BCOM Student Launches Medical Tech Company, CCOM Students Participate in Poverty Simulation, and More in Campus Roundup

Gutensohn Golf Classic Raises Money for Local YMCA

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (ATSU-KCOM) Sports Medicine Club hosted the 2019 Max Gutensohn Golf Classic on Monday, August 26 at the Kirksville Country Club. There were 65 ATSU students, faculty, and staff that participated in this year’s event, which included 18 holes of golf and raffle prizes.

Proceeds from the golf classic went to create scholarships for the Adair County YMCA. These scholarships will give many local children the funding they need to participate in healthy activities, such as youth sports teams, through the YMCA.

“The KCOM Sports Medicine Club would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2019 Gutensohn Golf Classic including the golfers and the sponsors,” said Cara Conrad, second-year osteopathic medical student. “We had a great turnout even with a little rain and were able to raise about $1,000 for the Adair County YMCA.” Read more.

Ultrafest at AZCOM Brings Ultrasound Applications to Faculty and Students

Photo: Priya Sharma (AZCOM 2020) practices ultrasound scanning on Morgan Pinto (AZCOM 2021) while Noelle Provenzano (AZCOM 2020) explains the readings.

In November, the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) will host Arizona Ultrafest 2019, a day-long gathering of medical faculty and students designed to illustrate cutting-edge advancements in ultrasound technology in health care applications.

Arizona Ultrafest 2019 will include morning workshops, a keynote speaker, and a friendly ultrasound scanning competition between attendees–“SONOWARS.” Attendees will be briefed about the ongoing integration of ultrasound techniques and technology into AZCOM’s curriculum, as well as the expanding role that ultrasound plays in modern medicine.

Ultrasound technology is rapidly becoming a ubiquitous, and in some cases required, diagnostic and procedural tool in primary and specialty care, to the point that it is sometimes referred to as “the new stethoscope.” AZCOM has developed new instructional resources integrating ultrasound into its curriculum, with the Class of 2021 being the first AZCOM cohort to have a full four-year ultrasound integration program. AZCOM has implemented ultrasound exercises and classes into preclinical courses, clinical rotations, and residency programs to better prepare students to employ this technology in the field.

BCOM Medical Student and Team Launch Medical Technology Company

Photo: Fourth-year medical student Mohan Muvvala is the CEO of Neumynd Inc., a company that hopes to offer alternative medicine treatment options to patients.

As Mohan Muvvala enters into his fourth year of medical school at the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM), he is also adding CEO to his resume. Muvvala and four other founders have launched Neumynd Inc., a company that hopes to offer alternative medicine treatment options to future patients.

Their wearable, noninvasive technology is worn across the top of the head and around the forehead and uses a mixture of photobiomodulation, or light therapy, neurostimulation and non-invasive imaging. It is aimed at treating problems associated with attention-deficit disorder, depression, anxiety, and other conditions.

Muvvala said the technology can proliferate stem cells, increase blood flow, and act as an anti-inflammatory, amongst other benefits. While the technology is still in development, the team hopes to have a final, safety-tested product within a year. They have applied for a provisional patent and are considered “patent-pending.” Read more.

CCOM Students Participate in Poverty Simulation

The new class of students at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) participated in a poverty simulation in order to gain a greater understanding of the hardships many people face. Poverty creates barriers to many health services and can contribute to overall poor health for the more than 43 million Americans who live below the poverty line. The activity was organized by the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) chapter on the Downers Grove Campus as part of the new student orientation week and was developed by the Missouri Association for Community Action.

“This simulation is important because as future physicians we will be encountering people who are living in poverty and experiencing similar situations. As physicians, we need to understand our patients so we can provide compassionate care,” said osteopathic medical student Trisha Calma, one of the student organizers of the event.

As part of the simulation, CCOM students were assigned the roles of 26 different families facing poverty. Some of the families were experiencing unemployment, some had recently lost their income provider, some were homeless, and others were senior citizens receiving disability benefits or grandparents raising their grandchildren. The task was to make ends meet on extremely limited resources during the course of a simulated month. In addition to the role of family members, other students acted as community partners including bankers, social workers, rent collectors, police officers, teachers, and community health doctors. At the conclusion of the simulation, SOMA members led the new students through a debriefing period to discuss their experiences. Read more.

Nutrition Course Challenges DMU-COM Students to Use Food as Medicine

On a recent Wednesday morning at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM), second-year osteopathic medical students were putting the finishing touches on finely tuned dishes to serve to their classmates. This was no luncheon or dinner-party prep; rather, the students were completing an assignment in their Preventive Medicine and Nutrition course.

The course emphasizes the role that combined skills in clinical prevention and medical nutritional therapy can play in the successful treatment of patients. In one of the course’s highly hands-on lessons, groups of students received a patient case for which they had to make a provisional diagnosis and then develop a meal the patient can make that will help with his or her condition.

Engaging students in actual, real-world meal preparation in a nutrition course is rare among medical schools, says Maria Barnes, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition. She co-teaches the course with Noreen O’Shea, DO, FAAFP, assistant professor of behavioral medicine and a family physician.

