From the President
Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH  

It is the season of transition for the 2008 graduates of the nation’s colleges of osteopathic medicine. As they receive their degrees in osteopathic medicine, they begin programs in graduate medical education throughout the country. This year, more than 3,000 graduates are moving into the next phase of their training in osteopathic medicine.

Since 1995, I have attended at least one osteopathic medical school graduation every year. And every year, I am reminded of my own graduation in 1986, and of the internship/residency years that followed. Graduation was a true celebration for me and my family (even more so because one of my daughters had been born the day before), with family from hundreds of miles away attending the celebration. It was the last time that my classmates, many of them close friends and colleagues, were all together.

This year’s graduation season was particularly poignant because I had the honor of serving as commencement speaker at the June 7 graduation ceremony of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, held in Portland, Maine. It was a special honor for me because I graduated from that institution, and since my graduation have attended most of the school’s commencements, either as a clinical faculty member or, from 1995 to 2005, as Dean.

As I was preparing my commencement address, I thought about the changes that had occurred since my graduation, in osteopathic medical education and in the health care system this year’s graduates are entering. Not only are half of today’s graduates women (as opposed to just a handful in my class), but the graduating class is more ethnically and racially diverse. Significant numbers of the students are in the military, and some are graduating with DO/MPH, DO/PhD, DO/MBA and other dual degrees.

This new cohort also enters a very different system from the one I entered more than 20 years ago. In 1986, osteopathic medicine and medical education constituted a much more regionally based and professionally segregated system of medical education and practice. Twenty years ago, the system in general was contained within a continuum: osteopathic schools, osteopathic hospitals, osteopathic graduate medical education, and osteopathic specialty practice groups working with medical staffs that consisted largely of fellow osteopathic physicians in solo or small group proprietary practice in local or regionally concentrated areas. The great majority of graduates practiced as primary care physicians, and the health care financial system of that time, while far from perfect, enabled this more-or-less contained system to exist. 

Today’s graduates have trained, and will continue to train and practice, in a different world. Economically driven changes in medical reimbursement, hospital consolidations and convergence to for-profit status, the emergence of large (and generally for-profit) third-party payors, and increasingly restrictive and proscriptive federal and state regulation have forced consolidations and reorganization or closure of the nation’s osteopathic hospitals. The osteopathic medical education system whose clinical training was based in those hospitals likewise has changed.

Today’s graduates are alumni of 22 schools in 18 states. They are much more likely to have pursued their clinical training alongside allopathic medical students. Mixed-staff hospitals and specialty practices have resulted in mixed-staff clinical faculty for our students. And today’s graduates are much more likely to proceed into ACGME specialty training programs for part or all of their post-graduate education. When they complete their specialty training, they are much more likely to join mixed-staff practices and serve as employed physicians as opposed to owning all or part of their practices. And while significant numbers of graduates pursue primary care training, more are choosing other specialties than ever before.

So many aspects of the changes in the last 20 years provide broader, deeper and improved opportunities for our graduates. At the same time, these changes raise challenges to the traditional assumptions about what it means to be an osteopathic physician. One of the challenges we face in osteopathic medical education is how to equip our students with the values and tools they need to practice osteopathic medicine in this environment, to be successful in their careers and (most importantly) to provide excellent and compassionate care to their patients. These are the forces driving innovation in our schools today.

The 124 DO graduates at UNECOM (and the thousands of 2008 graduates of all of our schools) enter a world that is far different from the one I entered when I stood in their place 22 years ago. I am confident that they are well-equipped to enter the next stage of their training, that within the medical profession they will continue to help model osteopathic principles and further evolve the health care world, and that their positive contributions will be greatly appreciated by the nation’s DO graduates 20 years hence.

Government Relations Update  

President Signs Emergency Student Loan Legislation
On May 7, President Bush signed emergency legislation that will make it easier for students and parents to borrow more this fall, preventing the credit crisis from affecting students’ ability to pay for their education.  The President has been a strong advocate of congressional action since it was determined that there were limits on what could be done administratively.

The legislation raised by $2,000 annually the maximum students can borrow through the federal Stafford loan program, which charges no more than 6.8 percent in interest and another 2 percentage points in fees.  Parents who may be struggling with their mortgage payments will still be able to get a PLUS loan, and new PLUS borrowers will be allowed to defer payment until their child leaves school.

