We held our RAOAO meeting at the spring Postgraduate Seminar. After attending the AOAO’s Board of Directors strategic planning meeting, I was directed to provide an update for our RAOAO members and hold our own strategic planning session. The AOAO is the unifying academy of osteopathic orthopedic surgeons and during this time of change and unknown, we are striving to not only remain relevant, but to improve the benefits for all members including residents.
As part of the strategic plan, the RAOAO and AOAO Board worked together to emphasize the importance of a certifying board process that consists of two steps, and to send this recommendation to the AOBOS. We also discussed the importance of retaining members after the transition to the Single Accreditation System. As a result of our strategic planning session, we outlined a few important topics in which to focus.
- Encouraging a recertification process that is less stressful and more relevant for members.
- Developing a board preparation class/seminar including practice questions.
- Streamlining the resident portion of the AOAO website, with the addition of mentor search functions and fellowship training history.
- Making skills labs more available to residents.
- Providing more CME options and affordability.
- Promoting increased resident involvement, including creating ambassadorships at each program.
In addition to these topics, we discussed the importance of camaraderie and the impact we have to affect change as a smaller and more approachable organization. As we residents continue to learn and evolve, we must also continue to strengthen the collectivity and power we have as osteopathic orthopedic surgeons. We will continue to work on these goals to provide even more resources for residents.
If you have any questions, concerns, or insights please feel free to contact us.
- Ahmed Siddiqi, DO
President - Ross Burge, DO
President-Elect - James Phillips, DO
Secretary/Treasurer