The DO Council at ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ has named Andrea Weir (DO β21) Student DO of the Year (SDOY). She will now be considered
for the National SDOY Award by the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents
(COSGP), along with entrants from other osteopathic schools across the country.
SDOY candidates at ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ are nominated by a committee of faculty, administration, and their peers, based on myriad criteria including: a dedication to leadership, community service, the profession, professionalism and embodiment of the osteopathic philosophy.
For Ms. Weir, her path to medical school was not a typical one. Prior to attending ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ, she trained in several Michelin-star kitchens in Italy and also worked as a chef, and since coming to medical school, has been exploring ways to integrate her knowledge of food with her education in medicine.
In October, she was awarded a Human Touch Community Impact Grant from the American Osteopathic Foundation, for a project she founded titled βCooking Up Courage.β The program features nutritional information and recipes created by Ms. Weir to guide community members on how to create healthful meals. The program has been circulated to other osteopathic schools across the country through the Student Osteopathic Medical Association.
βAndrea brings a unique background to her medical school career, with years of experience as a chef. She has taken her love for food and providing for others, and has translated this into her life in medical school,β said Stephen DePaul (DO β21), DO Council president and chair of the SDOY Selection Committee. βAndrea is the epitome of what it means to be an osteopathic medical student."
Ms. Weir has served ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ and the osteopathic profession in various ways. She is the founder of the Social Medicine Program in the ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), through which she initiated a project that explores health disparities through interactive student workshops; and has served as a medical student advocate with Main Line Health, through which she helps underserved patients in West Philadelphia overcome barriers to healthcare.
In addition, she is currently the president of the Nutrition in Medicine Club and in that role, launched a food pantry on campus for students in need who are food insecure. She has also served as the vice-president of the Psychiatry Club; the national liaison officer for SOMA; is an advocacy committee member for ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕβs Student-Run Clinic project; is student ambassador to the Office of Admissions, and is a board member of ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕβs Cultural Competency program.
βI am so thankful to the ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ community for this amazing honor, and for the opportunity to represent them,β said Ms. Weir.
The National SDOY winner will be announced in April 2019.
Established in 1899, ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a βwhole personβ approach to careβtreating people, not just symptoms. ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ, ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ Georgia and ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, ΊΪΑΟ΄«ΛΝΓΕ provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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