[August 13, 2019] On the morning of August 7th, Rocky Vista University (RVU) welcomed a new class of students to the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program. During the nine-month-long program, the MSBS students will expand upon their foundation in the biomedical sciences through an integrated curriculum of service learning, block testing, and simulation experiences with osteopathic medical students and standardized patients.
After crossing off the more formal items from the Orientation Day checklist, such as curriculum overview and policies and procedures review, the MSBS students dove into a fun icebreaker challenge designed to test t heir communications and problem-solving skills. They arranged a story from a set of sequential images (without revealing their own assigned image) that zoomed in from a satellite image of Earth to a close-up of the red comb of a rooster on a farm. Other activities included a scavenger hunt and a leadership luncheon with osteopathic medical students — some of whom are graduates of the MSBS program. Luncheons with students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) prove to be particularly insightful, as MSBS students will most likely apply to medical and dentistry programs upon the completion of their graduate degree.
The day concluded with the much-anticipated Induction Ceremony during which students received their white coats as family and friends looked on. Every year, the ceremony serves as a formal introduction for the students to the University, and is a moment of celebration for the new students. Clinton Adams, DO, FACHE, President and CEO of RVU, gave the welcome remarks and, as the students hurried to their seats, emphasized that they should enjoy the journey that they have now embarked on. Onilia Zorio, OMS II and a 2018 graduate of the MSBS program, spoke of the unexpected challenges that she overcame while in the program, both personal and academic, and the good things that came from being a part of such a supportive family at RVU.
See more photos from the MSBS Class of 2020 Orientation Day at http://bit.ly/2OKx41A.