Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Chris Breedlove, LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) welcomed its seventh class of osteopathic medical students on Tuesday, July 21. New student-doctors from around the country entered Liberty’s Center for Medical and Health Sciences atop Liberty Mountain all with the same hope and goal – to be an osteopathic physician.
“At LUCOM, we will share our values: Christian and osteopathic principles, leadership, professionalism, service, integrity, teamwork, to name a few. Becoming a physician is a big deal,” said LUCOM Dean Peter A. Bell, DO, MBA, FACOEP-dist, FACEP, addressing the new class collectively for the first time. “Think about climbing the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest. You get the vision; you’ve got the goal. Like climbing the highest mountain in the world, at medical school, you have to prepare, plan, and pace yourself. You cannot charge ahead. There will be expectations and things that come up unexpectedly. Step after step. Discipline. Time. It’s a big deal to be a physician. We have resources in place; academic, mental, and spiritual. We are here to help you day-by-day, step-by-step, and we will prepare you.”
LUCOM’s Office of Admissions reviewed over 3703 applications throughout the previous academic year. Of those applicants, 433 candidates were interviewed in person earlier last fall and through virtual interviews this past spring due to COVID-19. The Class of 2024 was complete to begin a new academic year with 160 new student-doctors in the class.
By birthplace, the new class represents 34 states and 11 foreign countries. The top five states are Virginia, California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida. 131 students are entering Liberty’s DO program with a bachelor’s degree, 27 with a post-bac credit or a master’s degree, and 2 with a doctorate degree (PharmD).
“At LUCOM there are three things we look for: character (the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual, what it takes to run the medical school marathon and that you have resilience), capacity (the ability or power to experience, and understand something), and motivation (the reason, desire, and willingness to do something; keep going),” added Dr. Bell. “Medical school is a marathon; you have to pace yourself. And one important encouragement to remember in the days and years ahead – pay it forward. Help someone you don’t even know. Do good. Kind words. You never know the positive change or outcome that will come from paying it forward.”
Each year, the incoming class participates in a week-long orientation to get to know the faculty and staff of LUCOM, understand what is expected of them both academically and professionally, get accustomed to the LUCOM culture, and join in other activities designed to enhance their first official experience of LUCOM. Unfortunately, this year, due to COVID-19 and the state of Virginia still in Phase III, LUCOM’s newest class attended a modified orientation schedule different than the years before. The traditional family picnic and service day with the local youth were cancelled, and several lectures and presentations will be done virtually.
“We are excited to have the Class of 2024 starting LUCOM today, during this unusual time. This year’s orientation is a change for us, but we’re happy that our new medical students chose Liberty’s osteopathic medical college,” said Troy Burnett, associate director of student services.
This first day of orientation consisted of splitting the class in half, an “X” and “Y” group, with one half attending a few in-person morning sessions and the second half attending in-person afternoon sessions. Each group was subsequently divided in half again as LUCOM administration made use of both lecture auditoriums to adequately observe social distancing guidelines. Upon entry to LUCOM, each new student was provided with a cloth mask and a care package that included several snacks to get them through the sessions, bottled water, several LUCOM and LU promotional items, their official LUCOM white coat and class polo, as well as a lab coat for gross anatomy.
Shortly after the New Year began, LUCOM Admissions had to take a short break from the application and interviewing process to prepare for virtual interview technology. Talking about the changes and meeting with the applicants online, Barry Ousley, assistant director of admissions, said, “I believe the transition was as smooth as possible considering all the factors in play. It was a challenging application cycle, but I am proud of the Class of 2024 and look forward to working with them in the future.”
The remaining days of orientation week for the Class of 2024 will consist of virtual presentations and lectures, as well as outdoor social activities sponsored by LUCOM’s Student Government Association that adhere to CDC guidelines.
View images at Facebook.com/LibertyMedicine.