Students Gain Patient Experience, Spotlight Mental Health and Honor Anatomy Donors and More

KCU Medical Students Gain First Patient Experience Through Score 1 for Health Wellness Day

The halls of Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) campuses in Joplin, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri, echoed with laughter, curiosity and excitement as hundreds of elementary students arrived for Wellness Day, marking the official launch of Score 1 for Health for the 2026-27 academic year. The kickoff events offered KCU-COM medical students their first patient encounter outside of simulation labs.

In total, more than 400 students from Dover Hill Elementary in Joplin, Missouri, and Kansas City’s Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School received free health assessments under the supervision of faculty. For the children, the experience helped them see healthcare professionals in white coats not as something to fear, but as people who are there to help them stay healthy and thrive.

Read more about how Score 1 for Health Wellness Day gives KCU-COM medical students their first patient experience while providing free health assessments to elementary students.

UNT Health - TCOM Student Uses Art to Shine Light on Mental Health Within Medical Community

Rates of depression (33 percent), anxiety (24 percent) and PTSD (10 percent) are higher among physicians than the general population, according to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association. Doctors and medical students preparing to enter the field, perhaps for a variety of reasons, just don’t talk about it.

Lucinda Ba is doing something about it. The first-year student at UNT Health – Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNT Health – TCOM) is also an artist, and her latest work, “To Be a Med Student,” was chosen to be on display at the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism Summit in September. Her four-part acrylic canvas painting hopes to shine a brighter light on the often-hidden struggles with mental health, grief, illness and self-doubt that can exist beneath the surface of medical education and the medical profession.

“We go into this job wanting to do a lot of good, but it does take a toll on us emotionally,” she said. “There is a lot of stigma physicians can face because we are the ones who are supposed to take care of patients. We are all human, and there is always something we will be going through.”

Read more about Lucinda’s artwork and her efforts to shine a light on mental health within the medical community.

PCOM South Georgia Student Recognized Nationally for Commitment to Rural Health

At just 13 years old, Marisela Benitez (DO ’28) lost her father to a fatal heart attack. That loss would propel her into a career in medicine, one she vowed to use to listen to her patients and address their concerns. Marisela is a student at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia (PCOM South Georgia).

“I watched someone who I had loved dearly lose his life due to social determinants of health and language barriers that affected the kind of care he was able to receive,” she said. “My Cuban father often returned from his medical appointments feeling as though he did not understand his treatment plan, and that his concerns were not being heard. I saw the effect this had on his health, as he did not take his medications regularly or see the importance of following up frequently.”

“Some of my most meaningful experiences have included providing bilingual health education and helping deliver culturally-tailored CPR and first-aid training for Spanish-speaking migrant farmworkers. I have also presented research about cardiovascular health disparities and social determinants of health.”

Read more about Marisela’s personal experience and her commitment to addressing health disparities in rural communities.

VCOM-Louisiana Students Honor Their “First Patients” at Donor Memorial Ceremony and Anatomy Poster Presentations

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) Class of 2029 gathered for the annual Anatomy Patient Presentation and Donor Memorial Ceremony, honoring the individuals who donated their bodies to help educate the next generation of physicians. Through posters highlighting a year of anatomy instruction, artwork, music and letters to donor families, students reflected on the profound lessons their “first patients” taught them about anatomy, compassion and the kind of care they hope to provide future patients.

View more photos from the Anatomy Patient Presentation and Donor Memorial Ceremony on VCOM-Louisiana’s Instagram.

CORE Symposium Highlights Community Health Connections

The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus (VCOM-Virginia) in Blacksburg, Virginia, recently hosted its Second Annual Community Outreach Research and Education (CORE) Symposium, bringing together healthcare professionals, community partners, students and local organizations to explore ways to strengthen community health.

Held in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, this year’s symposium, titled “Culture of Health: Connecting Medicine, Communities, and Action,” focused on understanding and addressing the medical and safety needs of local communities.

For more information about the CORE program, visit www.vcom.edu/core.

View more photos from the CORE Symposium on VCOM-Virginia’s Facebook.

CHSU White Coat Ceremony Welcomes 165 New Medical Students at Clovis Medical School

In the presence of family and friends, California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) honored 165 medical students in the Class of 2030 during its White Coat Ceremony on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

At the ceremony, John Graneto, DO, dean of CHSU-COM, reflected on a significant milestone for the university, with more than 1,000 medical students receiving a white coat since 2020.

“Today, we are not only celebrating a milestone for each of you, but for our Valley’s medical school. Today marks the 1,000th student to walk across this stage and participate in the White Coat Ceremony,” remarked Dr. Graneto.

Read more about CHSU-COM’s White Coat Ceremony and the milestone of more than 1,000 medical students receiving a white coat since 2020.