After anatomy exam this morning, I found myself feeling a bit lost, unclear, uncertain what to do with the rest of my day.  Except for a DO practical in the afternoon and a journal club meeting during the lunch hour, my schedule was pretty well barren. No lectures. No labs. No required readings. No new material to fall behind in. Within minutes of stepping out into the crisp autumn air, my quandary was resolved; I would go for a run! A nice, long run out in the country –

With finals looming just one week away and the dirt road under my feet, I reflected on the stark similarity between medical school and running — in particular, running a marathon. Upper classmates had made the comparison before while training with them in previous years, but I do not think I could fully appreciate the comparison until now.

Yes, the finish line is finally in view! What a quarter; what a run! While I admit there is much relief in the prospect of finishing, I do acknowledge the trepidation that I feel when considering all that lies between now and then — namely, the WALL, or that mythical moment when the collective effects of pain, fatigue, hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion bare down in unrelenting fashion!

So why do it? To what end?

It is the challenge, the challenge to finish — and to finish strong, to finish better than the way in which the race began! It is an exercise in self-discipline, self-control. Setting out to achieve a desired end and not wavering, faltering when everything within (and without) screams “YOU CAN’T!“. For me, the challenge is more personal than academic. It is a time to prove to myself that I really can do it  — without pretense, without presumption! Like the banner read at mile 20 at the Marine Corps Marathon in 2006, it is a time to “release [my] inner Kenyan” and set a personal best!

In short, it is a time to pick up the pace and sprint to the finish!

The following exchange illustrates a common misconception of the osteopathic profession:

Questioner: So what exactly is the difference between an MD and a DO?

MD student: The difference is that we are involved in research and they are not.

DO student (Me): Wait a minute! DOs are involved in research; that is not a fair assessment. The primary difference is in the fact that DOs practice manipulation, as well as there is a fundamental difference in philosophy.

MD student: Right! I did not mean that DOs are not involved in research . . .  but that MDs are more prone or likely to do research than DOs — historically speaking, that is.

The following are some photographs of a few of the research-oriented events held at KCOM this quarter. Perhaps that is one of the things I appreciate most about KCOM: that research is fostered, encouraged, and becoming an integral part of the KCOM curriculum!

Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Symposium (Sat., Sept 26, 2009)

Eagerly waiting for Dr. Chang to stop by and talk to me (right) about my poster.

Nastassia Richardson, OMSI (left) discusses her graduate research with a recent graduate of the Biomedical Sciences Program, Kristi Teal, OMSII, .

Research Panel Discussion: From the Bedside to the Bench (Thurs., Oct 8, 2009)

Panelists Bill Sexton, PhD, Yingzi Chang, MD, PhD, and Eric Snider, DO discuss how to turn clinical questions into research opportunities.

It was my privilege to moderate the panel discussion.