D.O. or Do Not: The Osteopathic Physician's Journey for Premed & Medical Students

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In this episode of D.O. or Do Not, I interview Dr. Ashley Peterson. She grew up as a military kid, started kindergarten at age four, and attended UNC Charlotte, graduating at the ripe age of 19 with a degree in anthropology. She then went directly to the Georgia campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and is very candid about her mistakes and successes there. As a student, she served as the Student National Medical Association's Georgia Chapter President. She was able to take advantage of and learned a lot during away rotations at the flagship PCOM campus.

At 24 years old, she earned a residency spot in family medicine at the prestigious historically black college and university Morehouse School of Medicine.

She has her own podcast called "Real Medicine with Doctor Rox" and her Instagram account has 7,000 followers. She and her family run a non-profit that supports minority students in their educational pursuits. She also continues to give back through the Student National Medical Association as a board member, ensuring the advancement of minority students in osteopathic medicine.

I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did as its host. Thanks for listening!

Host: Tiffany Carlson
Editor: Nick Buskill

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For our fourth Black History Month episode, we had the privilege to speak with Dr. Darnita Anderson Hill, DO. Dr. Anderson Hill is the daughter of Dr. William Anderson, DO, a surgeon and pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement who we interviewed previously this month.

At a young age, Dr. Anderson Hill knew she wanted to pursue a career as a physician. Ultimately, her passion led her to apply to both osteopathic and allopathic institutions. Dr. Anderson Hill quickly discovered that the philosophy and principles of osteopathic medicine truly resonated with her, leading her to attend the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Today, Dr. Anderson Hill is a board-certified family medicine physician who remains deeply connected to osteopathic principles in her practice.

Passionate about both the history of osteopathic medicine and her African American heritage, Dr. Anderson Hill set out on a spiritual journey to learn about the origins of osteopathy, the osteopathic philosophy, and the role that the Black community has played in the founding and progression of medical practice - more specifically, osteopathic medicine in America. Spanning from Kirksville, Missouri, the site of the first osteopathic medical school, to Jonesville, Virginia, the birthplace of Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, her journey ultimately led her to author a book entitled "Blacks in Osteopathic Medicine: An Idea Whose Time Has Come."

This book, which is a must-read for all medical students and physicians alike, aims to clarify not only the history of osteopathic medicine but more importantly highlight the role and contribution of Blacks to modern medicine - specifically, osteopathic medicine in America.

In our interview, Dr. Anderson Hill comments on history, but, more importantly, offers insight into how she feels osteopathic schools might work to better represent minorities, specifically Black students, and further discusses what Black students can do to learn more about the osteopathic profession.

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Dr. Jennifer Caudle is a board-certified family medicine physician and associate professor in the department of Family Medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Caudle was a faculty member in the Johns Hopkins University/Sinai Hospital residency program in internal medicine in Baltimore, MD, and an instructor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Caudle graduated with honors from Princeton University and earned her medical degree from UMDNJ School of Osteopathic Medicine.

She appears as a regular on-air health expert for local and national news networks, including The TODAY Show, The Dr. Oz Show, CNN, FOX News, The Rachael Ray Show, The Steve Harvey Show, Fox 29 Philadelphia News, PBS, and many others.

Her health articles have been published in The Daily Beast, CNN.com, DoctorOz.com, and ABCNews.com, and she has been quoted by USA Today, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Prevention, Shape, The Huffington Post, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, Men’s Health, and others.

Dr. Jen is a spokesperson for the American Osteopathic Association and a radio/video host for ReachMD.

She is a national lecturer on opioid prescribing for physicians. She presents the CORE-REMS “ER/LA Opioid REMS: Achieving Safe Use While Improving Patient Care” lecture throughout the country.  She also presents workshops on health, wellness, and motivation to companies and organizations, and she lectures on the topic of childhood bullying to hospitals and healthcare organizations.

As a musician who plays the cello, Dr. Caudle has performed in orchestras and string ensembles internationally. She attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts and studied cello at the New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School during her high school years. Dr. Caudle is a former trustee of Walnut Hill School for the Arts. 

In 1999, Dr. Caudle earned the title of Miss Iowa and competed in the 1999 Miss America Pageant.

Interviewed by Dr. Carisa Champion
Edited by Thomas Jasionowski

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In this episode, I have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, a woman whose accolades include building a successful family practice during the 70’s, a difficult feat at the time for a woman and an African American, to becoming the first woman of color to hold the position of dean at an American medical school.

