Reconnect with the OMS1 experience

At the start of 2022, I launched the Reconnect series to reacquaint students, faculty and staff with the exceptional people and programs that are at the center of Heritage College. To date, interviews have featured a wide array of impactful Heritage College programs, including our Body Donor Program, the Osteopathic Primary Care Associateship, Community Health Programs, Residency Services and Research, just to name a few. 

This fall, I will be taking a slightly different approach, featuring students at different points in the med ed journey. I'll kick things off by sharing highlights from my recent conversation with a few of our newest arrivals, Cleveland campus first-year students David Chelnick and Aishwarya Nippani, on the morning of their Convocation and White Coat Ceremony: 

I often say that the Heritage College's “secret sauce" is the caring and compassionate atmosphere that we create. And there's no better way to cultivate compassion and care than by connecting to the circumstances of those around us. That is the goal of this semester's Reconnect series. 

Many of us can clearly remember being in David and Aishwarya's shoes: the relief of being accepted into medical school, the excitement to begin medical training and the inevitable uncertainty. And all of us can identify with the hope and anticipation that accompanies new beginnings. 

With those perspectives in mind, I would encourage you to extend a hand and perhaps some encouragement to the first-year students among us, as they acclimate to the Heritage College in the weeks and months ahead. 

Ken Johnson, D.O.