By Janita Aidonia (DO 鈥�26)
It is thought that the qualities that make a good physician are centered around their skill, prestige, and intellect.
I spoke with four third-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students and found that their most significant and consistent quality was not rooted in the impossible things they had done but in the impossible things they had overcome.
Having achieved tremendous accolades and accomplishments, these four students demonstrated immense intelligence through their ability to complete the rigorous medical school curriculum and a unique understanding and passionate curiosity about the human body. Yet, of all the things they possessed, the most defining quality each of them carried was their perseverance.
It made me reflect on what it means to be a profound physician. Four stories from four remarkably different student doctors, yet the essence remained the same.
As physicians, we will face the unforeseen and the unexpected. The poetry woven into our humanity is that while we cannot always control the outcome, we can always choose to try again.
There is a rich humanity in being a physician; each new case, each new patient, and each new day allows us the opportunity to take all of what we have and try again, persist, and overcome.
By grace and through faith, we press on.
Could it be that when all is said and done, we are measured by how we have triumphed, how we have persisted, our relentlessness, our determination to keep going, and our brilliant resilience, and that this is what allows us to become all that we are meant to be?
That this is what allows us to be good doctors.
Janita Aidonia is a third-year medical student and author at 黑料传送门.
The son of an artist and an engineer, Owen McLeod (DO 鈥�26), seems to have the perfect blend of skills. As he navigates the balance between the art of both medicine and science, he brings his own unique and intentional compassion to helping others heal.
Born and raised in New Jersey, McLeod was always interested in science as a kid; his parents encouraged him 鈥渢o follow his nose鈥� and pursue his passions. McLeod was a gifted basketball player. It鈥檚 his love for basketball that ultimately led him to medicine. After a sports injury in his sophomore year of high school, he was introduced to an orthopedic surgeon.
鈥淚鈥檓 really in there with him, looking at the X-rays, seeing all the cool diagnostic stuff. Back then, I thought it was all so cool,鈥� he said.
McLeod became a college athlete on the pre-medical track. During this time, he sustained a second injury, which led him to meet his first DO, a graduate of 黑料传送门, Jill Crosson, DO 鈥�09.
Dr. Crosson, a sports medicine physician, exposed McLeod to osteopathic medicine and uncovered a new fascination that spoke directly to his curiosity for the human body and his deep interest in the body's connectedness.
What I learned in basketball preps me for the peaks and valleys that I go through in med school.
Owen McLeod (DO 鈥�26)
After being accepted to 黑料传送门, McLeod became active in the community. As a student, he began research in Dr. Marina D鈥橝ngelo鈥檚 lab, joined organizations such as the Sports Medicine Club and the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), and played a key role in establishing Brothers in Medicine on the Philadelphia campus.
As a student doctor, McLeod goes into the community, including spaces such as barber shops, to speak with patients and perform health screenings.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just doing blood pressure and getting results; it鈥檚 about seeing faces people can trust. If I'm helping people, the energy is reciprocated.鈥�
His volunteer work, rooted in preventative and quality care, is truly remarkable, showing a dedication beyond the books. McLeod finds solace in and honors the privilege of being a medical student and future physician, specifically the ability to gain patients' trust. He hopes to use this trust to empower and help others become the healthiest version of themselves, in mind, body, and spirit.
McLeod tries to remember that he鈥檚 doing what he has been put on this Earth to do and that the 鈥済eek in him鈥� feeds his curiosity. Lately, he has been interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation, as it combines with his love for osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) in a way that resonates naturally to him.
McLeod鈥檚 basketball years still guide his journey through medicine. 鈥淲hat I learned in basketball preps me for the peaks and valleys that I go through in med school 鈥� These late nights, early mornings, I was doing the same thing in basketball. Same mentality, different grind.鈥�
Although at times this journey can feel isolating, McLeod鈥檚 faith allows him to persist.
鈥淚 have to go through all this so I can do what I really want to do, and what I really want to do is help people. I can't help them unless I know all this stuff, so let's get to it.鈥�
Maria Pazan (DO 鈥�26) shares how her late grandmother鈥檚 Alzheimer's diagnosis sparked her medical curiosity and helped her find her niche in medicine at just 18 years old.
