Students Celebrate Match Day, Return to Teach as Assistant Professors and More

NorTex Receives Grant to Improve Outcomes for People with Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Disorder

The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities has awarded the North Texas Primary Care Practice-Based Research Network at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth a five-year grant up to $750,000 to continue research to improve outcomes for individuals with developmental disabilities and substance use disorder.

The collaborative project, titled “Improving Education and Practice Guidelines for Substance Use Disorder and Developmental Disabilities,” will include faculty and staff from HSC’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and School of Public Health, the John Peter Smith Health Network and community partners. Read more about the grant and hear from Dr. Kim Fulda, principal investigator of the grant research. 

PCOM Georgia Alumni Return to Teach

Photo: Renee Himmelbaum, DO, is hooded by H. William Craver III, DO, at commencement.

In 2009, four years after Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia) was established, PCOM Georgia Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Renee Himmelbaum, DO '13, and Department of Family Medicine Assistant Professor Joy Zarandy, DO '13, matriculated into the campus' osteopathic medicine program. They have both returned to teach.

Dr. Himmelbaum's best memories revolve around the friends she made and “laughing through the tough times with them.” She said, “Quotes from faculty members still echo in my brain!”

Dr. Zarandy's memories include “meeting my best friends, meeting my husband, putting on my white coat to go into the OSCE Suite (similar to today's Simulation Center) and feeling like a ‘doctor.’” She also recalls having conversations in the hallway with faculty who treated her like a future colleague. Read more about both teachers and why they’re excited to return to PCOM Georgia.

CCOM Students Go Bald to Support Cancer Research

Midwestern University students, faculty members and community residents raised more than $32,000 to battle childhood cancer as part of the annual “St. Baldrick’s Shave for a Change” fundraiser held at Ballydoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove in March. Students from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University (CCOM) organized the event where 40 people had their heads shaved in solidarity with children who are experiencing the effects of cancer treatments.

“Our goal for this event was to continue to engage with our local community for a good cause – to raise money and awareness for pediatric cancer research,” said Jenn Wilson, a second-year medical student and one of the organizers for the event. “The St. Baldrick's Foundation is the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants worldwide. Because of the research that has been done, mortality rates have decreased, and the harmful side effects of treatments have also shown improvement. However, we still have a lot of work to do, and we will not be done until there is a cure for cancer.” Read more about the fundraiser and how much money the events have raised over the last 13 years.

TUNCOM Achieves 100 Percent Residency Match

Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM), Nevada’s largest medical school, is celebrating a 100 percent match/placement rate for its 162 medical students that make up the Class of 2023. Of the graduating population, 50 students (30 percent) will remain in-state and begin a residency in Nevada, helping to meet the local and growing demand for healthcare providers.

Ninety students (55 percent) will enter the fields of primary care, including family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. In addition to the primary care specialties, students are entering a diverse range of program specialties, including anesthesiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, neurology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, general surgery and OB/GYN. Touro’s medical students also matched in all 11 of Nevada’s psychiatry residency slots.

“We are very pleased with this year’s outcome of Match Week. Our students did spectacularly,” said TUNCOM Dean Wolfgang Gilliar, DO. “50 of our graduates will be staying in Nevada and 90 graduates will be entering primary care, which is phenomenal. This week’s outcome aligns beautifully with Touro University Nevada’s vision: to serve, to lead and to teach.” Read more about TUNCOM’s Match Day success and watch a video documenting the day.

WVSOM Students Achieve 100 Percent Residency Placement

On Match Day, the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)’s fourth-year students discovered that their years of hard work and dedication paid off when the Class of 2023 attained a perfect residency placement rate, with all 176 students receiving spots in residency programs.

James W. Nemitz, PhD, WVSOM’s president, congratulated soon-to-be-graduates on their success.

“I continue to be amazed at the accomplishments of our students,” Nemitz said. “This class entered medical school just months before the COVID-19 pandemic became an international public health emergency, and the fact that its members have not only weathered the additional challenges but achieved a perfect residency placement is worth celebrating. I couldn’t be more proud of the Class of 2023 and of the faculty and staff who have helped them become competent, compassionate osteopathic physicians.” Read more about WVSOM’s Match Day and the breakdown of what specialties students will be entering.

DMU-COM Class of 2023 Achieves 100 Percent Residency Placement

March Madness turned into March “gladness” for the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) Class of 2023, as all 204 members successfully matched, with 197 in the National Residency Match Program and seven class members in military residencies. The college continued its tradition of being one of the nation’s largest educators for physicians entering primary care. In the Class of 2023, 109 students–55 percent–will enter the fields of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology. Students also landed residencies in competitive surgical specialties, with three students matching into otolaryngology (ENT surgery), six matching to general surgery and nine going into orthopedic surgery. DMU-COM’s match rate consistently exceeds the national average rate year to year. It was 100 percent last year and has averaged 99.7 percent over the past six years.

Read more about DMU-COM’s Match Day, view photos and hear from DMU-COM Dean Steven Halm, DO.

Match Day Success at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

The Class of 2023 at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) gathered at their Harlem and Middletown campuses on Friday with family and friends to learn where they would spend the next several years of their medical education.

The occasion was Match Day, the annual ritual where graduating students from around the country open envelopes or go online at the same time to find out where they were matched by the National Resident Matching Program.

By day’s end, all of Middletown’s 131 students were successfully matched and Harlem was not far behind, with 111 of its 113 students matched.

WesternU COMP and COMP-Northwest Celebrate 100 Percent Residency Placement on Match Day

Photo: WesternU COMP-Northwest student Mehak Kaur celebrates Match Day with her mom. (Photo courtesy of Luke Rauch, WesternU).

Western University, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (WesternU/COMP) and WesternU/COMP-Northwest celebrated 100 percent residency placement. Match Day is celebrated across the United States as fourth-year medical students learn which U.S. residency programs they will train in for the next three to seven years.

“Few realize the road that you folks have taken to get here today. Many of you have spent the last eight to 10 years of your life dedicated to what’s going to happen in the next 30 minutes,” COMP and COMP-Northwest Acting Dean David Connett, DO ’84, said prior to the Match Day reveal. “Your friends and your loved ones know what you’ve been through. There will be as stark a transition as it was from second to third year of medical school as it will be to residency, but it will be great in terms of the amount of learning and the launching of your career today. My congratulations to not only all of you but to all who have supported you.” Read more about WesternU/COMP’s Match Day and discover student stories and placements.

Visiting CHSU-COM Students Have 100 Percent Match

Photo: Dr. Anne VanGarsse, associate dean of clinical affairs, community engagement and population health at CHSU-COM; and fourth-year medical students: John Wagner, Sankhya Amaravadi, Loren Wines and Sarah Courtney.

California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) celebrates the 100 percent match rate this year for its visiting fourth-year medical students. All 17 visiting medical students from Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) and A.T. Still University (ATSU) matched to a wide variety of residencies.

During the annual Match Day, the medical students from KCU-COM and ATSU simultaneously unveiled where their next step in education will continue as residents. Matching to a residency program launches their career path to learn and practice in a specialty program after they graduate.

Since beginning in 2019, this is the third year that 100 percent of the visiting medical students matched to a residency program through the Visiting Student Pilot Program at CHSU-COM. This pilot program developed a unique partnership between the visiting medical students, students at CHSU-COM and the local medical community to offer clinical rotations during their third and fourth years and to meet the need for physicians in the Central Valley. Read more about the pilot program and where the visiting students matched.