Page 19 - COM Outlook - Spring 2013

19 COM Outlook . Spring 2013
of clinical operations, in the
administration of the clinics to
provide another perspective to
the decision-making process of
clinical operations.
On January 16, the college co-
ordinated a farewell party for
Natasha Bray, D.O., assistant
professor of internal medi-
cine and director of medical
education at Broward Health
in Fort Lauderdale. Dr. Bray,
who served as an NSU-COM
faculty member for five years,
left the college to accept a
position at Broward Health as
its vice president of academic
affairs/designated institutional
official. Pictured (below from left)
are Drs. Fred Lippman, Natasha
Bray, and Anthony J. Silvagni.
On February 25, the college
hosted a retirement party for
Nancy May, who worked for
over 15 years as the support
services coordinator for the
Area Health Education Centers
(AHEC) Program. She is relo-
cating to North Carolina with
her husband to enjoy what the
college hopes will be a rest-
ful and healthful retirement.
Nancy May (holding clock below)
shares a farewell pose with several
longtime AHEC colleagues.
Faculty/Staff Focus - Activities, Achievements, and Awards
Elaine M. Wallace, D.O., M.S. , professor of osteopathic
principles and practice and executive associate dean,
received a prestigious honor on January 24 when she
was presented with the inaugural NSU President’s Excel-
lence in Community Service Award (faculty category)
during the university’s 15 th Annual Celebration of Excel-
lence ceremony. Dr. Wallace was honored for participat-
ing in various medical outreach trips around the world
and originating NSU-COM’s medical outreach trip to
Ecuador, which serves anywhere from 400 to 2,000
patients annually. Other countries where she has conducted medical outreach excursions in-
clude Argentina, Bangladesh, Peru, and Vietnam. Because she is such a passionate advocate for
community-based care, Dr. Wallace played an integral role in helping add a community service
requirement for NSU-COM students. In the above photo, Dr. Elaine Wallace (center) poses with
Jacqueline A. Travisano, M.B.A., CPA, NSU executive vice president and chief operating officer,
and George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU president and chief executive officer.
Applications to D.O. Schools Break Record
For the seventh consecutive year,
prospective medical students have been
applying to the nation’s colleges of osteo-
pathic medicine (COMs) in record-breaking
numbers. As of February 1, more than 16,107
aspiring physicians have submitted applica-
tions to the nation’s 29 osteopathic medical
schools and four branch campuses for the
upcoming 2013-14 academic year. This figure
represents an 11 percent increase over last
year’s figures at the same time and is already
more than the total number of applicants at
the close of last year’s application cycle. Ap-
plication growth was recorded at all schools.
Today, over 20 percent of all U.S. medical
students are studying at osteopathic medical
schools, with more than 20,000 aspiring os-
teopathic physicians enrolled as of fall 2012.
Thanks to elevated awareness surrounding
osteopathic medicine, coupled with the
increasing number of COMs in the United
States, this figure is projected to continue
increasing, with an estimated 5,300 D.O.s
graduating each year by 2015.
All applications to the nation’s colleges
of osteopathic medicine, with the exception
of the University of North Texas Health Sci-
ence Center at Fort Worth/Texas College of
Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM), are
processed through the American Association
of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Ap-
plication Service. Applications to UNTHSC/
TCOM are processed through the Texas
Medical and Dental Application Service and
are therefore not represented in the figures
outlined in this article.
Dr. Elaine Wallace Earns Prestigious NSU Honor