acomadmin

About acomadmin

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far acomadmin has created 85 blog entries.

Drs. Fotopoulos and Thacker Receive Faculty Promotions

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce the faculty promotions of Thomas J. Fotopoulos, DO, to professor of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) and Richard R. Thacker, DO, MACOI, to associate professor of Internal Medicine. Both serve in the Clinical Sciences division.

Dr. Fotopoulos joined the ACOM faculty in 2021 and he serves as chair of the Department of OPP. He is board-certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine.

A second-generation osteopathic physician, Dr. Fotopoulos enjoys teaching students to better understand and utilize OMM. Dr. Fotopoulos is the recipient of the 2024 Ronald S. Owen Legacy Award.

Dr. Thacker has been a member of the ACOM faculty since 2018 and he serves as associate dean of Clinical Sciences and as a member of dean’s cabinet.

Dr. Thacker is board-certified in hospice and palliative medicine, and he is a master fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists. Dr. Thacker serves on the board of trustees for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

He is the 2024 recipient of the ACOM Student Advocate Award, which is voted on by the student body.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Fotopoulos and Dr. Thacker on these well-deserved recognitions and in celebrating their continued leadership and service to ACOM.

Drs. Fotopoulos and Thacker Receive Faculty Promotions2025-06-04T16:44:19-05:00

Mutual Agreement with Military Veteran’s Organization

DOTHAN, Ala – The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) and Special Operations Forces to School of Medicine (SOFtoSOM) are proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement offering priority status to qualified military veterans.

The three-year MOU agreement was signed and implemented at the beginning of this academic year. The agreement guarantees SOFtoSOM veterans who have been vetted academically and who have achieved a minimum MCAT score will receive an admissions interview, and it waives the admission fee. It also provides admission at no cost into the Anatomy Boot Camp, which takes place prior to the first semester of medical school.

“We are excited about this opportunity to provide these military heroes an opportunity to realize their dream of becoming physicians,” said Christina Kennedy, PhD, director of Community Partnerships. “This agreement allows us to recruit some of the military’s brightest soldiers to ACOM.”

Dr. Kennedy is confident that this MOU not only reflects the collaboration of ACOM and SOFtoSOM, but it will also provide a strong platform for future initiatives.

The SOFtoSOM expressed its honor in partnering with ACOM in the shared mission of supporting our nation’s most elite veterans as they transition from the battlefield to the bedside. This organization believes the agreement represents more than just an admissions pathway. It is a testament to ACOM’s commitment to recognizing the unique strengths, discipline, and service-driven mindset that Special Operations veterans bring to medicine. SOFtoSOM believes this collaboration will not only open doors for our candidates, but it will also enrich the ACOM community with future physicians forged through years of selfless service and leadership.

SOFtoSOM began as a grassroots initiative, uniting Special Operations Forces service members through social media to support one another on the path to medical school. What started as informal MCAT study sessions quickly evolved into a thriving community of SOF veterans and students, providing mentorship and resources from pre-med preparation to medical school success. In 2023, driven by a shared commitment to making a lasting impact, these veterans formally established SOFtoSOM, which is the first nonprofit organization dedicated to guiding Special Operators in the transition from the battlefield to health care, carrying forward the same integrity, leadership, and resilience that define their service.

For more information about the SOFtoSOM program at ACOM, visit  www.acom.edu.

Mutual Agreement with Military Veteran’s Organization2025-05-15T14:55:26-05:00

ACOM Captures 2025 Simulation National Championship

ACOM, for the sixth time since 2017, has claimed the national American Medical Student Association (AMSA) simulation competition championship.

The recent competition was at the AMSA Future Physicians for Change conference in Washington, D.C.

ACOM team, Smooth Obturators, defeated four other teams, including Yale School of Medicine and Baylor University College of Medicine. A second team from ACOM also made it to the semifinals.

The winning team was comprised of Carly Stuppiello, Autumn Stevens, Hart Williams, Sydney Sheppard and Sabrina Belizaire.

“I’m incredibly proud of this team and the way they competed,” said Jim Nolin, PhD, FNP-C, CHSE, Director of Clinical Simulation. “Earning this championship is a testament to our students and the strength of ACOM’s simulation program and the tradition of excellence we’ve cultivated. Our simulation lab bridges the gap between theory and practice, giving students hands-on experience that reinforces what they learn in the classroom.”

“We are proud of the continued success our simulation teams have experienced on the national level,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “Our simulation program represents the strong foundation of medical education all of our students receive.”

Along with Dr. Nolin, the simulations faculty includes Greg Jacobs, DO, FACEP, FAAEM, interim medical director of Clinical Simulation, Nancy Brown, MEd, BSN, simulation curriculum coordinator and Justin Bonds, simulation technology specialist.

The Sim Fellows include Sandra Fanous, Hannah Mixon, Dana Parker, and Mikaylah Rutledge.

ACOM Captures 2025 Simulation National Championship2025-05-13T11:25:18-05:00

Vogel Named Student Researcher of the Year

Andrew Vogel (OMS IV) has been selected by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) as the 2025 National Student Researcher of the Year.

