Vol. 1, No. 3, Summer 2009 - Rocky Vista University

Vista View
After what seemed to be a short
summer break, the 162 members of
the RVUCOM Class of 2013 arrived
on campus. They came accompanied
by family members and friends who
wanted to join them on their first step
toward a career as an osteopathic physician.
The Class of 2013 arrived amid
excitement and enthusiasm, armed with
the knowledge that they will derive
some benefit from the experiences of
Rocky Vista University College of
Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM)
announced the initial development of a
new Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training
Institution (OPTI), beginning with
the incorporation of Rocky Mountain
OPTI a Colorado 501 (c) (3) nonprofit
educational institution. When
fully implemented, the OPTI will be a
community-based consortium comprised
of medical schools, hospitals
and other clinical facilities.
The overall goals of Rocky Mountain
OPTI will be: to increase the
opportunities for graduate medical
education in Colorado with an emphasis
on the development of rural and
primary care training programs; to
provide continuity of educational experiences
from medical school through
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine . Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3 August 2009
A New Beginning Awaits Class of 2013
the inaugural class which will be available
to guide, mentor and counsel
them during their first year of
medical school.
When the members of the
Class of 2013 arrived on campus
they were greeted by a new, more
relaxed dress code, expanded
library hours, new faculty and
administration members, new policies
and energetic members of the
Class of 2012. Orientation week
was designed to give these new
students, their families and friends
an introduction to the process
of osteopathic medical education,
some perspectives on how
to succeed during the first year and an
opportunity to socialize informally with
school administration, faculty and other
students.
The week began officially on
Tuesday, July 28 with new student
check in and a presentation in the main
auditorium that began with Interim
Dean, Thomas Mohr, D.O. welcoming the
new students and introducing members
RVU Announces Development of Rocky Mountain OPTI
residency and fellowship training; to
help to keep physicians practicing
in underserved areas of Colorado;
to equip medical school graduates
with the ability and the motivation to
deliver comprehensive medical care in
rural Colorado.
Further development and implementation
of the new institution will
initially be led by Duane Brandau,
D.O., Ph.D., RVUCOM Associate Dean
of Clinical Affairs and Thomas Told,
D.O., RVUCOM Assistant Dean of
Clinical Education.
“Our role at this time”, said Dr.
Brandau, “is to initiate the process for
the OPTI to seek the requisite American
Osteopathic Association (AOA)
accreditation and further the development
and availability of osteopathic
of the faculty, staff and administration.
Wednesday featured panel discussions
with second-year students providing an
overview.
On Thursday the Class of 2013 received
HIPPA and OSHA training, had
lunch as the guests of the U. S. Army
and began to prepare for the White
Coat Ceremony.
Continued on Page 3
graduate medical education in Colorado
and the region.
According to Dr. Brandau, “Two
critical elements of Rocky Mountain
OPTI will be its emphasis on clinical
research and its approach toward
establishing a continuous curriculum
that will guide students from their first
year of medical school through graduate
medical education. “
Rocky Mountain OPTI will operate
independently from RVUCOM and will
address the needs of students who are
at different stages in their professional
medical education. The creation
of an OPTI is an AOA accreditation
requirement for providing graduate
osteopathic medical education.
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Newsletter Vol. 1 No.3 August 2009
1

Vista View
From the
Dean
This is an
exciting
time for
Rocky Vista
University,
and the
pages of
this newsletter
are packed with news and events
that demonstrate how our institution
is growing and changing by the day.
We are so pleased to welcome back
our inaugural class after their summer
break. These men and women
have gone out of their way to help
our new students adjust to the rigors
of medical school and have welcomed
their new colleagues with open arms.
On August 3rd, 2009, the student
body of RVUCOM literally doubled
in size overnight. Our new Class
of 2013 hit the ground running and
has already impressed faculty and
staff with its poise and dedication.
We have no doubt that they will be
successful on their journey through
One hundred and sixty-two new
osteopathic medical students matriculated
to RVUCOM on August 3, 2009.
