Geisinger College of Health Sciences

Oluwaseyi (Seyi) Olulana, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2024, was elected Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter president to the regional executive committee for Northeast Region 8, a region that includes all medical schools in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware.

On Saturday, July 31 Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine held commencement exercises celebrating 67 members of its master of biomedical sciences (MBS) Class of 2021. The MBS Class of 2021 attended classes entirely online, a format that attracted students from distant states like California, Texas and Arizona, as well as from Canada. The ceremony was held virtually to accommodate all graduates.

On Saturday, July 31 Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) held commencement exercises celebrating 67 members of its master of biomedical sciences (MBS) Class of 2021. During the ceremony, seven graduates received awards noting exceptional service to their class.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) student, Alivia Roberts, a member of the master of biomedical sciences Class of 2021, organized and presented an Earth Day service project designed to encourage students, faculty and staff to recognize and adopt environmentally-friendly practices.

Four Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students and two faculty members have published an article in the May edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. The Journal of Arthroplasty is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and manuscripts from all areas relating to joint replacement or the treatment of its complications. The article the Geisinger team published was entitled, "Lumbar spine fusion and symptoms of leg length discrepancy following hip arthroplasty."

On April 27, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Pediatric Outreach Group for Students (POGS) hosted events for child abuse prevention. The observance included a pinwheel planting on the lawn of the Medical Sciences Building. Students also wrote, signed and sent letters to local business owners about recognizing the signs of child abuse.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Center for Student Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion, along with the Asians in the Diaspora Planning Committee, presented a series of events in April to celebrate Asian cultures! Although May is the official Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, student planners chose April to recognize the contributions and the history, culture and achievements of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Alivia Roberts, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (GCSOM) Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) Class of 2021 and chair of the Graduate Student Council Service and Engagement Committee, invited her classmates to take part in "Geisinger Pays it Forward." The initiative was an effort to "spread kindness and reflect on the impact we can make, one kind act at a time," according to Roberts.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) conferred Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees upon the 98 students who compose Geisinger Commonwealth's graduating Class of 2021. Commencement ceremonies were held Sunday, May 2 in-person at Mount Airy Resort in Mount Pocono.

Tara Knox, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (GCSOM) MD Class of 2021, has published an article in the April 8 edition of EMResident, an online publication of the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA). Her co-author is GCSOM faculty member, Mark Olaf, DO, FACEP, who is a board-certified emergency physician, in addition to serving as regional associate dean of GCSOM's Central Campus.

In the 2020-21 academic year, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Medical Student Council (MSC) introduced a new student discussion series called "Civil Talks." The talks encourage students to share information and their points of view about the civil circumstances in their country of birth, interest or heritage.

Several Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students worked with Vicki T. Sapp, director of student engagement, diversity and inclusion and assistant professor at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, to present a series of lectures and workshops celebrating "Women's HERStory" month in March. Women's HERStory events included a Black Women's Health Matters series and a series called, Women LEAD. They were presented by Geisinger's Black Outreach Leadership Development (BOLD) Employee Resource Group; Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Center for Student Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion; Geisinger's Women LEAD Employee Resource Group; and community partner, Black Scranton Project.

Zhi-Shan Hsu, Tice Harkins, Miranda Rep, Justina Warnick, Michael Kovalick and Evan Calvo, all members of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2024, helped Scranton Tomorrow clean up the downtown. Working in the rain, the students cleaned out the planters found in several blocks of Scranton's downtown area and planted fresh flowers that will beautify the city all spring and summer!

At an orientation event held March 24, four students from Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) program became the first volunteers in a new program that will aid elderly patients at GEisinger South Wilkes-Barre.

A group of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students planned and organized the school's annual Freedom Seder, held on March 23. Freedom Seders intertwine the archetypal story of the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in ancient Egypt with more modern liberation struggles.

On March 19 99 students at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (Geisinger Commonwealth) learned their residency placements during the National Resident Matching Program's "Match Day," an event at which all fourth-year M.D. students around the country simultaneously open their envelopes to learn where they will spend the next three to seven years training in specialties. Residencies typically begin July 1.

A group of 22 master of biomedical sciences (MBS) students represented Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine at the Region VIII Student National Medical Association conference on Feb. 5-6. The theme for the conference was, "A United Front: The Need to Diversify Medicine."

The HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) has notified Eshiemomoh Osilama, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2024, that he has been accepted to its highly competitive Research and Mentorship Program (RAMP), a scholar program for African American/Black and Latinx medical students.

A Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine faculty member and two students helped The Black Scranton Project unveil its Black History Month programming by raising the Pan-African Flag at an annual event held at Scranton City Hall.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine announced that six of its current fourth-year medical students have successfully matched into residency programs.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine medical students hosted the school's 11th annual Turkey Trot 5K/10K in November. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students planned a virtual race instead of the traditional in-person event. Despite this challenge, student organizers raised more than $10,000 for Friends of the Poor.

Cynthia Ciccotelli, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2021, recently published "Tips from the Virtual Interview Trail" on the "Leader Voices" blog of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The blog was published on Jan. 27 and can be viewed at https://www.aafp.org/news/blogs/leadervoices/entry/20210127lv-virtualinterview.html.

Students, faculty and staff at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine celebrated their heritage, culture and diversity with a virtual cultural dress fashion show and cooking demonstrations on Friday, Jan. 15.

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Student Engagement Leaders (SEL) held a Holiday Game Night. The event was geared to GCSOM students who were spending holidays alone or away from family, as well as those looking for a fun night to spend with friends. SEL gave students the option to sign up in teams or to be placed individually and randomly into a team.

Oluwaseyi Olulana, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2024, published a paper in Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders, a peer-reviewed, open access journal focusing on pioneering efforts and innovative studies across all areas of neurology.

Kenneth Lam, a fourth-year, medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (GCSOM) Atlantic City campus recently achieved an important milestone. On Dec. 29 he administered his 100th COVID-19 vaccine to fellow GCSOM student, Rachel Fulton.

Monica Joglekar, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2022, was among the medical-student authors of the independently published book, Diary of a Med Student. Released in September, the book features 100 student authors offering reflections on various aspects of the medical school experience.

Matthew Busch, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's (GCSOM) MD Class of 2021, published an essay in the Oct. 7 edition of in-Training, an online peer-reviewed publication for medical students.

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) student, Michael Blazaskie, a member of the MD Class of 2024 presented a session at Drexel University's seventh annual Conference on Teaching and Learning Assessment, held virtually. Blazaskie presented a session entitled, "Assessment of Graduate Students' Professional Identity Formation during the COVID-19 Pandemic,"

Paul Bastian, a member of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine's MD Class of 2023, along with two faculty members, presented at the Sept. 23 NVivo Virtual Conference. Bastian presented a poster entitled, "Utilizing NVivo as an Evaluation Tool of a Hidden Curriculum Discussion Board within Medical Education."