Students Launch into Clerkships, Explore Research Breakthroughs, Hear from a World Series Champion and More

Full Circle: MedAchieve’s Role in Shaping a Doctor

A first-year medical student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Harlem (TouroCOM), Dihara Mohamed was born in Bangladesh and moved to the United States with her parents and brother at age nine. The family settled in Queens, where she attended public schools and graduated from CUNY’s Hunter College as a top student with a major in biochemistry. She is the first graduate of TouroCOM Harlem’s STEM afterschool program MedAchieve to matriculate into the medical school and she currently mentors students in the program.

Read Dihara’s interview, where she answers questions about why she decided to become an osteopathic physician and the challenges she overcame to follow her dream.

MSU Scientists Create First Human Heart Organoid to Replicate A-fib

Though an estimated 60 million people around the world have atrial fibrillation, or A-fib—a type of irregular and often fast heartbeat—it’s been at least 30 years since any new treatments have been developed. This is because researchers haven’t had accurate models of the human heart to study. Thanks to new developments from Michigan State University (MSU) scientists, that is no longer the case.

The latest milestone from the Aguirre lab comes from MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine physician-scientist student Colin O’Hern, who added immune cells to the organoids. In developing human hearts, these immune cells, or macrophages, help ensure proper growth and formation.

Read more about this milestone research from MSU.

NYITCOM Hospital Day Was a Success

The New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) Class of 2028 had a successful Hospital Day. Third-year students learned about clerkships and visited different booths with hospital representatives.

View more photos from NYITCOM’s Hospital Day on their Facebook.

LECOM Hosts Resilience Talk with World Series-Winning Pitcher

In a special episode of LECOM Heroes in Training, legendary Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steve Blass joins host Kathleen Spinazzola to share powerful life lessons with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) students. Steve reflects on his historic World Series moment, his 66-year affiliation with the Pirates and the personal philosophy that fueled his journey. His message of loyalty, obsession with excellence and compassion resonates deeply with future healthcare professionals preparing to serve others.

Watch the full interview on LECOM’s YouTube.

Nurse Used New Master’s Program as Gateway to Medical School

Ellie Lepkowski spent nearly five years working as a nurse in Michigan, but a digital ad for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)’s inaugural Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program sparked her desire to become a physician.

Ellie grew up and attended college in Ohio. She shifted from attending a small Catholic all-female high school to a large academic university and felt overwhelmed in a large system. In college, she majored in nursing.

She moved to Michigan for work after college and, shortly after beginning her career, decided to work toward becoming a physician.

Read more about Ellie’s journey in WVSOM’s 2025 Fall Magazine: Strategic Framework.