My Practice Philosophy

My practice philosophy has three basic tenets.

1. “First do no harm” is one of the first maxims you learn as a medical student. It is in the Hippocratic Oath that many of us recite on the first day of medical school. Sometimes this means resisting the urge to “treat” and simply letting the body heal itself. Sometimes it means not treating because the “cure” is worse than the disease. To me, it also means sticking to treatments and medicines that have been shown to work.

2. “Evidence based medicine” refers to practicing medicine based on the results of clinical studies. You will often hear me refer to "the literature" as the rationale for choosing a particular course of treatment. Often this means NOT choosing a course of treatment that has traditionally been done because clinical studies have not shown it to work. See practice philosophy #1.

3. Although I list this third, it is really the most important. I strongly believe that my job as a physician is to be your partner in health. This means I expect you to take personal responsibility for your wellbeing. I am here to guide, answer questions, support you, suggest best strategies and practices, listen, care. Ultimately, however, decisions that affect your body are yours to make. I hope to help you make informed ones.

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