I’ve always been fascinated by human anatomy and physiology. I even distinctly remember my first anatomy class worksheet in high school - I was so excited! During my journey into medicine, I developed an interest in how to live a healthy lifestyle and use things like exercise to feel better. I was carried down the stream of medical training, and it wasn’t until I was writing my Master’s thesis that I realized that I was leaving PA school without any new knowledge about how to stay healthy. We had memorized countless diseases, lab values, radiology findings, and prescription medications (all for good reason!), but had minimal (if any) formal training on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and the lifestyle elements essential for good health. This holds true for the hundreds of medical students we took classes with and, in fact, most physicians and medical providers around the country.

In my practice of medicine, I’ve worked with young, healthy children in the clinic and elderly suffering with end-stage disease in the intensive care unit. The unifying theme that I’ve seen from all of these encounters is that everyone strives to experience happiness and vitality, and will go to great lengths to do so. We as medical providers are charged with the responsibility of helping patients live their best lives. As such,