AACOM Hosts Choose DO Medical School Expo in partnership with Georgia Tech’s Center for Career Discovery & Development (C2D2)
Published December 09, 2019
2019
On November 20, 2019, 172 prospective students representing 54 undergraduate colleges and universities made their way to Georgia Tech’s campus in Atlanta, GA, to participate in AACOM’s Choose DO Medical School Expo. The event was geared toward aspiring physicians interested in learning more about the osteopathic medical profession and meeting with admissions representatives from member colleges.
The evening began with a lively and engaging introduction to the history, philosophy, and practice of osteopathic medicine by Marc Greenstein, DO. Dr. Marc Greenstein graduated Cum Laude from the University of Delaware in 1993 and earned his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in 1997. He completed his urology residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia in 2003. Dr. Greenstein specializes in all aspects of Urology including kidney stones, men’s health, female and male pelvic pain syndromes, urologic cancers, and minimally invasive procedures. Along with his traditional approach to treating patients with urologic conditions, he has an interest in treating patients with a holistic, integrative approach. Additionally, Dr. Greenstein is very involved in his community to raise support and awareness about pediatric epilepsy. Dr. Greenstein’s presentation gave an overview on the pathways to medicine, discussed the overall growth of the profession, and relayed his own journey to osteopathic medicine and his career as a urologist.
Attendees of the Medical School Expo all have one common goal in mind: To become a physician. The second presentation of the evening was a panel of DO Physicians, who were invited to help answer attendees' burning questions regarding practicing medicine, the similarities and differences between the MD and DO pathway to becoming a physician, and more. The physicians who served on the panel were Dr. Marc Greenstein, Dr. Trey Haunson, Dr. Nathan Polite, and Dr. Adrienne Polite.
Trey Haunson, DO, a Georgia Tech Alum, was part of the second graduating class to receive his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine – Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia) and completed his internship at Largo Medical Center in Largo, FL. He completed his dermatology residency at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in association with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM Virginia), having graduated in June 2014. Since that time Dr. Haunson has returned home to Georgia to practice where he is a partner at Metroderm, a private practice with several offices located in the north metro Atlanta area, offering the full spectrum of dermatologic care including general, surgical, cosmetics, Mohs surgery, dermatopathology and plastic surgery.
Nathan Polite, DO, graduated cum laude with his bachelor’s in kinesiology from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) in Kansas City, MO. He completed his residency in general surgery at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH, and his fellowship in surgical critical care at Louisiana State University Spirit of Charity Trauma Center in New Orleans, LA. Dr. Polite is certified in advanced trauma life support, advanced cardiac life support, basic life support, and advanced surgical skills for exposure in trauma. He is a member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Dr. Polite is currently practicing with WellStar Trauma Surgery and serves as the Director of the Trauma Department at Kennestone.
Adrienne Polite, DO, graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor's from Indiana State University in Biology and Magna Cum Laude from KCU-COM. She went on to complete her residency in family practice at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, OH. Dr. Polite is a board-certified family practice physician with a passion for underserved patient populations and is a member of the AOA, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, and the Christian Medical and Dental Association. She currently practices at Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb in Marietta.
Last but not least, attendees were given the opportunity to hear from current medical students, who discussed why they chose osteopathic medical education, relayed their experiences, and answered many questions from the audience. The students on the panel included (pictured below, left to right): Aldwin Soumare, third-year medical student at PCOM Georgia; Dominique Ferguson, third-year medical student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Auburn Campus; Manali Desai, second-year osteopathic medical student at PCOM Georgia; and Bhakti Sanghani, first-year medical student at PCOM Georgia.
The Choose DO Medical School Expo was a great success among attendees. In a recent survey, one hundred percent of respondents rated the medical school expo as ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘good.’ One hundred percent of respondents said they were likely or somewhat likely to apply to a DO school after attending the event. And ninety-five percent of respondents indicated that they would recommend this event to a friend.
One pre-med student described their experience saying, “I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. It has helped me see that the DO path is possible, rather than me just trusting things I read on the internet or hear from peers and advisors. The amount of recruiters that were there was very impressive and I'd pull an all-nighter any other time to get the opportunity to be there. Also, the staff working were very kind and very helpful.”
One admissions representative who attended the Medical School Expo described their experience with, “I love these fairs because they're strictly focused on osteopathic medicine and getting the word out to students about the profession and all our amazing schools.”
Medical Schools in attendance:
- A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine Arizona
- Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine
- Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Lincoln Memorial University - Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Marian University Tom and Julie Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Midwestern University: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus
- Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
- Touro University of Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine
- University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
- University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine
- University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
- William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine