Friday, December 19, 2014
James W. Kribs, D.O.
Fri, 19 Dec 2014Faculty Spotlight by Troy Burnett :: LUCOM Marketing & PR
“Life is a marathon, not a sprint,” once said by the author Phillip C. McGraw. This quote insists that life requires a measure of endurance to reach a feeling of completion or goals. This new faculty spotlight focuses on James W. Kribs, D.O., who not only embraces the quote, but also applies it. Dr. Kribs serves as the Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM).
“My goal is to help establish the foundation for a medical school that glorifies Jesus Christ,” said Dr. Kribs. “We want to continue His ministry of healing and compassion; to be His hands for central Virginia, the Southeastern US, the nation, and the globe.” Understanding that this is not an overnight task, Dr. Kribs also mentions that as a member of the inaugural faculty he is thrilled to be a part of the global vision. “We are building LUCOM from the ground up. It is our collective mission that the world would be impacted by the work that we have started.”
Validating his words with actions, Dr. Kribs is known to have an open door policy and being available beyond the designated OMM lab time. “I am passionate about my role here at LUCOM. Being an educator of our student-doctors is a very unique opportunity. I am in a position that I can impact medical students for Christ…that is something that I do not take for granted.”
Eager to serve, Dr. Kribs’ passion to help others started
before he arrived at LUCOM. 
“As a faculty member of the West Virginia School of
Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), I was able to run my
own private practice. I just wanted to help people get
better and to become more aware of their health,”
Dr. Kribs added. “I did as much as I could to help my
patients by focusing on OMM treatment, non-surgical
orthopedics, and introducing them to interventional
pain management treatment to prevent dependency
on pain medication.”
An avid runner, Dr. Kribs completed his first race, the 39th Annual Genworth Virginia 10 Miler, in 2013. Inspired to do more races in the future, he, along with his exercise partner, Matthew K. Pelletier, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Genetics, run the mountainous Liberty View Lane road during their breaks to stay in shape for future races.
“It is great exercise and fellowship when Matt and I run. It gives us a sense of accountability to one another,” Dr. Kribs said. “I am also excited to explore the running trails on Liberty Mountain especially since our building, is located atop of it.” He added, “I desire to do more races in the future, therefore, every opportunity to run counts towards later success.”
Dr. Kribs graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors degree of Arts in Economics, and as a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed a traditional rotating internship at the Medical Center of Independence now known as Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri. He also completed a residency in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine at Northeast Regional Medical Center at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine.
It was at an Educational Council of Osteopathic Principles (ECOP) conference that Dr. Kribs learned about LUCOM. It was there he became intrigued at the idea of a Christian Medical School.
“I eventually came to explore the opportunity and was struck by the vision of the leadership that was set by Dr. Ronnie Martin,” said Dr. Kribs. “It was clear that God’s anointing was on this campus. I knew I wanted to be a part of it and that God was calling me here.