TV Show Seemed Realistic
TV dramas about medical centers
get more realistic all the time.
One I saw the other night is a good
case in point.
As the show began, the dramatic
background music and several
somber faces hinted at the intensity
of the tragedy which had befallen.
"My ad isn't in here," one of the
somber faces said, holding the
medical center's weekly newspaper
in one hand and backhanding it with
the other.
"I really need to sell that canary,
and I put the ad in the mail Tuesday
afternoon!"
A calendar visible behind the
characters let the viewer know this
was Friday.
go in it on the Friday before it comes
out.
"Then we have all the copy set on
Monday and Tuesday mornings."
Questions Raised
"But couldn't you set just one
more little item later?"
"We don't set it ourselves, we have
to take it over to the university
campus to be set.
"We then have to start laying the
paper out on Tuesday afternoon, to
determine what size headlines and
captions will be," the editor
continued.
"They are set on Wednesday
morning, and we spend most of the
rest of the day finishing the
paste-up."
Office of Public Relations
P. O. Box 3354
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina 27710
The Plot Thickens
"Believe me, I know just how you
feel," a companion said, offering a
comforting hand on the shoulder.
"I've been there myself.
"I had scheduled a very important
departmental seminar. It was to be
on a Thursday, so I called them a full
week before and asked that it be put
in the calendar, but nothing doing."
The drama continued to mount
like this for most of the show.
Eventually hundreds of angry
employees stormed the public
relations office, the alleged cause of
the problems.
Fortunately, however, things got
settled just before the final
commercial.
The Confiontation
The first two characters we saw got
elected to speak for the group and
went in to the office of the editor of
the medical center paper.
In the distance, through her office
window, a tobacco factory was seen.
"Putting out the paper is a week
long process," she explained. "We
plan what articles and pictures, will
"Well, why do you need all day
Thursday to print it?" came another
question.
"We don't have a printing press.
We send it to a neighboring village
for printing."
The two envoys looked around the
tiny office and saw no composition
equipment, no printing press, no
space for either and no staff to
operate either.
"So even if I call you eight or nine
days before my Thursday meeting,
that's after your deadline, because
the paper is already on the drawing
board," one of them said.
"It's practically past the drawing
board by then," the editor said. "If
you just send us the information a
week prior to publication, we are
glad to print it."
The background music grew
mellow, indicating that the crisis was
over. The employees would send
things in on time, personal items
would be sold and attendance would
be assured at important occasions.
Everybody likes these happy
endings.
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December 3-10,1976
We would like to list lectures, symposia and other activities at the medical center in the
Intercom Calendar. If information about your event does not appear, the reason is either that
we did not receive it or that we received it too late for printing deadlines. Notices can be
accepted for the Calendar no later than one week prior to publication. Notices may be sent to
Box 3354, Hospital. If last minute scheduling makes it impossible to send a written notice in
time, please call 684-4148.
Friday, December 3
12:30 p.m. Biochemistry Seminar. Dr. William P. Harrington, Dept, of
Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, will speak on “Structure
and Activation of Muscle Thick Filaments," Rrn 147, Nanaline H.
Duke Bldg. Coffee at 12:15 p.m. in the lobby.
1 p.m. Network for Continuing Medical Education (NCME). Programs
on "Selective Use of Radiography and Laboratory Tests and
Rheumatic Disease," "The Function of Phagocytes" and
"Bacteria Infection and Disorders of the White Cell." View in
Rms M-405, M-410, 2031 and Medical Student Lounge (Channel
7 or 9) at Duke and Rms A3002 (by appointment only), C9013,
D3008, CCU and classrooms and media learning lab of Allied
Health Bldg. at VA Hospital.
2 p.m. Anatomy Seminar. Dr. R. O. Kelley, associate professor. Dept, of
Anatomy, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, will
speak on "Role of Extracellular Matrix in Limb Development,"
Rm 273, Sands Bldg. Coffee and cookies at 1:45 p.m.
4:30 p.m. Medical Sciences Training Program Seminar. Dr. Brian A.
Pethica, dean. School of Arts and Sciences, Clarkson College,
Potsdam, N.Y., will speak on "The Bilayer Model — End of an
Era?" Rm 273, Sands Bldg. (MSIB). Coffee and cookies at 4:15
p.m.
Monday, December 6
12 noon Biochemistry Seminar. Dr. Deborah Steege, Dept, of Biology,
Yale University, will speak on the "The £. coli lac Repressor
mRNA: Nucleotide Sequences at Translation Initiation Sites,"
Rm 147, Nanaline H. Duke Bldg. Coffee at 11:45 a.m.
4 p.m. Anatomy Seminar. Prof. John E. Dowling, professor and
chairman. Dept, of Biology, Biological Laboratories, Harvard
University, will speak on "Interpexiform Cells of the Retina:
Centrifuged Neuron?" Rm 147, Nanaline H. Duke Bldg. Coffee
and cookies at 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday, December 7
12 noon Pathology Research Conference. Dr. Kenneth Schneider, director.
Hospital Laboratory Services, will speak on "Analytical Drift in a
Clinical Laboratory: Its Detection and Correction," Rm M204,
Davison Bldg.
1 p.m. NCME. See Fri., Dec. 3 for program listings. View in School of
Nursing Aud.,Rm 1017.
4 p.m. Council on Aging and Human Development. The Rev. Philip S.
Brown, executive director. Bishop Penick Memorial Home,
Southern Pines, will speak on "The Religious Needs of Older
Persons," Rm 1504, Gerontology Bldg.
Wednesday, December 8
1 p.m. NCME. See Fri., Dec. 3 for program listings and viewing areas.
1 p.m. Health Services Administration Colloquium. Richard Hayes,
director of development. Hospital Amphitheater.
6 p.m. Duke Management Club. Elizabeth Janeway, author and social
historian, will speak on "Changing Roles in a Changing Worid,"
Board Room.
Thursday, December 9
1 p.m. NCME. See Fri., Dec. 3 for program listings and viewing areas.
Home (Safe) for the Holidays
There is no place like home for the
holidays — that's a sentiment few
would disagree with, but the fact is
that home is also where accidents
frequently happen.
The Christmas and New Year's
holidays — a time of extra festivities
and increased home entertaining —
should also be a time to take extra
precautions against accidents, the
Health Insurance Institute says.
Here are some tips:
* No matter how reluctant you may
be to see Christmas come to an end,
don't leave your tree up too long or it
may become a fire hazard. Dispose of
it as soon as the needles begin
falling.
* Your floors will probably be
littered with more small toys than
usual. Keep them from under foot of
both young and old. Spread a sheet
or blanket on the floor for a child to
play on. When playtime is over, you
can simply pick up the blanket, toys
and all. Some mothers like to keep a
large drawstring bag — which can
take in a lot of little toys.
* When entertaining, provide large
ashtrays in sufficient numbers.
Before emptying these, make certain
that contents are completely
extinguished.
* Remember to clear all sidewalks,
steps and porches of snow, ice, or
other obstacles before your guests
arrive.
* Mistletoe and holly are
traditional decorations, but they can
be dangerous for young children.
The berries of both are poisonous
and should be kept out of reach of
youngsters.
* If you go visiting relatives or
friends, don't drink and drive. If
you're accompanied by your spouse,
a friend, or another couple, decide
beforehand that one of you will not
drink — and will do the driving
chores. If you do drink, warn experts,
limit yourself to no more than one
per hour. It takes one full hour for an
ounce of alcohol to burn out of your
system.
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