Meet our DO Students

Our DO students may come from all over the globe and from different backgrounds, but their dedication to becoming the next generation of thoughtful, caring physicians makes SOM one of the leading osteopathic medical schools in the US. From our students' commitment to providing health care within their communities to promoting the benefits of osteopathic care in treating the whole patient, our students inspire us every day. Meet some of our students and discover why Rowan-Virtua SOM is the place where you want to become a DO!

Mikayla Brackett, Class of 2029

Mikayla Brackett takes us along for a "Day in the Life" for a Rowan-Virtua SOM Open House. She explores the details of life as an SOM student, as well as the "life" side of being a medical student in South Jersey - what to eat, where to live and the best places to study. Since it is an Open House day, Mikayla she walks us through the campus where she spends most of her time, our Sewell Campus. We also get behind the scenes looks at our state-of-the-art Simulation Center, cameos from other admissions ambassadors, advice for prospective students, and a peek at event day breakout sessions.

Most notably, she answers the question "Why did you choose Rowan?"
—"Their mission...how dedicated they are to the principles of osteopathic medicine, to what it means to be a physician in today's world. But, the true reason I picked Rowan is because when I was here for my own open house experience about a year ago today, I felt what can only be described as a wave of community. This community is something so special and I'm proven right almost every single day. From the administration, to my facilitators, to my peers, everyone has made me feel so at home. And I'm just so honored to be part of this community. And I can't wait for you guys to join this community and feel how supported we all are here."

Tanvi Shah, Class of 2026

At Rowan-Virtua SOM we are proud of our Osteopathic background. We believe that physicians should treat the whole patient, not just one symptom. Tanvi Shah talks about her reasons for choosing to study osteopathy and her affinity for Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). At SOM, the philosophy of approaching health care from a holistic vision extends into the classroom, clinical settings, and community outreach.

When asked about when she first heard of osteopathic medicine, Tanvi recalled that she shadowed a DO who was an oncologist and she “really loved the way she interacted with her patients and the time she took to validate the entirety of the experience that they were feeling."

She further shares, "Just because someone’s coming in for chest pain, doesn’t mean we only ask about the chest pain. We try and get a full picture of their whole health, as well as what other things might impact their health outside of just standard physical findings."

Jason Richwall, Class of 2027

Pathway to DO Program

I always dreamed of going to medical school and knew that academic reinforcement from a Special Master’s Program leading up to medical school would be a benefit for me. Rowan-Virtua SOM was already one of my top choices and I love that they have a Pathways to SOM partnership with the Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences. In addition to sharing faculty with the medical school, their Master of Biomedical Sciences program offers a guaranteed interview at SOM if you maintain your GPA.

I hit the ground running at SOM and was ready to attack the rigors of med school with the strong academic foundation and the independent study strategies that translated from the Special Master’s Program to medical school. I took a different path to becoming a DO – a gap year working full time at a doctor's office and graduating from the TBES’ Master of Biomedical Sciences program – but all of those steps have helped me fulfill my dream.