DOing More Good
DO Day of Service
The National DO Day of Service invites osteopathic medical students, student clubs, faculty, and physicians from colleges of osteopathic medicine across the nation to simultaneously volunteer in their communities and raise funds for charity. Typically held on the last Saturday of National Osteopathic Medicine Week (April 13 – 19 this year), Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Colorado (RVUCOM-CO) hosted its DO Day of Service on April 2.
The event is coordinated nationally through the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) — a body that sits under the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and brings together student government presidents and vice presidents from osteopathic schools across the country. The event is designed to provide an opportunity for the osteopathic community to engage with local communities through service, reflecting the osteopathic philosophy and its tenets.
Medical Field Day
RVUCOM-CO hosted over 100 3rd-grade students from World Compass Academy for a variety of hands-on, interactive stations focused on health professions, anatomy, and how the body works. Behind the scenes, putting this Medical Field Day together was a large collaborative effort involving approximately 100 student volunteers, support from the Office of Simulation in Medicine and Surgery (SIMS), and coordination across multiple student groups.
Students rotated through ten stations, each providing an age-appropriate glimpse into medicine. With support from SIMS, elementary students had the chance to use stethoscopes to listen to heart, lung, and gut sounds amplified through speakers on a half-body model. Other stations included CPR basics, hand washing, and nutrition, where students assembled their own snack box with a protein, carb, and healthy fat. There was also a laparoscopic scope station where pairs of children worked together to pass a piece of string through a simulated abdominal model. A “Stop the Bleed” station introduced basic wound care, while a splinting station — with teddy bears, ace bandages, and casts — allowed students to practice treating injuries. The day also featured a cardiopulmonary maze, in which kids physically traced an oxygen molecule’s path through the body by navigating a course set up with OPP manipulation tables; an endocrine relay race; a bone identification box; and an ultrasound demonstration.
The event was led by outgoing Student Government Association Vice President (SGA VP) Alexandra Orahovats OMS-II, with incoming SGA VP Advita Bhatia OMS-I also playing a key role in organizing the day.
“It’s a nice break from studies and a chance to give back to the community in a meaningful, intentional way,” said Orahovats. “These events are always so much fun. It’s really special to see so many people come together to create a shared experience that gets kids excited about medicine and learning. As medical students, we have the opportunity to pay it forward by inspiring others and sharing what we’ve learned. Being able to give that back to third graders, who are still so curious and enthusiastic, makes it especially rewarding.”
Improving the Health of our Communities Through Service
The Medical Field Day held by RVUCOM-CO students is just one expression of a much larger commitment to service. Underlying events like DO Day of Service is the TOUCH Program, Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health, a national initiative of COSGP that accounts for more than 250,000 hours of community service performed annually nationwide. The TOUCH program encourages osteopathic medical students to engage in service that expands osteopathic ideals and principles beyond the walls of medical schools, whether through volunteer medical services, political advocacy, or global outreach.
But numbers only tell part of the story. At its heart, DO Day of Service reflects one of osteopathic medicine’s foundational tenets: a deep commitment to improving the health of our communities through service. For the students of RVUCOM-CO, that commitment looked like 80 volunteers giving up a Saturday morning to welcome 105 elementary schoolers onto campus, spark curiosity about science and medicine, and make every kid feel excited about what their future might hold.
“DO Day of Service is deeply meaningful to me because it brings together service, mentorship, and purpose,” said Bhatia. “Being able to give back to the community while inspiring the next generation of future physicians is a privilege and a powerful reminder of why I chose this path. [Alexandra and I] would also like to extend a special thank you to the RVU Office of Simulation in Medicine and Surgery and the RVU Student Affairs Department for their incredible support in helping make this large-scale event a success.”
That spirit of giving back, of translating years of rigorous study into something meaningful for the people around them, is what drives RVU students to show up, year after year, in classrooms, clinics, shelters, and communities across Colorado and beyond.
To learn more about how RVU students are making an impact, visit Peak News & Stories on the RVU website.