Name:  Elizabeth Zmuda

Year at OU-COM:  MS II

Curricular Track: CPC
 

Spouse:  Erik Zmuda

Hometown:  I don’t have one to claim…I’ve moved my whole life

Undergraduate Institution:  University of Dayton

Favorite Quote:
   "Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans… be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy".     -Max Ehrmann

Hobbies or Interests: Running Marathons

Favorite thing to do in Athens:  Enjoy the beautiful scenery on a long run

Areas of medicine you plan to practice:

I don’t really know what area of medicine that I plan to go into. Right now it is all so intriguing to me that I can’t decide. I have a lot of experience in emergency medicine; however, I also value the preventative medicine and continual care that you can find in a Primary Care setting. I imagine that one field will catch my attention over any other when I enter my rotations.

What made you decide to pursue a career in osteopathic medicine vs allopathic?

I chose Osteopathic Medicine because I strongly believe in the concept of treating the patient as a whole person. I believe that if health care is approached in a manner that considers the interrelationship of the body systems, you can achieve an overall better picture of health for that patient. If I am able to recognize how an illness or injury affects other areas of a patient’s life, I will better understand what other factors I need to consider in order to help that patient achieve a full recovery. I also value the additional tool of manipulation that D.O.s utilize as an aid in both diagnosis and treatment. It provides yet another advantage over our allopathic counterparts, and allows us to get a better overall picture of how systems of the body are interacting and how they may be reflected in that patient.

Overall, I think the CPC curriculum is a strong curriculum. It challenges students to correlate basic science with clinical scenarios, which leads to a better overall understanding of the processes of the body. I value the opportunity to work in a small group setting in CBL to sort through some of the more difficult concepts, yet I also enjoy having the opportunity to learn in a lecture setting. The only weakness I see in the curriculum is that it is new, and consequently there are details that may be overlooked. Sometimes nobody knows exactly how to approach a new situation because we have never done it before. On the other hand, it keeps things interesting!

ECC’s are my favorite part of my medical education, and the area that I feel that I learn the most in. I love having the chance to spend one on one time with a physician and challenge my knowledge in a clinical setting. I especially like when the preceptors know what we are studying and try to correlate those concepts with what we are seeing in the clinic. The preceptors that I have worked with have allowed me to get involved and practice my H&P skills, so it helps me keep my clinical skills up to speed. ECC’s also help me keep my eye on the goal. It reminds me that there is a reason that I’m studying so hard in the classroom.

Patients are beginning to expect a personal approach to their care, and consequently, physicians must consider all of the social, economical, and emotional factors that affect that individual’s health. As Osteopaths, we know that each of these factors can play an important role in the well being of our patients, and unless we address each of them, we can expect less than a full recovery from the ailment. Yes, allopathic physicians can take a similar approach to their patient care if they choose to; however, I believe that in order to fully exemplify this concept, it is valuable to surround oneself with other individuals who have similar viewpoints. Doing so allows students to challenge each other in what they believe, and work towards a common goal. This is especially effective at OUCOM because the environment with students and faculty is very supportive.




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