Two third-year students from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) have been elected to national leadership positions with the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA). Preston Capener and Lauren Huelson will serve on the National SOMA Board of Directors, representing LMU-DCOM while advocating for osteopathic medical students nationwide.
Capener was elected National Treasurer for SOMA and will begin his term March 29, 2026, serving through March 2027. In this role, he will sit on the SOMA Board of Trustees and oversee the creation and management of the organization’s national budget. Capener said the position reflects his commitment to osteopathic medicine and student advocacy.
“This role helps emphasize my commitment to osteopathic medicine. SOMA focuses a lot on advocacy and promoting the student voice, which is something I am very passionate about,” he said. “Professionally, this is a stepping stone to help me develop additional skills that can benefit me in future advocacy as a physician.”
He said one of his primary goals is to support national initiatives by ensuring board members have the resources needed to carry out meaningful programming.
“My main goal in this position is to help promote osteopathic student advocacy through supporting National SOMA initiatives driven by members of the Board of Directors,” Capener said.
Huelson serves as SOMA’s Director of Membership and Alumni Affairs. Her appointment began in December 2025, and she will serve a one-year term. She will officially transition into the National SOMA Board of Directors during the organization’s Spring Convention in Washington, D.C., in March 2026.
“My official title with [SOMA] is Director of Membership and Alumni Affairs,” Huelson said. “In this role, I work to support SOMA chapters nationwide by promoting membership growth, expanding alumni engagement and programming, and strengthening connections between osteopathic medical students and SOMA alumni.”
Huelson said the role has provided meaningful leadership opportunities and national collaboration.
“Being selected for this national SOMA role is an honor, and I am thankful for the mentors and peers who encouraged me along the way,” she said. “I am also so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with amazing osteopathic leaders throughout the nation and broaden my knowledge of how to be an impactful member of the osteopathic community.”
Her priorities include increasing engagement, strengthening alumni mentorship and developing sustainable programming that supports students throughout their medical education and beyond.
“One specific project I have started is called the ‘Day in the Life’ series, which features SOMA alumni and what their day-to-day life looks like after medical school,” Huelson said.
Both students credited LMU-DCOM with preparing them for national leadership through academic rigor, advocacy opportunities and institutional support.
“I think that being a medical student is very challenging, and that the rigors of the curriculum lend nicely to duties required of a national position,” Capener said.
Huelson highlighted her early involvement with LMU-DCOM’s local SOMA chapter and mentorship from faculty.
“My experience at LMU-DCOM has been instrumental in preparing me for this leadership position,” she said. “The school’s encouragement and investment in student leadership allowed me to develop strong organizational, communication, and advocacy skills that directly translate to my work at the national level.”
Capener and Huelson encouraged other LMU-DCOM students to pursue involvement with SOMA and national leadership opportunities.
“My biggest piece of advice that I received from a student in the class ahead of me was ‘just apply,’” Capener said.
“I encourage students to take a leap of faith and put themselves in uncomfortable situations,” Huelson said. “This is a wonderful way to grow and meet people we would not normally meet in our day-to-day lives.”
SOMA is the national student organization representing osteopathic medical students and is dedicated to advocacy, leadership development and service within the osteopathic profession.
The DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is located on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, and at LMU-Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. LMU-DCOM is an integral part of LMU’s values-based learning community and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of osteopathic physicians to provide health care in the often-underserved region of Appalachia and beyond. For more information about LMU-DCOM, call 1.800.325.0900, ext. 7082, email dcom@LMUnet.edu, or visit us online at http://med.LMUnet.edu.
