Spring-Summer 1997

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence (NHCOE) at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) began in 1991 funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The creation of the NHCOE allowed the consolidation of over 25 years of program efforts for minorities in medicine into a coordinated, comprehensive effort to increase the number of Native Hawaiians in medicine.

For a teacher, there is no greater joy than pride in one's students' accomplishments. In my two and one half years at JABSOM, my professional cup has been full. Whether teaching study, writing, interviewing or speaking skills, I have found NHCOE students to be highly intelligent, motivated and caring individuals. When they come to me for help or enrichment, they listen carefully, apply the skills I suggest and, soon after, inform me of their successes!

I have noted the same phenomenon with my two Native Hawaiian staff - Recruitment Coordinators `Iwalani Else (O`ahu) and Kaloa Robinson (Hilo). JABSOM faculty, staff and students are urged to come in and work with us. Our job is to help you succeed and we take great pleasure in doing so!

Congratulations to Alean `Iwalani Cook and Momi Ka`anohi! Both are fourth year medical students at JABSOM and were recognized as "People to Watch" in the Fall 1996 Journal for Minority Medical Students. Momi and Alean were honored for their outstanding work and service to the Native Hawaiian Community. They staffed booths for the School of Medicine at both the NŠ Pua No`eau Family Affair in Hilo, March 15, 1997, and the Moloka`i Annual 10K Run and Health Fair on March 22, 1997 with wonderful success!

The Spring recruitment calendar was busy for Kaloa Robinson and `Iwalani Else. Highlights were a Na Pua No`eau Super High Day with a well attended Sports Medicine class, Windward, Leeward and Honolulu Community Colleges, and Hapai Pu - a financial aid fair for Native Hawaiian students at UH Manoa. On March 14, 1997, Dr. Curtis Takemoto-Gentile joined Kaloa for a career day at Hilo High where he spoke to two science classes and a Native Hawaiian language class about medicine. Future plans include a Keala Lapa`au Conference at Hilo High School to be held in May.

Another fun and educational summer is planned for high school students. The Summer Program for the Enhancement of Basic Education (SPEBE) in Medical Science is a six week residential program for incoming high school seniors from public high schools across the state. In addition to the 24 students that are funded by the Department of Education, the NHCOE will fund six Native Hawaiian students.

The Faculty Development seminar series for Native Hawaiian chief residents and junior faculty is off to a good start. This seminar meets twice per month on Tuesday evenings at Kapi`olani Hospital. Topics studied in the first series included Academic Leadership skills such as negotiation, time management, professional development contracts, and dealing with conflict. The next area of study will be clinical teaching skills. This seminar is led by Dr. Kay Bauman, Faculty Development Coordinator, NHCOE.

Student Development staff (Little, Else and Robinson) and two Native Hawaiian Imi Ho`ola students (Celeste Freitas and David Mattson) traveled to Kona in January to present an educational session entitled "Lincoln-Douglas Debate Develops Leadership Skills in Native Hawaiians" to a national conference of student service administrators. Dr. Little introduced the event and the four Native Hawaiians impressed the audience with their speaking skills. Following the event, highly commendatory remarks were received with the Stanford Dean of Students and her staff being especially laudatory.

• Discussions between OHA and the University of Hawai`i continue on contract language to fund half of Kaloa Robinson's salary.
• The NHCOE staff turned in a progress report and a program proposal for next year to the federal government funding agency (DHHS) in mid February.
• Kathy Tanaka, NHCOE Secretary, completed a semi-annual equipment inventory and will be compiling and ordering yearly supplies.

University of Hawai`i representatives from four funded programs under the Division of Disadvantaged Assistance in the Department of Health and Human Services attended a Program Director's Meeting on March 23-24, 1997 in Bethesda, Maryland. The programs represented were:

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, Director Curtis Takemoto-Gentile
Imi Ho`ola (Health Careers Opportunities Program - HCOP), Director Nanette Judd
HCOP Psychology, Principal Investigator Herbert Roitblat
Partnership for Health Professions Education, Director Carol Murray.

Dr. Doric Little, Student Development Coordinator, in the area to confer with experts on retention and learning disabilities in intelligent adults, was able to meet with conference attendees.

Congratulations to the John A. Burns School of Medicine 1997 graduating class. Seven of the 52 students receiving their degrees on May 18, 1997 are former participants of the Imi Ho`ola Program. The students and their residency programs are:

Charles Camacho		Obstetrics-Gynecology, Bayfront Medical Center in Florida
Matthew Cockett		Family Practice, Maricopa Medical Center in Arizona
Momi Ka`anoi		Family Practice, University of Hawai`i
Kevin Lum		Emergency Medicine, Akron City Hospital/NEOUCOM in Ohio
Roderick Vicente		Pediatrics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in California
Kelli-Ann Voloch		Pediatrics, University of Hawai`i Integrated Pediatrics Residency
Aloysius Yinug		Family Practice, Pennsylvania State University/Good Samaritan in Pennsylvania

Students hail from Hawai`i and the Pacific Basin: three from Honolulu, two from the Leeward area, and one each from Guam and Yap State (The Federated States of Micronesia.) With the seven students graduating in May, the total number of Imi Ho`ola graduates will be 116.