Senate Passes Medicaid Moratorium
AACOM has advocated for Congress to impose a moratorium on seven Medicaid regulations that would eliminate Medicaid funding for a variety of programs, most notably graduate medical education.  Both the House and Senate now have responded to the efforts of the community.  By a veto-proof margin of 75-22, the Senate passed an emergency supplemental spending package that includes language that prohibits the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services from implementing a proposed rule that would eliminate Medicaid graduate medical education payments to teaching hospitals.  The House had already passed stand-alone legislation by a veto-proof majority that would place a one-year moratorium on the implementation of this proposed rule.   

However, as this process moves forward, it is unclear if House leadership will place the provisions into its version of the emergency supplemental spending bill.  AACOM may call on you again to ask your representatives to support their inclusion.  President Bush had threatened to veto this legislation, and the advocacy community must work to retain the veto-proof majorities in both the House and the Senate.  By the time this moratorium expires on April 1, 2009, a new administration will be in office, and members anticipate that a similar rule will not be proposed.

Appropriations Bills May Start Their Journey Soon          
While no one is expecting any quick resolution to funding levels for important programs for FY09, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are planning to put together legislation to fund programs under their jurisdiction in the very near future.  Those funding levels are expected to demonstrate Democratic Party priorities that will be used to draw distinctions between the parties in the 2008 election.

The congressional Budget Resolution establishes the broad parameters of federal spending in functional areas, such as education, health, transportation, agriculture, defense, and so on.  Under congressional rules and law, now that Congress has completed its actions on the Budget Resolution, the Appropriations Committees are free to move their bills through the process toward enactment.

The Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill funds many of the programs of interest to AACOM members, including all of Title VII, the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the Department of Health and Human Services, and the higher education and student loan programs in the Department of Education.

While initial action at the subcommittee level is expected to begin this month, it is unlikely the process will reach its conclusion before the November election.  Congressional Democrats will want to increase spending on domestic priorities, and the President has already indicated that he will veto any bill that does that.  Because the votes to override a presidential veto do not currently exist, it is likely the process will stop short of that point and programs will be funded at current levels until after the election – or even until after the swearing in of a new President on January 20, 2009.

AACOM Signs Coalition Letters
AACOM recently signed onto a number of letters circulated by coalitions of health care and education organizations.  AACOM actively participates in several coalitions to stay abreast of developments and increase the effectiveness of its advocacy.

Health Professions and Nursing Education Coalition:  Letter to the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee urging full funding for the health professions education programs by providing at least $300 million for the Title VII health professions programs and $200 million for the Title VIII nursing workforce development programs in the FY 2009 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Friends of the Health Resources and Services Administration:  Letter to the Chairmen and the Ranking Committee Members of the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees urging an overall funding level of at least $7.9 billion for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the FY 2009 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Coalition for Health Funding/Coalition for Education Funding:  Letter to key members of Congress, including the Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, urging that the fiscal year (FY) 2009 302(b) allocation for the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees reflect at least a $15 billion increase to the FY 2008 level for the critically important programs under the subcommittees’ jurisdiction.

Friends of Indian Health:  Letter to the Chairmen and the Ranking Committee Members of the House and Senate Budget Committee urging support for additional funding of $1 billion for the Indian Health Service (IHS) in the budget resolution conference.  Letters to Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations urging the highest possible FY 2009 302(b) allocation for the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee so that the medical needs of the approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives served by the IHS can be adequately addressed.

AACOM and AAMC Jointly Support Continuation of COGME
AACOM and the Association of American Medical Colleges jointly sent a letter to the Chairmen and the Ranking Committee Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to request inclusion of text in the FY 2009 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill that would permit funds to be used for the continued operation of the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME).  Since its inception in 1986, COGME’s diverse membership has provided the health policy community an opportunity to discuss national workforce issues and has offered important observations and recommendations that assist policymakers in adapting to the rapidly changing health care environment.

Partnership for Primary Care Workforce Produces Core Principles
The Partnership for Primary Care Workforce, a non-partisan, nationwide effort by key professional, provider, and educational organizations to strengthen and improve the nation’s primary care workforce, has developed core principles to guide the group’s work.  Several of the Partnership’s member organizations, including AACOM, have endorsed the core principles.

The Partnership’s overarching goal is to raise awareness through a unified voice about the vital importance of a robust, diverse, and well-prepared health care workforce that responds to the changing needs of the people of the United States.  Additionally, the Partnership intends to provide solutions to improve the recruitment and retention of the health care workforce, with the aim of promoting and supporting comprehensive, accessible, and sustainable community-based primary and preventive care services to everyone.

