Hello, I’m “Redrock KidDoc”. Welcome to my blog. Chances are, if you are visiting this site you already know me, and maybe I am your kid’s doctor. I am a busy Pediatrician, husband, father, mediocre soccer coach and amateur human. So why would I, a busy person, take the time to write a blog and hope that other busy parents like you will read it? Well, I have a lot of good reasons, which I’ll get to in a minute.
First, since you’re still reading, you might as well get to know me a little bit. I am a board-certified, credentialed professional. I love the challenge of managing a variety of ages and conditions. I love how resilient and energetic kids are. I love their cheerful faces when they come in for well checks, and I love that I get to help them feel better when their faces aren’t so happy. I love seeing brand new humans grow and turn into little people. I love helping engaged, caring, worried parents who want the best for their kids. I love advocating for kids that are hurting physically or mentally and getting them the help they need.
I didn’t always want to be a doctor. The son and brother of pediatric neurologists, I thought I had to branch out and do something different. First I considered being a professional musician, then an artist, then a journalist, then a social worker, then a psychologist, then a neuroscientist, before I realized all those things were leading me to my true calling: a pediatrician. Finally, I gave up fighting and gave in to the calling.
After 11 years of schooling/training and 7 years of practicing medicine, I still love music and art, and I have a special interest in mental health and the developing mind and brain. And I still love writing. So I decided to write a blog. I thought it would be fun to dust off my writing skills and combine them with my medical knowledge to educate the wider community. In this day, when anyone can publish anything on the internet, I decided my voice was worth sharing.
I can think of a few good reasons for both of us to detour from our beaten paths to connect through this blog:
- This gives me a chance to doctor (latin: teach) outside of the exam room.
- Parents often need more information than you can get within a short clinic visit.
- Studies show that patients/parents only remember about half of what a doctor says in a visit.
- You could look up anything on the internet, but we all know Facebook is not the Mecca of all truth the Russians would have us believe. You have to consider the source. I have no other incentive for writing this blog than wanting to educate parents. There is no advertising on this site.
- As part of the community, I am familiar with the culture, resources, and myths of our community and will speak within that context.
Buried deep in my brain, under everything I learned in medical school and residency is what my English teachers taught me: write to your audience, and use your own voice. My main audience here are the parents I see every day in clinic, but I hope there are many other parents that benefit, too.
On this blog I will expand on the answers I give in clinic to the common questions, misconceptions and worries I hear every day. I will give you my unfiltered advice and opinion, which I base on scientific evidence (when it is available) and experience as a clinician and father when evidence is not available. My writing does not substitute for medical advice from your child’s physician. I do not speak on behalf of Redrock Pediatrics or Intermountain Healthcare.
Ultimately, by sharing this blog with you, I hope to help shape the culture of our community in healthy ways for the good of our children. I hope that you, in turn, will share this information with your friends and family so that we can have a positive impact on the world around us.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned by subscribing on the front page to get emails with my next posts. I promise to make it worth your time.
Redrock KidDoc 