State group picks local man as 'Doctor of the Year'

An Ardmore physician has been named “Doctor of the Year” by the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association.
The OOA presented Dr. Thomas W. McCulloh with the award at the group’s 108th annual convention, last month in Oklahoma City.
The award recognizes an osteopathic physician who has shown exemplary leadership qualities in his or her profession, demonstrates high moral characteristics and is highly respected among their colleagues and peers.
McCulloh, who graduated from Ardmore High School, attended the University of Oklahoma and pursued graduate studies at the University of Central Oklahoma. He continued his education as a member of the first graduating class of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa, earning his medical degree in 1977.
After completing an internship at the Garden City Hospital in Garden City, Mich., McCulloh was in general practice for three years in Skiatook. He was then selected to complete a family practice residency at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, where he was chief resident in the department of family medicine.
In 1983, McCulloh returned to Ardmore to practice family medicine. In the mid-1990s, he started the Good Shepherd Clinic in Ardmore, offering free medical services to those who could not afford health care in his community. Today, this clinic has expanded to include several physicians and providers volunteering their time and resources and continues to provide free care for Southern Oklahoma.
McCulloh resides in Ardmore with his wife, Laurel.
There are approximately 1,540 doctors of osteopathic medicine in the state of Oklahoma practicing in 69 of 77 counties. Oklahoma DOs practice in all areas of medicine from neurology to sports medicine to emergency medicine. DOs complete four years of medical training and continue their education in postgraduate internships and residencies. As complete physicians, DOs are able to prescribe medication and perform surgery.
In addition, DOs have added training in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, a hands-on treatment tool that they can use to diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. OMM can be used in conjunction with and sometimes in place of medication or surgery to restore mobility and function.