Calling DOs/MDs alike, the AOA/AMA, Student Doctors

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If you had such concerns prior to matriculation, you should not have chosen to attend RVU in the first place.

What a waste of web space this post is.

At the same time, I am not surprised to be seeing something like this already.
 
What a waste of web space this post is.

At the same time, I am not surprised to be seeing something like this already.

It's the truth. Many of the concerns about a for-profit med school were aired well before the current drama. To sound the alarm now is a tad late in the game.

As for it being a waste of webspace *shrug*. You have your opinion, I have mine. Say hello to Cundari for me.
 
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This is the BEST news I've heard all week. RVU not only put osteopathic medicine at risk, but medicine as a whole at risk: The shutting down of RVU would be a big win for doctors.

Problem is that it won't get shut down, and I'd put money on that bet.
 
It's the truth. Many of the concerns about a for-profit med school were aired well before the current drama. To sound the alarm now is a tad late in the game.

As for it being a waste of webspace *shrug*. You have your opinion, I have mine. Say hello to Cundari for me.

Yes it is true but its an ad hominem argument...anyway, we need to talk about the problem at hand, which is the damage this crap can do to our future professional reputations.

I don't roll with Cundari :p
 
Interesting .... how??

Besides the lawyer and the chief (Tien or whatever) it seemed responsible to me. Clinical and teaching physicians?? Seems okay from the surface, I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts.

out of 8 board members, only 3 are DOs. 3 are directly linked to the business of RVU. Tien is the owner, Lucy Chua, MD is his wife, and Mr.Black is a lawyer of their business.
 
out of 8 board members, only 3 are DOs. 3 are directly linked to the business of RVU. Tien is the owner, Lucy Chua, MD is his wife, and Mr.Black is a lawyer of their business.

The only 3 being DOs thing doesn't bother me ... Tien having his wife and personal attorney on the board is a no no.
 
Dr. Kaplan is listed at the current Chief Academic Officer of the American University of the Caribbean in this news from AUC: http://www.aucmed.edu/30th-anniversary/news-events.html.
Does anyone believe that RVU is anything more than a branch campus of AUC? Basically, the "independent" board is AUC, with a couple of Colorado tokens thrown in. Why not just change the name to AUCCOM and stop the pretense?
 
out of 8 board members, only 3 are DOs. 3 are directly linked to the business of RVU. Tien is the owner, Lucy Chua, MD is his wife, and Mr.Black is a lawyer of their business.


Haha, this keeps getting better.
 
Dr. Kaplan is listed at the current Chief Academic Officer of the American University of the Caribbean in this news from AUC: http://www.aucmed.edu/30th-anniversary/news-events.html.
Does anyone believe that RVU is anything more than a branch campus of AUC? Basically, the "independent" board is AUC, with a couple of Colorado tokens thrown in. Why not just change the name to AUCCOM and stop the pretense?

i only count one token independent colorado
 
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Dr. Kaplan is listed at the current Chief Academic Officer of the American University of the Caribbean in this news from AUC: http://www.aucmed.edu/30th-anniversary/news-events.html.
Does anyone believe that RVU is anything more than a branch campus of AUC? Basically, the "independent" board is AUC, with a couple of Colorado tokens thrown in. Why not just change the name to AUCCOM and stop the pretense?

Yikes! Is there anyone on the board who is not personally invested with Mr. Tien? I thought a board was supposed to be made up of impartial non-vested interest members. Clearly no one is going to challenge any of Mr. Tien's ideas and initiatives since they all have vested interests with him.
 
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"The University and College are operated by an uncompensated, dedicated, volunteer Board of Trustees that is composed of both osteopathic physicians and business leaders."

one- i think.....
 
Dr. Kaplan is listed at the current Chief Academic Officer of the American University of the Caribbean in this news from AUC: http://www.aucmed.edu/30th-anniversary/news-events.html.
Does anyone believe that RVU is anything more than a branch campus of AUC? Basically, the "independent" board is AUC, with a couple of Colorado tokens thrown in. Why not just change the name to AUCCOM and stop the pretense?

Whatever I've said in the past in defense of RVU, I take it back. This is not good. Not good at all. It feels completely slimy. I can't believe COCA and AOA aren't doing crap about this travesty. Then, again...
 
Dr. Kaplan is listed at the current Chief Academic Officer of the American University of the Caribbean in this news from AUC: http://www.aucmed.edu/30th-anniversary/news-events.html.
Does anyone believe that RVU is anything more than a branch campus of AUC? Basically, the "independent" board is AUC, with a couple of Colorado tokens thrown in. Why not just change the name to AUCCOM and stop the pretense?

