SCOPE is the literary arts journal of SIU School of Medicine, a showcase for the artistic talents of our medical school community. The annual publication is organized by a group of creative and resourceful medical students. It has been a springtime tradition since 1994. Want to feature your artwork, prose or poetry in the next edition? Submit your creation online ! The submission period closes in the first week of the new year. You can download a pdf of the latest editions of SCOPE here. For issues 1994-2017, contact scope@siumed.edu .

What is a clinical research trial? Although there are many definitions of clinical trials, they are generally considered to be biomedical or health-related research studies in human beings that follow a pre-defined protocol. Interventional studies are those in which the research subjects are assigned by the investigator to a treatment or other intervention, and their outcomes are measured. Observational studies are those in which individuals are observed and their outcomes are measured by the investigators. Clinical trials that are designed to test new drugs, devices or treatments are mandated

Anwar Shafi, MD, Discusses the Growing Problem of Sleepy Kids By Rebecca Budde | Photos by Jason Johnson Published in Aspects, 40-1, Winter 2017 Experts caution: Sleep is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for good health. It’s no secret that the sleep debt is growing like the national debt in American adults. Studies show that our children are walking in our sleepy footsteps, and it’s causing innumerable negative consequences. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young children should get 11-12 hours of shuteye while school-aged children should sleep at least 10 hours

Residents of Morgan County and the surrounding communities who are living with asthma, lung disease, obstructive sleep apnea or other lung conditions have a new option for care closer to home. Pulmonologists from Southern Illinois University Medicine have partnered with Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville. Patients may make an appointment with Rajagopal Sreedhar, MD; Tareq Zaza, MD; or M. Haitham Bakir, MD, FCCP. The doctors who specialize in treating the airway, lungs and respiratory muscles will see patients on the first and third Mondays of each month. To make an appointment with a

What score do I need to achieve in order to pass the exam and be placed on the active register? A minimum score of 70 is needed to pass any examination. I am a military veteran. Can I receive additional points on my exam? If you are a veteran and can supply the Office of Human Resources with a copy of your DD214, DD215 or NGB22 form or other appropriate documentation that shows your branch of service, dates of service and character of discharge, you may be eligible for additional points. Veteran's preference points are only added to passing exam scores. When and how will I be notified

A new medical procedure is now available in central Illinois for treating a common male malady. Water vapor therapy can be done in an outpatient setting to treat Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate. BPH is present in the majority of men over age 40, and more than 90 percent of men over age 80, according to the National Institutes of Health. It affects the frequency and ease of urination. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine surgeon Kevin T. McVary, MD, professor and chair of the Division of Urology, and his staff have performed the treatment as part of a

The mission of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is to assist the people of central and southern Illinois in meeting their health care needs through education, patient care, research and service to the community.

Reflections by Glen Aylward, PhD published in Aspects Magazine, 40-1, Winter 2017 I recall the date and time exactly: Friday, November 16, 2012 at 11:45 am, right after finishing the morning schedule of patients. I had an appointment to see a neurologist, being referred by my orthopedic surgeon because of my complaints regarding continued “weakness” in my legs after numerous surgeries. This was brought to the forefront recently by running across the street in slow motion, the sensation being similar to how it feels when one dreams that he is trying to run but isn’t getting anywhere—easily