The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians’ (OAFP) 2017 Family Physician of the Year John (Jack) O’Handley, MD, FAAFP, recently released his memoirs, Trappist Monk to Street Doctor. The book is available exclusively on Amazon.
In his book, Dr. O’Handley’s tell the story of his youth and growing up as a Navy brat who spent six years in a Trappist monastery before deciding to embark on a career as a doctor. As the oldest son of a career naval officer and his wife, Marie, Dr. O’Handley grew up in many parts of the world. His father was one of five children born to a former Catholic priest and his wife in Brooklyn.
While he grew up in a loving family, Dr. O’Handley’s father never did understand his decision to drop out of college to enter monastic life. In this memoir, he looks back at his life as a Trappist monk as well as what eventually led him to pursue a career in medicine—as well as how he fell in love with a nursing student named Hannah. The two eventually married and started a family.
Join Dr. O’Handley as he offers fascinating glimpses into a life along the road less traveled, including his time as a monk, family physician, and tending to the homeless of Columbus, OH, for more than 25 years as a street doctor.
About the Author
Dr. O’Handley served as medical director of community health and well-being at Mount Carmel Health System, he worked for decades to give a voice to vulnerable communities. A frequent member of outreach teams, he worked to provide free urgent medical care, checkups, and more. Further, he helped to provide those services on the program’s mobile coach, visiting patients on-location.
As the recipient of OAFP’s 2017 Family Physician of the Year award, Dr. O’Handley and his peers provided insight into what makes his story so unique. Watch his inspiring video.
Jack has been an inspiration to many of us throughout our careers, helping us to maintain focus on our purpose in life and see the blessings in what we do every day. He illustrates with his behavior what we so often read about in textbooks about the importance of finding meaning in your life. Although he could have earned a much higher salary and achieved greater fame in another leadership position, I’m not so sure that the smile on his face would be as broad or the impact of his life of service would have been so powerfully felt by those who were fortunate enough to work with him or be cared for by him. Well done, good and faithful servant!