Dr. Joseph Kvedar: President of the American Telemedicine Association (Raise the Line)

Hi, I'm Shivani. Thanks for checking out our raise the line interview series.

In which me and my cohost osmosis chief Medical Officer Dr Rishi Desai explore how to strengthen our healthcare system with some amazing leaders in medicine, technology, education and government and they have some great advice for people starting careers in healthcare as well.

I hope you'll watch these highlights and then go listen to the full podcast interview wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Shibani and today on Raise the line, I'm happy to be joined by Doctor Joseph Kavi, who is president of the American Telemedicine Association and Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.

So, Doctor Kavi, thanks so much for being with us today. Well, thank you for inviting me.

Very excited to be with you. So, can you first start by telling us a bit about how you got interested in medicine and specifically dermatology?

Oh, gosh. Um I grew up in Vermont.

Um I don't know. I uh uh I think my age, my father would tell me that age four or five.

I told him I wanted to be a doctor. I don't remember that, but it was something in my being from a very early age, in terms of dermatology, I um first tried primary care.

II grew up again in a small town. I thought I was gonna be a country doctor actually, for a variety of reasons I wasn't in attracted to that.

So when I went back to uh try a bunch of different things, dermatology fell in my lap. It turns out I'm a visual person.

Uh It turns out um I love the idea of taking care of all age groups that as people say, it's a window into the uh soul, et cetera.

So a lot of fun and I've, I've enjoyed it ever since. II, still see patients a day a week and it's a big part of my life.

So my last, my last question for you is, you know, uh what advice do you have for current or future healthcare professionals in this uh day and age?

Just think differently about what you do be, be a little more expansive. Don't, as I said earlier.

Uh I if the, if the question, whatever the question is, don't say, just send them into the office. Think about the tools you have, think about the channels, you have to deliver high quality care in a more efficient uh way that's convenient for the patient and uh wins on every level.

Thanks for watching this preview of raised line to hear the full interview. Check out all of our podcasts and subscribe to the series, please go to osmosis.org/raised Line podcast or listen wherever you get your podcasts.