The students were selected out of an
applicant pool of over 3000 candidates.
The Class of 2013 consists of 84
(52%) males and 78 (48%) females
originating from 33 states. Colorado
residents make up 43% of the class;
RVUCOM Admissions Welcomes Class of 2013
59% of the class originates from the
Mountain West Region. Top feeder
states include: Colorado (70), Utah
(10), California (9), Nebraska and
Oklahoma (6 each). Students range
in age from 21 – 46, with a mean age
of 26. Fifty-two students (32% of
the class) are related to a physician.
Seventeen have a parent who is a MD;
four are progeny of a DO.
medical school and we look forward
to getting to know each of them better
along the way.
To meet the needs of our growing
student body, we have spent the summer
actively recruiting new faculty
members and have added a number
of outstanding new faculty. We continue
to interview for several open
positions. The search for a permanent
dean is in full swing and should
be completed in the next 2 months.
During the summer months, the
Mountain West Research Foundation
was established and RVUCOM
faculty members submitted three National
Institutes of Health grants that
would total $45 million if funded.
RVU also has taken the first steps
towards accreditation of the Rocky
Mountain OPTI (osteopathic postgraduate
training institution) which
must be in place prior to the creation
of new residency programs.
As we continue to grow and
evolve, RVUCOM needs the help of
its clinical associates in the community
more than ever. Our newly
established Office of Clinical Education,
headed by Duane Brandau, D.O.,
Ph.D. and Tom Told, D.O., is currently
in the process of distributing affiliation
agreements with individual physicians
and physician groups who are
interested in taking 3rd and 4th year
medical students when they begin
their clinical rotations in the summer
of 2010. I would like to call
on all of our friends in the Colorado
medical community to sign up to help
educate the next generation of physicians.
Please call Dr. Brandau at
720-875-2802 or e-mail dbrandau@
RockyVistaUniversity.org for details.
You may have filled out the credentialing
forms for a clinical faculty
appointment, but you will need a
separate form that will get you on
the schedule for student rotations
and allow you to receive an educational
stipend for your services.
We look forward to working with
each of you as we continue to strive
for the highest degree of excellence
in medical education for Colorado,
the Mountain West Region, and
throughout the country. Thank you
for sharing the excitement of growth
and new opportunity with the
RVUCOM family.
Thomas Mohr, D.O., FACOI
Interim Dean/CAO
The Class of 2013 is very strong
academically. The average science
GPA for the class is 3.37 with a 3.46
cumulative GPA and a 25.80 composite
MCAT score. Twenty one members
(13%) of the class have earned an
advanced degree including 17 earned
Master degrees, 2 DCs, a PharmD and
a PhD in microbiology.
2 Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine . Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3
The Class of 2013 assembled for photos outside the building. Dean Mohr is in right foreground
August 2009

Vista View
Class of 2013
Continued From
Page 1
Because of
the cool, rainy
weather that
day, the Family
Picnic which had
been scheduled
for a nearby park
had to be moved
inside the school.
In spite of weather,
the catered
event was attended by hundreds of
diners who found places throughout
the school to “picnic” with family and
friends.
On Friday, after much preparation
and practice, the members of
the Class of 2013 participated in the
capstone event of orientation week,
the White Coat Ceremony. This
ceremony, which has become traditional
at osteopathic medical schools,
is designed to formally welcome and
induct new students into the process
of osteopathic medical education.
During the White Coat Ceremony
students came to the stage and were
ceremoniously assisted by a school
official as they put on their white
medical coats.
The RVUCOM White Coat Ceremony
was presided over by Interim Dean
Thomas Mohr, D.O.. Members of the
faculty were present to assist with
Brian Schwartz, Assistant Librarian -
Published “The Evolutionary Power of
“I Don’t Know”: Creating a Library in
40 Days and 40 Nights” in v34, No. 4,
2008 edition of Colorado Libraries.
