Students Promote Lifestyle Medicine, Attend Medical Emergencies in Skiing and Snowboarding Training, Gain First-Hand Knowledge of West Virginia Industries and More
Published January 06, 2022
OSU-COM Honored with AOA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Unification Award
Photo: first-year medical students (top from left) Holden Mayfield, Andrew Cook, Angel Giron, Angela Hairston, (bottom from left) Stephanie Sanchez, Emily Sowah, Folashade Akande, Paul Delgado and Nicholas Simon
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) was recognized by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) with the 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Unification Award. This is the first year the AOA has presented the DEI Unification Award.
“The award recognizes one individual and one organization that has proven exemplary leadership and commitment to promoting and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the osteopathic community,” said AOA President Joseph A. Giaimo, DO.
Assistant Dean of Diversity Brenda Davidson said her reaction to learning the OSU Center for Health Sciences had won the award was a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
“Earning this award is transforming. The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences embraces diversity, equity and inclusion every day throughout our campus. Everyone has a fair opportunity to be who they are, to exist and to know they are valued,” Davidson said. “Though we are extremely honored to have earned this prestigious award, we are humbled and understand that there is work to be done.”
Read more about the programs and initiatives that OSU-COM has taken to promote DEI.
ICOM Pays It Forward to Healthcare Workers with OMT
Photo: Second-year medical student Quinn Kensey performs OMT on a local healthcare worker at West Valley Medical Center.
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) student doctors and faculty offered osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to employees at West Valley Medical Center as a gesture of gratitude for their work and perseverance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of three days, the ICOM team provided OMT to more than 100 employees. View more pictures from the event and read more stories like this on ICOM’s Facebook.
ACOM Medical Students Win International Virtual Patient Challenge
A team of second-year students from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) won the International Virtual Patient Challenge hosted by Body Interact on December 11, 2021. The Virtual Patient Challenge is a competition in which student teams are presented with emergent clinical scenarios that require medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork and communication to save the simulated virtual patient. The ACOM team previously won the National Virtual Patient Challenge on March 2, hosted by the American Medical Student Association. Nine teams from seven countries competed in the international event representing Bosnia, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Portugal, Russia and the U.S.
The nine teams, each composed of three active participants, competed from across the globe in the same two cases simultaneously, with the winners of each competition advancing. ACOM students went head-to-head against Portugal in the international finals, where they clenched the victory and secured the title of World Champions. In the final round, the ACOM team was presented with a complex case requiring a high sense of urgency, in which a patient had multiple trauma injuries, including a ruptured spleen and pelvic fracture.
Read more about the award-winning team and international competition.
Lifestyle Medicine Finds New Ground at TouroCOM Middletown
In November, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Middletown (TouroCOM Middletown) second-year medical student Simal Ali was recognized by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for her efforts in promoting the field. She launched a lifestyle medicine campus interest group earlier this year that now has more than 110 members.
Lifestyle medicine is a relatively new medical discipline that complements both osteopathic and allopathic medicine and is relevant to all medical practices. It focuses on evidence-based practices by clinicians trained and certified in the specialty to prevent, treat and often reverse chronic disease and improve health and quality of life. Benefits can range from reducing hospital stays and post-surgical recovery to improving pregnancy outcomes and pediatric development. Almost 80 percent of chronic diseases are preventable through lifestyle interventions, which can offer more long-term benefits for patients than pharmacological treatments alone. Practitioners are eager to find the root cause of disease and eradicate it rather than simply managing it.
A Match Made in Medical School
Nicole McAndrew, DO ’20, wasn’t sure she even wanted to go to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) when she and Anthony Guillorn, DO ’20, ran into each other in the spring of 2015. The two Scranton, Pennsylvania area natives had first met in January of that year at their medical school interviews and had connected over their shared regional ties.
Nicole is from Archbald, a suburb of Scranton about eight miles northeast of downtown, and Anthony from Old Forge, about five miles to the southwest. Nicole and Anthony both attended Scranton Prep and graduated two years apart in 2012 and 2010, respectively. Nicole stayed in the area, earning her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Scranton. Anthony headed south to Loyola University Maryland, graduating with a degree in biology, before returning home for his Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science from The Commonwealth Medical College.
Despite their close proximity all those years, the two had never crossed paths—until that day in January. Read more about the students’ story.
