Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Chris Breedlove, LUCOM Marketing
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) celebrates fourth-year student-doctor Megan Boyer, Class of 2021, for her recent recognition from the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine (AOASM) – the Student Meritorious Award. The announcement was sent to all AOASM members through their annual email newsletter, SIDELINES, earlier this summer.
“I was really drawn to the AOASM because of my background as a collegiate athlete and coach. The student chapter of the organization presented a huge opportunity to get involved in the athletics community within Liberty University, gain clinical experience on the sidelines, and become involved in a professional organization that is committed to student development,” said Boyer. “The AOASM membership gave me the opportunity to quickly become involved in sports medicine at LUCOM and allowed me to stay connected to my athletics background as I began my medical school training. It has provided me a great outlet from the rigors of medical school and given me an opportunity to learn.”
“The AOASM Student Meritorious Award is given annually to student(s) who consistently demonstrate a strong commitment to sports medicine throughout medical school,” she added. Prior to beginning her osteopathic medical education at LUCOM, Boyer rowed for Temple University (NCAA Division-I) in Philadelphia and coached rowing at Franklin & Marshall College (NCAA Division-III) in Pennsylvania.
The criteria for the AOASM Student Meritorious Award involves being an active member of the AOASM’s student chapter, holding national and chapter level leadership positions, participation at AOASM conferences, publication of case presentations or research articles, and participation at community service events. This year, Boyer was selected along with her friend, Daniel Brannen, from A.T. Still University-KCOM, who worked with her as the student-chapter National Vice Chair for AOASM.
Throughout her time at LUCOM, Boyer has been the National Student Chair and a Southeastern Regional Representative for the AOASM student chapter, and the President of the LUCOM chapter. She also attended multiple conferences where AOASM was represented, including the 2019 and 2020 AOASM Clinical Conferences, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) – Osteopathic Medical Exposition (OMED) in 2019, and the AOASM student chapter Southeast Regional Conference.
At the 2020 Clinical Conference, she presented a collaborative case study titled, Dextrose Prolotherapy for the Treatment of Patellofemoral Instability in Female Skater. She was joined by fellow student-doctor Janelle Hartman, Class of 2022, and Mark E. Rolfs, DO, PharmD, interim chair for the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Osteopathic Principles and Practice.
“One of my favorite events that the AOASM student chapter hosted while I was at LUCOM was our Women in Sports Medicine Panel in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2019,” said Boyer. “I enjoyed this discussion so much that as National Chair I created a webinar event to host female sports medicine physicians from across the country to speak on their experiences as women in sports medicine.”
Boyer was also involved in several non-sports related events and opportunities at LUCOM such as medical outreach in Guatemala (2018) and the Community Care Collaborative events Lynchburg and Martinsville. Additionally, she has been active in the LUCOM Ultrasound Interest Group (USIG), serving as its Vice President her second-year. Working with her fellow classmate Samuel Creighton, Class of 2021, they presented a digital poster at OMED 2018 on their experiences working with physicians and a licensed ultrasonographer to help teach ultrasound skills to Guatemalan medical students in obstetrics and trauma. She also worked heavily with Leslie Hammer, PhD, assistant professor of anatomy, supporting her ultrasound curriculum and volunteering in labs.
For Boyer, she chose to study and one day practice osteopathic medicine, because of its philosophy to holistically treat the body, mind, and spirit rather than simply focusing on a patient’s chief complaint. “As a DO [Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine], you are equipped to evaluate and treat all aspects of a patient’s life and really examine the root of a problem.”
“Osteopathic manipulative medicine is a large part of why I chose an osteopathic medical school. Being able to use your hands as tools to quickly obtain a structural diagnosis and then determine a hands-on treatment plan for a patient gives physicians an additional avenue for treatment that potentially removes the need for additional medications,” she added.
Boyer is set to graduate next May in the Class of 2021. “I chose LUCOM for a number of reasons. The faculty and staff are truly devoted to educating students and helping build them into knowledgeable, capable, and most importantly, compassionate physicians. The student atmosphere is highly collaborative, and students truly value each other as colleagues and friends. I also loved that LUCOM has such a big focus on outreach and giving back to our local and global communities.”
She is currently considering a residency in OBGYN and will soon be traveling for audition rotations throughout the Fall semester. “I hope to continue to stay involved in athletics and sports medicine as I move into my future career and combining my love for both sports medicine and women’s health into my practice.”
Formed in 1976, the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine is the oldest primary care-based sports medicine specialty. Its original members and founders, consisting of sports medicine specialists, recognized that while other sports medicine organizations existed, there wasn’t one specific to Osteopathic sports medicine physicians. The AOASM utilizes a holistic, comprehensive approach to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of sport and exercise-related injuries, disorders, dysfunctions and disease processes. Its purpose is to advance a mutually respectful relationship among dedicated, competent sports medicine specialists, and to provide a quality educational resource for its members, allied health sports medicine professionals, and the general public.