WCUCOM receives national awards
Dr. Italo Subbarao, far left, is shown with some of the WCUCOM members who won national awards at a medical conference in April. They are, from left, Dr. Randall Harris, second-year medical student Joseph Shevitz, LaDonna Davidson and Dr. Melissa Stephens.
William Carey University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine sent a delegation in April to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Education Conference in Washington, D.C.
“The AACOM conference allows us to network with educators from around the country to discuss challenges and solutions for producing empathetic and compassionate osteopathic physicians who will serve the underserved,” said Dr. Italo Subbarao, dean of the WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine.
“This conference is considered the premiere educational conference for osteopathic medicine. I am proud of faculty, staff and students who were recognized for academic and leadership achievements.”
More than 20 WCUCOM representatives were honored during the conference:
- Research: Dr. Randall Harris, associate dean of Preclinical Sciences, earned third place in the annual research poster competition for his project, “Using Artificial Intelligence to Map the Medical School Curriculum.” This marks WCUCOM’s first national research award and demonstrates strong growth in educational research and technology.
- Innovation: In another first for WCUCOM, Dr. Melissa Stephens, director of Graduate Medical Education and Population Health, received the 2019 Innovation Award by the Society of Osteopathic Medical Educators for “Implementation of Child Advocacy Studies Training (CAST) in Medical Education.”
- Finalist: Second-year WCU medical student Andrew Joseph Shevitz received an honorable mention in the 2019 National Student Researcher of the Year competition. Only three people are recognized each year for this prestigious award – one overall winner and two honorable mentions.
- Inductions: Sixteen third-year WCU medical students and two adjunct faculty were inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society, a national organization that recognizes students who have shown exemplary commitment to both academics and service.
- AACOM Council: LaDonna Davidson was elected secretary of the AACOM Council on Admissions for Osteopathic Medical Education. Davidson is a WCUCOM recruiter and administrative assistant.