About Us
The Student Osteopathic Surgical Association (S.O.S.A.) is the student organization of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (A.C.O.S.) and functions under the auspices of the ACOS.
The Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s local chapter serves to represent and educate future osteopathic surgeons. This includes:
1. Stressing the understanding of osteopathic principles in relationship to disease in the practice of surgery;
2. Helping promote education in the field of surgery, including gowning and gloving, scrubbing, sterile technique, suturing and tying techniques, operating room behavior, instrumentation, universal precautions, osteopathic manipulative management of the surgical patient, pre and post-operative management of surgical patients, and surgical documentation; and
3. Providing a forum for discussion amongst students and surgeons
4. Serving to contribute to the osteopathic profession in a positive way while enhancing our education. To this end, our chapter will work with VCOM’s faculty to initiate and promote osteopathic research in the surgical realm. VCOM SOSA hopes to integrate osteopathic education and its principles of treatment and diagnosis into research protocols for surgical patients.
5. Preparing our members for their surgical rotations.
6. Working to establish a mentoring network in the Appalachian region between medical students and physicians for learning purposes. This includes shadowing, preceptorships, and providing students the opportunity to experience the wide range of surgical specialties.
7. Dedication to improving the health care of underserved populations of Southwest Virginia.