"POMA Tense"

February 2025 | Vol. 69, No. 1
Written by Joseph Zawisza, DO, Chair, Publications Committee

In grade school (or perhaps you called it grammar school, which is appropriate for this editorial) one of the things we learned about was the tenses of a verb: past, present, and future. As we set out to develop a theme for this issue of the JPOMA, our theme was to be “POMA Past, Present and Future.” While we continued to refer to this issue by that theme at our committee meetings, trying to fit the content of the issue to that theme specifically became cumbersome and challenging at times. And so, after discussion, we decided to abandon the idea of rigorously trying to squeeze broad content into a potentially narrow theme. This made things a lot less tense.

However, as I reviewed submissions for publication for this issue, it became apparent that the JPOMA represents the past, present and future of POMA. I’m sure you’ll see this too. Dr. Barry Marks has shared thoughts and insight about a part of the future of Medicine that probably intimidates most of us – AI. Several submissions, including case reports and reflections, come from the doctors of tomorrow, osteopathic medical students. Meanwhile, Dr. Samuel Garloff reminds us of the origins of Medicine and how seemingly foolish thoughts of the past might not be so foolish today. Student Doctor Yasmine Saikali has suggested ways that we can advocate for our patients who experience procedural delays. I could cite all of the authors that have contributed to this issue and identify how they represent the past, present and future of POMA, but I’m sure you’ll see that as you read on.

You might be thinking, why is he naming specific authors and don’t these articles represent MEDICINE rather than POMA? That answer is simple. The authors of the JPOMA are the members of POMA. This journal is, and always has been, for you and by you, our members. The content has represented, and always will represent, the past, present and future of POMA.

With that thought in mind, I’d like to introduce you to some new content in the journal. The Vignettes section will include short stories from our readers on a specific topic. Not so coincidentally, in the first installment of this section authors talk about some of their first experiences with osteopathic medicine. Sticking with that idea, the June issue will feature your memories of your first clinical rotation.

Taking a look further in our past, in the Pages In Time section, you’ll see a page republished directly from the first issue of The Journal of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Association in 1959. I hope you enjoy seeing the what was on the minds of Pennsylvania’s osteopathic physicians of that time. Similarly, in the Everything Old Is New Again section, we’ve looked at a specific piece from the same issue and related it to an issue we face today. Lastly, for some fun, our Guess Who section will feature an osteopathic physician from Pennsylvania who we ask readers to identify. I believe our first subject embodies the past, present and future of POMA.

I’m sure all of you are familiar with the idea that history repeats itself. The familiar quote by philosopher George Santayana in 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” is one of the first expressions of this that I am aware of, although I’m willing to bet that Santayana would have admitted that this was not a new idea based on his own words. As a child, since I wanted to be a physician when I grew up and therefore preferring science over history, I didn’t really appreciate this sentiment. But as each birthday passes by, I realize more and more just how true this statement is.

Enjoy the past, present and future of POMA!