Mentorship, the single greatest solution

AOA Trustee Joshua Lenchus, DO, grew up imagining a future in medicine, but no one in his family worked in healthcare. Like many first-generation DOs, his understanding of medicine was shaped more by what he read or heard than by familiarity via a physician family member. When he first explored medical school, what he understood most was allopathic medicine and the MD initials that followed, like many people. Osteopathic medicine wasn’t on his radar—until his parents reminded him of something he had forgotten. As a child, after an injury he had been treated by an osteopathic general surgeon. That memory became a quiet turning point.

The path ahead was anything but straightforward. He applied to medical school once and didn’t receive any interviews. He tried again the following year and secured only one interview at an osteopathic medical school, but it was late in the process and he wasn’t accepted. It wasn’t until his third application cycle that a door finally opened. Along that winding trajectory, he learned about the osteopathic philosophy: treating the whole person, not just the disease. With a background in pharmacy, he understood medications and systems of care, but the holistic approach of osteopathic medicine resonated deeply with him. It aligned with how he believed patients should be seen and treated.

Being first-generation made everything harder for Dr. Lenchus. Without guidance, he stumbled through applications and decisions, often unsure if he was doing things the “right” way. What changed everything was mentorship. Along the way, he met osteopathic physicians who saw potential where he saw uncertainty. AOA Past President Joseph Giaimo, DO, played a pivotal role, offering guidance, advocacy and a letter of recommendation that helped secure his acceptance.

“Mentorship was the single greatest solution to the obstacles I faced,” said Dr. Lenchus. “I recommend it for all students, especially first-generation students.”

Medicine, Dr. Lenchus learned, is ultimately about service. It means leaving the comfort of home in the middle of the night to care for a patient. It means choosing responsibility over convenience, again and again. That calling shaped not only his clinical career but also his leadership journey.

Over time, Dr. Lenchus became the first DO in many spaces: the only DO in his intern class, the first DO associate program director in an MD internal medicine residency at the University of Miami (UM), the first DO to lead patient safety initiatives at the UM-JMH Center for Patient Safety, the first DO president of the hospital medical staff at Jackson Health System, and eventually, the first DO president of the Florida Medical Association.

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“It felt like each role challenged an unspoken glass ceiling—and each time, with persistence and resolve, I shattered it because I refused to allow anyone to create that ceiling for me,” said Dr. Lenchus.

Now, decades into his career, having served as a clinician, administrator, executive and healthcare leader, Dr. Lenchus understands that medicine is defined by constant change. The world students prepare to enter is already shifting beneath their feet. His message to them is simple but hard-earned: Press forward. Adversity builds resilience. Falling down matters less than getting back up.

Above all, he reminds them—and himself—never to let where you come from dictate where you can go.

Emerging DO

Looking for mentorship? Join AOiA’s Emerging DO platform today!

The Emerging DO Platform was created to provide a strong sense of connection to the DO community and to support lifelong learning, with a focus on the osteopathic perspective. This online community provides a uniquely osteopathic space for DOs to connect, learn and share insights at all stages of their careers. Through this innovative platform, members can transform healthcare while strengthening osteopathic cultural affinity.

The mentoring feature provides both 1:1 matches and mentorship groups to find the best fit for an individual’s needs, availability and interests.

Related reading:

How do we rebuild a sense of community between DOs, and why should we?

First-generation medical student: Listening matters in uncharted waters