There have been some questions about what the OTM fellows do all day.  We show up once in a while in white coats, and other than that are largely scarce.  Do we actually do anything to earn our keep for this extra year?

It’s true that we are largely expected to be present and accounted for from 8-5 every week day; it’s also true that every day is different.  The mornings are generally busier and less variable than the afternoons, so I like to think about the week of mornings and the week of afternoons separately.  This is an example of what all was going on in OTM Fellow World last week:

Monday morning:  Department meeting & technique session discussing upcoming classes, labs, practicals, and other sundry details such as dress code, sign in sheets, things going on at other schools, and basically planning ahead for the week & the year in general.  Also fellows’ meeting to talk about projects & assign duties for the week:  who’s setting up the lab, who’s running the computer/camera, etc.

Tuesday morning:  First-year lab 8-10 and second-year lab 10-12.  Let me tell you what, by that time lunch is really sounding good.

Wednesday morning:  No scheduled meetings, so it’s good time to check in with the other fellows & physician mentors & generally catch up on writing lectures, gathering research papers, or whatever other projects are ongoing (which is always more than you think).

Thursday morning: same as Tuesday.

Friday morning: Reserved time for didactics; this particular week we spent a couple of hours with Dr. Collins learning about diagnosis & treatment of the feet.  This one-on-one time with the physicians (or, ok, 6-on-one time) is really invaluable and always profitable.

Afternoons are a little more scattered and more individualized.  Generally you can plan on counting one full afternoon for research, one for shadowing, and one for Fellows’ Clinic.  There are also practice sessions at least once a week, and we usually spend at least a little time brushing up for that; lately we’ve also had afternoons committed to helping with school physicials for the Complete DOctor course.  Have you been counting?  Research, shadowing, clinic, DO class; that’s four afternoons right there, so good luck finding time to keep up with all the other little projects that always come up, plus keeping the big projects going, plus rotating hospital call or (gasp) tutoring.  It’s very do-able, but very rarely a dull moment.

Q:  Hi Krista, I’m considering doing an OTM fellowship next year but want to gather more information before making a decision.  I was wondering if you could tell me about some of the responsibilities an OTM fellow has and maybe your experience with it so far.  If you don’t mind, could you also tell me why you decided to become a fellow?  I’d be interested to know how you come to your decision.

A:  Thanks for your email!  I hope I can adequately address your questions; honestly it seems like the school year is “just getting started” and there are some projects & issues that are still evolving so I don’t have definitive answers for everything.  I am really enjoying the fellowship, though.  We’re expected to be in the office pretty much 8-5 every day, and there are a lot of things that keep us busy:  research projects, shadowing, Fellows Clinic, preparing for lectures, didactic sessions, video editing, and probably some other various things.  We help out with some things for other departments (like the Complete DO practicals & school physicals) and work on a lot of little projects to keep things running smoothly for the OMM department (like making sure all the computer equipment in the lab is running correctly).

When I first visited KCOM before I applied here, I had a chance to talk to a couple fellows (though I think they were anatomy fellows) and I was really impressed with the idea of spending an extra year to focus on really learning the material in a particular discipline and getting experience in a teaching position.  OMM is the reason I came to Kirksville, and the reason I chose to be a DO over MD in general, and I wanted to take this opportunity to really learn the material well and become highly proficient in it so I’m more confident and comfortable using it on rotations and in my future practice.  I really have enjoyed working with the physicians in the department and seeing their individual approaches to patient care; I enjoy working with the other fellows and I expect it to be a really rewarding year.  I’m not using the “extra” year to start a family or even be that close to my family (I have a brother in St. Louis) but I have enjoyed the change of pace between studying for boards and starting rotations.  I have been able to be involved in research projects that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and I believe that to be pretty valuable, too.

I hope that helps!

This is my first official post to this blog (with the exception of the re-post below).  It’s been a long-running day in a fast-paced week, so forgive me if the creative juices aren’t flowing as freely tonight.

It’s a beautiful time of year in Kirksville.  Warm enough to feel like summer, but pleasant enough to take a walk without feeling parched & scorched.  In fact, early mornings and late evening may require a light jacket.  From my seat in the dining room I am facing west, watching th sun begin its descent into the trees and filling the sky with a glowing pale yellow as it does so.

I love the fact that I can walk to the grocery store for the forgotten ingredients in my dinner plan; it’s both handy and earth-friendly.  But I don’t know where that thought was going, so for now I’m going to say–hello, summer sunset.  Won’t you stay a while?

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the graduation ceremony for the ATSU-KCOM class of 2009. It’s pretty impressive to see 166 new physicians hit the workforce, excited and nervous about starting internship/residency and finally entering “the real world” that we’ve been aiming for for so many years. (I realize there’s a double “for” but I think it works that way!)
At the end of the ceremony all the graduates recite theOsteopathic Oath. I’ve read it before and admired it, but something about being done with the first two years of classroom learning helped me imagine part of what this might mean to a new graduate. The closer I get to the goal, the more relevant this oath becomes:

I do hereby affirm my loyalty to the profession I am about to enter. I will be mindful always of my great responsibility to preserve the health and the life of my patients, to retain their confidence and respect both as a physician and a friend who will guard their secrets with scrupulous honor and fidelity, to perform faithfully my professional duties, to employ only those recognized methods of treatment consistent with good judgment and with my skill and ability, keeping in mind always nature’s laws and the body’s inherent capacity for recovery.

I will be ever vigilant in aiding in the general welfare of the community , sustaining its laws and institutions, not engaging in those practices which will in any way bring shame or discredit upon myself or my profession. I will give no drugs for deadly purposes to any person, though it may be asked of me.

I will endeavor to work in accord with my colleagues in a spirit of progressive cooperation and never by word or by act cast imputations upon them or their rightful practices.

I will look with respect and esteem upon all those who have taught me my art. To my college I will be loyal and strive always for its best interests and for the interests of the students who will come after me.I will be ever alert to further the application of basic biologic truths to the healing arts and to develop the principles of osteopathy which were first enunciated by Andrew Taylor Still.

In reflecting on the recent Kirksville tornado and the myriad of events and emotions since then, the phrase commiting to be “ever vigilant in aiding the general welfare of the community” seems to really stand out. It’s been amazing to be a part of the KCOM community as so many students have given so much time & sacrifice to support each other through the damage, the clean-up, the re-starting and co-coping. A lot of others have voiced the sentiment already, but it truly is an honor to stand with these comrades and face a potential tragedy with such community strength. I am not an island–a good reminder in what would otherwise be a usually isolated & stressful finals week. Maybe it’s easier to say because I did not sustain any storm damage personally, but it’s almost a positive way to end these first two years in realizing that there’s more to life than school; that we do serve a purpose in the community (even without epinephrine or defibrillator paddles); and that we do all come together to “work in accord with my colleagues in a spirit of progressive cooperation.” To my classmates–I will miss you all scattered abroad on rotations.