Students Share Aspirations After Receiving the Arnstein Scholarship Award, Volunteer with Special Olympics and More

Jenna Dittmar, PhD, VCOM-Louisiana Faculty, Contributes to Team Confirming Yersinia Pestis in Scotland’s Final Plague Outbreak

Thanks to extensive research by an interdisciplinary team, which included Jenna Dittmar, PhD, assistant professor for anatomical science at The Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Louisiana), we now have a clearer understanding of how the final plague outbreak in Scotland shaped the lives of Scottish people. The research, recently published in PLOS One, represents a significant milestone.

The interdisciplinary study, titled "The final plague outbreak in Scotland 1644-1649: Historical, archaeological, and genetic evidence," is the first to confirm the presence of the bacterial agent Yersinia pestis in Scotland using ancient DNA techniques. This discovery sheds new light on how the plague impacted the Scottish population and the factors that led to the spread of the epidemic during one of the most tumultuous periods in its history. Read more about Dr. Dittmar’s journey to researching Scotland’s plague, the research techniques and what lessons it will teach us.

How OMM Solved a Year-Long Mystery in 15 Minutes

Photo (left to right): Dr. Sajid Surve and Cristin Crawley.

The pain was excruciating, but Cristin Crawley didn’t know why. At the end of the day, she would end up in tears from the pain that had overtaken her for nearly a year, with no solutions in sight. “The pain was insufferable,” Crawley said. “It was hurting so much to talk, with every word I said my ears were clicking, the pressure was building and I didn’t know why.”

Cristin, a 2022 graduate from The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (UNTHSC)’s College of Health Professions Masters in Lifestyle Health Sciences program, had a unique situation. Every time she spoke, a persistent clicking noise was made in her ears, not randomly, not occasionally, but every single word throughout an entire day. The built-up pressure this caused in her ears and face was overwhelming, but through two chance encounters with Sajid Surve, DO, osteopathic medicine came to the rescue. Read more about how Dr. Surve’s osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) detective work solved Cristin’s pain.

First-Generation COM Students, Scholarship Winners Aim to Give Back

Carleen Perez and Samuel Alvarado share a remarkable journey. As first-generation college graduates from Mexican heritage, they are now second-year medical students at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM), driven by a shared passion for giving back and improving lives in their communities. Their dedication and commitment were recently recognized as they were both named Sherry R. Arnstein Underrepresented Minority Scholarship recipients by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Samuel and Carleen are two of only seven Sherry R. Arnstein scholarship winners nationwide this year. “Receiving this scholarship alongside my close friend Sam is truly an honor, and I am incredibly proud to share this moment with someone who has been such an important part of my journey,” said Carleen, who has served with Samuel as an OSU-COM student ambassador and as members of the Latino Medical Student Association. Read more about both students’ passions to become osteopathic physicians and their desire to give back to underserved communities.

ICOM Students Volunteer with Special Olympics of Idaho

Photo: Jesse Greve, OMS II, pictured center, serves as a referee during the tournament.

A group of second-year students in the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM)'s Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Club recently volunteered with the Special Olympics of Idaho. The aspiring physicians supported athletes participating in the organization's Southwest Regional Floor Hockey Tournament in Caldwell, Idaho. More photos available on ICOM's Facebook and Instagram profiles. 

VCOM-Carolinas Names Student Researcher of the Year

Levi Diggins has been named Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas) Student Researcher of the Year. Levi, a member of the Class of 2025, exemplifies a dedication to osteopathic research, leadership in osteopathic research, embodiment of osteopathic philosophy and professional development. He has shown true dedication and passion for scientific research and its application to medical science. Levi has conducted research in a multitude of areas since starting at VCOM-Carolinas, demonstrating growth and leadership in the pursuit of knowledge that has allowed his own personal development in the research field. View this story and more on VCOM-Carolinas’ Facebook.

DO Students Represent DMUCOM at AMA I-24 Conference

Photo (left to right): DMUCOM students Nick Maxfield, DO ’28; Kaitlyn Hanson, DO ’26; Jessica Duffy, DO ’27; Jordan Samuel, DO ’27; Mallory Britz, DO ’27; Adrienne Nguyen, DO ’26; Radhika Misra, DO ’28; and Parik Suda, DO ’28.

Nine osteopathic medical students from the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMUCOM) represented the university at the American Medical Association (AMA) Interim Meeting of the House of Delegates 2024 in Orlando, Florida, in November 2024. The AMA represents physicians with a unified voice in courts and legislative bodies across the nation, advocating for patient care and training the health care leaders of tomorrow. 

DMU representatives actively contributed to the conference by authoring, reviewing and presenting policies, testifying in front of the Medical Student Section, several HOD Reference Committees and the AMA House of Delegates. They also participated in leadership elections and networking opportunities with other students, physicians and health policy leaders from Iowa and nationwide.  Read more about the students and their leadership at DMUCOM.