Kaplan is also listed as a professor for MSU-COM. Maybe they're another branch of AUC also?? Oh wait...
 
There could be two different Bruce Kaplans. I can't imagine AUC putting a DO as their chief academic officer. I guess it's possible, but can one guy be a professor at Michigan State COM, a board member at RVU, and an administrator at a Caribbean medical school all at the same time?

RVUs board member page says he is a prof at MSU. Going to MSU's site and searching the faculty brings one up. Good enough for me. I can't say anything about Bruce Kaplan of AUC fame.
 
OHHH boy. Well I guess it's time to get on the AOA's ass about this one.
 
Before attending school, my liberal, anti-capitalistic, peaceful ways had an issue with the idea of "for profit"....but I REALLY wanted to be a D.O. and be in Colorado. Frankly I felt like I could really trust the staff and folks at RVU with my future. That was then....as soon as school started my only issues were getting through exams- just like all med students.

BUT I when I take a step back I can realize the potential concern for future classes (after the profits start). But, I have to keep optimistic that our class and those after ours will be instrumental in making sure that our school continues with it's goals and demonstration of excellence.

Uh-huh. I'm sure that wont stop you from cashing those checks later as a doc either. I'm also sure you wouldn't care if the government dictated how much you could make either. No matter what your loans amounted to after school.....
 
Calling all DOs/MDs alike, the AOA/AMA, Student Doctors - and those who have yet to matriculate but care for the profession and practice of medicine:

We are in desperate need of your help, your voice, and your support.

What we all feared would happen has occured - and sooner than expected.

There have been many recent changes at RVUCOM. We have all been deceived by nothing more than a "bait and switch" scheme. We must make our stand - our voices heard - NOW. The financier of RVUCOM (Yife Tien) has reared his deceptive head and has terminated the Board of Trustees composed of prominent Osteopathic Physicians for the sole purpose of removing Dean Ronnie Martin after a failed faculty vote - and a unanimous physician vote by the board to retain Dean Martin. The only way for Yife Tien to underhandedly remove the dean was to get rid of the Board of Trustees at the urging of only a select few (literally 3) faculty professors who didn't like the direction of their dean or the Board of Trustees. It was a "power grab" by nothing more than deceitful "employees" who somehow gained the upperhand by threatening to resign. The corporate structure allowed this type of posturing - a true, autonomous Board of Trustees composed of physicians could have prevented this type of manipulation by one business man. This faculty minority - as well as Yife Tien, did not consider the repercussions of terminating a board of regional physicians and treating them with so little respect. Nor did they consider what this would mean to their students and the community.

In the process, these disgruntled professors deceitfully threw their weight around through threats of resignation and Yife Tien chose to listen because he now saw something to gain, and even sooner than he anticipated. Yife Tien has spit in the face of Osteopathic Medicine and has revelealed his true desire to make all the calls regarding the direction of RVUCOM. This minority of greedy professors - along with "chancellor" Tien, have not considered the welfare of the students, and evidently have not considered the timeline of revealing their true intent. They've severely underestimated our power AS STUDENTS and PHYSICIANS to make a stand in the face of their deceitful practices. Our interests as students are no longer being protected or guided by regional physicians here in Colorado, but rather by two professors who sit but briefly on their thrones as "interim" deans of OUR medical school. These professors are from other states who left their previous teaching positions under suspicious circumstances, details of which will come to light momentarily and are sure to be expounded by their former students and colleagues. They are capable teachers but are complicit in this plot by Yife Tien and his lapdog lawyer, Mr. Black. It's quite obvious that their motives have been unjust and the plans of Yife Tien and this minority leadership, devoid of integrity and foresight, will never come to fruition.

Many students had not heard about the issues surrounding the financing of RVUCOM until we had already agreed to attend and now we have been deceived. The JAOA articles from Dean Ronnie Martin and Dr. Mychaskiw were of benefit but the intent is now clear as to where Yife Tien - and his lawyer, Mr. Black, currently stand. Mr. Black spoke at our school two days ago and laid out the latest happenings without detail and only succeeded in emphasizing the deceptive intent behind the direction of the school. They underestimated our foresight as students as well as our power to unite. The veiled threats the new "coporate heirarchy" laid before us were not welcomed nor were they effective. We as students are not so selfish to fear only for our futures (which is what they had hoped). We understand that we must stand up for the direction of our medical school as well as the future of medicine.

I'm a medical student and I'm not ashamed to admit that we need to be rescued. We are tired and weary with only a few weeks remaining in our first year. However, we are not too weak to fight this injustice - we will hold steady. We care about the direction of medicine and hope you join us in this fight. We cannot do it alone and with no direction or physician oversight outside of our immediate faculty and "interim deans". We are at risk of being inappropriately influenced and forced to suffer in silence to benefit big business. We absolutely WILL NOT walk in silence, devoid of conscious and constantly in fear.

