COM Students Spread Christmas Cheer, Visit Nursing Home Residents, and More in Campus Roundup

Hogwarts Day at ATSU-SOMA

On Thursday, December 13, A.T. Still University—School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) hosted Hogwarts Day, a creative event designed to ease student stress while they prepared for final exams. ATSU-SOMA faculty, led by Victoria Bryant, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Molecular Biology, planned Harry Potter-themed activities, décor, and costumes.

The magic began early in the month, when students received an acceptance letter to the “ATSU-SOMA School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.” On the day of the event, students were divided into four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. True to the magical world of Harry Potter, they even donned a sorting hat for the ceremony. The houses rotated through stations that aligned magical subjects like potions and care of magical creatures to relevant material on upcoming final exams.

LMU-DCOM Student to Receive School’s Student DO of the Year Award

Lincoln Memorial University—DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) student Zuri Hudson, Class of 2019, has been selected as the LMU-DCOM Student DO of the Year (SDOY). Hudson will represent her school as a candidate for the National SDOY award, presented annually by AACOM’s Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) at Educating Leaders 2019, the organization’s annual conference. The SDOY award is presented to students who go above and beyond the average osteopathic medical student and are recognized for their leadership, commitment to community service, dedication to the profession, professionalism, and the embodiment of the osteopathic philosophy.

"Her countless hours volunteering in the community were spent not just doing something for others, but to do something with them," said Skyler Hill-Norby, Class of 2021 and Student Government Association (SGA) President. "Zuri has donated her time helping community members understand disease, and has assisted them in achieving mental, emotional and physical health."

NYITCOM Student Receives AHEC Program Scholarship to Serve the Underserved

Third-year New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) student Nina Luksanapol recently received a scholarship from the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program, a federally funded program to improve healthcare in medically underserved areas. Nina sat down with The Box to reflect on how her public health experience at NYITCOM is helping to prepare her for her future career in medicine.

“Eventually, I would like to become a hospital administrator so that I may tackle some of the issues that I learned about this past summer,” Luksanapol said in a recent NYITCOM interview. “At the moment, the biggest question I have been facing is which specialty I’d like to go into. I’m torn between OB/GYN and anesthesiology. I am interested in women’s health as well as tackling the growing opioid epidemic that is often prompted by improper pain management. Whatever area I specialize in, I plan to work in a public hospital to treat underserved communities that cannot afford private healthcare.” Read more.

NSU-KPCOM Students Show Appreciation to Custodial Staff

Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) students coordinated the inaugural Custodian Appreciation Day on October 30. Students of the Health Professions Division complex—a group of eight colleges, including the NSU-KPCOM—collaborated to create a useful and interactive agenda for the workforce that keeps the facility clean and operational.

The day of recognition was the brainchild of second-year student Zachary Burns, who was involved in custodian advocacy when he was an undergraduate student. To ensure the event’s success, 21 KPCOM student clubs created a useful and interactive agenda for the participants.

Andrea Weir Named PCOM’s Student DO of the Year

The DO Council at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has named Andrea Weir as the Student DO of the Year (SDOY). She will now be considered for the National SDOY award by AACOM’s Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) along with entrants from other osteopathic schools across the country.

”Andrea brings a unique background to her medical school career, with years of experience as a chef. She has taken her love for food and providing for others, and has translated this into her life in medical school,” said osteopathic medical student Stephen DePaul, DO Council President and Chair of the SDOY Selection Committee. “Andrea is the epitome of what it means to be an osteopathic medical student."

RVUCOM Students Collaborate on Recently Passed AMA Resolution

Krista Allen, osteopathic medical student at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM), was part of a group of students in the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Medical Student Section that collaborated on the recently passed Resolution 955 “Equality for COMLEX and USMLE.” The resolution, which was unanimously approved by the AMA House of Delegates, calls for the AMA to educate residency program directors on the use and interpretation of COMLEX scores and to increase the utilization of COMLEX scores for DO applicants.

For the better part of a year, Allen helped research and write the resolution in preparation for the AMA Annual Conference, where it passed. This historic milestone in medical education was made possible by Allen and other visionary students who sought to make a difference.

RVUCOM-SU Gives Gifts to Children in Hospital

Rocky Vista University Southern Utah Campus (RVUCOM-SU) decided to give back to the community this holiday season by presenting personalized gifts to children in need. The university planned two events in St. George and Ivins last week, delivering the “Magic of Christmas” to children staying at the hospital and shoes to local school children.

“We felt like helping children to have something as essential as shoes was really symbolic,” Administrative Assistant Merilynn Lloyd said. “We’re hoping that us giving them something so essential like this is kind of a message that we would like to guide them in their footsteps.”

VCOM-Auburn Students Benefit Local Elementary School

On December 18, 2018, The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) students held a Christmas party and collected supplies to benefit kindergarten and first grade students and teachers at Loachapoka Elementary School in Loachapoka, AL. The event was coordinated by the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at VCOM-Auburn.

As part of the party, school children were treated to snacks and seasonal music in the gym. They rotated among four tables where VCOM-Auburn students and Loachapoka teachers assisted them with Christmas ornament decorating, balloon sculptures, face painting, and marshmallow snowman creation. Concluding the event, students were given wrapped presents to take home and were able to sit on Santa’s knee for a photo.

VCOM-Carolinas Spreads Community Christmas Cheer

This Christmas season, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas (VCOM-Carolinas) Student Services and Student Government Association worked together to make the holidays special for local children in need. In the weeks leading up to winter break, they collected non-perishable food items for Arcadia Elementary, where 100 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunches. The items collected by students, faculty, and staff helped to ensure these students had food over the holiday break.

VCOM-Virginia Students Bring Holiday Cheer to Nursing Home Residents

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Virginia)’s Classes of 2021 and 2022 hosted a holiday service project called Holidays for Heritage Hall. Students and faculty sponsored 40 residents from a local nursing home. Those sponsored were residents that have recently had a major hospitalization and are in a transition period from the hospital, so they were not able to go home for the holidays. The nursing home was not able to provide holiday gifts for these residents, so students and faculty purchased gifts. Most residents asked for books, socks, calendars, candy, blankets, and other small items.

Medical Students Brighten Children’s Lives During Holiday Event

Students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) made children’s wishes come true with its 20th annual Heart of the Holidays event on Saturday, December 8. The event, which served 38 children in need, was organized by the school’s chapter of Sigma Sigma Phi (SSP), a national osteopathic service fraternity.

WVSOM SSP President Noah Jordan, Class of 2021, said the organization was pleased to make a positive impact on local children during the holiday season. “As students, this community has welcomed us with open arms, and we’re happy that we have the means to give back. Heart of the Holidays offers us a great opportunity to do that.”