HRSA Updates Low Income Levels
HRSA has updated income levels used to identify a “low income family” for the purpose of determining eligibility of individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds for health professions and nursing training programs, including Title VII of the Public Health Service Act.  The Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines a low income family as having an annual income that does not exceed 200 percent of HHS poverty guidelines, which are based on poverty thresholds published by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index.

Osteopathic Health Policy Intern Program - Last Chance to Apply!

There’s still time to apply to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) 2009 Osteopathic Health Policy Intern (OHPI) Program.  All applications for the 2009 internship are due electronically in the AACOM and offices on or before July 7, 2008.

OHPI is a program that enables up to two osteopathic medical students to spend two months in the AACOM government relations offices, developing an understanding and operational knowledge of how federal health care policy is formulated and how to impact policy formulation. To the extent practical, every effort is made to identify the two-month period that best accommodates the students’ schedules.

Learn more about the OHPI program.

2009 College Information Book Now Available

The latest edition of AACOM’s Osteopathic Medical College Information Book is now available and has been posted to the AACOM website. This comprehensive resource for prospective students, applicants, and health professions advisors includes entrance requirements, admissions procedures and deadlines, financial aid resources, and other valuable information. In addition, the book provides detailed descriptions of each of the nation’s colleges of osteopathic medicine. New this year: enhanced college-specific application, financial, and prerequisite coursework information.

While the CIB is available free on-line and can be downloaded for printing, 50 complimentary copies of the publication will be mailed to each college and branch campus admissions office, and all health professions advisors also will receive a complimentary copy.

Additional copies of the College Information Book are available for $10.00 each. For larger orders: 11-49 - $8.00 each; 50 and up - $5.00 each. Order the CIB online, or make check payable to “AACOM” and send institutional check or money order to: Publications Orders, AACOM, 5550 Friendship Blvd., Suite 310, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.

AACOM Launches Unique National Faculty Academy

AACOM’s National Academy of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME) was created to promote collaboration and excellence in osteopathic medical education. The Academy is a community of medical educators who have met rigorous standards for membership.  The Academy is administered from within AACOM’s Society of Osteopathic Medical Educators (SOME). Membership in the Academy is earned and requires a five-year commitment to mentor and support educational excellence and scholarship in others in the osteopathic medical education profession.

Academy goals include:

• Modeling and promoting teaching excellence throughout osteopathic medical education.
• Fostering and valuing scholarship in teaching and learning that moves beyond excellent practice to the development of peer-reviewed educational products that are publicly available.
• Fostering networking and collaboration among institutions of osteopathic medical education by providing a forum for the exchange of ideas about educational endeavors including teaching, evaluation, curriculum design and implementation, faculty development and educational research.

Faculty members are encouraged to self-nominate for membership in the Academy or may be nominated by their dean or chairperson. For application information, materials, and deadlines, visit http://www.aacom.org/InfoFor/educators/naome/Pages/default.aspx

New Group Promotes Interprofessional Professionalism

Eight health care professions associations, along with the National Board of Medical Examiners, organized a working group in early 2007 to promote the understanding and practice of interprofessional professionalism. The group includes representatives from the following health care associations:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
• American Dental Education Association
• American Physical Therapy Association
• American Psychological Association
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Association of American Medical Colleges

The group’s initial year of work focused on the identification of behaviors common to all health care professions that reflect professional behavior in health care teams.   In 2008-2009, presentations are being made by three to four members of the working group at the annual meeting of each profession to share the group’s work and enlist the involvement of all association members.  AACOM Vice President for Medical Education Linda Heun and the group members from pharmacy and dentistry made such a presentation at AACOM’s Annual Meeting in April.  Future group efforts will focus on the development of a measurement tool and an education/evaluation toolkit.

AACOM encourages all readers who are involved in osteopathic medical education to complete a survey measuring the perceived appropriateness of the identified behaviors, and to contribute to the work of the group via its WIKI page.  You can access the Interprofessional Professionalism Behaviors Survey at http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/449dg303a5 and the Professionalism WIKI page at http://ippmg.pbwiki.com using the password:  ippmg 100.

The training that will occur at Western U/COMP’s future interdisciplinary patient care center (see Campus Roundup item below) is an exciting osteopathic medical education example of a focus on skill development for health care teams.

Campus Roundup

Leadership Change at TOUROCOM-NY
Martin Diamond, DO, has announced his retirement as Dean of Touro College Of Osteopathic Medicine (TOUROCOM-NY) in Harlem. Robert B. Goldberg, DO, has been appointed Interim Dean, effective July 1. Dr. Golberg previously served as the first Associate Dean for Community Medical Affairs and Advocacy for TOUROCOM. A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), Dr. Goldberg is a senior attending physician at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York City, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at TOUROCOM and Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York Medical College.

