Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Tue, 07 May 2019 | Asa Keimig | LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) student chapter of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (SAOASM) was awarded National Chapter of the Year during the annual AOASM Conference this past week.
The National Chapter of the Year award is given to a chapter based on quality of student activities, community service, and student involvement. Nominations are voted upon by members of the SAOASM National Executive Board and by physician advisors. “It’s a huge honor for our chapter at LUCOM to be recognized on the national level and to have the things we’re doing with LUCOM-SAOASM be considered exemplary by our peers from other osteopathic medical schools,” said Megan Boyer, LUCOM Class of 2021.
Boyer, who served as president of LUCOM-SAOASM this past year, made it her goal was to increase student involvement and provide more opportunities for hands-on learning experiences for students through continuing their monthly meetings and labs, but also through putting a greater emphasis on sideline shadowing program. “I wanted students to be able to meet leaders in the field of sports medicine from within the Lynchburg and Virginia community, develop skills that are applicable to sports medicine as well as other specialties, and gain a better understanding what a career in sports medicine looks like,” said Boyer.
Moving forward, Boyer hopes that LUCOM-SAOASM can continue to host standout speakers who are excited about teaching and improving student education, but to also for the group to host another Regional SAOASM Conference at LUCOM next Spring.
During the AOASM conference this past week, Boyer was elected National Chair for Student AOASM. Next year she’ll be in charge of the student section of AOASM which includes planning SAOASM sponsored webinars that run throughout the year, helping regional representatives plan their respective regional conferences, as well as, working with the Vice Chair in planning the student section at the 2020 AOASM Clinical Conference. She will also serve on the AOASM Website and Membership committee where she will be a voice for medical students involved in AOASM.
For SAOASM as a whole, one of the biggest projects that Boyer is working on is developing is a mentorship program for SAOASM members. “At LUCOM we are particularly blessed to have access to sports medicine physicians working for Liberty University Athletics who have welcomed students on the sidelines and in the clinic,” she said. “Unfortunately, not all of the other osteopathic medical schools have the same privilege. With this in mind, I would like to create opportunities for students at COMs across the country to find local sports medicine physicians who are willing to teach, mentor, and allow students to shadow with them during their medical training.”