A new Presidential year begins in July and it is time to begin the nomination process to fill the open positions on next year’s bureaus, councils and committees. 

AOA President-elect Karen J. Nichols, DO, is seeking your input on names of individuals who should fill the open positions on the AOA’s bureaus, councils, and committees. Individuals and organizations can make nominations for any open position. Nomination preferences will be given to those organizations for positions that are designated for their specific constituency.

Selection Process

One of the responsibilities of the AOA president is to make appointments to a number of bodies within the AOA. Primary consideration for student, intern and resident appointments will be given to recommendations made by the Bureau of Students Affairs' Student Selection Committee and the Council of Interns and Residents. Each of these groups has their own extensive nomination process. 

A special appointment process will be put in place for appointments to certain education committees for the 2010-2011 presidential year. The appointments referenced are to the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA), the Council on Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (COPTI), the Council on Postdoctoral Training (COPT), the Bureau of Osteopathic Education (BOE), and the Program and Trainee Review Council (PTRC).

Dr. Nichols has appointed a three-person advisory committee consisting of two members who have held the position of AOA president and who have no current affiliation with any COM, and a third member selected by a process established by the president and chair of the Board of Deans of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. This three-member advisory committee will receive all applications/nominations for the open positions on the above-referenced entities for the 2010-2011 presidential appointment cycle. Dr. Nichols will task the advisory committee to recommend two individuals, one for every open position, by April 1, 2010. Dr. Nichols will then select and appoint one of these two individuals to each open position and such appointments will be announced at the AOA Board of Trustees meeting on Sunday July 18, 2010.

Nominations/Deadlines

Individuals may self-nominate and organizations may make a nomination to any open position. Organizations should send three nominations, in suggested order of preference, for each designated, open position.

To submit a nomination, please indicate the name of the B/C/C; the position on that body (if it is designated); the name of the individual(s) you seek to nominate; a CV; and a short note on the qualifications of that individual(s) for the position. Self-nominations should include the same information.

The deadline for submission of nominations for COCA, COPTI, COPT, BOE and PTRC is March 15. All other AOA B/C/C nominations must be received by May 1. If organizations with designated positions on a B/C/C choose not to submit nominations for their designated positions by the above deadlines, Dr. Nichols will select qualified individuals for those positions.

All nominations should be sent to the following e-mail address: nominations@osteopathic.org.

The AOA is currently in the process of reviewing and restructuring many of its B/C/Cs. This may result in a reduction in the number and size of a B/C/C. The Appointment Book indicating the open positions on the B/C/Cs as currently constituted is available for viewing at http://do-online.org/pdf/aoa_orgcompbureaulst.pdf.

Please feel free to contact the AOA with questions you may have by sending your question to nominations@osteopathic.org and putting "Query" in the subject line.

Greatness Corps

The Greatness Corps is a volunteer group of AOA members the AOA Board calls upon to voice their opinions, help develop AOA policy, and be involved in initiatives important to the profession. If you wish to join the The Greatness Corps, please send your name to nominations@osteopathic.org and put "Add me to the Greatness Corps" in the subject line. You will be added to The Greatness Corps automatically.