VCOM Auburn Yearbook 2020

ACOEP American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians Mark Drye, President; Marshall Johnson, Vice President; Alejandro Gonzales Espinoza, Secretary; Hayley Nichols, Treasurer; Coral Byrns, Community Chair; Gianna Mangieri, Wilderness Medicine Committee Chair; J.J. White, DO, PhD, Faculty Advisor

T he VCOM-Auburn student chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) started the year by organizing an “Introduction to Ultrasound” clinic led by club advisor, Dr. JJ White. This opportunity would later develop into a lecture series that included FAST exams, ultrasound guided IV placements and joint/soft tissue evaluation. ACOEP also later led an ultrasound clinic for the VCOM-Auburn annual Student Osteopathic Surgery Association (SOSA) Surgical Conference. One of the more popular aspects of the ACOEP club is the Wilderness Medicine Committee. Starting in the fall, students attend weekly meetings that include a quick medical discussion followed by a group run around Auburn. This is in preparation for an annual team trip to MedWAR (Medical Wilderness Adventure Race) located in Harrogate, TN. VCOM competed with many schools across the country and placed five teams inside the top 10! Sixteen members attended the annual ACOEP Scientific Assembly in Austin, TX. ACOEP regularly holds American Heart Association approved CPR classes to keep medical students up to date with Basic Life Support (BLS) training. For the second year, ACOEP joined forces with the National Texas Two Step CPR Save a Life Campaign on Auburn University’s campus. Our members led the hands-on CPR demonstration event that led to more than 100 community members being trained. VCOM’s first class had a very successful match in emergency medicine. Four former ACOEP members, who recently matched in emergency medicine, held a question and answer panel. The discussion included topics regarding residency placement, board preparation, auditions, and general emergency medicine advice. Not unlike most clubs on campus, our year was cut short due to the devastating impact of COVID-19. Our three most successful and large-scale events (Rescue Race, Mountain Medicine Conference, and Disaster Day) did not come to fruition. Rescue Race is a 10 mile adventure race through Chewacla State Park in Auburn, AL. This race is modeled after MedWAR, but with some major upgrades. The Mountain Medicine Conference takes place in Park City, Utah and allows members to educate themselves in mountain safety, Winter Olympic athlete care, altitude related sickness and other wilderness medicine topics. Disaster Day is a large, mass-casualty simulation in partnership with the Auburn University School of Nursing, the AU Harrison School of Pharmacy, and the AU Social Work Department.

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