AUTHOR BIO

Daniel B. Brubaker, DO, obtained his Doctorate of Osteopathy (DO) from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1974. His postgraduate training (residency) was at the University of Pittsburgh Health Center in pathology. He completed three American Board of Pathology certifications. He spent thirty years in academic medicine at Oklahoma University Health Science Center, University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, and University of California, San Francisco. He has written in several medical journals, chapters in textbooks, and nonfiction books.

A doctor of osteopathic medicine is a fully trained and licensed doctor. A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine graduates from an American osteopathic medical school. A Doctor of Medicine (MD) graduates from a traditional medical school. DOs have the same traditional courses in medicine as MDs and additional training in neuromuscular medicine. Osteopathic manual therapy focuses on relieving pain and tension in the musculoskeletal system. DOs are fully licensed physicians who practice in all areas and specialties of medicine, and they are philosophically trained to use a whole-person approach to partner with their patients.

What does Dr. Brubaker know about grieving? Dr. Brubaker transitioned from academic medicine to private practice in 2000. Most of his practice involves patients with injuries and—to a lesser extent—general medicine, which includes patients with cancer. Injured and cancer patients undergo a grieving process, and their families do too. Dr. Brubaker has also dealt with personal and health problems. He survived stage 4 colon cancer more than twenty-two years ago, and he has had two episodes of melanoma, eight spine surgeries, and more than twenty-four surgeries and laser treatments on his eyes for glaucoma.

For Dr. Brubaker, the most difficult part of the grieving process has been the slow progression of vision loss due to advanced glaucoma.