Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Courtesy of OSU News
Student overcomes thyroid cancer while attending OSU med school Dr. Brandon Garner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer his first year of medical school.
Courtesy of OSU News Dr. Brandon Garner’s journey to becoming an Oklahoma State University physician was filled with unexpected challenges, including a battle with cancer. Despite these obstacles, he has emerged
stronger and more determined to help others. His interest in medicine began early.
with a family friend who was a trauma surgeon only solidified his passion for medicine.
medical school, I started feeling this kind of pressure in my throat. I just thought it was allergies,” he said. “In fifth grade, we The Start of a MediIt persisted, so Garner dissected a pig heart and cal Journey asked one of his clinical lung for class. I just really Garner entered OSU professors, Dr. Diana Deliked it,” he said. College of Osteopathic Felice, to check him out. This early experience Medicine with excitement “His thyroid gland sparked his fascination and anticipation. Howwas enlarged and asymwith hands-on science. ever, his journey took an metrical. I advised him to A high school medical unexpected turn. see his primary care phymission trip to Guatemala “The summer before sician and get his thyroid
worked up,” DeFelice said. Following a series of tests and a biopsy, he received a life-changing diagnosis—cancer. “I actually just finished a test at school and then I got the phone call,” he said, and the news was a shock. “Cancer could mean a lot of things. You don’t know if it’s really bad or if it’s treatable.”
Despite his thyroid cancer diagnosis, Garner continued his studies while undergoing treatment, which included three surgeries and radiation. “Medical school is stressful enough without trying to treat a potentially life-threatening illness,” DeFelice said. See Cancer on page 3
Mike Gundy said his team was ‘undisciplined’ in Saturday’s practice will commonly use the acronym DAT — “discipline and toughness.” Whatever you want to call it, Gundy’s teams at OSU have often played above their Calif Poncy level of talent, and that Staff Reporter starts in spring practice and fall camp. Gundy wasn’t pleased with the With the season level his team practiced now less than three at over the weekend, weeks away, practice is and he was quick to heating up. return to the commonly Oklahoma State preached principles of head coach Mike DAT. Gundy and select play“We were way uners spoke to the media disciplined today. Too Saturday, and this is many penalties, ball on what they had to say on the ground too much,” a variety of topics. Gundy said. “We’ve got a lot of work (to do). Early struggles in We’ve got good playpractice ers and guys that are When you talk to returned and experiGundy about the funenced, but we’ve got damentals of what have made OSU successful See Gundy on page 4 during his tenure, he
Courtesy of OSU News Two OSU professors were recently awarded funds from Bovita Labs, a subsidiary of Select Milk Producers.
CEAT professors aim to improve health and productivity of dairy cows Courtesy of OSU News
Dr. Lizhi Wang of IEM were recently awarded funds from Bovita Labs, a subsidiary of Select Milk Producers. Dr. Guiping Hu, head The proposal, titled of the School of Industrial “Systematic Integration Engineering and Manof Data Sets for Identifyagement at Oklahoma ing Environmental and State University, and Management Factors that
Affect the Health and Productivity of Dairy Cows,” aims to create an integrated data set which will lay groundwork for several follow up research and development opportunities to improve overall health and productivity of dairy cows.
Hu likens the research to a large puzzle. “A puzzle where each puzzle piece is a data set for either environmental conditions or management practices around milk production within the See CEAT on page 5