Medical students at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine will participate in a mass casualty training event in Baggs, Wyo., in June. Moulage artists will apply mock injuries simulating wounds from fire, gunshots and vehicle collisions.

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine faculty presented their research findings at an annual Faculty Research Day celebration. A keynote address highlighted Rowan-Virtua SOM's partnership with the New Jersey Health Foundation, the school's president spoke of Rowan-Virtua SOM's growing investment in research, and four faculty members received awards for their work.

The 2023 Northeast Interprofessional Leadership Conference was organized and presented by the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Phi Lambda Sigma pharmacy honor society. The day-long event on UNE COM's Portland campus helped students build communication and leadership skills while learning from health care professionals the value of working and innovating across a variety of health disciplines to improve patient care.

A mass casualty incident exercise held at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences occurred over three hours with police, firefighters, EMTs, doctors, and nurses working together to practice saving lives in a mock active shooter event. Shea Walker, a PNWU-COM student, said being a first responder helped her learn how to develop a picture of the moments before patients arrive at the hospital and how to move quickly when treating them.

A study from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine looked at the extent that helmets alleviate the effects of concussions, finding that the latest helmet advances minimizing head rotations during impact may limit concussion severity, although conventional helmets are more widely used. "Our new study may have implications for future helmet design and calls into question current assumptions regarding the best way to protect soldiers and athletes from concussions," says Milan Toma, assistant professor at NYITCOM.

A presentation from University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine students at the American Academy of Dermatology Annual meeting emphasized the need for patient education on sunless tanners to avoid diagnostic confusion and ultraviolet light exposure as the popularity of sunless tanners increases. Many users of sunless tanners assume they replace the use of sunscreen, and sunless tanners can temporarily change pigmented lesions, which may complicate the diagnosis of dermatologic conditions.

This in-person event in Baltimore, Maryland, will be a terrific opportunity for aspiring osteopathic medical students to meet representatives from a number of colleges of osteopathic medicine, ask questions about specific programs and learn more about the osteopathic medical profession. Attendees will watch an osteopathic manipulative treatment demonstration and listen to a panel discussion with admissions officers and student affairs representatives. Share this event with prospective students!

AACOM’s Society of Osteopathic Medical Educators (SOME) offers two $1,000 awards annually for innovations in osteopathic medical education. This year’s winners are Danielle Cooley, DO, from Rowan- Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine and Sumathilatha Sakthi Velavan, MBBS, DGO, MS, of Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

You’ll also read about PCOM’s preceptor recognitions, ICOM’s research day and UNTHSC-TCOM’s medical mission trip.