鈥淢edicine is what fuels me; it鈥檚 what gets me out of bed. Everything is interesting to me in medicine,鈥� she said. This passion is what has encouraged Pazan throughout her past two years of medical school.
Her grandmother, 鈥渁 strong Latina woman,鈥� raised her until the age of 13, and she attributes much of her success to her grandmother鈥檚 care and principles. These included discipline, faith, and the personal courage to follow her heart.
When asked what she was most proud of in her journey, Pazan answered by saying how far she had come.
鈥淔or me personally, it鈥檚 just been such a long journey to medicine 鈥� to say, 鈥楬ey, I am halfway done鈥� is huge. I鈥檓 34; I had another career before I went into medicine.鈥�
Medicine is such a big journey that even if you have to do something else, it's OK to take baby steps to get to where you want to be.
Maria Pazan (DO 鈥�26)
Pazan鈥檚 many obstacles include a lack of representation as well as mentorship. 鈥淚鈥檓 Spanish, from Ecuador, and when you are raised in a country where there is no medical service and you don鈥檛 see a lot of women, Latin women, and women of color in medicine, it鈥檚 just like, 鈥業鈥檓 not even going to try.鈥欌�� She shares having to navigate applications and pre-med without much guidance or support from anyone who has gone through the process before her.
Even still, Pazan did not give up. She knew what she wanted and kept her focus on that for the seven years she worked as a nurse. During this time, she established her finances, continued exploring medicine through research, and received valuable clinical training.
鈥淢edicine is such a big journey that even if you have to do something else, it's OK to take baby steps to get to where you want to be,鈥� she said.
As her second year comes to a close, Pazan dreams of a subspecialty in pulmonary critical care, working directly in the ICU. She鈥檚 excited about the intellectual workload, need for quick thinking, and ability to manage the patient's care at their most critical time. To her, the ICU feels 鈥渓ike home鈥濃�攚ork she was purposed to do. As a nurse, Pazan worked in the ICU and was always maintaining the machines. Now, she will be managing them.
Being a person of color in medicine comes with a sense of duty and, many times, immense pressure. 鈥淚 have a strong drive because of where I came from and because the percentage of Latina physicians is abysmally low.鈥� She describes feeling as though she always has to 鈥渘ail it.鈥� While this feeling is all too familiar to Pazan, she strives to ensure others don鈥檛 share this same experience.
Her legacy, she hopes, is to become a physician who is just as much an educator as a mentor. To be the guide and the support she did not have. To be the strong Latina woman her grandmother was while always finding the courage to follow her own heart. It鈥檚 what has made her journey a beautiful one.
鈥淚 look back at what I didn't have, what I wish I had seen, and what I wish to become.鈥�
Irene Cooper, a Philadelphia native, is back where it all began.
As a child, her grandmother would take Cooper to her dialysis treatments. Cooper鈥檚 grandmother received treatment at 黑料传送门 and Hahnemann Hospital. Her exposure to physicians at a young age helped to inspire her and helped to curate her curiosity with medicine at a very young age.
Cooper knew she wanted to become the first physician in her family, and growing up in Philadelphia helped shape her perspective and guide her passions in medicine. Now, she dreams of practicing in the Philly community to give back.
鈥淭his is where I鈥檓 from; these are the people who do the same commutes as me; we have walked the same streets; this is home.鈥�
Home and family are paramount to Cooper. She comes from a big, close-knit family that has encouraged, supported, and rooted for her throughout her journey. Now, as a third-year medical student, Cooper鈥檚 family is inspired by her. Her younger cousins ask her about medicine and medical school, and one of them has even decided to follow in her path of working to become a doctor. As a future physician, she hopes to encourage all children so they might see her and become interested in doing this critical work.
Education is something that can never be taken away 鈥� mentorship and education go hand in hand, especially in the medical field.
Irene Cooper (DO 鈥�26)
鈥淪ometimes kids don鈥檛 just need exposure; they need encouragement to pursue this career. That鈥檚 what I want to do: encouragement and education.鈥�
As she reflects on Philadelphia and those she strives to serve, she recognizes that while there are many resources here, there is still inequity. 鈥淧hiladelphia has underserved communities in education, health, and general wellness,鈥� she said.
As a pediatrician, she hopes to reduce the impact such inequality has on the lives of her patients and their families through compassionate care, education, and health awareness.
