LUCOM hosts national conference for student-doctors

More than 100 student-doctors from around the country participated in the Student Osteopathic Surgical Association’s (SOSA) national conference held at Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) on April 1 and 2.

The annual conference gives students the opportunity to enhance and improve their surgical skills as well as hear from local and national practicing surgical specialists. Interactive workshops and sessions were held throughout the weekend. Keynote speakers included Dr. Jeannie Rivers, chief of surgery at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond, Va., and the daughter of Liberty University founder Jerry Falwell Sr. She was the first female Liberty graduate to attend medical school.

Other featured speakers included Dr. Scott A. Blickensderfer, president of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons; Dr. Franco M. Coniglione, an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Carilion Clinic Orthopedics; Dr. Anita Jeyakumar, section chief and pediatric ENT at Carilion Clinic Otolaryngology; Dr. Shawn D. Safford, surgeon-in-chief and section chief of pediatric surgery at Carilion Children’s Pediatric Surgery; and Dr. Dawn R. Tartaglione, board-certified neurosurgeon at AllianceHealth Midwest.

Student-doctors were also trained in responding to life-or-death situations through an emergency triage session taught by emergency responders from the Lynchburg Fire Department.

The conference was hosted by LUCOM’s SOSA chapter. SOSA is the official student branch of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS). The organization was established for student-doctors interested in surgical specialties and allows them to participate in educational and clinical opportunities.

Read the full story and view photos from the conference on the LUCOM website.