DOTHAN, Ala. – The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is pleased to announce it has been awarded the highest accreditation status, Accreditation with Exceptional Outcome, by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).

The 10-year re-accreditation for ACOM is the longest accreditation cycle COCA grants. COCA is the accrediting agency for colleges of osteopathic medicine, reporting to the U.S. Department of Education.

To earn re-accreditation, ACOM successfully underwent a rigorous evaluation to determine its compliance with COCA’s 12 accreditation standards and 80 elements, related to the school’s mission, resources, and curriculum.

“I want to thank our faculty and staff for their hard work and their contributions to ACOM’s strategic planning and accreditation process, especially for their focus on the well-being and success of our students,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, dean of ACOM. “This accreditation status is a direct reflection of the critically important work being done at ACOM on a day-to-day basis.”

Dr. Jones said the medical school received the accreditation decision this week following COCA’s meeting on April 11-12. During that meeting, the Commission reviewed the comprehensive report ACOM submitted in September 2023, as well as the report of ACOM’s seven-year comprehensive site visit that was conducted in December 2023. ACOM previously received a seven-year accreditation.

“Our next comprehensive site visit will be held in the academic year 2033-2034,” said Carmen Lewis, PhD, MBA, vice president of Institutional Effectiveness at ACOM, who leads the accreditation readiness processes “We will continue our efforts to ensure high academic standards and continuous quality improvement through our strategic planning process and supplemental reports to COCA.”

Alexandra Sappington, fourth-year ACOM student (OMS IV), recently received the National Outstanding Medical Student Award from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA).

Alexandra is one of this year’s nine recipients of the award, representing medical schools from across the country. She was chosen for dedication to her training, commitment to compassionate patient care, professionalism, and community service.

This annual award honors exceptional fourth-year medical student ACEP/EMRA members who demonstrate humanism/professionalism, leadership to medical organizations, community service, research, and academic excellence. Nominations for the award are open to students in good standing at any US or international allopathic or osteopathic medical school. A maximum of 10 students may receive the annual award, although only one student can be nominated per school.

Recognition for this accomplishment was included in EMRA’s Spring Medical Student Forum.

Recently, three second-year ACOM students, Cassie Abrams, Miranda Byarly, and Maggie Russell were invited to speak at TROY University.

The ACOM students provided a panel discussion to an audience that included members of two biology senior seminar classes, as well as members of the pre-med honor society, AED.

Senior seminar is a course that prepares biology majors to transition from undergraduate school to their next step. As part of this course several panel discussions are held, including this one for students who plan to attend medical school.

Each of the ACOM students shared information on their personal journey which led them to medical school, offered advice on courses to take, whether or not to do a postbaccalaureate program, preparation for MCAT, and various other helpful topics.

They also spoke to the TROY students about preparing a personal statement, developing interview skills, and choosing a medical school that is the best fit for you. They concluded the discussion with some of the best and worst advice they had received before fielding questions from the audience.

Southeast Health and the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) are pleased to announce that Lauren Clemmons, DO, FACOFP, is now associate professor of Family Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP).

Prior to her promotion, Dr. Clemmons served as assistant professor of Family Medicine and OPP. Dr Clemmons, who is board-certified in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, joined the ACOM faculty in 2017. She has practiced Family Medicine for more than 12 years in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

Dr. Clemmons received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She earned her medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee.

Dr. Clemmons completed her Family Medicine residency and internship at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton, Florida.

Please join me in congratulating and supporting Dr. Clemmons in her new position.

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is proud to announce 188 students from the Class of 2024, met their match and found out which residency programs they will be attending to take the next steps in their medical career.

Medical school seniors nationwide found out at 11 a.m. (Central time) today where they matched through the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). A celebration was held in person and virtually at ACOM.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of the ACOM Class of 2024 as they prepare for the next phase of their medical training,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “ACOM has set a high standard for residency matches and this class is no exception.”

The breakdown of residency match placements included 172 through the NRMP, three through the Urology Residency Match and 13 from the U.S. Military Match.

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

2024 ACOM graduates will train in residency programs in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The top five states for ACOM students are: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio.

Sarah Adkins (OMS III) has been selected by the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) as the 2024 National Student Researcher of the Year.