Harry Porterfield, OMS II - Publication:
1: Porterfield HS, Murray
KS, Schlichting DG, Chen X, Hansen
KC, Duncan MW, Dreskin SC. Effector
activity of peanut allergens: a
critical role for Ara h 2, Ara h 6, and
their variants. Clin Exp Allergy. 2009
Jul;39(7):1099-108. Epub 2009 May
the ceremony along with RVU Chancellor
and founder, Mr. Yife Tien, RVU
Interim President, D. Robert Black,
Esq., and board of trustee members
Bruce Kaplan, D.O. and Lucy Chua,
M.D. Class of 2012 Student Doctors
and military officers Cecily DuPree,
Paul Moullet and Matthew Malivuk
opened the ceremony by presenting
the colors and Class of 2012 Student
Doctor Trista Newville sang the
National Anthem. Excitement and
anticipation hung in the room. The
Class of 2013 students entered the
auditorium in small groups and individually
approached the stage to announce
their names and hometowns.
Each time a student announced his
or her name, the auditorium erupted
into applause and cheers from the
crowd. Considering the enthusiasm
with which the crowd recognized
each student, it almost seemed as
Notable and Noteworthy
11. PubMed PMID: 19438581.
Danielle Schirm, OMS II - Received
an ACOFP Scholarship.
Rebecca Lewis, OMS II - Elected National
Parliamentarian of the Student
Association of the American College
of Osteopathic Family Physicians
(SAACOFP). Wrote the OMS Spotlight
article for “The DO” magazine
May 2009 edition.
Lana Gollyhorn, OMS I- Received the
RVUCOM Dean’s Scholarship.
Donna Diamond, OMS I - Received
though the audience was watching a
graduation ceremony rather than a
ceremony marking the start of a new
educational journey.
Each student took a place on
the stage facing the audience, and
standing in front of a member of the
faculty or administration. At the
designated moment, the school official
helped the student with his or
her white coat. The students left the
stage amid more applause and cheers.
After the last student had crossed the
stage and left the auditorium, all 162
of the students returned as a group
to take the osteopathic oath and to
pose for photographs. Family members
and friends attempted to frame
the perfect picture of their particular
student doctor. Everyone was smiling.
After the ceremony the Student
Advocates Association sponsored an
ice cream social for students and
their guests. It was a sweet ending
to the excitement of the White Coat
Ceremony and Orientation Week. It
also marked the beginning of a new
future for 162 aspiring osteopathic
physicians.
the RVUCOM Board of Trustees
Scholarship.
Tyler Hurst, OMS I - Received the
RVUCOM Chancellor’s Scholarship.
Loretta Graham, Ph.D., Asst. Dean
Human Performance & Evaluation
- Received “Outstanding Service”
award as Member-At-Large from the
Association of Standardized Patient
Educators (ASPE).
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3 August 2009
3

Vista View
Ten years ago Camille Bentley, D.O.
found herself embarking on a medical
mission to Guatemala. “It was something
that I felt I just had to do,” she said. Dr.
Bentley ultimately communicated her
desires to DOCARE, an organization
whose purpose is to provide health care
to indigent people in remote areas of the
Western Hemisphere and they helped her
by arranging the mission.
“ At the time, I had been teaching and
suddenly realized that it was time for me
to reach out further beyond myself and
do more to help people who were truly in
need. I really didn’t know much of anything
about Guatemala, but I remembered
that during my internship in southern
Florida, many of my patients were migrant
farm workers from Guatemala and I truly
liked working with them.”
Since that first visit to Guatemala, Dr.
Bentley has continued returning to the
little village of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala’s
Western Highlands twice each year for
the past decade.
Usually during each of these visits, she has
taken with her a group of student doctors
who along with other volunteers, record
patient vitals, diagnose ailments and
provide limited primary medical care for
people who might not otherwise even see
a physician except in the case of serious
trauma.
Life in the mountain villages of Guatemala
is lived simply. The altitude and the
weather there is very similar to Denver.
