Kisha Burgess, a student at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine, attended the Hazelden Betty Ford Summer Institute for Medical Students in Center City, Minnesota, from June 26-30.
During her time at the institute, Burgess learned about the disease of addiction, the neurobiology of addiction, co-occurring disorders, medications used in treating addiction, motivational interviewing techniques and navigating the stages of change. She also learned about many administrative aspects of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation as it relates to various modes of treatment practiced, screening methods, opioid response and healthcare professional programs.
“Most impactful for me was the time I spent in the units with the patients where I was able to learn about their lives,” Burgess said. “With the patients, I was also able to gain insight into what my role could and should be in addressing patients knowingly and unknowingly who are suffering from addiction, how trauma can lead to the beginning of the disease and witnessed the importance of spirituality and hope in recovery.”
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It is the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals, a unique children’s program, and is also the nation’s leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery.
During the summer, Burgess also spent time rotating with an interventional cardiologist, Dr. Marcus St. John, in Miami, Florida. While there, she was responsible for obtaining the history and completing the physical exam of new and established patients, interpreting EKGs and presenting the patient/case to him once leaving the examination room. While with Dr. St. John, she saw a case that she plans to complete a case study on and submit for publication.
Burgess served as a part-time summer research assistant for Heart Well, LLC and assisted with assessing the inclusion and exclusion criteria for patient eligibility and data registry for the Millian Hearts Initiative and the Benchmarking an Oral Anticoagulant Treatment Rate in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation clinical trials. She also completed routine electrocardiograms and aided in the completion of patient questionnaires.
Burgess is a second-year osteopathic medical student and serves as the WCUCOM SNMA Chapter President for 2017-2018.
Written by Caitlyn White
Carey Scholar