First: Do no harm
OU-COM teams up with State Medical Board to train ethical physicians

By Anita Martin
Photos by John Sattler

Soon after receiving their short white coats, the class of 2012 will do something they had hoped to avoid throughout their careers: appear before the State Medical Board of Ohio (SMB).

Each month, as part of OU-COM’s Partners in Professionalism Series, a small group of first-year students attends a Columbus board meeting, where they observe errant physicians defending their licenses.

The partnership—the first of its kind in Ohio and among few nationwide—was launched in fall 2007.

“It’s all about professionalism,” says Dean Jack Brose, D.O. “Students should know policies and requirements so they can avoid violations. But we also want them to understand that the board is there to help physicians and improve public health care.”

This exercise in real-life ethics offers moments of poignant, unscripted education. At one recent meeting, a probationer stood before the board. To fuel his workaholic lifestyle, the physician—who managed emergency medicine full time at one hospital and moonlighted at three others—began abusing the prescription drug Ritalin. During his statement, he turned to speak directly to the white-clad OU-COM students at the back of the room.

“This has been an essential education for me,” he said, referring to his probation and rehabilitation. “I still love the ER, but life is not only about being a doctor. That job is to be taken seriously, but you have to live a balanced lifestyle.”

The SMB hopes to expand educational partnerships in Ohio. With limited seating at meetings, the SMB is looking into electronic resources, such as videotaping sessions, for distribution among state medical schools.

Medical students may be years from licensure, but board member Anita Steinbergh, D.O., insists it’s never too early to think about professionalism and ethics. “We’re very focused on the needs of young people in medicine and preventing them from getting into trouble. This (partnership) is a great opportunity to make a difference in their lives.”