The villagers live in the most basic houses
where family members sleep together on
the floor. Most homes have no telephones,
running water or toilets, but, interestingly,
some homes have televisions. The diets of
the villagers consist mainly of corn
4
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3
A Mission to Serve in Guatemala
tortillas, fruits and vegetables that they
grow on the steep mountainside terrain
around their village.
The women particularly like to dress
in bright, vibrant colors that seem to
contrast with the simplicity of their daily
lives. Most of the people speak Spanish
along with a dialect of the language once
used by the ancient Mayans. The villagers’
mountain home in Lake Atitlan, while possessing
natural scenic beauty, generally
isolates them from even the most routine
medical care and over time they have developed
a fear of hospitals as places where
family and friends may go, but from which
they never return.
For this trip and the previous one,
Dr. Bentley was accompanied by another
RVUCOM faculty member, Kelli Glaser,
D.O. who assisted with leading the team of
volunteers. For Dr. Glazer, this visit was
her third trip to Guatemala. She too, has
felt the need to serve in a place where
people have a great need for service.
The RVUCOM student doctors who participated
in this mission included Kay Yien,
Kristen Knowles, Tabitha Thrasher, Joseph
Larouche, Andrew Oliver, Michael
Baier, Lindsey Rieck, Slade Bigelow,
Kristen Herbert, Dimitriy Scherbak and
Alice Major. These volunteers spent
long hours each day providing medical
care to the people of Lake Atitlan. They
examined and treated everyone who
lined up outside the small unstaffed clinic
in the village. They also made house
calls to the homes of villagers who were
unable to make the walk to the clinic.
At the end of each day the volunteers
made the trek back down the mountain
to have dinner, talk over the day’s events
and spend their nights at a hotel in the city
of Antigua.
In addition to their work in Lake
Atitlan, the volunteers also traveled to
six other surrounding villages during the
course of the two-week mission.
These twice yearly missions continue to
be operated under the auspices of DO-
CARE International. After her first visit
to Guatemala, Dr. Bentley became active
in DOCARE and ultimately served for a
time as the organization’s president.
During this most recent visit, the team
from RVUCOM saw approximately 900
patients. While it may have been possible
to see more patients, both Dr. Bentley and
Dr. Glaser believed that spending time to
establish a relationship with each patient
was more important than the total quantity
of patients they saw. This approach to
patient care is central to osteopathic medical
philosophy and is a practice that has
served Dr. Bentley well during the past ten
years as she treated the same families of
patients over time. She has provided medical
care for many of the children of Lake
Atitlan as they grew to become adults and
cared for the parents and grandparents as
they have aged.
Each year the number of people seeking
medical assistance grows as the villagers
become more comfortable with the
physicians and other medical volunteers
who periodically come to assist them. And,
each year new volunteers join the mission.
As a result, there are constant changes
within the groups that go out on these
missions.
One thing, however, will not change.
Dr. Camille Bentley has said that she will
continue to travel to Guatemala with these
missions twice each year as long as she is
able.
“After all,” she said, “now, the people
of the villages expect to see me.”

Vista View
Fourteen young, aspiring health care professionals
from 10 areas schools attended Rocky Vista
University College of Medicine’s (RVUCOM) first
annual M.A.S.H. (Medical Academy of Science and
Health) Camp. The day camp which was held from
June 22 through 26 at the university was designed
to give students an opportunity to learn more about
their own health and wellness, help them acquire
habits that will lead to more healthy lifestyles, and
encourage their interest in careers within the health
professions.
The format of the camp which was designed
primarily for students in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades
consisted of interactive class room discussion as
well as opportunities for daily laboratory exercises.
Students attended classes that included instruction in
diet and exercise, smoking, treatment and medications,
research and other subjects. Their laboratories
included hands on experience with
Kylie Kanze, D.O.: Dr. Kanzie completed
a pediatric residency at Children’s
Hospital of Michigan. Graduated from the
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
BS in Biology in 2000 from Pennsylvania
State University.
Franklin (Dick) Darrow, D.O., MA-
COI: Graduate of the Kansas City College
of Osteopathic Medicine in Kansas City,
Mo. Taught at the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine and Kirksville College.
