Student Profile: Nicholas Daley, OMS I

How long have you been a painter?
I have been doing different forms of art since I was about 5 years old (drawing, sculpture, architectural models, etc), but my new interest is oil painting which I have been seriously studying for about 10 years now.

What inspires your art?
My art is inspired by family, the idea of nurturing imagination, and pushing boundaries. Art is to elicit emotion and help formulate ideas, much like writing. I try to do that in my pieces.

Why do you do it?
I do it to forget about the world for a while. It helps me to know myself, and gives me a break when I need it.

How do you find time to do this while in medical school?
Like with everything else you want to make better in life, you need time to study, practice, and promote. I set aside time to do something personal each week, whether that's art, music, exercise, or sleep.

The following is some of Nicholas' work. See more at RECESS on January 8th.



Note: Images are copyright Nicholas Daley and used here with permission.

Student Profile: Michael Loy, OMS II

How long have you been a photographer?
I started photographing after moving to New Orleans in late 2007.

What inspires your art (like what are you drawn to)?
I enjoy photographing architecture and urban landscapes in black and white.

How do you do it while in medical school?
My photography has been compromised by my new location and responsibilities compounded with that realization that while living life through glass you miss out on the whole picture. I anticipate picking my camera back up at some point in the future while trying to maintain a newfound balance.

The following is a sampling of Michael's photography. See more at RECESS on January 8th.



Note: images are copyright Michael Loy and are used here with permission.

Student Profile: Gigi Greer, OMS II

So Gigi, how long have you been painting, drawing, and sketching?
Since preschool.

Why do you do it?
To relax. Its a good study break.

How do you find time for your art while you're in medical school?
During breaks.


The following is a sampling of Gigi's work. To see more you can check out her website or see her display at RECESS on January 8th.




Note: Images are copyright Gigi Greer and are used here with permission.

Student Profiles

For the next few weeks we will be highlighting the accomplishments of the many talented, yet incognito student artists among us.
If you or someone you know practices or performs some art-- be it performance art, drawing, sketching, music, pottery, dressmaking, dancing-- anything at all, really, we want to hear about it! Email Emily Bruce to volunteer yourself or someone else.

OUR ONE AND ONLY MEETING OF THE YEAR

When? Monday, November 15, 2010 at 5pm
Where? Room 134 (in VCOM’s main building)
Why? Because we heard that's what clubs do
What? We will briefly discuss:

How you can participate in the blog, the Writer’s group, student artist profiles, and RECESS (the night in January when lots of your professors, classmates-- and hopefully you-- will display and/or perform their art.

How you can partipate in the Cross Cultural Common Book project with Jessica Muller from the International office at VCOM

How you can take on a leadership position in the Committee, ie. "get a title"

We understand that many other clubs are meeting that night, so we will try to keep the meeting under half an hour. You may also just leave when you need to…we won’t be offended.

The Right to Conceive by Any Means Necessary?

Should ALL patients have the right to conceive using modern medical technology?

Case: Mr. T is a 30-year-old man who has cystic fibrosis (CF) and cannot conceive naturally because he lacks both vas deferens due to his disease (97% of men who have CF are infertile). Mr. T and his wife, Mrs. T, desperately want children. To complicate matters, Mrs. T also carries the CFTR gene, although she does not have the disease. Their children would therefore have a high likelihood of being born with CF. The T's are seeking advice from their physician about pursuing in vitro fertilization so that Mrs. T may carry their child.

Background: CF is a progressive and life-shortening, autosomal recessive disease for which there is no cure. However, there are treatments that can prolong the patient’s life and relieve suffering. CF affects the whole body, but difficulty breathing is the most serious symptom. Currently, the life expectancy for someone with CF is in the forties.

Questions: Should Mr. T’s physician recommend against in vitro fertilization due to the high risk that the child would be born with this debilitating and fatal disease? Due to the high mortality rate associated with the disease, the Social Security Administration tends to award disability benefits to children with CF. Therefore, does the government have the right to regulate in vitro fertilization clinics and not allow such high risk couples to pursue the procedure? What other ethical issues are at work in this case?