PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Robert E. Suter, DO, MHA, FACOEP-D, FIFEM
GET INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY
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s we continue together down the difficult path of the COVID pandemic, the insight and wisdom of Einstein resonates on multiple levels. Dealing with the pandemic has been an enormous professional burden. Paired with the personal tragedy of distancing us and even losing dear friends and loved ones, it has drained many of energy and emotion. With all respect to the many other events and tragedies, in many ways it has been the greatest difficulty our country has faced in the past 100 years. Unfortunately, this tragedy is superimposed over the many other seismic changes in GME and certification impacting the osteopathic community, challenges that we were already grappling with when the COVID virus arrived on our shores. Changes that brought us challenges, but also opportunities. These opportunities were the focus of ACOEP’s Strategic Plan released a year ago. Structural changes in the AOA have made some of what ACOEP did in the past less relevant. But what hasn’t changed is our desire to be part of a comfortable family, and our need to be a community that provides its members tools and opportunities to achieve their dreams. Dreams not just limited to us but for success in the broader specialty and world.
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THE PULSE SPRING 2021
IN THE MIDDLE OF DIFFICULTY LIES OPPORTUNITY” ALBERT EINSTEIN
As someone who has achieved a modicum of success outside of the osteopathic community, I am dismayed that many of our members are not taking full advantage of our organizational opportunities. Sure, some have achieved professional success without having participated in ACOEP, but this is not the norm. More common is that a role in our community prepared us to be more successful elsewhere. In my case, becoming President of EMRA was preceded by working with Paula Willoughby, DO and the ACOEP Board to establish what was then called the Student Chapter. This created a national network of friends that could be built upon to elect the first DO EMRA, and later ACEP Presidents. These organizational experiences also prepared me for other leadership
positions and opportunities at many levels including in my hospitals and groups. My point is that these successes did not occur apart from ACOEP participation, but in conjunction with it. ACOEP provides tremendous infrastructure for our members to build personal and professional success. This is especially true for those involved in academics. Service on our committees and presenting at ACOEP/FOEM events count for the same number of points toward promotion as those of other national organizations. Committees in other areas allow us to network, prepare to lead and have an impact from the local to international levels. Our community should see ACEOP as their best gateway to kick start their ambitions, even if those ambitions
