OU-HCOM
4
The Health does not end at Death
by Jack Barkin
Chapter National Representative
Over the last year and a half my girlfriend has made fun of me when I tell people what I’m doing with my life. For whatever reason, no matter how hard I try it is difficult for me to say the phrase, “I’m going to med school” without sounding just a little pretentious. To counter this, I’ve recently tried mumbling the phrase in a slouched position to try and indicate on multiple levels that I am, in fact, super humble. So what does this have to do with anything, let alone SAAO or OMT? Nothing whatsoever, but it did get me thinking, and I will speak strictly for myself so as not to make any assumptions about the rest of you. That we (or I’ll just throw us all under the bus), as both a society and profession, tend to hoist up certain individuals. We revere great persons who have been trailblazers in our profession as if they are beyond any sort of ridicule. If you aren’t with me yet, let me just toss out the names A.T. Still and Donald Sutherland. It is 100% true that these men did things for osteopathy that allowed for everyone reading this to be in medical school
presently. Sometimes though, I feel like we talk about these people like they’re Gods and weren’t just people with a passion for medicine and healing others. How often do you see at osteopathic schools or seminars a giant picture of our founder of osteopathy with an obligatory giant femur in his hand? Every time I look at that picture I wonder if I would somehow be better at anatomy if I just took human bones and held them in my hands for hours (then I remind myself that I have essential anatomy on my iPad and he probably just thought holding a giant bone in his hand (That’s what she said) while sporting a massive beard for a portrait would look awesome). I guess what I’m trying to get at as we approach convocation time is that it’s important to take a step back and not take yourself or anyone for that matter too seriously. I hope you enjoyed the above quote and I do not have an explanation for it. I look forward to seeing all of you at convocation in March! ❉