Why is a Gynecologist Writing for Illumination?
Sharing beyond the four walls of a medical office
I am thrilled to join the Illumination team of writers. When I discovered this weird and quirky publication, I knew I would fit right in!
Prompted by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz and other Illumination writers, here is my introduction.
Every Medium writer must find a home for their work. Having published in several different publications, I find some of my articles linger homelessly. Some just do not fit the traditional norms.
I wrote an abstract, metaphorical story about jogging without glasses. After I finished writing, I recognized many readers would miss the underlying symbolic message of running blindly through the pandemic. Without the right audience, the article was going to bomb.
I started looking for publications sharing more “outside the box articles.” Reading many of the stories in Illumination, I found a group of writers exploring beyond the traditional boundaries. I knew this group of writers and would “get it.”
I was impressed when I discovered this publication has its own core values: Diversity, Synergy, Fusion, Serendipity. We all live by core values, whether we define them on paper or not. I feel alignment with a publication defining its own values as this demonstrates a commitment to high-quality content. I also appreciate the community and support among Illumination writers.
My background
I am a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist in Texas. I grew up in Dallas. I attended college at Trinity University in San Antonio, where I played basketball and majored in Spanish. I then returned to Dallas to attend the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After completing my residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital, I moved to Irving, Texas to work with MacArthur Medical Center where I now serve as the CEO.
I have the honor of speaking around the country on family planning, sexually transmitted disease prevention, and teen pregnancy prevention. I am an advocate for the responsible use of social media in healthcare and have been featured in USA Today, Wired Magazine, and Voice of America.
I am a passionate entrepreneur serving in the Dallas Chapter member of Entrepreneurs Organization. In my free time, you will find me playing indoor soccer. I alternate between game-winning goals and weird middle-age man injuries.
My family
I am happily married to a wonderful woman. We have four amazing children who continuously provide me with writing inspiration. The pandemic has been a huge challenge for my family. I shared our experience here in this story.
Why I write on Medium
I committed to living my life honoring my mission statement: Living every day as the best version of myself to have the maximum impact on those around me. I started writing to provide an impact at scale.
Blogging allows me to share beyond the four walls of my medical office. Through Medium, I have an opportunity to share from my experience to help others. My goal as a physician writer is to allow readers to see the human being behind the surgical mask.
Most of my stories recently have focused on COVID-19. Doctors and all health care workers play an essential role in the pandemic. We are the front line workers. I take my societal responsibility seriously to provide scientific and validated content when sharing publicly.
Healthcare authors must take a cautious approach with COVID-19 research and medical writing. Case reports on Facebook should not trigger governmental actions. A small clinical trial in our Twitter feeds can not lead to changes in public policy. Doctors on Tik-Tok and Youtube should not determine when our economies reopen.
During the pandemic, I hope my words save lives
I want to wave the red flag of caution regarding speed science
I want to curate validated content for others
I hope to inspire others to celebrate the good in others