Private practice for more than 30 years.
Jonathan Savage, D.O.: Board certified
emergency physician at Carepoint, P.C.
Clinical educator of transitional interns at
Presbyterian St. Luke’s medical Center
since 2001. Graduate of the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford
NJ. Bachelor of Science from the University
of Miami, Coral Gables, FL.
M.A.S.H. Camp Motivates Middle School Students
making and applying casts, treating and
dressing wounds and suturing. They
also had the opportunity to view human
anatomy first hand when they visited
Rocky Vista University’s anatomy lab
where they examined cadaver organs
and witnessed the actual location of organs
in the body.
On the final day of their laboratories
the students had a simulated diagnostic
experience. During this exercise, groups
of students were asked to evaluate and
diagnose an “undetermined” illness and to
identify the injuries suffered by a bicyclist
who had taken a bad fall.
All of the classes were designed and
taught by current RVUCOM student doctors
who volunteered their time and efforts
to assist in organizing the camp and developing the
camp’s curriculum.
RVUCOM students who participated in conducting
the camp included Rebecca Lewis, Morgan
Campbell, Courtney Crance, Cecily DuPree, Jake
Halvorsen, Heather Katz, Danielle Sedivy, Beth Lanning
and Liz Wasson.
The camp ended with a graduation ceremony
where RVUCOM Interim Dean, Thomas Mohr,
D.O., provided the graduation address and awarded
each camp graduate a Certificate of Achievement
indicating their successful completion of the camp.
Julie Rosenthal, Executive Director of Admissions
and Marketing, one of the RVU staff
sponsors of the camp said, “This was our first effort
at operating the M.A.S.H. Camp and we are very
pleased with the outcome. We were fortunate to
have had a great group of students participating
RVU Welcomes New Employees
Robert Wilson, M.D.: Currently Managing
Director of Wilson Family Care in
Centennial, CO since 2008. Cum Laude
Graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine
in Atlanta, GA in 2002. Bachelor of Science
in Management/Accounting from Tulane University
in New Orleans.
Gretchen Amend, M.A.: Formerly Director
of Standardized Patient Program at
University of Colorado Denver, Center for
Advancing Professional Education. M.A. in
counseling Psychology and Counselor Education
from the University of Colorado Denver.
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the
University of Northern Colorado in Greeley,
CO.
Cynthia Villanueva, M.S.: Formerly Program
Assistant at the University of Colorado
Denver School of Medicine, Department of
Family Medicine. MS in Human Resources
Management from Chapman University.
and a group of
student doctors
who worked well
with the campers.
Our goal is for the
camp to grow to
a larger number
of students next
year. We may
even consider
offering both a
regular M.A.S.H.
Camp for new
students along with an advanced camp if this current
group of students is interested in returning for further
instruction.”
RVUCOM used an application and a selection
process to identify students for participation in the
camp. The criteria included: strong academic
aptitude, a demonstrated interest in science and
health care, and a letter of recommendation from
the student’s science teacher and school guidance
counselor.
BSBA (Management Science) also from
Chapman University.
Peggy Cruse: Formerly Reference Assistant
at MERIT Library in Madison, WI. MA
in Library and Information Studies from the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and a BA
in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton
College.
Matthew Griebel: Eight years of experience
working with installation of audio
visual equipment and sound systems in a
variety of environments. Studied Liberal
Arts at Metro State College in Denver.
Richard Garrison, M.D.: Previously a
Pathology consultant in Exeter, NH and
Professor of Pathology at American University
of the Caribbean School of Medicine in
St. Maarten. M.D. from Harvard Medical
School and undergraduate degree from the
University of Michigan.
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3 August 2009
5

Vista View
Rocky Vista University recently announced
the addition of two new members
to its Board of Trustees.
Vanessa Sanchez, Ph.D. is CEO of a
cattle ranch and proprietor of a western
wear store. She has previously worked
for the U.S. Defense Department as a
research scientist and was a senior analyst
for the Defense Intelligence Agency
where she specialized in biological warfare,
biotechnology and biological agents.
