WesternU DO/MPH dual degree students match into residencies, prepare for graduation
Western University of Health Sciences will celebrate Commencement May 12-14, 2025, in Lebanon, Oregon and Pomona, California. Among the graduates will be the charter cohort of the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine/Master of Public Health (DO/MPH) program.
Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) and Claremont Graduate University (CGU) have partnered since 2021 to offer a four-year DO/MPH dual degree program blending WesternU’s comprehensive medical training with CGU’s public health expertise. Read more: Public Health | Osteopathic Medicine (DO/MPH) | Claremont Graduate University
Nine COMP students and one COMP-Northwest student in the Class of 2025 DO/MPH program matched into residencies:
Mika Masuda, Family Medicine at John Muir Health
Nathaniel DeMarco, Anesthesiology at Riverside Community Hospital
Rebecca Shaneck, Family Medicine at Loma Linda University
Danny Domingo Jr., Family Medicine at Family Health Centers of San Diego
Reagan Denny, Pediatrics at CHOC Children’s Hospital of Orange County
Aden Copeland, Family Medicine at Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano
Sabrina Salgia, Internal Medicine at Harbor-UCLA
Carisa Swason, Emergency Medicine at USC-LA General
Jenny Huang, Emergency Medicine at St. Agnes Medical Center, Fresno
Sam Stewart (from COMP-Northwest who finished the program in three years!), Urology at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Stockton
In addition, four members of the COMP Class of 2024 graduated with their dual DO/MPH degrees and entered residencies in 2024, having started the dual degree program as rising second-year DO students:
Ilish Gedestad, Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loma Linda University
Ellie Port, Pediatrics at USC-LA General
Sumita Mitra, Surgery at Virtua Health, New Jersey
Katie Bachand, Family Medicine at Temecula Valley Hospital
“The demands on the 21st century physician require a reconvergence of medical and public health education,” said DO/MPH Dual Degree Program Co-Director and COMP Professor Andrew S. Pumerantz, DO, MPH, FACP. “Residency program directors in all specialties are looking for their ‘ideal residents’ to be dyed-in-the-wool population health scientists. Together, CGU and WesternU deliver that!”
“We are incredibly proud of this trailblazing cohort of DO/MPH graduates. Their successful matches into competitive residency programs speak to the power of integrating medical and public health education,” said Bree Hemingway, PhD, MPH, Co-Director, DO/MPH Dual Degree Program, Claremont Graduate University. “These students are entering the next phase of their training with a deep understanding of both individual patient care and population health – exactly what our health care systems need right now. It’s been a privilege to collaborate with WesternU in shaping the next generation of physician-leaders.”
“This marks a significant milestone for the DO/MPH dual degree program and a testament to the dedication and excellence of our students,” said COMP and COMP-Northwest Dean Lisa Warren, DO ’01, MBA. “I am immensely proud of this Charter Cohort and excited to see the profound contributions they will make in their communities and beyond. Congratulations to our graduates on this well-earned success!”
DO/MPH Class of 2025 graduate Rebecca Shaneck matched into a family medicine residency at Loma Linda University.
“This was the right fit for me. Family medicine has always been part of my journey,” Shaneck said. “I had volunteered at a family medicine clinic as an undergrad and worked with family doctors. I saw the variety they were able to see, having OB patients, going to the hospital for deliveries, coming back and having peds, adults and geriatric procedures all in one day. I would always come home from those shifts and tell my parents, ‘I love this work.’ My mentors really cared about their patients. They had a program if the patient was over 400 pounds, they would work out with them at the local gym. That taught me to be intentional and what it means to be a physician in the community.”
For prospective students curious about the DO/MPH program, Shaneck would advise them to gather information from Dr. Pumerantz and from students in the program to see if it’s the right fit for them. She appreciates the bonds formed through this program.
“We were the first ones. We are all very close. We studied together throughout our MPH courses and group projects,” Shaneck said. “I’m happy to be part of it.”
