D.O. or Die: Identity Negotiation among Osteopathic Medical Students

• In Event: Training future physicians: Adding communication to the tool kit

Abstract

Doctors of Osteopathy (D.O.s) have historically struggled for professional legitimacy. Specific sites of identity negotiation can be found within osteopathic medical student culture. This study examines the process of negotiating professional identity by focusing on the experiences of osteopathic medical students. By merging current literature on identity negotiation from health and organizational communication, the researchers highlight the complex relationship between the discursive construction of professional identity and the material consequences of becoming a D.O.

Authors

• Stephanie Norander, Missouri State University

• Joseph Mazer, Ohio University

• Benjamin Bates, Ohio University