The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine has won two national Excellence in Communication (EIC) Awards through the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM).
AACOM’s EIC program is designed to recognize the important role communications plays in advancing osteopathic medical education and the profession. It also seeks to inspire higher levels of performance among members.
Each year, more than 100 entries are reviewed and award winners are chosen by an expert panel of judges—consisting of AACOM’s Marketing and Communications team, AACOM senior staff members, and guest judges who specialize in all areas of communication. Submissions are judged for their creativity and effectiveness in achieving the project’s stated objective related to the mission of the submitting osteopathic medical school.
“These awards are a testament to our forward-thinking and talented staff,” says John Hummer, president of the college. “It is an honor to be recognized by a national organization for the time and effort we invest in communication and marketing materials.”
Burrell College’s 2020 winning entries are:
First Place in Podcast/Video: The Class of 2023 White Coat Ceremony
Created by Christopher Espinosa and Nadia Whitehead, this video was published shortly after the Class of 2023 White Coat Ceremony in July 2019. The goal was for viewers to “relive” the event, particularly if they could not attend the ceremony in person. The video explains what a White Coat Ceremony is and why the event is so important to medical students.
Three incoming students are introduced to viewers in the video. By spotlighting students and their stories, the team hoped to build support for the college and its regional mission: “Para la gente y el futuro; For the people and the future.”
This first place award was acknowledged at AACOM’s Annual Awards Banquet, which was held online this year on Friday, March 27.
Second Place in Recruitment: Burrell College Viewbook
The 2019-20 Burrell College viewbook was a team effort amongst Courtney Lewis, Sam Turner and Nadia Whitehead. The annual viewbook is intended to help recruit and attract potential medical students, giving readers a glimpse of what it’s like to attend the college.
The team’s goal was to create a visually-appealing booklet that positively showcased the college’s campus, curriculum and activities. Content was selected to help inspire and motivate readers to apply to medical school. For example, one section of the book includes profiles of current students, with the goal being that readers would relate to a current student—whether they are from the same city or college, or if they have a similar backstory.
Striking photos showcase the college’s world-class building, giving students a visual idea of what it’s like to attend the school. Additional images were hand-picked to highlight the cutting-edge simulation and 3D anatomy centers, and photos of the student body help readers envision themselves as students.
