L. MICHAEL WATERS, JR., DO, FACOFP
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Chair of Primary Care, PCOM Georgia
Growing up, Dr. Waters never saw the same physician more than once. That, combined
with wanting to treat the whole family and utilize osteopathic medicine, drove him to become a family medicine physician. Dr. Waters has practiced medicine
for more than 13 years in the Jacksonville area, served as the medical director for
four different clinics in the UF Health Medical system, and has worked for a few other
health systems in the Jacksonville area. He has been active with Florida Osteopathic
Medical Association and the Florida Society of ACOFP (FS-ACOFP) both in providing
multiple lectures during the conferences as well as being on leadership boards. Dr.
Waters is currently the vice president of FS-ACOFP after serving as a treasurer, secretary
and a board member.
Sports have always been a part of Dr. Waters' life, and for the past 11 years he has
been able to function as a football team physician. In working with the Clay County
Sports Medicine Society, Dr. Waters has helped four different high schools by providing
sideline OMM as well as conduct hundreds of sports physicals and other health assessments
each year. He has also assisted with the area's minor league hockey team, motorcross
event and his son's youth soccer teams/organizations. Dr. Waters has helped with the
NBOME as a practical board examiner for the family medicine osteopathic manipulative
medicine (OMM) portion of the board exam for about the past eight years as well.
During his time in clinic, Dr. Waters has most enjoyed mentoring the third- and fourth-year
students during rotations. He has taught students from UF Health, LECOM - Bradenton,
PCOM Georgia, VCOM-Carolinas and VCOM-Auburn. Dr. Waters especially enjoys showing
medical students how to perform clinical medicine and that OMM can be used within
different specialties. Most recently Dr. Waters takes one day each month to teach
hands-on osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT) skills to third- and fourth-year medical
students.
Dr. Waters looks forward to teaching PCOM Georgia's osteopathic medical students how to provide holistic primary care as well as integrate OMM across various
specialties and complaints. Dr. Waters enjoys traveling, staying active with his family
and participating with his boys' sports and activities.
Education
- St. Vincent's Family Medical Center in Jacksonville, FL - Internship and residency
- Nova Southeastern University COM (now Kieran Patel COM at NSU) - Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine
- Florida Atlantic University - Undergraduate studies
Courses
- Third- and fourth-year OMM lectures and labs
- Medical Spanish Elective
- Help with OMM and Primary Care Skills labs
Awards
- Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians
- Golden Stethoscope Award (2020 and 2021) for excellence in teaching from the University
of Florida
- Preceptor of the Year Award 2021 from VCOM at Orange Park Medical Center
- Excellence in Teaching Award from PCOM Georgia
Memberships
- Florida Osteopathic Medical Association
- American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP)
- Florida Society of ACOFP