Students Earn Memorial Scholarships, Pursue Summer Fellowships, Celebrate White Coat Milestones and More

PCOM South Georgia Graduate Returns as Medical Student, Earns Inaugural Memorial Scholarship

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Colquitt County, Georgia, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia (PCOM South Georgia) certificate of graduate study in biomedical sciences alumna Selena Meza watched her rural community struggle as some residents lost their lives.

“I wanted to understand why this was happening instead of just hearing, ‘Here’s your medicine,’” Selena said. “Watching people depend on a diagnosis and treatment plan strengthened my desire to become a pathologist and give back to rural communities like the one I grew up in.”

But for Selena, the journey to medical school felt like a distant dream as a first-generation college student and the daughter of immigrants.

Read more about Selena’s return to PCOM South Georgia as a medical student and her inaugural memorial scholarship.

A Pair of Prestigious Fellowships at Wisconsin and UCLA Keep TCOM Student Busy Over Summer

Any summer vacation plans Moises Correa might have had were put on hold as the second-year student at UNT Health – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health – TCOM) traded his break for an opportunity to learn from some of the nation’s best surgeons and gastroenterologists. Moises was one of a selected group of medical students across the nation chosen for the DISCOVER Program, which is offered by the Research Foundation of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

Moises spent four weeks at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health with his mentor, Dana Hayden, MD, MPH. The program was a four-week, research-intensive summer program designed for first-year U.S. medical students who are interested in pursuing a career in surgery.

Read more about Moises’ prestigious summer fellowships at Wisconsin and UCLA.

50th Entering Class Begins Journey at Rowan-Virtua SOM White Coat Ceremony

A new chapter began for the 50th class of Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine (Rowan-Virtua SOM) as 292 members of the Class of 2030 received their white coats and officially began their journey as medical students. The largest incoming medical school class in New Jersey gathered with faculty, family and friends on August 7, 2026, at Rowan University’s Glassboro, New Jersey, campus to celebrate this milestone and take their first steps toward becoming osteopathic physicians.

Since 1996, Rowan-Virtua SOM has celebrated the White Coat Ceremony as the symbolic start of each student’s medical school journey. The ceremony recognizes students’ commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care and welcomes them into the Rowan-Virtua SOM community.

Read more about Rowan-Virtua SOM’s 50th entering class and White Coat Ceremony.

15th President. 15 Transformational Years.

When Angela L. Walker Franklin, PhD, became Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences’ (DMU) 15th president in 2011, few could have predicted how transformative the next 15 years would be for the university.

What followed reshaped the university’s campus, culture and trajectory.

“I came to a place with high hopes and aspirations of coming and doing a great job and being of service to this institution,” Dr. Walker Franklin says. “We’ve actually transformed this entire organization in a way that I don’t think anyone would have ever imagined back then.”

Read more about Dr. Walker Franklin’s 15 years of leadership and transformation at DMU.

Central Valley’s First Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program Is Launched

The first physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program in the Central Valley has been launched by the California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) in partnership with the United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley.

Officials from seven local organizations held a joint news conference on August 11, 2026, at the VA Hospital of Central California to introduce the new residency program that serves to improve the function and quality of health for local patients.

Read more about the Central Valley’s first physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program.

VCOM Student Leaders Advocate for the Future of Osteopathic Medicine at National Leadership Meetings in Chicago

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) student leaders from all four campuses—VCOM-Virginia, VCOM-Carolinas, VCOM-Auburn and VCOM-Louisiana—recently gathered in Chicago, Illinois, to represent their peers and advocate for the future of the osteopathic profession through participation in several national leadership and policy meetings, including the Student Osteopathic Medical Association Summer Leadership Meeting, National Osteopathic Student Caucus and the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates.

These national meetings provide osteopathic medical students with an opportunity to engage directly in professional advocacy, collaborate with student leaders from across the country and contribute to policy discussions that impact medical education, student experiences and the future of healthcare.

Read more about VCOM student leaders’ participation in national leadership and policy meetings in Chicago, Illinois.

VCOM-Carolinas Holds A.T. Still Birthday Bash

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) family gathered on August 10, 2026, for the A.T. Still Birthday Bash, celebrating the founder of osteopathic medicine and the start of a new academic year. The event featured outdoor games, refreshments and opportunities to explore osteopathic principles through an osteopathic manipulative medicine demonstration tent. The celebration reflected VCOM-Carolinas’ commitment to community, wellness and the osteopathic philosophy that continues to guide its mission.

View more photos from the A.T. Still Birthday Bash on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

Encova Foundation Helps Fund Wilderness Medicine Elective Rotation

Gear ranging from ropes, harnesses and helmets to splints, tourniquets and rescue stretchers will play a role in immersive rescue exercises during the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine’s (WVSOM) wilderness medicine elective rotation, thanks in part to the Encova Foundation of West Virginia.

The WVSOM Foundation—a charitable organization that supports WVSOM through philanthropic investment—received a $25,000 grant from Encova to help fund the school’s 2026 elective. The two-week course provides training in emergency care, disaster response and patient stabilization in outdoor environments for third- and fourth-year medical students and resident physicians.

Read more about the Encova Foundation grant supporting WVSOM’s 2026 wilderness medicine elective rotation.