Foundation For Your Future: Forming an AAAOM-SO College Chapter

By Jolene Habeck, AAAOM-SO President Elect

The AAAOM-SO had a very successful organizational year and is looking forward to the future. In 2006-2007, the SO formed 8 AAAOM-SO college chapters (AAAOM-SOCC) and increased membership by 500 members to 803.

The College Chapter
The college chapter is the foundational key to the AAAOM-SO. By forming a chapter, students and their schools will become part of a national network of students and professionals who are at the forefront of moving AOM into the mainstream of alternative medicine.

The Regional Director
The AAAOM-SO regional directors are officers of the Student Organization Council (SOC) and are dedicated to reaching out to all students nationally and forming college chapters. There are 6 regional directors, representing 6 regions of the country: Northwest Pacific, Southwest Pacific, Mountain, Central, Northeast Atlantic, and Southeast Atlantic.

Formation of a Chapter
The formation of a college chapter is adaptable to any size or type of AOM school. To start, each institution needs a student representative. The student representative can be any student interested in being the contact person at this school. This student simply needs to contact the appropriate regional director to establish him or heself as the student representative for their school. This student would correspond directly with the regional director on how to start a chapter, as well as receive information on national events and opportunities.

To officially initiate a chapter, only two student members are needed. These interested students would sign the AAAOM-SO College Chapter Charter, a document which signifies the formation of the chapter as well as establishing adherence to the national bylaws of the organization. Once the chapter is created through this process, it’s time to recruit local members, elect local officers, and begin local projects. It is also recommended that each chapter have a faculty or administrative advisor from their school. This is to ensure the longevity of the chapter since students spend a relatively short time in school. That school’s designated regional director supervises this entire process in case the students have questions or need additional assistance.

Chapters in Action
So you may be thinking, “Once the chapter is formed, what would we do?” Each local chapter with 5 members or more, according to the bylaws, are encouraged to participate in the following activities a minimum of once per school year: 1. Fundraising- to help offset costs for students attending national conference and local chapter events. 2. Public Relations Events/Activities- to promote AOM by educating the public and to build practice management skills. 3. Community Service Events- which can be held in conjunction with public relations events in the promotion of AOM.

One example of the above is the chapter of the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, MCAOM, in Bloomington, MN. This college chapter was one of the first official chapters formed in the AAAOM-SO and started its activities with small events such as bake sales. In September, the chapter held its first large fundraising event by holding a concert on campus, inviting all students and the community. This chapter is now currently working with the state AOM association in legislative efforts by helping to promote its letter writing campaign in support the bill HR 1479.

A second example comes from Emperor’s College in sunny Southern California. Local chapter president Steve Stone caught wind of a Universal Health Care Plan being drafted by a Southern California state senator that, if passed, would revoke the primary care provider status California licensed acupuncturists now enjoy and would require them to practice only under supervision of a MD. The Emperor’s College Chapter, together with their student council and members of the faculty, hosted the senator’s field deputy, Emily Gold and members of the Southern California acupuncture community for an extended Q and A session regarding the bill. The event was quite a success.

Contact Information
Listed below are the 6 regional directors and their contact information. Please feel free to contact them with your interest in starting an AAAOM-SO college chapter. Join the fast track to success with the AAAOM-SO by forming a chapter today!

Regional Director Coordinator
Margo Schaefer
mzmargo@yahoo.com
262-893-6819

NE Atlantic Regional Director
Jim Pastore
pastore@ix.netcom.com
303-955-4137

SE Atlantic Regional Director
Jackie O'Meara
jomeara1@comcast.net
914-316-9407

Central Regional Director
Hilary Patzer
hpatzer@nwhealth.edu
208-720-2570

Mountain Regional Directory
Nancy Robertson
NANCE_2017@yahoo.com
303-955-4137

NW Pacific Regional Director
Kimberley Benjamin
soundacupuncture@gmail.com
530-545-9546

SW Pacific Regional Director
Melissa Monroe
mmmonroe2000@yahoo.com