Eliyahu Gasson | Opinions Editor
After a grand opening last fall, the College of Osteopathic Medicine got an early start molding the minds of Duquesne’s first class of medical students.
For the first class of medical students, the academic year started on July 15, more than a month earlier than all undergraduate programs.
“The medical school starts earlier because there’s so much more information,” said John Kauffman, Dean of the Duquesne University of Osteopathic Medicine. “We cover in one semester what a master’s program will cover in one year.”
At 7:30 a.m. on Monday, medical students started their first round of exams. The students had four hours to take the exam followed by another class at 12 p.m. and lab later.
Medical student Kylie Howe, said her classmates and herself can feel the burden of their heavy course load, but that doesn’t stop them.
“It’s definitely an adjustment,” Howe said. “It’s intense at first but you kind of get used to it.”
“We worked really hard this weekend,” said classmate Olivia Mulè. “We were in the library for over 12 hours a day.”
Kauffman said that the medical school’s first year is going well so far.
“I think everyone has a great attitude, a great spirit and they’re engaged and working hard,” he continued. “What more could I ask?”
In an interview with The Duke in January, Kauffman told a reporter he hopes the school of medicine will train new doctors to understand how to help the body heal itself and will put more emphasis on prevention of disease and lifestyle adjustments to aid wellbeing.
“We teach everything that they would down the street at [The University of Pittsburgh],” Kauffman said on Monday. “We also offer an additional hour a week on the musculoskeletal system and then two hours of lab. In terms of philosophy, we’re very focused on the whole person.”
According to Kauffman, the values at Duquesne make it a great fit for an osteopathic medical school.
“That opportunity, the intersectionality of our philosophy with the university, is the perfect opportunity to really advance medical training and medical care,” he said.
Kauffman’s opinion was echoed by Howe.
“Just the philosophy of Duquesne as a whole really resonated with me as well as their mission statement when I was going through my interview,” she said.
Howe also said that Duquesne having an osteopathic medical school is one of her primary reasons for coming to The Bluff.
“This school kind of encompasses why I want to be a doctor, to treat the patient first,” she said.
Howe and Mulè agree that their first year is off to a good start.
“The school is absolutely state of the art. It’s brand new so we have everything that we need to succeed,” Mulè said.
Mulè said that it’s not just the equipment that makes her feel set up for success, but also the support of her peers.
“Med school usually has a competitive nature, but we really do help each other. We want everyone to succeed,” she said. “So I’d say the environment as a whole, it’s just mentoring us toward success.”
Duquesne’s first class of medical students totals 91 participants, all of whom share a class in the medical school’s lecture hall.
“Having a small class you kind of get to know everyone pretty well,” Howe said. “It’s really easy to meet people and we all have shared study spaces so we run into each other a lot.”
To celebrate the end of a long day of exams and classes, the medical school hosted an ice cream social for the students on Monday.
Kauffman spoke to those gathered at the event. “We put a lot of effort into picking the best people to come here who resonate with our mission.”