Steroids used to be thought of as a problem of professional athletes. Unfortunately, that is changing, with steroid use becoming more common in the general population, especially among student athletes.
According to some reports, students as young as those in junior high school have used steroids. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has estimated that more than a half million eighth- and tenth-grade students have used these drugs, and the mindset among high school seniors shows that almost 60 percent of them don't think of these drugs as dangerous.
As a community outreach effort, Penn State Worthington Scranton will host a special presentation, "The Effects of Steroid Use" by Dr. P. Christopher Metzger on Wednesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in The View cafeteria in the campus' Study Learning Center.
Dr. Metzger has served as the team physician for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the Triple A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and is now the team physician for the Triple A affiliate of the New York Yankees. He was also the team physician for the Abington Heights Sports Medicine Program and Marywood University.
A member of Penn State Worthington Scranton's Advisory Board, he is the author of several published medical articles and is a guest lecturer at local universities. His interests are sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery and he is on the staffs of Moses Taylor Hospital, Community Medical Center and the Northeast Surgery Center.
Dr. Metzger received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, where he also performed his residency. He is board-certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and is a member of the American College of Surgeons. In 1998, he was appointed to the Board of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society and served as its president in 2004-05.
This presentation is free and open to the general public. However, those attending should call the campus at 963-2690 to confirm their attendance to ensure an accurate account for the light refreshments that will be offered.
