Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine

Fall 2016 Semester in Review

The BCOM building officially opens for business at a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the

Hispano Chamber of Commerce, and the Green Chamber of Commerce.

The students arrive for orientation week, culminating with a Family Day BBQ on the patio.

The future doctors receive their white coats, officially inducting them into the medical profession. Former U.S. Surgeon General Antonia Novello, MD,

gives an inspiring keynote address at the White Coat Ceremony.

The 162 students in the class of 2020 and the 34 students in the Foundations for Biomedical Science program begin classes.

Over 500 people show up in tuxes and gowns for the Community Dedication Gala.

The Department of Simulation holds seven Basic Life Support classes ensuring all 162 students are certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) and CPR for Healthcare Professionals. BCOM is officially named a Training Site under Region II for BLS,

ACLS, and PALS.

Both the Las Cruces Bulletin and the Las Cruces Sun-News run commemorative inserts

in honor of BCOM’s inaugural year.

More than 400 people show up to tour the school and meet the BCOM family at the Community Open House.

A group of 80 high school students from NMSU’s Upward Bound program tour the school, getting a firsthand look at the high-tech teaching tools and

meeting faculty, staff, and students.

The Department of Physiology and Pathology livens up classroom time with a pirate-themed lecture.

Justin McHorse, Sam Gutierrez, and Hal Jr. (a hi-fidelity simulation mannequin) represent BCOM at the Mescalero Apache School College and Career Fair where Hal Jr. caught the eyes of many and spurred interests in the medical field as a potential

career.

Dr. Richard Selinfreund launches the Medical Explorer Post for local teenagers interested in pursuing a career in medicine. Over the course of the semester, the

students learn Basic Life Support, CPR, first aid, and wilderness survival skills.

The American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP) names the BCOM student ACOP chapter of the month for volunteering at Jardin de Los Ninos, visiting Onate High School,

and hosting a UNICEF fundraiser.

BCOM gets into the Halloween spirit with costumes, food, and a piñata-bashing stress relief event hosted by The Department of

Biomedical Sciences.

Thanks to the coordination efforts of Dr. Hugo Vilchis, BCOM hosts the AMNET-BCOM International Conference on Chronic Diseases. Approximately 200 medical researchers and

professionals from around the globe visit the campus for the four-day event during which 11 institutes representing eight countries sign a declaration to implement a multi-site chronic

disease study.

BCOMers show some school spirit for their alma maters in honor of the annual Cruces vs. Mayfield football game.

BCOM honors those who have served our country with a Veterans photo op in the lobby on Veteran’s Day.

Participants in Leadership New Mexico, a program designed to identify current and emerging leaders throughout the state, visits BCOM. Dr. Michael Morehead also gives a well-received talk to members of the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Las Cruces

group.

Dr. Samuel Kadavakollu begins accepting applications for his MCAT Prep Course to help community members in Las Cruces and El Paso strengthen their

medical school applications.

BCOM is a proud sponsor of Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare's inaugural Bras and Boots event.

The Standardized Patient Program launches with over 100 applicants from the community applying to act out symptoms in order to help BCOM students

practice their diagnosis skills.

More than 225 3rd and 4th graders visit BCOM and learn how to do chest compressions on the CPR manikins as part of the Student Affairs Department’s outreach initiatives.

In addition, medical students visited four public school classrooms to present on becoming a doctor.

The BCOM soccer team takes out an undefeated team to take first place in NMSU’s intramural league championships.

The Therapaws therapy dogs make their first visit to BCOM to provide some pre-exam stressbusting relief for the medical students. The dogs were so well-

received they return twice more in December.

The Student Government Association holds a canned food drive, raising 500 food items for local families in need. Teens from the Medical Explorer Post donate a full

Thanksgiving dinner with turkey.

Faculty and staff host an on-campus Thanksgiving dinner for students far from home.

The BCOM family gets in the giving spirit and brings some holiday cheer by hosting a number of charitable drives including the Angel Tree through which BCOM

provides gifts for 40 local children.

Dean Mychaskiw kisses a pig to raise money for the New Mexico Osteopathic Political Action Committee.

Guest speaker Dr. Rhi Main, an Army emergency medicine physician, speaks to students about emergency medicine and military medicine.

The BCOM chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) hosts Osteopathic Night Out and DO for a Day events to mentor pre-medicine students

from UTEP, NMSU, and Colorado State.

The student American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians (ACOP) club partners with Ben Archer’s Welcome Baby program to host a community baby shower with food and

games. The group collected diapers, wipes, and other new baby necessities which were donated to attendees.

The ugly sweaters are out in full force for the holidays.

The All Pueblo Council of Governors, representing the 19 American Indian Tribal Pueblos in New Mexico and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo in Texas, signs a resolution

supporting BCOM’s initiatives.

• Sin Limites, a student-organized mentoring project will launch at area elementary schools.

• The Student Affairs Department will host two high school tours and visit four public school classrooms in January alone and will participate in a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) evening at an area elementary school.

• A summer student exchange program with the University of Chihuahua is in the works.

• The Simulation Department will begin offering Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) courses open to the public.

• A renowned Native American artist is working on a custom piece for BCOM that will be revealed in early 2017.

• Memorial Medical Center and the Simulation Department have partnered to host a simulation event utilizing the high fidelity and skills manikins.

• The Simulation Department is planning an interdisciplinary training event next fall that will include a tiered response from the NMSU Police and Fire Departments, paramedics from the DACC paramedic program, the NMSU Nursing Department, and BCOM student physicians.

• Dr. Lara Scheherazade Milane’s first book as an editor, Nanomedicine for Inflammatory Disease, is in-press and will be released in 2017. Dr. Milane is also a contributing author, as is Dr. Michael Woods. This translational nanomedicine textbook bridges the gap between the laboratory bench and the clinical bedside.

 

And much more to come in 2017…