DMU-COM Students Give Flu Vaccines, RVUCOM Hosts Mini Medical School, and More in Campus Roundup

Southeast Health, ACOM and the City of Ashford Host Taste of Ashford Event

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM), in conjunction with Southeast Health Medical Group and the City of Ashford, is hosting the Taste of Ashford event, which will give residents the opportunity to meet the new Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic team.

Taste of Ashford is a meet and greet event to give residents the opportunity to network with the new Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic director Justin Hovey, MD, and nurse practitioner Robin Fischer, MSN, MEd, NP-C, while enjoying food from local restaurants. Attendees will be able to meet the clinic team and ACOM students, as well as pick up information about the new facility and clinic services. Southeast Health and ACOM, in partnership with Ashford leaders, recognized the need to increase health care options in the rural community and identified an opportunity to expand the health care coverage in the area. The Southeast Health ACOM Ashford Clinic will further highlight the great opportunities for medical education in the Wiregrass and foster a greater understanding of the patients this area serves.

Bob Wingo Elected Chairman of BCOM’s Board of Trustees

Photo: Chairman Bob Wingo (left) with former Chairman and Co-Founder Daniel Burrell.

Robert V. “Bob” Wingo has been elected chairman of the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM)’s Board of Trustees, effective Tuesday, September 17.

Wingo is the chairman of the nationally renowned marketing firm Sanders\Wingo Advertising. The advertising agency has created prominent marketing campaigns for Chevrolet, Mini USA, Burger King, State Farm, and AT&T.

Wingo is an active member and past chairman of HCA’s Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare in El Paso, TX. He has also served on multiple local, state and national boards, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Economic Development Board (Chairman), the Texas Finance Commission, the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, and the El Paso Community Foundation. Read more.

CCOM Students Discuss Health Care with Congressman

U.S. Representative Sean Casten of Illinois’s 6th Congressional District visited Midwestern University’s Downers Grove Campus on October 2, 2019, to meet with students from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) and discuss the future of health care. The event was hosted by CCOM’s Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) chapter and the campus-wide organization Healthcare for All.

Representative Casten began the event by providing students with information about current legislation in Washington DC related to health care. One notable piece of legislation he discussed was the Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R.3), which aims to help control the cost of prescription drugs. He also informed students of the passage of the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act (H.R. 987) by the House of Representatives.

Students also asked Representative Casten questions about several topics including universal health care vs. single-payer health care, women’s reproductive rights, the impact of eating meat and the use of animal products on our carbon footprint, and more.

“The questions asked provided a great platform for discussion and we are extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to hear about these topics from the point of view of our local representative to Washington DC,” said osteopathic medical student Paola Werner, one of the event organizers.

AOA President Visits Campbell Medicine

Photo: AOA President Dr. Ronald Burns encourages Campbell medical students to engage with their osteopathic medical family.

One of the highlights of his visit was the opportunity for first- and second-year osteopathic medical students to learn more about the AOA and its support for the osteopathic physician and medical student community.

“This is your professional family,” said Burns. “The American Osteopathic Association is here to assist and support you throughout your journey.”

He encouraged students to eliminate self-doubt and self-imposed stress throughout medical school and, as they enter the profession, to always be present each step of the way. “[Medical school] goes really fast,” he said. “Enjoy where you are and the relationships you have because at the end of the day that’s what’s really important.” Read more.

DMU-COM Students Embrace Getting, Giving Flu Vaccines

Photo: With classmate Joe Metzger trying out his new flu-shot skills, DMU-COM student Alyssa Averhoff takes a selfie to show that getting the vaccine is the smart thing to do.

First- and second-year osteopathic medicine students at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) recently demonstrated their support of the flu vaccination while enjoying a much-welcome learning opportunity outside of class. With the guidance of DMU Clinic staff, they practiced administering the vaccine first to oranges and then to each other. Read more. 

RVUCOM Hosts Mini Medical School for High School Students

Over the weekend, Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) hosted the Medical Academy of Science and Health (MASH) Camp, an annual mini-medical school for high school students interested in a future career as physicians. The program, which is organized by the Rotary Community Corps of RVU, gives high school students a snapshot of what medical school is like through interactive workshops. During the camp, RVUCOM students from various clubs and organizations taught the high school students how to suture, administer injections, perform ultrasounds, and interpret EKGs. The young students also learned about the importance of building trust with patients and obtaining important information for an accurate diagnosis.

The University of New England Receives SAMHSA Grant for the Maine Providers Clinical Support System-University (“Maine PCSS-U”)

The current opioid epidemic shines a spotlight on the need for improved and more comprehensive medical student education in the prevention, safe prescribing, and treatment associated with substance use disorders in general, and opioid use and misuse in particular. To address these issues, UNE COM was awarded a grant from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to adopt a national innovation currently in development. This innovation will provide the necessary training to medical students prior to their graduation, so they can receive the waiver as soon as they begin residency. Entitled “Maine PCSS-U,” this project ensures that UNE COM medical students will complete the eight-hour requirement. Receiving this training as part of a physician’s formal education, including the opportunity to treat patients under supervision, can result in greater awareness and understanding of the disease of addiction, expertise in treating patients with OUD, and a willingness to use the waiver. The project will also update UNE COM’s curriculum as well as that of the UNE Physician Assistant program.

