Candidates for Region II Representative

         
Daran Amini, OMS III, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine      

My years at NSU KPCOM as a medical student have been an invigorating journey of character development and growth, which has allowed me to continually raise my standard and set new goals. Today, I humbly seek the opportunity to serve as Region II Representative for SOIMA. Building upon the foundation I have laid thus far, I am driven to bring fresh perspectives and create new connections in Region II for Osteopathic Medical Students.

From my first few weeks at NSU KPCOM, I recognized the opportunity students had to create their own platform, and bring people together with common interest. I embarked on a journey to establish NSU’s Student Cardiology Association, a goal that demanded tenacity, consistency, and a passion for the elevation of all of our medical school experiences. I learned through experience how to become an effective and respected leader, and I believe that I can translate these skills into a new role as your regional representative.

Leading by example quickly became my compass. I have come to understand that as a leader, setting (and meeting) a high standard for oneself is the foundation which creates a sense of accountability, trust, and mutual respect among classmates. If I am granted the honor of serving Region II, I assure you that I will carry myself consistently and profesionally with the goal of being the example that represents so many incredible fellow medical students.

One of the most fulfilling moments in my years of medical school thus far was when I witnessed the legacy I had left behind upon passing down my leadership role to the next class of my organization. It was a continual reminder that legacy is not about personal achievements, it is about what carries on beyond oneself, and having a lasting impact that transcends any one person. As a first generation immigrant, I consider my ability to pursue this career the legacy of my parents’ personal sacrifices. I carry their legacy deep within myself, as it inspires me to continue to create one of my own. If elected, I will come with the goal of creating new opportunities within this organization that will continue to benefit students beyond my term.

Furthermore, my professional journey has directed me to form a network of accomplished osteopathic physicians, along with regional and national representatives of the American Heart Association. Among these invaluable relationships are individuals such as my mentor and uncle Kayvan Amini DO, Cardiologist, President of the Broward County Osteopathic Medical Association and 2023 FOMA Physician of the Year; Joshua D. Lenchus DO, a remarkable leader who has held prestigious positions, including President of the Florida Medical Association and former President of the Florida Osteopathic Medical Association, and Sina Joorabchi DO, an ENT specialist who was one of the original pioneers of medical education through social media. These connections are a testament to the power of mentorship, knowledge exchange, and the shared pursuit of bettering our profession. If elected, I will harness these connections to foster opportunities for mentorship, ensuring that each member of our association benefits from the wisdom of those who have blazed trails before us.  

In conclusion, I stand here today with an unyielding passion for the advancement of our osteopathic community. I am so incredibly blessed as an osteopathic medical student to have access to organizations such as SOIMA, FOMA, and BCOMA which prepare me for my future. I remain grateful to those who came before me, setting a standard of excellence for osteopathic medicine and created a world where students such as myself can pursue osteopathic medicine without the stigmatization or discrimination of the past. Ultimately I want to do the same, and make osteopathic medicine an even more appealing profession for the next generation. Thank you!               

Lian Atlas-Grayton, OMS II, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine     

To my fellow ACOI members, 

I am writing to express my interest in the position for Region II Representative with SOIMA. I graduated from Gordon College with a degree in Biology and spent 3 years working in clinical research at Mass General Hospital. As a current OMS II at Nova Southeastern University KPCOM, I am a member of the Internal Medicine Club. Through our club, I attended an event called “How to Get Into Residency” with Dr. Hasty sponsored by the ACOI. At this talk, I was exposed to the extensive resources and outreach of the ACOI. However, the ACOI expressed to us (students) that they face a large disconnect in reaching medical students. There was a great desire for the ACOI to help medical students, but a large gap stood in the way of making this a reality. I believe as a representative of SOIMA, I can assist in closing this gap by collecting needed feedback from medical students. I want to answer questions such as what are the best platforms to reach medical students, what tools do we need throughout different stages of medical school, and how can we connect with physicians part of the ACOI? Internal medicine is a friendly field for osteopathic physicians, but medical students lack resources such as the ACOI to make residency and applications an improved process.               
         
I believe I have the passion and prior leadership experience to continue the development of SOIMA. As a clinical research coordinator, I had the privilege of managing several IRB clinical trials and working closely with oncology patients to manage their treatment. As a peer mentor, I work closely with OMS I students to coordinate engaging events and provide advice during the transition into medical school. In my free time I try to stay balanced by spending time with my husband and Bengal kitten, rock climbing, going to yoga and training for a half-marathon in Feburary. I believe my collective experiences have given me great attention to detail, strong communication and problem solving skills. With your consideration, I hope that I can be an advocate for SOIMA to assist osteopathic medical students interested in IM! I look forward to connecting with anyone attending the ACOI 2023 in Tampa.               

