What is TOUCH?

TOUCH stands for Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health. The goal of the TOUCH Program is to encourage osteopathic medical students (that's you!) to engage in service with their community in order to spread the osteopathic ideals to those unaware of our professional values. Think of TOUCH as volunteering but with rules and regulations that ensure that we are promoting our osteopathic mindsets within our community. 

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TOUCH Cycle information

TOUCH hours for awards/recognitions are calculated each cycle. The TOUCH hour cycle, for you, is July 21st , 2025, to April 3oth, 2026. Once the cycle is over, your hours are calculated, and awards will be distributed at a later date. 

 

 

TOUCH Rules and Regulations

 Every TOUCH hour you complete must be submitted within 30 days of when the hour was completed. If you do not submit it within 30 days, you cannot submit them as TOUCH hours. Hours that don't constitute as TOUCH or you missed the 30-day deadline can still be submitted as volunteer hours. Volunteer hours do not contribute to the awards and are not on your Dean's Letter, but they still provide an impact and are great for residency. 

 

General reminders when you submit TOUCH hours

• The reflection portion is crucial when it comes to submitting TOUCH hours. When writing a reflection, please be sincere in what you are writing. If we cannot figure out what you did based off your reflection, we may have to send it back to you for editing. 

• There is an option to attach documents; anything that confirms the work that you are doing can only help. 

• If you are submitting JEDI hours, it is found in the "Threads" section at the bottom of your submission.

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General rules for what are not TOUCH approved.

• You cannot be compensated for your time 

• Physician shadowing or clinical rotations - words like preceptor and mentor may be grounds for dispute

• Participating in a pledge-based event/race 

• Leadership responsibilities

• Research

• On-call hours

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Awards and Recognition

For every hour you complete, you are one step further to getting an award.

• Participation: <50 Hours

• Silver: between 50->100 Hours

• Gold: >100 Hours

• Platinum: Awarded to the student at each COM that has the most TOUCH hours

 

When award requirements are met, they will appear on your Dean's Letter whenever you graduate from LMU and apply to residency. 

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For Questions, please contact your COSGP TOUCH Coordinator:

Harrogate: Colleen Hart, OMS II, colleen.hart@lmunet.edu

Knoxville: Glynn Wolf, OMS II, glynn.wolf@lmunet.edu

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