The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) celebrated the graduation of 147 new physicians on Saturday, May 19. After four years of study, ICOM faculty hooded the new osteopathic physicians and the College’s Class of 2023 was conferred the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree.
“ICOM was established to address the acute and growing shortage of physicians in Idaho and other underserved areas, and we delight in the graduation of these wonderful new doctors,” said Dr. Tracy J. Farnsworth, President of ICOM.
In a packed theater at the Morrison Center in Boise, graduates gathered with family, friends, faculty and staff, to celebrate their transition into resident physicians, where they will train in their specialty of choice for at least the next three years.
“The graduating class of 2023 has completed the rigors of preclinical and clinical education here at ICOM and will be starting residencies across Idaho and the United States,” said Dr. Kevin Wilson, Dean and Chief Academic Officer of ICOM. “I would like to add a special thanks to all ICOM faculty and staff for their hard work preparing our graduates, and our health system partners across Idaho who serve as training sites for our students.”
Prior to the official hooding, commencement speaker, Ted Epperly, MD, FAAFP, who serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Full Circle Health, spoke to the class.
“Healing is defined as the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. Not only in body, but in mind and in spirit,” Dr. Epperly said. “There must be a healing in our society, in our communities, in our peoples, of body, of mind, and of spirit. Where have you heard those principles said before? You would be right if you said those are the principles of osteopathic medicine as articulated by Andrew Taylor Still in 1874. The relationships and trust you develop with people will be
“People will not care how much you know until they know how much you care. In many ways we are not facing the winding down of a single viral pandemic. We are experiencing multiple major ongoing overlapping epidemics,” Dr. Epperly said. “These are the epidemics of opioid, narcotic and substance abuse. It is the epidemic of gun violence in our country. The epidemic of anxiety, depression, stress, and mental illness. The pandemic uncovered the epidemic of healthcare disparities, in which not all of our countrymen have equal access to healthcare. These are the challenges that together we must address in our country to make it a better place. I call on you graduates to make a difference in helping solve these complex conditions of our time.”
Following Dr. Epperly’s remarks, each new graduate was individually hooded, and symbolically transitioned from an osteopathic medical student to an osteopathic physician. Prior to the conclusion of the Hooding Ceremony, graduates recited the Osteopathic Oath, led by Richard Sloan, DO, FACOFP, Associate Professor of Osteopathic Principles and Practice.
During the ceremony, ICOM leaders posthumously awarded the families of Austin Jenkins and MacKenzie Gerszewski their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees. Jenkins lost his life in a vehicle accident in October of 2020, and Gerszewski passed away in July of 2022 after an 11-year battle with cancer. Both Jenkins and Gerszewski were members of ICOM’s Class of 2023.
“Austin and MacKenzie will forever be part of the ICOM family,” President Farnsworth said. “Awarding them with a posthumous degree is a way for the College to honor their families, commemorate their legacies, and commend their contributions to our ICOM community.”
While completing the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), three ICOM graduates also received a Masters degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA) through the College’s partnership with Idaho State University. Additionally, 14 graduates were commissioned as officers in the United States Armed Forces by MAJ. Marlin Trainer, DO, who also serves as Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at ICOM.
The 147 new osteopathic physicians will begin their residencies in the coming weeks, with 58 percent pursuing primary care. In total, ICOM graduates will continue their medical training through residencies in: anesthesiology; child neurology; dermatology; emergency medicine; family medicine; internal medicine; neurology; obstetrics and gynecology; ophthalmology; orthopedic surgery; osteopathic neuromuscular medicine; pathology; pediatrics; physical medicine and rehabilitation; psychiatry; and surgery.