Since 1998, DMU has produced pumped-up men’s and women’s football teams to take on Drake University law students in the annual Malpractice Bowl. However, the DMU women’s team, coming off a third consecutive triumph last September, raised their spirit to a new high: In November, the team and its coaches traveled to Lincoln, NE, to compete in the regional flag football championship of the collegiate recreation organization NIRSA.
“Despite having MAJOR exams the next week, we were able to commit 15 female athletes and three male coaches here at DMU from several different programs to play/coach in the tournament,” wrote team member Maggie Doe, D.O.’16, in an e-mail message after the event. Those students represented the University’s osteopathic medicine, physical therapy and podiatric medicine and surgery programs.
The DMU team – dubbed “Bad Medicine” – defeated Augustana College 27-6 and South Dakota State University 33-0. The team fell by just one point, 18-19, in its second game against Augustana, losing the chance to compete in NIRSA’s national tournament. Doe says the effort was still a victory, however.
“I cannot think of a single other medical school that would have this many students excited and willing to participate in an event like this,” she noted in her message. “The participation of DMU students speaks to the type of student who attends DMU. The message is this: We not only strive to be successful health care professionals, but we also strive to maintain wellness and fitness through active, athletic lives.”
In addition to being “a perfect example of interprofessional teamwork,” Doe emphasized DMU students’ academic diligence in the photos she shared that were taken during the tournament weekend.
“Note that one of them shows us all up and studying in the wee hours of Sunday morning so as not to shortchange our exam preparation,” she said.
