Students Publish Children’s Book, Begin Medical Training, Conduct Spine Research and More
Published July 15, 2026
Campus Roundup Inside OME
PCOM Celebrates 10 Years of Opportunities Academy, Inspiring the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals
Photo: An Opportunities Academy high school student performs a “Stop the Bleed” activity.
Earlier this month, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) hosted nearly 200 high school students for its annual Opportunities Academy, a weeklong summer enrichment program for local high school students to learn about careers in healthcare to support their college-readiness journey.
Across the college’s three campus locations, students participated in interactive learning experiences that allowed them to see healthcare in a practical setting. Daily activities included an emergency response relay, Stop the Bleed demonstrations, CPR instruction and interactive patient care with standardized patients. In addition to developing clinical skills, students received guidance on the college admissions process and learned the importance of building professional relationships with healthcare providers and mentors.
Read more about PCOM’s Opportunities Academy and its efforts to introduce high school students to healthcare careers.
New Class of DO Students Welcomed with Service and Symbolism in South Georgia
Nearly 100 future physicians are one step closer to serving communities across South Georgia. This week, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia (PCOM South Georgia) welcomed incoming students in its Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program to Moultrie, Georgia, for orientation, marking the beginning of their medical education journey.
The weeklong orientation featured a welcome from Robert J. Lloyd, DO, FACOS, dean of the osteopathic medicine program, as well as educational sessions and community engagement activities designed to prepare students for the journey ahead.
A highlight of orientation was the presentation of stethoscopes to each incoming student, symbolizing the start of their clinical training and commitment to patient care.
Read more about PCOM South Georgia’s orientation for incoming DO students.
DO Student Lights the Way with Children’s Book on Personal Glaucoma Experience
While many fourth-year medical students are focused on board preparation this summer, Wendee Duong (DO ’27), a medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia), is busy balancing her studies with a milestone of a different kind—the release of her first children’s book, The Lantern in My Eyes, inspired by her own experience living with glaucoma since age 10.
“The story demonstrates how caring for your health is a sign of bravery,” she said. “Because I adhered to treatment and have not experienced vision loss, I hope it reminds children that caring for their eyes today can help preserve their vision for the future.”
Read more about Wendee’s children’s book and her personal experience with glaucoma.
UNT – Health TCOM Students Publish Article on Pain and Function Outcomes Following Lumbar Spine Surgery
Five students under the direction of John Licciardone, DO, MS, MBA, regents professor at UNT Health – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health – TCOM), published an article in the June issue of the International Journal of Spine Surgery, along with Subhash Aryal, PhD, professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Student doctors Kenneth Harrington, Arya Anagol, Crystal Peraza, Saadia Shaikh and Shahryar Malik began working on the project as a research team when they entered the Osteopathic Research Center’s Summer Program in Clinical Research in 2025. Thirty students participated in the program that summer, and their team was the first to publish its results.
Read more about the UNT Health – TCOM students’ published research on pain and function outcomes following lumbar spine surgery.
ICOM Students and Faculty Bring Healthcare, Education and Hope to Peru
In June, 45 volunteers—including Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) faculty, students, alumni and family members—traveled to Jayanca, Peru, for a weeklong medical mission in partnership with Peru Hope, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare access in rural communities.
Among the volunteers was ICOM alumnus Kavan Hess, DO ’25, who serves as medical director for Peru Hope. Dr. Hess is also currently in the Urology Residency Program at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The student group also included 25 ICOM students—four rising third-year students, 20 rising second-year students and one rising first-year student—and two student physicians from Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine (Noorda-COM). ICOM faculty members Amy Aldrich, DO, David Hightower, MD, and Richard Macdonald, MD, also participated, teaching local medical providers and mentoring students while providing patient care throughout the week.
Read more about ICOM medical mission to Peru, where students, faculty members, alumni and families provided healthcare and education.
VCOM-Louisiana Celebrates Gwenn Jackson’s 2026 Ouachita Parish Woman of Excellence Honor
Gwenn Jackson, MD, FACOG, CPE, associate dean for OMS IV and graduate medical education, discipline chair and assistant professor for obstetrics and gynecology at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana), was recently named the recipient of the 2026 Thomas H. Scott Award of Excellence—Ouachita Parish Woman of Excellence Award.
Presented annually by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, this award celebrates a distinguished woman in Ouachita Parish who has built a lasting legacy through her leadership, service and dedication to advancing the community.
View more photos from Dr. Jackson’s recognition on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.