Robert A. Cain, DO, president and CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, said the organization's member schools and residencies are focused on enhancing the primary care physician workforce in rural areas of the US, with largely rural states such as Alabama often experiencing shortages of thousands of physicians. Dr. Cain said the organization believes in drawing osteopathic students from local regions, training them in those areas, and encouraging them to stay and practice there as a way of filling the gaps.

The first class of students at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Great Falls, Montana, starts with 125 students who will begin classes at the end of July. TouroCOM-Montana plans to give back to the community as students serve as local volunteers while studying and add to the number of physicians in Montana after graduation.

Students from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University worked as counselors for Project H.E.A.R.T., a camp to introduce high school students to careers in medicine. Standing for Health Education, Advocacy, Reflection and Training, the project gives students in Southwest Arkansas insight into health care, the lives of medical students and how to apply to medical school.

Krzysztof Zembrzuski, a third-year medical student at the Rowan Virtua College of Osteopathic Medicine, joined in continuing chest compressions then used a defibrillator to help save a woman who collapsed due to mitral annular disjunction. "For me, it was everything to re-instill my motivation to keep going, to maybe even help me decide a career choice that would involve being in situations that are critical," Zembrzuski said.

James Nemitz, Ph.D., president of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, received a Presidential Challenge Coin for his work in substance use disorder education. Helping future physicians understand and treat addiction will save lives, said Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

A study by the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine found that more than 37% of patients receiving office-based treatment for OUD experience suicidal thoughts, and 27% report a history of suicide attempts, which is "notably higher" than the general population. The results indicate a need for regular screening and emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary addiction treatment, the researchers said.

With the end of the payment pause on federal student loans approaching, the Education Department says borrowers could fall behind, and those who graduated during the pandemic could be especially vulnerable. Around 7 million borrowers are younger than 25, and they have average balances under $14,000, Education Department statistics show.

Discover the eight projects and their investigators that received a spot in AACOM's 2023 Research Grant awards. This program supports research in osteopathic medical education by providing topic-specific medical education and institutional study grants to qualified applicants from colleges of osteopathic medicine.

The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine will be taking over AACOM's Instagram from 1-5 p.m. ET this Saturday, June 17. Tune in for another takeover on Wednesday, June 21, as a first-year student from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Virginia Campus answers your questions.

AACOM is celebrating our 125th anniversary on June 28, 2023! All we want is for you to share your osteopathic medicine story with us in under 125 seconds -- who inspired you, why the profession resonates with you or a favorite memory from your journey. Join in on the milestone, and to kick it off, listen to Dr. Julie Sees' anniversary wishes!

You'll also read about UNTHSC-TCOM's new director of Rural Medical Education, PCOM South Georgia's inaugural class and VCOM-Louisiana's suture clinic. Read more.