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61-year-old graduates medical school

Clarence Nicodemus, DO, PhD, is ready to take his interest in spine research to the next level.

By Myrle Croasdale, amednews staff. June 21, 2004.

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Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine just graduated the oldest medical student in its history: Clarence Nicodemus, DO, PhD, 61.

Like many MSUCOM graduates, Dr. Nicodemus, known as Nic to his colleagues and friends, is starting an osteopathic general internship this month. Next year, he will do a residency in neuromusculoskeletal medicine, the manual manipulation of the body.

His age put him in the category of nontraditional medical student, but Dr. Nicodemus is a nontraditionalist in other ways as well.

Retirement is not on his agenda. He started medical school at 57, an age when most people are either content in a well-established career or simply doing time until they can quit working.

"My definition of retirement is doing what you want to do, and this is what I want to do," Dr. Nicodemus said.

He's aiming for a clinical practice doing nonsurgical treatment of back pain, combined with research and teaching.

"That's the payback I want to give to my profession," Dr. Nicodemus said. "I'm really grateful for having been given this opportunity. In return I want to step up to the plate and immediately do research on ways treatments in the area of osteopathic manipulation work."

This passion grew out of his former career as a biomechanical engineer. As director of spine research at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, he spent seven years working alongside orthopedic surgeons, exploring how the spine functions and developing instruments to repair spine damage. Then he became interested in finding nonsurgical ways to treat back pain.