HealthCare

From Reluctant Doctor to Successful CBS Reporter: The Unexpected Journey

So, how did I start working for CBS? Well, my mother was a long-time reporter and television news anchor in Washington, D.C. and in New York, so I sort of grew up around the business, but like many kids, didn't want to have anything to do with what my parents did and decided I wanted to become a doctor. However, it turns out I really like to write and I really like to speak. So when I was in medical school, I worked for the school paper, I gave her a commencement address and I started to think, hmm, I wonder if I can combine my two passions, patient care and writing and speaking. And so, I came out to Boston to do a residency in both internal medicine and pediatrics because I thought if I was board certified in both adult care and kid care, that that would give me the greatest breadth of knowledge from which to be able to launch my medical journalism career. And I befriended a nurse whose husband happened to work in print media and was very good friends with the news director of the local CBS station here in Boston. They called me up, asked me if I'd come audition because they were looking for a doctor to report their health news and really the rest is history. So I have been here for the better part of 20 years and I have loved my dual career, both taking care of patients and reporting health news out to the public.

My mother was a reporter and I grew up around the business. I decided I wanted to be a doctor, but eventually combined my two passions of patient care and writing/speaking. I did a residency in Boston, where I befriended a nurse whose husband worked in print media, who connected me with the news director at the local CBS station. I have now been working for CBS for the better part of 20 years, combining my medical career with reporting health news.

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How did I start working with CBS? Well, growing up around my mother, a reporter and news anchor in Washington, D.C. and New York, I initially resisted following in her footsteps. I had ambitions of becoming a doctor but soon discovered my love for writing and speaking. While in medical school, I worked for the school paper and gave a commencement address, which made me consider combining patient care with writing and speaking. To broaden my knowledge base, I pursued residencies in both internal medicine and pediatrics in Boston. It was during this time that I met a nurse whose husband had connections in print media, including the news director at the local CBS station. They invited me to audition for a position as a health news reporter, and the rest is history. I have been with CBS for almost 20 years now, enjoying the dual career of caring for patients and reporting health news to the public.

Why do we get sick? The surprising truth revealed.

The question is, why do we get sick? Well, sickness is really sort of the state of being unwell or having an illness, which can be caused by a whole host of things. So for example, you might get an infection or it might be due to your genetics or your advancing age because we're more likely to get sick as we get older, or it could be due to lifestyle factors, things like being sedentary, eating an unhealthy diet, being overweight, not getting enough exercise, doing illicit drugs or drinking too much alcohol or smoking cigarettes. So the best ways you can try to reduce your risk of sickness, there are things that are in your control, there are things that are outside of your control, but things that might be in your control are to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, limit your alcohol, avoid smoking, and of course, take really good care of your mental health.

We can get sick for a variety of reasons, including infections, genetics, and lifestyle factors like being sedentary, eating an unhealthy diet, or abusing drugs and alcohol. To reduce your risk of sickness, try to eat healthy, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, limit your alcohol, avoid smoking, and take care of your mental health.

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Sickness, or the state of being unwell or having an illness, can be caused by various factors. These include infections, genetics, advancing age, and lifestyle choices. Factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, excess weight, lack of exercise, substance abuse (such as drugs and alcohol), and smoking can contribute to getting sick. To minimize the risk of sickness, it's important to focus on what is within our control. This includes adopting a healthy diet, engaging in regular exercise, prioritizing sufficient sleep, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, and taking care of our mental well-being. While some factors may be beyond our control, we can still take proactive steps to reduce the risk of falling ill.

How do you balance being a practicing doctor and reporter?

How one doctor successfully balances medicine and journalism

How do you balance being a practicing doctor and reporter? You know, it's tough, but I years ago decided to carve out a schedule that I knew would be manageable and would work for me. So for example, instead of going into primary care, I decided to do urgent care where I could see adults and kids, but I would work in shifts, which would free up the rest of the time in the week for me to do other things like work at the television station or work for Harvard Medical School and be involved in my kids' lives and be able to go to field hockey games and basketball games. So I work a couple of days on average at the clinic. I work three days at the television station and any extra hours here and there, I spend doing other editorial work and taking care of my family.

I balance being a practicing doctor and reporter by working shifts at the clinic, spending three days at the television station, and using extra hours for other editorial work.

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Balancing being a practicing doctor and reporter is challenging, but I've found a way to manage it by creating a schedule that works for me. Instead of pursuing primary care, I chose urgent care, which allows me to see both adults and children in shifts. This arrangement frees up time during the week for my other commitments, such as working at the television station or for Harvard Medical School, as well as being involved in my kids' lives and attending their field hockey and basketball games. On average, I work a couple of days at the clinic and three days at the television station. Any additional hours are dedicated to editorial work and taking care of my family. Finding this balance has been crucial in juggling both roles effectively.

