Students Run a 5K for Scholarships, Join Inaugural Class of Family Medicine Residents, Don White Coats and More
Published July 23, 2025
Campus Roundup Inside OME
A Gut Feeling and Family Crisis Shaped a KCU-COM Graduate’s Journey
Photo: Olivia Langton celebrates her graduation from KCU-COM with her brother and parents in Kansas City, Missouri.
When Olivia Langton started medical school at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM), she expected to be challenged. What she didn’t expect was that her class would one day help her make sense of a personal crisis.
During an academic block in gastrointestinal and genitourinary (GI/GU) systems, something just clicked. “I found the GI/GU systems to be so interesting and so unique,” she said. “They made sense to me more than anything else.”
But just as that course was wrapping up, her family was blindsided: her 21-year-old brother, a healthy cross-country runner, was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer.
Read more about how this course helped shape Olivia’s personal and professional journey.
ICOM Graduates Selected for New Family Medicine Residency
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) is celebrating the selection of four alumni for the inaugural class of a new family medicine residency program in Nampa, Idaho. Just 10 miles from where their medical journey began, four recent graduates are now helping shape the future of community healthcare in the Treasure Valley.
The new residency program, based at the Saint Alphonsus Nampa campus, offers a comprehensive three-year training experience focused on full-spectrum family medicine. The program aims to address growing healthcare needs in underserved populations and provide residents with opportunities to train in both clinical and community-based settings.
Read more about this new residency opportunity for ICOM graduates.
Forging Ahead: More Than 150 Participate in PCOM Georgia Blaze 5K
On Saturday, June 28, 2025, more than 150 participants laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia)'s Blaze 5K, a lively community day incorporating health, wellness and celebration.
The race was part of the yearlong celebrations marking PCOM Georgia's 20th anniversary, with funds raised from the event going to the Clyde and Sandra Strickland Endowed Scholarship Fund to further support PCOM Georgia students.
The certified 5K qualifier race began on Main Street in Suwanee, Georgia, then took runners through local neighborhoods and Brushy Creek Greenway, finishing on the elevated path at Town Center on Main.
Read more about PCOM Georgia’s 20th anniversary event.
Noorda-COM Celebrates Its Largest Incoming Class at Annual White Coat Ceremony
Nearly 200 incoming medical students received their first white coats during Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM)’s fifth annual White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, July 12, 2025, marking the college’s largest class yet. The event celebrated this symbolic milestone with remarks from healthcare leaders, a recitation of the Osteopathic Oath and a call to serve with compassion and excellence.
View more photos from the ceremony on Noorda-COM’s Instagram.
VCOM-Carolinas Domestic Outreach Trip
While students from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) regularly travel overseas to provide care in underserved regions, they also do outreach closer to home.
During a recent domestic outreach trip, medical students, faculty and staff partnered with local free clinics to serve communities most affected by the physician shortage. VCOM-Carolinas teams provided free screenings, sports physicals, primary care and more. These hands-on trips are part of the college's mission to train compassionate, community-focused physicians and to meet people where they are.
View more photos from the trip on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.
TouroCOM Graduates 258 New Doctors at Harlem and Middletown Ceremonies
Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) awarded doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) degrees to 258 new doctors last week at separate events for the TouroCOM Middletown and TouroCOM Harlem campuses in New York.
The Class of 2025 Middletown received their diplomas at festive ceremonies held at Middletown’s Paramount Theatre on May 12, 2025, followed by TouroCOM Harlem’s commencement on May 15, 2025, at the famed Apollo Theater across the street from the school.
The celebrations began with welcomes from dean of student affairs Nadege Dady, EdD, in Harlem and associate dean of students Frank Rose in Middletown, followed by traditional academic processions of faculty, administration, guest speakers and students, accompanied by a color guard, grand marshal and bagpipes.
Read more about TouroCOM’s 2025 commencements.
VCOM–Virginia Holds Annual Camp for High School Students
During the weeks of June 28 and July 12, 2025, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM–Virginia) hosted two sessions of its annual Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) Camp, welcoming 22 high school students per session from across the eastern United States.
The camp offers a rigorous, hands-on introduction to the world of osteopathic medicine and medical school life, designed to spark interest in science and healthcare careers among high school students. Participants explore VCOM-Virgina’s state-of-the-art simulation center and anatomy and research labs, and engage in immersive clinical activities such as suturing and high-fidelity simulations using lifelike mannequins that mimic real medical scenarios. Campers also conduct biomedical experiments, analyze data and work in teams to develop and present a medical research project by week’s end.
The camp fosters meaningful connections between VCOM-Virginia students, faculty and staff and plays an important role in advancing the college’s mission—to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals, especially those committed to serving medically underserved communities.
View more photos from SEE Camp on VCOM–Virginia’s Facebook.
Drema Hill, PhD, Appointed to West Virginia Health Care Authority Board
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has appointed Drema Hill, PhD, vice president for community engagement and chief operations officer of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), to the West Virginia Health Care Authority (WVHCA).
The WVHCA’s mission is to collect information about healthcare costs and ensure accessibility to appropriate healthcare services in the state. The board consists of five members who serve part-time and without compensation.
WVSOM President James W. Nemitz, PhD, said Dr. Hill is an excellent choice for the WVHCA board. “Dr. Hill is a respected leader in public health in our state and across the nation. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise to this board,” he said.
Read more about Dr. Hill’s appointment and public health work.
MSU’s Osteopathic Medicine Program Makes History as National Interest in DOs Grows
The Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) has achieved an important milestone, becoming the first osteopathic medical school to be included in the prestigious National Institutes of Health Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).
This award officially recognizes MSU’s DO/PhD Physician-Scientist Training Program as one of the top dual-degree programs in the United States, elevating its influence in the biomedical research community. The MSTP is one of the most competitive medical education programs and provides funding and support for students pursuing dual medical and research degrees.
Read more about MSUCOM’s MSTP recognition.
Eric Becker, DDS, Chosen as 2025 Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial Award Recipient for VCOM-Louisiana
Eric Becker, DDS, husband of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) Class of 2025 student Ghazal Becker, has been selected as the campus recipient of the 2025 Donna Jones Moritsugu Memorial Award.
Presented by the American Osteopathic Foundation and the Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association, the award recognizes a spouse or partner who provided exceptional personal, professional and emotional support during medical school. Dr. Becker attributes her success to Eric’s unwavering support since her pre-med years; she will begin her family medicine residency at Northeast Georgia Medical Center this fall.
View more photos from the award presentation on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.