Second-year medical student Ryan Machiele has been selected as the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine 2017 Student Doctor of the Year. He was chosen for the honor by fellow Campbell medical students and faculty members for his outstanding leadership, community service and dedication to the osteopathic profession.
“Ryan has played a significant leadership role during his time at Campbell Medicine,” said Dr. John Kauffman, dean. “His passion for community outreach, medical missions and advocacy for the students will shape his future as a physician.”
Machiele serves as the Class of 2020 president, national journal liaison for the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and research team leader for the Campbell University Community Care Clinic.
“I am grateful to this strong, vibrant community of students, faculty and administrators that make these attempts at growth possible and enjoyable,” said Machiele.
He also is a fellowship candidate in the Academy of Wilderness Medicine and a member of several national organizations such as the American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, American Academy of Family Physicians, North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians and the American Osteopathic Association.
“I came here to learn, which to me means growing in knowledge and in wisdom. In my experience, growth only takes place through challenge, and I have found endless opportunities for challenge at Campbell Medicine,” said the Michigan native who is an active member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association, the Wilderness Medicine Club and the Surgery Club.
Machiele has been a volunteer in many outreach events, including providing healthcare services to the community with North Carolina Baptists on a Mission medical bus, partnering with the Campbell Medicine Anatomical Gifts Program to honor donors with a memorial service and serving on medical mission trips to Ecuador where healthcare is provided to patients in the rural Amazon region. Before becoming a Campbell medical student, he worked as a Senior House Parent at Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families in Black Mountain, North Carolina where he served as an advocate for children through the adoption process.
Machiele earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and later completed post-baccalaureate coursework in medical sciences at the University of New England School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Machiele will compete for national Student Doctor of the Year against students from osteopathic medical schools across the country. The winner receives a $1,000 scholarship and is recognized at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine conference in Washington, D.C. in April and the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates business meeting next summer.
The award recognizes student doctors who display exceptional leadership and service to their school and community as well as dedication to the osteopathic profession. The Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, part of the AACOM, sponsors the award.