CHSU: Lessons from the First Year

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

courses, but they understand the importance of prioritizing the health and safety of the campus and community at large.

Dr. Graneto says, “Balancing the desire of the students wanting to come back on campus, while ensuring we are keeping within the safety and compliance guidelines of federal, state and local public health officials has been challenging at times.”

CHSU-COM has found a healthy balance between teaching classes virtually and holding small group, hands-on laboratory and specialized sessions within the public health and higher education guidelines and with proper safety protocols in place.

“The hands-on experiences are crucial for learning in the first year of medical school,” remarks Dr. Graneto.

Another challenge that the CHSU-COM faced was providing their students an opportunity to bond with each other as an inaugural cohort while being remote. Forming relationships with classmates is important for wellness and gives students an additional support system.

The CHSU-COM Office of Student Affairs has been working with students to host virtual study groups and social nights, and provided the opportunity for

students to form special interest clubs and professional organizations to help students feel connected to each other. The faculty and staff have also been supportive by assisting each other in Zoom classroom logistics and meeting with each other in virtual sessions.

ANSWERING THE CALL TO VACCINATE OUR COMMUNITY

As COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue across the San Joaquin Valley, California Health Sciences University (CHSU) has found ways to assist in the administration of the vaccine and provide support for these important efforts, all in the spirit of furthering its mission to help improve health care outcomes for the people in the Valley.

Led by the CHSU President, Florence Dunn, their College Deans and the President’s Executive Council, the University quickly mobilized and determined ways that CHSU can help with vaccination efforts.

Both student and faculty volunteers from the CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and College of Pharmacy have been actively helping local public health departments and health care clinics to administer the vaccines to the community.

While CHSU pharmacy students become intern pharmacists in their first year of pharmacy school and are trained to administer vaccinations, CHSU-COM accelerated the first-year medical students’ vaccination training so they could also become volunteer vaccinators.

Almost every week since inception, CHSUCOM students and faculty have been volunteering to administer COVID vaccines at the Fresno Fairgrounds mass vaccination site. Dr. Graneto collaborated with W. Timothy Brox, MD, and the Fresno County Department of Public Health to ensure that CHSU faculty, staff, and students can contribute to the mass vaccination efforts.

CHSU vaccinators have been logging hundreds of hours at the Fresno Fairgrounds and can help to vaccinate approximately 1,500 - 2,000 people per day.

Outside of the Fairgrounds, Anne VanGarsse, MD, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, Community Engagement and Population Health and CHSU’s visiting third and fourth year students from Kansas City University (KCU-COM) and A.T. Still University (ATSU-KCOM), as well as first year students have also been on the frontlines administering vaccines. Several students are assisting Golden Valley Health Centers in Atwater and Los Banos administer vaccines. The visiting medical students also joined forces with the CHSU College of Pharmacy students to administer vaccines to educators with Adventist Health in Reedley.

College of Pharmacy students are continuing to help aid in the vaccination efforts through their experiential education rotations, particularly at Saint Agnes Medical Center, in addition to volunteering on their own time.

With the vaccination efforts rapidly increasing, Dr. Graneto maintains a positive outlook about the COVID-19 pandemic and hopes things will progressively improve over the next few months.

“Providing education and encouragement to our faculty, staff and students to receive their COVID vaccine is now our highest priority so we can safely return to more in-person education and training activities,” said Dr. Graneto.

CHSU encourages widespread and early COVID-19 vaccination of all eligible individuals to help ensure the health of the community and restore the activities of daily lives that have been missed for the past year. Many eligible

members of the CHSU campus community have already received their COVID-19 vaccinations.

ADDRESSING THE HEALTH INEQUITIES OF THE VALLEY

The pandemic truly has informed community awareness of the health inequities that exist within the San Joaquin Valley, rural and inner-city areas. The health care access barriers and lack of health care providers has become even more evident. This has fueled the passion of CHSU medical students and reinforced their career pursuits even more. Volunteering at COVID vaccination sites gives them valuable insight into patient care and public health that may not exist under normal circumstances.

“I had never imagined how rewarding it is to participate in a vaccination campaign, especially as a provider,” said Andrea Torres, first year medical student. “The experience was definitely a great reminder of why I wanted to study medicine in the first place.”

Pre-medical students have also been inspired by the global pandemic. Known as the “Fauci Effect,” medical schools across the nation have seen an 18% increase in applications according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The CHSUCOM admissions team has developed creative ways to host virtual information sessions and interview days and is currently in the process of recruiting the second cohort of medical students to begin classes July 2021, which will include 121 students.

For more information about CHSU-COM visit osteopathic.chsu.edu.