She was chosen from a field of 41 highly qualified applicants representing colleges of Osteopathic Medicine across the country. The National Selection Committee noted that they were impressed with the quality of her application.

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 2024 AACOM Educating Leaders Conference.

4th & 5th Grades

4th & 5th Grade Overall Best in Show Best in Show: Surface Tension – Brett Rehoud, Ariel Olds, Charles Burgamy – Carver MST
First Place: Testing Filters – Ne’Andream Peterson – Kelly Springs
Second Place: Soil vs. Water – Emma Varner – Selma Street
Second Place: Sticky Science – Guilianna Dixon – Mulkey Elementary
Third Place: Strike Out Stains – Annie Precise – Mulkey Elementary
Honorable Mention: Digestion Detective – Lucy Frilot – Mulkey Elementary
Best Poster Presentation: How High – Cameron Baker – Selma Street
Best Oral Presentation: Pot Science – Sophia Roney, Sadie Watkins – Mulkey Elementary

6th – 12th Grades

Engineering Technology: Statistics & Dynamics

1st: Shelter Shapes – Abby Skinner – Houston Academy
2nd: Maglev Explained – Emmalyn Sutton – Highlands Elementary
3rd: Investigating the relationship between coils of wire and magnetic strength – Egan Sullivan – Highlands Elementary

Medicine, Health & Translational Medical Sciences

1st: What brands of mouthwash are better at eliminating bacteria in your mouth? – Mary Todd Nicholas – Houston Academy
2nd: Which cleaning wipe is the best – Eleanor Heersink – Houston Academy
3rd: Mint Condition – Thomas Mustin – Dothan Prep

Animal, Plant, Computational & Bioinformatics Sciences

1st: Finding the best eyeliner – Caroline Heersink – Houston Academy
2nd: Shining Light: Growing plants in sunlight and UV light – Layla Rogers – Houston Academy
3rd: Ready…Set…Grow – Carmine Biasella – Houston Academy

Chemistry

1st: Chocolates in Science – Adeline Egbert – Houston Academy
2nd: Which stain remover works best? – Charlotte Lagsdon and Kalli Smith – Highlands
3rd: Curly Cue – Kahmara Orange and Jada Leger – Dothan Prep

Material Sciences & Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design

1st: Parallelogram Prevention – Noah Creel and Collier Nowell – Highlands Elementary
2nd: Roof Shapes and Floor Feels – Amare Harris and Matthew Miller – Carver School for Math, Science, and Technology
3rd: The Mouse Guard – Sincere Rowell and Darien Reeves – Morris Slingluff

Earth & Environmental Servies: Environmental Engineering

1st: Tsunami Erosion Prevention – Isabella Gil – Houston Academy
2nd: Saving Water – Shafia Khan – Highlands
3rd: Eco Friendly Moving – Charlotte Rushing and Promyse Bryant – Highlands

Behavioral & Social Sciences

1st (tie): Would you eat it? – June Haynie and Layla Pfister – Dothan Prep
1st (tie): Man vs Machine – Ella Burgess – Dothan Prep
2nd: The effect of color on taste – Ethan Pemberton – Houston Academy
3rd: Catch or release – Mac Steltenpohl and Dawson Deloney – Highlands Elementary

Robotics Systems & Communication Technology

1st: Spot the Bot – Noah Freeman and Web Griggs – Carver MST
2nd: TB-64E – Karson Cullen and Lachlan Owens – Dothan Prep
3rd: Blocking Wifi – Zayd Ali, Kaleb Lawson, and Brody Sands – Carver MST

Physics, Astronomy & Mathematics

1st: Trials of the Glider Games – Edwin Jones and Aidyn Bui – Carver School of Math, Science, and Technology
2nd: DIY Railgun – Carter Bright – Houston Academy
3rd: Cooking at Light Speed – Houston Fetsko – Dothan Prep

Cell, Molecular, Microbiology & Biochemistry

1st: Fizz or Fizzle – Lennon Strickland, Lily Potts, Jenna Mitchell – Carver MST
2nd: The Great Cookie Dunk – Maggie Knight – Heard
3rd: Culinary Biotics – Addison Clayton and Liam Lugo – Dothan Prep

Bio-medical Engineering

1st: Medical Medals – Jacob Champlin – Dothan Prep