Coping with Covid-19 Scholarship
Sponsored by the SOMA Foundation
The SOMA Foundation is excited to launch our new Coping with COVID-19 mental health initiative! We are creating this new fundraising campaign and scholarship to encourage positive mental wellness activities during a difficult time in all our lives. 50% of profits will support our existing initiatives and 50% will support our new Coping with COVID-19 scholarship. $500 scholarships will be awarded to at least one osteopathic medical student who is a SOMA member and demonstrates the way in which they have been coping with COVID through a creative outlet.
Spring 2021 Recipients
Spring 2021 Recipients
Thomas Auen
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Thomas volunteered as a cantor for weekend masses as his local church. You are hearing Thomas beautifully singing Cantique de Noel at the Christmas Eve Mass!
"My continued volunteering as a cantor allows me to share a talent not used since high school and college vocal instruction. Perhaps more timely in my current role as an osteopathic medical student, my singing espouses the first tenet of osteopathic medicine: the body is a functional unit; an integrated unit of mind, body, and, as is my case, spirit. Doing so brings both me and my church members a way to cope through COVID-19. I plan to continue ministering to my congregation through song, healing them with music amid troubling times." |
Heather Pol
Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine Cindy Chu
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine |
For her creative piece, Heather shared a look at the pandemic timeline from the perspective of her best friend, Misty, her 7 year old terrier mix. We enjoyed reading your diary, Misty!
"Overall, being at home and isolated has been difficult, but the intensity of medical school has remained the same. Misty has been here every step of the way and has helped me cope with the challenges of the pandemic. She offers me companionship and reminds me to take study-breaks. I wrote her diary entries as a reflection my fluctuating feelings throughout this pandemic, starting with excitement and ending with uncertainty mixed with hope. I think we will all be happy when the pandemic is over, Misty included. (Don't tell her I read her diary!)" Cindy and her brother helped with a drive-by food distribution event hosted by Forgotten Harvest in Oak Park, MI. With the help of others, they packed over 2,000 dry food boxes a day, amounting to 10,000 families that could be fed in a week! She even illustrated notes of encouragement to be placed in food boxes (seen in the second picture).
"Volunteering during COVID-19 challenged me to be productive in a way that addressed truly important issues at hand during a very trying time. It was valid to feel upset about missing family traditions that year, but realistically, I must acknowledge that 2020 was not a traditional year by any means. By dedicating a handful of hours to the food pantry, I shed off my bitterness at being unable to do everything I had looked forward to doing and focused my energy on something that was equally fulfilling and arguably more beneficial. This outlet for coping during the pandemic really brought new meaning to “finding myself by losing myself in the service of others.” I am grateful for having had the opportunity to volunteer and am inspired to continue this line of work even after the pandemic ends." |
Nilsha Khurana
Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Nilsha was able to use music and singing to forget about the hardships that she's had to overcome throughout the past year. Nilsha brought tears to our eyes as she sang Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo. Truly inspiring! |
Jennifer LeRose
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Through social media, Jennifer connected with other medical students at MSUCOM and nearby Wayne State University. Together, they founded DET Needs PPE. To date, Jennifer and her friends have distributed over 115,000 PPE items, raised over $20,000, and published in peer-reviewed journals about their experience.
"The COVID-19 pandemic offered a unique opportunity to learn about my coping mechanism and develop new skills. I have learned an incredible about myself that I will carry with me into my medical career. Namely, the therapeutic impact of journaling, my need to take action in crises, and the importance of asking for help. While I hope never to face another pandemic, I will be ready to tackle the challenge better if the time comes." |
Elias Makhoul
Nova Southeastern University - KPCOM |
Elias amazed us with his sketches! Not only did creating these comedic cartoons help Elias cope with stress, but he also found that it lightened up other people’s days, as well. Some resonated with the drawings that emphasized the stressors of being a medical student, while others supported the growth of his long distance relationship with his fiancée.
"While I was able to hike and enjoy the outdoors more, no activity made me feel the same way drawing did. Having personal art projects helped the time pass and cleared my mind from other stressors around me. In addition, I noticed myself being more focused while studying and performing better on my exams because I gave myself breaks through drawing. Now, back to in-person classes, I continue to draw when I have spare time because I saw the positive effects it had on me at the peak of the pandemic." |
Anh-Dao Tran
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine |
Anh-Dao began teaching yoga to her classmates in her first year of medical school. Then, all campus activities were shutdown due to COVID-19 in March 2020. Anh-Dao had to juggle some hardships during the pandemic but her love for yoga was still strong. She then started teaching yoga online to her classmates!
"What incited me pursue teaching yoga again was the detrimental impact of these factors on my daily life, my friends stressing that I was not acknowledging my own emotions while I was tending to those around me, and finally realizing I was neglecting myself. I knew I had to earnestly choose myself and my mental wellness again. I started attending yoga philosophy classes and it magnetized me. We were discussing spirituality, mental health, desires, values, mindfulness, and universal connection. Through this work and counseling, I developed a better understanding of myself, what my values are, and how to "take yoga off the mat." |
Michael Furey
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine |
With the help of his colleagues Meghan Oram and Dr. Jacob Cukierski, Michael created Student OMT, an OMT skills site loaded with teaching articles, videos, and interactive learning tools! Currently, site access is given
to LECOM Erie and LECOM Elmira SAAO members for free. Additionally, they are currently offering 2 free accounts per institution that has an active SAAO chapter. Check the site out at www.studentOMT.org. "While we were not directly helping with the COVID-19 response, I feel we were doing something equally, or even more important – ensuring students can continue to receive a high quality OPP education despite not being able to be in OPP lab or even be with classmates to practice! Personally, our Student OMT project gave me a sense of worth and purpose to keep going." |