VCOM Students and Faculty Help Tornado Victims

Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) faculty members and students joined together to provide assistance to military families in Suffolk, Virginia, whose households had suffered the effects of tornadoes in May. Colonel Vaden Blackwood, DO (ret.), VCOM faculty member and advisor for the college’s Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPs) Club, initiated the relief efforts. Dean Dixie Tooke-Rawlins, DO, and Jan Willcox, DO, Associate Dean for Clinical Academic Affairs, led a team of 11 student AMOPS members in supporting the tornado victims. VCOM community members collected financial donations and distributed them among the victims.

OU-COM Faculty Win Substantial NIH Grants
Three biomedical science faculty members at the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) have been awarded significant research grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Mark Berryman, PhD, will receive a two-year, $221,250 award. As principal investigator, Dr. Berryman will work with co-investigator Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Soichi Tanda, PhD, to study the interaction of chloride intracellular channel (CLIC) proteins with other proteins in fruit flies. CLIC proteins are believed to transport charged chloride particles across cell membranes; recent research has shown that they regulate the development of cells, including cancer cells.

In March, Karen Coschigano, PhD, assistant professor, received a two-year NIH award for $221,250. She and her research team are studying kidney damage in mice with varying levels of growth hormone (GH) signaling. Dr. Coschigano and her students may provide results that could better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diabetic kidney disease.

Mario Grijalva, PhD, associate professor, will receive a three-year $201,839 NIH award. He plans to study the organism that causes Chagas Disease, a parasitic human disease that is pervasive in Latin America. This summer, Dr. Grijalva will head an interdisciplinary research team of students (medical, graduate and undergraduate) on a trip to Ecuador to work with Ecuadorian students and faculty, the Ecuador Ministry of Health, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.

ATSU/KCOM Professor Named Fulbright Scholar
Richard Cenedella, PhD, Chairman and Professor of Biochemistry at A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU/KCOM), has been named a Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Cenedella, the first faculty member from ATSU/KCOM to become a Fulbright Scholar, will teach students and continue his current research for six months at the University of Bahrain. One of only 800 professionals and scholars to be chosen each year, Dr. Cenedella was notified of his achievement by the presidentially appointed Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

LECOM and Robert Morris University Forge Alliance
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and Robert Morris University (RMU) recently forged an alliance to provide students with the opportunity to complete their medical education in one eight-year period. The “4+4” LECOM Medical Program will allow select undergraduates to receive a Baccalaureate degree from RMU and, having completed the necessary requirements, to then complete four years of medical school to receive their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from LECOM. The two institutions formed the affiliation in order to help address the shortage of primary care physicians in Pennsylvania.

Western U/COMP Adds New Centers to Campus
Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Western U/COMP) is currently undergoing the construction of a Health Education Center, a Patient Care Center and a six-story parking garage. The Patient Care Center will house a state-of-the-art diagnostics suite, a pharmacy and an optical retail center. In the diagnostics suite, medical students and faculty will collaborate with students and faculty in other disciplines, such as physical therapy and dentistry, to provide comprehensive care to patients in the community; this approach to multidisciplinary education and interprofessional care will benefit both patients and students. The new centers are scheduled to open their doors in August 2009.

Nationwide COM Graduation News

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU/KCOM) graduated its 172nd class on May 17 at Truman State University.

Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (AZCOM) held a commencement ceremony on June 6 at the Maricopa County Events Center in Sun City West.

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University (CCOM) graduated the class of 2008 on May 23 at Midwestern University.

Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine (DMU-COM) graduated 208 students at its 108^th commencement on May 24.

Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCUMB-COM) celebrated the commencement of 229 graduates on May 17.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) held commencement on June 1. Carlo J. DiMarco, DO, President-Elect of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Regional Dean of Clinical Medicine at LECOM, addressed students in his commencement speech.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus (LECOM   Bradenton) will hold its inaugural commencement on June 8. Florida Department of Health Secretary Ana M. Viamonte Ros, MD, MPH, will deliver the commencement address to 136 graduating medical students.

Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) held its Class of 2008 graduation on May 1. The keynote speaker was Peter B. Ajluni, DO, President of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and member of the Michigan Osteopathic Association.

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM) graduated its Class of 2008 on May 25; the keynote speaker was Florida Department of Health Secretary Ana M. Viamonte Ros, MD, MPH.

