Saints in Sin City

Last week Ben went to Vegas to attend the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Convention, and I went to Vegas to attend the Advocates for the American Osteopathic Association (AAOA) Convention. The AAOA is made up primarily of the families and spouses (although membership is open to anyone!) of osteopathic physicians. The purpose is to promote and support the osteopathic profession. For more information, please click on the link to the right of the page, or www.advocates4dos.org. You may remember that last year I was SAA (Student Advocate Association) president. Well, the SAA is just the student level of the AAOA (and if your eyes are glazing over at this point with all the abbreviations, I'm sorry). I remain on the board this year as immediate past president, and was thankful to have the opportunity to attend convention this year, as I attended it last year in San Diego. It is a fantastic opportunity to connect with physicians and students and their families from all over the country, in all specialties, and in various levels of their careers. It provides a fantastic networking opportunity as well as an outlet of support from an extended family. One of Ben's professors, Dr. Wieting, took him to the PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation) dinner one night as this is a specialty Ben is interested in. Dr. Wieting's wife, Shelley, is our SAA advisor and a past president of the AAOA. They took several of us to dinner the first night we were there. The second night, Ben attended the PM&R dinner while I attended a dinner for the SAAs sponsored by the Family Physicians Auxiliary. The third night, Dean Stowers took ALL of DCOM participants to dinner. The last night was the AOA/AAOA President's Reception. All in all, we had a good time, but we just don't know that Las Vegas is our kind of place. There were plenty of neat things there, but it was so expensive and if I'm going to spend that much money, there are other places I would rather be! Here are some pics, for all of our pictures click on the link to the right entitled "The Photographic Album" and then click on the first album AOA-AAOA Convention.

At the Knoxville airport before a very long day of traveling.

In the limo on the way to the hotel.

Myself, Cat, and Anna working the AAOA booth in the exhibit hall.

The DCOM SAAs, our advisor Shelley, and current AAOA president Linda Adams.

The SAA dinner at The Grande Lux.

Fountains at the Bellagio, simply spectacular.

Ceiling in the lobby of the Bellagio.

This guy changed his facial expressions!

In the Bellagio.

Doc giving a toast at the dinner he gave.

The entertainment at Doc's dinner, he's been there almost 30 years! Here he's playing Rocky Top. Not my favorite song, but cute nonetheless.

Shelley Wieting and Dr. Wieting, after he was just elected to the AAOA board, the first physician!

All of the Tennessee delegates at the AAOA Convention.

Cat manning our sales booth at the AAOA convention.

Ben working the DCOM booth in the AOA exhibit hall.

Cat, Anna, and I styling with our balloon hats outside the Bellagio.

Ben with his puppy dog hat.

Ben with the dragon at FAO Schwartz. He wants to have children simply so he'll have an excuse to purchase items like this. When I asked him what he would do with an enormous dragon, he replied, "what wouldn't I do with an enormous dragon!"

I decided to play one penny slot in Ceasar's just so I could say I gambled, and I won $54! Yippee!

The awesome band at the President's Reception.

Anna, myself, and Rhonda at the President's Reception.

Ben and I.

One of the views from our room. This is Trump International.

This is INSIDE the Venetian. It was a little weird to walk through at midnight and feel like it was daytime.