TouroCOM's Health Professions Diversity Award, WVSOM Cyber Security Awareness, CCOM's Mini-Medical School, and More in Campus Roundup

ATSU-KCOM Hosts 11th Annual Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium

On Saturday, November 2, the A.T. Still Research Institute at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) campus hosted its 11th annual Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium (IBRS). This event provided an opportunity for graduate students, undergraduate students, residents, faculty, and regional researchers across biomedical disciplines to present their research to peers.

IBRS included oral presentations, poster presentations, and a keynote speaker. This year’s Neil J. Sargentini, PhD, Memorial Keynote Address featured Kerry Magruder, PhD. Dr. Magruder’s presentation discussed Galileo, the collaborative nature of his accomplishments, and how an interdisciplinary and creative culture continues to lead to innovation.

Seventy-seven researchers across 10 disciplines presented their research at the symposium. A panel of 40 judges determined the winners for best overall research and runner up, the Neil J. Sargentini, PhD, Award for Best Graduate Student Research, the Jack Magruder Award for Best Undergraduate Student Research, and the Still OPTI Award for Best Resident Research. Each award was accompanied by a cash prize between $100 and $250. Elyse Curry, OMS-II, and Kale Golden, OMS-II, won the top prize of best overall research for their infectious disease study titled “Purification of Persistence Inducing Factor for Staphylococcus aureus SH1000.” Read more.

CCOM’s Mini-Medical School Aims to Educate Community

Community members were invited to learn more about current topics in health care at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM)’s Mini-Medical School. The Mini-Medical School is a four-week medical education program designed for people who want to learn more about topics taught in medical school or other professional health care programs at Midwestern University’s Downers Grove Campus.

A Midwestern University faculty member or student group helped present each session. The first session featured OMM Scholars from CCOM discussing the history of osteopathic medicine and providing a demonstration of the unique skills DOs can bring to diagnosis and treatment. Additional sessions covered topics such as forensic anthropology, pathology, and the role of the physician assistant.

PCOM Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Pictured from left on top row: Madison Hill (DO '22), Nathalie Torres (DO '22), Jacob Valvis (DO '22) and Gabriella Mamo (DO '22). Bottom row: Yajaira Hasset, senior medical assistant Esperanza Health and Sarah Wilson, DO '08.

From September 15 to October 15, community members from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) came together to recognize and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. This year, the Office of Diversity and Community Relations, in collaboration with the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) and the Student Government Association hosted a series of events for the PCOM community to educate and celebrate the impact and opportunities for Hispanic and Latino healthcare professionals.

After a community-wide kick-off lunch on September 16, the first speaking event titled “Serving the Latinx Community: Language and Cultural Barriers” was held on October 7. PCOM alumna Sarah Wilson, DO, was invited to campus to speak on her experience as a non-Hispanic physician working in a majority Hispanic community.

Dr. Wilson, who currently serves as a primary care physician at Esperanza Health in North Philadelphia, identified obstacles to patient care such as a language barrier, and advised physicians to overcome such obstacles to better serve their patients. During her talk, Dr. Wilson also presented a series of possible office scenarios and invited the audience to interact and ask questions. Read more.

Zachary D. Hanson, PNWU-COM OMS-IV, Named AOF Golden Ticket Scholar

On Friday, October 25, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM) fourth-year medical student Zachary D. Hanson was selected as the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF)’s 2019 Golden Ticket Scholar. The annual award recognizes exceptional osteopathic medical students who surpass their peers in academics, leadership, commitment to the osteopathic profession and philosophy, and significant participation in community outreach.

“I would like to humbly thank Dr. Scandalis and PNWU for nominating me for this scholarship,” said Hanson. “I was honored to have been nominated and shocked to have won overall! I am very thankful for the American Osteopathic Foundation and appreciate how they are helping with the financial burden of medical education, humanitarian efforts, and preserving our Osteopathic focus.”

Following a national search, five finalists were selected for scholarship consideration, with Hanson being announced as the winner at the AOF Honors Gala in Baltimore, MD. The honor is accompanied by a $25,000 scholarship. Read more.

RVUCOM Hosts Cross-Campus Research Day

Every year students, faculty, and staff get together to celebrate and showcase the innovative research endeavors of the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) community. For students, the event serves as practice in presenting complex research topics, as well as a way to explore their medical interests in depth. Each campus had its own theme and a lineup of guest speakers.

