(ATHENS, Ohio)
The Ohio University
College of
Osteopathic Medicine
proudly hosts Karen
J. Nichols, D.O.,
the first woman
president of the
American Osteopathic
Association, during
a visit to campus
Jan. 10 and 11.
Nichols,
the 114th president
of the AOA, will
meet with OU-COM
administrators,
faculty and
students, including
a noon luncheon
presentation to
students about
issues they will
face as osteopathic
physicians. In
addition to her AOA
presidency, which is
a year-long
appointment, Nichols
is the dean of the
Midwestern
University/Chicago
College of
Osteopathic
Medicine.
“Dr.
Nichols is a strong
advocate for
osteopathic medical
students,” said Mark
Postel, OMSII,
student government
president at
OU-COM. “I think in
Tuesday's session
students will find
that Dr. Nichols,
and the AOA as a
whole, really do
have a vested
interest in the
issues we face such
as the cost of
tuition and
increasing residency
spots, and are
working to address
or improve matters
that are important
to us.”
Nichols
began her career as
a medical
technologist at
Phoenix General
Hospital before
serving as chief
technologist and
president of the
Arizona Medical
Technology Society.
At 28 years old, she
entered medical
school, where she
earned her
osteopathic medical
degree at what is
now the Kansas City
University of
Medicine and
Biosciences College
of Osteopathic
Medicine. She
completed her
internship and
residency training
at the former
Oklahoma Osteopathic
Hospital in Tulsa,
Okla.
After
graduate medical
education, Nichols
worked her way up to
chief of staff at
Mesa General
Hospital in Arizona,
where she
established
end-of-life care
guidelines after an
elderly patient
requested that his
physician turn off
the ventilator
keeping the patient
alive.
“We
didn’t have any
policies in place
regarding
end-of-life care,”
Nichols said in her
AOA profile. “There
was nothing like
this being taught at
that time in any
medical school.”
Among
her priorities since
becoming president
of the AOA in July
2010, Nichols is
focusing on health
system reform,
private practice
support for
osteopathic
physicians and
providing adequate
support and
opportunities for
osteopathic graduate
medical education
programs.
“She has
consistently led the
profession in
pursuit of quality
OGME programs,” said
Keith Watson, D.O.,
associate dean for
academic affairs.
“Most recently, she
has promoted the
goal of expanding
OGME positions for
the profession
through professional
teamwork and
strategic
initiatives.”
During her
presidency, Watson
said, Nichols has
appeared before the
AACOM Board of Deans
and many other
groups to promote
effective OGME
matching processes
and student support
in their pursuit of
OGME residencies.
“She has worked
tirelessly during
her Presidency to
promote uniformity
in the graduate
medical education
accreditation
standards and to
facilitate
streamlined
processes for DO
graduates who seek
specialty board
certification and
continuing medical
education,” Watson
said. “We are
honored to have her
visit and speak with
our students.”
A member
of the AOA since
1981 and a member of
the AOA Board of
Trustees since 1999,
Nichols is also a
former chair of the
AOA Department of
Government Affairs
and the AOA Council
on Palliative Care
Issues.
Nichols
has served as a
member of the Board
of Trustees for the
Institute for
National Health
Policy Review; as
president of the
American College of
Osteopathic
Internists;
president of the
Arizona Osteopathic
Medical Association;
and as a member of
the Illinois
Osteopathic Medical
Society.
Nichols
has received many
honors and awards
including Fellow of
the Institute of
Medicine-Chicago;
the first AOMA
Physician of the
Year; AOA Mentor
Hall of Fame
Inductee; the
Outstanding
Achievement Award
from the MWU/CCOM
Alumni Association
Board of Governors;
recipient of the
IOMS Distinguished
Service Award; and
the Clinician of the
Year from Mesa
General Hospital.
