NEPA Vital Signs - Winter 2019 Spring 2020 - 28

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TRAILBLAZER
Dr. Terence Cochran, MD
E

ven after practicing medicine
for fifty years, if he had to
do it all over again, Dr. Terry
Cochran of Clark's Summit wouldn't
change a thing. "Best part of medicine...
I think in 50 years I went to work twice,
both times I was sicker than the people
I was operating on" - Dr. Cochran

Dr. Cochran grew up in a small Ohio county - a bit of fate that
had a tremendous impact on his medical career. Dr. Cochran was
the first person to become a doctor within this small community of
2000 people. As the only physician registered with the draft board, he
was selected to represent Union County in service to his country in
Vietnam. After arriving at his post, he was immediately put in charge
of the pre-OP and receiving emergency room, where he learned very
quickly to take care of the most critical of trauma patients. Because
of the ability he showed in treating those patients, he was tasked
with running his own OR when more than four casualties presented
at a time. Valuable and priceless experience was gained on these
battlegrounds as he was put into situations that were enormously
high stress. For example, Dr. Cochran had to do the second liver
resection he ever saw, 'see one, do one, teach one'. The mortality rate in
Vietnam, he proudly informed me, was 24% a dramatic improvement
in over World War II, when long delays in obtaining care cost soldiers'
lives. The availability of surgeons and the invention of antibiotics
helped tremendously. In Vietnam, helicopters quickly transported
the wounded to field hospitals, shortening the gap between injury
and treatment, the so called "Golden Hour" of trauma.

As a medical student studying at Ohio State, he learned surgery from Dr. R.M. Zollinger, who along with his colleague Dr.
E.H. Ellison, first postulated the cause of the neuroendocrine
disease Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Dr. R.M. Zollinger was
his mentor and helped guide his career path. After his army
discharge, he completed his residency in 1970 and has been
practicing surgery ever since.
Even after those fifty years, he's still contributing to our community. He sees patients at the Regional Wound Care Center
and by helping patients in the recovery of opioid abuse. And,
he's broadened his horizons to the political arena-he was just
elected to the Clark's Green city council.

Dr. Cochran has spirited advice on how technology is affecting
the art of medicine today. He isn't convinced these advances are
all good. He'd like to put the brakes on the evolution of technology,
"The art of medicine is decreasing." Technology has its place, but "...
your individual judgement can't be done with an algorithm, there are
always exceptions to the rule." When asked about robotic surgeries,
Dr. Cochran explained you must look at the cost effectiveness. How
often are is the technology going to be used, and do you really need
it? Sometimes the old fashioned way works just as well.

One of the biggest challenges that Dr. Cochran faced as a
physician was signing more than 800 death certificates of young
soldiers in Vietnam. However, this is a fundamental battle of
practicing medicine. "At some point, I honestly think, as you
much as you sort of hate death... your enemy becomes a friend,
you tend to understand it a little more." His advice to the young
pre-med student who interviewed him was pay attention to
nurses, the people who are delivering the healthcare. "Eighty
percent of what I learned I have learned from nurses."

As an undergrad at Ohio State, Dr. Cochran longed to play football. He hadn't been recruited, but when he arrived on campus, he
marched into the coach's office and announced his intentions to
play for the Buckeyes. Woody Hayes answered, "The only place
you could ever play is center." Dr. Cochran proceeded to walk
down the hall to the center coach's office and said, "Woody Hayes
said I am here to play for you." He made the team.
N E PA

JASON DeBOARD of Avoca is a Junior at Wilkes University, majoring in Biology
and Neuroscience. He hopes to follow Dr. Cochran's trail and practice medicine,
perhaps as a surgeon.
28

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NEPA Vital Signs - Winter 2019 Spring 2020

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