NSUCO - The Visionary Fall 2010

the VISIONARY • Summer/Fall 2010 3 A Message from the HPD Chancellor: Frederick Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D. When His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, visited the NSU campus on February 23, 2010, I had the opportunity to correlate some of the very wise statements he presented to the nearly 4,500 audience members sitting in the Don Taft Uni- versity Center to the NSU Health Professions Division (HPD). The aspect that really struck me in regard to the en- tire HPD was his very articulate way of using the word we . He didn’t refer to you , to me , or to them . He referred to the concept of oneness and how we are all the same; therefore, we all must use the word we . As I relate this concept to the manner in which we carry forth the direction and mission of Dr. Morton Terry, the founder of the NSU Health Professions Division, the word we is very important because no single physician or other health care provider should be more important than an- other. Similarly, these professionals should all work in tan- dem with each other’s abilities and knowledge. The paramount tenet of health care service is based upon the fact that health providers use concepts of we rather than the concepts of me, I, or you. So when you really think about the structure of the Health Professions Division, the brilliance of Dr. Terry’s belief that health professionals should get to know each other as practitioners and providers of care to the general population was truly prophetic. Because, when you get right down to it, the more we know about each other, the more we become we rather than me, I, or you. The Dalai Lama’s riveting oration, which related to many other issues such as individual responsibility, the concept of world community, peace, justice, and liberty, really struck me as I was sitting there and recognizing the fact that the principles of osteopathic medicine were really, in a sense, attested to by the words of a very kind and brilliant repre- sentative of the Buddhist teachings. The Dalai Lama is a man of exceptional intellect, and he exudes moral strength and positivity. His message is something all individuals should take to heart. He spoke of the negativity of anger and addressed the sense of healing and strength that comes from possessing the power to forgive. He also discussed intellect and the importance of educa- tion, which is a major feature of enhancing human growth. But he also reminded us that there needs to be an inner balance—an ability to know yourself and love yourself. His words reminded me of some of the private conversations I had with Dr. Terry, who passed away in 2004. He used to tell me, “You really have to learn to like yourself before you can ask other people to gain your trust and follow you.” It’s not about telling yourself, “Hey, I’m a great guy or a great gal.” It’s a matter of intrinsically knowing yourself and un- derstanding that in order to like yourself, you have to deal with some of flawed characteristics you possess—flaws you personally identify. Although this is not the first time I’ve heard the Dalai Lama speak, I again found myself stirred by his words, even though many of the philosophies he expressed are not new. However, being there amidst his spiritual aura caused me to reflect on the multiple features of being a health care provider and brought me back to some of the cogent com- ments made by Dr. Terry. Whenever there was a meeting of the Committee on Admissions, Dr. Terry used to tell the members to “think about this applicant and decide whether you would want him or her to be your doctor.” What was he really saying? Was he telling the committee members to look at the applicant and discover whether they thought this person was going to become the best stu- dent, the best surgeon, or the best optometrist? I don’t think so. In my opinion, Dr. Terry was telling the committee members to pick the person they thought could best un- derstand him or herself and be able to freely share their knowledge while exhibiting a true sense of compassion for a patient. Great people motivate us. It’s what His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, does—and it’s what Dr. Terry continues to do through the many words of wisdom he shared with those of us lucky enough to have known him. Dr. Lippman Reflects on the Dalai Lama’s Visit to NSU