What are your thoughts on joining SOMA?

[Dhooy7]

I'm considering joining SOMA at my school but am on the fence. I like the opportunities to be nationally recognized and discounts and the anatomy book. I just don't see myself too interested in politics and being too involved. Are you glad you decided to join vs not join? Any advice for me?

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[DO2015CA]

Do it for the anatomy book and for nothing else.

 

[Spectreman]

I'm considering joining SOMA at my school but am on the fence. I like the opportunities to be nationally recognized and discounts and the anatomy book. I just don't see myself too interested in politics and being too involved. Are you glad you decided to join vs not join? Any advice for me?

Clubs are a dumb waste of time and I regret spending any time at all in that crap during my first 2 years.

 

[fldoctorgirl]

SOMA

Noooooo.

 

[IntheClouds4ever]

If it’s free.. ok. If it costs money, no. clubs Are essentially useless for anything other than swag

 

[Chibucks15]

I was (am?) in it. Barely did a thing. They have nice discounts on stuff that’s the whole reason I did. It really isn’t that much time commitment

 

[Dhooy7]

It's like $90 but I plan on buying UWORLD and USMLE Rx. I didn't see that they had discounts on these resources

 

[fldoctorgirl]

I didn't see that they had discounts on these resources

Your school will get you those discounts anyways.

 

[Dantes]

Your school will get you those discounts anyways.

Not all schools :/

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I'm considering joining SOMA at my school but am on the fence. I like the opportunities to be nationally recognized and discounts and the anatomy book. I just don't see myself too interested in politics and being too involved. Are you glad you decided to join vs not join? Any advice for me?

So I already had the anatomy book and the OMM faithful were really pushing on everyone to join. I can still remember them saying that they wanted to be the first class with 100% of the students in SOMA at my school. As you might have guessed, they weren't, I guaranteed it.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

It's like $90 but I plan on buying UWORLD and USMLE Rx. I didn't see that they had discounts on these resources

If I remember correctly UWorld only does group discounts to students in groups of 50 or more and they are only 9%. When my class got the discount it had nothing to do with SOMA. And USMLE Rx sends me discounts every other week with no club needed. None of those things are worth joining SOMA for.

 

[Sardonix]

Join for whatever discounts.

They are completely useless outside of that.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Join the free clubs and the ONE paid for club that does the most/gives out the coolest stuff. I got at least 8 lunches and a sweet T-shirt and Jacket out of the one club I paid for, even though it was in a field I have zero interest in lol. Adding in the free clubs I got at least 1 free lunch a month the entirety of pre-clinicals it seemed, not to mention some free scrubs and other various free items.

 

[BlueBleck]

I'm less cynical than others. Join if you think you want to have a voice in the profession. Students have a surprisingly outsized voice in the AOA. We have more voting power in the AOA as a random student (in the right positions) than most random docs. The students at PCOM were the ones who wrote the amendment on the AOA side to merge.

Personally, I don't think joining clubs for CV items matters unless you were board. Even then, it's a very small item. So if you don't enjoy it, don't sweat it. Your sanity and extra time for boards is probably more important. Also, i don't think any of the perks justify the expense.

So only join if you like politics. Which I feel like most people actually do. Everyone seems to have an opinion on everything. Especially on the things related to the AOA. There's no better, or even other, way to change the AOA than to show up.

Show up, be respectful, and lots of people will listen. I showed up to the SOMA events as a relative conservative and everyone was respectful. SOMA showed up to the AOA as hyper liberals, and honestly, all attendings were respectful. What's more, they mostly took us pretty seriously even if they ended up disagreeing with most of us.

FWIW, the AMA side is AMSA or the county medical association/society/organization club. DO students are invited to these events. And like with SOMA and the AOA, AMSA has a voice within the AMA. You're given more power than you think as students. To give more specifics, the AOA and the AMA allocate votes to students. The AOA gives students WAYY more votes than the AMA, but both allow us to be represented.

If you join SOMA to go to national events, join as the national liaison officer or president. Those two are the two who the school will likely bankroll to go to events.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Joined SOIMA and SOSA at my school.
Nice to be involved with things away from my studies.

