Episode 041 - Sitting down with the Advocates for the AOA Past President Megan Maples
The ACOPedscast Podcast SeriesShow Notes
It is November, a time when nights start to overcome daytime hours, temperatures start to drop, and the sights and sounds of the Holidays begin to surround us. As we get ready to prepare for Thanksgiving, we could think of no better time than this month to take a moment to thank an organization that many of our listeners may not even be aware of but one that does tremendous things in support of the osteopathic physician community, the Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association or AAOA. This amazing group is comprised of the spouses, partners, and significant others of osteopathic physicians and medical students. It serves as a support network for those people who are supporting osteopathic physicians throughout every stage of their training and career, as well as a fierce group of advocates for the osteopathic profession. This month Scott and Jason sit down with immediate past president of the AAOA, Megan Maples of Colorado to discuss her journey as an advocate for her husband and children as he went from medical student in Fort Woth, Texas, to now co-owning their Still Point Osteopathic Care Center in Castle Rock, Colorado. Megan discusses what it meant for her to serve as an advocate for the osteopathic profession, her accomplishments as the immediate past president as well as the future of the advocates under current leadership. She also talks about how other spouses and significant others can get involved in their activities. Make sure to stop by their table your next visit to OMED, DO Day on the Hill, or the AOA HOD and thank them for all they do… and maybe even buy a fun tie or brooch to support their cause. If you are looking for more information about the Advocates or how to get involved, details can be found at their website at Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association. If you are in the Castle Rock area and are looking for osteopathic care you can find out more information about Dr. Maples and his center at Comprehensive Osteopathic Musculoskeletal Care in Castle Rock - Osteopathic Care. Scott and Jason also want to take this time to thank all of our listeners for continuing to tune in each month and listen to our ramblings. We hope you will continue to like, subscribe, download and share the ACOPedscast with friends as we head into 2025. With the fourth Wednesday of December falling on Christmas Day this will be the last episode of 2024. We both want to wish you all a safe and Happy Holiday Season, and we will see you in January 2025. As always if you have any requests or have something you’d like to share on a future episode, contact us at [email protected]. Happy Listening!
More from The ACOPedscast Podcast Series
It is hard to believe but somehow it is already August! Long summer days are starting to give way to Fall mornings and the familiar site of children with backpacks and yellow school buses fill the sidewalks and streets. It is also the time for the student athletes in our families and practices to get back to the grind. Whether it be hitting the fields for Fall sports or conditioning for Winter and Spring teams, it is always important that we guide the students… and coaches… about how to excel safely. Scott and Jason were excited to sit down with this month’s guest, Dr. Mary Dubon, MD! Dr. Dubon is a physician scientist who is Board certified in both Pediatric Rehab Medicine and Pediatric Sports Medicine and sees patients at the world-renowned Shirley Ryan Ability Lab at Northwestern University in Chicago. She is a true expert and leader in the field as the second person in the US to achieve this double-board certification. Our hosts take complete advantage of Dr. Dubon’s expertise in this wide-reaching discussion, covering topics from proper hydration, to return-to-play guidance following concussions, and even the advantages and disadvantages to early sport specialization in the developing pediatric athlete. This is definitely going to be an issue to bookmark and return to frequently for some excellent talking points when you are counseling your student athletes and coaches! Happy Listening!!
It’s July and that means all over newly christened Osteopathic Physicians are starting the next step of their journey towards becoming Osteopathic Pediatricians. While there has been a continuous positive trend of DO medical students matching into pediatrics, there has been an equally alarming trend of the number of overall pediatric residency positions that go unfilled. In this very honest but thoughtful episode, Scott and Jason sit down with current ACOP President, Tyree Winters, DO, FACOP, to discuss the current state of Pediatric training, challenges we face as a profession, but most importantly wats that the ACOP is working wholeheartedly to overcome these obstacles. If you are invested in the future of the profession this is not episode to miss. Whether you are a pre-clinical osteopathic medical student or a retired practicing physician we all have a role to play in lifting the profession of Osteopathic Pediatrics up to its full potential! We also want to make sure to welcome and congratulate all of you who have started that next step of your journey in Pediatric Residency Training. The ACOP family remains dedicated to supporting you each step of the way and remaining your Osteopathic Medical Home throughout your education and career! Happy listening!!
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and what better time to highlight the importance of pediatric mental health, and the creative ways we can address a child’s needs. This month Scott and Jason are proud to welcome the inaugural recipient of the Nancy Beery Memorial Wellness Scholarship, Student Doctor Bridget Rogers, OMS-2. Student Doctor Rogers takes on a journey from her own mental health trials as a survivor of pediatric cancer to her college years at The Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes! … Sorry Scott) where she discovered A Moment of Magic. This leads her to eventually becoming part of the national executive board of the organization and the Program Director, creating the healing through art program of Express, Create, Heal. This inspiring episode speaks to the resilience of children and the importance of art in the healing process of children, and adults! And there may be a little secret identity discussion snuck into the middle, see if you can catch it.
Fresh off inspiring the audience at last month’s ACOP Spring CME as the 2026 James M. Watson Memorial Lecture, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee joins Scott and Jason in the ACOPedscast studio. This pioneer of osteopathic medicine shares her own story and her vision for the future of the profession with our listening audience. This entertaining, educational, and inspiring conversation is a must listen for anyone passionate about the profession and the people we serve. If you are interested in learning more about the American Osteopathic Foundation Project Future, you can find more information here: American Osteopathic Foundation | Project Future
It’s March and that can mean only one thing… graduating medical students across the country are waiting for that envelope that is going to tell you where you are about to spend the next 3-5 years as a Resident Physician. After the joy and relief settles you are left wondering just what to do with these last few months of medical school before graduation. Jason and Scott are joined by some experts on just that topic as they sit down with Trainee Board of Trustees members MacKenzie LeMay, Jess Kroner, and Madison Craft. The group talks about the excitement of Match, the nerves of relocating, and how they made the most of the time between. The team also chats about some of the best advice, and maybe some that was best kept to itself in preparing for the start of intern year. This group discussion is a must listen for our 3rd and 4th year students as you start to prepare for the exciting next chapter of your Osteopathic Medical journey. If you are interested in reading a recent piece about this very topic here is a wonderful piece in the most recent DO Magazine: Preparing for residency: 5 things you can do before the first day Also, DO’s everywhere were celebrating an extremely successful Match on March 20th, to see how everyone did click here: Record number of DOs secure residency positions through 2026 Match - The DO