About NOMA

The National Osteopathic Medical Association (NOMA) was founded in 1992 by Dr. William Anderson, the first and only African American to serve as president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). He worked with a group of minority physicians meeting annually at the AOA convention in San Diego, California. Prior to inception as AOA president, an informal group had existed for a number of years as the Black Caucus, with members coming primarily from Michigan and Illinois. The group who met in San Diego recognized the need to become a formal organization in order to provide leadership and to improve the representation of minority osteopathic physicians at all levels within the osteopathic profession: to heighten awareness of the osteopathic profession in the minority community; and to provide mentors to osteopathic medical students. By-laws for the organization were adopted at a meeting in Boston during the 1993 AOA Convention. Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, the first African American female Dean of a medical school, served as this organizations first president.

The National Osteopathic Medical Association has been dedicated to serving the underserved community at large since inception. NOMA is proud to announce the completion of the 6th annual free health fair at the AOA convention in San Francisco, CA, and we look forward to the 7th annual Free Health Fair in Orlando, FL 2011. Thousands of needy residents from cities of New Orleans, San Diego, Orlando, Nevada, and San Francisco have benefited from the services and donations of NOMA and AOA members at large. NOMA focuses on healthcare disparity issues, needs and concerns of minority medical students and their education, improving minority representation in our osteopathic medical schools and their successful matriculation. In fact, The William G. Anderson scholarship has awarded thousands of dollars in scholarship money to assist medical students with their education. NOMA is an organization established to create a sense of community for minority osteopathic physicians and to address their concerns, both common and unique. The survivability of the organization is predicated on keeping young medical students, residents, and minority osteopathic physicians aware and active in NOMA. So, we are excited to have you join in our efforts!