EOPCC is not only a healthcare center- it is a teaching facility!

Eager to teach others EOPCC's mission and goals we are a host site for the following:


Medical Assisting Programs

Frederick Community College (FCC)
Kaplan College (Frederick & Hagerstown Campus')

Future Nurse Practitioners

University of Maryland

Future Doctors of Osteopathy

West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM)

 

A Personal Statement from Former Student, Heather Hanley

A smiling woman on the exam table greets me as I enter the room. She rises slowly and walks forward off-balance. I note her right shoulder and hip are higher than her left. I listen to her lungs and heart as she sits on the table and tells me about her back, left hip and leg pain. She stands and using my hands - my best tools - I palpate her spine and hips. I have her lie on her stomach. I close my eyes and move my hands over her spine. I feel displaced vertebrae and, by gentle manipulation, make the adjustment. She rolls over and I manipulate her hip joint, pulling and pushing with guidance against her own strength, to realign her pelvis. I discuss the treatment and teach her home exercises. As we exit the room, I have a smile of satisfaction. I am grateful to make a difference. I am honored she has put faith in me as her healer. An alarm wakes me; it was a dream. I get out of bed and head to my genetics class. Some day, I WILL walk into that exam room, greet my patient, and practice osteopathic medicine.
Yes, I struggled with the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” I played softball competitively and sustained many injuries. This sparked my interest in sports medicine. During an injury recovery, I read Terry Spencer’s "Kissing Doorknobs" about a girl with OCD. I hungered to learn more about mental disorders and sought employment with a psychiatrist. I observed evaluations and doctor-patient interactions. I had exposure to those plagued by mental illness and learned about mental health treatment. With agitated patients, I developed communication skills vital to forming strong relationships. This year, I observed court-ordered mental health evaluations in a jail setting and saw how these same skills are applied in an unconventional, raw and rough, environment. From these experiences, I strengthened my communication skills that will be useful with my own patients.
Once, I considered veterinary medicine a career option. I worked at an animal hospital for a year. I missed the human interaction and re-evaluated my goals. While in my dorm room, my roommate commented on my ability to “crack” multiple joints, beside my knuckles, and manipulate the joints of others. (This is something I discovered how to do at a young age and even wanted to create a prosthetic hand that could be manipulated.) When I expressed my interest to a family friend, he suggested osteopathic medicine as the integration of my interest in joint manipulation and offering patients pain relief. I was intrigued and thought, “Could this be my calling?”
As I researched osteopathy, I was drawn to the holistic approach to compassionate patient care. I am excited to educate patients about prevention and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For this reason, family medicine most interests me and I want to make OMM an integral part of my practice. I have a commitment to service and want to provide healthcare to underserved populations.
This year, I am mentoring with Bonita Portier DO, who practices primary care in rural Maryland. She educates her patients about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. My experiences with her have been eye-opening and have reaffirmed my desire to practice primary care osteopathic medicine. On my first day, Dr. Portier gave me a white coat and stethoscope, and simply said, smiling, “We wash our hands after each patient.” She then opened the door to the first exam room. By the end of the day, I had listened to a heart murmur, examined the feet of a diabetic, and performed bone density screening! Each day has been a new experience, and I leave excited and encouraged.
One patient, the last of the day, significantly impacted me. A middle aged man happily greeted me. The room smelled strongly of cigarettes. As we shook hands I noticed the clubbing of his fingertips. When he spoke, I heard shortness of breath. With a stethoscope, the sounds of his lung disease were audible; a result of smoking and working in a mattress factory where he inhales “cotton snow.” Reporting his condition to his employer would cost him his job. This deeply saddened me. He puts his health at risk in the workplace so I have a mattress to sleep on! I want to be the physician providing comprehensive, compassionate, and affordable services to others like this man. Through Dr. Portier’s practice, I interact with patients from diverse backgrounds, but there is one commonality -- they all leave smiling. I want to be the one to make them smile.