Students Reunite After Childhood Cancer Journeys, Launch Free Clinic, Celebrate Family Legacy and More

Childhood Cancer Survivors Unexpectedly Reunite as Medical Students at PCOM

Photo: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine students Ellie Koerner and Dawson Nailor reconnect after unknowingly sharing similar childhood cancer journeys.

Dawson Nailor was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2007, two weeks before his fifth birthday. At age four, Ellie Koerner received the same diagnosis three days before Christmas that year. Both spent weeks at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and were then treated at CHOP's Specialty Care & Surgery Center in Voorhees, New Jersey, undergoing various procedures and rigorous chemotherapy.

Since then, despite living 10 minutes from each other in South Jersey, the two had no direct contact until Dawson approached Ellie in their first few days in the DO program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).

Read more about how two childhood cancer survivors reconnected as classmates at PCOM and watch the CBS News coverage.

VCOM-Louisiana Students Support Community Health at Annual Expo to Kick Off Back to School

Recently, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Louisiana (VCOM-Louisiana) students participated in the 7th Annual Community Health & Wellness Expo. Students greeted guests, provided blood pressure screenings, demonstrated osteopathic manipulative medicine and shared valuable health resources with northeast Louisiana families preparing for the back-to-school season.

Their ability to engage children—turning health screenings into playful learning moments—reflects VCOM’s commitment to building trust and fostering positive connections between future physicians and the communities they serve.

View more photos from the Community Health & Wellness Expo on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.

KCU Medical Student Proves Growth Doesn’t Happen in the Comfort Zone

Nicolette Duong, a fourth-year student at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM), believes medicine is more than a profession—it’s a commitment to advocacy, dignity and showing up when it matters most.

Her passion for underserved communities began as an undergraduate volunteer in rural Peru, where families walked for days to reach care. This experience is mirrored in U.S. hospitals, where underserved patients often seek help only in crisis. “The parallel was clear: health inequities transcend borders,” Nicolette said. “Access to care is a human right.”

Read more about how Nicolette’s global perspective shapes her mission in medicine.

Heartbreak Into Healing: How a UNT Health - TCOM Student’s Loss of Her Mother Led Her Into Medicine

Emma Astad, a student at UNT Health Fort Worth's Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health Fort Worth – TCOM), remembers every detail of the day her mother was diagnosed with brain cancer.

“That was the day I died in a way,” she said. “Who I was before that call came, I would never be the same.” At the time, she was a student at Southwestern University, and the devastating news turned her world upside down. The grief would ignite a passion—medicine.

Read more about how Emma transformed grief into purpose at UNT Health - TCOM.

VCOM-Carolinas’ Admins Attend Planning Sessions for World Military Games

“Peace Through Sport” is the theme of the World Military Games, an event now in preparation. Matthew Cannon, DO, FACOFP, dean for the Carolinas campus and senior dean for all four VCOM campuses, along with Gunnar Brolinson, DO, vice president for research and professor of family medicine and sports medicine, represented Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas (VCOM-Carolinas) at multiple planning sessions for the event. The games will feature 25 different sporting events and bring together more than 10,000 athletes from 141 countries.

View more photos from World Military Games planning sessions on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

Former Elementary Teacher Trades the Classroom for Medical School

For more than a decade, Christen York worked as an elementary school teacher. “I always wanted to make a difference in my community,” she said. “I wanted to help people, and I love children. Growing up, I worked at a summer camp, encouraging others to be the best version of themselves, which kind of goes hand in hand with being a doctor. Teaching went along with that really well.”

When Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia (PCOM South Georgia) opened in Moultrie, Georgia, in 2019, just a short drive from her home in Tifton, her husband noticed her interest in the new campus. During a conversation one day, he asked if she had considered becoming a doctor.

Read more about Christen’s path from teaching to medicine at PCOM South Georgia.

Celebrating a Family Legacy at PCOM Georgia’s DO White Coat Ceremony

Earlier this month, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia) student John “Jackson” Norris, DO ’29, walked across the stage to receive his white coat, just as his father, J. Norris, DO ’17, had done twelve years prior.

“I was in middle school when my father was a student here,” Jackson said. “So I got to see his journey, and I can still remember going to campus with my mom and brothers to see him after he finished classes, or while he took a study break.”

For Jackson, to say his father is his greatest inspiration in life is an understatement, as he recalls how his dad was able to spend so much time with the family while still succeeding in medical school and balancing other life stressors.

Read more about the Norris family legacy at PCOM Georgia’s white coat ceremony.

Collaboration in Action: VCOM-Auburn Students Serve Community at Free Clinic

On August 2, 2025, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) medical students took part in a milestone moment at the Boykin Recreation Center as they cared for their first patient at the War Eagle Wellness Clinic.

This student-run free clinic is made possible through a partnership between VCOM-Auburn, Auburn University’s Harrison College of Pharmacy, and the Auburn University College of Nursing. Together, these future healthcare professionals are providing compassionate, accessible care to members of the Auburn, Alabama, community while gaining valuable hands-on experience that will shape their medical careers. The initiative reflects a shared commitment to service, collaboration and improving community health outcomes.

View more photos from the War Eagle Wellness Clinic on VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.

Government Officials Join WVSOM in Celebrating Research Expansion

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) is geared for growth with the expansion of one of its buildings dedicated to biomedical sciences and research. Distinguished guests of WVSOM joined the school in celebrating with a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Fredric W. Smith Science Building on August 20, 2025. The renovation and expansion of the building will more than double the existing space—with 28,523 square feet being added to the current 26,927-square-foot structure.

Read more about WVSOM’s biomedical research expansion.