More than 60 local high school students attended an exclusive on-campus visit at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) this past fall. The day included pre-med workshops with faculty, panel discussions with current medical students, lunch in the cafeteria, and campus tours.
OsteoScholars is a program the Osteopathic Foundation designed for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors in Muskegon, Oceana, Newaygo and northern Ottawa Counties. The curriculum lays out a clear step-
by-step path from high school to college, medical school, residency, and practice, in the hope that students will return to West Michigan when they graduate.
OsteoScholars meet one night each month to learn about
a variety of topics. The on-campus experience is a new addition to the program this year. “For many students, it was their first visit to a Big 10 campus,” said Andrea Masvero, the Foundation’s Executive Director. “Several told us that the chance to be on campus and experience college for themselves made their dream of medical school feel more realistic and attainable.”
The partnership with MSUCOM is also a key aspect of the
OsteoScholars program. “MSUCOM was gracious to host our visit and help OsteoScholars connect with real people there. The students received a very warm reception and felt welcomed into the MSU community.”
OsteoScholars serves students of all backgrounds. One goal of the program is to increase diversity in medical school enrollment. Masvero says, “Often students from minority backgrounds, rural schools, or low or even middle-income families feel like medical school is out of reach. We show them how it can be possible.” Because of the vision to reach all students, the program — including the MSUCOM field trip — is offered free to students.
“We depend on donors to help us fund these experiences and volunteers to bring them to life. We couldn’t do this without ongoing support.” Will you help these students? Donate online today to support the OsteoScholars fund.