Barchi shares life's work with students

Provost Robert Barchi took a break from his normal routine at College Hall yesterday to introduce a small group of students to his own specialty in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Fourteen undergraduates attended Barchi's preceptorial, "The Brain in Brief," to learn how the brain functions from the chief academic officer of the University, who was studying neurology long before he was searching for new deans or dealing with binge drinking on college campuses. Before Barchi was named provost in December 1998, he was chair of Penn's Neuroscience and Neurology departments. Yesterday's meeting was the second of the three gatherings of the preceptorial, which are short, not-for-credit seminars that are generated by students and conducted by lauded faculty from different departments of the University. Joined by HUP's Section Chief of Neuroradiology Robert Grossman, Barchi gave students a tour of some areas of the hospital's Radiology division. Barchi said the preceptorial is meant to be a non-scientific introduction to the functions of the brain. So it was only fitting that yesterday's class involved looking at different equipment that neurologists use in order to study brain problems in patients, as well as learning about the ways in which these malfunctions are handled. During the session, College freshman Becky Davidson volunteered to have an MRI taken of herself, so that Barchi, along with Grossman, could use it to explain the different functions of the brain to the class. Barchi illustrated the strong magnetic forces of the MRI machine by saying that, in the 1.5 Tesla field of the apparatus, a "metal paperclip becomes a weapon." "It wasn't as scary as I thought. It was good to experience without having any real brain problems," Davidson said after the procedure was complete. Several of the students enrolled in the preceptorial said they enjoyed the opportunity to learn about a subject they considered interesting from the provost himself. "It's completely new," said Wharton sophomore Sasha Balkaran, of the preceptorial. "Last [session] I got to touch a brain." And fellow Wharton sophomore John DePalma remarked, "I always loved neurology but did not have the chance to take a class in it." Other top officials have led preceptorials in the past. University President Judith Rodin led a one last spring on public discourse in America, and former Trustees Chairman Roy Vagelos has taught one on the pharmaceutical industry. This semester, College junior Brad Hirsch approached Barchi and convinced him to offer a preceptorial in his field.

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