SOMA Spring Convention 2021: Toolkit to Action & Advocacy

March 5th-6th | A Virtual Convention

For the second year now, the SOMA Spring Convention was online, due to COVID-19. Our community of resilient leaders was still able to gather, virtually, to learn, connect, and gather materials for their Action & Advocacy Toolkit with excitement and preparedness. This conference is a crucial introduction of the organization to our new leaders and is a time during which we conduct necessary business in our House of Delegates. This weekend also included Empower Hours with our National Leadership, a BEL Mentorship/Advocacy Session, an Advocacy Overview with the AOA Policy Team, Resolutions Workshop, Connect and Communicate Improv Sessions, Coping with COVID Letter Writing Campaign, a Keynote Address with President Biden’s COVID-19 Advisory Board, and a Fourth Year Specialty Panel. We are so thankful for our panelists who provided invaluable insights for our members, and we wish them the best as they pursue their careers. We had many meaningful goodbyes from our outgoing leadership which was a testament to SOMA’s ability to come together as a family that is passionate and active in our profession, no matter the circumstances. Take a look at our conference highlights below!

Bureau of emerging leaders (BEL): Mentorship & Advocacy

Attendees were able to listen and ask questions to Dr Alyssa Cole, Dr Selena Raines, and Student Dr Edie Waskel, all members of the American Osteopathic Association’s Bureau of Emerging Leaders. They discussed what it means to be a leader in advocacy on behalf of osteopathic physicians nation-wide and the importance of finding your voice and using it for the benefit of our current and future colleagues and patients across the country.

Fireside Chat with the Biden COVID Advisory Board

Dr Mike Osterholm & Ms Jane Hopkins with SOMA’s Student Doctor Alana Castro-Gillard.

2021-2022 National Leaders

Board of Trustees

AOA Board of Trustees Student Representative: Edie Waskel
Region V Trustee: Sidra Ali
Region IV Trustee: Heather DeVille
Region III Trustee: Courtney Merlo
Region II Trustee: Melanie Weyers
Region I Trustee: Scott Landman
Secretary: Matthew Daniel
Treasurer: Amir Khiabani
Parliamentarian: Sarah Abdel-Karim
Vice President/Speaker of the House: Alana Castro-Gilliard
National Board of Directors Chair: Angela Pluguez
President: Nicholas Harriel

National Board of Directors

Convention Director: Cassandra Smith
Public Relations Director: Anjuli James
Health Disparities Director: Gilbert Hernandez
Research Director: Jantzen Faulkner
Community Outreach Director: Polly Wiltz
Professional Development Director: Curtis McInnis
Junior Pre-SOMA Director: Bailey Borycki
Senior Pre-SOMA Director: Amanda Buzzetta
Membership & Alumni Affairs Director: Brooke Grill
Strategic Partnerships Director: Riddhi Patodia
Political Affairs Director: Jacob Nelson
Osteopathic Principles & Practices Director: Kayleigh Helgesen

SOMA Foundation

Foundation Liaison: Jeffrey Edwards
Chairperson: Abbey Santanello
Director of Scholarships & Grants: Siddhant Srivastava
Director of Public Relations: Agilda Dema
Director of Financial Affairs: Ayesha Shah

Thank you, clara hoffman!

SOMA would like to thank our immediate past President, Clara Hoffman for her leadership and strong representation of the organization this year. You built on SOMA’s identity through your commitment to elevating the student voice and engaging our members. We have a lot to learn from your spirit of perseverance, and we know it will serve you well as you continue in your career. Wishing you nothing but the best!

SOMA & SOMA Foundation Awards

Congratulations to all!

SOMA Awards

Organization Awards
- President’s Award: Courtney Thrower, Community Outreach Director
- Golden Femur: MSUCOM
- Golden Tibia: ICOM
- SOMA Sam: NYITCOM-OW
- Officer of the Year: Heather Jao
- Distinguished Service Award: Clara Hofman, Matthew Mayeda, Taylor Farish, Alison Markley, Emily Chin, Shikha Patel, Edie Waskel, Jennifer S. Lee
- Presidential Award: Clara Hofman
Region Awards
- Promotion of Osteopathic Medicine: NYITCOM (Region I), CUSOM (II), WVSOM (III), MWUCCOM (IV), TUNCOM (V)
- Excellence in Community Outreach: TOUROCOM–Middletown (I), ACOM (II), LUCOM (III), ATSU (IV), WUCOMP-NW (V)

Pre-SOMA Awards:

Officer of the Year: Tatiana Rodriguez Vargas
Chapter of the Year: Kennesaw State University

SOMA Foundation Awards

SOMA Foundation Northup Educator of the Year: TBD
AT Still Memorial Scholarship: Janae Rasmussen
Leadership in Specialty Medicine Scholarship: Amna Jamshad, Pascal Vo
SOMA Foundation Grants: Burrel College of Osteopathic Medicine “Dinner with Doctors”
Coping with COVID-19 Scholarship: Nilsha Khurana, Jennifer LeRose, Elias Makhoul, Thomas Auen, Cindy Chu, Michael John Furey, Heather Marie Pol, Anh-Dao Tran