AOASM News - April 2007
PRESIDENT'S GREETING
The AOASM’s 22nd Annual Clinical Conference promises to be very rewarding, fun and educational! We will have fun and learn and we will be rewarded through our collective efforts to develop and implement a formal strategic plan. By coming together to plot the future, we not only ensure a strong and growing organization, we set the table for the success of those who will follow us. Sports medicine is a very exciting and growing field of medicine. We are witnessing the development of a field that is set to explode. In this time of March Madness, I reflect on the changes that I have witnessed in sports. Those of you in your mid-forties—remember Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars? (High tops, of course!)--the first popular athletic shoe, replacing ‘sneakers!’ Today, most of the volleyball and basketball club teams that we care for are sponsored by shoe or ball companies, along with camps and schools. Amazing. The money that has flowed into amateur and professional sports over the past 2 decades brings with it tremendous demands on players, coaches and physicians. The demand for highly skilled and specifically trained physicians to treat athletes is a natural evolution of this sports explosion. In the coming years we will all be witnesses and participants in the explosion that is underway in sports medicine. Students see this and see each of us and say, “That looks like fun, I’d like to do that.” The number of sports medicine fellowship slots is increasing each year and the number of students interested in sports medicine continues to climb. The AOASM is a leader in sports medicine and central to developing credentialing standards, athletic care policy, and education. It is a great time to be a sports medicine physician and a member of the AOASM. Together, we can shape the future not only of the AOASM, but of the field of sports medicine. The AOASM’s 22nd Annual Clinical Conference is an opportunity to get together with colleagues in a beautiful setting to learn, share ideas and chart the course for the future. It promises to be memorable and rewarding. See you in St. Pete!
AOASM 22nd ANNUAL CLINICAL CONFERENCE
Thank you, Bernie King, D.O., FAOASM and the Program Committee for a terrific education and meeting program. The Conference features 27 hours of Category 1-A CME credits. There is still time to register and “BRING A FRIEND.” The BRING A FRIEND program rewards a previous attendee who brings a new attendee a 20% discount on BOTH registration fees. We greatly appreciate Susan Rees, Valerie Utrie and the staff of Rees Group Inc. for all of their efforts in making the Conference a success. There is still time to register and make plans for lodging. Find more information at www.aoasm.org
LAPTOPS at the AOASM MEETING
The AOASM is pleased to announce that the presentations at the Annual Conference will be provided on CD. This will be much more convenient for members than the cumbersome and heavy notebook binders that have been issued traditionally. Those who wish to view the lecture as it is being presented are encouraged to bring their laptop computers (with a fully charge battery!) and to take notes electronically. This has been requested by many members and the time is right to make the transition. Score one for the GEEKS!
AOASM at the ACOFP!
The AOASM hosted an exhibit booth at the ACOFP Annual Conference held in Kissimmee, Florida March 13-17. The ACOFP is very interested in the education programs offered by the AOASM and there is mutual desire for greater collaboration between the organizations. The purpose of the booth was to provide information about the AOASM to the general membership of the ACOFP. This was very well received by attendees who expressed interest in a variety of topics including fellowship program, CAQ, education opportunities, membership and student precepting. We look forward to working with the ACOFP more closely and welcome Tom Told, D.O., Immediate Past President of the ACOFP to our conference in St. Pete.
AOASM COMMITTEES
All members of the AOASM are invited to share ideas and talents as members of committees. As we proceed through the formal strategic planning process, there will be new committees (standing and ad hoc) and task forces which will be assembled. For a list of committees, go to www.aoasm.org under the ‘members only’ section. Let us know where you would like to participate. Thanks in advance!!
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
Did you know that there will soon be 28 colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States? The Student Relations Committee works to establish AOASM Student Chapters at all osteopathic medical schools. Currently, there are 23 Student Chapters. Our student membership is growing, reflective not only of the growing popularity and interest in sports medicine but in the AOASM. There will be more students attending the AOASM meeting in St. Pete than ever before! If you would like to be more involved with student chapters including meeting on campus, serving as a preceptor in your clinic or participating on the Student Relations Committee, contact Mike Sampson, D.O. FAOASM at msampson@vcom.vt.edu
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