Social Media Award Recognizes the NBOME’s Commitment to Mental Health
October 16, 2023
As the NBOME continues to work to prioritize the well-being of its stakeholders, it recently gained national recognition for doing so. At a ceremony held on September 28 by Ragan PR Daily, the NBOME received an honorable mention in the Social Media category of the Nonprofit Communications awards.
The submission, titled “How DO you love yourself?” was a campaign that ran on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram in February 2023 for Valentine’s Day. DO students were asked to submit advice on how they practice self-care while studying for the COMLEX-USA exams, and each student who submitted had a chance to win a free COMSAE practice exam.
This resulted in more than 730 comments from DO students, which were collected and curated into the larger “Wellness Wednesday” social media campaign that will run into early 2024. Each of the resulting “Wellness Wednesday” posts not only offers tips and advice on managing mental health but also lets students know they’re not the only ones feeling stress while studying for their COMLEX-USA exams.
“As osteopathic physicians, we focus on the body, mind, and spirit—not just in the way we treat our patients, but in the way we should approach our own health as physicians,” said Jeanne M. Sandella, DO, vice president of professional development initiatives and communications at the NBOME. “This campaign allowed us to promote advice from DO students to DO students on how to take care of themselves while preparing for COMLEX-USA so that they in turn can provide the best care for their patients.”
In addition to “How DO you love yourself?” and “Wellness Wednesday” on social media, the NBOME offers several resources focused on promoting mental health, including the Mental Health & Wellness Toolbox—a collection of wellness resources from across the osteopathic profession and healthcare at large—and the Candidate Wellness blog series, which focuses on providing helpful information across the continuum.
In September, the NBOME also joined more than 115 national health and science organizations in supporting National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, further underscoring its commitment to mental health for DO students, residents, and physicians.
About the NBOME:
The NBOME is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit assessment organization committed to protecting the public by providing the means to assess competencies for osteopathic medicine and related health care professions. NBOME’s COMLEX-USA examination series is a requirement for graduation from colleges of osteopathic medicine and provides the pathway to licensure for osteopathic physicians in the United States and numerous international jurisdictions.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Renee Cree, MA
Director for Communications
rcree@nbome.org
