GOLDSBORO, North Carolina – Daniel Moses, a member of the inaugural class at the Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, was appointed to serve as the student member of the American Osteopathic Association’s Bureau of State Government Affairs in August 2015. The yearlong appointment will come to an end after the AOA Annual Business Meeting in Chicago this July.
“When I received the appointment last year, I was excited because this position allowed me to get involved in policy initiatives at the national level alongside leaders of the osteopathic medical profession while representing the interests of North Carolina,” said Moses.
“Three of the many challenges we focused on were: Opioid Analgesics’ Policy, Pharmaceutical Pricing Transparency, and we are currently developing a white paper on concussion protocols – especially among high school and youth athletes,” Moses continued.
“I’ve been lucky to see this side of the policy development process,” Moses said. “I met a lot of thought-leaders among the AOA, and I’ve been able to bring the student perspective to these proceedings.”
In this position, Student Doctor Moses participated in meetings such as the Annual Tri-Bureau Meeting – a meeting that brings together the Bureau of State Government Affairs, the Bureau of Socioeconomic Affairs, and the Bureau on Federal Health Programs at the National Osteopathic Advocacy Center in Washington, DC in addition to completing his third year of medical education at Wayne Memorial Hospital in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
While he is pursuing a career in family medicine, Moses says he will always be involved as a leader in the profession and believes other physicians should be involved, too.
“Advocacy is one of the inherent duties of the modern physician,” said Moses. “If we don’t advocate for ourselves and our patients, we cannot complain when new regulations are imposed that might not keep the patient and their health paramount in mind. The physician still has a powerful voice – in the local community and within our emerging global community – and I absolutely intend to continue to be involved throughout my career.”