Rowan
SOM
By Sam Werner, RowanSOM Secretary
This beautiful weather we’re experiencing allows us to pause and reflect on our year of growth – that which we’ve taken on and that which we’ve cast off. It’s never been so stark a period of change as this past year, at the newly-dubbed Rowan-SOM. The school has gained a new (fantastic) Dean, even as we lose our beloved 1st Year OMM Course Director. We’ve gained a new name for ourselves, even as we stick to the core principles and values which have attracted researchers and students alike. Speaking on behalf of the class of 2017 though, perhaps the greatest impact of all has come from a grassroots technique which has gained widespread popularity due to its effectiveness. You already know if you’re a student here, but in case it hasn’t reached you via Convocation yet, allow me to reassure you that it’s undergone intensive evidence-based research before I was allowed to unveil it herefor the first time. Kirksville is great for its thoracic HVLA, Chicago for its lumbar HVLA. But here in South Jersey, where the objective has always been to find health in the entire patient, there is the “Victoria Roll.”
It had humble beginnings, to be true – it started out as an abused Kirksville Crunch, perhaps at increased frequency during exam weeks – but it has since blossomed into pseudo-OMT that’s often requested by name. Unfortunately, this can rarely be taken up, since it relies primarily on surprise. You see, the Victoria Roll consists primarily of the practitioner barreling toward the patient while he/she is being treated by another, unaware of the impending joy that’s about to strike the very core of his/her being. This author has only appreciated it from a distance (due to a healthy respect for diverse cultures and their boundaries). Those who are trained in its use are very conscientious of its application, and the patient first needs to be in a state where he/she requires its use. This being medical school with human students… well, with laughter being the very best medicine, the Victoria Roll has caught on fast.
“Well, I’m honored that StillPoint is going to be featuring my signature move – I certainly never felt it would go beyond my circle of friends,” stated its originator. Luckily, there’s no dearth of hangers-on who have adopted the Victoria Roll. Thus, even as the beloved creator moves on to her third year, it will continue on in its own, vaguely invasive way. Today, there have been some who have been so fortunate as to experience a vertical Victoria Roll, where it was previously only possible to have someone throw his/her full weight in a body hug from a supine position. Since it’s applied as needed, it can be seen (and heard) within the student population whenever an exam looms near.
As we look back and remember where we’ve been, with an eye to the future of where we’re headed, there will be some changes to that which needed to progress. That which moves our school and the profession forward will be clung to with all our strength. After much consideration and sifting through many options for sharing, all of our beautiful traditions and methodologies, I’m pleased to present to the OMT community… the Victoria Roll. No one saw it coming, but we’re all glad it’s here to stay.
14