 

[Dhooy7]

I'm interested in 3 other clubs as well. IM, surgery (for practicals) and ER club

 

[Dhooy7]

How did you get the anatomy book before joining?

So I already had the anatomy book and the OMM faithful were really pushing on everyone to join. I can still remember them saying that they wanted to be the first class with 100% of the students in SOMA at my school. As you might have guessed, they weren't, I guaranteed it.

 

[deleted967981]

Which anatomy atlas is it? My school is offering membership for $64, but it’s not worth to me if I already have the book.

 

[Kalam]

I joined for the free textbook as well. Had to unsubscribe from the email list from my schools chapter due to the weekly "DOs for gun control!!!11!!" and "DOs for free guacamole toast for single native american mothers1!!11!!!!" emails.

It's nice that we have a student organization who tries to be involved in politics, but it seems like leadership positions are filled by the type of people who take politics a little bit too seriously, and it didn't feel like they really do much advocating FOR students. Seems more like a competition to see who can be the most "woke" on topics not relevant to Osteopathic Medical Students.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

How did you get the anatomy book before joining?

It was a gift. I didn't get it from the school.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

I joined for the free textbook as well. Had to unsubscribe from the email list from my schools chapter due to the weekly "DOs for gun control!!!11!!" and "DOs for free guacamole toast for single native american mothers1!!11!!!!" emails.

It's nice that we have a student organization who tries to be involved in politics, but it seems like leadership positions are filled by the type of people who take politics a little bit too seriously, and it didn't feel like they really do much advocating FOR students. Seems more like a competition to see who can be the most "woke" on topics not relevant to Osteopathic Medical Students.

I never joined and I still get the emails, they just send stuff to the whole school for everything. I consider it the DO penalty. The good news is these club officers frequently end up remediating, I consider it karma for a life poorly lived. There is one guy that actually advocates for stuff that actually effects us, but surprise surprise, he isn't with SOMA. At my school SOMA is pretty much the OMM luddites as officers.

 

[PapaGuava]

Do it for the anatomy book and for nothing else.

Second this!

 

[Dhooy7]

The book isn't $90. It can be found online cheaper. I have several other clubs I'm interested in as well. Thanks!

 

[deleted967981]

The book isn't $90. It can be found online cheaper. I have several other clubs I'm interested in as well. Thanks!

Which book is it?

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

Usually the thieme atlas. SOMA is unfortunately a lot of hyper left wing politics and tends to be unilateral in it's thinking, but sometimes some good stuff that actually advocates for students gets passed. The AOA house of delegates just passed a resolution sent up from Soma to classify DO grads as US grads on eras to prevent being filtered out. As others have also stated, the merger was begun by students who saw the writing on the wall about fellowship placement. Your membership dollars go a long way to helping your chapter leaders represent you, but you need to let them know what is important to you.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

The AOA house of delegates just passed a resolution sent up from Soma to classify DO grads as US grads on eras to prevent being filtered out.

I will never bash SOMA again if they can somehow get this to come to pass.

 

[Neopolymath]

I will never bash SOMA again if they can somehow get this to come to pass.

I find it hard to believe even though I know FGG is a trusted poster. First I've heard of this and I get all kinds of stupid emails about all this despite not being a member.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I find it hard to believe even though I know FGG is a trusted poster. First I've heard of this and I get all kinds of stupid emails about all this despite not being a member.

It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they only send emails for the stupid stuff instead of what is actually important.

 

[BlueBleck]

It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if they only send emails for the stupid stuff instead of what is actually important.

It's a members issue. You see the same stuff with medical societies. People like you or me, if they join, leave the marketing stuff to others. Others are typically the type of people really big into fluff. So the flyers are filled to the brim with fluff.

But if you talk to the guys on the ground, they're often focused on totally different things. At the county med society, they spend their time fighting government silliness. An attending there convinced his legislator to not allow pods to operate up to the knee. He raised hundreds of thousands to defeat rate cuts. Another stuffed the medical board with physicians, replacing lay people. Another raised millions to prevent random drug testing for docs (combined with increasing tort limites). etc etc etc. When they're asked about what to put on the newsletters, there's a big shrug and they give it to staff or interested parties. Are you going to reprimand your staff for starting a charity drive because it's detracting from your personal focus?

