By Yvette Crenshaw

 Hats off to the recent gradutes of A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-SOMA) in Mesa, Ariz. The class of about 90 students – or shall I say physicians will all enter residencies around the country to practice a very unique model that was fully accredited by the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) just days before the graduation.

The strong partnership between The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and ATSU-SOMA has played a key role in introducing the graduates not only to Community Health Centers but the importance of primary health care. The partnership allows the students to use health centers as a source of training with hopes of having them actually go on to practice at health centers. 

Dr. Tom Curtin, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of NACHC delivered the commencement keynote address  and as former Medical Director of East Jordan Family Health Center in East Jordan, MI, he knows all too well the importance of these types of partnerships. Listen to his address here.

Both NACHC and ATSU-SOMA are pleased to announce that over 80 percent of the class members will go on to practice primary care and 15 students will even remain in Arizona where physicians are greatly needed.