Fourth-year students earn high marks in College of Medicine badge program

As noted previously in the Pulse, the former Integrated Pathway programs in the College of Medicine  transitioned to badge-awarding learning communities. Badges are offered and earned by COM students in the context of faculty-led learning communities. The Health, Education, Advocacy and Leadership (HEAL) and Research and Scholarship badges are the first learning communities to award these badges. The HEAL learning communities aim to provide students with longitudinal and meaningful experiences in cross-cultural patient populations. There are 245 active HEAL students, M1-M4 in academic year 2024-2025, and the program boasts 212 alumni since 2016.

The HEAL learning communities administer badges to students who demonstrate exceptional performance in HEAL's three concentrations:

• Patient Advocacy and Community Health (PACH)
• Rural Medicine (RMED)
• Urban Primary Care Practice (UPCP)

The following M4 students received high marks through their immense co-curricular efforts in patient advocacy, rural medicine and urban practice:

• Brent Bostater (RMED) and Megan Fainer (PACH): Pioneered a pilot 6-month longitudinal integrated clerkship in rural communities.
• Aidan Coggeshall (RMED), Lindsey Colvin (RMED) and Jonathon McCann (RMED): Led rural pipeline efforts to promote health professions among area rural high school students.
• Krista Hammaker (PACH): Accomplished scholarly projects to promote community-driven action and ethical practices for those facing obstacles.
• Kaylee Martin (RMED): Accomplished all longitudinal rural experiences and all possible training as a budding rural medical educator.
• Michael Massey PACH): Championed community needs to promote health care for all.
• Diamanta Panford (UPCP): Led advocacy efforts in admissions to enhance reach through exemplary peer education and mentorship opportunities.
• Mazen Sarwar (UPCP) and Ethan Vo (PACH): Engaged in outstanding service and clinical experiences within areas in need of community resources.
• Daniela Zapata (PACH): Served as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for Child Protective Services, and as an advocate in local/state/national healthcare policy.

Congratulations to these students, and all M4s at Match and graduation!

- submitted by Michael Appleman