Transforming Education at OCOM: Leo’s Impact on Accreditation and Learning

As OCOM began the accreditation process, they needed to identify an education software platform that would support them in this process. OCOM’s Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Robert Hasty, has acted as Founding Dean for several medical schools and is familiar with the challenges of working with a learning management system (LMS) that falls short of requirements. He knew that OCOM needed a modern software platform with well-thought out features.

Hasty first learned about Leo from Apple—his previous employer was an Apple Distinguished School, and one of the representatives told him that another relatively-new medical school was having success with Leo. So Leo was added to the list of contenders as OCOM’s search team did interviews and demos on half a dozen potential platforms. Some options were eliminated because they did not meet security standards or lacked important features. Hasty admits that, throughout the process, “Leo kind of rose to the top every single time.”

With Leo, OCOM saw that they could check all the boxes for what they were seeking in a software platform: ease-of-use, robust security on the backend, and modern technology integration. Hasty highlights the helpfulness of features like curriculum mapping and data visualizations. However, he notes that “the product in total” is what led the school to choose Leo, rather than just one key feature.

Another differentiator is DaVinci’s expertise in supporting healthcare education programs: “They understand medical schools, and there are just so many great features that they have. I think it's a symbiotic relationship with the LMS. In the medical school arena, everything has to fit with the curriculum needs, the accreditation needs, faculty needs, cultural needs… and I think it is really the fabric of our organization.”

If OCOM had to pick a stand-out, Hasty says that Leo’s lottery feature has had the biggest impact: “It prevents us from needing to get different technology solutions. Before, we were going to use Google Forms for the evaluations, but [Leo’s] built-in features add value and extra efficiency for the team.”

Hasty also shares that the customer support team at DaVinci is “very organized and went through a systematic approach to onboarding. They did a good job with onboarding, communicating, helping us get up with our faculty, and helping us grow. They are easy to work with. They have high integrity and do what they say they are going to do, which is incredibly important.”

As OCOM continues its accreditation process, Hasty anticipates that Leo will continue to be an invaluable asset. In terms of critical steps the program has taken to set itself up for success, Hasty cites “choosing Leo from the get-go. I think that will save us a lot of time, energy, and frustrations for the future.” The OCOM team is looking forward to leveraging Leo's capabilities to streamline their accreditation process. Additionally, they are excited about enhancing the educational experience for their students with the help of Leo and the DaVinci Education team.