SOMA students focus on healthcare legislation

Two clubs on the ATSU Arizona campus, the student chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA^2) and the student chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP),  have come together to plan a series of speakers to introduce SOMA students to the legislative process and to brief students on health policy topics.

“Topics range from current reform relating to state and national healthcare policies to medical education costs and loan repayment programs that will be relevant to our osteopathic careers,” said Alice Chen, OMS l, and SOMA chapter vice president, SOMA^2,  and SOMA chapter president, student chapter, ACOFP.

“Each year, there is coordination within the osteopathic community to set up a day for a lobbying effort to take place among osteopathic physicians and students and members of congress and staff,” said SOMA Dean Thomas McWilliams, D.O., FACOFP. “This speaker series will enhance students’ learning in preparation for participating in both the state and national healthcare legislative events.”

The 2011 Arizona D.O. Day at the Legislature will take place on Feb. 15 in Phoenix at the state capitol. The national event, which focuses on healthcare reform at the national level (D.O. Day on the Hill), will be held on April 7, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

The SOMA speaker series begins in late January and will continue throughout the year up to the national event.  Amanda Weaver, executive director of the Arizona Osteopathic Medical Association (AOMA) will provide an introduction to the Arizona legislative process, preparing students for the state event in February. Shawn Martin from the American Osteopathic Association office in Washington, D.C., will provide students with an introduction to the national legislative lobbying event in April.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about and participate in the healthcare legislation process,” said Dr. McWilliams.