My Experiences Of Osteopathic Medicine

Currently there are two main types of licensed physicians in the United States. The first is the medical doctor or the allopathic doctor. About 95% of licensed doctors have been educated at one of over 120 allopathic medical schools and have thus obtained a medical doctor degree (M.D.). The second type of doctor, the doctor of osteopathy, is less common. Osteopathic doctors make up about five percent of the physicians in the nation (Peters 730). Although this represents a significant amount of physicians many people are unfamiliar with the second type of doctor. In a 1981 the AOA (American Osteopathic Association) released the results of a survey about public

When I think of medicine I think of diversity. The medical field contains a multiplicity of individuals, culture, and exchange; exposure to the Guatemalan culture offers a plethora of experience that allows me to build on personal growth, educational enhancements, and the opportunity to make a difference. The availability of this program through the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine is a blessing as well as a prayer answered for the prospect to experience the world beyond the borders of the United Stares.

Truthfully, as an undergraduate I knew very little about the osteopathic profession. In 2013, however, I began working as a medical scribe with Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, DO, in the Sibley ER and she opened my eyes to the beauty of osteopathic medicine. Thanks to Dr. Ghaffari-Greene, and a number of other osteopathic physicians in the ER, I have come to understand what osteopathic medicine is all about. Three years after my first exposure to the osteopathic profession, I continue to be motivated to become an osteopathic physician for many reasons. These include the following:

I have chosen osteopathic medicine as my professional choice in becoming a physician, because I have a passion for the healthcare field and learning, I want to be able to help others and give back to the community and I believe that medicine is evolving towards an osteopathic approach which takes into account the body as a whole. Passion is the driver behind any good physician. I am always looking to learn and improve upon my performance in whatever I am doing. Whether it was undergraduate coursework, medical shadowing, EMT training, or community service I put forth my fullest effort into the task at hand. Every moment in medicine and life in general is a valuable learning experience. Osteopathic medicine will force me outside of my comfort zone and many mistakes will be made along the way, but I look forward to tackling the challenges ahead of me and in the end it will allow me to become the best physician possible.

My desire to be an osteopathic physician came after attending an OMM session during my gap years as a research fellow at the NIH. This experience contributed to my interest in osteopathic medicine, as I was intrigued by the musculoskeletal manipulation techniques, and deeply appreciated the hands-on, holistic approach to patient care. I feel strongly that training as an osteopath, will prove invaluable in my career as I work deliver quality treatment to underserved communities.

A physician must be well rounded in a variety of fields to provide effective care. First, an interest in learning scientific knowledge must be accompanied by the ability to translate that knowledge into methods of treatment. Because science is constantly changing and improving, a physician should be continuously expanding their scientific learning within and outside of their respective fields. Most of the coursework that I have taken reflects my interest in the intersection between biomedical science and its applications through an anthropological lens. For example, I have performed public

The time I spent working in the ER as a scribe and the people I met during my time there inspired me to apply to osteopathic medical schools. Prior to my working there, I honestly didn’t know there were two routes to becoming a physician. I started noticing that there was either D.O. or M.D. initialed after doctors’ names in the signature of different physicians throughout the hospital.

There are to branches of medicine currently practiced in the United States Osteopathic Medicine and Allopathic Medicine. Throughout this paper I am going to discuss the history, practices and beliefs of Osteopathic Medicine as well as describe the differences between Allopathic Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine.

“Death starts from the feet.” She was an 86 year old Guinean woman who was accompanied by her son to the family medicine clinic. Her son explained to us that his mother was very anxious and feared that she would be dying soon because of the pains that she was having in her lower extremities. In their culture, there is a saying that “death starts from the feet,” and because she was experiencing these pains she was convinced that her time was near. After obtaining a more detailed history and completing her physical examination, I discovered that the patient had bilateral crepitus in her knees as well as joint swellings, indicating an osteoarthritic presentation. What my patient feared to be symptoms of death were instead osteoarthritic pain! This patient encounter was an eye opening experience on just how impactful our backgrounds can be in medicine. By improving our cultural competences we improve the quality of healthcare. As a family physician I hope to make a difference in the lives and communities of patients from various backgrounds.

I shadowed multiple physicians from various specialties, as I worked to confirm my desire to become a physician. Out of all of them, Dr. Brian Loveless, a family practice physician who utilizes osteopathic manipulative medicine, stood out to me the most. My time shadowing him at The Patient Care Center at Western University of Health Sciences exposed me to the philosophy of osteopathic medicine. Using osteopathic manipulative treatment techniques like high-velocity, low-amplitude, he was able to relieve patients of their pains or aches during the visit, without providing any medications. It was these moments that taught me the effectiveness about the philosophy of osteopathic medicine. As Dr. Loveless stated regarding one patient, he was treating

I was first exposed to the philosophy and teachings behind osteopathic medicine when I attended TCOM’s pre-medical conference my freshmen year of college. At this event, I learned about the holistic view that forms the basis behind osteopathic medicine. The philosophies behind osteopathic medicine and the emphasis TCOM has on primary care and preventative medicine aligns with my personal medical outlook and endeavors. Since this conference, I sought out a variety of experiences to explore osteopathic medicine. I was given the opportunity to shadow an osteopathic physician, Dr. Ball, before sophomore year. In addition, recently I observed TCOM’s medical students explain and perform OMM treatment. These experiences and others have allowed me

In the mid 19th century, medicine was still very rudimentary. The medications prescribed and the procedures performed were limited by the poor understanding of medical science held by the practitioners of the time. A man by the name of Andrew Taylor Still saw this and made it his mission to find a better way to heal. His work would become the foundation for an entirely new branch of medicine, a field he would call “Osteopathy.” Years later, doctors of osteopathic medicine have become fully-licensed physicians and surgeons who hold the same rights as their M.D. (allopathic) colleagues. So what exactly makes osteopathic medicine different and how did it become so important in modern medicine?

I first discovered osteopathic medicine when my cousin invited me to his medical school graduation. This different aspect of medicine caught my interest as its philosophy of medicine focuses on

With a strong desire to help others as a physician, it was natural for me to gravitate toward osteopathic medicine when Hiram graduate, Tammy Guseman, talked to us about her great experiences at Pikeville’s KYCOM. The ideas of holistic care, preventative medicine, and hands-on treatment resonated with who I am.

Osteopathic medicine, abbreviated D.O., as defined by Webster as a therapeutic system originally based upon the premise that manipulation of the muscles and bones to promote structural integrity could restore or preserve health. Osteopathic medicine was founded by A.T. Still, a medical doctor who believed that the current medical practices seemed to be doing more harm than good to the patients. He developed a system of care that would promote the body’s ability to heal itself. Osteopathic physicians are trained in to provide holistic care, which means they look