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

Send us Fan MailDr. Timothy Kowalski is an AOA board of trustee member and former Dean of an Osteopathic Medical School.  He practiced as a child psychiatrist and transitioned into academic medicine.  He will speak to us about what Osteopathic Medicine truly means and delve into the "Fair ACT" a potentially important piece of legislation for DO students.The Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act (H.R. 751) would require Medicare‑funded hospital residency programs to report and affirm equal consideration of osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) applicants, and to accept COMLEX‑USA and USMLE equally

Send us Fan MailJohn Zaso, DO wears many hats, from educator, to news expert, to busy private practitioner.  Dr. Zaso will tell you how he has been successful in pediatrics and made a difference in his local community and society at large!If you didn't want to be a Pediatrician. .  . you will after listening to this episode!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the DO or Do Not podcast, we speak with Dr. Shawn Kerger, Chair of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Clinical Professor of OMM at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.Dr. Kerger specializes in non-surgical orthopedics and sports medicine, with a particular focus on using osteopathic manipulative medicine to support rehabilitation, performance enhancement, and wellness. He is board-certified in neuromusculoskeletal medicine, holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine.Join us as Dr. Kerger discusses his career journey, the role of OMM in sports medicine, and his advice for future osteopathic physicians.  Shout out to Suzanne Chaar, OMS-IV for bringing us this episode!

Send us Fan MailIn today’s episode, we interview Dr. Jason Kirby, an osteopathic physician and leader in addiction medicine who currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Recovery Centers of America. After completing medical school at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and training in family medicine, Dr. Kirby’s experiences caring for patients during the opioid epidemic inspired him to pursue a career in addiction medicine.In this episode, we discuss the role of addiction medicine in treating substance use disorders and behavioral addictions, the importance of person-first and non-stigmatizing language, and the many pathways physicians can take into the specialty. Dr. Kirby also shares his work in healthcare advocacy, emerging research involving GLP-1 medications, and the potential role of artificial intelligence in predicting return to use and improving patient care. Throughout the conversation, he highlights the importance of treating addiction as a chronic brain disease through a whole-person, osteopathic approach.

Send us Fan MailToday we interview Dr. Nicholas Salupo, a young nephrologist in private practice.  Dr. Salupo will discuss his journey into medicine and why he chose nephrology.  Further, he will talk about his involvement with the AOA and specifically a new platform he helped to develop with the AOIA (American Osteopathic Information  Association) called "Emerging DO!"  

Send us Fan MailToday we interview Dr. Daniel Veyg, current interventional radiology resident at Northwell Health. Dr. Veyg discusses his journey discovering interventional radiology, switching specialties of interest countless times during medical school, and ultimately why he loves his current work. We also take a deep dive into DO versus MD and the importance of mentorship during medical school and the Match process. 

Send us Fan MailOn today’s episode, we interview Dr. Miko Rose, A psychiatrist and the founding dean for the proposed Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  She will discuss the importance of the school and why it is so impressive that it will be one of the few State Osteopathic schools in existence.  She will discuss why it is so vital to fill the underserved primary care need and what the school plans to accomplish.  She will discuss growing up in an indigent family and how she discovered osteopathic medicine, ultimately training as a psychiatrist.  An amazing do not miss episode.

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode we meet Dr. Richard Thacker, the president-elect of the American Osteopathic Association.  We will learn why he decided to get involved in the organization and how he became the "future president" of the AOA.  Dr. Thacker's journey is inspiring and his enthusiasm is infectious.  You will love this episode. 

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode we interview Dr. Siliva Caswell, DO, MPH. Dr. Caswell is a double board-certified physician in Preventive Medicine/Public Health and Lifestyle Medicine. After earning her undergraduate degree in Anthropology with a Health emphasis from the University of Utah, she completed her osteopathic medical degree at Campbell University in North Carolina. Dr. Caswell began her journey in family medicine, completing her internship year and practicing as a general physician in southwest Florida. Along the way, she’s worn many hats, from being a health coach to a certified group fitness instructor, leading high-intensity interval training classes during her medical school and residency years. Most recently, Dr. Caswell completed her residency training in Preventive Medicine/Public Health at Loma Linda University Health, where she served as chief resident and also earned her Master of Public Health degree. In this episode, we discuss the differences between Preventive Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, explore Dr. Caswell’s inspiring personal journey, and highlight her role as the Associate Program Director for the Preventive Medicine Residency at Loma Linda University Health. She also provides valuable insights on what it takes to match into this specialty, and the qualities residency programs look for.   Shout out to Suzanne Chaar, OMS-III for bringing us this episode!

Send us Fan MailFor those of you that don't know, in the modern system of medical school clinical rotations, students typically rotate at their "home institutions" or medical school affiliates.  One of the criticisms of post-graduate Osteopathic Medical education is that at some schools, students need to do a significant number of away rotations especially if they are interested in competitive surgical specialties.  The VSLO is an organization through the AAMC which allows American MD and American DO students to coordinate these rotations with outside hospitals.   This episode is mainly in response to posts on Redit and Youtube commenting on the process for Osteopathic Medical Students.  To shed some light on the topic, In this episode, we will interview Robin Carle, the director of VSLO at the AAMC to shed some light on the VSLO process and the validity of the comments regarding biases within the system against DO's.