Monday, July 29, 2019
Mon, 29 Jul 2019 | Asa Keimig | LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) welcomed its sixth class of osteopathic medical students to the Center for Medical and Health Sciences on the campus of Liberty University on Tuesday, July 23.
Orientation Week is the first week of a four-year-long process to become an Osteopathic physician, and despite the dreary, rainy weather outside, inside the Center for Medical and Health Sciences, the environment was warm, friendly and filled with smiles.
Gary L. Patton, PhD, LPC, NCC, assistant dean of admissions and student services, greeted the newest class, one-by-one with a warm smile and hearty “welcome home.” As the student body entered the building for the first time, they transitioned from complete strangers to family members. “For these students, this will be where they call home for the next two years as they spend countless hours investing not only in themselves but their education, with the end goal to impact the lives of future patients,” he said. “LUCOM is a place of learning and preparation for a career in medicine, but as part of the LUCOM family, our students are mentored, cared for, and prayed over.”
Under Dr. Patton’s direction, LUCOM’s Office of Admissions reviewed over 3,800 applications throughout the previous academic year. Of those applicants, 475 candidates were interviewed at LUCOM and 153 were offered official seats.
“Osteopathic medicine appealed to me for a variety of reasons,” said James McCormick, Class of 2023. “One important part was to learn medicine from a holistic perspective. We will be treating dynamic human beings, not just a set of symptoms or quantified diseases processes and I wanted my medical education to reflect the whole patient perspective of mind, body and spirit.”
McCormick believes that a physician holds a unique role in the lives of one’s patients and community, and he is excited about the opportunity to have a positive impact in people’s lives through the avenue of medicine. “Physicians are looked upon to maintain the utmost integrity and honesty and I hope to be a beacon of that in my own practice. I want to have the capacity to be there for people especially when they are afraid and unsure what to do, to be highly capable and able to provide them the information and interventions that they need to restore their health,” he said.
Currently, 10% of all practicing physicians in the United States are DOs, while 25% of medical students are enrolled in a DO program.
“I chose LUCOM because of its Christ-centered approach to practicing and teaching osteopathic medicine as well as the community that exists among students, faculty and staff,” said Shannon Cherian, Class of 2023. “I believe that the osteopathic philosophy of caring for your patients by considering their mind, body, and spirit is an important way to effectively practice medicine and I am interested in osteopathic medicine because I fully believe that an individual’s physical, mental and spiritual state greatly impacts their health.”
This past May, Cherian’s brother, sister-in-law and older sister graduated from LUCOM as Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine. She hopes to follow in their footsteps and positively impact future patients by providing them with the medical care they need and being someone in their lives whom they can trust and see Christ through. “As a Christian it is so important to not only speak of who God is but to show it through our actions and character, so I hope to be able to impact future patients by representing the love, peace, and hope that comes through Christ,” she said.
The new class heard from the dean during the opening remarks in which he reminded them of their journey so far and to where they are today. “During the interview process, I spoke to many of you about your character, capacity, and motivation,” said Peter A. Bell, DO, MBA, FACOEP-dist, FACEP, dean of LUCOM. “All too often, we focus on the task at hand, but as you progress through the next four years at LUCOM, you have to take it one day at a time, this is a marathon.” Dr. Bell reminded the new class of the importance of one’s character which are the mental and moral qualities that distinctively make up an individual in what they say and do. He touched on their capacity to go above and beyond. He then reminded and encouraged the class of their motivation for pursuing a career in medicine. “What gets you up in the morning and motivates you throughout the day? If you are passionate and really care about becoming a physician, those things speak for themselves…so begin with the end in mind,” he said.
The new class also heard from Liberty University’s Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Scott Hicks, PhD, MBA. “Dr. Bell talked about climbing a mountain and what you will go through to get to the top,” he said. “It’s going to be a difficult journey, but you are surrounded by amazing people who have been on that same journey and they know exactly what it looks like and what it feels like.” Dr. Hicks then had the students stand and applaud the faculty for the investment that they will make into the Class of 2023 over the next four years. “They are going to push you and drive you to be the very best that you can be,” he said. Dr. Hicks also reminded them to be efficient with their time, energy, and effort in the time that God has given them.
The new class spent the first two days in lecture sessions, meeting with faculty and becoming acquainted with various organizations within LUCOM.
During the third day of Orientation Week, the class participated in Service Day, in which the students split into groups and served the youth of the community through various games and activities. “Service Day is what we are here for: serving our fellow man,” said Troy Burnett, associate director of student services. “Although our students are not able to administer medical help at this time, they can help a child have an enjoyable day during the summer. In addition, we give the children school supplies, because we want our impact to go beyond our time of fun and into the classroom. This is one of many ways that we want to give back to our neighbors in the city of Lynchburg.”
The Jubilee Family Development Center and the Prayer of Faith Temple-Zion City were the two local organizations that partnered with LUCOM on Thursday, July 25, for Service Day.
According to Antonio Davis, Sr., program director at the Jubilee Family Development Center, the kids in the program had fun and enjoyed the games. “Being a grassroots local nonprofit, we greatly appreciate our connection with LU, especially with LUCOM. I think it’s a win/win situation where the future doctors enjoy the day as much as the children. They see first-hand that they can make a lasting impact on a child’s life.”
Davis also went on to say, “I hope they [the children] will see that there are many opportunities for many kinds of individuals, women, men, and people of color. I can’t say thank you enough for helping us make a difference in a child’s life.”
Orientation Week concluded with a family picnic on Friday afternoon where the new medical students, family members, and friends had the opportunity to mingle amongst LUCOM faculty and staff, before exploring the campus of Liberty University prior to classes starting at LUCOM.
The top states represented are Virginia, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The most represented schools are Liberty University, Brigham Young University, Drexel University, Georgetown University, Rutgers, Texas A&M, and University of Virginia.
View images from Orientation week at Facebook.com/LibertyMedicine.