Adapt to Survive
I have always found the concept of evolution and change fascinating. The fact that a group or a business can go from a thriving enterprise to extinction in a short period of time is not uncommon. Have you been to a Blockbuster store or purchased something from Kodak recently?
The Red Queen Hypothesis states that all organisms must constantly adapt and evolve simply to survive in an ever-changing environment. This phenomenon is derived from a line in Lewis Carroll's novel, Through the Looking Glass. In her explanation to Alice on the reality of Looking Glass Land, the Red Queen said, “Now here you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.” This hypothesis is extremely relevant to organisms, businesses, organizations and the field of medicine as well.
One example of the evolutionally change is the diversity of today’s medical students. The demographics of our land of opportunity are rapidly evolving, and it is a welcomed opportunity that our profession follows suit. Today's medical students come from all walks of life, race, creed, culture, beliefs and religion. These qualities should be welcomed and celebrated and are a point of pride for our profession. Desmond Tutu said, “We inhabit a universe characterized by diversity.” How true and beautiful these words are. One of the central tenants of the osteopathic philosophy is treating the whole person, body to soul. And having diverse physicians, whom patients can relate to and feel comfortable with, is crucial.
Last week I was at a pre-SOMA meeting at a local university. The audience was quite diverse, and I made it clear that we welcome students from all cultures and backgrounds. Afterward a student from Pakistan told me that he was totally unprepared for my comments. He was shocked that an “older white male” would espouse such beliefs. I told him diversity is what has always made this country great, and in the field of osteopathic medicine, we welcome anyone who works hard. Diversity makes us all better. I also teased him, suggesting maybe he should examine his stereotypes about “old white men.” We both laughed, and he stated that he was going to seriously consider a career in osteopathic medicine — something he had never thought about before.
Hopefully this President’s Blog, which will appear every two weeks, will spark new thinking, enhance communication amongst our membership, highlight what makes us unique, keep everyone informed about the changing healthcare landscape and ultimately, bring us all closer. To further evolve and equip our FOMA membership with information to adapt and survive, we are also working on some new member resources that will cover practice management topics and more.
I’m excited about this year and energized by the evolution of our profession and the opportunities before us. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for additional topics you would like to see covered. More in two weeks!
James Voirin, DO, FAAFP
FOMA President
I have always found the concept of evolution and change fascinating. The fact that a group or a business can go from a thriving enterprise to extinction in a short period of time is not uncommon. Have you been to a Blockbuster store or purchased something from Kodak recently?
The Red Queen Hypothesis states that all organisms must constantly adapt and evolve simply to survive in an ever-changing environment. This phenomenon is derived from a line in Lewis Carroll's novel, Through the Looking Glass. In her explanation to Alice on the reality of Looking Glass Land, the Red Queen said, “Now here you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.” This hypothesis is extremely relevant to organisms, businesses, organizations and the field of medicine as well.
One example of the evolutionally change is the diversity of today’s medical students. The demographics of our land of opportunity are rapidly evolving, and it is a welcomed opportunity that our profession follows suit. Today's medical students come from all walks of life, race, creed, culture, beliefs and religion. These qualities should be welcomed and celebrated and are a point of pride for our profession. Desmond Tutu said, “We inhabit a universe characterized by diversity.” How true and beautiful these words are. One of the central tenants of the osteopathic philosophy is treating the whole person, body to soul. And having diverse physicians, whom patients can relate to and feel comfortable with, is crucial.
Last week I was at a pre-SOMA meeting at a local university. The audience was quite diverse, and I made it clear that we welcome students from all cultures and backgrounds. Afterward a student from Pakistan told me that he was totally unprepared for my comments. He was shocked that an “older white male” would espouse such beliefs. I told him diversity is what has always made this country great, and in the field of osteopathic medicine, we welcome anyone who works hard. Diversity makes us all better. I also teased him, suggesting maybe he should examine his stereotypes about “old white men.” We both laughed, and he stated that he was going to seriously consider a career in osteopathic medicine — something he had never thought about before.
Hopefully this President’s Blog, which will appear every two weeks, will spark new thinking, enhance communication amongst our membership, highlight what makes us unique, keep everyone informed about the changing healthcare landscape and ultimately, bring us all closer. To further evolve and equip our FOMA membership with information to adapt and survive, we are also working on some new member resources that will cover practice management topics and more.
I’m excited about this year and energized by the evolution of our profession and the opportunities before us. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for additional topics you would like to see covered. More in two weeks!
James Voirin, DO, FAAFP
FOMA President