Patient Thanks Professor for Saving Her Life
Donald Penney, MD, MsC, FACEP, clinical professor of emergency medicine who was recently appointed chair of the Department of Clinical Education at PCOM Georgia, experienced an incredible gift just before the holidays. A former patient, who says Dr. Penney saved her life some 27 years ago, reached out to thank him.
The reunion between Dr. Penney and Rachelle Broom, RN, MSN, a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center who is studying to be a family nurse practitioner at Brenau University, was made possible through a mutual friend. Renee Himmelbaum, DO, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at PCOM Georgia and a practicing pediatrician in Gwinnett County, Georgia, introduced the two medical professionals through email. Dr. Himmelbaum, who graduated from PCOM Georgia, is a former student of Dr. Penney’s and is now a colleague. Read more about the reunion and accident that led to their meeting.
Final Steel Beam Placed on the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Academic Building
The Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM) today marked a milestone in the construction of its new academic building in Provo, Utah, with a traditional “topping off” ceremony celebrating the placement of the final steel beam on the structure.
A gathering of Noorda-COM founders, board members, leadership, students and benefactors, along with community leaders, medical partners and construction and architect teams, participated in a brief program that culminated with a crane lifting the final steel beam into place. In the days leading up to the event, the beam was signed by hundreds of people with interest in the project, including members of the inaugural class of 90 medical students.
“This is a celebration for us all and would not be possible if it were not for the incredible support and vision of our founders, benefactors, community partners and dedicated campus leadership,” said Norm Wright, interim president of Noorda-COM. “As I look at the steel frame of this building, it is symbolic of the strength and determination of so many who believe passionately in the impact the Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine will have—not only for the medical school and our students, but for this community and state.” Read more about the ceremony.
RVUCOM Students Help Train Olympic Ski Team Physicians
Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) military students, Heather Martin, OMS II; Jamie Truax, OMS III; Zachariah Devine, OMS II; Nick Maher, OMS II; Andrew Warren, OMS IV, trained Olympic Ski Team Physicians during the annual Medical Emergencies in Skiing and Snowboarding Training Course in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Students manipulated the slopes donning human-worn body suits known as Cut Suits® that simulated a number of on-hill injuries, including airway fractures, spinal injuries and pneumothorax. Read more about the weekend training on RVUCOM’s LinkedIn.
Students Gain Insight into Leading Industries in West Virginia
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)’s Rural Health Initiative (RHI) program hosted a construction-related event for medical students who are interested in learning more about rural medicine. The RHI program hosts events throughout the year to offer students firsthand knowledge about industries that affect the health of West Virginians, including environmental exposures that could cause injury or disease in the state’s rural workforce.
“We hope these events will enhance the rural experience of our RHI student doctors and facilitate connections to West Virginia patients with many different backgrounds and jobs,” said Rebecca Thacker, RHI program coordinator. “In addition to being eye-opening to the various lifestyles and safety concerns of the rural workforce, these field experiences are often powerful reminders of the need to support a patient’s body, mind and spirit.” Read more about the RHI program and how it helps students connect with their community.
Midwestern University Federally Funded Student Grants Reach $8.5 Million
Midwestern University has given 100 percent of an estimated $8.5 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) apportioned to the university to support the nearly 7,000 healthcare professions students enrolled at its campuses in Downers Grove, Illinois and Glendale, Arizona, including students at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (CCOM/MWU) and Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (AZCOM/MWU). The HEERF grants were originally allocated to Midwestern with a stipulation that at least 50 percent of the funds were required to go to students, with the remaining funds to be used by the institution to offset additional costs related to COVID-19. Midwestern University’s administration elected to apportion 100 percent of all HEERF grants received, an estimated $10.2 million, to university students as need-based grants. Midwestern will grant an additional $1.7 million to students in the coming months. Read more about the grants and Midwestern University’s commitment to their students.
Virtual Reality the Next Realm of Healthcare Technology
Photo: Leslie Catron showcases holoanatomy, which can only be seen virtually using HoloLens technology.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM)’s state-of-the-art Simulation Center team and immersive technology was featured in an article from The Business Journal. CHSU-COM’s team discussed their latest teaching technology, the Butterfly Probe, as well as other new technologies that enhance student learning.
“Research shows that using interactive simulation experiences combined with classroom learning develops better-prepared clinical practitioners while improving quality healthcare, education and patient safety,” said Simulation Center Director Leslie Catron.
Read more from The Business Journal.