Friends and alumni to be honored at AOA Convention in New Orleans

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) and the Kirksville Osteopathic Alumni Association (KOAA) will honor several individuals at their annual meeting which will be held in conjunction with the American Osteopathic Association Convention in New Orleans on November 2.

Each year, the KOAA recognizes outstanding alumni and friends with various awards. “The individuals honored ensure the continued reputation of excellence at our University,” said the KOAA Board of Directors President Jeff Summe, D.O. “At the same time, these individuals set a high standard for the aspiration and goals of KCOM. We are proud to honor their leadership, service, and commitment.”

The Alumnus of the Year Award, established in 1982, recognizes graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the College and the osteopathic profession. Wilbur Hill, D.O., ’51, of Liberty, Mo., is the 2009 Alumnus of the Year.

The Living Tribute Award was established in 1969 and honors outstanding ATSU-KCOM faculty and administration. Margaret Wilson, D.O., ’82, chair of community/family medicine, is the 2009 Living Tribute Award recipient. To date, 35 distinguished individuals have received this award.

The Distinguished Service Award, established in 1991, recognizes alumni and friends who have provided outstanding service and/or financial support to ATSU-KCOM. The 2009 honorees are Larry Wickless, D.O., ’67, AOA president; and Richard Cenedella, Ph.D, biochemistry professor at ATSU-KCOM.

The Honorary KOAA Membership was established in 1948 to recognize individuals who rendered meritorious service to osteopathic education. The 2008 honorees being honored at this year’s convention are Dean Maag, Academic Technologies director; Norine Eitel, Sponsored Programs director; Steve Jorden, Student Financial Services director; and Ruth Chronister, Pharmacology executive secretary.

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (Jan. 9, 2009) – A.T. Still University’s Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) recently approved a medical humanities elective course titled “Medical Letters – Literature in Medicine,” which will be added to its curriculum in the third quarter of the 2008-09 school year.

“Medical Letters – Literature in Medicine” will expose students to the interaction of physician, patient, caregiver, society and the system of medicine through literary works. “It is hoped that examining the writing of others on these topics will increase perspective, deepen understanding, enrich the love for the art of medicine, and enhance empathy,” said Course Director Patricia Sexton, D.H.Ed., assistant professor of Family Medicine.

Educational literature indicates that because medicine is both art and science, students and future patients benefit from formal reflection on medical humanities. Through this lens, students gain an understanding of the human condition, the nature of healing and suffering, and their role in this cycle. 

This elective, which was developed through support of HRSA’s Predoctoral Training in Primary Care grant, enhances the KCOM curriculum by offering an additional humanities elective, the first being the Spirituality in Medicine course which was implemented in the Fall of 2008.

This elective also builds upon the objectives of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health Curricular Award granted to KCOM’s Family Medicine Department to impact spirituality, cultural competence, and humanities in medical education. Margaret Wilson, D.O., is the family medicine chair and project director for the HRSA Pre-Doctoral Grant and the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health Grant.