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Students Learn Through Human Connection, Earn Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Honors, Partner on Youth Nutrition Education and More

Published March 04, 2026

Campus Roundup Inside OME

KCU-COM Students Learn Medicine Through Human Connection

Three men sit in a living room having a conversation, with one gesturing while the others listen.

Launched by the Center for Population Health and Equity at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM), Street Wise Scholars pairs osteopathic medical students with individuals experiencing housing instability, transforming classroom lessons into lived experience. “Medicine doesn’t begin with a diagnosis,” said Russell Schmidt, OMS II. “It begins with listening, walking alongside patients and recognizing the humanity at the center of care.”

Read more about how KCU-COM students are learning medicine through human connection.

Yama Xu Receives Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Student Award

Second-year student Yama Xu serves as SGA president-elect at the Tampa Bay Campus of Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM). She received a Florida Osteopathic Medical Association (FOMA) Student Award, which honors students who are politically active, possess leadership qualities and support FOMA’s Student District Society initiatives. She was the only NSU-KPCOM student across both campuses to receive this year’s award.

View more latest award announcement on NSU-KPCOM’s Facebook.

Cobbs Creek Foundation Partners with PCOM To Offer Nutrition Education and Access to Career Paths in Medicine

A wide view of a golf course and clubhouse at sunset with manicured greens and surrounding trees. The Cobbs Creek Foundation has partnered with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) to support the foundation’s revitalization project and youth programming at the Smilow Woodland TGR Learning Lab on the campus of the Cobbs Creek Golf Course. As part of the partnership, PCOM will offer nutrition education and mentorship opportunities, as well as exposure to career tracks in the medical field to students who participate in TGR Learning Lab programs.

“We are humbled by this support and excited by what this partnership means for the Cobbs Creek community,” said Jeff Shanahan, president of the Cobbs Creek Foundation. “Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Cobbs Creek Foundation share similar goals: to bring about positive change by improving access to health, education and opportunity. PCOM’s engagement strengthens not only the work happening inside the Learning Lab, but the larger mission of the Cobbs Creek Golf and Education Campus as a community asset.”

VCOM-Carolinas Hosts Annual Research Day

Four presenters stand smiling in front of a research poster displayed at an academic event. The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) celebrated a successful Via Research Recognition Day on February 20, 2025. From a packed morning of poster presentations to engaging keynote and afternoon research sessions, the day buzzed with energy. Students, faculty and guests filled the halls with thoughtful questions, lively discussions and meaningful connections.

View more photos from Via Research Recognition Day on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

VCOM-Auburn Student Co-Authors AI-Focused Dermatology Research

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping dermatological research, and Mary Grace Hash, Class of 2026 at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Auburn Campus (VCOM-Auburn), contributed as a co-author to a recent publication on the topic. The review outlines how AI analyzes complex clinical data to improve patient selection, predict treatment responses and identify new therapeutic targets for conditions such as psoriasis, melanoma and atopic dermatitis. By enhancing trial precision, efficiency and adaptability, AI is paving the way for more personalized, patient-centered care in dermatology.

Read more about the publication on VCOM-Auburn’s Facebook.

Weathering Winter Storm Fern Together: How the VCOM-Louisiana Family Responded

A group of people stand in a parking lot welcoming others with food.

Photo: VCOM-Louisiana Student Affairs organized a “family meal” in the VCOM parking lot, serving jambalaya so students could enjoy a hot meal and connect during the storm.

When Winter Storm Fern brought historic winter conditions to northeast Louisiana, a weeklong campus closure resulted due to ice, record-breaking cold and power outages disrupting daily life. Throughout the storm, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) community demonstrated compassion and service, supporting one another through shared housing, meals and outreach, showcasing the strength of an osteopathic community that comes together when it matters most.

Read more about how the VCOM-Louisiana family responded during Winter Storm Fern.

The Heart of the Heartland

Four physicians in white coats stand outside a Regional Family Health urgent care clinic sign. Photo: In the small, close-knit communities of rural Iowa, healthcare providers are more than just a number. Des Moines University alumni (from left) Clinton Cummings, DO’11, Amanda Olberding, DO’14, Molly Olson, DO’17 and Allison Berns, MSPAS’09, MHA’16, provide care at Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Iowa, helping sustain healthcare access in rural Iowa.

This alumni magazine story spotlights how Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences is strengthening rural healthcare in Iowa by preparing students to serve in critical access hospitals and underserved communities. The story follows several DMU College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMUCOM) alumni delivering full-spectrum care in Iowa.