A.T. Still - Idol Worship?

[OhNoNotAgain]

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The Father of Osteopathic Medicine.

Does anyone think their school goes overboard on their teachings of AT Still. I don't want to name my school, and it isn't the one you would assume. But, they talk like we should canonize him. He developed our profession and philosophy; and receives the honor and credit for his revolutionary ideas to the world of medicine. He is the Father of Osteopathy. But I don't feel like the need or overwhelming desire to drop on my knees when I see the little cabin he was born in. (obviously a figure of speech, but feel this is how our administrators and faculty refer to him as)

For an simple analogy, it feels like Luther and Lutheranism.

How do you feel?

 

[DeLaughterDO]

you know, I've been saying that for 4 years and noone seems to want to listen to me either.

Especially members of the OMM department.

 

[beastmaster]

But I don't feel like the need or overwhelming desire to drop on my knees when I see the little cabin he was born in.

That's because you're not a Level 9 thetan.

 

[medhacker]

It is juts corporate marketing yo' don't take it too seriously...

 

[GregsAnatomy]

A certain OMM faculty member at my school makes a yearly pilgramage to AT Still's grave....

🙄

 

[allendo]

A certain OMM faculty member at my school makes a yearly pilgramage to AT Still's grave....

🙄

I thought we were training as the Jedi Knights of the medical world. Use the force, feel the energy(muscle energy).

 

[mindy?]

OMG, this is exactly the **** I was afraid I'd have to endure in DO school...

 

[Megalofyia]

OMG, this is exactly the **** I was afraid I'd have to endure in DO school...

Naw it's all good. They have some awsome mind melding and manipulation techniques so that you are more than willing to see things their way.

 

[Kubed]

Let me ask you this: have you ever heard the propaganda anywhere outside of the OMM department? I know at our school the OMM faculty are the high priests of all DO's.



…. Not that there's anything wrong with that 😛

 

[DeLaughterDO]

Let me ask you this: have you ever heard the propaganda anywhere outside of the OMM department? I know at our school the OMM faculty are the high priests of all DO's.



…. Not that there’s anything wrong with that 😛

Some of the old-school docs we rotate with are very similar - but for the most part they are very laid back and will tell you not to believe the hype or get put down by the propaganda.

jd

 

[CatsandCradles]

The Father of Osteopathic Medicine.

Does anyone think their school goes overboard on their teachings of AT Still. I don't want to name my school, and it isn't the one you would assume. But, they talk like we should canonize him. He developed our profession and philosophy; and receives the honor and credit for his revolutionary ideas to the world of medicine. He is the Father of Osteopathy. But I don't feel like the need or overwhelming desire to drop on my knees when I see the little cabin he was born in. (obviously a figure of speech, but feel this is how our administrators and faculty refer to him as)

For an simple analogy, it feels like Luther and Lutheranism.

How do you feel?

Considering that AT Still was a Methodist preacher, I think he'd readily object to a lot of the idol like worship that takes place at some DO schools.

Now don't get me wrong or anything, but considering his very evangelical Christian biography, I think he'd be horrifided by some of the the almost religious like items his name is used for.

Your analogy is pretty good with Luther and Lutheranism. That actually started near the end of his life time and Martin Luther hated it.

 

[OhNoNotAgain]

Considering that AT Still was a Methodist preacher, I think he'd readily object to a lot of the idol like worship that takes place at some DO schools.

Now don't get me wrong or anything, but considering his very evangelical Christian biography, I think he'd be horrifided by some of the the almost religious like items his name is used for.

Your analogy is pretty good with Luther and Lutheranism. That actually started near the end of his life time and Martin Luther hated it.

Thanks for the response, I was curious on what other people thought, and I'm glad that I'm not alone!

 

[OSUdoc08]

The Father of Osteopathic Medicine.

Does anyone think their school goes overboard on their teachings of AT Still. I don't want to name my school, and it isn't the one you would assume. But, they talk like we should canonize him. He developed our profession and philosophy; and receives the honor and credit for his revolutionary ideas to the world of medicine. He is the Father of Osteopathy. But I don't feel like the need or overwhelming desire to drop on my knees when I see the little cabin he was born in. (obviously a figure of speech, but feel this is how our administrators and faculty refer to him as)

For an simple analogy, it feels like Luther and Lutheranism.

How do you feel?

Funny you say that. This was exactly the reason why my visit to "A.T. Still University" was less than desirable, and I swore to never attend KCOM. They have statues and images of him all over, and his face even comes out of a brick wall in one of the buildings. The whole school seemed kind of creepy.