Andrew was chosen from a field of 49 highly qualified applicants representing 60 colleges of Osteopathic Medicine from across the country. The National Selection Committee noted a particularly high caliber of applicants for thie year’s award. This marks the second year in a row that an ACOM student has been chosen as recipient of the award.

Created in 2015, the Student Researcher of the Year award is intended to recognize osteopathic medical students with highly competitive experiences and advancement in clinical, translational, or basic science research. The recipient is selected based on their contributions to osteopathic research as it aligns with the mission of the Osteopathic profession and its governing bodies.

Recognition for this award will be included in the programming for the upcoming 2025 AACOM Educating Leaders Conference.

Vogel Named Student Researcher of the Year2025-04-10T09:26:58-05:00

Match Day 2025

Match Day was celebrated Friday by the ACOM academic community. Students found out at precisely at 11 a.m. (Central Time) where they will continue their training after graduation.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce a 99.44 percent overall residency placement for the class of 2025.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of the ACOM Class of 2025 as they begin the next chapter in their medical training,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “This class continues the high standard of residency matches set by previous classes.”

Fourth-year medical students at ACOM participated in the residency placement process through either the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) or the U.S. Military Match. The NRMP is a computerized matching system that aligns medical students with residency programs based on mutual rankings. The U.S. Military Match is a separate process for students who commit to serving in the military, placing them in residency programs at military medical facilities. Of the students who matched, 93 percent secured residency placements through the NRMP, while 7 percent matched through the U.S. Military Match, which was announced in December.

More than 50 percent of ACOM students matched into Primary Care programs, which includes Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics. Internal Medicine was matched the most by ACOM students followed by Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine.

2025 ACOM graduates will train in residency programs in 29 states. The top five states for ACOM students are: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Texas.

Match Day 20252025-04-10T09:27:28-05:00

Lyons Named NBOME Division Chair

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce that James Lyons, MD, has been named the Division Chair of Pathology by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME).

Dr. Lyons, Associate Dean of Medical Education and Professor of Pathology and Family Medicine at ACOM, was named National Faculty Chair earlier this year. He has served on the NBOME faculty since 2016, which is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides competency assessments for osteopathic medical licensure and related healthcare professions.

Dr. Lyons, who joined the ACOM faculty more than 12 years ago, currently serves on the college’s executive leadership team as a member of the dean’s cabinet. He is board-certified in family medicine, anatomic and clinical pathology, and dermatopathology.

Dr. Lyons, a U.S. Air Force veteran, received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lyons on receiving this prestigious honor.

Lyons Named NBOME Division Chair2025-03-19T11:29:34-05:00

Alabama Medical Education Consortium (AMEC) Update

The state-funded Alabama Medical Education Consortium (AMEC), incorporated in 2004 as a 501C3, with a mission to increase the number of physicians in rural and underserved areas of Alabama. The AMEC Pipeline successfully brought third- and fourth-year medical students to Alabama for their last two years of medical school. Core sites were developed throughout the state for clinical training to provide community-based education. The core teaching sites were later committed to the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) for placement of its third- and fourth-year medical students for clinical clerkships.

A second mission was undertaken in 2017 to assist hospitals with startup State funding and consultation to develop new residency programs. Recognizing that many physicians tend to practice near where they train, AMEC began conversations with Alabama hospitals about developing residency programs.  AMEC and ACOM have successfully worked to develop and enrich the growing number of teaching hospitals in Alabama. In 2025, 10 Alabama hospitals had established Graduate Medical Education programs affiliated with the ACOM. The specialties of these 18 accredited programs include Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, a Transitional Year, Psychiatry, Sports Medicine, and Geriatric Medicine.

We are pleased to share the data below about the programs and the resident/physician population generated by AMEC/ACOM efforts

Medical student graduates from AMEC’s Pipeline

 327
124 licensed in Alabama as of 2024

Residents in AMEC-affiliated programs

21 in 2018-19
367 in 2024-25

Number of PGY-1 positions

21 in 2018
175 projected in July 2025

Residency program graduates since 2018

241 projected in June 2025
70 licensed in Alabama

Alabama Medical Education Consortium (AMEC) Update2025-04-10T09:28:06-05:00

2025 Wiregrass Disctrict Science Fair Winners

Fifth Grade and Below

Material Sciences and Energy

3rd Place – Selma Street – Ryleigh Henderson

2nd Place – Selma Street – Londyn Johnson

1st Place – Selma Street – Zoey Mulberry

Engineering Technology

3rd Place – Carver MST – Malain Hunt, Charlie Casper, Chloe Kirkland

2nd Place –  Carver MST – Gracie Cook, Jayce Hatcher, Tristan Roberson

1st Place – Girard Elementary – Jamiyah Howard, Brooklyn Davis

Chemistry
3rd Place – Mulkey Elementary – Klaire Ward and Taylor Locke

2nd Place – Carver MST – Brett Renaud and Charles Burgamy

1st Place – Slocomb Elementary – Makayla Brown and Tyler Hudson

Earth & Environmental Sciences
3rd Place – Selma Street – Abigail Erba

2nd Place – Jerry Lee Faine Elementary – Starlisha Clayton, Karson Griffin, Jamari Casey

