KPCOM Students Dominate at FOMA Awards


Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, students swept to victory at the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Convention Poster Competition held February 7 at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida. First-year student Kaitlyn Alessi captured first place and $750 for her poster “Rab8a Role in αSynucleinopathy Disorders,” while second-year student Oshin Rai claimed second place and $250 for her project “Continuous 24-Hour Contact Lens Sensor as a Commercial Device for IOP-Related Changes: Patient Tolerability and Clinical Experience.”

Second-year student Landen “Shane” Burstiner captured third place and $150 for his poster “E. coli O157:H7 Sepsis Following FMT in an IgA Deficient IBD Patient.”

Additionally, third-year students Kevin Moriles, Amanda Ramnot, and Michael Lai won a $250 prize in the Future of Osteopathic Medicine Award category, which honors a research poster that best advances the principles and practices of osteopathic medicine. Their winning poster was titled “The Enhancement of Osteopathic Rib Principles and Manipulation Treatments Through 3D Printing.”

FOMA Student Awards

On February 8, second-year students Joshua Berko and Charles Bisbee, as well as first-year student Michelle Lanspa, received the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Student Awards, which are based on criteria such as possessing leadership skills, political activity, and displaying significant interest in the osteopathic profession.

AFOMA Scholarship

Kayla Brown received a $500 Advocates to the FOMA (AFOMA) Believes in You Scholarship Award during the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association Convention awards banquet held February 8 at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa in Weston, Florida. The award is based partly on a student’s interest in osteopathic medicine, activities in the profession, and leadership qualities.