Task Force Members
Dennis J. Dowling, DO, MA
Consulting CoordinatorDr. Dowling is a former professor and chairman of osteopathic manipulative medicine at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, and is a clinical professor at several other COMs. He has served the NBOME as coordinator of OMM assessment and chairs the Point of Care Knowledge, Education, and Testing Content Committee. He also oversees residents and practices in the physical medicine and rehabilitation department at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY. He is the current secretary-treasurer of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) and has also served on the AAO Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, and is a past president. He consults on the Practical portion of the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine certification exam, chairs the New York State Osteopathic Medical Society delegation to the American Osteopathic Association’s House of Delegates, and remains active in state and local professional osteopathic activities. Dr. Dowling developed a specific type of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) called the PINS technique, and is a prolific author, illustrator, and presenter on OMT. He is a 2015 recipient of the A.T. Still Medallion of Honor.
Kathryn Brandt, DO, MS MEdL
Dr. Brant is chair of primary care at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. She recently served on the MaineCare State Innovation Model Initiative (SIM) Medicare Proposal Oversight Committee. She was also involved with the development of the Northeast Osteopathic Medical Education Network, UNECOM’s Osteopathic Post-Doctoral Training Institution (OPTI). Previously she was the founding program director of the Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine/Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine +1 Residency as part of the Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency (MDFMR) in Augusta, Maine. While at MDFMR, she served as osteopathic director of medical education. In this position, she was responsible for developing and executing the osteopathic curriculum for both residents and students. She also served as the osteopathic director of medical education and the program director for the osteopathic family practice residency at MDFMR. She received her osteopathic medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and her master’s of medical education leadership from the University of New England. She is board certified in family medicine and neuromusculoskeletal and osteopathic manipulative medicine.
Nils Brolis, DO
Dr. Brolis is medical director of the Simulation Center at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and a core faculty member of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Inspira Health in Vineland, NJ. At Rowan, he also oversees the Capstone Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and the Benchmark OSCE. He has served on numerous national osteopathic organizations including the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, and has overseen the research projects of several osteopathic medical students at RowanSOM. He also coaches osteopathic medical students on interpersonal communication skills and patient care competency. Dr. Brolis has presented and published papers on topics related to clinical skills, communication skills, and standardized patient encounters. He is currently a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Society of Simulation in Healthcare, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, and the American Osteopathic Association. He is board-certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment, and is a certified healthcare simulation educator.
Alexios G. Carayannopoulos, DO, MPH
Dr. Carayannopoulos is the chief of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Lifespan Physician Group, Newport Hospital, and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. He is also a clinical associate professor of neurosurgery at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University, and previously served in the United States Navy until 2007. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, as president of the Rhode Island Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and as vice-chair of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Neuromodulation Special Interest Group, among many other appointments. Dr. Carayannopoulos also serves as president of the American Association of Osteopathic Examiners and was elected to a prestigious leadership position on the Federation of State Medical Boards. He is board-certified in both physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as in pain medicine. He received his osteopathic medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (now the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine) and his master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University.
Millicent Channell, DO, MA
Dr. Channell is associate dean for curriculum at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (RowanSOM). She has served on committees for several national organizations including the American Academy of Osteopathy, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, and the American Osteopathic Association. She is a previous NBOME BOD member and member of the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE Advisory Committee. She received her degree in osteopathic medicine from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in NMM/OMM and family medicine/OMT.
Heather Ferrill, DO, MEdL
Dr. Ferrill is dean of the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVU-COM). She has also served RVU-COM as chair of osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) and as course director for OPP I and II. She also served as course director for OPP at University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE-COM), and served on its Education Committee. She has lectured nationally and internationally on many topics in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), specializing in pediatric OMM. Dr. Ferrill has been lead developer and principal designer of rubrics for evaluation of osteopathic manipulation skills in second-year osteopathic medical students. She received her degree in osteopathic medicine from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and her master’s in medical education and leadership from UNE-COM. She is board-certified in neuromusculoskeletal manipulative medicine and family medicine.
Elizabeth Gignac, DO
Dr. Gignac is chair of simulation and clinical education at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM). She serves as course co-director for CUSOM’s Residency Development Course, which includes preparation and testing for 4-station objective structured clinical examination and the COMLEX-USA Enhanced Attestation process, and as co-director for clinical skills courses for first- and second-year medical students. Dr. Gignac joined CUSOM in 2014 as the founding program director of its emergency medicine residency at UNC Health Southeastern. She also served as assistant medical director of the UNC Southeastern emergency department and as medical director for the Emergency Medical Sciences program at Robeson Community College. Dr. Gignac received her degree in osteopathic medicine from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in emergency medicine.
Joe Kingery, DO, MBA
Dr. Kingery is dean of the University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (UP-KYCOM). He has played a significant role in revamping UP-KYCOM’s clinical capstone course which was originally designed to ensure passage of the COMLEX Level 2-PE. When Level 2-PE was suspended indefinitely, that course was utilized to assess minimal clinical competency. Before joining UP-KYCOM, he served at the University of Kentucky/North Fork Valley Community Health Center in Hazard, Ky., as the director of medical education, CEO/executive director and medical director. Dr. Kingery also held faculty appointments at the University of Kentucky Department of Family and Community Medicine as both assistant and associate professor of clinical title series and clinical adjunct faculty at Lincoln Memorial DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. He received his degree in osteopathic medicine from UP-KYCOM, his master’s in business administration-healthcare from the University of Pikeville, and his master’s in business administration from Morehead State University. He is board-certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative treatment.