Cooper鈥檚 dedication to her studies can be attributed in many ways to her mother, a retired teacher who instilled the importance of education in her from a young age. Now she wants to take these same lessons and use them to help the community, her patients, and those aspiring to become physicians.
鈥淓ducation is something that can never be taken away 鈥� mentorship and education go hand in hand, especially in the medical field.鈥�
Cooper attributes her focus to her parents and expresses deep gratitude to God, especially for helping her remain positive these past two years. Out of all the things she has done, her ability to remain positive is by far what she is most proud of.
Cooper鈥檚 greatest advice is, 鈥淒on鈥檛 tell yourself no to any opportunity; don't deny yourself.鈥� As a high schooler, she remembers 鈥渢aking the route of least resistance鈥� because she wanted to prevent others from denying her opportunities. She realized that by doing this, she was the one denying herself. She now pushes others to go for the things they dream to do, even when faced with adversity.
Pediatricians play an incredible role in the lives of children and guardians. There are numerous responsibilities and privileges a pediatrician has, from providing health screenings and preventative care to prescribing medication and being a safe space for a child to come and find help or understanding. It is undeniable that the work Cooper will do in the future will change lives, and that impact will be immeasurable.
Kim Nebedum (DO 鈥�26) loved going to the pediatrician when she was little.
鈥淚 knew once I left the office I would be OK,鈥� she said.
The quality of care shown to Nebedum at a very young age sparked a desire to become a physician. She wanted to do what her doctor did for her.
Growing up in a Nigerian household, the value of education was instilled in her as a child. Nebedum knew she wanted to do something in the sciences, and as she was exposed to the clinical side of medicine, she soon discovered that becoming a doctor was what she was meant to do. It was the clinical aspect of medicine that kept her passionate about becoming a physician.
Nebedum鈥檚 journey into medicine was not linear. 鈥淚t required a lot of faith to get here,鈥� she says.
After undergrad, Nebedum received a master鈥檚 degree and then worked for a pharmaceutical company. Here, she felt content and had almost decided not to pursue medicine. Yet, no matter where life took her, she always ended up in a clinical setting, reminded of her dream to become a medical doctor.
A girl who didn鈥檛 even think she was going to make it past the first month is still here, about to be working with real patients.
Kim Nebedum (DO 鈥�26)
While she was happy with the job she had, she knew it was not her calling. Her faith being at the core of who she is, Nebedum decided to seek guidance through prayer. She recalls when she received an invitation to interview with 黑料传送门, praying for even more guidance. Two weeks after her interview, she was accepted into medical school.
This was the news Nebedum had dreamed of for so long, and she was beyond grateful, but she also felt alone. 鈥淎ll my friends were in residency. They had already gone before me.鈥�
As she began school, Nebedum was met with another obstacle.
鈥淲hen I first came here, I had a lot of fear,鈥� she said, describing it as crippling. It caused her to not want to share her success and become a more private person. Even though she was at 黑料传送门 and doing well, she still felt afraid. Nebedum wanted to quit many times, but prayer became her strength and allowed her to press forward. The thing that makes her journey difficult became the very thing that made her journey beautiful; as she describes, she became closer to God.
鈥淟ooking back on everything we have gone through and conquered has grown my confidence. God is just so faithful,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he girl I was is not the girl I am now, only because of the fact that I have learned to talk to Him more.鈥�
As Nebedum begins to wrap up her pre-clinical years and enter into rotations, she reflects on what she is most proud of: still being here. 鈥淎 girl who didn鈥檛 even think she was going to make it past the first month is still here, about to be working with real patients.鈥�
Nebedum is not only still here; she has become part of the healing she wishes to help others see.
鈥淭here once was this little girl who had a dream of becoming a physician. She faced a lot of challenges, a lot of opposition, a lot of self-doubt, and crippling fear, but she tapped into who she is in Christ and decided to forge ahead,鈥� Nebedum said. 鈥淪he experienced a lot of hurt but a lot of triumphs at the same time and, through it all, she was able to make a difference.鈥�
Established in 1899, 黑料传送门 has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a 鈥渨hole person鈥� approach to care鈥攖reating people, not just symptoms. 黑料传送门, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (黑料传送门, 黑料传送门 Georgia and 黑料传送门 South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. 黑料传送门 students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, 黑料传送门 provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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