VCOM - Carolinas 2017 Yearbook

AOASM American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine

BJ Catoe, President; Guillermo Alfonso, Vice President

A OASM is the oldest primary care- based sports medicine specialty. It utilizes a holistic, comprehensive approach to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of sport and exercise-related injuries, disorders, dysfunctions, and disease processes. The organization was created for medical students with an interest in sports medicine. The organization’s highest priority is to provide students with opportunities to acquire a skill set that could benefit them in their future careers in family medicine, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, or other related areas. AOASM provides students the opportunity to partner with the athletes, coaches, trainers, and physicians of Spartanburg and the Upstate region, and teaches valuable skills and techniques to better students as future sports medicine physicians. Members attend different regional and national sports medicine conferences all over the country.

AOASM members participated in many outreach and fundraising events this year. Members assisted local physicians by assisting with sports physicals for athletes from local high schools and colleges, as well as the Shrine Bowl, Special Olympics, and local elementary schools. AOASM members also have the opportunity to observe and participate in sideline coverage at USC Upstate basketball games, getting a firsthand glimpse into the career of a team physician. The organization welcomed Richard Smith, pastor of Hope Point Church in Spartanburg, as a guest speaker this year. Pastor Smith spoke to students, guests and physicians about his battle with chondrosarcoma and gave a very powerful insight into his experience when faced with life and death illness. AOASM strives to provide this type of speaker series to expand the knowledge base of VCOM’s future physicians.

AOASM hosted the annual VCOM Olympics and Chili Cook-off, events that bring first- and second-year students together in a series of fun and athletic head-to-head challenges, benefitting the school’s medical outreach programs and helping to raise money for the organization as well. After a grueling battle, the Class of 2019 took home the VCOM Olympics trophy this year, and for the second year in a row, the Chili Cook-off trophy was awarded to Eric Bradley, Class of 2019. Through the local YMCA’s “Lunch and Learn” program, AOASM members attend monthly lectures on sports- organization also continued its annual traditions of Jersey Day (a sportswear dress-down day) and Tourney for Tots, a March Madness bracket challenge. These fundraisers help AOASM to purchase sports equipment for local elementary school programs serving underprivileged children. related topics given by medical professionals from Upstate. The

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