Students Provide Health Screenings at Local Mosque, Participate in Code Blue Simulation and Pay Respects to Body Donations

WVSOM’s First Pandemic-Era Class Graduates 177 New Physicians

When students in this year’s graduating class at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) began their medical education in summer 2019, none of them could have predicted that just a few months after their first labs and lectures, a global pandemic would alter their studies and reshape the practice of healthcare.

Four years later, 177 of those students crossed the stage to accept their diplomas, having weathered months of isolation from their classmates, modifications to the way their education was delivered and changes to medical priorities. During the school’s 46th annual commencement ceremony on May 5, 2023, they gathered with family and friends to celebrate their transition to resident physicians, where they will train in their specialty of choice for at least three years.

UNTHSC-TCOM Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society Welcomes New Inductees

The humanistic side of medicine is flourishing at the University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC-TCOM). The TCOM Chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation inducted 35 students and three faculty members into the Gold Humanism Honor Society during a recent ceremony at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.

The students, all members of the Class of 2024, were chosen for their outstanding humanistic behaviors shown during medical school. The students ranked in the top 15 percent of their class and were nominated by their peers. Read more about the Gold Foundation and the names of the TCOM student inductees.

NoordaCOM Welcomes Accepted Students to Campus

Students from across the nation (and state of Utah) travelled to Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (NoordaCOM) on May 6, 2023, for Accepted Students Day—the precursor to new student orientation. Students listened to a panel of current students, socialized and met future peers. NoordaCOM welcomed 72 students in-person and 60 online. View a video of the day on NoordaCOM’s Instagram.

Second-Year AZCOM Student Earns Precision Medicine Degree

Class of 2025 student Cassandra Rogers is the first Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) student to complete the Master of Science in Precision Medicine program at Midwestern University.

Midwestern established the Precision Medicine Program at the College of Graduate Studies in 2021 as an online degree and certificate track for university students in osteopathic medicine, veterinary medicine, dental medicine and optometry who wish to acquire skills in and knowledge of applied genomic sciences.

DMUCOM Students Provide Health Screenings to Mosque Members 

Photo: DMUCOM students Nida Khan, Hiba Bangash, faculty members Dr. Noreen O’Shea and Dr. Thomas Benzoni and students Shanzay Suhail and Salah Siddiqui, president of DMUCOM’s American Muslim Medical Student Association, are ready to offer health screenings to Masjid an-Noor members.

On a recent Friday in Des Moines, members of Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMUCOM)’s American Muslim Medical Student Association visited a local mosque, Masjid an-Noor, for daily prayers, fellowship and health screenings provided by DMUCOM students. The event was organized by first-year students Hiba Bangash, Nida Khan and Shanzay Suhail.

“People are more comfortable with a health provider who looks like them,” says Khan. “Having that cultural awareness can overcome barriers.” Read more about the experience and what it meant to the students.

ATSU-SOMA’s Residency Readiness Preparing Graduates for the Next Step in Their Medical Careers

Over the course of four sessions, each lasting two and a half days, A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) students lived, worked and were fully immersed in a simulated hospital environment. Each student worked one night shift and two day shifts, each filled with multiple team-based simulations, hands-on skills stations and practice of critical communications skills.  Read more and view photos from the sessions.

ATSU-KCOM’s Annual Simulation Challenge Promotes Interprofessional Teamwork Among Students

A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) Clinical Simulation Club held its third annual simulation challenge at ATSU’s Drabing Human Patient Simulation Center on April 15, 2023. Five teams consisting of first- and second-year osteopathic medical students, along with Truman State University nursing students, participated in the challenge, which consisted of five rounds of patient simulation cases with differing levels of difficulty. Hear from the faculty advisors and students who participated in the challenge.

VCOM-Louisiana Students Participate in Code Blue Simulation Competition

Photo: BetaBlockers members (from left to right) Jordan Council, Mallory Galemore, Sarah Turner, Alexa Brooker and Juan Guerra.

Seventeen teams made up of students from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) Class of 2025 participated in the Code Blue Simulation Team Drill event last month. These dedicated groups of five to seven members trained tirelessly in the simulation lab in the evenings and on weekends to improve their skills in running codes and managing patients in cardiac arrest. The students focused on CPR, team management, drug selection/administration, procedure performance and interprofessional communication. The BetaBlockers team emerged victorious during the competition. Students will have another opportunity to compete this fall. View more photos from the event on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.

From Mechanics to Medicine: A KCU-COM Graduate’s Unlikely Path to Surgery

Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) student doctor David Kanarowski shares his unique journey into medicine and offers advice to other non-traditional students who have a dream. From fixing cars and trucks to fixing people–it may not seem like a common career path.

“I never even really thought seriously that I could ever be smart enough to be a doctor. And yet, here I am a few days away from it,” said David Kanarowski, KCU-COM student. Read more from KSN16 news.

VCOM-Virginia Graduates 173 New Physicians 

On Saturday, May 6, 2023, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) celebrated the graduation of 173 new physicians. This class significantly advances VCOM’s mission to provide physicians to rural and medically underserved populations in the Southeast United States, with a focus on communities in the Appalachian and Delta regions of the country.

More than 55 percent of the VCOM-Virginia Class of 2023 comes from Virginia. For their residencies, they will head to 30 different states, with 59 members of the class remaining in Virginia. More than 75 percent will be in an Appalachian state and 44 percent will head to an underserved community. Read more about the graduates and their guest speaker.

VCOM-Carolinas Class of 2026 Member Takes Oath of Office

Congratulations to Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) Class of 2026 member Rebecca Corallo! Ms. Corallo, a Health Professionals Scholarship Program recipient, joined the United States Air Force by taking her oath of office on Friday, May 5, 2023. View more photos on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

Body Donations Ensure Hand-On Training for Georgia's Future Healthcare Providers

Photo: Kelsey Martin (DO '23) gives a rosebud to the loved one of body donor.

Medical students at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia) and South Georgia Campus (PCOM South Georgia) are learning about the intricacies of the human body firsthand, through the college’s body donation program. PCOM Georgia is one of three medical schools in the state that operates a full-time, 24/7 program of this nature.

Those who donate their remains to science make a tremendous contribution to the knowledge of future physicians and healthcare providers. Read more about what the program means to the aspiring physicians.