VCOM - Carolinas 2016 Yearbook

ACONP American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists

Boone Rountree, President; Mandi Leming, Vice President; Thomas Price, Treasurer; Ambreona Thomas, Secretary

T he student chapter of ACONP works in conjunction with the Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) to provide quality medical education and opportunities in the fields of psychiatry and neurology. Starting as a neuropsychiatry interest group, ACONP has grown into a student organization with national affiliation status in just a few short years. This is due in large part to the growing interest in mental health, both in the general population, and in medicine. It is also due to leadership from advisor Paul Switzer, MD, and Dean Tim Kowalski, DO, himself a past president of ACONP. Both of these administrators are advocates for high quality mental health education.

ACONP hosted a Stress Management workshop for students and faculty, and have partnered with the SGA to help introduce new mental health initiatives for the campus specifically to address stress, anxiety, and depression. Members of ACONP have also participated in the Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) Program where they assisted faculty in teaching local high school students about human neuroanatomy and physiology. Several members attended an international mission trip to Honduras with Dr. Switzer, where they learned both neurological assessments and cross- cultural psychiatric phenomena in underserved populations. Members championed a

biopsychosocial approach to teaching parents and kids in the Spartanburg and Upstate community at the annual Kids Wellness Fair. This was the first year members attended the ACONP session at the Osteopathic Medical Conference and Exposition (OMED). Finally, there are still a number guest speakers and events planned for the future. Overall, this was the most successful year for the VCOM– Carolinas student chapter of the ACONP and SIGN to date. The truly exciting thing, though, is that as membership continues to grow, the potential and possibilities for future success are exponential.

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