When Olivia Cossins resumes her studies this month as a fourth-year medical student, her commute to school will be a snap compared to her first three years.
Cossins, 26, of Wildwood will complete her degree at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City, the site of the newly opened Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Midwest Campus.
She completed her first three years of medical school at LECOM’s main campus in Erie, Pa. With the opening of the school’s first regional campus in the Midwest at Mercy Jefferson, Cossins, a 2016 Eureka High School graduate, gets to stay with her parents in their Wildwood home and go to school close to home.
She learned about the new program at Mercy Jefferson while attending classes at the Erie campus last school year and decided to transfer to the new campus in Crystal City.
She said finishing her studies near home is better for her.
“I’m very happy about it,” she said.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona-Tucson and a master’s degree in medical science from LECOM.
Cossins said she became interested in medicine while she was in high school.
“The thought entered my mind when I took AP (advanced placement) biology,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed science.”
She said she intends to eventually start a family practice, but her next training will be in a different area.
“My next rotation is emergency medicine,” she said. “This will be my last year before I begin a residency.”
She will start that rotation on July 22.
Cossins and a dozen third-year students will be the first to study at LECOM’s Mercy Jefferson campus. The third-year students started their rotations on June 24.
Mercy Jefferson will provide clinical rotation training for students to become physicians, pharmacists, dentists and podiatrists. The program can grow to accommodate up to 72 students, according to information from the college.
Dr. Karthik Iyer, Mercy Jefferson’s chief medical officer, will serve as dean of the regional campus.
As part of the agreement between LECOM and Mercy Jefferson, the campus will have an Early Acceptance Program for high school and college students that will encourage participants to pursue medical careers.
One of the benefits of having a regional campus in Jefferson County is the possibility of increasing the number of physicians in the area, said Dr. Michael Rowane, LECOM associate dean of clinical education.
“Medical students often grow to love the communities where they complete their training,” Rowane said. “Frequently, once these students become doctors, they choose to stay in the community.”
Mercy Jefferson held a blessing of the hands and opening celebration June 21 to welcome the first wave of students into the new program at the hospital.
Jefferson County Executive Director Dennis Gannon attended the event and praised the program.
“This is a tremendous addition for our county and all our residents,” Gannon said. “It’s an educational opportunity for residents, especially those who take advantage of their Early Acceptance Program. It will draw students seeking advanced degrees, helping grow our population. It will help us retain and add physicians who want the opportunity to serve as faculty and draw additional physicians who choose to stay here to serve our county after completing their medical education. There are so many positives from having LECOM here.”