BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – Dr. John Becher, current President of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), visited the medical school on Friday, July 8 to speak to the Class of 2018 – now rising third year medical students – Harnett Health resident physicians, and CUSOM faculty and staff.
Dr. Becher is an AOA board-certified emergency physician from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania and is the 119th president of the AOA. He serves as chairman of the department of emergency medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) where he graduated from in 1970.
“It’s a great time to be an osteopathic physician,” Dr. Becher said to a lecture hall filled with students and faculty. “We, the leaders of your profession, we want to do everything we can to make it the best it can be.”
Dr. Becher shared the latest statistical profile of the medical profession and the issues the AOA is advocating for with the Campbell student doctors including lowering student loan interest rates and physician wellness.
“We are honored to have Dr. Becher visit our campus and spend time with our students,” said Dr. John M. Kauffman, Jr., dean of Campbell’s medical school. “Connecting with the leaders of our profession inspires students and equips them with the knowledge and perspective to be future leaders.”
In addition to his role as AOA President and chair of emergency medicine at PCOM, Dr. Becher is also director of osteopathic medical education at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
A member of the Federation of State Medical Boards’ Maintenance of Licensure Committee, Dr. Becher has trained more than 150 emergency physicians as a residency director and held leadership roles within the AOA, including as a member of the editorial board of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, and is past president of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association throughout his career.