Practicing the DO Philosophy Through Global Health
By Sabrina Andrei, OMS-2 and Natalie Coomer, OMS-2 丨 July 9, 2025
From the very beginning of medical school, we are taught the four foundational principles of osteopathic medicine:
These tenets shape our learning in lectures and through OSCEs (objective structured clinical examination), but early in our training, actual clinical exposure is still limited. This summer, rising second-year osteopathic medical students (OMS) Sabrina Andrei and Natalie Coomer had the chance to bring these principles to life during a medical mission trip to Honduras.
Partnering with Humanity and Hope (H&H) and Ascension St. Vincent residents and physicians on their global health rotation, we experienced firsthand what it means to treat the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Our roles varied throughout the week: registration, triage, intake, and pharmacy. By the end of each day, we were walking patients through their entire clinic visit, building trust, and providing care from start to finish.
This trip wasn’t just about practicing clinical skills. It was about applying what we’ve learned to educate, serve, and prevent future complications.
One of the biggest lessons from this experience was seeing how seamlessly the osteopathic philosophy aligns with global health work. Over five days, we traveled to five different communities, each with unique challenges.
As medical students, we registered patients, took vitals, conducted intakes, presented cases to residents or attendings, and helped distribute prescribed medications. Many patients were dealing with more than just physical symptoms. Poverty and a lack of access to care also contributed to emotional and financial distress.
Practicing in these settings demanded a truly holistic approach. The mind-body-spirit connection wasn’t just theoretical—it was essential. Every clinic became an exercise in compassion, trust-building, and truly seeing each patient in full. Healing, especially in resource-limited environments, cannot happen apart from a patient’s broader life context.
As student doctors, we were encouraged to really know our patients—beyond their symptoms. One patient that stood out to me was a young mother and her daughter. I was working intake that day and taking their medical histories.
The mother told me she believed she had the flu, but her only symptom was fatigue. That didn’t align with a typical viral infection, so I started to ask more lifestyle-related questions—about her diet, sleep, and work. She told me she runs her own clothing business from home, but lately, her fatigue had made it nearly impossible to work.
It was clear she took great pride in her work, and being unable to function normally was affecting her emotionally. We kept talking, and she shared that she had recently stopped using contraception and had experienced abnormal menstrual cycles since. I suspected the fatigue could be related to hormonal changes, which in turn were impacting her mental health.
In this case, the interrelatedness of the body was unmistakable. Her physical symptoms and mental wellbeing were closely tied, and I was reminded again of how important it is to treat the whole person.
Each clinic day began with educational sessions for both adults and children. Adults learned about chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Children learned about recognizing and talking about their emotions.
Understanding physical and mental health is important for any patient—but especially critical for those with limited access to care. Getting to these villages wasn’t easy. Some required hours-long bus rides; others demanded navigating rough terrain, crossing rivers, and even walking across a swinging wooden bridge.
These same obstacles apply to the local residents and healthcare teams. That’s why education and prevention are so crucial. By helping patients understand how to prevent disease, we’re giving them tools that can make a real difference—especially when consistent medical access isn’t a given. Education is a core value of osteopathic training, and during this trip, it proved essential to providing healthcare on a global scale.
Education and prevention—central to H&H’s mission—mirror the osteopathic emphasis on treating root causes and promoting wellness.
We gave presentations on how chronic illnesses affect the body and led skits for children about expressing emotions, with help from translators. One memorable encounter was with a 62-year-old man who worked daily on a cattle farm. He had chronic back and leg pain and was self-medicating with Azithromycin—an antibiotic—because a neighbor said it could treat “anything.”
That moment was a powerful reminder that access to medications isn’t enough. Patients also need the knowledge to use them properly. We explained why Azithromycin wasn’t the right treatment and suggested alternatives. Even though it was a small conversation, we hope it sparked broader change within the community.
This experience will remain a cornerstone of our medical education.
Serving five Honduran communities gave us the opportunity to apply the osteopathic principles we’ve learned in the classroom. From the very first day, we were welcomed into communities full of warmth and gratitude, and each patient reminded us why we chose this profession: to serve, to listen, and to heal.
Every patient encounter deepened our understanding of holistic care. We strongly encourage other first-year students to consider this opportunity. It’s more than a mission trip—it’s a transformational journey that will challenge and inspire you. You’ll grow as a caregiver, as a listener, and as a future physician with empathy, purpose, and a clearer vision of the doctor you want to become.
Natalie Coomer, OMS-2
Natalie Coomer is also a second-year medical student at Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine with a background in biology from Ball State University. She is especially interested in Internal Medicine, patient education, rural health, and providing holistic care to medically underserved communities.
Sabrina Andrei, OMS-2
Sabrina Andrei is a second-year medical student at Marian University Wood College of Osteopathic Medicine. She studied neuroscience at the University of Michigan and is passionate about Psychiatry, global health, education, and holistic, patient-centered care. Sabrina is committed to improving access to mental health services and promoting quality care worldwide.
Visit myMU