Carrying the torch: When father and son both choose osteopathic medicine

Before osteopathic medical school or the transition into residency, many future physicians learn the heartbeat of healthcare right at home. They grow up watching what it truly means to care for a community, absorbing the values of empathy, dedication and whole-person care over the dinner table.

This Father’s Day, The DO is celebrating the unique bond between four osteopathic physicians and their sons who chose to follow in their footsteps.

Whether they’re dissecting a tough case over the dinner table or navigating the ups and downs of residency, these father-son duos (and trio) show us that medicine is rarely just a job; sometimes, it’s a family trait. And whether they end up practicing side-by-side or calling each other for advice from across the country, these fathers usually end up being their children’s very first mentors.

To reflect the personal nature of these stories, first names are used throughout.

Meet four DO fathers and sons carrying the torch of osteopathic medicine forward:

David Abend, DO, Jesse Abend, DO, and Jordan Abend, DO

Mixing family and medicine just makes sense for David Abend, DO, and his sons, Jesse and Jordan. Carrying forward a legacy that began with David’s father in 1957, the brothers are the physicians behind AbendHealth, a booming independent practice in New Jersey.

Inspired by David’s 25 years in private practice, Jesse skipped corporate contracts right out of residency to build a modern model focused on lifestyle and prevention. Today, the brothers care for 4,000 patients, proving that a shared clinical philosophy and deep family trust are their ultimate strengths. Read more.

Ret. Col. Brandon Isaacs, DO, and Courtney Isaacs, DO

Patient referrals require nothing more than a quick trip up or down a flight of stairs for Ret. Col. Brandon Isaacs, DO, and his son Courtney Isaacs, DO. Practicing one floor apart, Brandon focuses on occupational medicine while Courtney practices family medicine.

Having learned to provide whole-person care under adverse conditions, both men share a deep-seated resourcefulness that allows them to bounce tough cases off each other daily. Read more.

M. Sean O’Brien, DO, and Cameron O’Brien, DO

A knee injury unexpectedly set the course for two generations of O’Brien physicians. M. Sean O’Brien, DO, an Oklahoma country boy originally planning on veterinary school, was so impressed by his orthopedic surgeon that he pivoted to medicine, eventually inspiring his son Cameron to follow his footsteps into family medicine.

Bound by their shared alma mater, a love for running marathons and mutual respect, the duo continues to live by Sean’s favorite advice: prioritize happiness and patient care above all else. Read more.

Oskar Varshavskiy, DO, and Mike Varshavski, DO

Emigrating from Russia in the 1990s, Oskar Varshavskiy, DO, rebuilt his career by restarting his medical education from scratch at NYITCOM. Decades later, his son Mike Varshavski, DO, graduated from the same school, bringing his father’s American Dream full circle.

While Oskar spent his career providing traditional family care, Mike has channeled that mentorship into a global audience as social media’s most-followed physician. Read more.

Related reading:

How mentorship helped this first-generation DO become the first Vietnamese-American dean of a medical school

The Wagner way: How osteopathic medicine became a tradition in this family

How NYITCOM’s Emigre Physicians Program saves the dreams of immigrant physicians