The AACOM Council of Development and Alumni Professionals (Dev-Alum) met on Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16, 2009. Various topics were discussed, including:
- AOA Alumni Luncheons
The AOA will pay for one-half of the luncheon costs at the upcoming AOA Convention in New Orleans (2009). But beginning in 2010, the colleges will be responsible for 100 percent of the cost of luncheons at the AOA Conventions. Some colleges have opted not to do a luncheon, while others who annually hold their alumni association meeting at the convention will continue to sponsor the luncheons.
- Pharm-Free Conflict
Pharmaceutical companies no longer will be financially supporting CMEs. Although this is not a big issue for most schools, increasing CME fees and revamping programs were mentioned as ways to combat non-support.
- Identifying Alumni Recommendations on Admissions Applications
A pull-down menu will now be available on the admissions application to identify alumni who recommend a student for admission.
- Development in Slow Economic Times
Most schools are being affected in some way. Many Dev-Alum members indicated that donations are still coming in, but the amount of these donations is lower than in the past. Some schools are using the funding in new ways, while some scholarships are being reduced or eliminated this year. Schools hope to maintain their programs until the market gets better.
- Social Networking
This was a hot topic of discussion. Schools realize the importance of social networking, but have concerns about monitoring and administrative time. Social networking benefits discussed included alumni interaction, announcements, student/alumni interaction, etc. It was determined that we would like more information on social networking.
In addition, give-aways and the planning/marketing of alumni reunions were also discussed. The Council looks forward to its next meeting, to be held during the AOA Convention in New Orleans.
The Council for Information and Technology (CIT) met on April 16, 2009. Chairman Chellappa Kumar, PhD, from NYCOM/NYIT, led the meeting in which six member schools were represented. The agenda included a discussion of the role of IT in the osteopathic profession and osteopathic medical education and ways in which AACOM’s IT support can be structured to provide a stronger educational IT leadership role in these areas. Dr. Kumar and AACOM staff will summarize recommendations that were formed as a result of the discussion, which will then be reviewed by Council members and presented to AACOM for consideration.
Discussion topics included the role of IT in teaching students to use medical informatics in curricula, developing a mechanism to compare curriculum across schools, enrollment management and ways in which electronic medical records (EMR) are communicated and stored. The next CIT meeting will be held via webinar in two or three months.
The Council of Osteopathic Medical Admissions Officers (COMAO) convened on April 15 during the AACOM Annual Meeting. Agenda items included: planning for future recruiting events, the launch of the 2010 AACOMAS application, the MCAT MR5 exam review, new federal rules for race and ethnicity reporting, the AACOM Advisor Information Center and early decision programs at the COMs. New advisory committees were set up for the AACOMAS application and student recruiting.
The Council of Osteopathic Medical Student Services Officers (COMSSO) met on April 16 at the AACOM Annual Meeting. Items on the agenda included a presentation on new federal identity theft rules, new federal rules for race and ethnicity reporting, campus security issues relating to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and a review of the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) system presented by Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) staff member Angelique Johnson. Council members also discussed the group’s own role within AACOM.
The Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) Spring Meeting was held during AACOM’s Annual Meeting. Members met as a group over several short periods to allow their participation in annual meeting sessions. During their official meeting, student leaders interacted with COSGP’s Board of Deans liaison, Lori Kemper, DO (AZCOM), and other AACOM leaders. They learned about “finding a research mentor” through a presentation by Jane Dumsha, PhD, CHES (PCOM), an officer of the Council of Researchers (COR), and shared campus information through school reports. The highlight of the spring meeting was the election of the COSGP Executive Board.
This year’s officers are:
Sonbol Shahid-Salles, MPH, OMS-IV, PCOM - Chair
Michael Paddock, OMS-IV, ATSU-KCOM - 1st Vice Chair
Jessica Hilst, OMS-IV, NSU-COM - 2nd Vice Chair
Allison Abraham, OMS-III, KCUMB-COM - Secretary
Adam Hunt, OMS-III , MSUCOM - Treasurer
Aaron Huser, OMS-IV, CCOM - Parliamentarian
The outcome of COSGP’s yearly process to identify each school’s Student DO of the Year award were announced, as well as the 2009 National Student DO of the year award, which was awarded to Katie Perz, OMS-III, from MSUCOM.
