Dr. Patel: I always knew I wanted to go into medicine.
I went to a healthcare academy for high school, so I was already pretty committed to a medical career. In college, I majored in Human Biology with a minor in Health Policy. That’s where I started to develop a deeper understanding of comprehensive care, and the structural and systemic issues that impact it.
When I started to apply for medical schools, I learned about Osteopathic medicine and DO schools. The more I looked into it, the more intrigued I became, and I ended up shadowing an Osteopathic physician (AKA, a D.O.).
Outside of that physician’s office was the quote from Dr. A.T. Still: “To find health should be the object of the doctor. Anyone can find disease.“
When patients come to a DO, our goal isn’t just to treat their disease, it’s to help them find health. That’s what drew me to Osteopathic medicine.
When I got into an Osteopathic medical school, I stopped applying anywhere else. This was my chosen pathway to becoming a physician.
AOF: Your relationship with the American Osteopathic Foundation began when you were a student. Can you tell us about that?
Dr. Patel:
During my medical school years, I was involved with the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) and the SOMA Foundation.
We were a student-run foundation for Osteopathic medical students, but that came with some challenges - specifically, we were all student volunteers without any sort of training in finances, taxes, or any of the administrative tasks that come along with running a non-profit. My last year of medical school, I was the SOMA chairperson.
That’s when I developed a relationship with the AOF.
The AOF leadership advocated for the SOMA Foundation. They helped me, and all of us, learn how to navigate the behind-the-scenes skills needed to run a nonprofit organization. They provided financial support for our legal needs, which kept us, as students, from shouldering the burden of funding our own legal protection. They helped us find and afford excellent representation, which meant better advocacy for the students in SOMA, their voices, and the changes they hoped to make in the profession.
That assistance was essential to our success.
It was very important to us to retain our identity as the SOMA Foundation while receiving that much-needed level of professional support.
AOF: You were needing both support and autonomy at the same time.
Dr. Patel: Exactly. Support and autonomy. We’d have meetings with accountants and lawyers, for the AOF and the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) Foundation to learn best practices. We’d meet together and also separately. We had support and independence at the same time. It became a very positive relationship where we, the students, could get the support we needed, but remain in control of our own foundation. Because of the trust we were able to build throughout the engagement, the SOMA Foundation is now part of the larger AOF family, but retains its ability to be self-directed and self-governed.
AOF: This was all happening around the time of the pandemic, yes?
Dr. Patel: Yes. There was also COVID. All of our meetings were impacted, everything was strange. So much of our fundraising had been in-person events and socials, and we were at a loss about how to keep going.
The AOF helped us find creative ways to raise funds despite the social distancing. They shared their own fundraising ideas and successes with us, specifically those they thought would work well with the student population.
It was so helpful to have their expertise during that difficult time. We were new at this, and having experts behind us taught us a lot. I know I personally learned so much from our AOF allies. Having people like Rita Forden, the CEO of the AOF there to support and guide me has taught me so much.
AOF: Tell us a little bit more about SOMA.
SOMA is a very unique organization. It’s the main advocacy arm for Osteopathic medical students, and also a source of great support. There are several conferences every year to help build community and connection. Instead of being isolated, students can see the bigger picture of how they fit into the larger Osteopathic profession and how they can contribute their voice to the profession overall.
Being able to connect with and learn from like-minded students around the country, hear their experiences, share obstacles and victories, learn about different parts of the country and their diverse struggles - it creates a sense of camaraderie.
SOMA also offers leadership and professional development opportunities. It all works together to help you get ready to apply for residency. My experience with SOMA played a role in all of my residency interviews.
SOMA handles the advocacy side of things, resolutions and policy.
The SOMA Foundation, on the other hand, creates scholarship and grant opportunities for students across the profession. Traveling to conferences costs money - some students can afford it, some can’t. We created grants to increase accessibility to those events and level the field for folks. Interaction and engagement is critical to what we do. The AOF helped the SOMA Foundation achieve that - they helped us provide the things we felt our fellow students really needed. And, the SOMA Foundation has been growing steadily ever since the integration.
AOF: How has being involved with the AOF impacted you personally?
Dr. Patel:
It’s my Osteopathic family. On a personal level, I can’t quantify the impact it’s had in my career. Learning both the soft skills and the hard skills, like taxes. My first year on the SOMA Foundation, I had to figure out how to file our taxes. AOF was there to help. I’m grateful they were there to help me and give me a way to help support students and help Osteopathic medicine grow.
We’re a strong profession, built out of the philosophy of mind, body, spirit integration. People are passionate about this philosophy, and care about it deeply - providers, physicians, and the larger community.
For it to still exist, we must continue that advocacy and support, and keep redefining over the years what it means to be an Osteopathic physician.
That’s what the AOF is helping us do. That’s why I’m grateful to be part of the work they’re doing.
Ultimately, it’s about continuing to keep the Osteopathic profession going, as well as finding a family for yourself. For me, being an Osteopathic physician in an allopathic residency program can be isolating, having a connection to the AOF helps me stay in touch with the Osteopathic principles and with like-minded people. The Foundation fuels people, keeps us going through the hard parts of medical school and residency. The stress is there for everyone but being able to have a voice and share concerns, makes a huge impact. It elevates the experience.
The next generation of Osteopathic physicians continues to benefit from the student advocacy work of Dr. Patel, and the work we accomplished together. Your support helps make sure more students have access to the education and community they need to succeed.
To nominate an Osteopathic leader for an award, or to apply for a scholarship or grant, visit our Grants, Scholarships, and Awards page. To volunteer, please contact Terry Sanders. To make a gift to the American Osteopathic Foundation, please visit our Online Giving page.
Together, we can continue to elevate Osteopathic medicine and the dedicated DOs who provide it.
