Former AACOM President and CEO Stephen Shannon Speaks During AZCOM "Houses" Meeting

You'll also hear about the UNTHSC-TCOM student who donated her peripheral blood stem cells to a six-year-old leukemia patient, white coat ceremonies, and more.

AZCOM “Houses” Meet with Namesake DO Dignitaries

Recently, class of 2024 students belonging to all of AZCOM’s “Houses”—student groups named for various Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine—met together online with some of their House namesakes to discuss topics of importance to the Class and the osteopathic medical profession. Second-year students from each House also joined in, bringing the total attendance to over 500 students and faculty. AACOM’s former President and CEO, Stephen Shannon, DO, one of the first DO members of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), also provided words of advice to the new students, including those in the House bearing his name. 

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Welcomes Class of 2024

Midwestern University welcomed 209 new members of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) class of 2024 with a variety of virtual events and activities. The new class will begin their studies on the Downers Grove Campus with a hybrid learning model that combines virtual and in-person labs, lectures, and other educational experiences. During orientation the students created a class vision statement, heard from current CCOM students, and participated in a discussion about reframing students’ understanding of poverty.

ICOM Awards $42K in Scholarships to Idaho Students

The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) has awarded scholarships to six students in its Class of 2024. The students, all of whom are Idaho residents, received $7,000 each. The $42,000 in scholarships came from the ICOM Scholarship Fund, to which 53 percent of the college’s employees contribute. Learn more about the scholarship recipients.

RVU Research Supports Value of Hyper-Realistic Training for EMTs

Over the course of eight days, students and faculty from Rocky Vista University and personnel with South Metro Fire and Rescue collaborated on a series of hyper-realistic training sessions designed to assess changes in the physiological response of paramedics in mass-casualty scenarios. The goal was to inoculate first responders to the ill effects of stress. View photos from the training online.

LMU-DCOM Welcomes the Class of 2024 to Harrogate and Knoxville

In Tennessee, Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) welcomed 393 future doctors into the class of 2024 on Saturday, August 1 for orientation. 243 students started their osteopathic medical education on the main campus in Harrogate, and 150 students began classes at LMU-Knoxville. Classes began online Monday, August 3 with labs conducted in-person, and efforts being made for social distancing. Read more on the university website.

Liberty University Osteopathic Medical Students Welcomed into Their Profession, LUCOM Class of 2024 Coated

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) honored the class of 2024 on Saturday, August 22 during their annual White Coat Ceremony. This seventh class of osteopathic medical students was officially coated by LUCOM faculty, and with excitement and cheers proudly wore their symbolic white coat. The ceremony took place inside the Center for Music and the Worship Arts on the campus of Liberty University. Read more about the events on the Liberty website.

Saving Lives Is in UNTHSC-TCOM Student’s Blood

First year medical student, Ann Hollas.

A desire to save lives runs in Ann Hollas’ blood. Her father is a family physician, her brother attends medical school, she began her first year at University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC-TCOM) in July—and what’s in her blood is saving a life now. Hollas has learned that she was a bone marrow match with a six-year-old boy battling leukemia. Hollas, who signed up with “Be the Match” as a college freshman, did not hesitate and quickly donated her peripheral blood stem cells. Read more about their story online.

PCOM Georgia Student-Doctor Appointed as COSGP National Research Representative

PCOM Georgia student-doctor Christian Pruitt was recently appointed to the executive board of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) as the national research representative. Noting that his background and current research endeavors aligned well with the role, he said, “I am dedicated to advancing osteopathic student research at both the lab bench and the patient bedside.” Read more about Pruitt’s appointment to the COSGP online.

NYITCOM-Arkansas Conducting Contact Tracing for Arkansas State University

New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine—Arkansas Campus (NYITCOM-Arkansas) has reached an agreement with the Arkansas State University (ASU) System to conduct COVID-19 contact tracing for each of the system’s campus locations across the state.  NYITCOM, which operates a location of its medical school on the ASU campus in Jonesboro, will utilize the Delta Population Health Institute (DPHI), NYITCOM-Arkansas’s community engagement arm, to execute the initiative. Learn more about these efforts on the school’s website.  

DMU-COM Students Mark Rite of Passage by Donning White Coats

The 222 students in Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) class of 2024 joined students in DMU’s other clinical programs in donning healthcare’s equivalent of superhero capes—their white coats. The six white Coat ceremonies held August 20 and 21 looked different from past years due to the COVID-19 pandemic—attendees wore face coverings and no guests were allowed—but their significance was in no way diminished. Read more about the school’s ceremonies online.

Kansas City University Student Wins National Award for Work in Public Health

Kansas City University announced that second-year medical student Joe Li, of Brooklyn, New York, has received the US Department of Health and Human Services, US Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award. “Joe has demonstrated leadership and attention to public health issues while attending medical school at KCU,” said Darrin D’Agostino, DO, executive dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Vice President of Health Affairs. “We are delighted he has been given this prestigious award. We could not be prouder of him.” Read more about Li’s award online.

CUSOM Student Named First Rachel Helen Silver Scholarship Recipient

Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM) announced Friday, August 28, that Brittany Williams has been selected as the first Rachel Helen Silver Scholarship recipient. The scholarship was endowed to honor the life and legacy of Rachel Silver, a member of the Class of 2021, tragically lost in a car accident on July 2, 2018. The scholarship is to be awarded to a second-year osteopathic medical student at the end of his/her second year who has clearly demonstrated a willingness and a passion to give back to their academic community as well as their local, regional and even national/international communities.  

WVSOM Welcomes Class of 2024

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) welcomed 214 students in the class of 2024 with a virtual video presentation that was shared with the WVSOM community. The presentation, which included a message by WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, PhD, was offered as a nontraditional way of officially welcoming the first-year medical students after the start of the new academic year. “In these challenging times of COVID-19, we continue to adjust the way we do things, especially in regard to large group gatherings, focusing on the need to keep everyone as safe as possible,” Nemitz said. “We wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the members of the Class of 2024, and that is why we put together this virtual event.”