Dear AOM Student,

On behalf of the AAAOM and your national student organization, the AAAOM-SO, we’d like to invite you to join us at the AAAOM ’08 Chicago Conference & Expo. Stamp your “passport to better health” at the AAAOM Expo 2008, October 16-19, 2008. Gather with us once again to survey the landscape of the profession, to deepen our knowledge, and to contemplate our collective future as we celebrate the present.

We’re encouraging all students across the country to “help choose the direction of your future” by personally attending this outstanding event.

The AAAOM is offering a very generous student conference fee of only $75.00 for all AAAOM-SO student members who attend the AAAOM-SO Student Caucus Saturday from 10am to 2pm. This low fee includes the entire conference, Thursday through Sunday, as well as the Thursday pre-conference address on 5-Element Acupuncture with Judy Worsley!

Also available is a Work-Study Scholarship Program that lets students volunteer to help out at the Expo and attend an equal amount of conference time for free! Additional volunteers are still needed. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Maureen Woyci, at mwoyci@yahoo.com. For more information, a conference brochure, and registration instructions, visit www.aaaomonline.org. The AAAOM Chicago Conference & Expo promises to be an exceptional event – you’ll want to be there!

Students from across the nation are invited to attend the Expo ’08 Student Caucus meeting and celebration. This is an amazing opportunity to “help choose the direction of your future” in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. The AAAOM-SO leadership is interested in your ideas, passion, and support. It provides a fantastic opportunity to bring your local concerns to national attention, as well as to expand your perspective on national issues. Topics for the Student Caucus include reports by the AAAOM / AAAOM-SO Joint Committee Representatives will provide updates on AAAOM action items, practice management discussion and tips, step-by-step information on how to establish AAAOM-SO local chapters at your home college, AAAOM-SO officer elections, and plenty of discussion time to hear each student’s point-of-view. The AAAOM-SO exists for and because of us—students of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. We look forward to meeting you there!

The AAAOM will host a silent auction at the Chicago Expo. This is a sale in which items are displayed along with their bid sheets. Rather than using an auctioneer, people will "silently" place their bids on the bid sheets for everyone to see. Hopefully this will engender some spirited competition! We’d like to invite all our Chicago students to join us as we hunt for special contributions for the silent auction.

AAAOM-SO student efforts for the silent auction will continue the tradition of jointly working with the AAAOM to further the interests of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. For students this is an excellent opportunity to get involved, network, and contribute in a very meaningful way to our annual AAAOM Conference and Expo. For AAAOM professionals it is a chance to work with students in a mentoring and leadership capacity, to help individuals reach their goals and potential. We’ve attached a list of auction items we’re working to provide. Additional items are very welcome as well, such as unique jewelry, gift certificates for national department stores or boutiques, and such. For questions about participating in the Silent Auction, please contact Patty Fullin by e-mail at pfullin@aol.com

Your attendance at the AAAOM Chicago Conference & Expo brings the gift of your unique thoughts, ideas, insights, and inspiration to everyone. Remember, “We’re all angels with just one wing, and it’s only when we embrace that we can fly.” Come soar with us and other AAAOM-SO students members nationwide at the AAAOM Chicago Conference & Expo!

We appreciate your efforts in helping to create a superb national student organization, one that will represent the interests of all students nationwide and serve as a successful and effective vehicle to achieve common goals--for us as well as all future students of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to help create your future and the future of your profession. We look forward to sharing this great event with you in Chicago!

Warm regards,

Amanda Troelsen and Patty Fullin
AAAOM-SO Co-Presidents