Page 152 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

e are in the final stages of preparing We are very pleased to have Dr Art Keller-
Wfor the 2014 Special Operations Sci- man, Dean, Uniformed Services University
entific and Medical Assembly in Tampa, of the Health Sciences, at our Second-Half
FL, on 8–11 December. Initiative lunch session. SOMA’s Second-
Half Committee exists to inform and men-
This year’s program is one of the most ambitious and tor medics interested in higher medical education. Dr
cutting edge that we’ve offered. Preconference meetings Kellerman will discuss the new Medic to MD program
and lab sessions will kick off on Monday, 8 December. at USUHS. This will be a key session for medics inter-
Highlights include the usual robust line-up of labs with ested in attending medical school.
two new additions. Dr Cord Cunningham is hosting a
half-day medical informatics session. As you may know, So, if you have not registered for the 2014 SOMSA or
collecting patient care data from the field is a challenge, become a member of SOMA, I would encourage you
yet these data are key to improving combat casualty to do both. When you register, don’t forget to make a
care. This session will include military and civilian ex- donation to the SOF Medic Scholarship Fund. A small
perts in prehospital care and will highlight some evolv- donation allows you access to Mess Night, where we
ing technologies to capture patient care data. After all, have a great speaker and a great program lined up. Your
we can’t improve what we can’t measure. donation goes to a good cause, sending SOF medics to
become doctors, PAs, or nurses or to other higher lev-
COL Sean Keenan’s prolonged field care group is hold- els of medical education. All you physicians who were
ing a “train the trainer” session as a preconference once medics . . . bring your checkbook to Mess Night
course. During this, we will have three separate units so that we can all support this great program for today’s
simultaneously run casualty scenarios with robust dis- medics.
cussion and AARs particularly directed at the how-to
portions of education and training. Dr Keenan would To see the entire program and to register for the 2014
like to invite representatives from units to see what we SOMSA, go to:
(you) think are viable options for training.
http://www.specialoperationsmedicine.org/
Documents/2014%20Registration%20Docs/
During the main session, we have made a commitment SOMA%20AC%2014_RB_Web_Final.pdf
to significantly increase the number of medic presenta-
tions. We will have six SOF medics presenting in the See you in Tampa,
main session with a SOF medic roundtable discussion at
the end. I anticipate the SOF medic roundtable discus- LTC Bob Mabry, MD
sion being the highlight of this year’s plenary session. SOMA President

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