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#1. What is an internist?
An internist is a specialist who takes care of adults aged 18 and older with complex chronic conditions.
#2. What drew you into internal medicine?
I really like the depth and the breadth of internal medicine and a lot of the kind of complex problem-solving.
#3. You also practice something called culinary medicine. What is that?
Culinary medicine is a specialty where I assess a patient's eating, and make recommendations on how a patient can make changes to dietary habits to treat and ameliorate chronic conditions.
#4. When somebody's feeling discouraged about their health, what do you usually say to help them refocus?
Dr. Doxey: I usually tell patients, "You're doing better than you think you are." And I try and point out what patients are doing well and say, "Here's where you are. This is great." I may actually also point out what they've done in the past really well and say, "This is good. You can get back on the wagon, and we can move forward."
Interviewer: Celebrate the victories that you have and build on those.
Dr. Doxey: Yeah.
#5. If you weren't in medicine, what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I would be teaching or maybe farming.
#6. If your patients could walk away remembering just one thing that you say often, what would that be?
You can do it. You can make a change.
#7. What's a health myth or misconception that you find yourself correcting a lot?
It's that you need lots and lots of protein. There's been a growing conversation in the lay press saying that we need a gram per pound, two grams per pound of protein to build muscle, maintain muscle mass.
When you look at the literature, it's been pretty consistent over the past, really, 50-plus years that for those who are sedentary, you still need about 0.8 grams per kilogram. And for those who are really physically active, then you may need as much as 1.5 grams per kilogram, maybe two grams per kilogram, which is still about half a gram per pound. Anything beyond that is not really used by your body, and there's just no need for it.
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SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR A SPECIALIST