Weight Loss and Other Musings

Welcome to my blog.  I think this first article should tell you about me.  I am a physician who works in a small town doing weight management.  I am lucky to be self employed and fall outside of the insurance dominated health care system working with people who are excited about improving their lives.

I was born to an Air Force family and spent my years up through high school graduation moving from place to place. I graduated Washburn Rural High School near Topeka Kansas in 1973 (yes I am rapidly approaching senior citizenship).  When my father retired we moved to my mother's home town in Greenville, SC and I went to The University of South Carolina in Columbia SC.  After Graduation I then moved to Charleston, SC and attended The Medical University of South Carolina, graduating in 1981.  After 3 years of pediatric residency in Charleston I was finally ready to go to work.

I moved to Greenwood, SC and joined a great pediatric group and stayed there for 5 years only leaving when my medical school debt became overwhelming. I joined the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to continue my career and move to public health (besides they helped with my loan and I did not have to take call which my wife appreciated - that is another story). I directed the Greenwood County Health Department and the health departments in the surrounding five counties for seven years and loved it.  I then was 'promoted' to supervise all of the health departments in SC as well as the Regulations Division of DHEC.  This turned out not to be my dream job - I did not enjoy or fare well in the capital where politics is king and service is spoken of.  I left after 3 years.

I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Johnson, an endocrinologist who had moved from teaching to helping with weight management.  After working with him and his programs for about a year I wanted to open my own practice in Greenwood and thus Carolina Medical Weight Management, PA was begun in April of 2000.  I have loved it ever since.

This was not meant to bore you and I know that it will get buried over time but thought you might want a sketch of who I am - it is unlikely I will ever put up a picture.

I will get into the most important part of my life soon and talk about a few things about my family.  Most of the things I will write about however, will relate to my feelings about weight loss, health care, support and people in general.