VCOM View Magazine Vol. 12 | No. 1

Walking Toward Inspiration by Charles “Chase” Regian W hen a childhood ATV accident compressed her spine, Emma Broussard was left with limited use of her lower body. Broussard, a first-year medical student at VCOM-Louisiana, now mainly uses a wheelchair, along with the limited use of a walker. “I’m going to walk at White Coat,” had become her mantra since day one of orientation.With a new venue for the ceremony, and the logistical uncertainty that came with the change, Broussard had to work with administration to create a plan that would allow her to fall into the flow of the ceremony. sets of stairs, just to get to the stage—walking across the stage was the easy part. To get back to her seat, Emma needed to return to the entrance of the theatre, take her White Coat picture, then end with the same walk that started it all. She had to stand until the procession was completed, stand for the group photo, the Osteopathic Oath, and was the first to stand and last to leave for the recessional. With a little help from her classmates, and some careful planning, Emma never looked out of place.The only thing that was obvious was how much she belongs to the Class of 2026. The audience likely did not understand that amount of planning and effort it took for her to make the seven-second walk to middle stage. However, Broussard was able to share this moment with her family—without any distractions. Showing up hours early to rehearsal and the day of the event, Broussard had to test her limits with the sheer amount of walking the ceremony would require. Logistically, Emma needed to walk down a long theatre ramp to her seat, then up another ramp to the first of two

“I’m going to walk atWhite Coat. ”

-Emma Broussard,VCOM-Louisiana Class of 2026

to promote equality in healthcare in Louisiana. “My hope for the future is to inspire physicians to go beyond passive engagement (e.g. hanging pictures in their offices, or spouting data) but to actively engage with this wonderful and diverse community,”he says. Because of his work at VCOMand in Louisiana promoting diversity and inclusivity, Bolay became the first recipient of the AmericanOsteopathic Foundation’s Jeffrey S. Grove, DO, LGBTQ+ Pride

Educational Scholarship.

representation in healthcare which, in turn, will result in improving cultural competency of all health care providers, and mending the ever-growing divide and mistrust between the LGBTQIA+ community and healthcare industry,” he said. On a personal note, Bolay says “this award gave me the greatest gifts of all: validation and a platform to use my voice.”

This award allowed Bolay to give voice to his personal experience and share with other medical professionals and students what it means to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community. “This award serves as a shining beacon signaling other members of the LGBTQIA+ community to take control of the narrative and strive for more than just tolerance, but also acceptance and respect. It serves as a catalyst for increasing LGBTQIA+

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