDO practice standards.

Before even beginning these clinical encoun-

ters, students are made aware of these expec-tations as part of their syllabus and rotationobjectives documentation. Meeting these criticalcriteria is necessary for a student to successfully FRPSOHWHHDFKVSHFLÀFLQWHUQVKLSDQGURWDWLRQ Research integrity training F

or more than 15 years, DMU has had anAlleged Misconduct in Research Policy thatapplies to all faculty, staff, students, and

administrators. This policy largely dealt with theprocedures for investigating alleged instancesof research misconduct and did not address the

University’s responsibility for creating a climateof integrity in research and scholarly endeavors.

We have always abided by statutory require- ments to provide training for investigatorsengaged in studies involving animal and humansubjects. Although research ethics has been acurricular component of many academic programsfor more than a decade, this topic area has recent- O\EHHQH[SDQGHGDQGGLYHUVLÀHGLQLWVRIIHULQJ In addition, we have begun providing training inresearch ethics to include those students, par-ticularly undergraduates, who participate in ourMentored Research Program. Since 2005, morethan 250 undergraduates have completed thisethics training. Responsible conduct of research

In the fall of 2010, the University approved a Responsible Conduct of Research policy thatrequires all faculty, staff members and studentsengaged in research or research-associated activi-ties to complete training modules on responsibleresearch conduct before engaging in research.Renewal of training must be completed everythree years. DMU has outlined a program of in-struction modeled after guidelines set forth by theNational Institutes of Health (NIH). Ten areasare addressed: principles of research integrity;Research Misconduct, Data Management, Con- ÁLFWRI,QWHUHVW&ROODERUDWLYH6FLHQFH5HVSRQ

-

sible Authorship, Mentoring, Peer Review, LabAnimals, and Human Subjects. Statutory elements A

s an institution involved in biomedical,clinical and educational studies, we are ob- ligated to comply with a variety of statutes

that regulate our activities. These include, butare not limited to, elements that regulate the useof radiochemicals, animals, human subjects,

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recombinant DNA, biological and chemical haz-ards, and patient and student records.

The development of University policies that en- sure compliance with these statutory elements, aswell as the monitoring of faculty, staff, and stu-dent compliance with these policies, is largely theresponsibility of the vice president for Researchand several research compliance committees(Institutional Review Board—IRB, InstitutionalAnimal Care and Use Committee—IACUC,Institutional Biosafety Committee—IBC, andRadiation Safety Committee—RSC) composed offaculty, staff and University administrators. Institutional Review Board (IRB)

All faculty and students who engage in human subjects research are required to complete severalonline modules on the protection of human sub-jects, developed by the Collaborative InstitutionalTraining Initiative (CITI).

After an incident where students were not aware that they were violating HIPAA guide-lines as they extracted information from medicalrecords, the dean of Research, the IRB chair andvice chair, and University Counsel reviewed allopen protocols involving retrospective medicalchart reviews.

In addition, the external research review team that visited in December 2010 recommended thatmembers of the DMU IRB Board complete ad-ditional training in order to more appropriatelyguide both DMU faculty and student researchers.The team recommended that the mandatory cur-ricular components be enhanced to address a va-riety of clinical research scenarios that studentsmay encounter during clinical rotationsand residency programs.

In response, all IRB members were required to complete CITI IRB training as well as thenew PRIM&R online training. All attended theIRB 250 cosponsored by DMU and PRIM&Rin September 2011. All DO students are nowrequired to complete CITI IRB training so they

have a greater awareness of how to protect hu-man subjects, and all DMU students who submitprotocols to the IRB must complete the IRB CITItraining on protection of human subjects. Institutional Animal Care and UseCommittee (IACUC)

The IACUC is responsible for overseeing and evaluating programs that use animals in teach-ing and research, and for ensuring compliancewith federal animal welfare regulations, PublicHealth Service policies on the humane care anduse of laboratory animals, and recommenda-tions outlined in the Guide for the Care and Useof Laboratory Animals (Institute for LaboratoryAnimal Research; National Research Council).Detailed information regarding our policies onthe use and care of laboratory animals and ourcompliance with federal regulations can be foundin the Des Moines University Guide to AnimalCare and Use.

As a demonstration of our commitment to research integrity, DMU has voluntarily partici-pated in the accreditation and assessment pro-grams set forth by the Association for Assessmentand Accreditation of Laboratory Animal CareInternational (AAALAC). These programs ensurethat DMU meets and, in many cases, exceeds theminimal federal standards for animal use andcare. From 1981 to 2009, Des Moines Univer-sity achieved full accreditation from AAALAC.In 2009, our accreditation was deferred due to SURJUDPPDWLFGHÀFLHQFLHVLGHQWLÀHGGXULQJDQ$$$/$&VLWHYLVLW7KHVHGHÀFLHQFLHVKDGDULVHQ since our prior successful accreditation.