Principal Investigator Jenifer Van Deusen, MEd, Clinical Director Selma Holden, MD, and Evaluator Toho Soma, MPH, will lead the project. Jenifer, in her role with the Coalition on Physician Education in Substance Use Disorders (COPE), is a co-developer of the groundbreaking national course that will be used to certify medical trainees for the necessary waiver. SAMHSA is encouraging all medical schools to provide this training to their students prior to graduation.

UP-KYCOM Offering NARCAN Training

The University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM) is offering free NARCAN training sessions to university faculty, staff, and students as well as first responders and other community members. Individuals who complete the grant-funded training will receive opioid education certification from the American Heart Association (AHA).

“Unfortunately, due to the prevalence of opioid use in Eastern Kentucky, there’s a high demand for NARCAN in the area,” noted Joshua Crum, DO, KYCOM associate dean for clinical affairs and assistant professor of family medicine. “Although NARCAN can be obtained over the counter, it’s important that individuals receive training prior to administering the medication. That’s where this grant comes in. UP-KYCOM has the opportunity to offer hands-on training, in addition to the AHA’s training video, so that trainees can learn how to properly administer the medication during a simulation.”

The $29,500 grant, which includes the installation of four NARCAN stations across UPIKE’s campus, was awarded by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. It aims to provide training and technical assistance to increase knowledge of opioid use disorder, support prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services, and increase capacity to respond to an opioid-related event.

VCOM-Auburn Campus Honored with Auburn Beautification Council Award

On October 8, members of the Auburn Beautification Council recognized the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn) with a permanent beautification award. This award recognizes recipients for their long-term investment and maintenance to infrastructure and landscape that brings beauty to the Auburn area. Council members specifically cited the regular upkeep that VCOM-Auburn devotes to its building and well-manicured campus grounds.

“This is quite an honor for VCOM-Auburn to receive this permanent award, which is rare,” said Barbi Townsend, Chair of the Auburn Beautification Council Awards Committee. Townsend noted that VCOM-Auburn is one of only seven recipients in Auburn to be honored with the award. “We are so proud to have received this award that recognizes the hard work of our facilities team members and the design and foresight of our administration,” said VCOM-Auburn Campus Dean Elizabeth Palmarozzi, DO, FACOFP. “This award is also important as it serves to highlight the commitment that VCOM has toward its neighbors in the Auburn community,” Palmarozzi added.

VCOM-Carolinas GHHS Holds Toiletry Drive for Miracle Hill Ministries

From September 24-October 8, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) hosted a Toiletry Drive to benefit Miracle Hill Ministries in Spartanburg, SC. With over 150 chapters in medical schools and residency programs throughout the United States, GHHS promotes the development of outstanding clinical and interpersonal skills. Miracle Hill Ministries, a South Carolina-based charitable organization, has a rescue mission emergency shelter in Spartanburg that serves people experiencing homelessness, including men, women, and mothers with children. Items collected from the drive will be donated during a flu shot clinic, part of a free on-site medical clinic providing monthly services for shelter guests and individuals from the community. VCOM-Carolinas students and faculty regularly volunteer with Miracle Hill Ministries and other charitable organizations to fulfill the mission of serving communities most in need.

VCOM-Virginia Medical Students Participate in Annual Cleanup Project

Twenty-six second-year osteopathic medical students from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) participated in the annual cleanup of A.T. Still's birthplace in Jonesville, VA on October 2. They mulched the surrounding area of the plaque and bushes, stained the front fence, and stained the wood holding the plaque. The Student Osteopathic Medical Association, sponsored the event.

WVSOM Gala Raises More Than $35,000 for Student Scholarships

The palm trees, pink flamingos, straw tiki huts, and pops of vibrantly colored table décor created the perfect eye candy for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s (WVSOM) “Tropical Nights” gala in September.

The 2019 WVSOM Gala, formerly known as the Grand Affair, is the Student Government Association’s (SGA) largest fundraising event that directly benefits scholarships for students who exemplify academic leadership, community involvement, and the osteopathic medical profession. This year, more than $35,000 was raised.

SGA President Aaron Byczynski, Class of 2022, helped organize the gala. He was a former scholarship recipient.

“The gala was such a success this year. The Student Government Association could not have been happier with the turnout. This event is very important to me, and I am happy to say that we surpassed our donation goal. The night was filled with great food, great people, dancing, and fun. I would like to thank all those who attended, all those who donated, and those who contributed to the success of the silent auction,” he said.