Campus Roundup March 26, 2020

Schools Celebrate Match Day, DMU-COM Offers Health Screenings at Buddhist Temple. You’ll also read about WVSOM’s ninth annual Rural Practice Day and VCOM-Auburn’s showing at the Deans' Fit Family Challenge and more...

“We Can’t Sit Back”: TouroCOM-NY Students Volunteer to Help the Community During COVID-19

Many residents at the Harlem Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation Center on West 138th Street either don’t have family or can’t be with them—and many are at high risk for infection for COVID-19. But each resident has a tablet, pre-loaded with the ability to video chat, and so last week, students at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine—New York (TouroCOM-NY) joined them on Skype for individual chats, showing their eagerness to help during the pandemic. More sessions are slated for the coming weeks, and TouroCOM-NY’s compassionate students are eager to participate.

Photo: Adam Halpern, OMS II, studying in Pennsylvania while school is closed for “Stay-at-Home” in New York. 

RVUCOM Class of 2022 Celebrates Region Match Day

With almost two years of medical school under their belts, second-year students at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) are gearing up for the clinical portion of their education. With that comes placement in the region of their choice, and of course a DOnut-themed celebration to commemorate this next step in their journey toward becoming osteopathic physicians. See more photos on RVUCOM's Facebook page.

WVSOM Event Emphasizes Benefits of Practicing Medicine in Rural Communities

Medical students and their significant others heard personal stories from physicians who have spent their careers practicing rural medicine when the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) hosted its ninth annual Rural Practice Day on March 6. In all, 92 people participated in this year’s Rural Practice Day, including 56 students.

DMU-COM Students Offer Health Screenings, Hone Skills at Buddhist Temple

A dozen Des Moines University (DMU) students and two faculty members recently sought to chip away at some of the basic barriers to healthcare access by spending part of a Sunday at Wat Phothisomphan, a Buddhist temple in Des Moines, IA. They offered screenings for lipids, blood sugar and hemoglobin levels and took blood pressure, height, weight, and body fat measurements. The activity was sponsored by the DMU Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. Read more about this event on the DMU website.

Student Doctors Head to the Statehouse for ‘ICOM Day at the Capitol’

Student doctors at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), alongside President Tracy Farnsworth, EDD, MHSA, MBA, FACHE and Dean Thomas Mohr, MS, DO, FACOI, FAOGME, connected with Idaho legislators during ‘ICOM Day at the Capitol’ on Monday, March 9. Organized by ICOM’s chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), the group spoke with local legislators about graduate medical education, healthcare issues, student projects, and more.  Read more about this event on the ICOM website.

Joshua C. Hollingsworth, PharmD, PhD, VCOM-Auburn Discipline Chair for Pharmacology, left, and Elizabeth Palmarozzi, DO, FACOFP, VCOM-Auburn Dean, right, proudly display the Deans' Fit Family Challenge trophy.

VCOM-Auburn Wins Deans' Fit Family Challenge

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn) was recently named as the winner of the 2019 Deans' Fit Family Challenge. This challenge consisted of a nine-week exercise and weight loss competition involving the Auburn University (AU) Harrison School of Pharmacy, the AU School of Nursing, and VCOM-Auburn. Awards were given to weekly winners as well as overall winners. The 94 participants from VCOM-Auburn divided into teams and clinched this year's title by exercising for a total of 2,856 hours and losing a combined 218 pounds. Read the full story and see more photos on the VCOM-Auburn Facebook page.

VCOM-Carolinas SGA Sponsors Event to Raise Awareness of Physician Suicide

To raise awareness of the rising rate of suicide among physicians, the Student Government Association (SGA) at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) sponsored a touching event at the college’s beautiful campus in Spartanburg, SC. On Wednesday, March 4, SGA invited VCOM-Carolinas students, faculty, and staff to release flowers into the pond on campus in honor of those we have lost and in support of those who are still struggling. Visit VCOM-Carolinas' Facebook page to learn more about their Week of Wellness activities.

VCOM- Virginia student doctors, Mital Lavanai and Sarah C. Lowen, present their poster.

VCOM-Virginia Honors Innovation During Via Research Recognition Day

The Via Research Recognition Day is an event held annually for health professionals, scientists, and students from different institutions to present innovative research intended to improve the health of humans. This year, the event featured Joanne Donoghue, MS, PhD, and Helene Langevin, MD, as keynote speakers, with 115 research posters displayed, and approximately 200 attendees. Chris Reilly, PhD, the Discipline Chair for Cellular Biology and Physiology, won the second-annual Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) Researcher of the Year. Learn more about the event on VCOM-Virginia's Facebook page.

TUCOM-CA Class of 2020 Celebrates Match Day

Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine–California (TUCOM-CA)’s class of 2020 celebrated a successful national residency match today, with students being matched to 15 different medical specialties. Nearly two-thirds of the class will enter primary care foundation residencies, the highest percentage in school history. Graduates matched from Maine to Hawaii, but nearly half will stay in California—also a record for the college. Read TUCOM-CA's Match Day press release.