WELCOME NEW ROSSIES You can achieve it if you believe it. It all begins in the mind. What the mind can conceive, can be born into reality. But remember it requires sustained effort. We are here to help you along the way. Your dedicated Student Care Advisement Team
Congratulations on being accepted to Medical School! This is an achievement that few can boast about, and you should celebrate yourself for accomplishing this. We are super excited to welcome you to the lovely island of Barbados and to Ross University School of Medicine! Your journey will encompass peaks and valleys, so please remember that the SCA team are here to support you as you transition to the island and be your guide throughout your Medical Science journey and beyond. Our aim is to support you holistically and help with those challenges that may occur along the way. You will be assigned to one of our great Learning Communities who are ready and waiting to be of service to you. I leave you with this last piece of advice “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.” Continue to chase your dream of becoming a Medical Doctor and we will be here to support you through the moments that matter! Trudi Dockins LC3 - Senior Student Care Advisor (SCA) MY TOP TIPS Engage regularly with your SCA and support groups. Remember that Medical School is like eating an elephant. You have to take one bite a time. Be kind to yourself. Be kind to your peers and be kind to those that support you. Lastly, remember that even though you may feel alone in this pursuit, you have a village that will pour into you and just wants to see you THRIVE!
LEARNING COMMUNITIES' AWESOME COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN 2023! LC 1 with support from LC2 and LC5, did art therapy and created a kitchen garden for the elderly residents at the Good Citizens Nursing Home. LC2 attended and supported a charity movie night - on behalf of the Barbados Association of endometriosis and PCOS. CONGRATULATIONS TO LC 4 AWARDED THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT In Spring 2023, LC 4 partnered with the Myeloma, Lymphoma & Leukemia Foundation of Barbados (MLLF). Their aim is to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families affected by blood related cancers in Barbados through support, education, advocacy, social welfare services, research efforts and financial means. Kudos to the 13 RUSM students who volunteered at the Cancer Walk hosted by MLLF as we commemorated World Cancer Day 2023. LC 4 and the Ross Oncology Interest Group (ROSIG) also volunteered at the T-Shirt Sales Drive leading up to the Walk event on February 5th. In Summer 2023, students in LC 4 organized a wonderful initiative to create care hampers with toiletries for affected patients in recovery. These efforts were in support of the MLLF’s social services where home and hospital visits are conducted with blood cancer patients. Erene Alexander SCA - LC4 LC 3 in partnership with the Barbados Childcare Board, visited a Children’s Home to engage in some fun storytelling time. The children were so happy to have the student’s visit them. LC 5 partnered with the Sunshine Optimist Club and visited the St Giles Primary school. The students talked about the importance of good Nutrition, Healthy Eating and Exercise to the children and staff. Congratulations to LC6 who were awarded the LC Student Leadership Award. They did a food drive for the Soroptimist Club and are also collaborating to provide them with solar lighting.
GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY INTEREST GROUP The Gastroenterology and Hepatology Interest Group has a deep connection to research. As a club, we have strived to dedicate our time to expanding the world of research using every resource that RUSM has made available to us. Not only is research essential for the inquisitive medical minds that we all possess, but it also opens up new opportunities to study the RUSM community to target, identify, and further understand our student population. Through our Spring 2023 efforts, we surveyed the RUSM population regarding Stress, Sleep Quality, Depression, Anxiety, and Gastrointestinal symptoms to try to find any correlations between these very important concepts involving medical students. With the research concept of our club’s faculty advisor, Dr. Hliebov, we have successfully attained the data necessary to understand further how these psychological themes affect medical students' daily lives. Through this survey, we were able to gather enough significant data to create a research article that is currently being submitted to conferences and journals all around the world! Through our endeavors, we are happy to say that two of our poster presentations, “Perceived Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Medical Students Across Different Semesters” and “Sleep Quality Among Students: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study Across Different Semesters,” were accepted to the 1st RUSM CORE symposium this summer, paving the way for further exposure of our study. Our poster presentation, “Perceived Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Medical Students Across Different Semesters,” won first place in the Poster Presentation Category and was also chosen for the “People’s Choice Award”. SCA Wellness Tip You need adequate rest to be at your optimum best. So try to get into a regular sleep routine from early.
IN BIODIVERSITY TRY OUR BAJAN CHERRIES FOR A HEALTHY IMMUNE BOOSTING SNACK Our local cherries are scientifically known as Acerola cherry, but we call them Bajan Cherries or the West Indian Berry. They grow on large shrubs or trees with a short trunk (why short you may ask –maybe they like making it easier for us to access). Each tree can produce a whopping 62 pounds of cherries. Enough for everyone, including the Green Monkeys on our island! They taste either sweet or tart and each cherry has a bright red, thin skin. Forbes has Bajan Cherries listed as the “richest natural source of Vitamin C in existence.” They also have lots of culinary uses and can be found in jams; alcoholic beverages such as wine; desserts, ice creams, pies, popsicles; syrups; and sauces. When out & about, ask our fruit vendors where you can find some - caution, avoid if you may be allergic to cherries and make sure they’re the ‘real deal.’ GRAB SOME FRIENDS AND VISIT OUR BEAUTIFUL NATURE RESERVE ‘The sand quarry located at Walkers Savannah in St. Andrew has been the source of silica sand; an important component of cement used in building. The sand removed from this area has been a pillar for the construction industry for decades and over time has been incorporated into the vast majority of buildings on the island. The brilliant idea to create a sustainable nature reserve to replace the defunct quarry came via the current owner Mr Ian Mcneel; who thought it would be beneficial to sustainably develop the land and give it new life and purpose, rather than allow it to simply degenerate into a wasteland. Like many of the tourist attractions in St. Andrew, Walker's Reserve has stunning views of the jagged coastline, the forested terrain and undulating waves of the ocean. However, the real beauty of the reserve is the spectacular conservation project that makes use of modern agricultural techniques which provide alternative uses to the quarry. Ultimately the vision of Walker’s Reserve is to create unity between people and the environment to achieve a sustainable relationship that is mutually beneficial to both.’ Source: Visit Barbados https://www.visitbarbados.org/
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