Thank you again for your time and consideration.              

Jason Corcoran, OMS III, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine    

During medical school it is easy to burry yourself in textbooks and lose sight of the future because the present can be so overwhelming. I was no different in my first year of medical school and it took until halfway through my third semester to even discover the ACOI. Since that time, I have attended as many SOLID virtual meetings as I could fit into my schedule hoping to gain insight from the network of practicing osteopaths in the specialty that I plan on pursuing. I have been especially proud to go to D.O. school because I have noticed that D.O.s truly look out for one another and build each other up for the betterment of our craft.  We are at a unique time as the Osteopathic community grows and gains more and more recognition from the medical community and general population. I believe that the role of a SOIMA leader is as a voice of osteopathic medical students who need guidance much like I did and still do. Most of our COMs provide lectures for how to make yourself a competitive residency applicant, but it is too broad of advice to be effective. The ACOI can be the resource that osteopaths interested in internal medicine turn to for specialty specific guidance. I hope my perspective as a student can be useful to the ACOI to guide other students on things like the importance of research, taking the COMLEX and STEP exams, and how to find a residency program that fits their goals.               
At Alabama College of Osteopathic medicine, I was the chair of the Rheumatology and Sports Medicine committee in our internal medicine interest group. One of the biggest events that we held was to host joint injection workshops. In the first month of my third year, I was able to put those skill into action. I was comfortable holding the needle, finding landmarks, and performing the injection because I had the practice in my preclinical years. I think these workshops are incredibly useful and would help students in their clinical years. Much like the point of care ultrasound (POCUS) that ACOI is hosting at the annual meeting, it would be extremely beneficial to host workshops and virtual learning experiences about basic procedural skills that internal medicine physicians perform.               
My hope as a representative from region II is to continue to grow the culture of the ACOI and foster a network of osteopathic internal medicine students and physicians. I am proud to be an osteopathic medical student and I enjoy meeting other osteopaths during my rotations. I pride myself on relentless hard work and I plan to bring this with me as a student representative. Being an osteopathic student and physician is an immediate bond that we share, and I hope that we can continue to advance our profession and the name of osteopathic physicians through our network.

Elizabeth Jose, OMS II, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine    

During medical school it is easy to burry yourself in textbooks and lose sight of the future because the present can be so overwhelming. I was no different in my first year of medical school and it took until halfway through my third semester to even discover the ACOI. Since that time, I have attended as many SOLID virtual meetings as I could fit into my schedule hoping to gain insight from the network of practicing osteopaths in the specialty that I plan on pursuing. I have been especially proud to go to D.O. school because I have noticed that D.O.s truly look out for one another and build each other up for the betterment of our craft.  We are at a unique time as the Osteopathic community grows and gains more and more recognition from the medical community and general population. I believe that the role of a SOIMA leader is as a voice of osteopathic medical students who need guidance much like I did and still do. Most of our COMs provide lectures for how to make yourself a competitive residency applicant, but it is too broad of advice to be effective. The ACOI can be the resource that osteopaths interested in internal medicine turn to for specialty specific guidance. I hope my perspective as a student can be useful to the ACOI to guide other students on things like the importance of research, taking the COMLEX and STEP exams, and how to find a residency program that fits their goals. <p>              
At Alabama College of Osteopathic medicine, I was the chair of the Rheumatology and Sports Medicine committee in our internal medicine interest group. One of the biggest events that we held was to host joint injection workshops. In the first month of my third year, I was able to put those skill into action. I was comfortable holding the needle, finding landmarks, and performing the injection because I had the practice in my preclinical years. I think these workshops are incredibly useful and would help students in their clinical years. Much like the point of care ultrasound (POCUS) that ACOI is hosting at the annual meeting, it would be extremely beneficial to host workshops and virtual learning experiences about basic procedural skills that internal medicine physicians perform. <p>              
My hope as a representative from region II is to continue to grow the culture of the ACOI and foster a network of osteopathic internal medicine students and physicians. I am proud to be an osteopathic medical student and I enjoy meeting other osteopaths during my rotations. I pride myself on relentless hard work and I plan to bring this with me as a student representative. Being an osteopathic student and physician is an immediate bond that we share, and I hope that we can continue to advance our profession and the name of osteopathic physicians through our network.