1st Place – Carver MST – Cruz Robertson, Khali Rogers, Avery Bigham

Animal, Plant, Computational & Bioinformatics Sciences
3rd Place – Mulkey Elementary – Lily Eaves

2nd Place – Highlands Elementary – Arya Morse, Sara Kate Tompkins

1st Place – Mulkey Elementary – Dean Smith

Medicine, Health & Translational Medical Sciences
3rd Place –  Jerry Lee Faine Elementary – Lathan Jackson

2nd Place – Mulkey Elementary – Elijah Knowles and Grayson Shehee

1st Place – Selma Street – La’Kendra Pride and Jurnee Baker

 Behavioral & Social Sciences
2nd Place – Jerry Lee Faine Elementary – Ericka Williams and SaNiyah Warren

1st Place – Mulkey Elementary – Adalyn Rogers and Millie Seay

Cell, Molecular, Microbiology & Biochemistry
3rd Place – Houston Academy – Quinn Nelson

2nd Place – Heard Elementary – Talia Johnson

1st Place – Highlands Elementary – London Sampson

Sixth Grade and Above

Chemistry
3rd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Gabrielle Saffold

2nd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Kamilla Watford and Reagan Bass

1st Place – Dothan High School – Alexis Saffold

Physics, Astronomy & Mathematics
1st Place – Carver MST – Ady Green and Addison Harden

Engineering Technology
2nd Place – Carver MST – Anne Mustin

1st Place – Houston Academy – Samantha Podloski

Material Sciences & Energy
2nd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Karen Miller and Sophie Carthon

1st Place – Carver MST – Kamryn Peterman and Jaiden Ware

Medicine, Health & Translational Medical Sciences
2nd Place – Carver MST – Lily Hurley

1st Place – Houston Academy – Hayley Phillips

Earth & Environmental Sciences & Environmental Engineering
3rd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Brody Peters and Bryson Churchill

2nd Place – Carver MST – Remington Siemens and Forrest Bell

1st Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Taylor Barron and Amelia Bradford

Animal, Plant, Computational & Bioinformatics Sciences
3rd Place – Houston Academy – Travis Payne

2nd Place – Carver MST – Lorelei Vasquez, Alivia Medelz, and Ivey Mathis

1st Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Keirsten Saulsberry and Jalonni McMillon

Robotics Systems & Communication Technology
3rd Place – Dothan 6th Grade Center – Adriel Amoroto, Josiah Reeves, and Trevor Parker

2nd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Parker Leggett

1st Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Karson Cullen and Lachlan Owens

Behavioral & Social Sciences
3rd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Calleigh Mitchell and Vada Stevens

2nd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Phi Tran

1st Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Ashlea Abraham, Grace Palmer, and Esther Orozco

Cell, Molecular, Microbiology & Biochemistry
3rd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Brooke Baker and Blakely Sheppard

2nd Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Allyson Chavez and Taylor Fryer

1st Place – Dothan Preparatory Academy – Lennon Strickland and Jenna Mitchell

Photo Gallery

2025 Wiregrass Disctrict Science Fair Winners2025-02-14T17:02:35-06:00

ACOM Announces Simulation Center Promotions

The division of Clinical Sciences is pleased to announce that James Nolin, PhD, FNP-C, and Gregory T. Jacobs, DO, DTM&H, FACEP, FAAEM, have been appointed to new administrative roles in Clinical Simulation.

Jim Nolin Headshot 2024 - 400x300

Dr. Nolin has been named director of Clinical Simulation. He recently earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Nursing Education from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He will continue his role as instructor of Primary Clinical Skills while bringing his expertise as a board-certified family nurse practitioner and 26 years of military service to this leadership position.

Dr. Jacobs has been appointed interim medical director of Clinical Simulation. A board-certified emergency physician with 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Jacobs also serves as assistant professor of Emergency Medicine at ACOM. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Nolin and Dr. Jacobs as we support them in their new roles.

ACOM Announces Simulation Center Promotions2025-02-11T12:28:14-06:00

ACOM Students Take Second Prize in SMArt Bowl

In October 2024, at the Southern Medical Association’s (SMA) Annual Scientific Assembly in Atlanta, GA., four ACOM students were awarded second place in their SMArt Bowl competition.

This Jeopardy-style academic competition consisted of teams of four medical students and/or residents from various programs. The SMA website describes the SMArt Bowl as “a fun-filled and adrenaline-fueled in-person competition to compete and test you and your team’s medical knowledge”.

The team of ACOM students consisted of Alison Hollenbaugh, Stephanie Gonzalez, Julee Reitzel, and Ross Thompson. They secured second place over teams made up of students from PCOM-GA and a group of residents, before narrowly losing in “Final Jeopardy”, to a talented group of international medicine residents. Notably, the ACOM team actually had the highest point total going into Final Jeopardy.

The students are proud of their performance and hope to compete again in the 2025 competition, later this year.

ACOM Students Take Second Prize in SMArt Bowl2025-01-24T16:26:21-06:00
Go to Top