Students Partake in Mock Mass Casualty Event, Raise Funds for a Pap Smear Clinic During a Pancake Breakfast and More

Global Achievements for DOs Emphasized at the Osteopathic International Alliance Annual General Meeting

Photo: VCOM-Virginia’s Jan M. Willcox and the OIA Board consult with WHO Technical Officer, Dr. Pradeep Dua, at the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the OIA

Jan M. Willcox, DO, the immediate past dean of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) and a board member of the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA), attended the Annual General Meeting of the OIA in London, England, last month in an advocate role for the advancement of osteopathic medicine.

"VCOM is privileged to be a partner member of the Osteopathic International Alliance, and it is my great pleasure to serve on the board of directors," remarked Dr. Willcox. "Our mission and work at VCOM align with and promote the principles of the OIA and the advancement of the work of osteopathic professionals.”

The OIA aims to serve as the unified voice of the global osteopathic profession, envisioning a world where every person has access to high-quality osteopathic healthcare. Their mission is to encourage systems of education and regulation that ensure high standards for safe and effective healthcare from osteopaths and osteopathic physicians.

UNE COM Hosts Interdisciplinary Mock Mass Casualty Incident

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) chapter of the World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) hosted the 3rd Annual Mock Mass Casualty Training event on the Biddeford, Maine campus. The event was an interdisciplinary endeavor, partnering with UNE’s Physician Assistant, Nursing and EMS programs. The event also partnered with numerous community public safety agencies including Biddeford Fire, Biddeford Police, York County Emergency Management Agency and LifeFlight of Maine.

This full day event welcomed more than 100 attendees. The day consisted of numerous skills stations and lectures from experts in their respective fields, including numerous UNE COM alumni. These lectures included immediate trauma care, crush injuries and rhabdomyolysis, medical direction, trauma nursing care and many more. The afternoon consisted of numerous experiential learning stations such as small-scale simulated triage scenarios, intubation and chest tube training, a touch-a-truck with community partners and the landing and demonstration of LifeFlight of Maine’s aircraft.

The day culminated in a large-scale simulated scenario involving more than 50 simulated patients with moulage injuries and full patient profiles ranging from walking wounded to immediate treat and transport. In the large-scale scenario, multidisciplinary teams of responders worked together to triage, treat and determine transport priority of these patients across a sprawling, campus wide, incident scene.

Training events such as this event are vital to the education of health professionals and community members alike. They provide attendees with skills that cannot be learned in a classroom. The value of these training courses has been made more and more evident by incidents which are occurring more regularly in today’s world, especially close to home after the tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, which occurred only 10 days after this event. We hope that this event will continue in future years and continue to train the health professionals of tomorrow! Learn more about supporting the Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund Area Response Fund.

DMUCOM Students Achieve the Highest Board Exam Score in the Nation

Members of the Class of 2024 in the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMUCOM) achieved the highest pass rate among all osteopathic medical schools nationwide on the Level 1 exam of the COMLEX-USA national board exams, which is taken by all future osteopathic physicians. The DMUCOM class attained a 98.6 percent pass rate, which was a full eight percentage points above the national average. In addition, DMUCOM students who took the Level 2-CE exam achieved the number-one average score nationwide of 587.4, exceeding the national mean score by 35 points. Read Read more  from DMU President and CEO Angela Franklin, PhD, on what these scores mean to DMU.

Pancakes for Pap Smears: VCOM-Auburn’s Delicious Fundraiser for a Worthy Cause

On November 20, 2023, students and faculty at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn) were treated to delicious pancakes courtesy of Jake Williamson, MEd, PhD, associate dean of student affairs. This delightful event, known as Pancakes for Pap Smears, was organized by two collaborative student organizations, the American Medical Women’s Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The funds generated from this initiative contributed to supporting the Baxter Institute in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, particularly its low-cost pap smear clinic. The breakfast not only provided a great start to the day with satisfied bellies but also raised money for a worthy cause, making it a fulfilling and impactful gathering for the VCOM-Auburn community. View more photos from the event on VCOM-Auburn’s VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.

WVSOM Faculty Member Named to ‘Young Guns’ List for 2024

A faculty member at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) has received statewide recognition for his work in driving West Virginia forward. Christopher Pankey, PhD, an assistant professor of physiology in WVSOM’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, is one of 10 Mountain State professionals named to West Virginia Executive magazine’s “Young Guns” list for 2024.

Linda Boyd, DO, WVSOM’s vice president for academic affairs and dean and chief academic officer, said Dr. Pankey meets the definition of a young professional who is advancing the state through his work in educating future physicians.

“Dr. Pankey is one of our impressive young faculty members who is good at everything,” Dr. Boyd said. “He’s an excellent teacher, and students feel comfortable going to him with questions. Dr. Pankey always includes students in his research so that they have opportunities to learn the research process and earn publications or presentations from their work. He also serves on key committees and has been instrumental in the group that developed our new curriculum.” Read more more about Dr. Pankey, including his campus leadership and research projects.

VCOM-Carolinas Friendsgiving

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) hosted its annual Friendsgiving feast on Monday, November 20, 2023. Students, faculty and staff gathered for beautiful weather, food and fellowship on the patio. View more photos from the event on VCOM-Carolinas’ VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

VCOM-Louisiana Hosts ‘Pancakes on the Patio’ Event

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana)'s chapter of the Student American Association of Osteopathy hosted a “Pancakes on the Patio” event in November to raise money to send their board members to the American Academy of Osteopathy convocation in March at Colorado Springs. Faculty, staff and students were invited to partake in pancakes cooked on-site at the front entrance to the VCOM-Louisiana campus. View more photos from the event on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.