New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University
2405 AGGIE ROAD | JONESBORO WWW.NYIT.EDU/ARKANSAS | 870-680-8816
New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University opened its doors to the first class of medical students on Aug. 8, 2016. A-State approached NYIT in 2012 with the idea of establishing an NYITCOM program at the A-State campus, aimed at producing physicians, especially physicians who would practice generalist specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine and obstetrics/gynecology) and who would practice in the medically underserved and rural areas of Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta region.
In a 2017 report, Arkansas ranked 46 out of 51 states (including Washington, D.C.) in the number of physicians per capita. That number is driven heavily by the low number of doctors practicing in rural areas along the Mississippi Delta. Additionally, the Mississippi Delta Region ranks at the bottom of scales for various health-related diseases, such as cancer, mortality rates, diabetes and hypertension. NYITCOM at A-State was established to address the growing need for physicians in this region and to provide outreach and educational programs to improve health outcomes in the Delta.
NYITCOM at A-State is preparing medical students to be fully equipped to enter the medical profession and become fully licensed physicians who have the ability to practice in all areas of medicine. NYITCOM at A-State will graduate its first class in 2020.
NYITCOM at A-State facilities, in the heart of Arkansas State University’s Jonesboro campus, include a state-of-the art anatomy lab, team-based teaching labs, an auditorium, an osteopathic manipulative lab, a medical library, a student lounge, simulation labs, and classrooms outfitted with technology for in-person and twoway live streaming of lectures between the Arkansas and New York campuses.
“We have a focused mission to be a catalyst for better health care in our state and our region,” said Dr. Shane Speights, dean of NYITCOM at A-State. “We are committed to improving health outcomes in Arkansas and the Delta. There is no greater calling, and to us, it’s personal.”
WHAT IS OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE?
Osteopathic medicine is a distinct branch of medical practice in the United States. The osteopathic philosophy of medicine sees an interrelated unity in all systems of the body, with each working with the other to heal in times of illness. The profession is one of the fastest growing segments in health care today, with one out of every four medical students enrolled in an osteopathic medical school. Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, are fully licensed physicians who practice in all areas of medicine, surgery and specialties.
DOs practice a whole-person approach to medicine, focused on looking beyond symptoms and partnering with their patients to better understand their individual health-andwellness needs. DOs receive special training in the musculoskeletal system, the body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones. By combining this knowledge with the latest advances in medical technology, DOs offer patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today. Osteopathic physicians focus on prevention and on tuning in to how a patient’s lifestyle and environment can impact their well-being.
DOs strive to help their patients be truly healthy in mind, body and spirit — not just free of symptoms.