OSU-COM grad blends modern medicine with tradition

After she completes her residency, Rachel Ray, DO, plans to return to her roots by practicing at a federal Indian Health Service (IHS) outpatient clinic in Oklahoma.

Born in the Cherokee Nation capital of Tahlequah, Okla., Dr. Ray intends to blend the 21st century medical skills she learned in osteopathic medical school with traditional Cherokee healing techniques.

Because spiritual belief is such a pervasive aspect of American Indian culture, the Cherokee DO says physicians need to respect alternative approaches, such as medicine men and sweat lodges, when treating Indian patients. "You have to understand that many of your patients are going to believe in other methods of treatment, and you need to find ways to incorporate those into their health care plan," says Dr. Ray, who graduated on May 15 from the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) in Tulsa.

Balancing American Indian beliefs with Western medicine requires communication and negotiation, according to Dr. Ray, who is serving a family medicine residency in Tulsa through the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. "It's an advantage for American Indian patients to have a physician with the same cultural background," she says. "I grew up in that world."

Making a commitment

The need for American Indian physicians has never been greater, Dr. Ray says, and she is prepared to answer the call.

The IHS offers several scholarship and loan repayment programs that lead to a high physician turnover rate, Dr. Ray explains. "Many physicians who practice at IHS clinics stay for three or four years until their loans are repaid, and then they leave," she says. "I am passionate about serving this community, and I plan to stick around for the long haul."

Often suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus, obesity and heart disease, American Indian patients desperately need physicians who can cross cultural barriers to provide long-term care, according to Dr. Ray.

"It's important for patients to be able to establish a lasting relationship with their physician," she says. "It's hard to do that when physicians are constantly moving in and out of a clinic."