> Wednesday, August 20, 1986/The BattaJion/Page 5 Medical jboard seeks ^bigger, better’ staff ; AUSTIN (AP) — Members of the Slate Board of Medical Examiners defended themselves Tuesdav against claims from lawmakers and others that thev are doing a poor job ol policing Texas physicians 'We want to get the bad doctors oat of practice just as much as you do.” Dr Carlos Godinez, the board's chairman, told the Senate Nomi nations Committee Seven ol Gov. Mark White s nomi- natKHis to the 15-member board are before the committee pending Sen ate confirmation Five of the nominees took turns Tuesdav saving the board needed a bigger and better staff. Thev also asked for changes in the law to pro tect hospitals and doctors who blow the whistle on incompetent and criminal doctors. Senators took turns probing a backup of malpractice cases before the board, some several years old. Thev also asked why most discipli narv action against doctors is behind closed doors Dr. Philip Sanger, a Wans physi cian who appeared as a public wit ness. said ‘ Bad doctors are hurting us all They are ruining the profes sion. Policing of physicians is being done very poorly Dr. Charles Dryden, appointed to the board a year ago. said. "We've E m three lawsuits filed against the Mird now because we are trying to do something about bad doctors. Sen. Chet Edwards. D-Duncan- xille. committee chairman, referred several times to a national TV pro gram recently that said a Texas doc tor who made a SI 10 million set tlement over the 1080 death of a patient was still practicing in Texas Several members of the board said thev had not heard of the case. Dr. James Lively, a Corpus Christi osteopath reappointed to the board, said he understood the case Edwards spoke about would be presented the hciard within two montns. “What kind of staff would have to go for six vears before taking action on a SI 10 million malpractice case?" Fdwards asked. (iodine/ said board attornevs do ihm give them details on a case until it is actually before the board. Edwards said. “I think this must raise the question of whether there are t hearing examiners who could clear up the oacklog of malpractice cases. “Here it is two vears later, and you are even further behind." McFar land said. "We have a crisis in the lia bility insurance industry and one reason may be is that malpractice is high in this state " He said the board handled 669 complaints in 1085 and 271 discipli nary actions were taken. He said there were 54 cancellations of medi cal licenses and administrative sanc tions handed out in 125 cases. Ikidinez said if the full board takes anv action it is made public. However, it a doctor voluntarily agrees to a suspension or cMher ad ministrative sanction, the action is not made public Sen Hector Uribe. D-Brownsville, said. "I think we have heard a con fession todav that malpractice cases are not being prosecuted properly in Texas I would like to see more than verbal committment to tougher tasks." V YESTERDAYS NBC plans new Alamo siege film SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The walls of the Alamo will ring once again with the sounds of battle as NBC-TV recreates another screen version of the historic siege The producer and stars of the tefevisMin movie. "The Alamo: 13 Davs to Glorv." visited the mis sion in downtown San Antonio Monday. . The siege of the Alamo ended in defeat few Texas when an esti mated 4.000 to 5.000 Mexican troops led by Gen. Lopez de Santa Anna stormed the mission on March 6. 1856 After more than a week and a half of holding off the Mexicans, 187 Texans died fighting But the defeat was trans- formed into victory seven weeks later when Texas troops rallying to the cry of “Remember the Alamo" surprised Santa Anna taking his afternoon siesta and killed, wounded or took pnscwier virtually the entire Mexican army. The cast and crew were in Brackett vide on Tuesdav — 125 miles west of San Antonio — for the first of 32 days of production. According to Alamo lore, Travis drew a line with his sword and asked all who would die with him to cross the line All but one man crossed the line. ] No broadcast date has been set, but exechtives sav the movie mav air during the important Feb ruary rating pet Mid 'Off-duty' officer was 'on job' when he killed co-worker SAN ANTONIO (AP) — An off- duty police officer who sh«M and killed a fellow policeman was work ing with superiors at the time, au thorities saio Tuesdav. During a news conference. San AntonKi police officials confirmed that Stephen Richard Smith. 