LMU-DCOM's Thier Recognized by AOAO

The American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) Foundation Board of Directors awarded Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) fourth-year medical student Zachary Thier with the 2023 Outstanding Student Scholarship.

Thier was presented the award during the AOAO Awards Ceremony during the organization’s annual Fall Meeting, which was held October 6 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Thier also attended the meeting activities which included speakers and corporate workshops highlighting advances in orthopedics.

“I am deeply honored to receive this award, and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) for this incredible recognition,” Thier said. “This recognition is very meaningful to me as many extra hours and sacrifices were made in pursuing orthopedic surgery as a specialty, and being recognized by this organization gives me solace knowing that my efforts were worth it.”

The AOAO Foundation Board of Directors created this award to further the mission of supporting research and education. Osteopathic medical students from across the country were invited to apply for the award. The Board considered research, community involvement, leadership and recommendations in selecting the recipient of the award.

“The Foundation Board was most impressed with all of our candidates,” said Gary S. Ulrich, DO, FAOAO, FACOS, AOAO Foundation president. “Student doctor Zachary Thier was ultimately selected due to his extensive activities within his college and community.”

A native of Gilbert, South Carolina, Thier earned an undergraduate degree at the University of South Carolina before matriculating at LMU-DCOM in Knoxville. He is currently completing rotations including an orthopedic surgery sub-internship and is set to graduate on May 11, 2024. Following graduation, Thier will pursue orthopedic surgery. He credits LMU-DCOM for setting him on the path to earning this recognition.

“LMU-DCOM’s curriculum set a strong foundation for understanding the core concepts of medicine, which allowed me to pursue my own personal interests in the field of orthopedics,” Thier said. “This foundation made it easier for me to start orthopedic research and begin exploring the specialty earlier than most students, which I believe played a major role in receiving this award.”

The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, and at LMU-Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.

CAPTION: Gary S. Ulrich, DO, president of the AOAO Foundation, presents LMU-DCOM OMS IV student Zachary Thier with the AOAO Outstanding Student Scholarship along with Edward J. Armbruster, DO, AOAO President.