New York College of Osteopathic Medicine of the New York Institute of Technology (NYCOM/NYIT) graduates celebrated their commencement and joined the ranks of more 4,000 NYCOM alumni on May 17.

Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) held commencement on the evening of May 9 at the Union Performing Arts Center in Tulsa.

Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) conferred the title of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine on 106 graduates during its 29th annual commencement exercises on June 7, which featured a keynote address by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) held its 117^th commencement on June 1.

Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCSOM) held commencement on May 10, for 69 new physicians.

Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUCOM-CA) held graduation ceremonies for its Class of 2008 on June 1.

Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM) held commencement for its first graduating class on May 16, The largest medical school class to graduate in the state of Nevada heard a keynote address from Senator Joseph J. Heck, DO.

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM) celebrated the graduation of the school’s largest class in history on May 21. The event featured a keynote address by Elizabeth M. Duke, Administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration.

AACOM President and Chief Executive Officer Stephen C. Shannon, DO, MPH,  delivered the commencement address to more than 100 University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) students on June 7.

University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNTHSC/TCOM) held its 35^th Annual Commencement on May 17, at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) held commencement services on June 7. Joyce M. Johnson, DO, MA, Vice President for Health Sciences at Battelle Memorial Institute in Arlington, Virginia, and one of the country’s first AIDS researchers, delivered the commencement speech.

Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Western U/COMP) held its 27^th Annual Commencement on May 16, in Pasadena, California.

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) held its 31^st commencement ceremony on May 28.

Notes from an Undergrad:
Osteopathic Medicine: Dynamic and Innovative

By: Ann Janowski

One day, I was browsing the AACOM website and I stumbled upon an upcoming joint AACOM and AODME conference in St. Louis.  As a pre-medical student who attends school in St. Louis, I excitedly registered for the approaching conference, hoping to learn more about osteopathic medicine and its future direction.  This conference not only broadened my knowledge of osteopathic medicine, but also greatly sparked my interest.

Truthfully, as an undergraduate student I felt slightly out of my element at the conference.  Nevertheless, I was able to acclimate to the situation and was warmly welcomed at each session I attended. I confess that my initial intimidation was caused by the presence of so many admissions committee members, individuals who likely would one day play a vital role in determining my future as a potential medical student.  However, as the conference continued, I began to view the other conference attendees as accomplished professionals with whom I could share my interest in osteopathic medicine.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see osteopathic medicine from an insider’s view.

While I was at the conference I was able to attend many different sessions on topics ranging from OMM to student career counseling. All of the discussions were united under the theme of innovation, with a goal of strengthening osteopathic medical education. I found the lecture on generational issues across the OME continuum especially informative, and I was impressed by the extent of research conducted to find out more about Millennium generation medical students. There was recognition that Millennium students have needs and learning styles that differ greatly from those of past generations of students. As a member of the Millennium generation, I felt reassured knowing that not only were these differences recognized, but also that steps were being taken to adapt osteopathic medical education to better fit my generation.

Another discussion I found particularly interesting was on better incorporating OMM into the third and fourth years of medical school, as well as in residencies. The goal of this talk was to explore how to ensure that students’ OMM skills stay sharp, and also that they learn how to effectively apply OMM in clinical settings. This discussion illuminated the importance of patient care to osteopathic medical colleges and osteopathic physicians. 

I found myself thinking that the osteopathic profession is a unified community that is both forward-looking and committed to excellence.  As one of AACOM’s leaders said, “DOs are a family.”  It was very apparent from the conference that this family supports one another on their collective quest for excellence.

The conference gave me an inside look at the ideas of the people who are running osteopathic medical schools, and the direction they want their schools to take.  After attending this conference, I am confident that administrators will continually work to improve osteopathic medicine and adapt to an always-changing medical environment with great success.  I also am confident that continually developing better patient care will always be of the highest importance.  This conference was invaluable to me, and it left me inspired and excited to apply to osteopathic medical school. 

AACOM Council Updates and News

The Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) will meet July 14 - 17 for its Summer Business Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, prior to the American Osteopathic Association’s House of Delegates Meeting. Most student government presidents are voting members of their respective state’s House of Delegates delegation; they stay on through the remainder of the week to actively participate in those proceedings. Each year, COSGP facilitates the National Osteopathic Student Caucus, which provides a forum for participants from all student groups to review, debate and formalize a unified response to relevant resolutions that will come before the House of Delegates. COSGP also conducts a silent auction during the House of Delegates meeting to raise money for the council’s yearly activities. COSGP also will meet October 24-26 at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, in conjunction with the AOA Convention.

