Bradenton faculty member writes the ‘History of Osteopathic Women’
Welcoming new LECOM deans
In 1892, Andrew Taylor Still did the unimaginable when he accepted women and men equally in his newly opened American School Osteopathy. In The Feminine Touch, History of Women in Osteopathic Medicine, Thomas A. Quinn, DO, chronicles the valiant women who rose above adversity to become osteopathic doctors in those early years. “This story covers the early struggle to get into medicine alongside men,” Dr. Quinn recounts. “The only other option was to attend a women only medical school to get an MD degree.” By the early years of the 20th century, more than 100 women were enrolled in the co-educational osteopathic medical schools. Dr. Quinn, who teaches osteopathic history and heritage at LECOM Bradenton, was doing research at the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Mo. “While visiting the museum, I noticed that the walls were lined with multiple pictures of the early osteopathic classes going back to the 19th century,” he explains. “I was surprised at the large female representation in these early classes. From there, I researched the female connection to early osteopathic medicine and was surprised to find that the American School of Osteopathy was the very first medical school in America to accept women on a completely equal basis with men. This was a part of the osteopathic history that had been virtually ignored. It was a story that needed to be told.” He continues the story until the present time. Among the leaders in contemporary osteopathic medicine that he writes about is LECOM Provost Silvia M. Ferretti, D.O. When LECOM opened in 1993, Dr. Ferretti became the first woman dean of an osteopathic medical college. “With significant changes in healthcare facing 21st-century physicians, women stand in the Thomas Quinn, D.O. vanguard of a new era in osteopathic medicine,” says Dr. Ferretti. Dr. Quinn is donating all royalties from sales through the publisher to osteopathic student scholarships. To order a copy of The Feminine Touch, please visit the Truman State University Press web site: http://tsup.truman.edu/item.asp?itemId=444.
There is no ending that fails to carry with it, a new beginning. So it is with two of LECOM’s distinguished luminaries in medical education. This year, both Dennis E. Agostini Ph.D., D.O., F.A.C.E.P., the Associate Dean of Clinical Education at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania and Dr. Wayne A. Krueger, Assistant Dean of Preclinical Education at LECOM Bradenton campus take their respective departures to enjoy new phases in their lives. As the optimist sees possibilities in every change, so too does LECOM - as a new beginning in excellence in education beams brightly upon the horizon with the welcoming of two new Deans. LECOM is proud to recognize Mark E. Coty, Ph.D. who will replace Dr. Krueger as Assistant Dean of Preclinical Education at LECOM Bradenton and Dr. Regan Shabloski, who has stepped into the position previously held by Dr. Agostini. Dr. Mark Coty takes the helm after formerly serving the college in dual capacities as Director of Student Assessment and Test Management and as Assistant Professor of Anatomy. A Florida native, Dr. Coty received both his Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sciences and his Masters in Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida. He brings to the college almost two decades of practiced training and instruction. Assisting Dr. Coty in the rigors and responsibilities of his new position is Ross E. Longley, Ph.D. whose experience as Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and as Coordinator of Research Programs at LECOM compliments the effective leadership demands of the position. Dr. Longley received his B.S. in Microbiology in 1975 from the University of Oklahoma where he also received his M.S. in Micro-Immunology and his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology. LECOM is confident that both physician educators will thrive and excel in their new roles. So too with Dr. Regan Shabloski who moves into the vanguard to replace one of LECOM’s visionary “founders” – Dr. Dennis E. Agostini. Dr. Shabloski’s vast wealth of knowledge, coupled with his expert management skills, makes him the ideal leader to serve in his new capacity as Associate Dean of Clinical Education. Having served as LECOM’s Director of Clinical Education, Regan Shabloski, D.O. carries with him the administrative proficiencies and the understanding of comprehensive department operations attendant to the proper functioning of his new charge. It is with justifiable pride and well-placed confidence that Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine welcomes a new beginning in leadership buoyed by its mission-driven direction for the next generation in excellence in medical education.
28 | LECOM CONNECTION | Fall 2011