LOS ANGELES — Doctors should take time with each patient to address the mind-body connection, and teaching basic breathing and relaxation exercises are worth the effort — for both doctors and their patients.
“One-Minute Mindfulness,” one of the many topics found at this year’s Scientific Medical Seminar in Anaheim, Calif., was crafted around this premise. The conference, organized by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians of California, will be held Aug. 4 to Aug. 7 at the Disneyland Hotel. In its 40th year, the conference is expected to draw more than 700 doctors.
Presented by Dr. Moses Nasser during a series of talks and workshops at the Los Angeles conference, “One-Minute Mindfulness” challenges doctors of osteopathy (DOs) to do a little soul-searching of their own, and reconnect with the things that brought them to the medical profession in the first place. Dr. Moses is a licensed and board-certified osteopathic family physician whose website doctormoses.com features a series of spiritual meditations, resources for wellness, and a lot about Dr. Moses himself.
That’s because Dr. Moses considers himself more than his profession. That passion is reflected in his talks, which also incorporate music and personal anecdotes.
“Doctors have lost their passion for helping people,” said Dr. Moses. “My goal is to challenge them to go back to that place where they were really passionate about helping people and were not so distracted by the responsibilities of life and money, and the business of medicine.”
Not that physicians are necessarily the root cause of the issue. Dr. Moses’s talk is a response to “Defensive Medicine,” which many physicians practice, due to the increasing demands of bureaucracy and the threat of lawsuits, he said.
“The business of medicine has overtaken medicine,” he said. “Instead of practicing the art of medicine, they’re practicing the business of medicine, and protecting themselves. It’s no longer about the patient, but just about protecting ourselves.
“So we need to turn our attention back to the patient. It doesn’t take long. It doesn’t take a whole shift in your business model to make eye contact with your patient and offer a sincere smile.”
While Dr. Moses is talking about small steps that individual practices can incorporate on their own, the industry itself is beginning to see a shift in the direction of the “mindfulness” approach. The American Osteopathic Association announced in June that it has awarded researchers $1 million to conduct trials around pain management and chronic diseases. The grants will serve as a means to collaborate with scientists on conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis, and even therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.
This type of research is an indication that the industry is undergoing a shift toward the mindful approach that his movement represents.
Dr. Moses’s talk will take place on Thursday at 1:45 p.m. and he will be leading a guided meditation on Friday at 3:45 p.m. All conference sessions are good for continuing medical education credits.
To learn more about the conference, or if you’re a doctor and would like to attend the conference, visit acofpca.org.
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About Doctor Moses
Moses Nasser learned physiology, music composition, and salsa dancing at UCLA. He then attended Western University and did his osteopathic family medicine training at Doctors Hospital Montclair and Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. He went on to combine his family practice with OMT, guided meditation, weight loss, and wellness. Four years ago, he took leave from private practice to study music at Citrus College and to study improv and acting in Los Angeles. He is now a toilet yoga master on YouTube.
Dr. Moses is a healing artist. Drawing on the experience of doing OMT with guided meditation, he is a creator of spiritual guided meditations for relaxation and healing, and is passionate about writing beautiful music for the meditations. His sacred art is based on prior unity, ego-transcending spirituality, responsibility, and love.
Dr. Moses now works urgent care and is the director of urgent care, customer service, and employee wellness for Pinnacle Medical Group.
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