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Nathan (D.O. 鈥�20) and Shelby (D.O. 鈥�20) Tripod are sticking close to home. The couple, who met as medical students in NYITCOM-Arkansas鈥� inaugural graduating class in 2020, are both Arkansas natives. They married while still in medical school and did their residencies together in Oklahoma at the McAlester Regional Health Center. 鈥淩esidency was one of the most fun times of my life,鈥� says Nathan. 鈥淚 was able to work with my wife in the clinic every Monday and Tuesday. I worked with her in the hospital, and I got to see her doing her thing and hear from everyone else how awesome she was. Nothing is cooler.鈥�

^{Nathan and Shelby Tripod}

Having gone through medical school as a pair both say they can hardly imagine doing it any other way. 鈥淥ur first dates were all study dates. Once I was driving home after dropping him off and I just thought, 鈥楾his might be the man for me,鈥欌�� Shelby remembers. 鈥淲e connected on so many things, but our shared love of medicine really allowed us to push each other to be better physicians.鈥�

Inseparable from their early days of medical school, the decision to build a professional life together seemed like the natural next step. While they grew up in different communities, Shelby and Nathan knew they wanted to stay in Arkansas to be close to family and work in a community where they felt they could make a difference. After finishing their residencies, they returned to Jonesboro and joined the St. Bernards Hospital System, one of NYITCOM鈥檚 most valuable clinic partners. Being from Arkansas and having trained at NYITCOM-Arkansas, they are familiar with the specific challenges faced by the local population. 鈥淭his is a population with a lot of farmers and factory workers; people can鈥檛 take the time to go to the doctor, and it is just not a common habit,鈥� says Shelby. 鈥淭hese are people who haven鈥檛 always trusted doctors because of negative experiences; some have never even been to a doctor. It is a privilege to help them and change their perceptions.鈥�

According to the Tripods, when treating people, it is just as important to grasp their attitudes and ethics as it is to be familiar with their challenges. 鈥淣o man sees himself as being better than anyone else here, and it鈥檚 important to understand that when you鈥檙e seeing patients,鈥� he says. He also finds the osteopathic philosophy particularly helpful with the population. 鈥淔or people with high cholesterol and blood pressure who didn鈥檛 grow up going to the doctor or taking medications, it can be hard to start them on five new medications one day. So, if you can provide something with your hands, say, 鈥楲et鈥檚 start slow and help with your back pain,鈥� that can help instill trust.鈥�

Excited to return to Arkansas, the Tripods admit that part of the appeal was returning to where they first met. 鈥淏eing a part of that inaugural class really taught us how to be adaptable,鈥� says Shelby. 鈥淭hat was such a huge honor for both of us.鈥�

By Alix Sobler