Friday, August 10, 2018

LUCOM-SOIMA president appointed to serve on ACP Virginia chapter

Fri, 10 Aug 2018Christopher Breedlove | LUCOM Marketing

Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) student-doctor Alli Dews, Class of 2021, has been appointed to serve on the Governor’s Council of the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP). This leadership position makes her one of only two students statewide to represent all medical students on the ACP Council.

ACP was founded in 1915 and promotes the practice as well as science of internal medicine. With a diverse member base, it is the largest medical-specialty society in the world with over 150,000 specialists. According to its website, ACP and its physician members lead the profession in education and the advancement of internal medicine.

“I’m involved with ACP because it is the largest national organization for internal medicine, the largest medical-specialty society in the world, and I love the resources and benefits that it provides to medical students,” said Dews. “As students we are also involved in extensive networking opportunities which often leads to quality mentors in the field. It is a fantastic organization and I’m so excited to be part of it.”

Under the guidance of Carl Hoegerl, DO, FACP, associate professor of Neurology, Dews was introduced to William Fox, MD, FACP, the current president and governor of the ACP Virginia chapter. It was this introduction that led to Dews new appointment. “I am very proud of Alli for making this two-year commitment and I know that she will represent LUCOM well,” said Dr. Hoegerl. “She will be working on educational and advocate programs geared towards medical students as well as student research. I am extremely proud of her.” Dr. Hoegerl also serves as a faculty member on the ACP Virginia chapter (ACP-VA).

For Dews this new position is unique in that ACP-VA, till this year has not yet worked with LUCOM. Her current role as the president of the LUCOM chapter of the Student Osteopathic Internal Medicine Association (SOIMA) allowed her to become directly involved with ACP due to their sponsorship of SOIMA. “A personal goal of mine as a member of the council is to set an example that puts LUCOM students in a positive light. I also want to learn more and become more involved in health policy since I was inspired by LUCOM’s Humanities and Medical Ethics and Jurisdiction courses.”

Dews will hold this position on the ACP governor’s council for two-years with a primary responsibility of assisting in the planning of the ACP-VA annual chapter conference meeting next spring. “This event is a great opportunity for medical students to meet with residency directors and network,” she said.

While LUCOM student-doctors come from all over the world to learn osteopathic medicine at Liberty, Dews felt called by God to go into medicine, specifically by applying to LUCOM. “I fell in love with LUCOM’s Christian views. When I arrived for my interview, I sat in the parking lot the afternoon beforehand and felt this overwhelming peace like I was where I needed to be, and that feeling stayed with me throughout the day,” she said. “I love LUCOM’s mission. We are a family that encourages one another and I love all of the opportunities and resources that are made available to students.”

She chose osteopathic medicine because of the desire to learn as much as possible about the human body. “I want to treat dysfunction safely, effectively, and efficiently while encouraging the body’s natural healing process,” Dews added. “I aim to provide my patients with well-rounded care that addresses not only their physical needs by helping their cardiovascular systems, but also their mental and spiritual needs, so that their treatments will be more successful.”

Dews plans to become a cardiologist.