“We want students to learn ways that nutrition can be an option for treating a patient, and that treatment doesn’t always have to involve medications,” Dr. Barnes says. Read more.

ICOM Welcomes Second Class of Student-Doctors

The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) welcomed its second class of student-doctors to campus on Monday, August 5.

The college’s second class, comprised of 162 students, came to ICOM from across the United States, with 26 hailing from the school’s home state and 48 coming from ICOM’s five-state target region of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

“Being closer to my home state of Wyoming is really great, and I love that I can visit my family,” said first-year osteopathic medical student Joshua Morgan. “But I love the focus that ICOM has on taking care of its students and helping us be the best that we can be as we strive to reach our goals of becoming physicians one day.”

School officials hope graduates from ICOM will help to fill the critical doctor shortage in Idaho, which ranks 49th for the number of physicians and 50th for primary care physicians per capita. Read more.

LMU-DCOM Launches Certificate in Medical Humanities

Osteopathic medical students at Lincoln Memorial-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) can now earn a Certificate in Medical Humanities beginning fall 2019. The certificate program is an elective offering that upon completion will be added to a Dean’s letter of recommendation for residency.

“This certificate serves as another opportunity to further our mission to prepare outstanding osteopathic physicians who are committed to the premise that the cornerstone of meaningful existence is service to humanity,” said Brian A. Kessler, DO, vice president and dean of LMU-DCOM.

Medical Humanities brings the methods and concerns of humanities disciplines to bear on the study of health and health care. Humanities provides the opportunity to approach medical issues—such as illness, treatment, disability, death, and health policy—from historical, philosophical, literary, and cultural perspectives. It also aims to nurture the skills of analysis, empathy, and self-reflection.

The program will be taught by Rick Slaven, MPS, NRP, CCP, coordinator of student advancement at LMU-DCOM and Sandra Weems, PhD, assistant professor of English at LMU.  Weems has a PhD in Medical Humanities and specializes in the field of health humanities, particularly narrative medicine and reflective writing, about which she has published online articles and book reviews.

“Empathy and compassion play vital roles in health care. It has been suggested that exposing students to the study of medical humanities may improve empathy as an educational outcome,” said Slaven. “By integrating humanities into the curriculum, students will be better equipped to interact with patients from a holistic perspective rather than just seeing them as a victim of injury or illness.”

LUCOM Class of 2022 Holds Symbolic Memorial Honoring First Patients

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) hosted a donor memorial ceremony on Friday, August 16, as student-doctors from the Class of 2022 remembered and honored their first patients, and the lessons learned from anatomical sciences during their first year of medical school.

Elizabeth Ko, president for the LUCOM Class Government Association 2022, welcomed invited guests in attendance for the memorial service. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude and recognize the family and friends of each of our beloved donors,” she said. “Your loved one’s extraordinary gift represents a confidence in the power of medicine to heal and enables medical students to reach their potential to learn and be the promoters of health.”

She also encouraged LUCOM’s newest class, the Class of 2023, as they begin their journey in Anatomical Sciences. “For many, meeting the bodies will be a gateway into exploring death and mortality while navigating the meaning of your pursuit of medicine.  While you develop a sense of regard for the impact disease can have beneath the skin’s surface, may you remain humble in the way you approach your first patients and learn from the greatest teachers.” Read more.

NSU-KPCOM Hosts Inaugural Dual Campus

The coats were pressed, the cameras were charged, and the wait was over as the Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) hosted two versions of its White Coat Ceremony in August for the Class of 2023 at its campuses in Fort Lauderdale/Davie and Tampa Bay. The annual ceremony serves as a symbolic step into the medical profession as the students receive their white coats and recite the Osteopathic Oath.

“Walking up that stage as we heard our names called one by one and receiving our white coats symbolized a lifelong period of hard work and dedication toward one goal,” said Joel Davis, a first-year Tampa Bay student who serves as class president. “One student described her favorite moment as ‘the look on my family’s faces after receiving my coat and going out of the room to meet them before the oath.”

On August 10, the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus welcomed approximately 230 students to the Class of 2023 at NSU-KPCOM’s 39th annual White Coat Ceremony.

The Tampa Bay Regional Campus received its inaugural class of about 150 students at the new 311,000-square foot educational complex on August 17. The new campus will meet the growing demands for health care professionals, further establishing NSU’s commitment to higher education and the local community.

“As the inaugural class, we know we have the opportunity to forge the path for ourselves and for the students that succeed us,” Davis said. “We essentially have the unique opportunity to mold the campus from the inside out. We’re ecstatic to have each other as classmates, and confident that we will be able to tackle any challenges when we work together as a cohesive unit.”

OSU-COM Medical Student Named to First National Liaison Role

The Association of American Indian Physicians has named an Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) student to serve as the first osteopathic medicine liaison for the Association of Native American Medical Students.

Brandon Postoak, a second-year medical student at the OSU-COM Tulsa campus, was appointed to a one-year term as liaison with the goal of encouraging more Native Americans to consider careers in medicine and other health professions.

Postoak, from Allen, OK, is an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. His small-town upbringing has prepared him for this new role.

