The faces of OMED

In the past week, the city of San Diego temporarily absorbed more than 4,500 DOs and osteopathic medical students. All were here for OMED, but people came for different reasons and from different places. Here’s a snapshot of the varying backgrounds of some of this year’s OMED attendees.

Evy M. Potochny, DO

Location: San Diego
Specialty: Pathology
Favorite pastime: Cycling

On OMED: I’ve been attending all the pathology lectures and some of the dermatology lectures that deal with pathology. All of the lectures had their merits—some were great for resident-level DOs, others were very dynamic speakers, such as Nathan Wolfe, who is promoting his book, The Viral Storm.

On osteopathic manipulative treatment: I did OMT in my internship, and I continued to use it while I was a general medical officer. I absolutely believe in OMT and I’m very grateful for my DO background, even though I’m now in pathology.

Ryan R. Kahl, OMS II

Specialty: Considering internal medicine and pediatrics
Location: West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg
Favorite pastime: Racing cars

On OMED: I came here to give a poster presentation on research I did this summer using echocardiography to compare ejection fractions in old and young mice. I had previously done some research as a biology major in college, but I had not worked with animal models before.

On the future: I may want to go into academia. I’m looking to do a graduate teaching assistantship in my third year at WVSOM to see if that would be the right career track for me.

Noreen A. Mercando, DO

Specialty: Family medicine
Location: Princeton, N.J.
Favorite pastime: International travel

On veterans: At OMED this year, I liked the special emphasis on veterans’ health. I just accepted a position at the Veterans Affairs’ Women’s Wellness Center in Atlanta, so I will be leaving New Jersey. I currently take care of a lot of geriatric patients, patients with developmental disabilities and people with addictions, which has been very satisfying. But I feel that my calling is with the veterans.

My mother worked for the VA as a psychiatrist. She is the person who inspired me to attend medical school. In addition, both of my kids want to join the U.S. armed forces. My daughter wants to go to medical school and join the armed forces during her medical training. My son, who wants to become an engineer, knows that he would like to join the Air Force and work on planes.

I believe if I treat the veterans, I’ll bring good karma for my family. If I take care of the soldiers, then someone will take care of my children when they’re in the service.

John T. O’Connor Jr., DO

Location: Marietta, Okla.
Specialty: Family practice and preventive medicine
Favorite pastimes: Fly-fishing, ham radio

On OMED: I’m the chairman of the division of public health for the American Osteopathic College of Occupational and Preventive Medicine, and I’ve arranged and will introduce a lot of speakers. I’ll also meet with my colleagues in preventive medicine. We’re talking about the burden of diabetes in the U.S. and public health initiatives to try to manage that from a population standpoint.

Career reflections: I’m retiring Jan. 1 after 40 years of practice, all in the same community, a town of about 2,500. It’s been wonderful. When I first moved there I did obstetrics and pediatrics—the whole gamut of family practice. And I’ve seen those children grow up, and I’ve taken care of them through their childbearing years too. And their parents, I take care of in nursing homes. I followed my patients as they aged, either to their homes or to a nursing home. I make house calls and see them when they can’t come in.

Colin C. Christensen, DO

Specialty: Family medicine
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Favorite pastime: Playing with his 4-year-old and 7-year-old daughters

On OMED: I’m here for updates on treating patients for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Easily a third of my practice is obese and at least two-thirds of my patients are overweight. When I counsel my patients about their weight, I tie the discussion to whatever disease process they have. I’ll say, “You could get off all of your medicines if you’d adopt healthy lifestyle habits.”

Frederick W. Knapp Jr., DO

Location: Oceanside, Calif.
Specialty: Ophthalmology
Favorite pastime: Racing motocross motorcycles

On innovation: I’m looking forward to the presentation tomorrow on a new Alzheimer’s treatment [caprylidene]. It’s a brilliant concept. This is a new medicine for a devastating disease that affects millions and costs billions, and it is compatible with the other Alzheimer’s medicines. And it’s safe. It appears to be a brilliant new invention.

On Nathan Wolfe: I particularly enjoyed the lecture on viruses of the future and potential pandemics. This guy is world famous and very knowledgable about new viruses and potential pandemic viruses, and what could affect us in the future, either unnaturally or naturally. The ones he was most concerned with were forms of rhabdovirus.

Arden B. Andersen, DO

Specialty: Family medicine

Location: Goshen, Ind.
Favorite pastime: Farming

On prolotherapy: I’m the vice president of the American Osteopathic Association of Prolotherapy Regenerative Medicine. I do prolotherapy at least two days a week in my office. Most of the time, patients come in with chronic pain somewhere in their body. We see a lot of low back pain, of course, as well as a lot of neck pain, shoulder pain and knee pain—whether it be from arthritis or acute injuries. Many of my patients are Amish and Mennonites, and most are middle-aged and older.

Before coming to see me, they’ve frequently tried chiropractic. They’ve tried physical therapy. They may be on NSAIDs. But they’re just not getting any resolution, and it’s inhibiting their life.

Thomas G. Zimmerman, DO

Location: Oceanside, N.Y.
Specialty: Family medicine
Favorite pastime: Photography

On OMED: I came for the lectures, and to support the AOA and the specialty societies. I’m speaking for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians on health information technology and for the American Osteopathic Association of Medical Informatics on medical informatics training.

On face time: It’s very important to stay connected to the national and specialty associations. You see that you’re one individual physician practicing, but as part of a larger profession, and you see how important it is to stay active and be an advocate for not only your patients but also your profession and specialty. Everything’s moving more toward virtual events, such as online CME. And while they are good to have, it’s important to maintain the in-person networking and humanistic part of our profession.

thedo@osteopathic.org