TCOM’s Melva Landrum appointed to the prestigious Careers in Medicine Advisory Board

Heads Up Day, Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Photo By Joyce MarshallShe’s an expert in residency and the Match for osteopathic medical students, and now Melva Landrum of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is part of a national advisory board representing osteopathic medicine. Landrum, a director in TCOM’s Office of Medical Student Success, was appointed to the Association of American Medical Colleges Careers in Medicine Advisory Committee as the osteopathic representative. She will serve a three-year term that begins on August 1.

“This is an exciting appointment for Melva herself, for TCOM and for the osteopathic profession,” said Dr. Lisa Nash, TCOM’s senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education. “Melva has distinguished herself as a leader in the field of student success for residency placement. This appointment is a prominent acknowledgment of her dedicated service on behalf of our students and osteopathic medicine. I’m so proud of her and pleased with this appointment.”

Landrum will not only be representing TCOM on the committee but all of osteopathic medicine. The committee only selects one individual from across the country to represent and report on the DO student experiences.

“My goal in this role that I hope to accomplish is to help AAMC understand the ‘Road to Residency’ experience for osteopathic medical students,” Landrum said. “I will be able to make suggestions to resources, materials and the type of information being distributed to DO students and graduates as it relates to matching into residency.”

The Careers in Medicine Advisory Committee was established in the summer of 2000 to provide guidance and recommendations on the ongoing development of the Careers in Medicine program overall, and as it relates to the career needs of medical students and residents. The committee typically meets once a year at the AAMC headquarters in Washington, D.C., with regular conference calls throughout the year.

“I’ve come to understand that I have some of the most extensive data regarding DO students’ match trends and outcomes, as I have been tracking nearly 100 data points for almost 10 match cycles,” Landrum said. “I hope to be able to support the AAMC team with understanding the numbers, trends, and match outcomes for DO students and provide insight into how the services that AAMC offers may continue to align with the needs of osteopathic applicants.”

Landrum has made numerous presentations at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and across the country regarding residency, the Match, and the career advising curriculum TCOM offers its students.

Landrum has done an annual pre-conference workshop titled: “Effective Strategies to Maximize Student Mtch Success through Career Advising before AACOM’s yearly Educating Leaders conference, and she helped form their Council on Residency Placement.

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