Students Bring Healthcare and Vaccination to Farmworkers, Host an Educational Camp for High-Schoolers and Attend Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine Course
Published July 22, 2021
PCOM South Georgia DO Students Volunteer at Local Migrant Worker Clinic
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Campus (PCOM South Georgia) students spent two weeks of their summer break volunteering with the Ellenton Farm Worker Family Health Program, a two-week immersion experience where faculty and students provided preventative and episodic health services for migrant and seasonal farm workers and their families. Additionally, PCOM South Georgia donated bottled water, cooling towels, wide brimmed hats with neck coverings, hand sanitizers and sunscreen to the families who attended the clinic. These efforts were supported by the President's Community Wellness Initiative. Read more about the student volunteers and their work.
ICOM Offers New Dual Enrollment Opportunity
Photo: Sarah Downs, OMS-IV, participates in ICOM's dual enrollment program with Idaho State University.
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) has a new program offering with Idaho State University (ISU). The program will utilize dual enrollment for students working to obtain their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from ICOM, and allow them to obtain their Master of Public Health (MPH) from ISU at the same time.
“This is the second program of its kind through this unique partnership,” said Stephanie Dillon, ICOM director of communications and marketing. “ICOM students may also pursue a Master of Healthcare Administration degree through Idaho State University.”
Ryan Lindsay, department chair of community and public health at ISU, says this is an exciting opportunity. “Joint training through our accredited Master’s degree in Public Health and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine marries two excellent training programs in Idaho that complement each other well to prepare the health workforce that Idaho needs to continue our response to COVID-19 and other current pressing public health issues,” Lindsay said. Read more about the DO MPH program and how public health concerns prompted its creation.
UNTHSC/TCOM’s Dr. John Licciardone Receives George W. Northup Medical Writing Award
John Licciardone, DO, MBA, MS, of the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth - Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM), director of the Osteopathic Research Center and its PRECISION Pain Research Registry, is the 2021 recipient of the George W. Northup, DO, Medical Writing Award, the American Osteopathic Association has announced.
The award is based on the article, “Osteopathic Medical Care With and Without Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Pain Registry-Based Study,” with Robert Gatchel, PhD, ABPP, as a co-author.
The article, which included 445 patients in the PRECISION Pain Research Registry, found that those treated by DOs who used osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) reported significantly lesser low back pain intensity and back-related disability and less frequent use of NSAIDs or opioids than patients treated by MDs. However, there were no differences in such outcomes between DOs who did not use OMT and MDs. Read more about Dr. Licciadones’ award and publication.
Mobile Health and Education Clinics Bring Vaccinations and Healthcare to Migrant Farmworkers
Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM)’s brand new Mobile Health Education Clinics debuted during a week-long local mission trip last week serving migrant farm workers and their families in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. The clinic continues weekly on Wednesdays and additional clinics are scheduled for geriatric patients in Angier, NC in July and Native American communities in August.
Overall, the team provided health assessments, COVID testing and Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine administration for 76 patients. They enrolled 100 patients, including children, for continued follow-up and primary care through the Community Care Clinic. Read more about the mobile clinic and vaccination efforts from CUSOM.
WVSOM’s Educational Camp Reached High-Schoolers from Seven States
Young people from as far away as Colorado joined the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) for this year’s installment of Just Say KNOW, the school’s free educational camp for high-school-aged students, which took place June 14-18. This year’s theme was “Just Say KNOW to Combating a Pandemic: Careers in Medicine.”
Like last year’s camp, the 2021 event took place virtually, with organizers and instructors livestreaming lectures, demonstrations and talks by special presenters from WVSOM’s campus in Lewisburg, West Virginia. The goal of the annual camp is to promote curiosity about science and medicine among ninth- through 12th-graders and recent high school graduates.
A total of 26 campers participated, 17 of whom were from West Virginia. Other states represented were Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Read more about the educational camp and its curriculum.
Remembering 1989 NSU-KPCOM Alumnus Gary Cohen, DO
On the morning of June 24, the world watched in disbelief as a portion of the 12-story Champlain Towers South building in Surfside, Florida, collapsed, claiming the lives of more than 100 people, including class of 1989 Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) alumnus Gary Cohen, DO, whose body was recovered from the rubble and identified two weeks later.
Cohen, who was a respected physician at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama, was in an 11th-floor condo in the Champlain Towers South building when the collapse occurred. He had come to South Florida to visit his terminally ill father and was staying with his brother Brad Cohen, MD, who also perished.
Third-Year RVUCOM Students Honed Skills at Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine Course
Before the start of their clinical externships, third-year student doctors at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) spent the day at RVU’s Healthcare Simulation Center brushing up on important clinical skills including proper OR etiquette, suturing and knot-tying and donning surgical gowns and gloves. They also honed their critical thinking skills during simulated scenarios with Sim Mom and Sim Man Manikins and virtual reality software. View more photos on RVUCOM’s Facebook account.
Dr. Ehrenfeuchter Honored with FAAO Distinguished Service Award
Walter C. Ehrenfeuchter, DO ‘79, FAAO, recently retired professor of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia), received the 2021 Fellow of American Academy of Osteopathy Distinguished Service Award. The award is presented annually to one recipient by the Committee on Fellowship of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO).
According to the academy, the award is presented to a fellow who has further distinguished himself/herself in contribution to osteopathic literature; development of osteopathic theory, methods or procedure; research; osteopathic education; service to the AAO on committees and boards; public relations; service to public health; and/or osteopathic medical economics and advocacy.
David Fuller, DO, FAAO, chair of the AAO’s Committee on Fellowship, said, “You have been an excellent mentor to the academy leadership, and you will always have our gratitude and respect. I look forward to congratulating you at the 2022 AAO Convocation’s Fellows Dinner.” Read more about Dr. Ehrenfeuchter, his career and his role at PCOM Georgia.
PCOM's Gold Humanism Honor Society Volunteers Time to Help Kids
The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society recently worked with Cradles to Crayons to help provide and organize essential items such as clothing and shoes for children in the Philadelphia area. View PCOM’s Instagram post and their social accounts for similar stories.
DMU-COM Student Breaks Barriers to Medical Careers
Photo: Revay Stewart, center, with DMU Chief Diversity Officer Rich Salas and Ruffin Tchakounte, who helped him pay off his undergraduate tuition debt.
Ruffin Tchakounte, a fourth-year student at the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM), is working to change the fact that while Black people make up 13.4 percent of the US population, they comprise only about 5 percent of active physicians. In addition to mentoring hundreds of central Iowa youth, he recently helped set up a GoFundMe account to erase a recent college graduate’s $12,000 tuition debt so he could obtain his transcripts and apply to take the MCAT. Read more about Mr. Tchakounte and other programs he is involved in at DMU-COM.
Three CHSU-COM Student Doctors Named as 2021 Gold Foundation Student Summer Fellows
Photo (from left to right): CHSU-COM OMS-II Student Doctors Natalie Peña-Brockett, Zachary Josse and Sarah Holzmann.
Congratulations to three California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic (CHSU-COM) second-year students for being named as 2021 Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Fellows: Natalie Peña-Brockett, Zachary Josse and Sarah Holzmann.
These students were selected for their summer project titled, “How the Implementation of Street Medicine Programs among the Homeless Population Reduces the Implementation of the Emergency Department Facilities and Resources in Bakersfield, California.”
John Graneto, DO, dean of CHSU-COM, says, “There were only 24 students across the country chosen to receive a Gold Student Summer Fellowship, so it is a delight to have three of our CHSU medical students selected.” Read more about the students and their award-winning group project.