DMU’s quick and comprehensive response to AAALAC’s report is indicative of our ongo-ing commitment to the responsible acquisitionof knowledge. Within 60 days of receiving noticeof our deferred accreditation status, two out-side consultants were brought onto campus, ourIACUC committee was restructured, and ourIACUC committee chair, attending veterinarian,

a research administrator, and our institutional RIÀFLDO SURYRVW DQG,$&8&PHPEHUVDOOFRP

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pleted or registered to receive additional training.A number of new policies were written and ap-proved; older policies were revised. Additionally,substantial University funds were committedto renovating our existing animal care facility.These actions met and went well beyond the rec-ommendations made by AAALAC. In May 2010,AAALAC awarded full accreditation. Controlled substances

In March 2010, a student brought forward a concern related to the amount of controlledsubstances being ordered and delivered to thelab, which greatly exceeded the amount requiredfor the research being conducted. The UniversityCounsel initiated an internal investigation and,as required by Iowa statute, reported to the IowaBoard of Pharmacy that a considerable amountof controlled substance could not be accountedfor. During this self-report to the Iowa Board ofPharmacy, the University learned the institutionhad not renewed its controlled substance registra-tion for the past 22 months although the personin charge of compliance had continued to orderand obtain controlled substances from a variety ofvendors. Immediately, University Counsel seques-tered all existing controlled substances utilizedin animal research labs and turned them over tothe Iowa Board of Pharmacy for reverse distribu-tion. The president immediately assigned anotherfaculty member to be the individual responsiblefor ordering and tracking controlled substances.In addition, University Counsel, the provost andthe faculty member appointed as the new FederalDrug Enforcement Agency (DEA) designee devel-oped a much more stringent controlled substancepolicy for the campus. DMU then negotiated asettlement agreement with the Iowa Board of 3KDUPDF\WKDWZDVÀQDOL]HGLQHDUO\2FWREHU 2010. At that time, the Iowa Board of Pharmacygranted DMU a more limited controlled sub-

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D M U S E L F- ST U DY

stances registration. In early 2011 we reviewedthe newly granted Iowa license and internalpolicies with the DEA. That agency advised us ofadditional ways that our licensing structure andinternal policies could be altered to implementthe most stringent internal and external monitor-ing. We chose to make those changes, and a newpolicy and licensing structure was implementedin May 2011. The new Controlled Substances in 5HVHDUFKDQG7HDFKLQJSROLF\UHÁHFWVEHVWSUDF

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tices for research controlled substance usage. Radiation Safety Committee

Although DMU’s usage of radioisotopes is small compared to major biomedical researchinstitutes, we are still held to many of the samestate and federal policies that regulate their use.DMU’s isotope usage is overseen by the institu-tional Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) and ourhealth and safety coordinator, who is a member ofour Human Resources department. As part of ourlicensure, DMU is inspected every three years bythe Iowa Department of Public Health. Addition-ally, the RSC and our health and safety coordi-nator annually renew the University’s radiationprogram and prepare a report to the University SUHVLGHQW'HVSLWHWKHVLJQLÀFDQWLQFUHDVHLQ the use of radioisotopes on campus over the lastdecade, we have fully maintained our license for LVRWRSHXVHDQGKDYHQRWEHHQFLWHGIRUDQ\GHÀ

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ciencies or violations.

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report of the external research review team in-cluded a recommendation to conduct an externalaudit of all research oversight committee areas toassure that DMU is in compliance with all stateand federal requirements. The Board’s responseis detailed in the External Review of Researchsection of the Introduction.

RECOMMENDATIONS FORCORE COMPONENT 4D: We provide support to ensure thatfaculty, students, and staff acquire,discover, and apply knowledgeresponsibly.

Largely in response to student voices, SP Objective 1.6 calls for us to “strengthen our focuson academic integrity as a critical component ofstudent competence by reviewing and revising theHonor Code and other codes of conduct.” Plans areunder way to educate students on the new Profes-sional Integrity Code developed in the spring of2011; we encourage those efforts.

The team that conducted the external review of research in 2010 made several recommendationsabout strengthening compliance and providingmore mandatory training for any student sub-mitting a research protocol involving the use ofhuman subjects. Their recommendations and thePresident’s Cabinet’s response are summarizedin the External Review of Research section of theIntroduction.

In addition to our mandatory curricular requirements, the one-credit elective ClinicalResearch Methods/Ethics has been offered eachfall since 2004. The number of students who takethis course each year averages 16. The campusshould review the feasibility of making thiscourse mandatory for D.O. students who elect tocomplete a research rotation during their clinicalrotation years.

