Students Run the Kansas City Marathon, Participate in Clinical Procedural Skills Lab, Share Journey to Medical School and More

KCU-COM Student Finds His Stride at KC Marathon

When Bryce Merriman, OMS II, at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM), crossed the finish line of the Kansas City Marathon, he wasn’t just completing 26.2 miles. He was proving something to himself about endurance, balance and what it means to keep going when things get hard.

Just a few weeks earlier, Bryce had told himself he was done with marathons.

“I ran one in Illinois, and it nearly broke me,” he said. “I hit the wall so hard I had to walk several times. I remember thinking, ‘Never again.’”

But, as runners often do, he reconsidered. Two weeks later, he entered the Prairie Fire Marathon in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, and placed second. Then, almost on a whim, he signed up for the Kansas City Marathon.

Read more about how Bryce rediscovered his drive through the KC Marathon.

ICOM Student Receives Spirit of Freedom Award

William “Billy” Lawson, third-year medical student at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), has been honored with Senator Mike Crapo’s Spirit of Freedom: Idaho Veterans Service Award, recognizing his exceptional service to Idaho’s veteran community.

A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and former Air Force captain, student physician Billy served nine years on active duty, including as a construction flight commander with Air Force Central Command in the Middle East.

Read more about Billy’s recognition and his commitment to service.

VCOM-Carolinas Clinical Procedural Skills Lab

First-year students at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) put their classroom knowledge into action in the Clinical Procedural Skills Lab, where they learned how to apply casts and splints under the guidance of Lynn Campbell, DO. Hands-on moments like these help future physicians gain confidence from the start.

View more photos from the skills lab on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

From EMT to Future Physician at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn

First-year medical student Caleb Van Horn’s journey into medicine took him from Michigan to Tennessee before finally calling Opelika, Alabama, home. His experience as an EMT, along with search and rescue training, sparked a passion for helping others, inspired further by his mother’s path to becoming one of the top nurses at East Alabama Medical Center.

“If I become half the medical provider my mother is, I will have succeeded,” he shared. After shadowing VCOM-Carolinas alumnus Jonathan Mahram, DO, he knew osteopathic medicine was the right fit: “This felt like the way medicine should be practiced.”

Campus organizations like the Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons and the Student Osteopathic Surgical Association keep him grounded in his purpose, and he hopes to pursue trauma surgery or emergency medicine as he continues his path at VCOM-Auburn.

View more photos from Caleb Van Horn’s journey on VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.

Faculty Member, Alumnus Recognized for Rural Health Excellence

A faculty member at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) has received a statewide award for his work in teaching aspiring students how to practice medicine in rural communities.

Dwight Bundy, DO, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, was presented the West Virginia Rural Health Association’s Dr. Bob Foster Award for Excellence in Rural Health Professions Education on November 13, 2025, during the organization’s annual conference in Huntington, West Virginia.

Read more about Dr. Bundy’s impact on rural medical education.