Bradenton, FL (May 30, 2017) – In celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) will hold its Military Commissioning Ceremony Friday, June 2, 2017, at 4 p.m.
The Manatee High School Color Guard will begin the ceremony and welcoming remarks will be delivered by Col. Rocky Farr, M.D., a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer. The Class of 2017 also will hear from LECOM Associate Dean of Clinical Education Anthony Ferretti, D.O., Colonel, U.S. Army, retired, and from LECOM’s director of the Advanced Education General Dentistry program Col. Timothy J. Halligan, D.M.D., U.S. Navy Dental Corps Commander, retired.
The Class of 2017 includes:
College of Medicine — Lieutenant Ryan Azzam, U.S. Navy; Captain Mateo Betancourt, U.S. Army; Capt. Brian Burke, U.S. Army; Capt. Alexandra Carney, U.S. Army; Capt. Joel Fink, U.S. Air Force; Capt. Sean Griffiths, U.S. Air Force; Lt. Sergey Ivanov, U.S. Navy; Capt. Zachery Loud, U.S. Army; Capt. Parker Lovelace, U.S. Army; Lieut. John McCarthy, U.S. Navy; Capt. Caitlin Sandman, U.S. Army; Lt. Christopher Topping, U.S. Navy; Capt. Nena Wenzel, U.S. Air Force; and Capt. Andrew Wyatt, U.S. Air Force.
School of Dental Medicine — Capt. Andrew Barnard, U.S. Army; Capt. Mark Houston, U.S. Army; and Capt. Rebekah Schott, U.S. Army.
LECOM, with campuses in Erie and Greensburg, PA, and Bradenton, FL, will award 1,075 degrees. LECOM Bradenton will hold its 10th Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, June 4, at 1 p.m. at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto, FL.
Now in its 25th year, LECOM is the nation’s largest medical college and is part of LECOM Health, the sole health system with an Osteopathic Academic Health Center in the United States.
Upon graduation, many LECOM Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) graduates will continue their post-graduate training at hospitals throughout the nation, with 30 percent continuing their learning in Florida and Pennsylvania. Two out of three LECOM D.O. graduates will go into primary care. U.S. News & World Report magazine ranks LECOM among the Top 10 medical schools that graduate the greatest percentage of primary-care physicians.
Many Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) graduates will begin their careers at community and clinical pharmacies across the nation. An increasing number of the new Pharm.D.s elect to continue with post-graduate specialized-residency programs.
One of the School of Dental Medicine’s primary missions is to prepare dentists who can provide oral health care to communities with a need for more dentists. After dental school, students have spent three years studying at LECOM’s Florida campus, including one year of clinical training at the LECOM Bradenton Dental Group practice, they complete a final year of clinical practice in dental offices in the underserved areas of DeFuniak Springs, FL, and in Erie.
###
LECOM Health, through its academic and clinical affiliates of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Millcreek Community Hospital and Medical Associates of Erie is focused on one goal: bringing better health to everyone at every stage of their lives. LECOM Health now has nearly 2,500 people dedicated to quality, compassionate clinical care for our patients, educating future health care professionals and bringing a lifetime of wellness to those who matter most to our patients and their families
LECOM Health includes two hospitals, physician practices, senior living and skilled nursing communities, a medical fitness and wellness center and dental offices where we deliver excellent care throughout Erie County in Pennsylvania.
Millcreek Community Hospital is a 168-bed, full-service, acute care hospital recognized as the regional leader in senior services, behavioral health and medical education. The hospital has more than 600 employees.
Medical Associates of Erie (MAE) is a physician practice group with both Primary Care Physicians and physicians in the Medical and Surgical Specialties. The physicians in MAE are also instructors and professors at LECOM.
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine with more than 1,000 employees is the largest college of medicine in the United States with medical school enrollment topping 2,200 students. With the School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine and School of Graduate Studies, LECOM total enrollment surpasses 4,000 students. More than 9,000 LECOM graduates are now physicians, pharmacists and dentists practicing in every state.
LECOM Health affiliates also include the Corry Memorial Hospital, LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center and the LECOM Senior Living Center which includes our independent living communities, LECOM at Presque Isle Rehabilitation and Nursing, LifeWorks Erie and Visiting Nurses Association of Erie County.