A.T. Still Memorial Lecture: ‘He would be amazed at the progress we have made’

Robert S. Juhasz, DO, 2014-2015 AOA president and emeritus staff at Cleveland Clinic South Point Hospital, delivered this year’s A.T. Still Memorial Lecture at the AOA’s House of Delegates meeting in July. Dr. Juhasz is currently a member of the AOA’s presidential advisory committee and has been on the ACGME board of directors since 2017.

Dr. Juhasz spoke of experiencing a run-in with Dr. Still’s birthplace, having accidentally come across Jonesville, Virginia, after pulling over at a gas station to check his tire pressure after a speech at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“The doctor was looking out for me,” said Dr. Juhasz. “So, I just hope he’s looking over me today as well.”

Dr. Juhasz went on to reminisce about Dr. Still’s childhood, particularly watching his father, as a minister, help care for the people in his community. Back in those days, explained Dr. Juhasz, many people were served medicines that had heavy metals and other toxic substances in them, but Dr. Still’s father, Abram, typically shied away from using them. Instead, he chose methods of prevention such as exercise, cleanliness, rest and temperance in both food and drink.

“If A.T. Still was with us today, would he recognize the profession he established 130 years ago?” asks Dr. Juhasz. “As I prepared for this lecture, I realized that in his time, A.T. Still would have likely said ‘absolutely not.’”

Dr. Juhasz went on to discuss the teaching and testing that goes on in osteopathic training today and the principles and osteopathic manipulative treatment that DOs have learned throughout the years. He believes that A.T. Still, DO, MD, no matter what, would favor DOs staying true to the profession and helping patients get relief by identifying the root causes of issues.

“Dr. Still truly believed that we as DOs should be exquisite students of anatomy and physical examination and keen listeners to the people that we have the privilege to care for,” said Dr. Juhasz. “I believe that he would be amazed at the progress we have made through research to better understand the intricacies of the human body and yet would favor the less-is-more approach to the use of medications.”

Watch the full speech in the video above.