VCOM-Louisiana - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

🎉Congratulations, Dr. Gwenn Jackson, FACOG, CPE, on being named the 2026 Thomas H. Scott Award of Excellence - Ouachita Parish Woman of Excellence Award recipient! 🎉

Presented annually by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, this award celebrates a distinguished woman in Ouachita Parish who has built a lasting legacy through her leadership, service, and dedication to advancing the community.

Dr. Jackson has paved the way for generations of physicians and future physicians, making a lasting impact on the health and well-being of Northeast Louisiana and around the world through medical mission outreach.❤️

For many medical students, the path to becoming a physician is shaped not only by calling, but by cost. Scholarships at VCOM help ease that burden and empower students from rural and medically underserved communities. Your support helps ensure that future patients have access to caring and compassionate VCOM-trained physicians.

Consider making a gift to support VCOM students: www.vcom.edu/give

Each year, VCOM-Louisiana partners with the University of Louisiana at Monroe Museum of Natural History to support its annual STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Camp by providing scholarships for campers, and VCOM students volunteer each day of camp.

The Bayou Discovery camp’s theme, "Know Brainer," brought five days of hands-on fun to local 4th and 5th-grade students through engaging activities that sparked creativity and critical thinking. VCOM students were happy to lend their time and help with activities, working alongside staff and ULM volunteers.

On Friday, the week wrapped with a special closing ceremony where each camper received their very own white coat and Dr. Ace pin to celebrate completing the program. Our VCOM students and Dr. Morrison loved celebrating these special kids!

Recently, 22 VCOM-Louisiana students were recognized and inducted into the Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) at a special ceremony. These students were nominated by their peers and chosen by a selection committee for their exceptional compassion, empathy, and integrity in patient care.

The Gold Humanism Award celebrates medical professionals, students, residents, and faculty who embody exemplary humanistic behaviors in medicine. The GHHS fosters a culture of caring and respect in healthcare, ensuring patients are treated with dignity, kindness, and compassion.
Congratulations to our amazing future physicians who took the GHHS oath, committing to upholding humanistic values and delivering excellent, compassionate care to patients from all walks of life throughout their medical careers. 💖🩺

🎉Congratulations to the Class of 2027 Inductees! 👏

⭐Mohammed Omar Almosa
⭐Arooj Arif
⭐Anna Claire Brock
⭐Macie Davis
⭐Caroline Drell (Extine)
⭐Kayla Fraser
⭐Emily Gregory
⭐Christine Le
⭐Douglas Le
⭐Sahana Padumane
⭐Padumane Joy Palma
⭐Karlie Pinion
⭐Madeline Potter
⭐Anne Bea Remorca
⭐Alexis Ross
⭐Lydia Ta
⭐Sherine Thomas
⭐Erin Vasquez
⭐Nicholas Villar
⭐Kenny-Khai Vo
⭐Sabeen Wazir
⭐Michelle Wong

🎉 It’s National Mascot Day, and there’s no one we’d rather celebrate than Dr. Ace! 💛

Dr. Ace always brings excitement, school pride, and plenty of photo-worthy moments to campus.

He’s the ultimate supporter of our students, faculty, and alumni, and today, we’re giving him the spotlight he deserves!

📸 Got a favorite photo with Dr. Ace? Drop it in the comments and join the celebration!

VCOM-Louisiana is proud to announce a new partnership with the Living Well Foundation, which has generously provided funding through two grants totaling $234,000, to support the VCOM CAREPATH Mobile Medical Unit and Disaster Relief Response Facility.

Construction is underway on the facility at 3610 Concordia Street in Monroe. Once completed, it will house VCOM-Louisiana’s mobile medical units, acquired through a collaborative partnership with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury. Designed with a temperature-controlled environment and equipped with a generator to ensure operational continuity during emergencies, the facility will support emergency response efforts, clinical operations, and other essential functions, serving as a centralized hub for patient care, medical education, and disaster response coordination.

Read more about this partnership between the Living Well Foundation and VCOM-Louisiana, which reflects a shared commitment to building healthier, stronger communities by expanding access to care, advancing preparedness, and ensuring readiness to serve when communities need it most.

The Living Well Foundation Partners With VCOM-Louisiana to Provide Funding for the VCOM CAREPATH Mobile Medical Unit and Disaster Response Facility Construction has begun on the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)-Louisiana CAREPATH mobile medical unit storage and disaster response facility. CAREPATH—short for “VCOM Supports the Community: Assess, Respond, Engage, Provide Access, Treat, Heal”— reflects VCOM-Louisiana’s c...

What a great way to celebrate the successful completion of another academic block! 😎

The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) at VCOM-Louisiana hosted its annual Splash Bash at ULM'S Grove, bringing the VCOM family together for an afternoon of laughter and friendly competition.

From faculty taking pies to the face and getting in the dunk tank to watermelon-eating contests and water-filled games, there were plenty of ways to cool off from the Louisiana heat. 💦 Thank you to all who joined in the fun and helped make this year's SOMA Splash Bash another memorable success!

This Memorial Day, the Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) chapter at VCOM-Louisiana honored the legacy of Lt. Michael Murphy and all brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country by holding the Murph Challenge.

With strong participation from VCOM students, the event provided an opportunity to remember, reflect, and give back. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Home.

We are grateful to everyone who participated, donated, and helped make this event a success while remembering the sacrifices of our nation's heroes.

VCOM-Louisiana recently hosted a special program to recognize 22 outstanding medical students from the Class of 2027, selected by our core hospital sites across two award categories. 🩺

🏅 Distinguished Scholars were honored for their exceptional performance in Family & Internal Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, and Rural Primary Care:
✨ Noah Bradbury
✨ Austin Walker
✨ Caden Jones
✨ Emily Gregory
✨ Joseph Zakaria
✨ Joseph Vo
✨ Samreen Shah
✨ Maddie Potter
✨ Brooke Holder
✨ Alexis Ross
✨ Allison Brown
✨ Trevor Morris
✨ Sophie Qui
✨ Eric Weingart
✨ Ryan Vergara
✨ Jack Woeste
✨ Hannah Shankle Walden
✨ Megan Rachal
✨ Karlie Pinion
✨ Lauren Shackelford
✨ Olivia Waddill
✨ Kennedi Bell

🏆 We also proudly recognized 11 Student Doctors of the Year, chosen by site coordinators and designated site medical educators for their professionalism, compassion, teamwork, outreach, and academic excellence during rotations:
🌟 Anthony Elliott
🌟 Abby Knickerbocker
🌟 Brenden Larson
🌟 Eric Weingart
🌟 Karlie Pinion
🌟 Kaitlin Neathery
🌟 Hunter Ordner
🌟 Sydney Dean
🌟 Lauren Shackleford
🌟 Justin Bejcek
🌟 Marco Taveras