“Growing up in rural Oklahoma, it’s easy to limit yourself and your life’s goals,” Postoak said. “I was lucky things finally clicked in junior college, and I realized my passion for human science and made becoming a physician my life’s goal. I want to help other Native American students find that spark.” Read more.

OU-HCOM’s New Curriculum Marks First Birthday

Photo: Students at the Heritage College, Athens, celebrate the Pathways curriculum’s birthday.

At a celebration on September 3, students, faculty, and staff gathered on all three campuses of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM) to wish a happy birthday to the college’s Pathways to Health and Wellness Curriculum, which was launched last fall. Cupcakes and ice cream were served, as the college community took a look back on the new curriculum’s first academic year.

Ken Johnson, DO, Heritage College executive dean and Ohio University chief medical affairs officer, called creation of the PHWC “the right thing to do,” which answered the need for “a forward-facing medical education program that really truly prepares our students to enter an ever-changing health care market.” The new curriculum encourages team-based learning and includes a strong emphasis on personal wellness for students and faculty.

PCOM, Cabrini Partner on Mentoring Program for African-American, Latino Men in STEM

Lack of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to be an issue. A 2018 study by the Pew Research Center found that African Americans and Latinos make up just 16 percent of the STEM workforce. In health-related fields, those percentages drop to 11 percent for African Americans and 8 percent of Latinos. For the life sciences, those numbers drop even further, to 4 percent for African Americans, and 7 percent for Latinos.

Existing research has suggested that a lack of access to advanced science courses and professional environments could be one reason for the disparity. To that end, PCOM recently partnered with Cabrini University to develop a summer mentoring program designed to educate college-age African-American and Latino men about the process of research and the intricacies of working in a professional laboratory.

For eight weeks, three Cabrini students were paired one-on-one with PCOM researchers as an integral part of the research team, learning how to formulate research hypotheses, design experiments, and interpret their findings.

VCOM-Auburn Student Awarded Arnstein Minority Scholarship

Photo: (from left to right) Gary Hill, DO, VCOM-Auburn Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs; Arnstein Scholarship recipient Kevin Wortman, OMS-II; and Elizabeth Palmarozzi, DO, VCOM-Auburn Campus Dean.

Kevin Wortman, a second-year student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) campus, was recently awarded AACOM’s 2019 Sherry Arnstein Student Minority Scholarship. The Arnstein Scholarship recognizes underrepresented minority students attending one of the AACOM member colleges. The award is given to at least two osteopathic medical students each year. Wortman, who is from Lakeland, FL, noted that both community service and treating patients with a more holistic approach were the tenets that drew him to osteopathic medicine. “I am extremely honored to be a recipient of the Arnstein scholarship,” said Wortman. “It is both uplifting and reinvigorating to know that AACOM supports me in my pursuit to serve the community that helped raise me,” Wortman added.

VCOM-Carolinas SGA Addresses Student Concerns with “Guac and Talk”

Many new faces from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas (VCOM-Carolinas) Class of 2023 were seen on Wednesday, August 28 as students expressed their ideas and concerns during a “Guac and Talk” event. Formerly known as “Town Halls” and open to students only, the renamed event also gave VCOM students the opportunity to pose questions and comments to Vice Dean Matthew Cannon, DO, and Assistant VP for Student Services Lindsey Ridgeway, PhD. Prior to the question and answer period, students were treated to guacamole, queso dip, and chips. The event was organized by the campus’ Student Government Association and allowed students unable to attend to submit anonymous questions via a digital suggestion box.

VCOM-Virginia Spirit Day

Each year Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Virginia (VCOM-Virginia) invites students to show off their school spirit for their alma maters. VCOM-Virginia students come from colleges and universities from across our region and country and have great pride in the institutions that helped bring them to VCOM. We are equally as proud of their journey to this point and can’t wait for them to include VCOM in their prestigious list of Alma Maters.

Six WVSOM Students Receive BrickStreet Foundation Scholarships

Six students at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) were named the 2019-20 recipients of BrickStreet endowed scholarships, donated by the BrickStreet Foundation.

First-year student Anthony Aswad, second-year students Megan Farley and Madeleine Gwinn, third-year student Lucas Goodwin, and fourth-year students Jordan Allen and Lauren Cronise each received scholarships.

The scholarships, funded through a $900,000 endowment BrickStreet gifted the school in 2016, are the largest annual scholarships provided through the WVSOM Foundation. Each scholarship ranges from $10,000 to $20,000 and is used to cover a portion of a student’s tuition costs.

This year’s awardees received a total of $80,000 through the endowment.

“Today is a special day because we’re handing out scholarships to very deserving medical students,” WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, PhD, said during an on-campus luncheon at which the awards were presented. “BrickStreet has been a tremendous supporter of WVSOM, and we’re grateful to them for providing these funds.”

BrickStreet Insurance was West Virginia’s first private workers’ compensation carrier. The company integrated its operations with Motorists Insurance Group in July, creating a new entity known as Encova Mutual Insurance Group. Shelby Paxton, a human resources business partner with the company who attended the luncheon, said the mission of the BrickStreet Foundation—now known as the Encova Foundation of West Virginia—is to support the communities in which its employees work and live.