Students Defy Medical School Odds, Lead National Conference, Advance Cancer Research and More

Inspired by Devastation, UNT Health – TCOM Student Defies Odds to Make It into Medical School

The chain around the neck of Austin Grubbs is very unassuming until closer inspection reveals it’s something very close to him. “It’s my father’s thumbprint.”

Austin, a first-year medical student at UNT Health – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health – TCOM), carries with him the memory of his father, who passed away from cancer when Austin was only 15. As traumatic as that was, he lost another father figure, his grandfather, two and a half years later because of cancer. The scourge of this disease and his grandmother’s words in a time of tribulation inspired him to go into medicine.

Read more about Austin’s journey to medical school and the experiences that inspired him to pursue medicine.

LMU-DCOM Students Represent Harrogate Campus at National Leadership Conference

Two Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) students recently represented the Harrogate campus at the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) Summer Leadership Meeting and National Osteopathic Student Caucus (NOSC) in Chicago, Illinois, joining student leaders from across the country to discuss issues affecting osteopathic medical education and the profession.

Austin Raymond, OMS II, president of SOMA at LMU-DCOM’s Harrogate campus, and Jenna Webb, OMS II, the chapter’s national liaison officer, participated in leadership development sessions, advocacy discussions and organizational programming designed to prepare future physicians for leadership roles within organized medicine.

The conference included participation in the NOSC, where student representatives discussed and voted on resolutions before they advanced to the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates for consideration. Topics included medical education, student advocacy and the future of the osteopathic profession.

Read more about Austin and Jenna’s participation in the national leadership conference and student advocacy discussions.

DO Student’s Research Targets Genetic Pathways in Prostate Cancer Recurrence

The American Cancer Society notes prostate cancer as one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in men in the United States and the second most common cancer worldwide. While prostate cancer is often treatable when detected early, a pressing question remains: What happens when the cancer returns after prostate removal, and is there a way to predict its recurrence?

This is a question that Adam Eugene Davis (DO ’28), a third-year medical student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus (PCOM Georgia), has been looking to answer. His latest research focuses on identifying biological processes associated with recurrence following a radical prostatectomy, the surgery to remove the entire prostate gland and nearby tissues.

Read more about Adam’s research into biological processes associated with prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy.

OMM Scholars Director Shapes Community-Focused Physicians

When she’s not at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Campus (PCOM South Georgia) teaching family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment to medical students, Robyn Long, DO, MS, runs Harvest Health Cairo, a practice in Cairo, Georgia. She and her husband manage the office together, where she provides primary care to patients of all ages.

Dr. Long sees many patients with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease related to diet and nutrition and helps patients with complex medical needs access the care they need in their own community.

Read more about Dr. Long’s work teaching medical students and providing community-focused primary care in Georgia.

ICOM Expands Lifesaving Training Across Idaho with Advanced Simulator Donations

Photo: (From left to right) Margaret Carrico, ICOM simulation manager; Season McClelland, ICOM standardized patient educator; William “Bud” Paine, director of Three Rivers STAR; and Todd Hillman, ICOM simulation operations specialist.

The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) is helping expand access to high-quality emergency medical training across Idaho through the donation of two high-fidelity adult patient simulators to regional training and emergency response organizations.

The state-of-the-art simulators are designed to replicate complex human physiological responses during medical emergencies, providing learners with hands-on experience in assessing and managing critical situations. These donations will enhance clinical training opportunities for rural emergency medical personnel, volunteer responders and future healthcare professionals across the state.

Read more about ICOM’s donation of advanced patient simulators to expand emergency medical training across Idaho.

More Than 200 Students Volunteer in Greenbrier County for Day of Caring

In an event hosted by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) and United Way of the Greenbrier Valley, students started the new academic year by gaining an appreciation for the value of making a positive difference where they live.

During the school’s Day of Caring, more than 200 students from WVSOM’s DO and MSBS programs, along with 13 faculty and staff members, performed volunteer work at about 30 locations throughout Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Students did yard maintenance, cleaned, painted and completed repair work, among many other activities.

Read more about WVSOM students, faculty and staff volunteering throughout Greenbrier County during the Day of Caring.

VCOM-Louisiana and ULM Expand Opportunities for Future Physicians Through New Preferred Admission Partnership

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) and the University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) have strengthened their longstanding partnership through a new Preferred Admission Track agreement. The agreement establishes a structured pathway that provides early support for highly qualified ULM students who demonstrate academic excellence and a desire to make a meaningful impact in their communities, offering a clear path to medical school at VCOM-Louisiana.

By helping talented students pursue medical education close to home, both institutions are demonstrating their shared commitment to improving health outcomes across the state and strengthening Louisiana’s future healthcare workforce.

Read more about the new Preferred Admission Track agreement between VCOM-Louisiana and ULM.

ATSU-KCOM Residency Programs Adopt New Names to Reflect University’s Identity

A.T. Still University-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) is updating the names of its medical residency programs to better reflect their connection to the University.

The organization that oversees these residency programs, formerly called Still OPTI, will now be known by the ATSU-KCOM name. The change was approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and helps prospective residents more easily identify the schools and hospitals involved with each residency program.

“This approval represents an important step forward for our institution and our residency programs,” said Richard LaBaere, DO, MPH, FAODME, FNAOME, designated institutional official for ATSU-KCOM.

Read more about the naming changes to ATSU-KCOM’s residency programs and the organization that oversees them.