Small-town practice is just what the doctor ordered

Unlike many modern-day doctors, Samuel Detwiler makes house calls.
By REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
KINSMAN -- "Why Kinsman?"
That's the question some of Dr. Samuel Detwiler's patients are itching to ask him the very first time they show up in his examining room.
"Lots of my patients wonder why a young person with a degree in medicine would want to settle in a small town like Kinsman if they didn't grow up here. Some of my older patients look at me suspiciously. One lady even asked, in a very polite way, if I was a real doctor," Dr. Detwiler said with a chuckle.
Yes, Dr. Detwiler, 30, most definitely is a real doctor.
In fact, he graduated in 2000 from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine with marks that placed him among the top 15 percent in the nation.
He decided to practice medicine in Kinsman because he loves small-town life.
"I grew up in Hopewell, Pa., which is a farming community near Breezewood, Pa., that's even smaller than Kinsman," Dr. Detwiler said. "I always knew I wanted to be a country doctor. I love small-town life."
His inspiration
Dr. Detwiler said Hopewell's very own country doctor inspired him to pursue a medical degree.
"He was the only doctor around, and he did it all. He delivered babies and did surgeries -- you name it. His wife was his nurse, and he'd been a doctor for years and years. He wore a smock and had a nice, small office. He left quite an impression on me," Dr. Detwiler said.
Dr. Detwiler was the first person in his family to display an interest in medicine and attend college.
Before medical school, Dr. Det-wiler attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he double-majored in pre-med biology and chemistry.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Detwiler was a resident doctor at St. Joseph Health Center in Warren and at University Hospital in Cleveland.
"I was getting lots of job offers in the Warren area when I was at St. Joe's, but I turned them down. I still wanted a small-town practice," he said.
Dr. Detwiler took over the practice of Kinsman's former town doctor, Robert Waite, in July 2003 after Dr. Waite retired.
Coincidentally, Dr. Detwiler and Dr. Waite graduated from the same medical school 40 years apart.
"The irony of it is uncanny," Dr. Detwiler said. "We walked through the same buildings and sat in the same classrooms. We also seem to have similar personalities and share some of the same philosophies about medicine."
Back to basics
Dr. Detwiler says those philosophies are built around a back-to-the-basics approach to doctoring that attempts departure from emphasis on paperwork and insurance hassles.
"Sometimes being a doctor gets lost in all of the paperwork and insurance hassles that are involved in modern medicine," Dr. Detwiler said. "Sometimes it's hard to feel like you're doing what a doctor is really supposed to be doing."
Dr. Detwiler believes compassion and conversation are two of the most important ingredients in the doctor-patient relationship.
Although he was accepted to six medical schools, including Philadelphia's prestigious Jefferson Medical College (which ranks among the top 10 in the nation), Dr. Detwiler chose to enroll at Des Moines because he said the school has a reputation for a "more compassionate approach."
"You can't be a good physician without caring about people," Dr. Detwiler said. "Practicing medicine is about more than just writing a prescription. It's about listening to people."
Makes house calls
Part of Dr. Detwiler's compassionate approach includes making house calls, something very few modern-day doctors trouble themselves with.
"I worked alongside Dr. Waite for a while before I took over his practice, and I actually went on my first house call with him," Dr. Detwiler said. "Dr. Waite just grabbed his medical bag and away we went to see a patient in her home. It seemed like we were getting back to the bare basics of what being a physician is really about. I could see that the patient felt so much better and had such peace of mind. After that, I was hooked."
Of course, Dr. Detwiler can't make house calls for everybody. He reserves the service for the elderly, terminally ill patients and for children who become extremely ill during the wee hours.
"I've gone to homes in the middle of the night and called the ambulance for parents of very sick children," Dr. Detwiler said.
Besides being asked why he chose to settle in a small town such as Kinsman, patients also frequently ask Dr. Detwiler if he is Amish or ever has been Amish.
"I have a very Amish-sounding name, and lots of people wonder if I've ever been Amish -- especially my Amish patients. I tell them, 'No, I'm not Amish, and I'm not a 'Yank-over,'" Dr. Detwiler said with a laugh.
Of course, Dr. Detwiler is no stranger to the simple way of life.
Enjoys small-town life
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, Dr. Detwiler was used to country living, but the fact that he continues to live simply now that he's a full-fledged physician seems to surprise people.
"Because I am a doctor, people are always surprised that I haven't built a huge, $300,000 house, but my wife and I are staying where we are. We aren't about the big flash," Dr. Detwiler said.
Dr. Detwiler and his wife, Julie, live in a modest apartment over his office on state Route 7 in Kinsman. The building is more than 100 years old, and Dr. Detwiler has recently devoted a great deal of time renovating it.
Julie, a chiropractor who also practices in Kinsman, was Dr. Det-wiler's high school sweetheart. The two were married in 2000 and are planning to adopt a baby in the near future.
"I visited an orphanage one time, and I was never the same. We want to give a child a good home," Dr. Detwiler said.
Until then, Dr. Detwiler will keep on doctoring and keep on enjoying small-town life.
At the moment, life is good. Dr. Detwiler's practice is burgeoning with patients coming from near and far.
Worth the drive
Sandy Cornwell of Vienna said she doesn't mind driving the distance to Kinsman when she needs to see a doctor.
"It's worth it to me to drive a little farther. I worked with Dr. Det-wiler when he was at St. Joseph's, and I was very impressed with him. There were many people who wanted him to stay in Warren and open a practice there. He is very caring and he spends time listening to patients," Cornwell said.
Dr. Waite, who practiced medicine in Kinsman for 40 years before retiring, said Dr. Detwiler was the perfect choice to take over his practice.
"He's a great guy and fine physician. I had a couple other doctors looking at taking over my practice, but I knew it wouldn't work out. You have to really like small-town life to practice here. When you're a small-town doctor, the doctor-patient relationship is more personal. You get to know your patients better, but I think that makes the practice more interesting," Dr. Waite said.