WesternU COMP-Northwest continues tradition of welcoming future health care leaders with annual Mini-Medical School event
On Friday, April 21, 2025, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-Northwest) opened its doors to local kindergarten students for its 15th annual Mini-Medical School.
Mini-Medical School is an opportunity for kindergarten students across the community to visit COMP-Northwest, rotate through a series of activities related to health and wellness, and interact with current COMP-Northwest students.
Mini-Medical School began in 2010, when local kindergarten teacher Sarah Haley wrote to Provost Paula M. Crone, DO ’92, and Founding President Philip Pumerantz, PhD, to ask them to adopt her class as part of the No Excuses University (NEU) college pathway program. Since then, thousands of students across Lebanon have visited campus to learn about the University and participate in Mini-Medical School.
This year’s Mini-Medical school was especially impactful. Director of COMP-Northwest Outreach Luke Rauch, MAIS, and Senior Director of Operations Elaine Rauch, MA, were excited to watch their daughter, Mia, participate in this year’s activities.
“While Mia has visited COMP-Northwest many times, having her visit as part of mini-medical school is quite special. Since 2011 we’ve helped host thousands of kindergarten students as part of the annual mini-medical school events, but attending as a parent shifts one’s perspective,” said Luke. “Seeing your little one in scrubs interacting with medical students warms the heart, even when the heart and the kidney exchange spots during the procedure.”
Rauch said he is proud of WesternU’s efforts to support the Lebanon community. As the Director of Outreach, he regularly welcomes community partners and local school districts to visit campus and learn more about medical school and osteopathic medicine.
“After seeing all the contact points between WesternU and the community over the years, I think it is safe to say we aren’t simply bettering the community, but rather that WesternU is a part of the community playing a positive role,” Rauch said. “That being said, watching hundreds of kindergartners complete something that resembles surgery on each other is its own reward.”
Additionally, WesternU was pleased to welcome back COMP-Northwest alumnus Charlie Price, DO ‘19, and his son, Chase, to participate in Mini-Medical School. After graduating from COMP-Northwest in 2019, Price matched into a family medicine residency at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Cascades East in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While in residency, Price and a few colleagues developed the Trauma Training program to prepare future physicians to practice in rural emergency rooms. Upon completing residency, Price and his wife moved to John Day, Oregon, where he practiced full spectrum primary care medicine before returning to Lebanon to practice at the Samaritan Health Clinic.
“My wife and I had such a good experience here. My wife is an elementary school teacher, and she taught here at Hamilton Creek. We both had really great experiences with Lebanon and so it brought us back to the valley,” said Price.
While a student at COMP-Northwest, Price was able to volunteer with his wife, Mikaela Price, in helping students through the event.
“As a kindergarten teacher at Hamilton Creek, Mini-Med School is kind of special and important to us both. She was part of the program and bringing her class there and there was one year that I got to help out as well,” said Price. “It’s definitely a unique experience that is cool to see with the kids because they are so pumped to be there.”
As an alumnus and a community member, Price is happy to see COMP-Northwest continue to welcome the community to campus.
“Now, especially as a dad, I see it as bringing everyone close to the school and making the University more a part of the community. I think that is such a key component, especially as an alum, and it is really cool to see WesternU actually growing to be part of the community,” said Price.
