Students Receive White Coats, Conduct Summer Lab Breakthroughs, Focus on Cultural Competency and More
Published October 15, 2025
Campus Roundup Inside OME
Summer in the Lab Leads to Breakthroughs for High School Students
Instead of socializing with friends or focusing on personal hobbies this past summer, four New York City high school students experimented with fruit flies and aloe plants; researched the genetic coding of herbal medicines; and did zip code mapping of bodegas—all part of a new STEM research program at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) in Harlem, MedAchieve III.
The students are all graduates of TouroCOM’s MedAchieve I and II, a successful two-year STEM program that empowers high school students to become physicians and healthcare providers through mentoring and academic enrichment in the sciences.
Read more about TouroCOM’s MedAchieve III program.
Clinical Trials Signify WVSOM’s Increased Commitment to Research
The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) has long had a reputation for providing a high-quality education to medical students. While scientific inquiry has always been a part of that education, the school is expanding its research focus to include externally funded clinical trials.
This summer, WVSOM’s Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH) received funding for two trials to evaluate how workplace support programs improve recovery and clinical outcomes for people with substance use disorders.
Brian Hendricks, PhD, executive director of the CRCH and the principal investigator for both studies, said the institution’s entry into clinical trials reflects a broader interest in conducting applied research.
Read more about WVSOM’s clinical trials.
DMU’s White Coat Ceremony Marks Entry into Health Careers for 457 Students
On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Grand Ballroom of the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines, Iowa, was buzzing with excitement as 457 clinical students from five programs at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences (DMU) received their white coats during the university’s annual White Coat Ceremony.
“The White Coat Ceremony reflects a symbolic entrance into medical school,” said Angela L. Walker Franklin, PhD, DMU president and CEO. “You assume not only the responsibilities, but also the obligation that attend to those who choose to provide care to other human beings. To be honorable in all phases of your life, to excel in your academic studies, to be compassionate, to be accountable, to collaborate and to support a culture of inclusiveness.”
Read more about DMUCOM’s White Coat Ceremony.
Creating Culturally Competent DOs: Lecture Series Prepares Students for Inclusive, Patient-Centered Care
Creating Culturally Competent DOs (C3DO) at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) is a seven-part lecture series designed to prepare students to serve patients with empathy, cultural awareness and integrity. Offered outside of the regular curriculum but counted toward credit, the lectures take place once a month and reflect VCOM’s mission of training physicians to meet the needs of rural and underserved communities.
Launched in 2022, the lecture series is now in its fourth year and continues to evolve in response to student feedback and the needs of future physicians.
Read more about the C3DO lecture series at VCOM-Carolinas.
Faith, Theology and Osteopathic Medicine: How It All Brought a Student to UNT Health - TCOM
Vernon Gewa, who hails from Kenya, speaks and understands seven languages, holds three bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees and a doctorate in moral theology, is the oldest student in the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health – TCOM)’s Class of 2029. With age comes experience, and when combined with Vernon’s stately wisdom, his trek to osteopathic medicine is unlike any other.
Making his path even more unlikely was that Vernon was introduced to the profession by a UNT Health - TCOM alumnus in 2016; however, his path toward becoming a DO was laid decades ago.
Read more about Vernon’s journey to UNT Health - TCOM.
Dr. James Joseph Selected for Distinguished Editorial Role with the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
James Joseph, Jr., MD, FAAOS, an assistant dean for clinical education and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Kansas Health Science University’s Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (KansasCOM), was selected to serve on the editorial board of the Medical Student Orthopedic Exam, developed by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
“This appointment reflects Dr. Joseph’s professional expertise and his commitment to advancing excellence in medical education,” said Kimberly Long, PhD, interim president of Kansas Health Science University. “This is a well-deserved recognition, and a great opportunity for his work to have a positive impact on KansasCOM students, our university and the broader medical education community.”
As one of the editors-in-chief, Dr. Joseph joins a select group of colleagues from across the nation to contribute to the development of a new national medical student examination in orthopedics. The self-assessment exam is for medical students interested in going into orthopedic surgery as well as students who are preparing for licensure examination.
PCOM: Perspectives: Ninja Nerd and the Power of Hybrid Learning
Jay Feldstein, DO ’81, president and CEO of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), speaks with medical education influencer Zach Murphy, president and CEO of Ninja Nerd, the widely recognized online learning platform. They discuss Ninja Nerd’s origin story, its growth into a global resource and the emergence of hybrid learning models that are particularly beneficial for medical students.
Listen to the full PCOM Perspectives podcast episode.
The Stop the Bleed Program at VCOM-Auburn
On October 7, 2025, a new Stop the Bleed (STB) Facility Kit was installed at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn), equipped to treat up to eight victims of life-threatening bleeding. The STB program empowers bystanders with critical skills to respond to severe bleeding emergencies, including applying pressure, packing wounds and using tourniquets effectively.
This training is a collaborative effort between the campus’s simulation center and the Emergency Medicine Club, led by Jim Walter, MD, and Paul Brisson, MD. Currently, 40 percent of VCOM-Auburn’s second-year students have completed STB training.
View more photos from the Stop the Bleed event on VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.
ICOM Student Elected President of National SOMA
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) announced that third-year student Lu Wolff has been elected president of the National Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) for 2026–2027.
Lu, who served as president of ICOM’s SOMA chapter during her second year, championed student engagement, advocacy and professional development for osteopathic medicine. Her leadership helped strengthen the chapter’s involvement in national initiatives and fostered a strong community of student physicians dedicated to the profession.
Read more about student doctor Lu’s election to SOMA.
MSOM Partners with the University of Maryland to Streamline the Path to Becoming a Physician
The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) and the University of Maryland have partnered to make it easier for qualified students and alumni to become physicians. The university is one of six schools to participate in the MSOM guaranteed interview Pathways Program.
“Qualified students at partner institutions benefit from the program directly by getting a guaranteed interview for MSOM’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program,” said Chanté Richardson, PhD, MBA, associate dean of student services and community engagement at MSOM.
Read more about MSOM’s Pathways Program.