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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1998)
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Aggiehfe ... soo Page 3 Today 1 ■ n > 1 U opinion ... see Page S Tomorrow Sports: All-time A&M kicking leader, Kyle Bryant, heads to the playoffs with the Houston Thunderbears of the Arena Football League. 104 th YEAB • ISSUE 181 • 6 PAGES — TEXAS flaM UNIVERSITY ■ COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS TUESDAY • AUGUST 4 • 1998 iim Boot wagonml aours hi:l Kup 01: Sunday cl 'ompeiiij t the 'reemar..-.} Oath of Commitment As I embark upon the study of medicine at The Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine, I will: 1. enter into a relationship of mutual respect with my teachers and my colleagues to enhance the learning environment and gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes of a good physician; . 2. accept responsibility competent, maintain never take advantage 3. respect the patient’s right ! 4. value the knowledge and wi have preceded me and en 5. recognize my weaknesses and stir those qualities that will cam the i colleagues, my family and myaelf nets for which I am of a physician and or relationship; the physicians who contribute to this tradition; is and strive to develop pect of my patients, ray 6. continue this learning throughout all the days of my life. 4 College of Medicine honors medical school inductees with ‘White Coat Ceremony’ By Rod Machen City Editor Incoming medical students took part in a new tradition being established by the College of Medicine. The students received their white coats in a ceremony that marked the beginning of their medical education yesterday. Janine Edwards, associate dean for stu dent affairs and admissions, said the cere mony has been around for five years and 90 medical schools have adopted it. "The concept of the white coat ceremony has been fostered by the Arthur P. Gold Foundation," Edwards said. The foundation is a public, not-for-profit organization who’s mission is to foster humanism in medicine. Dr. Michael Fried land, dean of the College of Medicine, said the white coat is an impor tant symbol in the medical profession. "The physician's white coat has been a part of the medical profession since the 1700s," Friedland said. A shorter coat is worn by students while a longer version is used by residents and physicians. "The white coat is the healer's mantle," Edwards said. The ceremony's keynote speaker was Dr. H. Tristam Engelhardt, Jr., professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and professor of philosophy at Rice University. Engelhardt impressed upon the students how much change the medical profession is going through currently. "Medicine is becoming unclear about what it is to be a physician," Engelhardt said. He compared the modern era to Greece during the time of Hippocrates and the end of the Middle Ages when many new sci ences were being developed. "Genetics will change how physicians heal," Engelhardt said. "Hippocrates was also writing at a time of significant change in Greek society." Engelhardt addressed five areas that will help medicine to be a profession that serves with concern and care. He said medicine must have a firm com mitment to patient welfare. Engelhardt also stressed the importance of confidentiality, or "medical secrets," during a time when genetics can tell a doctor more about a pa tient than the patient knows "Keeping confidentiality will be much more complicated," he said. Both privacy and patient consent are im portant because newer health care consid erations such as insurance and health main tenance organizations, Engelhardt said. With the newer health care systems, he said more people can come between a doctor and a patient. see Inductees on Page 2. I News Briefs lilt from staff and wire reports A&M health affairs VP given honorary board seat ■Elvin E. Smith, associative vice president for the health affairs in Texas A&M University's Health Science Center Col lege of Medicine, was elected july 24 as an Honorary Life Member of the American Heart Association Texas Affiliate Board of Directors in recognition of 22 years of exception al service. Honorary life membership is limited to AHA volunteers o have given outstanding service at the division and af- late levels for at least 10 years. Smith, who holds a doctoral degree in physiology, has along history with the affiliate's board of directors. He served as president of the AHA Texas Affiliate in 1 989-90, the first non-physician to be elected to that position. BHe also has served as the secretary, first vice president, president-elect and vice president of the affiliate's East |exas Council 7. Smith, a cardiovascular physiologist, came to Texas A&M in 1975 as head of the Medical Physiology Depart ment after serving on the faculty of the University of Mis- jsissippi School of Medicine. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of heart and vascular disease. K He currently serves as senior associate dean and profes sor of medical physiology in Texas A&M's College of Med icine. He also has served as interim dean, executive asso ciate dean, associate dean for research and graduate studies for the college. $c $ irector of A&M Office of raduate Studies named John Richard Ciardino is the new director of the Office olGraduate Studies at Texas A&M University effective Au gust 1. Robert A. Kennedy, vice president for research and Issociative provost for graduate studies announced on Fri day, july 31. Ciardino Succeeds Dan H. Robertson, who has returned to his full-time faculty position in the Lowry Mays College ^nd Graduate School of Business. Kennedy noted that Ciardino earned his undergradu ate at the University of Southern Colorado, a masters de gree at Arizona State University, and a doctorate at the Uni- |versity of Nebraska. He has been on the faculty of the Departments of Ge ography and Geology and Geophysics at Texas A&M since 1984 and served as head of geography and director of the Cartographies Center from 1989 until 1996. He recently founded and organized the Texas Geomor- Phology Symposium, serves on the board of directors of fhe Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium and is past chair of the Engineering Geology Division of the Geologi cal Society of America. Giardino's numerous awards in clude The Geological Society of America's 1 995 Meritori- )us Service Award. He has written more than 100 scientific papers and six books. Shania Twain tour makes stop at Reed Arena On her first major tour in the United States, country linger Shania Twain will stop in College Station at Reed Irena on September 9 at 8 p.m. for one night only. Tickets for Shania Twain go on sale Saturday at all Tick- tmaster ticket centers or may be charged by phone at 109-268-0414. I Reserved tickets range from $1 8.50 to $25. Twain is one of only three women who have sold over 10 million records in North America recently. She is a Grammy winner for Best Country Album, as well is the recipient of Billboard honors, American Country Mu- lic Awards and the Canadian JUNO award. Twain's hits include, "Any Man of Mine," "If You're Not nit for the Love — I'm Outta Here" and "You Win My -ove," all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Fighting the flames JAKE SCHRICKLING/The Battalion The cause of a car fire, which blocked traf fic on Asbury Street Monday afternoon, could not be determined, the College Station Fire Dept, reported. Susan Bondurant, the driver of the '93 Ford Mustang that caught fire, said the fire hap pened before she knew it. "I was driving, and my battery light came on," Bondurant, a senior agricultural eco nomics major, said. "I smelled smoke, so I stopped." The College Station Fire Department ar rived at the scene of the fire across from the A&M water tower at 3:55 p.m. Lt. Bobby Rogers of the College Station Fire Department said too much of the motor was destroyed to determine its cause. No one was hurt. Director wanted ■ Kevin Jackson, the third of six candidates for the position of Director of Student Activities, was interviewed by A&M students and faculty in Rudder Tower Monday. By Andrea Brockman Staff Writer The final week of interviews for the director of student activities has begun. Kevin P. Jackson, the first of four candidates al ready holding positions at A&M, addressed stu dents and staff in an open forum Monday. Jackson has 16 years of continuous service in the field of student affairs and currently holds a joint appointment as the senior associate director of the MSC and special assistant to the vice pres ident of student affairs working with distance ed ucation programs and services. Jackson received a bachelor of arts in journal ism at North Texas State University, a master of arts in higher education administration at the University of Denver and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational human resource devel opment at Texas A&M. He said he wants to instill a sense of organiza tion, purpose and vision in student activities. "I aspire for Texas A&M to become the premier department of student activities in the country," Jackson said. "I believe this is possible with the resources we have." Jackson said we need to provide students with the best educational experience possible. "One way is to improve technology for infor mation accessibility," he said. "Students should be able to easily search a database for organizations and activities that cor respond to their interests and talents." Jackson said his familiarity with A&M and the student affairs division is an asset. "I also have a lot of ideas and enthusiasm," he said. Jackson also said he will build support for es tablishment of a student leadership retreat center. "We need to educate people on what it is about and find donors for the funding," he said. Jackson said he is student-centered as well as com mu nity-oriented. "I want the individuals on this campus to feel safe, respected and valued," he said. He would like to create community partner ships by creating a community service advisory board. "We need to utilize information technology to connect the needy to those who can help," he said. Jackson, the advisor for Bonfire for three years, said he is collaborative and often uses the old adage "we are stronger than me." "In a team, sometimes the most bonding expe riences comes from shared ordeals," he said. Jackson said he is a person of character and can be counted on to honor his commitments. "I would represent the department with the ut most professionalism," he said. If chosen, Jackson said he is ready for the roller coaster ride of the first few months of school. "We will do the best we can, have fun, try new things and talk about what's in the future," he said.