Be Your Own Superhero: Walker Moderates Movement is Life workshop

Dr. Melissa Ann Walker, assistant professor of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM), was a featured moderator for the recent Movement is Life (MIL) Caucus. She moderated the movement workshop, "Be Your Own Superhero: The Power of Physical and Mental Immunity."

“I was chosen to be a part of MIL as a representative for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA),” said Walker. “With this appointment, I represent not only UIWSOM, but all osteopathic physicians and organizations who are a part of the AOA. I am very proud to represent UIW specifically because I believe the Mission of our school perfectly aligns with the vision of MIL. In all honesty, I did not realize the extent of MIL’s work. The commitment to decreasing health disparities and inequities is one of my life’s goals as well.”

Walker focused on the need to adopt new and innovative strategies to cope with the level of heightened stress caused by recent events, such as the global pandemic. The workshop examined how to use mental powers to avoid internalizing stress and nutrition to promote physical immunity.

“From my personal vantage point, MIL Caucus brings together people from all walks of life and careers,” stated Walker. “There are government officials, church leaders, medical providers, non-profit organizations and more. As a member of the steering committee, we are tasked with inviting individuals or organizations who we believe embody the vision of MIL in their work or practices. That is why the audience is so diverse. Many of our steering committee members have worked with MIL for more than ten years.”

Although the caucus is once a year, MIL projects are continuous, and Walker has been involved with podcasts and as a speaker outside of the main event.

Walker is a family medicine physician, owner, and founder of the Carol Clinic for Family-Centered Healthcare, a clinic named after her late mother, Mrs. Carol Williams Walker. Walker is a graduate of Grambling State University, where she received both a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Public Administration in Health Services. She received her medical degree from Midwestern University in Illinois and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.