Message from the President Alesia J. Wagner, DO, FACOFP

Congratulations, to Ethan Allen, DO for being named ACOFP Family Physician of the Year. The ACOFP Family Physician of the Year Award is presented to a member who exemplifies the ideals of the practice of osteopathic family physicians. Dr. Allen have made outstanding contributions to the osteopathic profession and served his local community. He is also a role model to peers and students.

Congratulations, to Chris Largent, the 1st male president of the ACOFP Auxiliary (AACOFP).

Congratulations, to fellow ACOFP-CA members Gregory A. Pecchia, DO and Norman E. Vinn, DO approved as Fellows during the convention. Please join us in congratulating them.

I'm proud to announce that I was elected to the Executive Council of the Conclave of Fellows and that the ACOFP-CA Board attended in strong numbers at the ACOFP House of Delegates.

The ACOFP-CA was presented with the 2010 ACOFP State Society Advocacy Award in Las Vegas in recognition of overall excellence in advocating on behalf of members at the state level. The award was presented to: Alesia J. Wagner, DO, FACOFP, President; M. Jay Porcelli, DO, FACOFP, dist., Immediate Past President; Linda M. Agresti, DO, FACOFP Past President; and Ernest H. Agresti, Jr., DO, FACOFP, Treasurer.

Upon conclusion of the ACOFP 47th Annual Convention, ACOFP President Kenneth A. Heiles, DO, FACOFP released this communication to ACOFP members:

View the ACOFP letter to Speaker Pelosi and send your comments to me at alesia.wagner@ushworks.com.

Also, don't forget to make your calendars for the California Society ACOFP 34th Annual Convention and Family Medicine Update, August 5-8, 2010 in Anaheim, California.

Alesia J. Wagner, DO, FACOFP ACOFP-CA President

REGISTER EARLY and be part of the CME and FUN!!
California ACOFP Society’s 34th Annual Scientific Medical Seminar

Thursday, August 5 to Sunday, August 8, 2010

The convention is being held at the Disneyland® Hotel
1150 West Magic Way • Anaheim, CA 92802

Phone 714-778-8600 or 714-956-6425
Hotel Room Convention rate: $169 a night (prior to 7/1/09)

This program anticipates being approved for 34-36 hours of AOA Category 1-ACME credits
• Cutting edge lectures
• Multiple Exhibits
• Family friendly location
• Breakfast & lunch included with paid registration make this
The Best CME in the West!!

Download the California ACOFP Society’s 34th Annual Scientific Medical Seminar Registration Form

or

Register online @ www.acofpca.org

Around California

Award Nominations Sought

The Board of Directors of the ACOFP-CA would like to solicit your nominations for the following awards, which will be presented at our 2010 California 34th Annual Medical Seminar on August 5 – August 8, 2010, at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, Ca. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2010. Please complete the form and send it with the CV of the nominee to the nomination committee (contact info on form):

ACOFP-CA California Physician of the Year 2010

ACOFP-CA Distinguished Service Award 2010

ACOFP-CA Resident Scientific Paper Award 2010

Board Certification is important for all DO FPs for solidarity in our profession.

For all FPS that are MD Certified or attaining an MD certification, national ACOFP does offer a dual accreditation pathway for you. We encourage you to investigate ACOFP nationally for information concerning this pathway. Email or call Tim Duffy at AOA with any questions or for further information:

Tom Duffy
312-202-8074
tduffy@osteopathic.org

We also encourage all the D.O. F.P.s in Kaiser Permanente to join ACOFP-CA and seek Fellowship status. Email any of the Board of Directors or myself at drbarag@keyway.net and let's talk about the importance of joining ACOFP-CA.
Join Now online or via fax.

Upcoming Events

Message from the Student Board Member Allison Byrne OMS IV 

Now that spring is officially here and April is quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning for the summer. If you are an OMS I, there are many opportunities worth investigating in order to plan something good for what will most likely be your last free summer of your career. Many students, including myself, have found summer preceptorships to be very rewarding and educational. This is a perfect opportunity to interact with patients and get a one on one experience with a physician before your clinical years. You will learn invaluable H & P and presenting skills and become more familiar with medications and pathology that will undoubtedly prepare you for your 2nd year in school. It is also a great way to figure out what areas of medicine you like or dislike.

The ACOFP has a formal preceptorship program, which has information that can be found HERE.

If you are interested in other areas of medicine besides Family Medicine, you should contact your school to find physicians in the area who have mentored students before. The OPSC also has a mentorship program for its members, which is another resource that is available to students. Other ideas for the summer are research, volunteering, learning medical Spanish, traveling, or even studying for a little bit. Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy this summer and relax before the next phase of your career begins.

If you’re an OMS II, you probably don’t have any choice in what rotations you will be doing this summer, so good luck starting clinical rotations and studying for the Boards!

If you are currently an OMS III, make sure to consider balancing rotations with studying for the Step 2 Boards, traveling to and from Conshohocken, and getting your application ready for ERAS! Talk to 4th years or any residents you are friends with if you have any questions about the application process and the interview trail. It’s really important to plan the first half of your 4th year appropriately so that you are able to finish your required rotations and make it to all the interviews you need.

Last but not least, to the OMS IV students out there, who are just on the cusp of transitioning from student to doctor, congratulations on all of your accomplishments and good luck when residency starts!

ACOFP-CA Mission Statement

To promote and advance the standards of family practice in the field of osteopathic medicine and surgery.

To be the leader in the osteopathic profession in the provision of primary care.

To promote access to health care to the American public.

To enhance the public's awareness of services rendered by osteopathic family physicians.

To encourage and improve the educational opportunities for the training of family physicians in osteopathic medicine and surgery.