Category: Pediatrics

It’s time to end the USMLE Step 3 exam

The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on institutions that we did not think were pausable, allowing us to ask critical questions regarding their relevance and necessity. One such institution is the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).  Duri…

Teaching young children about the existence and acceptance of LGBTQ people [PODCAST]

“Even though there has been a lot of progress, LGBTQ youth are still struggling with discrimination. I am disheartened that 40 percent of LGBTQ youth surveyed by the Trevor project in 2020 seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months, a…

Breastfeeding is not the end all be all

“Thank you. You’re the first to say it’s OK for me not to breastfeed.” These words have been said to me before by tearful, exhausted mothers. It had been sporadic, but now, it feels like I hear this every day in the clinic. Each time, I feel a rush of …

How mindset influences our ability to be a good dad and doctor

As a pediatrician, many friends, family, and even patients would frequently discuss how great of a dad I must be since I “knew everything about kids.”  Little did they know that residency only taught me how to intubate my child; I never learned how to …

Moms are resilience personified

I first met her at the bedside of her newly born son Tyler. Barely hours after her caesarian section, this mother mustered enough strength to get on a wheelchair to visit her little human at the NICU. That was just the beginning of our journey together…

Moms are resilience personified

I first met her at the bedside of her newly born son Tyler. Barely hours after her caesarian section, this mother mustered enough strength to get on a wheelchair to visit her little human at the NICU. That was just the beginning of our journey together…

Racial inequality in medicine must end

May 25th, 2021, marked the first anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. George Floyd was a victim of racial injustice. Tragically, he is not the only Black person to die at the hands of U.S. police officers over these past few years. George Floyd&#…

Being a private practice pediatrician in a pandemic [PODCAST]

“The hospital systems ignored us by putting us lowest on the totem pole for the COVID vaccine.  The pharmaceutical companies overlooked the strains on us and increased our vaccine prices.  The medical supply companies took advantage of us by limi…

Being a pediatrician did not prepare me for parenting [PODCAST]

“I hope being a parent will now equip me to be a better pediatrician. I hope I can teach them whatever I know about safe sleeping, breastfeeding, and newborn care, but I also hope to acknowledge the reality and struggles of parenting. I hope my s…

Winning at parenting without losing yourself

An excerpt from The Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting Without Losing Yourself. My husband and I ordered a special celebratory dinner the night my first book was published. It was an important professional milestone for me, and I was proud of …