Are you intrigued by infectious diseases? Confused by all that you hear in the media? Wondering what life is like in the field of infectious diseases? Welcome. I am a practicing infectious disease physician who holds a healthy respect for the microbes we share our world with. I blog because I want doctoring to be better.
Where Am I From?
“Where are you from?” ranks up there as one of the most frequent (too frequent) questions my patients or their family members ask me. So in full disclosure I was born in Ghana and took my first international flight at age four months. I grew up in Angola, Ghana, Germany (East Berlin), and USA. While in Germany, I attended schools with the children of the British Armed Forces. Thus my accent.
My Credentials
I am a proud alumnae of Wellesley College where I graduated cum laude with a degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Anthropology. I am class of 2004 from Case Western Medical School. I completed my internal medicine residency at Brown and my infectious disease fellowship at Boston Medical Center. I have been in practice since 2009. I am board certified in Internal Medicine and in Infectious Disease. In short, yes I am old enough.
I Love Doctoring
I love doctoring because every day brings a learning experience. It is not a job nor a career but rather a lifestyle choice. I did not realize that when I embarked on this journey. Doctoring is not for the faint of heart either. I don’t so much love the inequality, poverty, dysfunction, sexism, and racism that contribute to the ill-health of people.
I am a passionate advocate for smart lifestyle choices as the primary means to achieve the best health. I believe that our physical heart is connected to our spiritual being. It is important to be happy and gratitude is one exercise I undertake daily to achieve happiness.
Evidence-Based Medicine is the Way
While I acknowledge that the healthcare industry often causes us as patients harm I believe in the principles of evidence-based medicine. I am thrilled by how far we have advanced in medical knowledge just in the past century and am humbled by the realization that all that we know is just the tip of the iceberg.
The beauty of science lies in our ability to ask question and revise the answers when new information is received. We say often that learning in medical school is like trying to drink water out of a fire hydrant. Imagine then the impact when we say also that half of what is taught in medical school will be wrong in 10 years time, we just don’t know which half.
As physicians we don’t have all the answers. Sometimes, all we have to offer in our armamentarium are a listening ear, understanding, and compassion.
Feel free to take a look at my professional bio.
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Comments
Comments on the blog are welcome but will be moderated. I cannot and will not respond to comments that solicit specific medical advice. Spam and personal attacks will not be tolerated. But feel free to tell me how wonderful I am. 😀
The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.
SIR WILLIAM OSLER