MWU was pleased to have a visible presence at the recent meeting of the National Association of Advisors to the Health Professions, which was held in Chicago last week. Admissions staff from both our Downers Grove and Glendale Campuses attended sessions and participated in the "Meet the Deans" event.

We were also privileged to welcome 25 prehealth advisors to a tour of our Downers Grove Campus. Advisors from as close as Northwestern and as far as Alaska traveled out to campus on Friday afternoon. They were given a tour of our facilities by Mike Laken, Director of Admissions, and La'Mont Vaughn, Sr. Admissions Counselors, both from our Downers Grove Campus; they were accompanied by Glendale admissions staff representatives Heather Kim, Associate Director, and Susana Torres, Counselor. The advisors had many questions and were very impressed with our idyllic suburban campus.


Photo: Susana and Heather of the Glendale Admissions team with Andy Baldwin of TV's "The Bachelor"

Following the tour, the advisors gathered in the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine lab to hear a presentation on the osteopathic profession from Ann Habenicht, D.O., a CCOM alumna and OMM faculty member, who shared the history of the profession and the College, along with a discussion of the basic tenets of osteopathic medicine. The advisors were then treated to a demonstration of OMM technique by Frank Serrecchia, D.O., also a CCOM alumnus and pediatric OMM faculty member. He showed how palpatory techniques are used by physicians to help diagnose and treat patients. After the demo, advisors shared a delicious dinner from Chicago favorite restaurant Buono Beef, and they were each given a set of MWU scrubs as a special gift.


Photo: MWU AZPod faculty member David Jenkins, D.P.M., greets advisors at the MWU booth.

On Saturday, the entire MWU team (myself included) participated in the "Meet the Deans" event as the conclusion of the NAAHP conference. Each health care program/university set up displays around the exhibit hall, and advisors were able to gather information and ask questions of all the schools. MWU's team was able to talk with advisors from around the country and tell them about our programs and admissions policies. A few staff members also had the chance to meet a TV personality, "The Bachelor's" Andy Baldwin, who is now a health care recruiter for the Navy. He very willingly posed with many ladies in the room, and I believe he is still a bachelor despite his attempts to find love on reality TV. The Navy booth was right across from MWU's, so we got to see a lot of Andy.

All in all, MWU was happy to have the advisors in our hometown, to show off our campus, and to continue to build relationships with these important members of our community. Thanks to all the advisors for coming to Chicago and we hope you keep sending us all of your wonderful students!