A pediatrician at UVA Kids’s, Ina Stephens, MD, helps children develop up as wholesome as doable. She’s additionally board-certified in pediatric infectious ailments. She makes use of this particular data to assist children with extreme, difficult, and strange infections.
Meet a Charlottesville-Based mostly Pediatrician
We requested Stephens to reply our 7 fast questions.
1. What has most impressed and formed your strategy to affected person care?
I feel it is a twofold reply. The primary is I turned excited about medication and affected person care working in my father’s workplace, beginning once I was in all probability 13 years previous. My father was a dermatologist. However he was way over that. He actually sat half the time and simply listened to the affected person. Even when they got here in with “virtually nothing” as he would say.
And his sufferers used to inform me that my father was simply probably the most unbelievable individual as a result of he listened to them. I discovered from him to actually hearken to sufferers. As a result of they’ve the reply they usually know what is going on on with them. When you actually hearken to the affected person, you understand how to maintain them.
The second factor is that I’ve had my very own points with being a affected person. I do know when a doctor has taken excellent care of me, handled me effectively, and listened to me, and after they have not. And I feel that is modified and helped my strategy to caring for sufferers, and in addition their caretakers, household, and oldsters.
2. What’s your favourite a part of your job?
I like educating sufferers, educating them what’s flawed with them or what I really feel is happening with them in order that they perceive their illness course of, the place it comes from, and the best way to heal themselves. Additionally, educating medical college students, residents, fellows, and junior college. And I like that a part of my job. I really feel like I will supply so much and I take pleasure in it.
3. What’s your largest worry whenever you’re a affected person?
Searching for a Pediatrician?
UVA Kids’s gives main care for teenagers and entry to any specialists you may want.
I have been a affected person quite a few occasions. And my largest worry is just not having a doctor hearken to me. I’ve gone into the emergency room not feeling effectively with crises. I have been in physician’s workplaces with issues, they usually’re targeted in on their problem, they usually’re not listening to the entire individual and issues have been missed, and that is a troublesome expertise. So I feel that my largest worry is just not being listened to. So I strive to do this for my sufferers.
4. What do you do for stress reduction?
Stress launch is a very vital a part of my life. I am a licensed yoga instructor and therapist and a licensed private coach. I’ve been meditating for over 30 years. It is a every day a part of my life. I meditate twice a day and do deep respiratory strategies, which known as pranayama. This helps me focus and quiets down my nervous system. I follow on my yoga mat every day and it is an important a part of my day.
5. Canine or cats?
Oh, cat. I like my cat. I really feel like a cat communicates by being very quiet and listening.
6. What is the final film you noticed? Thumbs up or down?
I have not been to the movie show these days. However I have been watching a collection on Amazon Prime known as Genius. Possibly that counts? Season 1 is all about Einstein, season 2 is on Picasso, season 3 is Aretha Franklin. We’re proper in the course of Einstein, and it is completely fascinating. You notice that everyone is human, regardless of how genius you might be. And everyone has human flaws and everyone has classes to be taught of their life, and Einstein actually did too. It is an interesting story.
7. What’s one of the best recommendation you’ve got ever heard?
Two issues come up instantly. The primary one comes from my father. I’ve advised this to my children time and again and I say this to myself. He would say on a regular basis, “Ina, don’t fret, simply examine.”
As a result of I might get myself all apprehensive a couple of scenario. You would take that little quote and apply it to something. Don’t be concerned, simply really feel it. Don’t be concerned, simply type of sit with the second and take care of it. In order that’s been an important and easy little remark that I discovered from my dad. And what I say on a regular basis to myself.
The second is one which I’ve just lately come throughout and I actually beloved it. So I printed it out and put it up in my kitchen. It is the quote, “Comparability is the thief of all pleasure.” I feel that is actually vital as a result of individuals have a tendency to match themselves to everyone else. You’re all the time seeking to the opposite facet. The grass is greener on the opposite facet. Or someone else has one thing else that I haven’t got. And that is a robber and a thief of your individual pleasure.
When you cease that comparability, you are content material with what you might have. And I feel contentment is a big advantage. And if we might be content material, then it does not matter what you are doing, you are completely satisfied.
