Welcome Letter from the SOIMA Vice President

Hi everybody! Welcome back to another edition of the ACOI SOIMA monthly newsletter!

We are well underway into didactics and clinical rotations for this academic year and I hope you are beginning to settle in, ready for the year ahead.

After reflecting on my own clinical rotation experiences thus far, I offer some words of advice and encouragement:

• Be a medical student who makes a group stronger: communicate well, help those around you, and be a positive influence on your peers and a listening ear to your patients.
• Be comfortable saying “I don’t know.” Whether you're on rotations or studying for an exam, remember that a strong student is not one who always knows the answer, but rather one who can find it.
• Don't be afraid to ask, “Why?” Try not to memorize the clinical decision-making or the drug mechanism of action—understand it. You’ll find yourself able to decipher so much more medicine if you are good at investigating and understanding the "why."

As you face challenges this year, remember that you are capable of navigating them with intellect and poise. You made it this far, and the finish line, no matter how far away, is still in sight! SOIMA has your back, and we believe in you!!

All the best,

Casey Donahoe, OMS-III
Vice President, National Student Osteopathic Internal Medicine Association