CHOOSING MY PATH WHY OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE WAS RIGHT FOR ME “What lies behind us and what lies before
Kurt Schroer, D.O./M.B.A. Candidate
us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Although I find myself under constant stress from the long nights spent studying for exams and mastering clinical skills, this favorite quote of mine continues to remind me it is more important to realize my own internal strengths and attributes I will utilize to best serve my patients, than to worry about each test or obstacle standing in my way. Now a second year osteopathic medical student at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB), I am one step further in my journey – one that started many years ago. Like many pre-med students, I developed a passion for medicine at a young age. Similarly, it took me many years to recognize that different types of medicine exist. It was not until my junior year of college that I fully understood the difference between allopathic and osteopathic medicine. In fact, most people who visit their doctor do not recognize this important difference. So, what sets osteopathic medicine apart from allopathic medicine?
30 livingwellnesskc.com november | december 2013
Today, allopathic physicians (M.D.s) and osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) are the only two medical practitioners with complete training and licensure to perform surgery and prescribe medications. Allopathic medicine is a term used by some to refer to the conventional medical use of pharmacological agents and physical interventions used to treat sickness and disease. The key distinction of osteopathic medicine is based on the notion that people are more than just a sum of their body parts. Stemming from this belief, osteopathic physicians embrace four main principles: 1) The body is an integrated unit consisting of mind, body and spirit. 2) The body is capable of self-regulation, selfhealing and health maintenance. 3) Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated. 4) Rational treatment is based on an understanding of the first three principles.