After much anticipation our latest issue, Volume 3 – Fall 2013 has now been published!

In this third issue for this calendar year and first for the academic year, there are articles from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and Creighton University’s School of Medicine.

The entire issue can be downloaded as a PDF: here

Excerpts from the abstract and links to individual articles are displayed below.

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[tab]Letter From the Editors. Kevin C. Patterson, Jessica L. Wummel. In the third MSRJ issue of 2013 and the first of the 2013-2014 academic year, we are very excited to present enlightening and thought-provoking articles. We are publishing the work of students from Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and Creighton University School of Medicine. This journal has seen large growth since the Spring 2013 issue, and we have bigger plans for the future. Download here.[/tab]
[tab]Incomplete Storytelling. Alexander S. Golec. Our interviews, physical exams, and laboratory tests only uncover select words of a patient’s story. Some days we may be lucky enough to stumble upon a phrase or complete sentence in their life’s tome. We base our diagnoses on these incomplete discoveries and hope for the best. Some of us may act like we have the Rosetta Stone in our pocket, granting us the ability to translate everything into our noble medical language. Others may focus too much time on the details of the letters and completely miss the story behind them. Deciphering the story of each patient requires not only a stellar medical acumen but also an ability to comprehend stories in languages that may seem foreign to us. Download here.[/tab]
[tab]Public Stroke Knowledge – Those Most at Risk, Least Able to Identify Symptoms. Zachary Jarou, Nathaniel Harris, Liza Gill, Meena Azizi, Shayef Gabasha, Robert LaBril. Fewer than 1 in 20 patients with acute ischemic stroke are treated with thrombolytic drugs, with three quarters of otherwise eligible patients being excluded secondary to delay in seeking medical treatment. Lack of symptom recognition 10 may contribute to low treatment rates and is an important focus of public health education. The purpose of this study was to
determine if an individual’s cumulative number of stroke risk factors correlated with their ability to identify stroke symptoms. Although it is known that individuals with more risk factors are more likely to have a stroke, in our study these respondents were less able to recognize stroke symptoms compared to respondents with fewer risk factors. Download here.[/tab]
[tab] A Rare Case of Breast Carcinosarcoma with Lymphatic Metastasis. Megan C. Hamre, Jennifer M. Eschbacher M.D., Frances Hahn M.D., Tilina Hu M.D. Carcinosarcoma of the breast is a rare malignancy composed of two cell lines described as a ductal-type carcinoma with a sarcoma-like component. It is an aggressive neoplasm that is usually larger in size than epithelial breast cancers and characterized by a rapid increase in size. A 32-year-old female presented with a palpable lump in the left upper outer breast. The most unusual feature of this case is the lymph node positivity, as lymphatic spread is uncommonly associated with carcinosarcoma or any subtype of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast. This case is important because it illustrates the potential future need for treatment guidelines for this uncommon tumor. Download here.[/tab]
[tab] Direct Access to Physical Therapy in Michigan is Overdue. Kevin Charles Patterson, Rachel Anne Patterson. Direct access to physical therapists (PTs), the ability for a patient to seek care from a PT without physician referral, has been contested for many years. The traditional gatekeeper model of access to physical therapy has changed throughout the nation and only two states remain without direct access. Michigan is one of those states, and the state legislature has not advanced direct access legislation despite numerous opportunities over the past 12 years. However, no evidence exists to show that direct access causes harm to patients and the healthcare system and, on the contrary, easy and early access to physical therapy by patients has been shown to improve outcomes and decrease costs of care. Direct access to physical therapy is long overdue in Michigan and should be reconsidered in order to better serve our patients and the healthcare system. Download here.[/tab]
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Patterson KC, Wummel JL. Letter from the Editors. Medical Student Research Journal. 2013;2(Fall):1.

Golec AS. Incomplete Storytelling. Medical Student Research Journal. 2013;3(Fall):2.

Jarou Z, Harris N, Gill L, Azizi M, Gabasha S, LaBril R. Public Stroke Knowledge – Those Most at Risk, Least Able to Identify Symptoms. Medical Student Research Journal. 2013;3(Fall):3-8.

Hamre MC, Eschbacher JM, Hahn F, Hu T. A Rare Case of Breast Carcinosarcoma with Lymphatic Metastasis. Medical Student Research Journal. 2013;3(Fall):9-12.

Patterson KC, Patterson RA. Direct Access to Physical Therapy in Michigan is Overdue. Medical Student Research Journal. 2013;3(Fall):13-16.