AACOM Announces 2023-2024 Osteopathic Health Policy Interns

AACOM Announces 2023-2024 Osteopathic Health Policy Interns

Following a highly competitive review process, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) has selected two osteopathic medical students to participate in the association’s Osteopathic Health Policy Internship (OHPI) Program. Part of AACOM’s Leadership Institute, the OHPI Program enables osteopathic medical students to develop knowledge of federal healthcare and higher education policy and deepen their understanding of how to have a foundational impact on public policy formulation.

Rising third-year students Jett Murray, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), and Kevin Weiss, Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, will spend eight consecutive weeks working virtually with AACOM’s Government Relations department. Throughout their internships, Jett and Kevin will observe and participate in the legislative and regulatory processes, monitor ongoing public policy issues for AACOM, discover and implement effective advocacy techniques and develop networking skills.

Jett is a dedicated advocate as well as a passionate mentor and leader. At ICOM, he worked with an associate professor of biochemistry to create a mentored research grant proposal focused on bone formation and remodeling, which ICOM successfully funded. Because he understands the benefits of being involved in research firsthand, Jett is driven to increase National Institutes of Health funding for colleges of osteopathic medicine to help address the funding disparity osteopathic medical schools face compared to their MD counterparts (0.1 percent vs. 40 percent, respectively).

"I am honored to have been selected for the AACOM OHPI program,” said Jett. “As a proud osteopathic student, I view this program as an opportunity to leverage our profession's uniqueness to translate osteopathic healthcare into improved patient outcomes. Throughout my time as a student, I have been fortunate to advocate within my local community to expand medical education in Idaho; now, I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to learn how to liaise with stakeholders at the national level to advance the goals of our entire profession."

Kevin has led efforts to increase medical student education in justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and support medical students with financial disadvantages. Experiencing the physician shortage firsthand on and off the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico, Kevin is motivated to work alongside AACOM in advocating for fair and equitable treatment of DO residency candidates.

"I was born with a congenital heart defect and grew up in rural New Mexico with limited access to healthcare,” said Kevin. “I am excited for the opportunity to learn how to effectively advocate for real legislative change with the intention of increasing access to healthcare in the rural communities of my home state."

Past interns have gone on to become healthcare policy leaders. They have served as the policy committee chair of the Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators Residents and Fellows Council, vice-chair of health policy at the Emergency Medicine Residents Association, appear as trusted medical professionals in the national media and have run for local office.