Osteopathic Medicine

Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician (Please use your own description and not one that widely describes the profession).

Acupuncture can be used to treat osteoarthritis. It is based on an idea that there are channels throughout the body called “meridians” and that these allow the transport of an energy known as “Qi.” (NHS. 2012. Acupuncture.) Generally, acupuncture involves the insertion of needles at specific points along the body - these are known as “acupoints.” This insertion is thought to lead to the movement of Qi throughout the body, which causes biomedical changes that result in the “promotion of physical and emotional well-being” through the release of endorphins. (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) Inserting needles at specific acupoints to treat osteoarthritis sends a message to the brain that assists in the reduction of “sensitivity to pain and stress.” (British Acupuncture Council. 2011. Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis.) This reduction in pain can allow for a better range of movement, thus function.

Describe the top three reasons you have chosen osteopathic medicine as your professional choice in becoming a physician (Please use your own description and not one that widely describes the profession).

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.

Osteopathic medicine Practitioner (DO) vs Galen trained medical practitioner (MD). Many people have their preference in which they like their primary care physician (PCP) to be. This can be due to the fact on what the overall background of the practitioner’s education was based on. Some people may not understand the difference between these two practitioners and may think that one is higher than the other in their education level.

CCOM’s strong values and mission of the promotion of the practice of osteopathic medicine would provide me with the knowledge of the science of healthcare. But as we all know, knowledge is only part of what it takes to be a successful physician. I believe I can fill this gap because of my understanding of the art of healthcare. Knowing how to work with colleagues and patients is something that all physicians will be faced with. I believe being able to do this effectively has the ability to set you apart as a physician. Obstacles I've overcome in my life have laced me with compassion and a deep understanding of people and life's ups and downs. Being relatable when working with a diverse population of people is something that comes from experience

I want to become a service oriented, competent, and compassionate physician who upholds the founding philosophies of Osteopathy while healing the community. With its rich history, willingness to serve, and emphasis on spirituality, KCU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine will be the perfect place to reach my career goals.

One of the main missions of the university is to help underserved communities. I believe that both my personal and academic experience has engrained in me the qualities that are essential for completing medical school and becoming a doctor. I want to become an osteopathic doctor that is involved in the community and serves those who lack proper health care. My primary care doctor, who is an osteopathic doctor, influenced my decision to pursue osteopathic medicine. She taught me that osteopathic medicine consists of treatment with holistic approaches, and it involves an education in physical manipulation. This aspect is particularly of interest to me because this is an approach that is used in India. Overall, I believe that I am a thoroughly qualified candidate to pursue a DO degree from Touro college of Osteopathic Medicine. The sheer pleasure I derive from helping people and sharing what I know, coupled with the mental stimulation intrinsic to the profession, make medicine the clear career pathway for

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.

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

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 first learned about osteopathic medicine through admissions workshop in graduate school. Osteopathic medicine’s emphasis on primary care and helping medically underserved communities truly appealed to me. As I delved further about its philosophy in the books, I am also interested by the fact that osteopathic physicians are trained to focus on health, not the disease. This will improve the overall well-being of a patient and prevent diseases. In Burma, I faced the challenges of substandard health care and education, without clean water, food or public sanitation. All these experiences, complicated by my bouts of tuberculosis and typhoid taught me at a young age to appreciate the value of a healthy life.

(Citation Maa S-H, Sun M-F, Wu C-C) In Eastern Medicine, the body becomes ill if a disturbance exists in one of the meridians disrupting the flow of Qi; consequently, by placing needles at certain identifiable points on the body, the flow of Qi will be corrected. (Citation Maa S-H, Sun M-F, Wu C-C) Maa et al completed a study regarding the efficacy of acupuncture on pain and the ROM in patient?s suffering from grade I-II OA. The authors concluded that acupuncture is a clinically significant treatment by supplementing it with standard care. Non-pharmacological studies include such treatments as exercising, wearing wedged insoles, or using hot or cold presses. Pharmacological treatments include analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), opioids, hyaluronic acid, corticosteroid injections, (Citation Garc?a-Padilla) or disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) such as sodium pentosan polysulfate. (CITATION Kumagai K) Garcia-Padilla et al researched the efficacy of intra-articular injections of bicarbonate and calcium

Her words brought home the true value of forming strong relationships with patients and the tremendous impact we are able to have when we take the time to treat both the body and mind concurrently. Family medicine embodies the osteopathic philosophy of treating the whole person and allows us to provide compassionate care that is individualized to the needs of each patient. When I envision my future as a family physician, it is my firm intent to implement this philosophy into a full-spectrum practice. As the daughter of a nurse, my interest in the medical field was sparked at an early age.

“Orthopedics is a branch of medicine concerned with the correction or prevention of deformities, disorders, or injuries of the skeleton and associated structures. Orthopedists treat fractures, strained muscles, torn ligaments and tendons, and other injuries and deal with acquired and congenital skeletal deformities and the effects of degenerative diseases. Orthopedics uses the techniques of physical medicine and rehabilitation and occupational therapy in addition to those of traditional medicine and surgery” (Orthopedics, n.d.) This paper studies the three ways of managing pain related to status post orthopedic surgery. Treatments such as medication, psychological, pulse stimulation, and TENS unit are some remedies that are used to manage pain. This paper emphasizes the advantages and disadvantages of each modality on relieving pain.