Page 35 - COM Outlook - Spring 2013

35 COM Outlook . Spring 2013
ness of the medical outreach trip team and everyone’s eager
willingness to help one another. The trip was a priceless ex-
perience I will forever hold dear in my heart. It reaffirmed
that I chose this career for the right reasons, and it gave me
a renewed sense of appreciation and humbleness.”
OMS-II Chris Orpiano echoed the praise offered by
his cohorts before putting his own spin on the interna-
tional medical outreach experience. “The trip was my first
medical experience abroad, and I believe it was truly life
changing,” he explained. “Going through medical school,
especially during the first two years, students can for-
get about the main drive of helping others while we are
building our medical foundation. Even though our school
provides shadowing opportunities, this was the first time
we were put fully in charge of a patient’s care.
“The confidence I gained from the experience will stay
with me for the rest of my professional career,” added
Orpiano, who encountered some interesting—and indel-
ible—patient cases. “Having just finished the cardiovas-
cular system in our systems courses, I luckily was able to
pick up various heart sounds that ranged from systolic
murmurs to an atrial fibrillation. We are always instruct-
ed to listen to everyone’s hearts and lungs, so it solidified
the lesson we have been taught, which is to hear as many
normal physiologies as possible so when an abnormal one
appears, we will not miss it.
A second case, involving a middle-age woman suf-
fering from upper-thoracic musculoskeletal pain, truly
solidified his decision to become an osteopathic physi-
cian. “While obtaining the patient history, I realized that
not only could I give her medicine just like any other
doctor, but I could also help treat her then and there with
my osteopathic principles and practice skills,” he said.
“Although I couldn’t find the proper surface to do my
Kirksville Crunch, I was able to offer a minor correction
on a bed. I found it extremely beneficial to have the tool
of OPP in my back pocket. Overall, the medical outreach
trip was an extraordinary learning experience. It gave me
a confidence I did not have before, a self-assuring feeling
that I will become a compassionate and competent physi-
cian able to truly help and care for others.”