June 2019
It has been an exciting Spring season with all of the regional meetings that have taken place. I can speak only for the Southern/Central Joint Meeting, but it was a fantastic time with tons of informative updates from the NRMP, ERAS, and Student Affairs and Programs as well as the usual high-quality face-to-face time between our fellow OSRs. If you have yet to receive notes from any particular update, please contact me and I will attempt to get you the notes our regions compiled for you.
By now you have probably received one (or several) emails regarding the OSR Engagement Survey. The data-gathering is now complete, and we are analyzing the data in order to determine next steps. Our hope is that the responses we gathered will help inform how the Ad Board can increase effective communication, engagement, and collaboration at all levels of OSR involvement throughout the AAMC. We want to ensure that our students have all the resources necessary to continue high-level contributions in the work of the AAMC.
COSA continues to pursue relationships with the academic organizations in various specialties in the hopes of facilitating expedient change in Transition to Residency culture equally for all stakeholders involved. Since our last update, we have held conversations with the EM and Orthopaedic Surgery communities. The conversations continue to be fruitful for UME and GME interests alike.
Even though Match Day 2019 is hardly in our rearview mirror, by the time this update is published, ERAS will have opened for applicants in the 2020 cycle. If there are any concerns related to any component of the residency application for this coming year, let me know and I will take these concerns to COSA on your behalf.
Austin Witt
OSR National Delegate for Student Affairs
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine
wittta@etsu.edu