I'd also note that the heaviest hitters are busy af. One dude spends his time rubbing elbows with legislators. Multiple legislators call him for opinions on medical bills. You **have** to rub elbows to get that sort of clout. He also has a surgery department to head. Yeah, he doesn't look at the newsletter we send out. But also yeah, he's the biggest person in the society because that's what the society actually cares about.

 

[Aslanim]

"DOs for free guacamole toast for single native american mothers1!!11!!!!" emails.
.... the most "woke" on topics not relevant to Osteopathic Medical Students.

Wait what???!!!
Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

I find it hard to believe even though I know FGG is a trusted poster. First I've heard of this and I get all kinds of stupid emails about all this despite not being a member.

See page 51 and 52. Some SOMA members wrote that originally. It was passed by Soma earlier this year and then by AOA hod this summer.

 

[DNC127]

I'm less cynical than others. Join if you think you want to have a voice in the profession. Students have a surprisingly outsized voice in the AOA. We have more voting power in the AOA as a random student (in the right positions) than most random docs. The students at PCOM were the ones who wrote the amendment on the AOA side to merge.

Personally, I don't think joining clubs for CV items matters unless you were board. Even then, it's a very small item. So if you don't enjoy it, don't sweat it. Your sanity and extra time for boards is probably more important. Also, i don't think any of the perks justify the expense.

So only join if you like politics. Which I feel like most people actually do. Everyone seems to have an opinion on everything. Especially on the things related to the AOA. There's no better, or even other, way to change the AOA than to show up.

Show up, be respectful, and lots of people will listen. I showed up to the SOMA events as a relative conservative and everyone was respectful. SOMA showed up to the AOA as hyper liberals, and honestly, all attendings were respectful. What's more, they mostly took us pretty seriously even if they ended up disagreeing with most of us.

FWIW, the AMA side is AMSA or the county medical association/society/organization club. DO students are invited to these events. And like with SOMA and the AOA, AMSA has a voice within the AMA. You're given more power than you think as students. To give more specifics, the AOA and the AMA allocate votes to students. The AOA gives students WAYY more votes than the AMA, but both allow us to be represented.

If you join SOMA to go to national events, join as the national liaison officer or president. Those two are the two who the school will likely bankroll to go to events.

(insert word that rhymes with Truck) those guys at PCOM then.

-Sincerely, an ortho applicant with 1/2 the chance to match as students last year.

Kind of kidding.

 

[Chibucks15]

(insert word that rhymes with Truck) those guys at PCOM then.

-Sincerely, an ortho applicant with 1/2 the chance to match as students last year.

Kind of kidding.

Wasn’t it that ACGME fellowships (aka 90% of them) were gonna stop taking DOs? That kinda forced our hand

 

[DNC127]

Wasn’t it that ACGME fellowships (aka 90% of them) were gonna stop taking DOs? That kinda forced our hand

Ya. I was being sarcastic. Merger is good for everyone right now except ortho applicants.

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

Ya. I was being sarcastic. Merger is good for everyone right now except ortho applicants.

Nah dude you'll be totally fine. Just audition and apply to those programs. Just as you would have done before. They're only going to look at auditioners seriously so there's no difference from last year. You only get the added benefit of not having to opt out of nrmp. It's a net win.

 

[DNC127]

Nah dude you'll be totally fine. Just audition and apply to those programs. Just as you would have done before. They're only going to look at auditioners seriously so there's no difference from last year. You only get the added benefit of not having to opt out of nrmp. It's a net win.

I mean I am confident I will be okay, but objectively 50% of the DO programs right now cannot even participate in the match... which is a 50% difference from last year. Not exactly a subtle change for the ortho peeps. Ortho is pretty much the only specialty with a significant amount of DO spots with this issue.

 

[FourniersGreenGang]

I mean I am confident I will be okay, but objectively 50% of the DO programs right now cannot even participate in the match... which is a 50% difference from last year. Not exactly a subtle change for the ortho peeps. Ortho is pretty much the only specialty with a significant amount of DO spots with this issue.

Ah I see what you're saying. Yeah the loss of programs is indeed rough.