Meet the AOA’s 130th President, Richard Thacker, DO, MACOI

Newly inducted AOA President Richard R. Thacker, DO, MACOI, is motivated to make an impact. His leadership philosophy is centered on a single word: INSPIRED. More than a presidential theme, INSPIRED serves as the framework for the values he believes should guide the profession—INtegrity, Service, Passion, Innovation, Respect, Excellence and preserving the Distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine.

Dr Thacker received his DO degree from Nova Southeastern University Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1992 and then completed an osteopathic internal medicine residency at Delaware Valley Medical Center, outside Philadelphia where he served as chief intern and chief medical resident.

In 1995, he came home to North Florida as a National Health Service Corp Scholar and began his career practicing primary care at a Federally Qualified Health Center.  For 23 years, Dr. Thacker served the Tallahassee community as an AOA board-certified internist and hospice and palliative care physician. 

In 2018, he accepted an opportunity to teach the next generation of osteopathic physicians. Today, he serves as associate dean of clinical sciences and associate professor of internal medicine at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan, Alabama. 

As he prepared to serve as the 130th president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), a role he calls “the pinnacle of my career,” his focus has stayed on strengthening the profession he has spent decades serving.

In this edited Q&A, Dr. Thacker discusses the leadership philosophy behind his incoming presidency, his vision for the future of osteopathic medicine and the advice he hopes will guide the next generation of DOs.

What first inspired you to pursue medicine, and why did you choose the osteopathic path?

Growing up in a small town, I believed that becoming a physician was what all successful students aspired to do. I enjoyed interacting with people, listening to others and found that medicine aligned naturally with my desire to serve. Although I initially applied to both DO and MD schools, I didn’t choose osteopathic medicine—it chose me.

I quickly came to appreciate that osteopathic medicine was an entire philosophy rooted in whole-person care, service, compassion and human connection. Those same principles ultimately shaped my leadership philosophy of INSPIRED.

Did you ever imagine you would one day become president of the AOA?

Becoming president of the AOA is the result of decades spent saying yes to opportunities to serve. Leadership roles dating back to high school taught me that leadership is rooted in service to others, and the genuine enjoyment of interactions. That philosophy has carried into my career as a rural internist through the National Health Service Corps, where my involvement in healthcare policy, legislative advocacy and organized medicine steadily expanded. Looking back, I credit much of my journey to being in the right place at the right time.

It is clear that a lifetime of service, rather than circumstance alone, has prepared you to lead the profession at its highest level. What is the biggest challenge facing osteopathic physicians and medical students today?

I believe the greatest challenge is preserving the profession’s distinctiveness amid its rapid growth. While I celebrate the increasing interest in osteopathic medical education, I want to emphasize that expansion must be strategic to avoid shortages of faculty and clinical training sites. Above all, I hope future  osteopathic physicians don’t forget where they came from, and that they continue to embrace the unique philosophy that defines osteopathic medicine.

What problem are you most determined to solve during your presidency?

One of my main priorities will be education-related: I would like to lead the charge to expand the number of osteopathic physician preceptors. With the rapid growth of colleges of osteopathic medicine and student enrollment, increasing clinical training opportunities with DO mentors will strengthen osteopathic education, preserve the profession’s distinctiveness and keep future physicians connected to their schools and organized medicine.

What concerns you most about the future of healthcare?

My concerns are marked by the declining number of medical students pursuing primary care, particularly family medicine, at a time when physician shortages continue to grow. I believe rising student debt, administrative burden and inadequate incentives are steering students away from the specialties where they are needed most, and I hope future policy changes will make primary care a more sustainable career choice.

What’s one thing artificial intelligence (AI) can never replace about being a physician?

For me, AI will never replace the human connection at the heart of medicine. Whether it’s a handshake, a reassuring hand on a patient’s shoulder or the healing touch of osteopathic manipulative treatment, compassion, presence and human touch remain irreplaceable.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received?

When I was in medical school, I was reminded that my first responsibility was to become the best-trained osteopathic medical student I could be. While I learned the importance of balancing leadership and involvement with academics, resilience ultimately mattered most. Don’t let the thought of how hard something might be keep you from trying it, because resilience and grit are the most important qualities needed to succeed in medicine.

What makes a great leader?

Great leadership begins with leading by example. Leaders should never ask others to do something they wouldn’t do themselves, and they should strive to inspire those around them through service, integrity and humility.

When your career is over, what do you hope people say about the impact you had on patients, physicians and the profession?

I’d like to be remembered as someone who inspired others to build legacies of their own. More than any title or accomplishment, I want people to know I was all in, fully committed to serving patients, advancing the profession and giving back to osteopathic medicine. I would hope that I was able to shine a light on things and inspire people, and that they knew how truly appreciative I was of the opportunity to give back to a profession that gave me so much.

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