Dr. Lee tells us about growing up in Detroit as the eldest daughter of a large family, her discovery of osteopathy, and her amazing life journey that led her to the dean’s position at two osteopathic schools, Ohio University’s Heritage COM and NYITCOM.

We know that you will be inspired by Dr. Ross-Lee’s exceptional journey.

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Dr. Anderson is a 93-year-old African American osteopathic physician who is currently a professor of surgery and senior advisor to the dean at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM). He holds the distinction of being the first African American on the American Osteopathic Association Board of Trustees and served as the president of the American Osteopathic Association in 1994 and 1995.

Dr. Anderson was born in Americus, Georgia, to the daughter of a slave in 1927. Dr. Anderson attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He returned to Albany, Georgia, where he was prevented from treating patients because of segregationist policies in 1957.

Dr. Anderson became a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement and was a personal friend and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His story is amazing and uplifting. This is an episode not to miss!

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In this episode, we are lucky to have a special guest: Dr. Jamie Lanzillotta. In prior episodes of our podcast, we have tended to focus on the excitement of specialties such as neurosurgery or emergency department and doctors who work on the frontlines saving lives. Today, we host a different type of “superhero”, who, in my opinion, is more impressive: a doctor who can balance her career and her family, making sure her three children feel just as important and well-cared for as her patients.

Dr. Lanzillotta practices general pediatrics on Long Island, New York. She graduated from the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, where she also served as chief resident. 

Today, Dr. Lanzillotta will highlight the pros and cons of a career in pediatrics. She will describe the differences between working in the small private practice where she first worked after residency and the larger multispecialty group where she is currently employed. 

Dr. Lanzillotta will help us understand the challenges that face a physician/working mother and give us tips that help guide women in medicine who are considering a similar career path.

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In today’s episode, we welcome Dr. Rebeccah Rodriguez, a Latin American trailblazer and osteopathic physician who serves on the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as a Team USA physician and was on the medical staff at the Olympic Training Site in Chula Vista, California, as team physician for over 10 years. Dr. Rodríguez earned her medical degree from the ATSU-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and subsequently completed a family practice residency at John C. Lincoln Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. She did a sports medicine fellowship at San Diego Sports Medicine & Family Health Center in 2010, which opened the door for her to work with the Olympic rugby team.

Beyond her family and sports medicine practice, Dr. Rodriguez is passionate about improving quality healthcare. She helps make policy for national organizations such as the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians California Board Health and Wellness and Procedural Committee, and the President’s Council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

Dr. Rodriguez shares her views on osteopathic medicine and sports medicine and how she felt as a woman going into the previously male-dominated field of sports medicine. We hope you enjoy this episode.

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In today's episode, we welcome Dr. John Gimpel. Dr. Gimpel is the president and CEO of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. The NBOME is the organization that administers the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination or COMLEX- USA for short, which ensures that osteopathic physicians have competency for licensure and practice.

In today’s conversation, Dr. Gimpel will speak with us about the history of the Board and the examination and the importance of the COMLEX for licensure. Furthermore, Dr. Gimpel will share his opinion on topics including the importance of the ACGME merger for osteopathic postgraduate education, whether DOs need to take the USMLE,  specifically if considering competitive fellowship, and the challenges that faced the board specifically with the Level 2-PE during the pandemic.

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In this episode, we will speak with Dr. David Rhoiney. Dr. Rhoiney is the model of success, but his path was far from easy. He is a minority physician who clearly demonstrates that strength of will and hard work can overcome any hardship. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy before graduating from A.T. Still University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014 and becoming a general surgeon. Dr. Rhoiney is currently stationed in Guantanamo Bay and serves as the lieutenant commander in the Navy. However, before achieving any of his academic accolades, he survived a difficult life on the streets. We hope you enjoy the story of how Dr. Rhoiney preserved through all odds to get to where he is today.

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Dr. Anne Kozlowski is a diagnostic radiologist who works at Tulsa Radiology Associates, which is affiliated with St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Kozlowski went to medical school at the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and has more than 20 years of experience in her field of radiology.  Dr. Kozlowski will share with us her journey, from starting as a ballerina that danced in front of the camera to her current job as a physician who works behind the film.

-Description updated 01/2021