NYITCOM Shines at OMED 2018

Pictured: William Blazey, D.O., associate professor and assistant dean of preclinical education in NYITCOM (left), poses with two of his students at OMED.

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) made an impressive showing at this year’s Osteopathic Medical Education Conference (OMED), the world’s largest gathering of osteopathic physicians. Students and faculty received research awards, grant funding, and plenty of industry accolades.

Throughout the conference, held October 5 through 9 in San Diego by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), NYITCOM students received special recognition for their commitment to research and medical education. A total of 20 poster presentations were given by NYITCOM students, the most presentations of any medical school in attendance, with six posters winning awards in the student poster presentation contest.

First Place:

• Basic Science/Chronic Diseases & Conditions: Kay Kulason, “Parkinson’s Disease: Through The Nose”
• Clinical Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: Raymond Li, “Managing Tremor in Parkinson’s Disease Using Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine”

Second Place:

• Clinical Musculoskeletal Injuries and Prevention (two awards given): Joseph Miceli, “The Effects of Head Impacts on Verbal and Visual Memory in Collegiate Men’s Lacrosse Players From Pre to Postseason;” James Docherty, “Health Behaviors of eSport Athletes”
• Clinical Chronic Diseases and Conditions: Lily Rubin, “Assessing the Impact of Rock Steady Boxing on Depressive Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease”
• Clinical Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: Nicole Angelo, “The Effect of Osteopathic Medicine on Oxidative Stress Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, a Pilot Study”



At the annual American Osteopathic Foundation Honors Gala, fourth-year medical student Nicole Angelo from the Long Island (Old Westbury, N.Y.) campus was awarded the Inaugural 2018 Rocovich Research Award for her concussion research.

Tyler King, a third-year medical student at NYITCOM at Arkansas State University (A-State), was elected president of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), the nation’s largest network of osteopathic medical students.



Tyler King was elected president of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). He will represent more than 15,000 students. Credit: Tyler King.

“The opportunity to represent more than 15,000 osteopathic medical students at 34 colleges of osteopathic medicine and 51 sites as the next national president is an absolute honor and privilege,” said King. “I hope to make my peers and administration proud at both NYITCOM campuses by crafting a vision for the 2019-2020 year that leads students through this exciting time for the osteopathic profession.”

In addition to the merits listed above, NYITCOM students also participated in a flu shot clinic and volunteered at a soup kitchen, demonstrating a spirited commitment to community service.

NYITCOM faculty also helped steal the show. In addition to thought-provoking presentations on eSports medicine, osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), healthcare inequality, and a live demonstration of telemedicine, several faculty members and leaders received research grants from the AOA.

Sonia Rivera-Martinez, D.O., assistant professor of family medicine, was awarded a grant for her study, “Diabetes and OMM: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Martinez’s study will examine the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment on the blood sugar levels of persons with Type 2 diabetes.

Continuing her ongoing Fit Physician study, Joanne Donoghue, Ph.D., assistant professor of OMM, received funding for her follow-up investigation, “A Novel Lifestyle Intervention Program to Improve Body Composition and Chronic Disease Biomarkers in Overweight Medical Students: A Randomized Trial.” Building upon the earlier Fit Physician study findings, the study will determine if lifestyle education courses and modified diet and exercise habits can improve overweight medical students’ body composition, chronic disease biomarkers, and knowledge.

Jerry Balentine, D.O., dean of NYITCOM and vice president of Health Sciences and Medical Affairs, was awarded funding for his study, “Meditation, Alignment with the Osteopathic Philosophy and Empathy in Osteopathic medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Interventional Trial.” Balentine’s research will examine whether the meditation-focused app Headspace can help improve baseline empathy, stress, and burnout in medical students.