ATSU-SOMA provides students with foundation to pursue success in a variety of medical specialties
Posted: November 6, 2025
A.T. Still University-School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) student Harley Huard, OMS II, has options for her future. She’s not entirely certain which option she will choose, but she’s leaning toward working in emergency medicine.
“ATSU-SOMA is helping me prepare for this by providing a great education and connecting me with faculty who want us to succeed,” she said. “We are learning ultrasound, which is something I know will be helpful in my professional life.”
Huard is from Portland, Oregon, and graduated with a degree in biohealth sciences and minor in chemistry from Oregon State University. She said she quickly determined ATSU-SOMA was where she wanted to be for medical school.
“I chose ATSU because I immediately felt supported by the faculty I met on interview day,” she said. “Just from brief conversations I could tell the care faculty had for their students and I got a glimpse of the environment I would be learning in. Our curriculum allows us to get to know our peers very well and I am grateful for the friendships I have made that I know will last a lifetime!”
At ATSU-SOMA, Huard is a member of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group, PALS program, Health Without Barriers, Ultrasound Interest Group, and serves as a student ambassador.
“I became a student ambassador because I wanted the opportunity to share with prospective students all of the things I love about ATSU,” she said. “I really appreciate our curriculum and want to share how beneficial it is to my learning. I really enjoy getting to meet prospective students and answer their questions about what a typical ‘day in the life’ looks like, as I feel ATSU is great at allowing students to have a life outside of school. Being able to highlight that you can still have fun in medical school is something I love to reassure students about.”
In her free time, Huard enjoys cooking, going on walks, and spending time with friends and family.
On campus, she said she enjoys the camaraderie she has with her cohort.
“I enjoy the support I feel from all of my classmates. Everyone is working together and I do not feel like we are competing amongst each other, which helps foster a safe learning environment,” she said. “One of my favorite student life activities was participating in flag football last fall. It was super fun to be able to see my classmates outside of school and have fun without worrying about the stressors of school.”