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Young doctors find challenge in Alpine
Neisha D'Souza and John Ray want a taste of rural medicine. They think Alpine is the place to get hands-on, intense, real-life rural medical experience, so they're spending the next month with Dr. James "Jim" Luecke and Dr. Adrian Billings in dealing with everything that family practice can throw at them. D'Souza and Ray, third-year students at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, also want to experience a part of Texas they've never seen - the Big Bend and its environs. "Dr. Billings and Dr. Luecke require that you go out in the Big Bend and get the whole experience," D'Souza said last week, shortly after she and Ray arrived in Alpine. "It's our first time to see West Texas," Ray said. "We have a friend who teaches middle school in the Big Bend." "We both wanted adventure," D'Souza said. "We wanted to be somewhere beautiful," Ray added. Though their stay in Alpine is brief, both said they expect to learn a lot from Luecke and Billings. "We'll assist with delivery, we'll be interns for them in family medicine - this is a family medicine clerkship," Ray and D'Souza said, one slipping in a sentence right after the other. "We'll be getting a taste of what rural medicine is all about." "Being a rural doctor," D'Souza said, "you get things back that you can't find anywhere else; you have the benefit of being the person in a community who can help in all [sorts of] situations. It's not like when you're in Galveston or Houston [where] you have specialists, where what you're doing besides examining them is sending them off to someone else." Neither Ray nor D'Souza is certain that rural medicine, or even family practice, is in the cards. Ray said, "I think I want to go into family medicine, I'm just not sure. I have a problem of enjoying everything I try." That, according to D'Souza and Ray himself, is an understatement. Ray, 30, didn't head directly to medical school. The Troup native attended Northwestern State in Natchitoches, La., studied ecology and was a farmer for six years. "I loved farming," he said, "but I decided I didn't want to still be farming when I was 60. I just wanted a change of pace and decided on medical school. I've always been a hard worker, but I decided I'd rather work hard with my brain and not my back." D'Souza, 26, found her turning point in India where she spent five months working with HIV/AIDS patients. "That was my motivation," she said. Before that, the Houston native attended Tulane University and, in her words, "just enjoyed New Orleans." Now, however, they're enjoying the Last Frontier - even if it's only for a month. Presbyterian Women's retreat set Young doctors find challenge in Alpine Neisha D'Souza and John Ray want a taste of rural medicine. Once again, the Alpine Independent School District achieved a superior rating on the state's FIRST (Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas) report, Superintendent Mike Davis reported at last week's school board meeting. Avalanche staff Compiled by the Avalanche Costumes are spectacular at freestyle reining Avalanche staff FD Harvest Bowls Supper is Friday A bowl of soup, some homemade bread and thou - especially thou! Everyone is invited to share the annual Harvest Bowl Supper at the Food Pantry of Jeff Davis County, 609 Compromise St., from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday. Alpine ISD honor roll for first 6 weeks Alpine Elementary School Alpine Middle School perfect attendance for first 6 weeks Fifth grade: Jared Aguilar, Ivan Armendariz, Phillip Castillo, Jacob Chavez, Tyler Curtis, Jessica Fenley, Abbey Gallego, Selena Garcia, William Gibson, Megan Gilmore, Ryan Hardin, Sean Hernandez, Daedrien Houston-Leyva, Cody Ivey, Courteney Malik, Aubany Marinez, Reagan Morris, Aaron Ontiveroz, Valerie Ortega, Adilene Ortiz, Charles Pearce, Michelle Ramos, Timothy Roberts, Justin Rodriguez, Pedro Rodriguez, Jonathan Rogers, Kaitlin Rogers, Daniel Rojo, Sadie Shackelford, Victor Vega, Ben Villa, Abigail Vizcaino, Rachel Ward, Charles Zapata and Nicolas Zapata A full weekend of activities at Sul Ross homecoming Special to the Avalanche The 'revised' Charlie Brown comes to Sul Ross theater Based on the popular cartoon script "Peanuts" by Charles M. Schulz, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," opens Friday, at 8:15 p.m. in the Studio Theatre of the Francois Fine Arts Building on the campus of Sul Ross. Alpine Police Department blotter The following persons were arrested in Alpine during the period Oct. 15-21. Appearance in this listing means that subjects have been charged with the listed offense. Inclusion in this report does not imply that the person is guilty of any crime. District Court |
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