Erika Lytle, OMS III, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Louisiana   

My name is Erika Lytle, and I am a third-year medical student at VCOM-Louisiana. Throughout my time at VCOM, I have worked with many student and community organizations, while pursuing research at a number of osteopathic schools and medical programs. More specifically, I worked with our campus Dean to establish the VCOM-Louisiana Volunteer Committee. Here, I fostered an environment for students to work with each other in a philanthropic and compassionate way, gaining volunteer hours while unequivocally providing service to the community with dozens of local and national organizations. I also had the pleasure of serving as our ACOI chapter’s ICU/Critical Care Chair, where I brought physician guest speakers and worked with club leadership to organize skills labs and donation drives for local medical needs. Lastly, I have worked with classmates and students at other medical schools on several research projects, with the goal of contributing to the scientific community while also producing published scholarly articles.

As the Region II Representative, I aspire to strengthen and develop our mentorship program, work with community organizations to help ACOI members gain volunteer experience, and explore ways for our members to find more research opportunities. Firstly, I would like to work towards better advertising our mentorship program, so student ACOI members are made better aware that they can be matched with an internal medicine physician mentor. Further, this program can be expanded to include ACOI members from across their specific region or country, so students can have a timelier understanding of the recommendations and requirements of a medical student soon applying for residencies. Additionally, as a Representative, I desire to connect students to volunteer opportunities nationally and soon, globally. With my experiences founding and serving as President of our school’s Volunteer Committee, I have organized countless volunteer opportunities and donation drives for our students, fostering relationships with local and national organizations. By volunteering directly within the community, students can work towards advocating for equitable and accessible healthcare, while addressing disparities currently affecting their local areas. Lastly, I would like to pursue bridging our student members to national research opportunities, where students can work with medical schools and residency programs virtually or in-person on publishable research projects.

With my past experiences and passions for volunteering and research, I am confident I can complete these goals, and more, as Region II Representative. Thank you!  

John Richard Stevenson, OMS IV, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine  

Hello everyone, my name is John Stevenson and I am running for the position of Region II Representative. During my time as a medical student, I served as Secretary of the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine’s chapter of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). I also am the founder of the Health Care Policy sub-committee within my school’s chapter of SOMA. From my experience, I believe I can utilize previously obtained skills to become an essential asset to the Student Osteopathic Internal Medicine Association (SOIMA) as Region II Representative. My time as a secretary and a sub-committee founder has allowed me to learn how to efficiently communicate with and inform members about any club-related activities. Not only would I efficiently perform these same tasks within SOIMA, but I would also take it upon myself to consistently engage with SOIMA members within my region for feedback and continuous improvement. This would, in turn, provide a better experience for all involved parties. I am determined to promote the goals of SOIMA and continue to enforce the significance of proper communication between the organization’s leadership and our members. My efforts will ensure that SOIMA is providing the best possible resources for Region II members. In doing so, we can continue to make our members feel more prepared and motivated in their careers as osteopathic physicians. Thank you for your time. 

Alyssa Zakala, OMS III, Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine              
Hello! My name is Alyssa Zakala, and I am currently a third-year medical student at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Today, I stand before you as a candidate for the position of Region II Representative. Allow me to share my profound passion for internal medicine, a passion I hope to instill in each of you.

As a young girl, I spent countless hours over the span of a decade engaging with patients at nursing homes—a privilege afforded by my mother's role as a nursing director. This early exposure ignited a deep appreciation for geriatric medicine and a thirst for understanding chronic complex illnesses. This journey led me to the pursuit of medicine, with a commitment to becoming a physician who comprehends the intricacies of aging, lifestyle, and genetics in shaping future health.

Internal medicine, particularly within the osteopathic philosophy, is a field of medicine that nurtures my curiosity. Rooted in comprehensive care, it recognizes the interconnection of physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental well-being. Internal medicine physicians excel in managing diverse medical conditions and orchestrating care across various organ systems.

If entrusted with the role of Region II Representative, my goal is to kindle this passion within fellow osteopathic medical students. I aim to bridge the gap between medical school curricula, which tends to compartmentalize organ systems, and the reality of medicine, which is that patients can have complex disease processes that span multiple organ systems. Additionally, I wish to help students develop ideas for their respective campuses to facilitate a deeper understanding of disease processes to create more comprehensive clinical pictures. Collaborating with board members, I hope to find ways to provide valuable insight for students aspiring to pursue internal medicine, like understanding the significance of trending labs.

In essence, internists are crucial in diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases. I aspire to amplify this role by contributing to the ACOI’s mission in nurturing a culture of learning and excellence among students, especially in those interested in internal medicine. Thank you for your time and for considering my candidacy.