Friday, August 16, 2019
Fri, 16 Aug 2019 | Asa Keimig | LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) hosted a donor memorial ceremony on Friday, Aug. 16, as student-doctors from the Class of 2022 remembered and honored their first patients, and the lessons learned from anatomical sciences during their first year of medical school.
Elizabeth Ko, president for the LUCOM-Class Government Association 2022, welcomed invited guests in attendance for the memorial service. “We would like to express our deepest gratitude and recognize the family and friends of each of our beloved donors,” she said. “Your loved one’s extraordinary gift represents a confidence in the power of medicine to heal and enables medical students to reach their potential to learn and be the promoters of health.”
She also encouraged LUCOM’s newest class, the Class of 2023, as they begin their journey in Anatomical Sciences. “For many, meeting the bodies will be a gateway into exploring death and mortality while navigating the meaning of your pursuit of medicine. While you develop a sense of regard for the impact disease can have beneath the skin’s surface, may you remain humble in the way you approach your first patients and learn from the greatest teachers.”
Amanda E. Troy, PhD, assistant professor of anatomical sciences, expressed how humbling her position is at LUCOM. “It is an honor and privilege to be in a position of teaching future physicians. Sharing my awe of the intricately created human body is a great responsibility and a true joy. The sacrifice, the gift these men and women gave goes far beyond the anatomy lab and medical school. Our donors’ impact is everlasting because they are a part of each student.”
The Donor Memorial Service is a time to remember, honor and to show gratitude for the donors, while also thanking the friends and families for sharing someone special with the COM. “This ceremony is unique in that it is goes beyond being a service of celebration—it is also a service of admiration and a service of appreciation, in memoriam of those who have given so much of themselves, and in their giving, they have taught us so much about the wonders and the mysteries the human body—and they did it without using a single word,” said Jason E. Well, PhD, assistant dean of academics.
Each year, LUCOM second-year students host the memorial service as an opportunity to express sincere gratitude and appreciation for the donors and their families, but to also celebrate life. “I saw eyes that gave their world color, shape and beauty. In their eyes, I saw a brilliant creator – one who designed elaborate and exquisite pathways that allowed them to nostalgically and lovingly reflect on first steps, first words, and first laughs,” said Kaydie Murphy, Class of 2022. “In the end, we are all glorious stories. And for the precious chosen few, such as the admirable, courageous loved ones, their stories will last forever and flow through the world as the student doctors they helped to educate move into the world as compassionate physicians. We will not forget the vast knowledge that they shared with us. Your loved ones, our very first patients. We cannot thank you enough for your sacrifice.”
LUCOM’s Class of 2022, over the past year, had the privilege to learn about the human body in the most incredible and intimate manner. “The knowledge we gained from this experience will be applied when we care for patients in the future,” said Lindsey Garner, Class of 2022. “One selfless gift is impacting many lives through a beautiful ripple effect.” Gardner spent her time in the LUCOM Anatomy Lab learning, but also contemplating how many lives each donor had impacted during their lifetime and beyond. “It was incredible to think about and humbling to be in the presence of such giving individuals. Unlike many people on this earth, these loved ones continued to impact lives even after they were gone,” she added.
For Raymond Vickery, vice president of LUCOM-Student Government Association (SGA), his anatomical education taught him about the importance and uniqueness of the human body. “One thing I learned from the study of the body, and especially the brain, is that there are experiences that are unique to human beings, to each individual. A machine can detect the wavelength of light and tell you what color it is, but no machine can tell you what they feel when they see red. That’s the beauty of the human body. God has given us this incredible house and tool for our souls to experience the things he has made.”