Dyer’s lasting legacy after 30 years at OSU-CHS

Friday, August 16, 2024

Media Contact: Sara Plummer | Communications Coordinator | 918-561-1282 | sara.plummer@okstate.edu

A lot of people become physicians because they want to help people. And many health care professionals go into the field because they or someone in their family have had a personal experience with a doctor or nurse.

Those are the very reasons Dr. Robin Dyer wanted to be a physician, but few have made the immeasurable impact she has on the OSU Center for Health Sciences, its students, her colleagues and the field of osteopathic medicine for the past 30 years. 

Medicine wasn’t even her first career. Dyer had just finished her master’s degree in music education and was teaching band in Newcastle, Oklahoma, when her father had a medical emergency.

“I had been with my dad when he suffered a heart attack, and I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, he survived so when I came home I learned CPR, but that just didn’t seem like enough,” she said. “A friend’s husband, who was an osteopathic medicine intern, convinced me that I should think about going back to college to take prerequisites for medical school.”

Dyer said she knew she wanted to be a D.O., or doctor of osteopathic medicine, because she had been treated with osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) in high school, a specialty only taught at osteopathic medical schools. When she interviewed with the Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine, which became OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM) during her first year in medical school, she knew she was in the right place.

Dyer graduated from medical school in 1992, then was co-chief intern at what is now OSU Medical Center for a year before going into private practice in Tulsa practicing OMM and family medicine. She also returned to the classroom teaching OMM and clinical skills at her alma mater.

“What is there not to love about teaching? You are trying to pass on to others your love of whatever your passion is. For me, that was OMM. I simply love the ability OMM gives D.O.s to help people immediately feel better, simply by using your hands and your listening skills. I’ve always hoped I could ignite that love in my students,” she said.

Dr. Janell Largent was one of those students. She remembers being fascinated by OMM when she first saw it performed and eventually decided that’s the specialty she would practice. 

“As a student, I so appreciated the structural aspects or the mechanics of the body because they made so much sense to me. And Dr. Dyer was one of my favorite professors. You can trust what she says and what she says is probably always right,” said Largent, who graduated from OSU-COM in 2016 and now works alongside Dyer at OSU Medicine’s OMM Clinic. “She is funny, hardworking and a bright spot for those around her. She fosters growth in you and others and then trusts you to do what you are capable of. She still gives advice that is probably right all the time.”

After more than 30 years teaching at OSU-COM and practicing OMM at OSU Medicine, Dyer is retiring at the end of August.

“I decided about a year ago that it was time to retire. It was a much harder decision than one would think. I love this school. It has afforded me such opportunities that I could never have imagined,” Dyer said. 

Dr. Dennis Blankenship, dean of OSU-COM, and Dr. Natasha Bray, dean of the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, both had Dyer as an instructor when they were medical students, and both refer to her as a mentor.

“She is a kind, talented physician who cares deeply about her patients and her students. She shows great dedication, loyalty and devotion to the osteopathic profession and to OSU-COM,” Blankenship said. “She has been a great mentor to me and countless other physicians and educators throughout the years. She’s also a great historian of the osteopathic profession and our school.”

Bray said Dyer’s contributions go beyond the classroom as she also served as dean of Academic Affairs and chair of the OMM Department.

“Dr. Dyer’s extensive career at OSU-COM highlights her dedication to advancing medical education, supporting student development and contributing to the field of osteopathic medicine with a heart that is bigger than any other,” Bray said. “She truly is an instructor that has changed the trajectory of many students’ lives, in the best way possible.”

Third-year medical student Rylee Dunlap said she didn’t know much about OMM before coming to OSU-COM, but Dyer and the OMM team opened her eyes to the skill and practice.

“From day one, Dr. Dyer has made a positive impact on my learning as a medical student. The passion that she displays for OMM and medicine in general is exceptional, and she embodies everything that OSU-COM stands for,” Dunlap said. “I love the way she is bold, confident and puts her patients at ease because she is so knowledgeable and a true expert in her craft. I’ve learned how to be confident in my skills through her example. She is a legend, and I hope to one day gain half of the knowledge that she possesses.”

Dyer said after she retires it will be the people she misses the most.

“I will miss all my friends — the faculty and staff — that I have made over the past 30 years. I will definitely miss the students. It is so fun and rewarding to watch them go from interview day to their white coat ceremony to the first two years of classes then into rotations and finally graduation. The next thing you know you are referring patients to them, or you are going to your former students as their patient, or working alongside them as a peer,” she said. “That’s probably one of the most rewarding things you can imagine. I feel like we have succeeded in training them to want to give back to our college.”

Bray said she will miss Dyer’s expertise and wisdom that she is always willing to share, and the love she has for medicine and teaching.

“Her influence has shaped the culture of OSU-CHS, fostering an environment of excellence, collaboration and compassion. Her legacy could include not just the students she has taught and mentored, but also the broader impact on the medical community through her professional connections and contributions,” she said. “Her departure, while a significant change, also provides an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the lasting impact she has made on the institution and its community.”

Largent said Dyer has had a significant impact on her as a teacher and role model, showing her how to be both a strong and kind physician. 

“Without her, I may have never learned the skill that has become my passion. She has always helped ground and guide me, whether or not she knows it,” she said. “She has touched more lives than I can count. And while she is irreplaceable, we will all try to do her proud.”