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Lindsey Wilson College Alumna Named One of Top Medical School Students in the Nation

Dr. Bethany Harting '19 earns Student Doctor of the Year honorable mention from the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents.

by Duane Bonifer

COLUMBIA, Ky. (06/13/2025) — Graduating at the top of your medical class is very impressive.

But being named one of the top medical school students in the country is remarkable.

That's what 2019 Lindsey Wilson graduate Dr. Bethany Harting achieved this year when she received an honorable mention for the Student Doctor of the Year Award from the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, a council of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

Harting had already been named the Campbell (North Carolina) University 2024 Student Doctor of the Year. In the spring, she was one of three students who received an honorable mention for the national award, which is presented to students who demonstrate excellence in service to their medical school, leadership and research experiences, and dedication to the osteopathic profession.

Harting's father, David, was with her when she received the good news that she had been named one of the top medical students in the country.

"I was so elated when I got the news," said Harting, who also graduated from Grayson County High School. "I told my dad, 'I don't think I've ever been so excited not to win something in my life,' because it was such an honor. There are roughly 38,000 osteopathic medical students, and so to receive this was such an honor."

'Seeing' patients

In addition to work in the classroom and in the profession, medical students who are considered for the national honor also submit an essay about a quality they think is vital to an osteopathic physician. Harting's essay made a strong and compelling case for seeing and understanding the human side of every patient.

"In my essay I talked about how it's crucial to make sure others are seen, and I expounded on how the verb 'see' is not only defined as visually perceiving with one one's eyes but also defined as to discern and understand," she said. "As an osteopathic physician, we believe in caring for the body, mind and soul of every patient -- a holistic approach to medicine. I don't think this holistic approach can be carried out unless you're fully seeing your patients. When I fully see my patients, they're given the capacity to grow and heal. I show my patients that I value them, that I hear them, and meet them where they're at. And because they are seen, I believe the world becomes a little bit brighter, because people are able to grow and heal."

For Harting, the ability to see patients holistically is rooted in a strong faith.

"I believe that every single person is made in the image of God and has inherent value and worth," she said. "I want to show every patient the love of Jesus, and the best way I can do that is by seeing them, by hearing them, by encouraging them and by being there with them.

"Sometimes that means taking a few extra minutes to get to know somebody's name, even if you're running to a meeting. Sometimes it means you offer to pray with a patient. Or, if you see that they're really nervous, you ask them if there is something you can do to make them more comfortable. I think something amazing happens when you chase what God has called you to do. When you step out in faith, no matter what it is that God's calling you to, he's going to give you a joy that you wouldn't have otherwise."

A busy 2025

It's been quite the year for Harting. She spent the first part of the year serving for four weeks at a hospital in northern India near the Nepal border as part of her clinical work for her medical degree at Campbell. In May, she was hooded ceremonially and received her doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Campbell Jerry M. Wallace School of Medicine.

Following graduation, Harting headed to Indianapolis to begin a three-year residency at Community Hospital East, where she was selected to work in the hospital's underserved track. During her clinic rotations, she'll serve at a federally qualified health center, which serves patients who are on Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured, as well as immigrants, refugees and people struggling with housing insecurity.

After her residency, Harting is considering a one-year global health fellowship, which will further equip her to serve on international mission projects.

But for now, Harting is focused on her work in the Midwest and adjusting to having the title "doctor" before her name.

"The first time that they officially use that title is when you walk across the stage to get hooded, and they introduce you as 'doctor,'" she said. "It just felt surreal because you have worked so hard to get there. It's been years and years in the making. To finally hear those words is really exciting."

Lindsey Wilson College is a vibrant liberal arts college in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson -- which will become Lindsey Wilson University on July 1 -- has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students, and the college offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The college's 28 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

Media Attachments

Lindsey Wilson alumna Dr. Bethany Harting ’19 was one of three medical students in the nation to receive an honorable mention for the Student Doctor of the Year Award by the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, a council of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. In May, Harting received her doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Campbell University (North Carolina) Jerry M. Wallace School of Medicine.

Lindsey Wilson alumna Dr. Bethany Harting ’19 is hooded at Campbell (North Carolina) University in May to symbolically represent earning her doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Campbell’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Medicine. She was also one of three medical students in the nation to receive an honorable mention for the Student Doctor of the Year Award by the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents, a council of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

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