Why every DO mentor needs a student

It was January 2020. Although it was cold in New York, I obviously could not even imagine the “storm” that would come in a few short months. For me, it was a regular day as I sat in my office rapidly typing notes on my clicky old PC keyboard when the intercom buzzed.

“Your next case is ready, doc!” I rubbed my hands together and began to stand up when my phone rang. “A medical student is here to see you, Dr. Storch … he says you are expecting him. His name is Tian Yu She.”

“Send him in,” I sing-songed to my office manager.

“Why do I agree to these things?” I thought. I had too much to do today already, and really didn’t have time to talk to a student. As I brooded, a well-groomed young man with a cropped tuft of long dark hair and bright brown eyes walked in. He was wearing the short white coat of a medical student and a bright yellow tie with thin blue stripes printed on it. He smiled brightly but seemed a little nervous. He extended his hand to shake mine. “Thank you for meeting with me, Dr. Storch!”

Tian Yu explained to me that he was a third-year medical student in a seven-year osteopathic medical school program at New York Institute of Technology-College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYIT-COM), working toward his life sciences BS and DO degree. He had just completed his internal medicine rotation at a local hospital. During this rotation, he had spent time with a young attending, Sara Serrone, MD (whom I knew well), and he had discovered a passion for gastroenterology.

“I remembered your lecture at NYITCOM and thought you might be able to mentor me,” said Tian Yu. “I really need to do some research … maybe you could help me with a project?”

My eyes opened a bit wider, and I raised one eyebrow as I rubbed the top of my head.

As I share this story, I want to emphasize why this experience was such an important one—if you are a DO, sharing your knowledge is important for both your profession and your own development as a physician. Mentoring can be a great way to do this while giving back. As important as mentors are to students, every DO needs a student to remind them that they should always be thankful to those who helped them along the way.

From hesitation to finding purpose

I was 15 years out of my gastroenterology fellowship. I had fought tooth and claw to get a prestigious medical residency at Northwell Health, then became chief medical resident and finally was blessed with a GI fellowship at the world-renowned University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. I had mentored, done research and published. At the beginning it was to get my fellowship position, as research is often the currency for competitive residency spots. Ultimately, however, I continued doing research in fellowship because I loved it. I also taught students medicine because I love it—and I practiced clinical GI with a passion, as I loved that too. 

That was long ago, and now I was busy with my private practice. I had a partner who was leaving in a few weeks to join a hospital system. I was about to be on my own in private practice, and I was anticipating that my clinical and business duties were about to become much more demanding. I had a young family, and I had to figure out how to balance my life. I wasn’t an academic and the last thing I needed was a medical student added to the list. 

Tian Yu was still smiling at me. He sat patiently as I brooded and pondered. My brow furrowed deeper with stress and then suddenly eased as I remembered a conversation with my wife a few weeks ago about my career and what I was going to do when my partner left.

“Are you happy?” my wife asked, always direct and to the point. “Totally,” I explained to her. “There is no way I’m leaving my private practice right now and following John to hospital employment! My patients are great, my office is great, my staff is great and I can take care of patients the way I want, not the way that an administrator tells me to.”

“Then you should just stay in solo practice. Keep doing what you’re doing!” my wife stated simply. “Is there anything that you feel you are missing?” When I said that the only thing I felt unsure of was that I wasn’t doing anything “osteopathic,” she encouraged me to take care of patients how I thought best, and suggested I add in “whatever doing something osteopathic means to you.”

As I was contemplating this memory, Tian Yu politely waited for my reply. “OK, my friend,” I finally answered, “I’ll mentor you and I do have a project, but it’s not research. It’s a podcast.”

“A podcast?” Tian Yu said quizzically. “For gastroenterology? Success in the medical field? Side hustles for doctors?”

“Nope, nope and nope,” I said. “The osteopathic physician’s journey.”

It was Tian Yu’s turn to rub the top of his head (the expression, in my opinion, was not as dramatic with a full head of hair). “I don’t understand that at all,” he said. “You are a successful gastroenterologist and you have your own practice. You trained at some of the best MD institutions in the country. Why would you want to make a DO podcast?”

“Trust me, Tian Yu,” I said. “It’s where we started and who trained us that defines who we are. I am so thankful to all of the MDs who taught me internal medicine and GI, but if it wasn’t for the DOs, I wouldn’t be a doctor. I think it’s important for people, especially premed and medical students, to hear the stories from the greats—from educators to family practice docs, administrators to neurosurgeons, dermatologists to psychiatrists. There are amazing stories that need to be heard.

“We as osteopathic physicians preach holistic medicine, manual therapy and a philosophy of body, mind and spirit. While I agree that all of those things are great, to know what a DO really is, people need to hear our stories.”

Tian Yu looked perplexed (and a bit disappointed). “Can I think about it?” he asked. “I was really hoping for a research paper project.”

“Of course,” I responded, thinking that maybe my pitch and vision had not been as strong as I had thought. Tian Yu shook my hand and left my office and I went back to my procedures, wondering if I would ever hear from him again.

The next day he called me and accepted my offer.

Soon the pandemic hit, and we had plenty of time to work on the project. Tian Yu threw himself into the work; he did an amazing job helping me with the website, software and interviews. A few months later, we recruited other osteopathic medical students to work on the project with us and built a team. By the end of the year, the project was at full steam and we published a GI paper as well.

Epilogue

Everything with my practice worked out after my partner left and I was doing better as a solo GI than I could’ve ever dreamed. I was happy with my practice, my patients, my family, the podcast and above that, I was happy with Tian Yu. I felt like a complete physician. I felt like a DO.

Tian Yu went on to do an internal medicine residency, a chief residency and matched into an impressive GI fellowship that is lucky to have him. Investing your time in a project while working with a mentor can be worthwhile, whether it’s working on a podcast, research, blog or any type of project that provides valuable experience and skills.

Today, the DO or Do Not Podcast is over 160 episodes deep with 100,000 listens. I have made a lifelong friend in Tian Yu, of whom I could not be prouder, and I am on my fifth team of osteopathic medical students, whom I love to work with.

Making the time to mentor was well worth it. If you’re a DO who is not currently involved in mentorship, I encourage you to find a way to mentor a medical student. I think you’ll find the experience to be rewarding and recharging.

Related reading:

Choosing what to wear during clinical rotations, residency and beyond

How DOs can help their patients process trauma