What you should know

By J. M. Anderson, M.D. published in Style Magazine Dec. 2003

I am very excited to have this opportunity to extend my knowledge and experience of women’s healthcare to Amarillo and its surrounding communities. I will begin by telling you about myself and my professional career. A Texas native, I was born and raised in Sherman, Texas.  I received a Bachelor of Arts from Austin College and then attended Texas Tech School of Medicine, completing clinical rotations in Amarillo after two years of basic science courses at the main campus in Lubbock.  Upon graduating medical school, I moved to Fort Worth, Texas for residency training at John Peter Smith Hospital in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.  At a county hospital where approximately 5,500 deliveries are performed a year and multiple gynecologic procedures performed each day, I feel well prepared for any task at hand.  When asked why I chose to practice Obstetrics & Gynecology, any Ob-Gyn will tell you that there is nothing more satisfying than delivering babies.  These are the patients who are hospitalized under fortunate circumstances.  In addition, this field of medicine allows me to see patients yearly for routine health exams, and also gives me the opportunity to perform surgical procedures for the wide range of gynecologic problems that can arise throughout a woman’s life.  It is the variety of services that an Obstetrician/Gynecologist provides to patients that makes this field a perfect fit for me.

 In today’s world, women are seeking complete medical care from their Ob-Gyn which widens the spectrum of medical issues for the gynecologist beyond just pap smears and birth control.  When it comes to managing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma or depression, every Ob-Gyn will treat these differently depending on their level of experience.  The most important factors are for Gynecologists to know:  1). their own limitations and 2). when a patient would be better served by consulting with a Family Practitioner, Internist or specialist.

 The practice of medicine has evolved as has the doctor-patient relationship.  My job is to listen, ask questions, identify medical issues, educate patients, present treatment options, and respect a patient’s informed decision.  The patients’ job is to inform her physician of questions, concerns, reservations, changes in a condition, and most of all, to comply with the mutually agreed upon treatment plan.  In addition, a patient should never be afraid to ask her physician for a second opinion.

Over the next few months, this column will address such issues as hormone replacement, birth control options, health risks of obesity, optimal prenatal care, and other various women’s health topics.