WHO ARE WE?

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Student Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Association (SOMA) is a University of Melbourne Graduate Student Association (GSA) affiliated group founded in mid-2019. SOMA fosters peer-to-peer support between students from different locations and institutions with a common interest in musculoskeletal and orthopaedic health. Students from all walks of life and areas of expertise are encouraged to participate to develop an inclusive and diverse network.

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A YEAR IN REVIEW

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SOMA's small group of founding members were actively involved in promoting and presenting at the inaugural Students' Orthopaedic Research Showcase in 2019. It was an excellent opportunity to highlight the research conducted by SOMA- and OPUS-affiliated researchers in the domain of musculoskeletal health. Since then, SOMA has grown to boast 54 members from MD, Honours, PhD, and Masters programs.

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To actively engage members, SOMA has held two of their monthly Journal Club meetings for 2020, which gave students an opportunity to dissect and discuss the latest in musculoskeletal research. Crucially, SOMA is working to establish a website and promotional material to be displayed at all events while recruiting more members from all institutions.

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WHAT'S NEXT?

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We are really excited about what we have got coming up, from research showcases and journal clubs to workshops designed to demystify key aspects of how to conduct research. We even have a sneaky podcast on the way with experts in the MSK field to give tips and tricks in navigating becoming an academic orthopaedic surgeon… so come get involved!