Our training prior to the untimely departure of Dean Ronnie Martin -AND- our esteemed board of physicians was exceptional based on all accounts and as viewed by our early shadowing preceptors (community physicians). Based on this latest move and the voices of the physicians in the community, our future education without a shadow of a doubt, is in jeopardy. So is the future face of medicine, if we don't stop this now.

The physicians of Colorado and the Mountain West will not stand silent either.

I wholeheartedly ask for you all to stand strong with us. Please help our voices be heard. Help influence the AOA to step in with our regional physicians to monitor and see that changes from the very top to the very bottom are made in light of these unjust developments. Please help protect our interest and investment as future representatives of medicine. We have near 100 signatures - with more to come, of students asking for the AOA to intervene. Only a very few are fearful of faculty retribution. The vast majority of students support this move and the documents have been submitted or are en route to the AOA and other representatives requesting intervention. Let's set this right together. Please help PHYSICIAN BOARDS, local physicians, and not corporate suits and their greed guide our new school.

Perhaps with the voice of SDN, the strong involvement and oversight of the AOA, and the support of physicians and medical students far and wide, we can rid our shores of this corporate structure and greed once and for all. Let's close the doors on this model now - before accreditation is even considered. Deep pockets will not prevail over principle and integrity.

Please extend your hands and voices to us for immediate rescue. Please encourage and hold the AOA accountable to fulfill their mission and duty by protecting the medical student.

We are in desperate need of your support - right now.

You have the support of many within the DO community. Many are equally appalled as you.

A few points: The only higher power you can appeal to is the AOA and COCA, and they flat out will not listen to you.

All the bad press you can muster will accomplish little. The only place you can hurt them is in their pocket book. As others have pointed out, there's a line 1000 students long to get into US med school. Even if you convince 900 to walk away from RVU, there's 100 waiting to sign on tomorrow. As long as the school collects it 40K/year/student, they could give a flying fart about "educational standards."

Still, why not let your voice by heard by the local community? How about a follow article to this http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12455637 describing student responses school's decisions?

You can get other support through SOMA and AMSA, especially on how to get organized. How to confront arcane bureaucracies designed only to protect themselves. How to seek out alternates means of educating yourself, beyond the formal program of your medical school. Seriously, go to a SOMA or AMSA convention and discuss your concerns face-to-face. You will get an audience.

There are serious, enduring problems with the way DO schools are accredited, and how the AOA enforces basic educational standards on the schools and the students.

You are all victims of a very successful marketing campaign, paid for by Yife Tien and given the rubber stamp of approval by the AOA.

I would say drop out, but I've learned that taking the long view of these issues, you can do more good from within the system than outside it, that is if you can stand to stick it out.

Keep the faith. You'll need it.

bth
 
OHHH boy. Well I guess it's time to get on the AOA's ass about this one.

As if they will do something about it. I'm ashamed that the AOA represents my future profession. Chances are, I most likely won't support them financially when I'm earning a salary in a few years.
 
There could be two different Bruce Kaplans. I can't imagine AUC putting a DO as their chief academic officer. I guess it's possible, but can one guy be a professor at Michigan State COM, a board member at RVU, and an administrator at a Caribbean medical school all at the same time?

One of AUCs main clinical sites is in suburban Detroit (Providence Hospital) and I believe Kaplan is on staff there and also clinical faculty with Michigan State (becoming clinical faculty is not a huge deal, MSU has a two page app on their website). He likely picked up administrative duties at AUC in order to improve this AUC/Providence relationship. The irony that he is a DO administrating a MD school is not lost on anyone. (I bet they offered him a pile of cash.)

AUC recruits a number of Michigan (and NYC and California) residents by offering full clinical rotations in those locations without having to move around, so maintaining good relations with the hospitals is VERY important.
 
RVU is getting a new dean. Dr. Bruce Dubin. He's the former interim dean at TCOM.

All the rest of this sounds like a disaster, but Dr. Dubin is awesome. He really cares about students and will kick your butt if you're not performing. I'm sad to see him leaving, but sounds like y'all could use the help.

Let's hope he does good and brings creditability. I wish RVU students the best of luck!!!
 
I found the site yesterday. My site is going further back in pages on Google searches and I happened to find this one while searching for mine.
 
I found the site yesterday. My site is going further back in pages on Google searches and I happened to find this one while searching for mine.

Did you ever make it back into a program? I don't really get how those two instances were enough to get you dismissed?
 
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