Scott A. Blickensderfer, D.O., FACOS Begins His Term as President 

Scott A. Blickensderfer, D.O., FACOS began his term of service as President of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons on Friday, September 23, 2016. He addressed the audience at the Ceremonial Conclave during the 2016 Annual Clinical Assembly in Phoenix to discuss the benefits of change and assurance of leadership. 

“When I was four years old my father made a decision to change his career from pharmacy to medicine, and moved his family from Ohio to Kirksville. I started grade school there and when he graduated we moved to Grand Rapids, and I changed schools. A series of subsequent moves and specialty changes brought us back to Kirksville, after I had an opportunity to change schools four more times. Change your mind. Change of direction. Change schools. Change focus. 

I started medical school in 1983 at Kirksville wanting to be a general practitioner in Iowa, caring for farmers and their families and delivering babies. A glimpse of a trauma patient in my second year changed my appetite, and I started working towards Emergency Medicine. It did not take long to learn that the ER was not as glamourous as I had envisioned. Now a dilemma: what to do? I changed my mind three times in the last month of medical school, and finally settled on urology. Bill Davidson, D.O., Urologist at Garden City Hospital was the driving force behind that. I now could focus on a career path. I graduated in 1983. Change of pace. Change of heart. Change of leadership. 

The ensuing years are a blur. I married Janelle, my lovely wife who is an OB/GYN, in 1986. Change. Internships. Change. A baby. BIG change. Residencies in different programs. Change. From general surgery to urology. Another change. Graduate from residency and move to South Bend, Indiana. Maize and Blue to Blue and Gold. HUGE change. Two more children. Change/change. Solo practice to group practice. Change. Change your stripes. Change allegiance. Change your clothes. Winds of change. Change up. Change of life. Change for the better. Change for the worse. Change for the sake of change. Times they are a’changing. Would someone please Change the baby. 

We now face one of the greatest changes in the history of osteopathic medicine. The change to ACGME certification will test the limits of our ability to remain distinct in our philosophy as osteopathic physicians. It will test the limits of our ability to remain relevant in a changing graduate medical education environment. It will test the limits of the abilities of our program directors to change with the times, and move towards ACGME accreditation to the benefit of our residents. Change places. Change sides. Change the channel. Change the subject. Change of tack. Change of scenery. Time change. Change with the times. Short change. Small change. Do you have any spare change?

Change is all around us. For me alone, I count at least 26 major life changes in 50 years.  But amongst all these changes, amongst all these alterations, amongst all these upheavals, there is ONE thing that will remain fixed. ONE thing that will remain resolute. ONE thing that will remain Unchanged for all of us in this room: The home for Osteopathic Surgeons WILL remain The American College of Osteopathic Surgeons! Change your tune. Cool Change. Night Changes. Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes. Turn and face the strange…Chchchanges.

We, as the Board of Governors, will continue to work for the membership, collectively and individually. Our able staff, led by our energetic CEO, Linda Ayers, will continue work tirelessly to smooth the day-to-day problems encountered by the College and its members. Our committee members and discipline officers will continue to carry the burden of the work of the College, bringing to each of us a quality organization, with real and tangible benefits to all members. Nothing changes but the changes. Fear change. Resist change. Change is inevitable. Opportunity accompanies change. Embrace change. Bring about the change you want to see.

My thanks to the leaders of this College for their faith in my ability, the members and Fellows of the College for their support, the staff of the College for their unwavering assistance, my trainers for giving me the opportunity to get to this point, and to my family for allowing it to happen. I love you all.”