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D M U S E L F- ST U DY

INTERLEAF Plans for research D

MU has taken on the task of refocus- LQJWKH2IÀFHRI5HVHDUFK/HGE\WKHQHZO\GHÀQHGSRVLWLRQRIYLFHSUHVLGHQW

IRU5HVHDUFKWKHPLVVLRQRIWKHRIÀFHLVWRFUHDWH an environment that encourages and facilitates UHVHDUFKDWWKH8QLYHUVLW\7KHRIÀFHVWULYHV to provide high quality services to faculty andstudents and to increase the funding availableto support research, while protecting the Uni- YHUVLW\·VLQWHUHVWV7KHRIÀFHLVUHVSRQVLEOHIRU pre-award and some post-award administrationof grants and contracts, coordination of researchcurriculum and education, and compliance withall federal and state laws and regulations relatedto research. RESEARCH QUESTIONS—

What type of research

should we offer at DMU? Do all students need theopportunity to engage in a research experience?

DMU is actively reviewing the research cur- riculum offered among all colleges. Initial goalsare to strengthen collaborative interprofessional

offerings between programs where common objec-tives exist, while tailoring experiences that must EHVSHFLÀFWRLQGLYLGXDOSURJUDPV,QLWLDOHIIRUWV have included expanding compliance trainingfor all students in both responsible conduct ofresearch and use of human subjects and relateddata in research, along with a comprehensive re-view of research needs and opportunities in eachcollege and program. 64730(5,8<,:;065!

What should compli-

ance training and/or education consist of?

DMU has recognized that it is essential that we critically evaluate our compliance environ-ment, the nature and exercise of appropriateoversight, and our culture of research conduct. 7RWKLVHQGWKH2IÀFHRI5HVHDUFKGHÀQHGDQHZ Compliance Manager position and conducted anational search to identify a suitable candidate. 7KLVSRVLWLRQZDVÀOOHGLQ2FWREHU6XEVH

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quently a compliance self-study review will markthe progress that has been made and identifyareas where continued development is needed.In 2011, DMU has made a marked commitmentto compliance training by hosting IACUC 101

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and IRB 250 national meetings on campus. 73(5505.8<,:;065!

What are our current prac-

tices and needs? ‡

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

—The Master of

Biomedical Sciences program offers an impor-tant opportunity to expand research at theUniversity. We now have the opportunity tooffer graduate assistantships to recruit high- TXDOLW\JUDGXDWHUHVHDUFKHUV7KHÀUVWDVVLJQ

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ment of a graduate assistantship has gone to a KLJKO\TXDOLÀHGPLQRULW\VWXGHQW ‡

GRANTS MANAGEMENT

—The Grants Manager

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vice to principal investigators and increasingexternal funding. While building a portfolioof successful federal grants submissions will

WDNHWLPHSURJUHVVVKRXOGEHDLGHGE\GHÀQLQJ areas of research focus. ‡

AREAS OF RESEARCH EMPHASIS

—An initial

survey of individual research interests wasperformed campus-wide. In the fall of 2011, the 2IÀFHRI5HVHDUFKZLOOEULQJIDFXOW\JURXSV together to develop synergistic areas of empha-sis. The initial vision is that we will have threeareas of emphasis around which we can createcollaborative groups. We can begin to work onthose areas in the fall of 2011. While facultyhave diverse interests, the goal is to create sev-eral cohesive groups of researchers that can ex-pand and use the talents of our diverse faculty.This will mean faculty have to be adaptable tochange, and those who are not in one of thoseareas of emphasis may be concerned aboutbeing left without support. Alleviating thoseconcerns must be part of the process; the intentis not to reduce support, but to expand capacityto pursue more comprehensive external grants.This will give us an opportunity to attracttalented faculty with interests in these identi- ÀHGDUHDVRIHPSKDVLV:KHQKLULQJZHZLOOORRNÀUVWIRUVWURQJWHDFKHUVDQGVFKRODUV$OO things being equal, strategic hiring will allowus to coordinate the work of several research-ers into cohesive groups. ‡

GRANTS MANAGEMENT DATABASE

—The

2IÀFHRI5HVHDUFKLVFXUUHQWO\LPSOHPHQWLQJ a new grants management database. The data-base provides a tool to record and track grantspost-submission and will allow monitoringof key reporting dates both internally andexternally. The provost and vice presidentfor Research have also been networking withother campuses to explore compliance monitor-ing software. Comprehensive packages, suchas those used at the University of Iowa, couldmove the campus forward drastically.Assessments on these packages are beingcompleted now.