Students Compete in Adventure Race, Support Mission Trip Scholarships, Publish Children’s Health Book and More

LMU-DCOM Professor Highlights Public Health Integration in Anatomy Education at Global Conference

Jennifer Hotzman, PhD, vice chair of anatomy and associate professor of anatomy at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM), recently presented research on integrating public health concepts into anatomy education at the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists Congress in Melbourne, Australia, joining anatomy educators and researchers from around the world.

Read more about Dr. Hotzman’s presentation on integrating public health concepts into anatomy education.

Donald Allison, DO, Named Chair of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at PCOM South Georgia

Donald Allison, DO, has been appointed chair and associate professor of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s South Georgia location (PCOM South Georgia). A PCOM alumnus and longtime faculty member and clinician, he brings deep institutional knowledge and more than a decade of experience serving students, colleagues and patients to the role.

“Dr. Allison's experience, leadership, and dedication to osteopathic medical education will be tremendous assets to our students, faculty, and institution,” said Robert J. Lloyd, DO, FACOS, dean of the osteopathic medicine program at PCOM South Georgia. “I am confident he will play a significant role in advancing the mission of our OMM Department and strengthening the educational experience for our learners.”

Read more about Dr. Allison’s appointment as chair of osteopathic manipulative medicine at PCOM South Georgia.

VCOM-Virginia Adventure Race Supports Student Scholarship

On August 15, 2026, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) family gathered at Claytor Lake State Park for one of our most anticipated Welcome Week events: the Adventure Race! This triathlon-style race consists of a four-mile bike ride, three-mile run and one-mile kayak-and-swim. Participants can complete the entire race individually or form a three-to-four-person team. This year, 50 participants joined the race. The money raised through the race goes towards the J. Michael Bernardo Scholarship, established in memory of a former VCOM-Virginia student who passed away during his third year of medical school. The scholarship helps support students who participate in medical mission trips.

View more photos from the Adventure Race on VCOM-Virginia’s Facebook.

MSU’s Joyce deJong on 9/11 and Decades of Disaster Response

Some questions arrive in the quiet of a pathology lab. Others come in the aftermath of an earthquake, a hurricane or a plane crash. For more than three decades, Joyce deJong, DO, has worked in both worlds.

Her career moved through forensic pathology, county medical examiner offices, disaster response, medical education and now the dean’s office at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). And while the settings have changed, her purpose has not.

She joined a federal mass fatality response team in 1996 after hearing a presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association of Medical Examiners. Assigned to the Midwest team, she assumed her deployments would be limited to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Read more about Dr. deJong’s career in forensic pathology, disaster response and medical education.

Student, Employees Collaborate to Create Children’s Book on Crohn’s

A student at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) has partnered with members of the school’s faculty and staff to publish a book intended to help children understand a disease that affects about one in 300 people in the United States.

Kaitlynn Lopes, of WVSOM’s Class of 2027, worked with Kathleen Martin, MD, a pediatrician and member of the school’s clinical sciences faculty, and illustrator Scott Maxwell, technical manager in WVSOM’s Office of Graduate Medical Education, to publish Connor Explains Crohn’s, a picture book intended to destigmatize chronic illness and improve health literacy for children and families.

Connor Explains Crohn’s follows a boy who informs readers about his mother’s journey through treatment for Crohn’s disease while explaining that chronic illness can be a normal part of life. Kaitlynn’s own childhood inspired the book.

Read more about the collaboration behind Connor Explains Crohn’s and how the book is improving health literacy for children and families.

10 DMU Degrees. 10 Alumni Stories. 10 Ways to Make a Difference.

Whether they studied osteopathic medicine through Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMUCOM), public health or biomedical sciences at 722 Sixth Avenue, 3200 Grand Avenue or the new campus at 8025 Grand Avenue, graduates of Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences share one thing in common: the degrees they earned prepared them to care, to lead and to serve.

As a plastic surgeon, Benjamin Lam, DO ’92, spends his days helping patients gain confidence in their appearance while also restoring function—work he finds deeply meaningful. Earlier in his career, however, he envisioned a different path, pursuing an anesthesia residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“But during that time, I kept looking over the curtain at what the surgeons were doing,” Dr. Lam says. “I started having doubts about whether I was in the right specialty.”

Read more about Dr. Lam’s career path and how his Des Moines University education helped prepare him to care, lead and serve.

Remembering September 11 and Choosing Courage Over Fear

Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) President and CEO Marc B. Hahn, DO, FAOCA, shared the following reflection.

Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, 2026, our nation experienced a tragedy that profoundly changed our country and the world.

On that day, terrorists attacked our nation, murdering nearly 3,000 innocent people and forever altering the lives of countless families.

For those of us who remember that day, the images and emotions remain vivid. We remember the shock and profound sadness, but also the extraordinary courage of first responders, healthcare professionals and ordinary citizens who ran toward danger and reached out to help others.

Read more about KCU’s reflection on September 11 and choosing courage over fear.