TOUCH Hours
What is TOUCH?
TOUCH stands for Translating Osteopathic Understanding into Community Health. This national initiative, led by the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP), encourages osteopathic medical students to engage in meaningful community service that improves the health and wellness of people, animals, and the environment — while promoting osteopathic tenets, awareness, principles, and practice.
At TouroCOM Harlem, TOUCH is more than logging hours — it’s an opportunity to build relationships, understand the needs of our neighbors, and become active members of the Harlem community. By participating in local events, students can learn firsthand about the cultural, social, and health factors that shape the lives of the people they will one day serve as physicians.
TOUCH hours are awarded for activities that meet national TOUCH standards (see Rules & Regulations), such as participating in free health fairs, mentoring pre-medical students, or volunteering at community wellness events. Activities that do not meet TOUCH standards may be eligible to be logged as Volunteer Hours.
How to Log TOUCH Hours
The current platform to log any TOUCH eligible submissions is https://aacom.givepulse.com/dashboard
Create an account and join TouroCOM Harlem SGA TOUCH on GivePulse.
Log each event separately with:
1. Event name and Location
2. Event coordinator’s name and email (must be someone other than yourself who can verify participation)
3. A 2–4 sentence description of your role and how the event meets TOUCH standards
4. Number of hours (including eligible preparation time — 50% of planning hours may be counted)
5. Submit hours within 1 month of the service date. Late submissions will not be accepted without prior approval from the TOUCH Coordinator.
Please follow the GivePulse walkthrough in order to properly log all hours to the site.
Awards & Recognition
Each TOUCH Cycle runs from May 1st – April 30th. At the end of each cycle, students will be recognized for their service:
Participation – Less than 50 TOUCH hours
Silver – 50 to 99.9 TOUCH hours
Gold – 100 or more TOUCH hours
Platinum – Student with the highest number of TOUCH hours in TouroCOM Harlem
Certificates will be awarded by AACOM and the SGA TOUCH Committee. Students who receive top TOUCH Hours per school semester may be recognized separately by the SGA TOUCH Committee.
Community Service Outside of TouroCOM
Students may log eligible service activities performed outside of TouroCOM. You must:
Provide a contact person who can verify your hours.
Submit any supporting documentation
Log details on GivePulse with an event description.
Key Reminders:
Travel, meals, and sleeping time do NOT count toward hours.
Shadowing physicians, conference attendance, fundraising events, and leadership duties for student organizations are NOT TOUCH-eligible (see full Rules & Regulations).
If you are unsure whether an event qualifies, contact the TOUCH Coordinator before participating.
Questions?
Contact the TOUCH Coordinators! Please include both coordinators in all email communications.
TOUCH Co-Coordinators for 2025-2026 Cycle
Giovanni Pacheco – gpacheco4@student.touro.edu Kaliyah Inswood – kinswood@student.touro.edu