The Council of Researchers (COR) also met during the Annual Meeting and discussed a variety of issues including a proposed joint research between AACOM and Dr. Hershey Bell. Council members also discussed the difficulties they face in getting research surveys approved by relevant college committees. One issue raised was that sometimes it is necessary for a project to receive multiple approvals by different committees, which can cause delays and disruptions to research. Ways to address this problem were discussed. Another issue discussed was the requirement to keep the identities of study participants confidential, which sometimes is at odds with the needs of health researchers.
The Educational Council on Osteopathic Principles (ECOP) convened for its spring meeting April 23-25 at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences - College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU COM). William F. Morris, DO, (TOUROCOM), presented information on “connecting the osteopathic dots” from the first and second year of school to clinical rotations, and Walter Ehrenfeuchter, DO (GA-PCOM), presented on the biomechanics of the ankle. Workgroups discussed basic documents on modalities of manipulative medicine, technical requirements for osteopathic medical students, the benefits of having an orientation video for allopathic faculty teaching at COMs and other topics of interest. Other work in progress includes documents for third- and fourth-year curriculum as well as structural exam standards. Anthony Chila, DO, FAAO, executive editor of the third edition of "Foundations for Osteopathic Medicine," distributed several chapters to the group for review and comment. ECOP members finalized a draft of a new edition of the osteopathic glossary.
David C. Mason, DO (UMDNJ-SOM), was elected Chair of ECOP. Kevin D. Treffer, DO (KCUMB-COM), was elected Vice Chair. Kendi Hensel, DO (UNTHSC/TCOM), was elected Secretary, and Walter Ehrenfeuchter, DO, and Heather Ferrill, DO (UNECOM), were elected Members-at-Large. ECOP recognized John Glover, DO, MS, for 11 years as Chairman and expressed gratitude for his tremendous effort in mentoring new faculty, encouraging scholarship and providing Council leadership.
The Marketing and Communications Advisory Council (MAC) meeting included collaboration and involvement as key discussion topics. With some new representatives at the table, new officers at the helm, and new budgetary challenges facing many of the COMs; MAC re-committed to developing a meaningful presence within AACOM and providing resources and ideas that can be used to support the organization’s mission.
MAC’s new officers include Pierre Bellicini (LECOM), Chair; Karoline Lane (OUCOM), Chair-Elect; and Courtney Sullivan (ACOM), Secretary.
The Counil recognized Mary Louise Bianco-Smith (UMDNJ-SOM) for her many years as MAC Chair and expressed gratitude for her excellent efforts and Council leadership
MAC members can expect to an online survey to guide the Council in future decisions and endeavors. The Council anticipates continuing to share efforts with AACOM to reach national media and work with the AOA. Additionally, members are encouraging dialogue among COMs to share experiences in areas such as branding, web site and publication development, media relations and marketing challenges. Please join our group (AACOM Marketing and Communications Advisory Council) on Facebook and get into the discussions!
The Society of Osteopathic Medical Educators (SOME) met during AACOM’s Annual Meeting for a business meeting and program. Key features of the business meeting included:
- The passing of revised bylaws.
- Honoring Peter Dane, DO (OU-COM), for his leadership on the SOME Steering Committee as he completed his term.
- Electing Trish Sexton, DHEd (ATSU-KCOM), to fill the open seat.
In a separate meeting, new officers of the Steering Committee were selected. Don Sefcik, DO (MSUCOM), was elected Chair; Mark Andrews, PhD, (LECOM), was appointed Chair-Elect; and Bart Yee, DO, (WesternU/COMP), was named Secretary.
During the Annual Meeting, SOME attendees learned of potential changes to the MCAT exam and were given an electronic means of providing input to the decision-making process. They also learned of activities of the SOME Competency-Based Medical Education Task Force, and participated in an open forum on “the role of COMs in training primary care providers.” The following issues were addressed: exposure of students to primary care before the third year of medical school and throughout the continuum of their education, the mood of primary care providers today and the set-up of those practices, competition for students from other fields of medicine (specifically the ROAD group - radiology, ophthalmology, anesthesiology and dermatology) and the role of debt, parental income and other factors in choosing primary care as a specialty.