by Jennifer Kowalewski

After graduation, 55 percent of OU-COM students head into the primary care field, while 45 percent will pursue careers in specialty fields. During Career Medical Specialties Week, kicking off Monday, April 10, OU-COM students will have the opportunity to learn about various medical specialties from visiting osteopathic physicians.

“Students will get a chance to see through the eyes of specialists,” says Sharon Zimmerman, director of alumni affairs. “Our presenters will tell students how to prepare for specialized medical areas. They will provide students a plethora of information about specialty practice.”

For more than a decade, OU-COM has had practicing specialists — many of whom were alumni —speak to students about their areas of specialization. Primary Care Medical Week, held in winter quarter, was for those interested in careers as family physicians. Career Medical Specialties Week will focus on specialized medical practice to provide students “a glimpse into a day in the life of a specialist,” Zimmerman says.

“We want to get students thinking about the future,” she adds. “This also gives us an opportunity also to bring back our graduates.”

Second-year medical student Liz Enderton is planning a career as a reproductive specialist and obstetrician/gynecologist. As a member of the OU-COM’s Student Senate, she helped plan the events for specialties week. Early on, the senate polled students to discover what type of specialists to bring for the week. As a result, an orthopedic surgeon, neonatologist, dermatologist, plastic surgeon and cardiologist will speak to students about their specialties over a 10-day period.

Daryl Sybert, D.O. (’86) (orthopedic surgery); Robert S. Houser, D.O. (’97) (plastic surgery); and H. Paul Kim, D.O. (’94) (cardiology); CORE clinical professor and RPAC chairman Carl R. Backes, D.O. (neonatology); and John Hibler, D.O. (dermatology), a graduate of West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, will lecture during the week.

All presentations will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in Irvine 194. Hibler will also make a second presentation on the business side of medical practice at 6:15 p.m.  Following his lecture in Irvine 194, dinner will be served on The Bricks.

On Monday, April 10, Sybert, an orthopedic spinal surgeon, will discuss “a day in the life” of his practice. He spends 30 to 36 hours a week in surgery, operating on patients with scoliosis, herniated discs and other spinal problems. Twice a week, he sees more than four dozen patients at his Westerville office.

“I want to share what I know,” Sybert says. “I also will tell students what I do over the course of a day and some specifics about surgical practice.”

Sybert is board certified and specializes in spinal surgery, with an emphasis on reconstructing deformities of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. After completing a residency at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, he did a spinal fellowship at the Cleveland International Spine Center.

On Wednesday, April 12, Backes will talk about his training as a neonatologist. After completing a pediatric residency at Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Backes got interested in neonatology, leading him to become a neonatologist.

“I’m excited to talk to the students about my area,” he says.

Director of the Kiddie West Pediatric Center in Columbus, Backes also is director of Pediatric Residency Program and Neonatology Fellowship Program at Doctors and Children’s Hospital in Columbus. He is a 1972 graduate of Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dermatologist Hibler will speak to students twice Thursday, April 13. He is a board certified dermatologist working in Zanesville and the dermatology residency director at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital.

In the afternoon, he will talk with students about what it takes to specialize in dermatology. Hibler will present with Dawn Sammons, D.O. (’03), who is completing her dermatology residency at O’Bleness.

“I chose dermatology because I found it fun and very interesting,” Hibler says, adding he has spent 18 years in the field.

In the evening, he will discuss the business side of medicine with David Geiss, D.O. (’89). They will discuss the positive and negative aspects of owning a private practice compared to a group practice, as well as how to run a successful medical office. Zimmerman agrees, adding that success in medical school does not guarantee becoming the successful administrator of a medical practice.

“We want Dr. Hibler to talk about the business side,” she says. “Why is it important to have a CPT code? Why is it important to have a good billing administrator?”

Back by popular demand, Houser will speak about his plastic surgery practice. Houser spoke to students last year, and many requested his return to learn more about his practice in Westerville. He is in practice with father, Robert G. Houser, M.D.

“For the most part, I will talk about the day in the life of a plastic surgeon,” he says. “I want to focus on the necessary training. I want to inform about aspects of plastic surgery of which students may not be aware, and as the other presenters, what it’s like day to day in my specialty.”

Although much of his practice does focus on cosmetic surgery, Houser says he has a passion for reconstructive surgery. In his third year in practice, he says he wants to help students understand there are other fields of medicine available to them. Houser completed a internship at Doctors Hospital and a residency at Mount Carmel Health System and the Ohio State University Medical Center.

Cardiologist Kim will speak Wednesday, April 19. After a residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital, Kim completed a fellowship at Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Kim is board certified and is currently practicing in Columbus.  

Enderton says by learning the ins and outs of medical training, students can make an informed decision on which areas they would like to focus their careers. She says members of senate have worked hard to bring the speakers to OU-COM and hopes fellow students will attend the presentations.

“I hope it will inform students and answer their questions,” she says. “I hope they gain insights into the fields. I am very excited about this.”