VCOM Auburn Yearbook 2020

SOMA Student Osteopathic Medical Association Roxana Bahani, President; Jordan Wordekempeer, Vice President; Kristyn Kraus, Treasurer; Lacey Mead, Secretary; Hallie Stubbs, National Liaison Officer

T he VCOM-Auburn chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) is the largest organization on campus and is directly affiliated with the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). They work throughout the year to keep students informed of current political issues affecting the osteopathic profession. in order to allow the viewpoints and interests of osteopathic medical students to be heard at local, state, regional and national levels. Current officers Roxana Bahani (president), Hallie Stubbs (national liaison officer), Jordan Wordekemper (vice president), Kristyn Kraus (treasurer) and Lacey Mead (secretary) hope to continue the excellent work past officers have been able to accomplish. The SOMA officer board held a ShaDO day, where prospective medical students from the auburn community were invited to experience a day in the life of an osteopathic medical student. The day consisted of several different workshops that allowed the students to practice different hands-on techniques varying from medical imaging to airway management. For the chapter service opportunity, SOMA held a “Be the Match” bone marrow drive, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that gives an opportunity for patients of all types to receive a bone marrow transplant when they need it. SOMA also teamed up with SGA and raised $330 to buy food supplies for the East Alabama Food Bank when they had a food shortage towards the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. SOMA members usually attend three yearly conferences across the country. This year, these conferences were all attended virtually due to COVID-19 but the impact was still just as inspiring and beneficial. Current President Roxana Bahani and National Liaison Officer Hallie Stubbs attended the SOMA Spring Convention and Summer House of Delegates virtually this year where they voted on important

resolutions like improving insulin affordability, as well as including adverse childhood experiences screenings in primary care settings. They also virtually attended the Summer Leadership Meeting and SOMA Advocacy Day where they spoke to state senators and representatives to advocate for student debt relief, PPE funding and access and COVID-19 equitable data collection to address health disparities.

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