Students Hear Patient Experiences, Run for Healthcare Access, Practice Surgical Suturing and More
Published October 14, 2026
Campus Roundup Inside OME
Patient’s Story Offers Lessons for Future Physicians
Before medical students learn to recognize a rare disease in practice, they can learn something equally valuable from a person living with it.
For students at Midwestern University’s Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM), that opportunity came through a visit from Rhonda McGowan, a patient educator with the Amyloidosis Speakers Bureau. Her experience brought a personal perspective to a complex disease, helping connect medical knowledge with the people students will one day care for.
The presentation gave students an opportunity to hear about the patient’s journey through symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and daily life. George Borrelli, DO, chair of the Department of Clinical Integration, moderated the session, which paired an educational video with Rhonda’s story and time for questions.
Read more about Rhonda’s experience with amyloidosis and the lessons she shared with CCOM students.
ICOM’s First-Ever ‘Outside with Pride’ 5K Supports Healthcare Access
Photo: Daniel Valley, OMS II, and Nicholas Roussel, OMS II, organized ICOM’s inaugural 5K, with funds raised benefiting Terry Reilly Health Services.
The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) community came together at Ann Morrison Park in Boise, Idaho, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for the college’s first-ever Outside with Pride 5K, an event organized by ICOM’s LGBTQ student club to promote community, wellness and access to healthcare.
The inaugural 5K brought together ICOM student physicians, faculty, staff and community members for a morning of movement and connection while raising $3,456.94 for Terry Reilly Health Services, a federally qualified health center serving communities throughout the region.
Read more about ICOM’s inaugural Outside with Pride 5K and its support for Terry Reilly Health Services.
Class of 2015 Grad: ‘Innovation Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Responsibility’
At WVU Medicine United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia, Brittanie West, DO, a West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) Class of 2015 graduate, is helping to shape the future of medicine. An educator and family medicine physician who spends much of her time teaching residents and medical students, Dr. West was an early adopter of artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
At the heart of the Class of 2015 graduate’s work lies a simple idea: Technology, used wisely, can benefit physicians, their students and their patients.
Dr. West integrates AI into both sides of her career. As a clinician who has taught continuing medical education sessions on precision medicine—“getting the right diagnosis and the right treatment to the right patient at the right time,” as she puts it—Dr. West employs AI to perform genetic risk analysis and to tailor medications to a patient’s genetic makeup.
Read more about Dr. West’s use of AI in clinical practice and medical education.
KCU Medical Students Gain Surgical Skills at Suture Clinic
Austin W. Lehr, DO, a Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU-COM) alumnus and board-certified general surgeon, returned to campus to share his expertise with osteopathic medical students during a hands-on suture clinic. Open to all KCU-COM students, the workshop provided an opportunity for students to gain an early introduction to surgical techniques and develop hands-on skills.
Watch the video to learn more about the hands-on suture clinic and the surgical skills KCU students practiced.
VCOM-Louisiana Celebrates the Class of 2030 White Coat Ceremony
The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Louisiana Campus (VCOM-Louisiana) welcomed 159 members of the Class of 2030 into osteopathic medical education during its White Coat Ceremony, featuring remarks from campus leadership and guest speaker Richard R. Thacker, DO, president of the American Osteopathic Association. Class President Mya Liljenstolpe delivered the class statement, students recited the osteopathic oath and the VCOM-Louisiana SOAP Notes performed the alma mater a cappella. Congratulations to the Class of 2030 as they begin their journey toward becoming compassionate, community-minded physicians.
View more photos from the Class of 2030 White Coat Ceremony on VCOM-Louisiana’s Facebook.
What You Should Know About the New mRNA Flu Vaccine According to PCOM South Georgia Experts
A first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology, named mFLUSIVA, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for adults 50 and older.
The vaccine is the first and only mRNA flu vaccine approved in the United States. In clinical trials, mFLUSIVA prevented more influenza cases than a standard-dose flu vaccine among adults ages 50 and older and produced a stronger immune response than a high-dose flu vaccine among adults ages 65 and older.
Experts at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Campus (PCOM South Georgia) weighed in on how the new mRNA flu vaccine works, who can receive it and what it could mean for the future of mRNA vaccine technology.
Read more about the new mRNA flu vaccine and insights from PCOM South Georgia experts.