It remains for the osteopathic medical profession to determine what needs to be done in the future to preserve our role in providing distinct, patient-centered quality care. I see the potential for growth, but we must take Dr Still's advice, that we strap on enthusiasm and “Dig On.”
8(p378)
We must constantly self-examine to assure that we are meeting the societal needs that osteopathic medicine was created to meet. To meet these needs, we must continue to focus on education as the lifeblood of our profession—education within our schools, through internships and residencies and through lifelong learning. We must continue to emphasize the uniqueness of osteopathic medicine and how it can improve patient care.
Many of us believe that while DOs and MDs are similar in many ways, there are some qualities that make us different and, in some respects, better. These qualities not only help us to provide holistic and personal care incorporating osteopathic principles and practices, but they also enable us to maintain an independent professional existence.
Our challenges are to provide convincing scientific evidence that our distinctive characteristics do indeed make a positive impact in patient care and to have this impact recognized by federal and state government entities, health insurers, and the public. Achieving these aims could begin a new chapter in the profession's history. We can make the leap from being regarded as a “medical minority” to becoming broadly recognized as a special and esteemed group of health care providers.
As Norman Gevitz, PhD, stated in his book,
The DOs: Osteopathic Medicine in America,
Osteopathic medicine was founded … on the idea that a new type of practitioner—the DO—could make a significant difference and improvement in health care. … The future of osteopathic medicine may ultimately rest in our own hands—and how we use them.14(p190-191)
Over the years, I've met many DOs who exemplify how osteopathic medicine should be practiced. They volunteer in DOCARE clinics, participate in AOA-CAP, and lend their voices to grassroots advocacy. They are active in social causes. They rely on osteopathic principles and practice, including the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment, participate in comparative effectiveness research, and follow the examples set by A.T. Still in other ways. For example, President Levine's theme for his 2011-2012 presidential year, “Thinking Osteopathically,” inspired us all to embrace that philosophy.
If you took these and other outstanding qualities our DOs have and created a composite person possessing these traits, that's what A.T. Still would be like if he were alive today.
Today, Dr Still's wishes have surely been granted, as it's clear that we're still following in his footprints nearly 140 years after he founded our profession. A.T. Still remains with us today because his qualities are instilled within all of us.