ABOUT ME
I graduated from medical school over twenty years ago, then completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, followed by a clinical research fellowship in General Internal Medicine. For over a decade, I was a primary care internist at a major academic medical center, performing quite a balancing act: managing a large patient panel, teaching medical students, conducting research, and being mom to two little kids. During that time, my clinical focus was the prevention and management of chronic disease through diet and lifestyle interventions, including becoming board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine, co-founding our hospital's Healthy Lifestyle Program, leading our research arm, and publishing a heart health book. Then came COVID, and like so many other doctors, I decided to leave clinical medicine. In 2021, I effected a successful career change, and I am now a medical director in clinical development at an immuno-oncology biotechnology company.
I've always been a writer and have hundreds of publications through various platforms. As a medical resident, I participated in Writer's Workshops under Richard Seltzer, Anna Reisman, and Abraham Verghese; I contributed two ‘darkly reflective’ chapters about training to The Real Life of an Internist (Kaplan 2009). I’ve chronicled being a doctor and mother at the group blog Mothers In Medicine and the Mothers in Medicine book (Springer 2018), as well as my own blog. I was a regular contributor at The Harvard Health Blog covering nutrition, fitness, and self-care from 2015-2021; my book Healthy Habits for Your Heart (Adams Media/ Simon and Schuster) was published in 2018. I’ve written for Scientific American, Doximity OpMed, Kevin MD, and more. I’ve been featured in The Boston Globe, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, TODAY, and other venues.
Personally, I’m married to local sports broadcaster Bob Socci, and we have two kids, two cats, a dog, and a snake.
No Advertisements, No Solicited Reviews
I do not accept advertising and do not feature solicited posts nor product promotion on my blog or website. If I offer an opinion or suggestion for a service or a product, it’s an honest and objective opinion and I don’t get anything for sharing it. Bonus: No annoying ads!
PRESS KIT:
ON CONFIDENTIALITY
To my former patients: I will never write about you, nor your specific case. For example, if I feel compelled to share a particular case, I first think about other similar cases. What are the salient, relevant features? It’s not going to be the specific details, but rather, I focus on themes and lessons learned. If the real patient was an elderly woman with pneumonia, my essay will feature a young woman with pyelonephritis, and so on. Any names, potentially identifying information, physical findings, specific imaging and/or lab results are omitted or altered. I do this to comply with HIPAA regulations, as well as to be nice and ethical. Because, while it is true that I can be held liable if a patient recognizes themselves on these pages, it’s more important to me that I never violate anyone’s trust.
To my family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, kids’ teachers, parents of my kids’ classmates, mailman, etc, etc: I have learned that any writing that directly alludes to a real person in my life had better be positive and complementary. This blog will not be a place for personal vindication.
To my employer:Â I am perfectly aware (and will make it very clear here now) that you do not review or pre-approve any of my writing. My writing reflects only my own personal opinion and not that of any other entity.
To the guy that tried to run me down as I crossed the road: On these pages, you’re toast. Obnoxious strangers will be subject to all manner of venting. Take heed!