New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) at Arkansas State University (A-State) celebrated 115 new physicians at its commencement and hooding ceremony, which was held at the A-State Fowler Center.
The NYITCOM at A-State Class of 2023 arrived in Jonesboro in 2019 as the fourth class on the medical school’s Arkansas campus. Their second semester of medical school coincided with the onset of a global pandemic, which brought unprecedented challenges that also uniquely bonded the group.
“On top of learning what it means to be a doctor, we experienced tornados (yes plural), a global pandemic, virtual education, Zoom interviews, and even the search to find toilet paper in Jonesboro when it appeared to have run out,” Class President Emily Kraft, DO, said in her address to her fellow graduates. “Throughout all of this, our class persevered, taking on each challenge as it came. We rode those waves together, whether they were crashing down or bringing us back to shore. This is one resilient group of individuals who I am proud to call my colleagues. We did not just survive, we excelled at what we did.”
Members of the Class of 2023 will begin their medical residencies in July as they embark on the next phase of their medical education. The Class of 2023 experienced a 100 percent Match rate in the National Resident Matching Program in March, and 75 percent of the class will perform their residency in a primary care specialty.
In addition to the 115 students who received their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree last Friday, NYITCOM honored 10 students who completed the college’s Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences degree, a program that was created in 2020.
Shown here, Hannah Darnell, MD, is hooded by Regina Fleming, MD, at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University Class of 2023 Commencement and Hooding ceremony, held at the A-State Fowler Center.