The West Michigan Osteopathic Association (WMOA) has been the primary fraternal and medical education society in West Michigan for many years, providing its members with outstanding opportunities to learn from peers and to earn highest-level credits for continuing education.
The organization offers membership to DOs and MDs and to other practitioners in all fields of medicine, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners. It also encourages medical residents to join so they have the opportunity to talk with practicing physicians and to discuss everything from research projects to ground-breaking medical procedures. Meetings are held monthly September through June, usually over dinner, which fosters a welcoming sense of community among those who attend.
Because both the WMOA and the Osteopathic Foundation have goals that support medical education, they recently came together in an exciting partnership to coordinate and enhance their collective efforts.
Ben Visger, DO, chair of WMOA’s leadership committee, is enthusiastic about the partnership and the role WMOA plays in educating health care professionals through its meetings and twice-yearly conferences.
“We bring together the best doctors – surgeons, oncologists, emergency room physicians and more — who teach doctors in this community about the latest in medical research and treatments, plus we offer access to news of federal and state laws that may impact their work,” he explains.
“The science of medicine is continually changing and growing,” says Charlene Dubois, who serves as education coordinator for both WMOA and the Osteopathic Foundation’s dynamic OsteoScholars program. “So it is essential for physicians to stay abreast of developments such as new diagnostic tools and approaches to patient care. COVID-19 made this year particularly challenging and demonstrated the huge importance of continuing medical education.”
For information about membership in WMOA, contact Dubois at charlene@osteopathicfoundation.org.