This was posted by Lisa back in May.
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Attention future UNECOM MS1s,
Planning for your 1st year of medical school can be both exciting and terrifying. You should know about the organizations that represent your profession as a student and future physician. The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) is your representation to the Amercian Osteopathic Association (AOA). As the largest osteopathic medical student association in the world with over 7500 members, SOMA offers works with companies to offer its members several benefits and discounts.
One of the largest programs is the SOMA Health Insurance plan, which is a more affordable alternative to the insurance offered by UNECOM. Also, NOWLoans is a tuition money lender that is specifically engineered for osteopathic students. All SOMA endorsed programs support our local SOMA chapter that allow us to in turn support our medical students in events such as the Post-Gross Toast , OSTEOBlast and D.O Day on the Hill.
Visit
www.somainsurance.com,
www.nowloans.org and
www.studentdo.com for more information and to view additional discount programs that are offered to SOMA members (see member benefits page). I encourage you to research SOMA and it's benefits before entering school in August.
SOMA membership is $60 for all 4 years. In addition to these benefits, SOMA offers an Anatomy book used by most students and affectionately known as Netter's (Atlas of Human Anatomy by Dr. Frank Netter) thus making membership essentially free. Your anatomy program will be more intense this year so we would love to provide you with this additional tool.
UNECOM is planning a clubs and organizations fair for orientation. You will have an opportunity to learn more about the many additional clubs on campus that focus on specialties such as sports medicine and pediatrics.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about SOMA or any of these programs, feel free to contact me at
[email protected].
I congratulate you on your acceptance and look forward to meeting you in the coming months.
Lisa Wuerdeman
UNECOM SOMA President-elect 2006-2007