As you read this, I hope you all are having a great summer. I am happy to report that our midyear meeting, the Postgraduate Seminar, was a success, with nearly 700 members enjoying the west coast along with quality continuing medical education and a congenial environment. Registrants were pleased with the topics and the venue.
During the Postgraduate Seminar, the AOAO Board of Directors reviewed the recommendations from the March strategic planning session. Details from the strategic planning session are available on our website. One of the action items that came from this meeting was the resurrection of a Membership Committee. This five-member committee will consist of three Board members, a resident (RAOAO officer), and a student member (SAOAO officer).
The Membership Committee will focus on enhancing member benefits of the AOAO. These benefits will be broken down into benefits at the student level, resident level, new graduates/fellows, actively practicing and mature members. The focus for student membership will be to assist with optimizing and obtaining an orthopedic residency. For residents and fellows, we will focus on mentorship and online information that includes the pros and cons of private practice versus employment models. For established members, we will work with the CME Committee to offer board review information and online tips related to financial planning. For our retired members, we are looking into offering resources such as locum tenens opportunities and alternate sources of income. In addition to these possible new benefits, the Membership Committee will be working on initiating an Ambassador Program that would connect AOAO Ambassadors with students to advocate the advantages of membership in the AOAO should they be accepted into a residency training program.
I will continue to keep you updated on the progress of this committee as we strive to offer new benefits. Keep in mind that one of your current benefits is the AOAO website. Here you can access meeting information, store all your CME hours, check your meeting requirement status, apply for the Award of Fellow, and renew your member dues. Most importantly, you can reach out to the Board with questions or suggestions by sending your message from the bottom of the AOAO home page.
The AOAO Foundation has continued to work exhaustively on finalizing a virtual library. This tiring work has fallen on the shoulders of Gary Ulrich, DO, FAOAO and the Foundation Board. These individuals have served tirelessly to bring this project to fruition. Their goal is to provide AOAO members with a virtual library providing access to multiple journals for a drastically reduced fee. We are looking forward to more information about this project in the near future.
Finally, I would encourage you to attend the AOAO Annual Meeting in Atlanta this October. Our meeting (held at the Hilton Atlanta) will be at the same time as our colleagues from the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (meeting at the JW Marriott). Both hotels are connected by a covered walkway. Joint activities include the spine/neurosurgery session on Friday morning, and a welcome reception on Wednesday prior to the meeting. And don’t miss the keynote speaker, Michael Daniel, who will be addressing cyber security on Thursday morning.
I look forward to seeing you in Atlanta. Best wishes for a safe summer!