A Note from Dean Cavalieri
While the COVID pandemic continues to alter the way we approach our daily lives, the important work we do - educating students, researching biomedical discoveries, caring for patients, and building a more inclusive environment for all - continues uninterrupted and, in fact, continues to grow. The generous grant received from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will help us sustain that growth as we look eagerly to the opening of that new site in March 2021.
Please join me this month in extending congratulations to the Class of 2024 on receiving their white coats, and to the many students and staff who helped organize and participated in this year's Diversity Week activities.
Stay strong and be safe,
Thomas A. Cavalieri, DO, MACOI, FACP
Dean
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Gifts 1.68M to RowanSOM for New Sewell Campus
The Rowan University Foundation has received a $1,680,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to maximize the potential of Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine's (RowanSOM) new Sewell campus, located at Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester. The funding will enhance the training of future physicians and improve health care for residents in southern New Jersey.
The project will support RowanSOM's new Sewell campus as it combines medical education and clinical services to address physician shortages and provide South Jersey residents with a new opportunity for accessing health care. Rowan Medicine clinical programs and training sites will be co-located on the campus.
Initially, Rowan Medicine, the clinical component of RowanSOM, will open six health care programs on the first floor of the two-story, 55,000 square foot building scheduled to open in March 2021. The programs will provide integrated primary care and behavioral health services for residents of Gloucester, Salem, Cape May and Cumberland counties.
Pending approval of the medical school's accrediting body, the expansion also will increase annual enrollment at RowanSOM from 200 to 272 medical students per class, making it the largest medical school in New Jersey. Recent developments due to the pandemic have delayed enrollment of the first class until July 2022.
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Page Launched on SOM Website
We are proud to announce that the new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) web page is now live on the SOM website. Developed with contributions from the DEI Committee, the Black Collective, and Yvonne Ortiz, the campus Director of DEI, the site will serve as a home for information on initiatives including strategic planning, as well as resources and links for reporting issues such as harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct. The website is a reflection of the mission and values of SOM and GSBS, and is a representation of our commitment to continue the work necessary to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all.
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Class of 2024 Receives First White Coats
Dean Cavalieri and members of administration were pleased to present the Class of 2024 with their first white coats on October 15 and 16. Traditionally, students receive the coats at the White Coat Ceremony in August, which, due to coronavirus restrictions, was not able to proceed as planned. While we were unable to celebrate in-person with our students, we know that the white coat is an important tool in a physician's medical kit.
We extend our very best wishes to the Class of 2024 for continued success throughout their first year at RowanSOM, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments and medical school journey in a more formal way at their White Coat Ceremony in the near future.
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SOM Celebrates Diversity Week
 The SOM I.D.E.A. Council hosted its annual Diversity Week October 19-23. The week's events, many of which were held virtually, featured speakers exploring medical intersectionality through the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQIA+ populations, religion in health care, and women in medicine, to mention a few.
 SOM alumna Dr. Magdala Chery kicked off the week with her keynote address, "Diversity and the Intersectionality of Health Care." Many student clubs, including SNMA, AIM, AMWA, CMDA, AMMS, LMSA and JOMA planned and co-hosted additional webinars for the remainder of the week. A special 'thank you' is extended to the I.D.E.A. Council for planning a fantastic week filled with informative and educational events.
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The Boye Foundation's Generous Gift to Neuroscience ALS Research
Thanks to the continued generosity of The Boye Foundation and a recent $50,000 gift, Dr. Robert Nagel and his research team in the New Jersey Institute of Successful Aging (NJISA) are able to continue their ongoing efforts in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research. ALS is a progressive, and ultimately fatal, neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in the loss of connection to and control of the body's muscles. The gift supports the team's ALS Biomarker Discovery effort, allowing them to purchase large format human protein microarrays and associated reagents to use in determining just how ALS is triggered.
This gift is just one of the several gifts, totaling $400,000, that The Boye Foundation has made to RowanSOM, providing much needed resources that allow our clinical and research faculty to keep making groundbreaking discoveries while training the next generation of physicians and scientists. We are grateful for The Boye Foundation's support.
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Students Treated to Halloween Snacks and Crafts
 Students took a well-deserved break on October 16 to enjoy Halloween treats and crafts provided by ROMA, the Wellness Committee and Student Affairs. Crafts included personalizing colorful scratch leaves and assembling mini bats. Students also enjoyed the yoga infographic for Halloween-inspired Asana.
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RowanSOM Alumni Association Webinar Series
Each month, the RowanSOM Alumni Association hosts a special webinar discussing important health issues in our communities. Alumni, faculty and guest health care providers share their expertise on various topics, while providing an opportunity for participants to engage in conversation.
The proposed topics for our November and December webinars are "mental health" and "special needs population," respectively. To learn more, or to view previous months' webinars, visit the SOM Alumni web page.
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Below are excerpts from interviews with two of our newly elected members of the SOM Alumni Association Board. Check out the alumni homepage for the full interviews and future Alumni Spotlights!
Athena Theodosatos, DO '06
Dr. Athena Theodosatos is an osteopathic-trained dermatologist residing in Florida. Originally from Tampa, Dr. Theodosatos returned to Florida after graduating from SOM, opening her own dermatology practice in Apopka in 2014. Dr. Theodosatos splits her time between treating patients of all ages at her medical office and treating the elderly in nursing homes, independent and assisted living facilities, and private homes.
Dr. Theodosatos was first attracted to the diversity and welcoming atmosphere at SOM, as well as the connections the school offered to other health care systems and hospitals. Her fondest memory from medical school was her two-week rotation at Hippocrates Hospital in Athens, Greece, as a fourth-year student. There, she was able to stay with her grandmother and learn medicine at one of the oldest hospitals in Greece, which is located near the Acropolis. Today, she most enjoys building relationships with her patients and other health care professionals. Her advice for current SOM students is to "immerse yourself in all specialties and aspects of medicine, because those experiences will help shape you into a well-rounded osteopathic physician and best prepare you for internship and residency."
When she is not working, Dr. Theodosatos enjoys running road races, making stained glass art, and spending time with friends and family. She is also a huge Wonder Woman fan and collector of memorabilia and cosplayer.
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SOM University Advancement Invites You to Share Your Thoughts About Medical Education
As we experience a new academic year faced with significant challenges and uncertainties due to the COVID-19 crisis, we are reaching out to alumni and friends to ask a simple question:
Why Is Medical Education Important?
We hope to share many of your responses over the coming months, including our latest submission:
"We decided that we would take up a most noble profession, Physician. Medical education created the path to our goal!"
Adrienne Rigueur, DO '06
RowanSOM Alumni Association Board Member
To participate in this project, please send your thoughts in 20 words to Nora Casper, Development Coordinator at [email protected].
Make a Gift because Medical Education Is Important
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