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Teresa A. Hubka, D.O., MS, FACOOG (DIST), FACOG, CS, Clinical Professor, Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn), from the Downers Grove Campus of ������Ƶ, begins her tenure on July 20th as the President of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). She is the second woman to serve this role, following another former faculty member from ������Ƶ Karen Nichols, D.O., MA, MACOI, CS, Adjunct Faculty, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM), former Dean of CCOM (2002-2018), who served as President of AOA in 2010. Dr. Hubka also shared that Dr. Nichols was her mentor.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to lead our professional organization, the AOA. I was deeply honored, and I’m certainly looking forward to this leadership role,” Dr. Hubka said and continued, “How wonderful that they trust and believe in the skill sets I’ve developed.” Dr. Hubka is not only the second woman to become president, but the first Obstetrician and Gynecologic surgeon (Ob/Gyn). Dr. Hubka will be the 128th president of the AOA in the same year as the 150th anniversary of the osteopathic medicine profession. The AOA represents over 186,000 Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.s) and osteopathic medical students in the U.S. to promote osteopathic principles and public health. The AOA also fosters scientific research, as well as state and federal advocacy regarding issues impacting patients, D.O.s, and osteopathic medical students.  

As president, Dr. Hubka hopes to facilitate further collaboration among all the osteopathic organizations, the AOA, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME), all State Associations and Specialty Colleges, and beyond. “I would like to see all osteopathic organizations working together as a family and collaborate on behalf of our distinct education and training of our students, residents, and emerging physicians, and to promote our unique skills in healing our patients and lead the healthcare system in the U.S.,” Dr. Hubka said. “Being involved and being engaged with your profession really gives you a purpose.” 

Over the past year, in her role as president-elect, Dr. Hubka has been working with the AOA leadership team to promote the current AOA presidential goals of increasing membership and osteopathic board certification, she said. Dr. Hubka has traveled throughout the U.S. as president-elect to meet colleagues in osteopathic medicine at state societies, specialty colleges and colleges of osteopathic medicine, as well as serve in the role of keynote speaker at several graduation ceremonies. Through her travels in promoting these initiatives she developed her own presidential initiatives to be enacted this year. Dr. Hubka will lead the formation of the next strategic plan for three to five years, partnering with key stakeholders to keep the AOA’s momentum, she said. Dr. Hubka will also be directing the mission and vision of the profession through this plan. “The best part of being a leader is seeing your accomplishments unfold as your vision blossoms, blooms, and grows,” she said adding, “My motto is to ‘Grow D.O.’ through my Call to Excellence in Osteopathic Leadership, Distinction and Solidarity.”

Dr. Hubka added that physicians should be top notch in all that they do. “I want to develop the leadership skills of all our osteopathic physicians. I want our D.O.s and emerging D.O.s (students) to recognize, understand, believe, and feel great about their distinct osteopathic training, skills, philosophy, the way they take care of patients, their board certification, and to have that distinction of who we are be known and proliferated for our patients,” she said. Dr. Hubka also shared that the call to excellence was inspired by her father, who served in the Navy as a Top Gun fighter pilot who commanded his aircraft carrier crew with his Call to Excellence. In the fall she will travel to Sydney, Australia representing the AOA at the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA).

Dr. Hubka started at ������Ƶ in an official capacity in 2000. Prior to that she was a preceptor from 1996 to 2000. In 2005, she was promoted to the department chair and the program director of the legacy MWU – CCOM Ob/Gyn residency program. Dr. Hubka shared how her time at ������Ƶ prepared her for this upcoming position of the AOA. She added she was given the opportunity to train in the Costin Institute at ������Ƶ and engage in the Master Faculty Development series helped to garner new leadership skills. “As I took on more leadership and educational roles with MWU-CCOM and in my specialty of American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOOG), I developed strong relationships and connections on both a local and national level. Training students and residents, through my engagement in both undergraduate and graduate osteopathic medical education, taught me how to guide, instruct, and mentor students and residents into becoming strong future physicians and leaders. I learned so much because I feel as you teach, you learn,” Dr. Hubka said. She added, “I think that the guidance, leadership, and mentoring I received from individuals at ������Ƶ brought me to where I am today, and I want to pay that forward to the next group of individuals.”

Dr. Hubka serves as AOA president for a one-year term with a continuum in leadership in her professional life.  Faculty at ������Ƶ have a wide array of accomplishments that are brought forth to educate future generations of healthcare professionals. Through a variety of opportunities, such as the AOA presidency, faculty can expand their knowledge and horizons and bring forth new ideas and developments to the classroom.