DMU has a new student organization that’s also a feather in the University’s cap: The Genetics Student Interest Group of Des Moines University recently made DMU one of only seven medical schools in the U.S., and the first and only osteopathic medical school, to earn affiliation with the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG).

Alisdair “Rod” Philp, Ph.D., a DMU assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, was inspired to help students create the group because of student anxiety over genetics questions on medical licensing examinations. He is an elected affiliated scientist of the ACMG, which enabled the student interest group’s affiliation. Philp says the rapid advancement in genetic knowledge and research, along with DMU students’ interest in both, affirmed the idea for such an organization.

Posted in Biomedical Science, Current Students, DMU News, Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Prospective Students, Research, Student Life, Student Organizations | Leave a Comment

DMU has the perfect way for pre-med students to get a head start…

The DMU Health Professions Advanced Summer Scholars Program (Health P.A.S.S.) gives them a taste of what it’s like to be a student in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physician assistant or physical therapy.

The FREE three-week program takes place at the end of July and is open to college sophomores and juniors who want to get a taste of what med school will be like and pad their resumes with a little hands-on experience. Enrollment is limited to 10 students and applicants must have a minimum cumulative college grade point average of 3.0.

Posted in DMU Events, New Students, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Prospective Students, Student Life | Leave a Comment

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American Medical News recently explored the increasing shortage of physicians in rural areas and the efforts of medical schools to address it. A July report by UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform and Modernization noted that five million American residents live in counties with fewer than 33 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents, and about 27 percent of rural primary care physicians are older than 55. According to the National Rural Health Association,only about 10 percent of physicians practice in rural America despite the fact that nearly one-fourth of the population lives in these areas.

Posted in Health News, Osteopathic Medicine | 1 Comment

Today marks A.T. Still’s 182nd birthday. He is known as the father of osteopathic medicine. Osteopathy is a whole body approach to health that recognizes the integral role in wellbeing played by the musculoskeletal system. We are very proud to be the second oldest osteopathic medical schools in the United States. Learn more about what osteopathic medicine is.

Having the D.O. program at DMU also impacts all our other programs in approach, overlap and understanding and that gives our grads an edge. Wouldn’t you want to know your health care practitioner understood other disciplines and had a whole body outlook on your health?

Posted in Anatomy, Biomedical Science, Current Students, DMU Alumni, Health Care Administration, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Public Health | Leave a Comment

Back in the 1990s, when medical educators and residency program directors expressed the need to recognize internship and residency applicants with both outstanding clinical and interpersonal skills, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation listened. That led to the creation of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), which honors select medical students, residents, role-model physician teachers and others for “demonstrated excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion and dedication to service” – in a word, humanism.

Des Moines University has an entire department devoted to teaching students how to care for patients with compassion, ethics and leadership. And in 2007, the University became one of 72 of the nation’s more than 160 medical schools to have a GHHS chapter.

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