In keeping with Colorado campus’ “Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s” theme, Christina Coughlan, PhD, Senior Faculty Research Instructor for the Department of Neurology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, presented research focused on finding biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and screening drugs for their ability to inhibit the development and progression of AD. Isain Zapata, PhD, Assistant Professor in Research and Statistics in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at RVU, spoke on his research into the discovery of behavioral traits and their relationship to adaptation and selection. On the Southern Utah campus, participants questioned conventions and keynote speaker Erick Ridout, MD, with Dixie Regional Medical Center, shared his POKE research, a case model that has been adopted throughout the Intermountain System and promoted to audiences nationwide.

A panel of judges on both campuses selected winners in the oral presentation and poster session categories. RVUCOM Colorado Campus’ Nicholas Taylor, OMS-II, won first place in the poster presentation for his research titled “Reducing the Uninsured Rate in Adams County, CO.” Rachel Baldwin, OMS-III, and Alexandra Koontz, OMS-III, took first place in the oral presentation for their research on “Breastfeeding Basics: Are Our Future Providers Prepared?” At RVUCOM South Utah Campus, Bradley McCann, OMS III, presented the first place oral presentation titled “Harmful Health Effects of Changing the Clocks: A Literature Review of Daylight Saving Time,” while Tyler Cox, OMS-I, received first place with his poster presentation titled “CD5 Deficient Mice Exhibit Altered Cognitive Function in Behavioral Sciences.”

Health Professions Diversity Award Goes to TouroCOM

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine New York (TouroCOM) has received the 2019 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

As a recipient of the Health Professions HEED Award—a national honor recognizing U.S. medical, dental, pharmacy, osteopathic, nursing, and allied health schools that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—TouroCOM will be featured in the December 2019 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. This is the second year TouroCOM has been named as a Health Professions HEED Award recipient.  This recognition is in addition to the 2019 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award to TouroCOM Harlem for the MedAchieve (Mini Medical School) Program for high school youth.

“TouroCOM remains committed to our mission, which is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine and training physicians to practice in underserved communities,” said Kenneth J. Steier, DO, Executive Dean at TouroCOM and Dean, TouroCOM’s Middletown campus. “We are very grateful to receive this award in recognition of our efforts to increase diversity and inclusion.”

David Forstein, DO, Dean of TouroCOM Harlem, said “The HEED award recognizes the efforts all of us have made towards increasing diversity and diversity awareness. Our passion for diversity is a topic that we must always keep in our hearts and minds. We remain committed to accepting and embracing diversity in all of its forms.”

UNE COM's EM Club Wins the ACOEP ROS Club of the Year Award

Photo: UNE COM’s EM Club accepting the award at the Scientific Assembly in Austin, TX

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM)'s Emergency Medicine Club took home the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians Resident Student Organization Club of the Year Award for 2019. The award encompasses the work by the EM Club's current presidents, second-year students Kaitlyn De Stafano and Cassidy Cunningham, as well as last year's presidents, third-year students Riley Liptak and Molly Kaminsky.

Medical student Kaitlyn De Stafano says that just to qualify for the award the group had to implement a number of things, including visits from their RSO Board Mentor, attending conference calls, social media outreach, fundraising, attendance at national symposiums, and more. They have been extremely active in hosting a number of events in the community (including Stop the Bleed, and Red Cross Blood Drives), and regular journal clubs off-site. Medical student Cassidy Cunningham states, "Being in the EM club has been a fantastic experience. It has taught me a lot and has made me a more confident future physician."

WVSOM Recognized for Cybersecurity Awareness during OMED Conference

A New York Times best-selling author recognized the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) for its awareness efforts in cybersecurity.

Marc Goodman, a global strategist, writer and consultant, provided a general session during the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)’s annual Osteopathic Medical Education (OMED) conference in Baltimore, MD, at the end of October. He spoke about how allopathic schools of medicine and the American Medical Association had information on cybersecurity in health care but no osteopathic associations or osteopathic medical schools did—except WVSOM. 

During the OMED session, he provided a specific example of how the medical school had published information on its website regarding National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and encouraged students and staff to view the information.

“Cybersecurity and medical cybercrime are critical issues facing the health care industry. Few in osteopathic medicine have dedicated the resources and training required to not only protect patients’ HIPAA-protected information, but patients’ lives themselves,” Goodman said. “As technology increasingly becomes embedded in hospitals, doctors’ offices, and even patients’ bodies, physicians will need to understand more and more about these grave risks. To date, the only osteopathic medical school which has publicly posted information on their website about these challenges is WVSOM—a great initial effort that should be built upon extensively in the future.”