The NASA engineer who went to osteopathic medical school at age 58

At an age when many people are considering retirement, Clarence Nicodemus, DO, PhD, was just getting started. A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Nicodemus worked for 25 years as a biomechanical engineer (including several years at NASA) and also served as an assistant professor in a department of orthopedic surgery and director of orthopedic spine research as a research engineer in Texas.

After years of engineering research, Dr. Nicodemus began to wonder, “What’s next?” He weighed his options and decided it would be osteopathic medical school.

Dr. Nicodemus applied to the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM) at age 58 and graduated at 62. Twenty years later, he hasn’t slowed down one bit.

Now, at age 82, he is a clinical research director at the MSU-COM, where he continues to research the biomechanics and neuromusculoskeletal mechanisms of chronic low back pain. I interviewed him about his inspiring story and his journey to becoming an osteopathic physician later in his life.

Overcoming the age gap

With decades of experience in biomechanics, Dr. Nicodemus thought combining his expertise with functional anatomy and osteopathic manipulative medicine would allow him to impact patients in a unique way. While in osteopathic medical school, Dr. Nicodemus said that he was “old enough to be some of his associates’ grandfathers,” and it was challenging because his “memory, ability to read material, grasp it and be tested on it was not like it was 30 years prior.” At first, he struggled.

Notably, Dr. Nicodemus said, “I had difficulty in one course, I think it was pharmacology, and the dean of students brought me into his office, sat me down. Of course, I was older than he was, and he said, ‘Are you sure you can do this?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am … I’m just learning how I’m learning. So it takes a while.’ Dr. Nicodemus pushed through the challenges and moved onto residency in neuromusculoskeletal medicine/osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).

A wise perspective

On becoming a DO later in life, Dr. Nicodemus said, “Initially my wife thought I was crazy, but in a supportive way. It turned out to be a great decision because I’m a member of the medical community, so I have an opportunity to talk with other specialists about issues not only for my own patients but for myself and my wife.”

Being a DO has aligned well with Dr. Nicodemus’ ambitions. He noted, “What I do in neuromusculoskeletal work is a direct application of the engineering experience and training that I had before.”

In Dr. Nicodemus’ ongoing research, holistic care and the body’s interconnectedness have been the foundation of his approach to patient care. His particular focus is on the cause of chronic low back pain, and he’s determined through thousands of patient interactions and substantial research that most cases of chronic low back pain can be attributed to bodily misalignment, rather than being “nonspecific” as is diagnosed most of the time. His osteopathic training has enabled him to understand this phenomenon with more depth and treat it accordingly.

Life after medical school

As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Nicodemus has had the opportunity to incorporate decades of high-level engineering knowledge into complex patient care. Despite starting school at a more advanced age, he has persevered through the challenges of medical school and residency to become a renowned osteopathic physician.

After graduating residency, he and his wife moved back to Monterey, California, where he worked in a private practice clinic for roughly nine years. He explained that as his practice grew, it began to self-select the patients he got, noting, “I got kind of an older group of patients and chronic low back pain was the central thing.” Noticing this trend, he was eventually prompted to return to Michigan, where he founded the Center for Neuromuscular-Skeletal Clinical Research.

Regarding the current work in his lab, Dr. Nicodemus says, “We have ongoing research projects, one funded by the Department of Defense, one by the AOA, both focused on chronic low back pain and some other things.” Dr. Nicodemus has also contributed to some key osteopathic texts, including“Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine”and “Greenman’s Principles of Manual Medicine.”

What’s next?

You may be wondering if Dr. Nicodemus plans to retire anytime soon. When presented with this question, he said, “I have two, basically two-year projects. I need to finish those. So I’m probably three years out. I’ll be 85 at that time, so it’s time to wind down. I’m not guaranteeing it though … As long as I’m engaged, as long as I can contribute, why not? I mean, what’s the rule here, you know?”

Dr. Nicodemus has lived an interesting life. He’s combined biomechanical engineering with osteopathic medicine and produced tremendous research while caring for patients. At 82, he continues to contribute to the field and may continue to do so for a while. For those of us in the osteopathic medical profession, Dr. Nicodemus serves as an incredible example of perseverance and what’s possible when we seek to see the possibilities outside of the box.

Related reading:

No Limits: DO cardiothoracic surgeon has made a name for herself in the field

150 years of osteopathic medicine: How a DO civil rights leader and a trailblazing DO military physician helped shape osteopathic history