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

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On today's episode, we interivew Kimberly Wolf, DO. a professor at Touro California.   Dr. Wolf will discuss with us the modality of Cranial Osteopathic Manipulation and how she became interested in the field.  She will share her passion for helping children with this miraculous therapy and how Osteopathic Physicians can become proficient in the technique. 

  Shout out to Suzanne Chaar, OMS-III for bringing us this episode!

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In this episode, we interviewed Dr. Matthew Cannon, the Campus Dean for the Carolinas campus and Senior Dean for all four campuses of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Cannon emphasized the importance of character development, compassion, and community involvement in medical education. He highlighted the unique approach of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, focusing on its global mindset, community focus, and commitment to serving rural and medically underserved populations. Dr. Cannon emphasized the holistic approach to medicine and osteopathy, which considers the mind, body, and spirit when treating patients. 

During the discussion, we explored the importance of preparing medical students for board exams and clinical practice. Dr. Cannon underscored the role of complex and USMLE step exams in evaluating students' knowledge and skills. Additionally, we discussed the significance of a holistic approach to learning, including considering the student's work environment, stress levels, diet, and financial status, all of which can impact their educational journey and clinical practice.

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Osteopathic education in surgery has undergone significant changes, especially with the transition to a single ACGME accreditation system in 2020. Despite initial concerns about equitable access and representation, studies have highlighted increasing competitiveness of osteopathic medical students in surgical residency matches and comparable outcomes between allopathic and osteopathic surgeons, affirming the quality of osteopathic training. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, recent president of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS) and General Surgery program director at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital, about osteopathy in general surgery. We delve into the role of osteopathic principles in surgical training and practice and the impact of transitioning to a single accreditation system. Dr. Conrad-Schnetz shares insights on overcoming misconceptions about DO surgeons and her vision for the future of osteopathic recognition in surgery.

Join hosts Pooja Varman MD, Judith French PhD, and Jeremy Lipman MD, MHPE for this exciting conversation with Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, DO.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to

1.     List the four tenets of osteopathic medicine

2.     Identify how osteopathic principles and practices can be incorporated into surgical practice

3.     Explain the significance of osteopathic recognition in residency programs

4.     Discuss strategies for promoting equity for DO surgery residents

References

1.  Williamson TK, Martinez VH, Ojo DE, et al. An analysis of osteopathic medical students applying to surgical residencies following transition to a single graduate medical education accreditation system. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. 2024;124(2):51-59. doi:10.1515/jom-2023-0118 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37921195/
2.  Russell TA, Yoshida R, Men M, et al. Comparison of Outcomes for Patients Treated by Allopathic vs Osteopathic Surgeons. JAMA Surgery. Published online October 16, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.4580 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39412774/
3.  Etheart I, Krise SM, Burns JB, Conrad-Schnetz K. The Effect of Single Accreditation on Medical Student Match Rates in Surgical Specialties. Cureus. 2021;13(4):e14301. doi:10.7759/cureus.14301 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33968513/
Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more. 
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If it is helpful, here is a brief intro to Behind the Knife.  Behind the Knife is the world’s #1 surgical education platform. From high-yield educational topics to interviews with leaders in the field, Behind the Knife delivers the information you need to know. Behind the Knife's mission is to revolutionize surgical education by creating timely, relevant, and engaging content delivered through an easily accessible multimodal educational platform that meets the needs of busy surgeons and modern trainees.  

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In today’s episode we interview Dr. Dan Waters, a retired cardiothoracic surgeon. Dr. Waters is the author of multiple books and a column which appears semi-monthly In the DO online Journal, which is a must read.  This proud Osteopathic Trailblazer will reflect on his career as a cardiothoracic surgeon. He will take us through his medical school education at Rowan followed by his Specialty training at the elite institution, Cleveland clinic.  This beacon of Osteopathy will share with us  what being an osteopathic physician has meant to him over the span of his career and give advice to aspiring  Osteopathic surgeons interested in this clinical path.

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In this episode, we will interview Dr. Thomas Cavaliere, the current Dean of the Rowan Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Cavaliere graduated from the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, following which he completed an internal medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Under his leadership, the Rowan Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine has been named one of the best medical schools in the country for primary care and geriatric medical education. Dr. Cavalierey has also recently been selected to serve as the inaugural Senior Vice Provost of the Virtua Health College of Medicine and Life Sciences, as well as the Chief Academic Officer for the Virtua Health System. 

It is an honor to interview such an accomplished physician, and we believe his perspectives are valuable for everyone from pre-medical students to attending physicians. Dr. Cavaliere will discuss the advantages of pursuing a career in academic medicine, emphasizing the opportunity to combine clinical practice with teaching and research, and the fulfillment of caring for patients while training the next generation of physicians. We know you will love this episode.

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If you enter a residency in family practice is it limiting? We've always heard things like "jack of all trade but master of none?"  Not true!  Listen to this D.O. who does family practice, but did extra training in Obstetrics so that she can take care of mothers in labor and other more specialized areas of medicine!

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Today’s guest speaker is Chrissa Karagiannis, a fourth year medical student at Touro California College of Osteopathic Medicine, who is currently in the thick of the residency application and interview process for Family Medicine. In today’s episode, Chrissa will share with us her experience participating in the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program, as an excellent way for students interested in primary care specialties to alleviate the financial burdens of becoming a physician. Chrissa will share her journey to osteopathic medical school, and her passion for working with underserved populations, specifically in overdose prevention. Chrissa will share her involvement with SOMA’s Overdose Prevention Committee, and her experience with the AACOM Health Policy Internship, advocating for vulnerable populations and focusing on education for overdose training. Ultimately, I was inspired by Chrissa’s passion for advocacy and service with the opioid crisis, and I know you will enjoy this episode as much as we did.

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D.O.'s are complete physicians in the US, but what happens if you go to another country?  This DO went to school in America, did residency and now is practicing in Canada?  How do you do that? Can you prescribe medications? Can you do OMM? How do patients think of Osteopathic Medicine up north?  Listen and find out!

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Dr. Storch again? YUP!  He is invited by Jim Dhale, MD to disucuss the benefits of osteopathic medicine and have a showdown with him on which degree is better!

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What should someone know when applying to a Caribbean MD medical school?  We have been asked this question more than once, but this is a D.O. podcast!

But we have the perfect answer. . . Today we speak to a couple, Jonah Zeitlin DO and Samantha Gerstman, MD. who went to undergraduate together and fell in love!

One decided to to the D.O. route and the other the Caribbean M.D.  We will speak to them about their perceived differences!  What were to pros and cons?  

Ultimately they successfully couples matched into ENT and Pediatrics!  We'll hear about that process as well!

What a discussion!  Don't miss!