LMU-DCOM Students, Faculty and Staff Present Research at AACOM

Students, faculty and staff from the Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) attended the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) Educating Leaders 2024 conference in Kansas City, Missouri last week.  

At the conference, students, faculty, and staff from LMU-DCOM had the chance to showcase their poster research presentations. 

Dr. Sherry Jimenez, senior associate dean of IPE, simulation, and accreditation and associate professor of medical education and Dr. Teanna Moore, assistant dean of OPP integration, assistant professor of family medicine and osteopathic medicine and chair of OPP/OMM, along with Mr. Jeremy Buchanan, assistant director of IPE showcased their research on “Creating Osteopathic Manipulation Treatment (OMT) Awareness in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorder for Multidisciplinary Learners.”  

Their research aimed to explore the historical use of opioids, evidence-based adjuncts and alternatives to opioid therapy.

Moreover, it aimed to recognize the role of a holistic patient care approach to substance use disorder, identify the unique needs of diverse populations when addressing mental health and vulnerabilities to opioid use disorders, and describe the role of OMT as an adjunctive measure in the care of patients struggling with substance disorders. 

Dr. Chloe Ruff, assistant dean of assessment and faculty development and Ms. Melinda Turner, M.Ed., director of faculty development, presented their research titled “Using Faculty Needs Assessment to Guide Faculty Development Programming.”  

Their study detailed the creation and implementation of a faculty development needs assessment based on research best practices. They linked the results of the needs assessment with the development of faculty development learning tracks and engagement methods. Moreover, they compared various methods of continuous evaluation and discussed the application of this process at the participants' institution. 

Dr. Gina Defranco, associate professor of family medicine & chair of family medicine, presented her poster research entitled “Enhancing Interpersonal Communication Confidence through Empathy Training.” Her poster referenced an annual empathy and communication interprofessional education event. The 2023 event saw nearly 800 students from five LMU professional programs (DO, DPT, DMD, and both PA programs).  

The post-event survey revealed that students with prior healthcare provider experience (EMT, nurse, medical assistant, etc.) felt more confident in their ability to self-reflect on their communication skills compared to those without such experience. 

Student Doctor Isabelle Sico, LMU-DCOM Class of 2024, presented her research on “Medical and Pharmacy Students’ Perceptions of Teamwork and Communication on Patient Safety Practices.” Sico's research highlighted that medical error ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States.  

Jimenez and Dr. Michael Wieting, senior associate dean served as Sico’s research advisors. Dr. Katie Kiser, director of IPE at South College Knoxville Pharmacy School was also a contributor and author on the poster. 

Furthermore, her research explained that "TeamSTEPPS" (Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) stands as the gold standard for healthcare team training. Additionally, the research pointed out that patient safety education, encompassing both pre-clinical and clinical training, has not been adequately studied for medical and pharmacy students. 

Finally, Student Doctor Zach Kauffman, LMU-DCOM Class of 2025, presented research on the factors influencing medical students’ identification with osteopathic patient care. Kauffman’s research commenced as a DeBusk Summer Scholar initiative. Drs. Ruff, and Robert Augustyniak, assistant dean of basic medical sciences and curricular innovation, served as mentors on Kauffman’s project.   

Dr. Tony Harper, assistant professor of anatomy, also served as a collaborator to accomplish the advanced statistical methods necessary to create and test a model quantifying all the variables. The model unveiled that students’ self-reported level of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) had the most significant direct effect on their level of identification. However, their commitment to the organization had an even larger indirect impact on identification. 

The model unveiled that students’ self-reported level of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) had the most significant direct effect on their level of identification. However, their commitment to the organization had an even larger indirect impact on identification. 

The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, and at LMU-Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnt.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.