OU-COM grad rhymes, ‘clowns’ way through school

If his parents had gotten their way, Charles A. Brown, DO, would have become a stand-up comedian.

"From the time I was old enough to talk, it was always, 'Charlie, tell a joke,' " he laughs. "And I had the worst jokes, so it's a good thing I didn't follow my parents’ plan."

Although professional comedy didn't pan out for Dr. Brown, he spent plenty of time "clowning" around during osteopathic medical school. In fact, it's a habit he doesn't plan to break now that he's a DO.

A 2009 graduate of the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) in Athens, Dr. Brown completed a 2008 John M. Stang Medical Student Elective at the Gesundheit! Institute, founded by Hunter "Patch" Adams, MD, in 1971. A not-for-profit health care organization based in Virginia, the Gesundheit! Institute focuses on integrating humanism into health care.

While reaching out to patients in community centers and nursing homes, Dr. Brown and 11 other Gesundheit! participants from across the globe dressed up as clowns and offered free hugs to the public. "I know it sounds corny, but I was amazed at the number of people who opened up the moment I hugged them," says the Terre Haute, Ind., native. "As physicians, we need to remember how important those kinds of connections are."

Dr. Brown first became interested in the unconventional approach to treating patients after watching the 1998 movie

Gimme a beat

In addition to having a knack for clowning, Dr. Brown is known among his OU-COM classmates for his musical talent. In fact, his penchant for rhyming and songwriting helped him excel during the first two years of osteopathic medical school.

"The curriculum during those first years requires students to absorb so much information in a short amount of time," Dr. Brown explains. "Trying to read through it all and sort it out in a way that made sense was a real challenge for me."

In the past, Dr. Brown often found it cathartic to write songs about obstacles he confronted in his life, so he tried the same approach to assimilate the vast amount of information he was expected to memorize for his anatomy and physiology courses.

Laid over catchy hip-hop beats, the rhymes did the trick. "I would write the songs and memorize them, and then all I had to do to study was put on my headphones," he says. "Once I learn a song, it stays with me forever, so I can still rattle off most of those lyrics today."

Dr. Brown shared recordings of several of the songs with his classmates to assist them when cramming for big exams. "You know how annoying it can be to get a song stuck in your head?" he laughs. "That's the effect I was trying to achieve."