The Council of Fiscal Officers (CFO) will convene on October 27, 7:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

The Marketing and Communications Advisory Council (MAC) will also meet at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on October 27, 9:00 am – 11:00 am.

The Council of Development and Alumni Relations Professionals (Dev-Alum) will convene at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on October 28, 12:00 noon – 2:00 pm.

The Council of Osteopathic Medical Admissions Officers will meet on October 29, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

AACOM Increases Its Focus on Graduate Medical Education 

Tyler Cymet, DO, joined AACOM’s staff on June 2 as Associate Vice President for Medical Education, and will focus on increasing the association’s work on graduate medical education issues.   Dr. Cymet had been overseeing residents for the last 15 years as Director of Osteopathic Medical Education at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  He also served there as Section Head of Family Medicine.

In addition to carrying out his AACOM responsibilities, Dr Cymet will represent osteopathic medical education on two unique projects in June.  First, he will serve on the newly-developed Medical Advisory Committee to the U.S. Army Medical Department to increase the number of qualified physicians who choose a medical career in the army.   This effort will begin as a pilot project focusing on Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, with the potential for a nationwide focus.  Second, Dr. Cymet will join representatives of other health education associations to introduce each profession to attendees at the annual meeting of the National Association of Advisers to the Health Professions in late June.  The representatives will use a case study format to communicate how each profession would approach patient care in the context of a specific health issue.

U.S. Bone and Joint Decade Research Committee Invites Nominations for Young Investigators Initiative (YII) Workshop Program 

Basic and clinical research in the musculoskeletal diseases performed by young investigators is not keeping pace with the increasing burden of these diseases in the United States. The USBJD Research Committee has developed a program of workshops and mentoring to provide early-career clinical investigators an opportunity to work with experienced researchers in our field to assist them in securing funding and other survival skills required for pursuing an academic career. The program does not provide grants, but is aimed at training promising investigators to become successfully funded. Program mentors’ commitment to the program is significant, and the multi-disciplinary nature of the program is an important element as participants benefit from the exchange of cross-disciplinary knowledge and experience.

This program is open to promising junior faculty, senior fellows or post-doctoral researchers who wish to secure funding for hypothesis driven research.  They must be nominated by their department or division chair, have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed and have a commitment to protected time for research. The program also is open to senior fellows or residents that are doing research and have a faculty appointment in place or confirmed.

Applications are due by July 15, 2008. For more information, and to view the full call for applications, visit http://www.usbjd.org/research/research_op.cfm?dirID=197&CFID=1997326&CFTOKEN=59932451

AACOM Discount Moving Service Program
Now is the time to encourage all those who are transitioning this summer to take advantage of AACOM’s Discount Moving Service Program. AACOM’s program, sponsored by Premier Transfer and Storage, Inc. (an affiliate of Mayflower Moving Company), is a program for relocating faculty, staff, students and your own family members. 

The AACOM Discount Moving Service Program is the only osteopathic profession moving program that AACOM supports.

To learn more about the program, visit http://www.aacom.org/about/discounts/Pages/MovingProgram.aspx, contact Tom Graver at Tom.Graver@premier-transfer.com, or call 1-800-634-8571, ext. 111.

AACOM Job Connection
With the end of the 2007-2008 school year upon us, your institution will be seeking to fill academic and administrative positions for the 2008-2009 academic year.  Turn to AACOM’s job posting service to help fill these positions.  Individuals also are encouraged to post their resumes.

AACOM's job posting service, the AACOM Job Connection, is a supreme discount program offered to AACOM members and non-members.  The program provides a central location to post or seek positions in osteopathic medical education.  The AACOM Job Connection offers 30- and 60-day discount rates for posting single, three and five job openings. 

To learn more about the program, and to post job positions and/or resumes, visit the AACOM Job Connection.

AACOM Wireless Phone Program

There’s never been a better time to review your current wireless phone carrier and service and to consider AACOM’s Wireless Phone Program.  When your wireless service agreement expires, consider the many national carriers, rates, free state-of-the art cell phones, discounted accessories, and other discounts/rebates offered through AACOM’s Wireless Phone Program.

To learn more, visit: http://www.aacom.org/about/discounts/Pages/WirelessProgram.aspx.

We Value Your Input and Feedback

Please e-mail us at wbresler@aacom.org to provide news for upcoming issues of Inside OME, along with your feedback regarding this newsletter.