Dr. Sanchez has also performed research
for the National Cancer Institute and has
been a consultant to the pharmaceutical
For the second year RVUCOM will be
hosting the Advocates to Colorado Society
of Osteopathic Medicine (ASCOM) Fall Art
and Craft Show. The show will be held on
October 16 from 3 pm to 7 pm and October
17 from 9 am to 3:30 pm and will feature
the handmade crafts and art of dozens of
Colorado vendors.
6
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3 August 2009
RVU Appoints New Board Members
industry. She has been an adjunct professor
at Frederick Community College in
Maryland and currently mentors agronomy
and pre-veterinary student interns for the
University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Sanchez has
a B.S. degree in medical technology from
the University of Puerto Rico and a PhD in
veterinary microbiology from Iowa State
University.
Thomas Mino, D.O. is a board certified
family physician who practices in the
Denver, Colorado metro area. He has been
a member of the Board of the Colorado
Society of Osteopathic Medicine since
Fall Art & Craft Show At RVU
The show presents an opportunity for
RVU to help showcase some of the outstanding
products that are being produced
in Colorado by Colorado crafters and
artists. It is, of course, also an opportunity
for purchases who enjoy fine handcrafted
merchandise to find a broad selection of
products in one location.
RVU Hosts Mini Medical School
Faculty and Second year medical
students at Rocky Vista University College
of Medicine (RVUCOM) hosted a
one-day “Mini Medical School” for 11
children with sickle cell disease. The
Mini Medical School program was funded
by a grant from the American Osteopathic
Association and was held in partnership
with the Colorado Sickle Cell Association
and the RVUCOM Pediatric Club. During
the program, the children who ranged
from elementary to high school visited
several stations set up at the school where
they learned about proper nutrition and
diet, the benefits of exercise, the location
and function of internal organs, the uses of
several standard medical tools and other
health care processes. The purpose of the
Mini Medical School was to encourage
the children to take an active role in their
health care and to heighten their awareness
of medicine as a career choice.
The children were treated to lunch
where they had an opportunity to meet
their RVUCOM hosts and prepare for
the activities. Each child attending the
Mini Medical School was paired with one
or two RVUCOM Student Doctors who
escorted the children through the five
separate event stations. Every child had
the opportunity to participate in healthrelated
activities, work with typical instruments
used in physical examinations, and
learn about health care practices. Robyn
Weyand, PhD., RVUCOM Director of
Research and Development and a member
of the college’s faculty served as faculty
supervisor for the event.
At the end of the program,
RVUCOM Interim
Dean, Thomas Mohr, D.O.
congratulated the group
and presented each child
with a certificate recognizing
their “graduation”
from the Mini Medical
School. Dr. Mohr pointed
out that some of the
exercises the children
participated in were very
similar to the exercises
that were actually a part
of medical school class
work. He invited them
to consider medicine as a
future career.
Sickle cell disease is
an inherited medical condition
in which the body
produces red blood cells
that are long, narrow and
crescent shaped. Since
2000 and has served as the society’s president
from 2005 to 2007. In addition, he
has been a five-time delegate to the AOA
National Congress and a delegate to the
American College of Osteopathic Family
Physicians (ACOFP). Dr. Mino earned a
B.A. in chemistry from Washington and
Jefferson College in Pennsylvania and
a D.O. from the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his
internship and residency at Health One/
Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital in the
Denver metro area.
Admission to the show is free and there
will be ample free parking for guests.
If you are a prospective show exhibitor
or even a lover of handcrafted merchandise
and need further information about the
ASCOM Fall Art and Craft Show, please
contact Kathy Leary or Zea Moullet at
303-373-2008.
these sickle-shaped cells have difficulty
passing through the blood vessels, patients
with this condition may experience a variety
of symptoms resulting from blockage
of blood vessels and/or lack of blood flow
to organs or extremities.
Student Doctor Heather Katz assists a Mini Medical School participant