Your Voice Matters

Alongside a group of my peers, I did something brave today.
We did something brave today.

Background Information:

As many of you know, I have the honor and privilege of serving as UIWSOM's SGA President. As part of this role, I also serve on the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents (COSGP) and as a Student Delegate for the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association (TOMA). I spent this past week in Chigaco, Illinois at the Summer COSGP Conference and at the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) House of Delegates (HOD).

At our COSGP Conferences, we work on professional/leadership development and collaborate with presidents and representatives from every other osteopathic medical school in the nation to develop ideas and solve problems to collectively improve each and every one of each other's schools. This was my third conference with COSGP, and it was just as energizing and inspiring as before. We developed ideas and initiatives to bring back to our schools for mental wellness, talked about advocacy and activism, heard from several leaders in our osteopathic world: the president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), the president, president-elect, and CEO of the AOA, the president of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), and the list goes on. What was especially unique to this conference was our focus on policy and resolutions that were going to be brought to the AOA HOD. We had a crash course on Robert's Rules of Order -- thrilling, I know -- and participated in the National Osteopathic Student Caucus (NOSC). NOSC consists of all members of the COSGP as well as representatives from the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). Together, we work through the resolutions for the HOD to make amendments and establish a consensus of the student's voice for the HOD. -- Of course, while at the HOD, we are allowed to speak on behalf of ourselves, but when speaking on behalf of osteopathic medical students, this is the decision we use.

Fast forward to the AOA HOD: here is where over 500 physicians and medical students come together to make decisions on proposed resolutions and enact policy. Each state has representation through their state society -- mine being TOMA -- consisting of physician and student delegates (1 student per school). The state society's work together to form their collective opinions on resolutions. These resolutions then go to committee meetings where anyone can go and offer amendments and opinions to the committee. These committees, after hearing us, work diligently to present a recommendation of approval, referral, or disapproval at the HOD -- which then we all may further amend and vote on. This year, we had over 150 resolutions to make decisions on.

What Happened:

First, I have to give a quick shout out to SOMA. SOMA submitted several resolutions on pretty controversial topics. They fought hard, diligently, and eloquently to make their stances known. Several of their resolutions were approved, and although others were disproved and referred, they still made sure that their voices were heard.

For me, there was one resolution that I felt particularly passionate about -- a resolution that spoke to the prevention of sexual abuse of patients, H-427. So, I attended the committee meeting to speak on behalf of myself for this resolution. I wrote down exactly what I wanted to say because I knew I was about to do something brave. So, to this small room of peers and physicians, I told my story. I spoke about why this resolution was so important to me, as a former athlete, survivor of sexual assault, and future osteopathic physician. And let me tell you, I was a mess. I could not hold back my tears. I could barely get out the sentences that I had previously written down. And I was shaking like a leaf on a tree. But I said what I had to say. The response in the room was overwhelmingly positive. People thanked me for being brave and telling my story, and I felt confident that I had made a difference.

The next morning, I found out that the committee had recommended this resolution for disapproval. And my state society had decided to vote the same way -- to vote down the amendment. And after hearing from many of my peers, their states had decided the same exact way. I could not believe this. Disapproval meant that this issue would not be able to be addressed until the next HOD, next year. This was simply not ok with me.

So, with the advice and guidance from physicians and my COSGP E-Board, a few of my peers and I got together to write an amendment and once again take a stand on the floor at the HOD. Sara Lohbauer (LECOM-Bradenton) wrote an amazing amendment that Hannah Glanz (DMU-COM) was going to present to the delegates. My job: to be the first at the microphone to once again tell my story -- this time, to the room of over 500 delegates and president and CEO of the AOA. 

And so this morning, I stood there at the microphone shaking probably even more than before and told my story yet again. But this time, my tears didn't come until later. They didn't come until peer after peer stood up and speak in favor of this resolution and our amendments: Kelly Sanders (UNTHSC-TCOM), Matthew Zeller (WUCOMP-NW), Hannah Thompson (LUCOM), and probably more students that I can't remember because I was such an emotional mess. Following us, other physicians got up to announce not only their support of the amendments but their entire state's support. After a call to question, the discussion was ended and it was time to vote.

The AOA HOD voted UNANIMOUSLY to pass H-427.

It was such an overwhelming feeling to witness what had just happened in that room, hearing not a single "Nay," and watching several students and physicians around me tear up with joy. WE DID THAT. 

Why It Matters:

Our voice matters. What we have to say matters. What we experience and how we experience it matters. And if something matters to us, we should be brave to show others why.