Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Chris Breedlove | LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) announces its graduated Class of 2020 – 141 new Doctor’s of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) into the medical profession. What would have been marked as a special day for families and friends to visit Liberty University’s campus and celebrate LUCOM’s third class of graduates, was indeed different than the previous two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To honor its graduates, several faculty revisited LUCOM to record a unique Recognition of Graduates video that was posted on Saturday, May 9, the original selected date for the canceled annual Hooding Ceremony.
“To hood an osteopathic graduate is an important symbolic event both for the ‘hooded’ and the physician that hoods the graduate. Unfortunately, during this unprecedented time and national crisis, we were forced to think outside the box,” said Peter A. Bell, DO, MBA, FACOEP-dist, FACEP, dean and professor of family and emergency medicine. “Our third class of osteopathic physicians deserved to be recognized for their hard work and major accomplishment. I am thankful for the technology available to us to honor the Class of 2020 creatively and effectively.”
The Recognition of Graduates video featured Dr. Bell delivering an official address to the class with faculty offering prayers and reading the names of each graduate, as well as, Michael D. Lockwood, DO, FCA, leading the Osteopathic Oath.
“I was very impressed by the video content LUCOM delivered to ensure our class could celebrate virtually, and so were my family and friends! I was able to watch the Recognition of Graduates video with twenty of my family and friends over Zoom. They cheered and shouted when they called my name and we even got to rewind and do it a second time,” said Monica Gaines, DO, Class of 2020. “I stood and took the Osteopathic Oath and was so happy that my loved ones were able to take in the momentous occasion with me. Graduating in 2020 may have looked different than I was expecting, but LUCOM put in a lot of hard work and effort to make sure that each graduate still felt special and recognized and for that I am forever grateful!”
LUCOM’s Class of 2020, like all other DO graduates across the country this year, overcame many challenges throughout the academic year with one in particular, the single accreditation system for the Match. “Our Class of 2020 exceeded the national match rate for residencies with an incredible 99 percent match, the highest so far in LUCOM’s history, and two-thirds are entering Primary Care,” said Dr. Bell. “Though we couldn’t celebrate corporately, all of us at LUCOM look forward to seeing all that God plans to do in each of their lives as they faithfully serve His Kingdom and pursue His plans.”
In keeping with tradition, though slightly different this year due to social distancing regulations, LUCOM continued with its annual awards ceremony with an Academic Awards and Recognitions video, as well as, recorded a final convocation address featuring David Klink, DO; posted on Wednesday, May 6.
Dr. Klink, LUCOM’s global medicine concentration faculty program director, also presented a special pre-recorded military appreciation message to the LUCOM military graduates on Thursday, May 7.
A collection of congratulatory remarks from LUCOM faculty and staff video was posted following the Recognition of Graduates on Saturday, May 9.
One of LUCOM’s graduate, Ashley Schlapper-Sevcik, DO, will soon be on her way to Des Moines, Iowa, to pursue her residency in Pediatrics. She had this to say about closing her time at LUCOM. “Joining the LUCOM family was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Although it’s a relatively new school, each and every member has a servant’s heart and want to listen to what you have to say. You get to be part of something new and everybody takes your suggestions seriously. They always want to listen and see you succeed! I just want to say thank you to my LUCOM family for getting me where I am today. I couldn’t have done it without you, and I am so appreciative of everything you’ve done!”
Liberty University will host commencement activities in the fall due to the pandemic. The LUCOM Class of 2020 is invited back to Liberty’s campus on Sept. 11-12 to participate.
For Lauren Bojarski, DO, Class of 2020, she looks forward to the next step in her medical journey by traveling to the University of Kentucky for a residency in Neurology. “I really look forward to getting to use my medical school knowledge as well as what I learned on my rotations throughout the country in practice. I also look forward to being an alumni of the school, and I can’t wait to help the school out in any way I can in the future,” she said. “My LUCOM family will always be near and dear to my heart, more than I ever thought possible, and I look forward to bragging about my friends and colleagues by boasting, ‘I knew them when…’”
Congratulations LUCOM Class of 2020 – welcome to the osteopathic profession.