COMP (CA): Student, Faculty & Alumni Spotlight
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Karim Hajjar, DO2025 Student DO of the Month
Read what students who nominated Karim had to say:
“Great friend and classmate! Deserves the recognition.”
“Karim is one of the most compassionate student doctors I’ve seen on campus. His drive towards helping others is something I strive for everyday.”
“I nominate Karim for Student of the Month for his outstanding support and mentorship during a tough medical rotation. His practical advice and empathetic nature not only helped me overcome challenges but also enhanced my learning. Karim’s ability to simplify complex concepts and his commitment to helping peers is remarkable. His actions embody the ideals of our medical school, showcasing leadership, integrity, and excellence. Karim is a true asset to our community and a future leader in healthcare.”
“Karim is wonderful classmate. Always in good spirits and loves to share what he learns.”
“Karim is the type of student that would put you before himself when it comes to making sure his friends are taken care of. He is always thoughtful and kind with his words. He’s a joy to work with and be around; he makes a difficult situation a lot more manageable to handle. He’s a face I always look for right before I go into a stressful situation.”
Faculty Spotlight: Matthew Wedel, PhD
Faculty Spotlight: Matthew Wedel, PhDDr. Matt Wedel holds a joint appointment in COMP and in the College of Podiatric Medicine, where he teaches lower extremity anatomy. In addition to being an anatomist, he is also a paleontologist, and every summer he digs for fossils in Utah and Oklahoma. Although much of his research deals with the evolution of dinosaurs and birds, Dr. Matt also mentors student research in anatomy and co-coordinates the Applied Anatomy Track.
Dr. Matt especially enjoys projects that bridge anatomy and paleontology, and his favorite is the discovery of a respiratory infection in a dinosaur that was so severe it left traces in the fossilized bones (paper, blog posts, video). In the summer of 2024, Dr. Matt will be the keynote speaker at the Tate Museum Conference on Jurassic dinosaurs in Casper, Wyoming.
Alumni Spotlight: Niloofar Khatibi, DO & Chris Arnold, DO ’01
In honor of the month of love, we are featuring one of our many alumni couples who met and fell in love at COMP!
“After 24 years of marriage that was filled with raising 2 beautiful children and practicing family medicine, we often reminisce over our time spent at Western University of Health Sciences. We met at the romantic anatomy lab and grew to love one another while studying in the library – also, so very romantic! This beautiful relationship led us to our big day in June 2000 as we both completed our 3rd year of medical school.
The journey that we take in life is not meant to be easy or comforting at all times. The challenges that we encountered at Western University allowed us to grow and reach our potential as physicians and parents. We are so grateful to Western University for showing us the importance of compassion, the value of grit and the lifelong reward achieved by caring for one another, our families and our patients.”