Students Take TOUCH Service to Next Level
33 from Touro COM Program Earn National Recognition for Work to Boost Understanding of Osteopathic Medical Principles, Values
More than 100 Touro University California medical students provided a whopping 3,700 hours of extra volunteer service during the 2023-2024 academic year as part of a nationwide initiative to increase community understanding of the osteopathic medical profession.
The student service is part of TOUCH, which stands for Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health.
Student Doctor Caroline Auxier (MSMHS Class of 2021), a third-year osteopathic medical student, led the charge at TUC.
“The TOUCH program is a great motivator for extra volunteer work. I know I would have been involved with these organizations regardless, but seeing the hours add up is really motivating and rewarding,” Auxier said. “It’s also pretty cool to see our collective efforts as a student body.”
The total number of service hours – 3,717 hours – represents an increase of nearly 40% from the previous year’s total.
Dr. Tami Hendriksz (DO Class of 2006), Dean and Chief Academic Officer for the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Interim CAO for the University, announced what she described as an “incredible” achievement in a message to the TUCOM community.
Local Service Leads to National Recognition
Auxier earned a national Platinum Award for her 275 hours of service. The Platinum Award is granted to the student who dedicates the most hours of TOUCH-related service at their osteopathic medicine campus.
Auxier is on rotation at Natividad Hospital in Salinas “and absolutely loving it.”
“The patient population is incredible, offering plenty of opportunities to practice Spanish, and all the attendings are deeply committed to underserved medicine,” Auxier said. “As students, we have a lot of autonomy and can engage meaningfully in patient care. Honestly, I couldn’t have ended up at a better place to rotate.”
Ten other TUC students earned the national Gold Award, each completing more than 100 hours, while 22 students received the Silver Award, with each contributing more than 50 hours.
But it’s about more than the number of accumulated hours.
“My advice would be to not put too much focus on collecting hours just for the sake of it or only for building an application. Instead, use these opportunities to discover which patient populations and types of practice resonate with you,” Auxier said. “Medical school can sometimes feel like a series of hoops to jump through on the way to residency, making it easy to lose sight of the real goal: shaping the kind of physician you want to be. Volunteering is a powerful way to develop soft skills that shape patient care and can teach you a lot about what excites you in medicine.”
Many Benefits to TOUCH Initiative
TOUCH is a national initiative of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents that aims to encourage osteopathic medical students to engage in community service that extends beyond the osteopathic community.
Osteopathic medical students who take part in TOUCH help to expand the understanding and impact of osteopathic principles and values among those who may be unaware of the ideals of the osteopathic medical profession.
A total of 109 TUCOM students took part in TOUCH during the 2023-2024 academic year. Approved activities include such things as volunteer medical services, political advocacy, and global outreach.
Hendriksz described the approximate 1,000 hours of additional service year-over-year as “an outstanding achievement” that underscores the students’ commitment to making a difference.