Creating awareness of osteopathic medicine on your campus and
in your community is important. In years past, a specific time of year was chosen
for the osteopathic family to promote and celebrate the profession. But in 2005,
the AOA transitioned from National Osteopathic Medicine Month to the Osteopathic
Public Awareness Network (OPAN.) OPAN is a network designed for you to help
you communicate consistent messages about DOs and osteopathic medicine to the
public and the media.
Visit the OPAN
Web site for outreach activities and templates to use in your local efforts
to make DO a household word.
DO Testifies On Your
Behalf
Members of the osteopathic family continually fight for the
rights of osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students by speaking
out against unfair and inequitable payment systems.
In July, Paul A. Martin, DO, testified in front of the House
Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on topics including the flawed Medicare
physician payment formula and pay-for-performance programs.
By speaking out now, Dr. Martin and other osteopathic
family members are ensuring your right to practice and receive fair reimbursements
in the future. To see Dr. Martin’s entire testimony, please visit the
Government Policy & Advocacy section
of DO-Online.
LECOM Introduces Three-Year
Medical Degree
If you know you want to be a primary care physician, the Lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania (LECOM) has started
a program to help you reach your goal faster. The Primary Care Scholars Pathway
(PCSP) will condense four years of medical education into three years in order
to produce more primary doctors in a shorter timeframe and save these osteopathic
medical students one year of expenses.
LECOM will select its first PCSP students from the incoming
Class of 2011. By eliminating the students’ first summer vacation and
concentrating on core primary care rotations, PCSP participants will be able
to obtain their DO degree in 2010.
Identify Yourself the Right Way—Use
OMS I, II, III or IV
In order to minimize confusion from the public and other members
of the health care community, the AOA’s House of Delegates recently approved
a policy (developed by the Committee on Ethics) that governs how osteopathic
medical students refer to themselves.
Under the new policy, except where prohibited by hospital
regulations (some hospitals reserve the OMS designation for Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeons) to show an osteopathic distinction, as well as a level of training,
osteopathic medical students will now identify themselves with the designation
of OMS followed by the appropriate Roman Numeral designation of I, II, III or
IV. This should replace the commonly used designations of MS or DO I, II, III
or IV. Osteopathic Medical Schools Among Best in the Nation!
Several osteopathic medical schools have ranked among the best
medical schools in the country by US News & World Report. Michigan State
University – College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM), University of North
Texas Health Sciences Center at Fort Worth – Texas College of Osteopathic
Medicine (TCOM), and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)
all ranked in the top 50 medical schools for Primary Care. MSUCOM ranked #4
out of all medical schools. In addition, WVSOM, which ranked #49, is on the
list for the eighth year in a row. These accolades offer further proof of the
high quality education provided by our osteopathic medical schools.
Osteopathic Medicine in the News
The AOA and its members work hard to bring knowledge of osteopathic
medicine to a wider audience and to correct inaccurate portrayals of the osteopathic
medical profession. During the AOA’s House of Delegates meeting, delegates
representing every state and specialty society as well as student delegates,
garnered media attention from the Chicago Sun Times for a position
on the emergence of retail health care clinics and the potential negative effect
they could have on patient care. Log in and visit the Osteopathic Medicine
in the News section of DO-Online to view this article and to see other
instances of osteopathic medicine mentioned in recent news stories.
SOMA—Making a Difference While in
Las Vegas!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the prevalence of overweight children aged 6 to 11 has more than doubled in
the past 20 years and the rate among adolescents aged 12 to 19 has tripled.
This is why the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) has chosen to
focus on “Childhood and Teen Obesity Awareness” as part of its Annual
Philanthropy Project this year.
During the 2006 AOA Annual Convention, SOMA will be presenting
the Obesity Awareness Project to local Las Vegas middle school classes. The
presentation will provide tips on packing a healthy lunch box; having fun while
exercising; and will include a fun fruit activity. Being overweight in childhood
can lead to a variety of adverse health outcomes, so SOMA hopes its project
will successfully raise awareness of the problem during this important stage
in children’s development while showing that eating right and exercising
can be enjoyable.
If you would like more information about this event or would
like to volunteer or contribute resources, please e-mail SOMApreventivemedicine@hotmail.com.
