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2003 Schweitzer Fellows Selected

HANOVER, NH - Eight first-year Dartmouth medical students have been selected as Schweitzer Fellows for 2003-2004. They will receive one-year fellowships through the NH/VT Schweitzer Fellows Program to conduct a project that addresses an identified need of local residents who are underserved by the current health care system. The fellows are:

• Joseph Dwaihy
• Elizabeth Eisenhardt
• Krista Heydt
• Shirin Sioshansi
• Christopher Jons
• Katrina Mitchell
• Emily Walker
• Roy Wade

Working with a local community agency, each Schweitzer fellow contributes at least 200 hours of direct service and participates in interdisciplinary activities that emphasize values and leadership. The program is committed to expanding the work and idealism of Dr. Albert Schweitzer who wrote, "Grow into your ideals so that life can never rob you of them." Participation in the Schweitzer Fellowship program helps lay the foundation for lifelong fellowship with service-oriented colleagues.

A description of each of the new fellows' projects follows:

Joseph Dwaihy, Hospice VNH: Provide companionship and conversation to Hospice and Palliative Care patients--particularly patients who are dying alone. Write and attempt to publish a book based on their life stories and his experience with them during the end of their lives.

Elizabeth B. Eisenhardt: Offer ballet class to the Dartmouth Medical School community to introduce the basics of ballet, flexibility/tone fitness, and music appreciation. In addition to the benefits of exercise, provide the community with some relaxing and artistic time in which to meditate. Organize a student dance troupe to perform at local hospitals and senior centers.

Krista Heydt and Emily Walker, Good Neighbor Health Center: Develop a cardiovascular risk screening and education program. Work with medical students to support patients in making "heart healthy" lifestyle changes through individualized counseling and ongoing collaboration.

Christopher Jons and Katrina Mitchell, Dartmouth Center for Addiction, Recovery and Education: Start a peer support group for teenagers struggling with emerging drug and alcohol issues. Recruit students from throughout the Upper Valley, provide a forum for "at-risk" teens to address common concerns in a positive, non-punitive atmosphere. Through regular meetings, plus social activism and community service activities, create a community of hope where members help each other deal with the inevitable struggles of adolescence and recovery.

Shirin Sioshansi and Roy Wade, Jr.: Create and implement a cultural competency program at Dartmouth Medical School. This program will equip and empower DMS students with the ability to provide the best possible healthcare to their patients regardless of the color of their skin or cultural background.