Finding Fulfillment through Growth, from ACOI and Beyond

Sometimes, it takes a breadth of knowledge to find focused, specific direction. That's been the experience Seger Morris, DO, MBA, FACOI, has had in his career, and something he’s sought to pass along to others. The Director of Health Policy Programs and Regional Assistant Dean at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine is a third generation DO, and the 15th DO in his family. Yet his professional life has been defined by versatility from the very beginning: Dr. Morris actually started out with a degree in investment finance and spent the first years of his career in business consulting and management.

“When I was growing up and coming out of high school,” he said, “my whole family was in private practice. They told me that medicine was changing, and if it was what I wanted to do, I had to be sure about it.” Since he had developed an interest in finance during high school, he felt supported and encouraged to explore that and other avenues.

By his mid-20s, while he saw the significance of what he learned in business, Dr. Morris was yearning to make more of an impact. The idea of going back to school to become a physician had lingered in the back of his mind, and he decided to follow that instinct.

As far as choosing osteopathic medicine, he said, “Every physician I grew up around was a DO. It never entered my mind to not go to a DO school. I followed that path, and all through medical school, I always had this different perspective to most of my classmates, both because of my family history and because of my career in business.”

That perspective had moments of being what he described as a hindrance — “it could be distracting” – but more often, it was helpful, as well as indicative of the mindset he would continue to have throughout his career. “As I went into residency, I could see where I was part of this bigger system, beyond taking care of the patient in front of me,” Dr. Morris explained. “Understanding system-based practice and how you’re one part of a bigger system or bigger hospital — all of that came very naturally to me.”

That’s the shape Dr. Morris’s career has ultimately taken: one of unique variety wherein he can educate, practice medicine, serve as a mentor, and contribute to osteopathic organizations on an advocacy and policy level, bringing a big-picture perspective to each role. It's an approach that also lets Dr. Morris connect people with one another, as well as with fitting paths for them.

An Integrated, Big-Picture Perspective

Joining ACOI was a formative step on this path. Dr. Morris became a member during his time as a resident physician in 2012. Drawn to its reputation as the medical home for osteopathic internal medicine physicians, his interest in health policy led him to get involved with the Government Affairs Committee. He eventually submitted his name to be the committee’s resident representative and was selected for the role.

“I had great mentorship in that area,” he said. “My program director at the time was [Dr.] David Pizzimenti, who was very involved in the academic side of ACOI. One of his mentors was [Dr.] Robert Hasty, so I got to know them, and they were supportive of me moving into that role. That just opened a number of doors.”

That included an opportunity for inner growth. “My role with ACOI was certainly something that gave me confidence to know that my voice could be respected, even very early in my career, and that I was welcome at the table in the health policy arena,” Dr. Morris said. “Because of that, I was willing to explore opportunities with other associations, like the Mississippi Osteopathic Medical Association (MOMA) and the AOA [American Osteopathic Association].”

Those experiences led Dr. Morris to where he is now, with a multifaceted career integrating bedside clinical care, medical education, and executive leadership that leverages an entrepreneurial spirit through writing, speaking, and course creation. Most often, his career has an impact on those in the medical field, but he also seeks to connect with people from all professional backgrounds going through periods of change in their careers.

“I just like helping people get where they want to go,” he said. “I’m best able to help medical students, residents, and early career physicians, but it’s not just them. To anybody early in their career or in a transitional time, I like offering a perspective that draws on my own life experiences. I think that’s how we learn — from others who have been there and done that in some way with intersectionality.”

To Dr. Morris, his various roles and entrepreneurial ventures are an extension of his work in osteopathic medicine. “I really enjoy teaching and mentoring students and early career physicians, but those formal roles often limit the impact to an individual school, residency, or other institution,” he said. Venturing beyond formal roles and titles allows him to connect with people who have sought him out and truly want the help. “The people who sign up for a newsletter, read blogs or a book, or ask me to give a keynote talk — they’re doing it by choice,” he explained. “And they’re much more receptive because [of that]. I think that makes the relationship even more rewarding because I know people are doing that voluntarily and they’re really interested in my perspective and advice. And serving in all the roles, when taken collectively, make me better at each one individually.”  

Embracing the Phases of an Evolving Career

Another recent and similarly rewarding venture is serving as treasurer on the American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) board. After about 10 years with the ACOI Government Affairs Committee, “I felt it was time for new people to get involved,” he said about moving on to this new role. “At some point, [it felt like] taking a spot for somebody else to come in and bring a new perspective and experience. Which is the same opportunity it afforded me. I think that’s part of paying it forward.”

When looking back on his ACOI committee experience, Dr. Morris sees it as a vital platform to grow, make new connections, and find his place. Currently, his ACOI participation is more as a “regular member,” as he puts it (though he loves being involved, being a father to four kids takes precedent to being overly involved). Still, he said, “ACOI has definitely done a lot for me and my career, and I was able to apply so much of what I learned there into the other associations I’ve been involved in.”  

This includes the AOF. Dr. Morris sees his participation with AOF as a culmination of his years serving with other organizations, from ACOI to MOMA to the AOA. It’s a different way to contribute to osteopathic internal medicine: “It’s about trying to get money and resources where they’re needed, to help people out and promote osteopathic excellence,” he said. “That’s been very rewarding and refreshing, to see things from that lens.” And his role there is sufficiently extensive that he is taking the time to pour himself into that and prepare to pivot to what will, eventually and surely, be next.

That, overall, speaks to his personal philosophy of professional growth and evolution. “I think there’s different approaches people take when they're highly involved,” he explained. “Either having a little involvement in multiple organizations or being all in on one thing and rolling that into different places – applying what you’ve learned from one to the next. I see myself as more of the latter. When I have experience with the focal points of these organizations, then I can speak to that in a way that connects those people to where we can all move forward and benefit from working together.”