First Year Medical Students Thrive Despite Pandemic Challenges Deans, Faculty, Preceptors and First Year Medical Students from the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Volunteer as Vaccinators at the Fresno Fairgrounds. From left to right: Dr. Lisa Chun, Associate Dean; Dr. Jonathan Terry, Preceptor; Dr. Pamela Kammen, Faculty; Christine King, Student; Jake Dertinger, Student; Dr. John Graneto, Dean; Seaverson Stoll, Student; Joshua Garcia, Student; Tyler Laws-Mahe, Student; Mia Nurit Hirsh, Student. Photo courtesy of California Health Sciences University.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought an onset of challenges to medical education across the country. For the new California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (CHSU-COM) in Clovis, this meant asking their experienced leadership and educators to adapt their innovative curriculum delivery to introduce creative methods for teaching their inaugural cohort of 79 medical students. The CHSU-COM rapidly converted to virtual education for their first-year medical students who started classes last July. John Graneto, DO, MEd, Dean of the CHSU-COM, is especially proud of how quickly both the faculty and students adapted to online courses. Attending medical school during a global pandemic is certainly an unprecedented challenge that no one expected would arise. But these extraordinary medical students are flexible and resilient. The leadership and faculty creatively utilized the state-of-the-art technology built into the new medical school to deliver curriculum for their first-year students. For example, the nutrition and wellness faculty offered online cooking classes, the simulation center staff developed virtual simulation cases and the holographic anatomy curriculum easily transitioned to remote instruction. The students are eager to return to in-person 22 CENTRAL VALLEY PHYSICIANS
Spring 2021
