Meet your SGA leaders
President Emil Bailey is a third-year dental student from Marietta, Ga. who plans to practice dentistry in Atlanta. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in information technology from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Vice President Tara Fogle is a senior in the School of Dentistry. The Griffin, Ga. native majored in psychology at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Comptroller Branan Ennis, from Macon, Ga., is a senior in the School of Medicine with a chemical engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology. She plans a career in emergency medicine.
Secretary Lisa Harbin is a senior in the School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Respiratory Therapy, who previously attended the University of Georgia and hails from Memphis, Tenn. She aspires to work in neonatal ICU as a registered respiratory therapist.
Humanitarian Carolyn Krieger is a senior in the School of Dentistry who plans a career as a general practitioner. The Atlanta native holds a degree in biology from Georgia Institute of Technology.
| What’s the hardest word in medical terminology you’ve had to learn to pronounce? |
Emil: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (aka Silicosis). Enough said.
Tara: Megan Mazzawi CANNOT say "erythematous." (She won’t say what she can’t say.)
Branan: Possibly uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or maybe anesthetist.
Lisa: My major problem so far hasn’t been pronouncing words, but rather learning what all the abbreviations stand for. I carry around a pocket medical abbreviations book!
Carolyn: I can't think of one that was the hardest to pronounce, but I can think of some of my favorites to say: hairy leukoplakia, stratified squamous, mamelon and sternocleidomastoid.
| What challenges do you anticipate for SGA this year? |
Emil: We have planned an exciting array of activities such as monthly TGIFs with giveaways (window decals, T-shirts, gift certificates, etc.), various humanitarian events, the second annual MCG Formal, intramural sports and more. We hope this will encourage interaction and unity within classes, between schools and the student body as a whole. We have some of the best faculty and curricula in the country and some of the most talented and intelligent students. I want the student body to be as proud and excited to be here as I am.
Tara: The off-campus TGIFs and the schoolwide formal were firsts last year and were very successful. I hope all of our new ideas go over as well this year!
Branan: This year, SGA will help sponsor the Arts Council’s first student/faculty art exhibit. One of the challenges will be to get the word out for submissions from creative students and faculty. I’m hoping this article helps. (If you’re interested, e-mail Branan at mennismd@students.mcg.edu.)
Lisa: I believe the SGA Executive Council will work efficiently with the administration of MCG and the student body to better the campus as a whole, especially student life and involvement on campus and in the community. I believe the only challenge will be fitting in all the plans and ideas we’ve received from the student body in one year!
Carolyn: I am encouraging higher student participation in community service projects than in the past. Our hectic schedules don’t leave students a lot of spare time, but I think that a desire for philanthropy runs high in health care professionals. My main goal for this year is making projects more readily available and as easy as possible for students to participate in.
| What would you do with an extra four hours a day? |
Emil: Dance, play guitar, wakeboard, golf, play poker, yoga, soccer, mountain bike and catch up on some reading.
Tara: I would like to think I would be very productive; maybe I would learn how to use axiUm.
Branan: I would like to say I’d finally put a significant dent in that mountain of reading material that gets taller and taller every day, that I’d go back and relearn anatomy (more accurately, learn anatomy for the first time), or that I’d at least clean out my closet. In reality, I would probably end up spending most of the time talking on the phone, having girls’ nights and maybe even getting a normal amount of sleep at night.
Lisa: I would definitely try to spend more time with my friends, my church, in the community volunteering or riding my bike. I’d also probably throw a few hours of extra sleep in there somewhere!
Carolyn: SLEEP! Work out more routinely. Probably procrastinate and waste time just as much.
| If you weren’t in medical school, what would you be doing? |
Emil: Traveling, definitely. I have traveled abroad every summer since high school. The exhilarating sense of adventure completely takes hold of you when you fly to unknown and uncharted territory with nothing but a backpack, a map and good company. The more you travel, the more you realize how much more there is to see around the world and how much we have to learn from other cultures.
Tara: Kristen Faerber and I would own a boutique housing the most fashionable clothes, shoes, jewelry and purses!
Branan: I would probably be using my chemical engineering degree to design pipes to optimize sewage flow or something equally exciting.
Lisa: I would probably still be at UGA, but I may have ended up at LSU if I had stuck with my original plan, which was to be an architect. I am definitely happy with the way things turned out!
Carolyn: Hard question. I always said if I had multiple lives, I would be a National Geographic photographer, professional ice climber, host of a travel channel show, writer for Lonely Planet or food critic of all things chocolate.
| What advice or suggestion do you have for new MCG students? |
Emil: I encourage new MCG students to get involved in campus life. Our education and personal growth does not stop once we leave the classroom. Join professional organizations, take classes at the Wellness Center, play intramural sports, attend TGIFs and put in a little effort to meet someone outside your school. The bonds we foster here will be our lifelong friends, colleagues, caretakers and, in some cases, spouses. Work hard, have fun, and never hesitate to contact SGA with questions, comments and suggestions.
Tara: HAVE FUN!
Branan: My advice is to get involved with student activities early. There are so many great opportunities for community service, interest groups, intramural sports and leadership that everyone can be involved in some way. They’re a great way to make new friends and to have fun things to do when you’re sick of studying for the day.
Lisa: Take advantage of the incredible resources available to MCG students. We are surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable and experienced professors and clinical leaders in the country. Take every opportunity to learn everything you can fit in your brain! Also, MCG is a school where balance is absolutely essential. If you haven’t learned time management skills yet, get ready. Study a lot, but take time for yourself; work hard, but have fun; you will reap what you sow! Nothing more rewarding than knowing you have had a positive impact on a patient, not only clinically, but also on his quality of life.
Carolyn: Make lots of friends, and take time to hang out with them and blow off steam. You won't remember those three extra hours you spent studying years from now, but you will remember the memories you made with your friends. Oh, and participate in community service projects with the SGA!