Tom Lindsey, DO
Dr. Lindsey is associate dean of simulation and medical technology and chair for surgery at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus (VCOM-Carolinas). He also serves on numerous committees at VCOM-Carolinas including the Research in Medical Education Committee, the Clinical Rotation Evaluation and Documentation Organizer Committee, the Clinical Curriculum Committee, and the Continuing Medical Education Committee. He is the course director for clinical procedural skills for first- and second-year DO students at VCOM-Carolinas. He has presented and published on numerous topics including medical education, surgical interventions, and the use of osteopathic manipulative techniques on a variety of disorders and maladies. His current areas of focus include the impact of surgery grand rounds on COMLEX-USA Level 2 performance and the value of virtual reality in undergraduate medical education. Dr. Lindsey received his osteopathic medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is board-certified in surgery and is a certified healthcare simulation educator.
Gretchen Lovett, PhD, MA
Dr. Lovett is professor of clinical sciences at West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) and is faculty advisor for the State Opioid Response program at the WVSOM Center for Rural and Community Health. She teaches behavioral medicine, communication, interpersonal skills, professionalism, and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in patient care. She also trains standardized patients to evaluate student medical communication competence and helped create a scoring rubric for evaluating medical communications skills. Dr. Lovett has lectured and published on the topics of medical education, treating diverse populations, and interpersonal and communication skills. She is a licensed psychologist and is certified in opioid dependence and medication-assisted treatments. She also appears on the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. Dr. Lovett received her doctorate and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia.
Saroj Misra, DO
Dr. Misra is associate dean of clinical affairs and a core faculty member of the family medicine residency at AT Still University- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM). In this role, he oversees all students in years 3 and 4 located at the 20+ regional sites for his college. Prior to assuming the role of Associate Dean, Dr. Misra served as Program Director of the Family Medicine residency at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Michigan for 16 years and continues to serve as Core Faculty and chief of the Department of Family Medicine. Nationally, he serves on the Board of Governors for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP). His leadership roles align closely with his passion for osteopathic medical education in both the undergraduate and graduate arenas. He wishes to get educators to ‘think different’ when it comes to teaching and learning. He has received numerous awards during his career, including the 2018 ACOFP Family Physician of the Year and the 2019 ACOFP Master Preceptor Award, and was twice-named to the American Osteopathic Association’s Osteopathic Mentor Hall of Fame. Dr. Misra received his osteopathic medicine degree from ATSU-KCOM and is board-certified in family medicine.
Richard Ortoski, DO
Dr. Ortoski is regional dean, chair, and professor of Primary Care Education and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine / Human Sexuality at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Erie, Pa. He has been at LECOM since its founding in 1992, first as director of the history and physical diagnosis course, and then adding founder and co-director of the Primary Care Scholars Pathway to his regional dean responsibilities. Dr. Ortoski is a member of the NBOME Board of Directors and a previous chair of the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE Advisory Committee. Dr. Ortoski lectures and coordinates the college courses stressing primary care medicine through physical diagnosis and topics involving human sexuality. His specialty lectures have included sensitivity in medicine and clinical HIV/AIDS. In preparing his students for the practice of medicine, he has also co-directed the standardized patient program. At LECOM’s founding institution, Millcreek Community Hospital, Dr. Ortoski is former chief of staff and a family practice residency / intern trainer. He received his osteopathic medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in family medicine.
Kim Pfotenhauer, DO
Dr. Pfotenhauer is the director of clerkship curriculum at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM). While there, she has helped develop and implement a third-year capstone objective structured clinical examination event that evaluates clinical skills, documentation, osteopathic manipulative therapy skills, informed consent, and forming a clinical question. She also reorganized a longitudinal didactic program for third year medical students that focuses on clinical skill integration, clinical reasoning, and applying evidence-based medicine in the clinic. Speaking regionally and nationally on diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and vitamin D, she focuses on empowering primary care physicians to improve patient metabolic health. She currently serves as a member of the Education Committee for the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California, and as an examiner for the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. She is board-certified in family medicine and osteopathic manipulative therapy, and in advanced diabetes management. She received her osteopathic medical degree from MSUCOM and serves on the American Diabetes Association Women's Interprofessional Network Advisory Group.
Richard Sloan, DO
Dr. Sloan is an associate professor of osteopathic principles and practice at Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM). Prior to joining ICOM, he was professor and chair of osteopathic manipulative medicine at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Miss. During this time, Dr. Sloan utilized OMM in private practice, treating a variety of neuromuscular complaints. His professional interests include nutrition, cranial manipulation, and medical acupuncture. Dr. Sloan received his osteopathic medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. While there, he served as an undergraduate osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) fellow. This additional year of training was focused on further developing his hands-on osteopathic diagnosis and treatment skills as well as teaching and tutoring students in this discipline. He is board-certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and family medicine.
Christina Weaver, DO
Dr. Weaver is assistant dean of innovation and clinical curriculum and assistant professor of clinical sciences at AT Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine - Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), where she also directs the Emergency Medicine Clerkship program. With previous careers in the design world and as an entrepreneur, Dr. Weaver studies human design thinking and borrows best-practices from outside industries to build new curriculum and unique programs in areas such as simulation, ultrasound, experiential learning, implementation of EPAs, and residency readiness, and works to ensure quality patient care during the transition from undergraduate to graduate medical training. She was named to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Senior Leadership Development Program (SDLP) for 2022-2023. The SLDP provides professional development opportunities and mentoring to the osteopathic profession’s emerging leaders. Dr. Weaver received her osteopathic medical degree from ATSU-SOMA. She is board-certified in emergency medicine and is a certified healthcare simulation educator.