31. was shunty authorities had chased a suspect to the Mexican bor der who escaped across the Rio Grande. Mexican authorities latei captured (ninzalez about four miles inside Mexico but refused to surren der him to Texas authorities. Seminars give study hints Teaching ‘how to learn’ SHERMAN (AP) — Educators Susan Rolte and Nancy Benzon tell students to cook breakfast in an iron skillet on mornings before big tests. It mav sound odd. but it's one tip Roffe and Benzon include in their study skills seminars. They also ad vise youngsters on methods of note taking. listening skills and how to study Iron stimulates the memory and recall abilities, said Rolfe. a Sherman native. "Thev may not cook in an iron skiHet. but they’ll remember they need iron.” she said. For the creative student, the web method of note-taking relieves class room doldrums. Thu method maps out the notes instead of ordering them in. sav. an outline fashion The advice of Rolfe and Benzon is unconventKHial. but results show that it works. They describe students with learning disabilities and poor self-images who have found success through the studv skills course. Rolfe, a reading teacher, and Ben zon, an English teacher, left their positions with the Richardson Inde pendent School District last year to open Learning Unlimited, a school to teach study skills. They also have written a book. Learning How To Learn, outlining their curriculum. The course is their answer to House Bill 72. “Texas did not man date a study skills course, which we think was wrong because they did mandate no-pass, no-plav." Benzon said. “Everyone, at sometime, is not going to do well in a subject." Ben zon said, “and to say All right, you cannot run track, you cannot play basketball, you cannot do this be cause you’ve had a bad six weeks in one subject . puts that much more pressure on the kids, which is why thev need to know how to study " Rolfe added. "There are some people who cannot, no matter what, do math, but they can run like the wind. And if they make a 68 in math, they can’t get out on that track.” Simple, logical tips such as sched uling studv tune wnen you feel the best and using flashcards as aids are new ideas to students Benzon and Rolfe also talk to stu dents about test anxiety , student-tea cher personality conflicts and lazi ness. Self-image is another important aspect for being-a successful student, thev sawf Gravedigger says he enjoys job WAXAHACH1E (AP) — Most people retire to a life of leisure or the pursuit of some hobbv for which there was never enough time Not 72-vear-old GarneN Polk He digs graves —- by hand Polk nips the last shovel of din out of a grave, wipes the early morn ing sweat from hts forehead and chuckles "I don’t even consider re tiring. he savs. “I've already retired twice in mv lifetime, and I’m in no hurry to retire again “We live m a different time where it takes a whole lot to live I’ve a wife and home to suppon So I guess I’ll be digging graves for a whole lot longer . He took up grave digging about seven years ago, mostly tor the exer cise and the extra money. He digs about two graves a week. During the heat of the summer, he gets started about 5 a.m. and quits about four hours later. He takes on a helper on rare weeks when he gets more or ders. On a typical morning. Polk will start and finish a typical grave, mea suring 8-bv-3 and a halt feet and 4 and a half feet deep He's dug more than 600 graves, most of them around here. He's dug graves as far as 30 miles away in Mil ford and neighboring Italy and Red Oak. “I took on this job because 1 was concerned, that in my retirement, my physical condition would get bad.'says Polk, who also owns a veg etable store that he has been run ning near his home in east Waxaha- chie for about three years. “I wanted to keep in shape " Daily Drink & Lunch Specials Billiards A Darts Ntar Luby s t Houm draaa cod* 846-2625 We Buy Books Everyday Texas ASM Bookstore Hours: 7:45 - 6:00 Weekdays 9:00 - 5:001 Saturdays bookstore M TV* UCMOMUM. tTUDCMT CgMTgn Make time for the. The MSC Opera and Performing Arta Society of Texas AdfM announces the 1986-87 season MSC OPAS Fourteen: eight enchanted evenings filled with extra ordinary music, dance, comedy, and culture from all over the world. Save up to 25% over single ticket prices —If single tickets are available. Itzhak Perlman, violinist with the San antonio Symphony September 28 I‘♦86 The magk that Itths* f+rtman perform* on the otoltn never reaae* to astonish —BOATOH OMMB r.lly Ameling. Dutch soprano soloist October IO. 1986 She can left a stor g in a song face hand*