 

[CatsandCradles]

Funny you say that. This was exactly the reason why my visit to "A.T. Still University" was less than desirable, and I swore to never attend KCOM. They have statues and images of him all over, and his face even comes out of a brick wall in one of the buildings. The whole school seemed kind of creepy.

I can see AT Still visiting that place and preaching to them to cut down those Asheran poles.

"Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands saith the LORD" Michah 5:13

KCOM better repent really fast

 

[GregsAnatomy]

I thought we were training as the Jedi Knights of the medical world. Use the force, feel the energy(muscle energy).

It's true; this same professor gave us an OPP lecture dressed as Obi Wan Kenobi and told us to "use the force"....

 

[Taus]

It really do think it would bother me if thats the kind of BS I had to listen to. Just FYI.....PCOM is not like that...

 

[Old_Mil]

The Father of Osteopathic Medicine.

Does anyone think their school goes overboard on their teachings of AT Still.
How do you feel?

Yep. Way overboard. All the practicals are cumulative to day 1. All the writtens are cumulative to day 1.

 

[OhNoNotAgain]

All the practicals are cumulative to day 1. All the writtens are cumulative to day 1.

Wait, what do you mean by this? 😕

 

[Peace&Health]

The Father of Osteopathic Medicine.

Does anyone think their school goes overboard on their teachings of AT Still.

How do you feel?

Maybe I'm too busy studying, but I just view those things as honoring AT Still as the Father of Osteopathy and not idolizing him. For us, we learn osteopathic theory and osteopathic manipulation. The focus is more on the techniques that Still invented and less on the man. And OMM is only one of our many classes.

I think its important to honor the man who founded osteopathy. All credit should be given to him! People have different ways of honoring people. I think it's all about perspective. And it is important to preserve our osteopathic history, to see where we came from to better guide us in where we take osteopathic medicine.

 

[OhNoNotAgain]

Apparently, KCOM doesn't go overboard with their teachings. I wish I had the same opinion you do.

 

[Old_Mil]

Wait, what do you mean by this? 😕

At DMU, all the OMM practicals and written exams are cumulative to day 1. So the amount of stuff you have to study for each successive one expands exponentially. This is going to be a real winner next year when boards roll around.

 

[Doc 2b]

i think everyone feels like that. one of our profs. has butt sex with his corpse, i'm convinced

 

[SigPi]

I think this is a very interesting post. All this honor and worship of the man who invented your profession is fine and dandy. However, do any of you think he would be happy with where DO's are today? From reading Gevitz's book, its sounds like Still hated those DO's who practiced like MD's...saying essentially they are a disgrace to both osteopathy and the allopathic world. It just seems like he would not be pleased with the DO profession as it stands today --yet he is still idolized.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I think this is a very interesting post. All this honor and worship of the man who invented your profession is fine and dandy. However, do any of you think he would be happy with where DO's are today? From reading Gevitz's book, its sounds like Still hated those DO's who practiced like MD's...saying essentially they are a disgrace to both osteopathy and the allopathic world. It just seems like he would not be pleased with the DO profession as it stands today --yet he is still idolized.

M.D.'s don't use arsenic, mercury, and lead to treat patients anymore.

 

[SigPi]

M.D.'s don't use arsenic, mercury, and lead to treat patients anymore.

True. However those werent the only tools that MD's of the time used to treat patients. Still knew this and yet he says:

"Medicine and osteopathy as therapeutical agencies have nothing in common either theoretically or practically, and only an inconsistent physician will attempt to practice both. Osteopathy does not need to be bolstered up by the use of any therapeutical knowledge to be learned at any medical school."*

A pretty direct statement. He continues:

"Each state associatiopn should adopt such rules as will require the resignation of all two-faced practioners and prevent them from being taken in hereafter. Osteopaths cannot affort to compromise their position in regard to drug medication and should bar from their association all mixers and their ilk, who honor neither the profession of osteopathy nor medicine"*

*Quoted from A.T. Still "What will become of the MD DO?" Journal of Osteopathy 10 (November 1903):366

 

[Old_Mil]

True. However those werent the only tools that MD's of the time used to treat patients. Still knew this and yet he says:

"Medicine and osteopathy as therapeutical agencies have nothing in common either theoretically or practically, and only an inconsistent physician will attempt to practice both. Osteopathy does not need to be bolstered up by the use of any therapeutical knowledge to be learned at any medical school."

Well, who am I to argue with the grand poobah? Looks like I won't practice OMT when I graduate. I certainly wouldn't want to be two-faced. 🙂