President and CEO Jay S. Feldstein, DO '81, was joined recently by Robert Bassett, DO '06, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). On the PCOM Perspectives podcast, they discuss Bassett's extensive experience in military medicine, why so many doctors of osteopathic medicine serve in the armed forces, and how Feldstein's and Bassett's shared specialty of emergency medicine continues to evolve.
PLAY PCOM PERSPECTIVES: Osteopathic Medicine and the MilitaryThough he doesn't mention it frequently, Robert Bassett, DO '06, FAAEM, FCPP, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at PCOM and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, is adopted. His adopted father and grandfather both attended the United States Military Academy at West Point.
When Bassett's wife, Blair Hontz, DO '07, purchased a DNA test kit, Bassett met blood relatives based on the results and discovered that his genetic family also comes from a long line of Army members.
“Metaphorically and literally, it's in my blood,” he said.
Bassett accepted his commission as a second lieutenant in 2002 when he earned a health professionals scholarship from the Army. For the next four years, he served reserved duty while earning his medical degree at PCOM.
In 2010, he was deployed with the 86th Combat Support Hospital to Baghdad, Iraq, to work at the Level III hospital facility during Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing care to injured soldiers for six months. He saw combat again in 2021, when he was deployed to a forward combat outpost in Syria. During this three-month tour, Bassett was part of a resuscitative surgical team that provided medical care for local communities.
As he discusses on the podcast, Bassett worked with PCOM to obtain equipment that would be sent to Syria. At the outpost, Bassett helped train American medics and soldiers from the Syrian Democratic Forces, increasing their readiness and confidence. During this deployment, he received several Army Commendation medals.
“We got to train a lot of Syrian Democratic Forces medics—that were partner forces with us—on PCOM equipment,” he said. “It was a really special privilege to do that.”
As fellow emergency medicine physicians, Feldstein and Bassett discussed training and practice in the specialty. Feldstein, who worked in a Level I trauma center for a decade, felt burnt out with the intensity level. In retrospect, he said he would consider a dual residency, such as with internal medicine or pediatrics.
“Because if and when you burn out, you can shift easily into an outpatient setting in one of those fields,” Feldstein said. “And I still give that advice today.”
Bassett added that emergency medicine provides tremendous leadership training, calling physicians in the ER “social chameleons.”
“You're used to working in teams, you're used to multitasking, you triage all the time—what's important, what's not important—you're good at making decisions without all the information,” he said. “And you work across every medical specialty and every member of the healthcare team in a hospital, so it really is good training for leadership.”
In addition to his role as a professor, Bassett is faculty advisor for the Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) at PCOM, guiding osteopathic medical students who plan to enter military service as doctors.
With PCOM having a long tradition of graduates who serve the country, Bassett said that, as a student, he already “had an amazing network of connections of DOs who were in the military and getting a sense, early on, of how their careers were different because of their osteopathic influence.”
To hear the full conversation or listen to past episodes of PCOM Perspectives, visit Spotify, Soundcloud or the Office of the President.
For the past 125 years, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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