What's an ideal blood pressure for 48 year olds?

Understanding the Ideal Blood Pressure for 48 Year Olds

What is an ideal blood pressure for 48 year olds? Well, for adults in general, a normal blood pressure is anything under 120 over 80. If the top number is between 130 and 39, that's your systolic blood pressure, or the bottom number is between 80 and 89, which is your diastolic blood pressure, that's considered an elevated blood pressure. And high blood pressure is considered 140 over 90 or higher, the upper number or the lower number. Now, high blood pressure can be treated with lifestyle changes and or medication, depending on what your underlying health is and whether you have risk factors, other risk factors for heart disease.

For adults, a normal blood pressure is anything under 120 over 80. Elevated blood pressure is considered 130-139 over 80-89 and high blood pressure is 140 over 90 or higher.

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For 48-year-olds, an ideal blood pressure is anything below 120 over 80, which is considered normal for adults in general. If the top number (systolic blood pressure) falls between 130 and 139, or the bottom number (diastolic blood pressure) falls between 80 and 89, it is considered elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure is defined as 140 over 90 or higher for either the upper or lower number. Treatment for high blood pressure may involve lifestyle changes or medication depending on individual health factors and risk factors for heart disease.

Are there any other emerging technologies or treatments that you see having a significant impact on healthcare in the next decade?

Emerging Technologies Set to Revolutionize Healthcare in Next Decade

Are there any other emerging technologies or treatments that you see having a significant impact on health care in the next decade? Well, I talked a little bit before about how I think CRISPR or genetic engineering is going to explode in the coming years. So will the use of artificial intelligence when it comes to improving the speed and accuracy of diagnoses and even possibly drug development. There are two areas that I think actually got a big bump from the COVID pandemic. The first one being at-home testing. This was just starting to emerge before the pandemic. But as you know, during COVID, we were all learning how to test ourselves with those rapid home kits at home for COVID. And I expect that you'll see a lot more at-home testing coming out in the coming years. The other technology that I think was sort of ramped up because of COVID was telemedicine. Again, it was being used a little bit, but not nearly as much as it is now. Now, a lot of patients have gone back to having in-person visits with their providers, but there are some cases in which it's convenient for the patient and the provider to continue to see themselves virtually. So for example, I had a follow-up appointment with a registered dietitian last week. I have another appointment coming up with another provider that we're going to be doing by Zoom. So I think telemedicine and at-home testing is around to stay, and there might be some more creative things that we can do with both of those technologies.

In the next decade, I expect CRISPR and artificial intelligence to have a significant impact on healthcare. Additionally, at-home testing and telemedicine has been accelerated due to the COVID pandemic and I expect it will become more commonplace in the future.

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In terms of emerging technologies and treatments that could have a significant impact on healthcare in the next decade, two areas come to mind. Firstly, I foresee CRISPR or genetic engineering playing a major role in the coming years. This technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to enhance the speed and accuracy of diagnoses as well as potentially aid in drug development. These advancements have great potential for improving patient care.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development and adoption of certain technologies in healthcare. At-home testing, which was already beginning to emerge before the pandemic, saw a significant boost during this time. Rapid home testing kits became popular for COVID-19 testing, and I anticipate a continued rise in at-home testing options for various health conditions.

Another technology that gained traction due to COVID-19 is telemedicine. While telemedicine had been used to some extent prior to the pandemic, its utilization increased dramatically during this time. Although many patients have returned to in-person visits, there are cases where virtual appointments remain convenient for both patients and providers. This opens up new possibilities for remote healthcare access and continues to expand the reach of medical services.

In summary, I believe that CRISPR/gene editing, artificial intelligence, at-home testing, and telemedicine are among the emerging technologies and treatments that will have a significant impact on healthcare in the next decade. These advancements hold great promise for improving patient outcomes and expanding access to healthcare services.

What advice do you have for parents when it comes to their children’s health?

Partnering with your child's pediatrician for optimal health

If I could give one piece of advice to parents in terms of their child's health, I would say to be in close partnership with your child's pediatrician because the pediatrician is not just there to give routine immunizations, but also to help protect the health of your child by checking their blood pressure and checking their hearing and their eyes and listening for heart defects and screening them for common childhood ailments, including mental health problems, and to counsel you as a family on healthy eating and getting regular physical exercise and about wearing helmets when your child is on a bicycle or wearing a seatbelt when they're in the car, and also to talk to you about gun safety and the pitfalls of being a teenager or an adolescent. So if you ever have any questions, big or small, turn to your pediatrician first, whether it's about your child's growth or their diet or their behavior in school, because your doctor may be able to address the issue alone, but if not, can certainly refer you to a specialist that can help you and your child.

Be in close partnership with your child's pediatrician to ensure their health and safety, and turn to them for any questions or concerns you may have.

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If I were to offer one piece of advice to parents regarding their child's health, it would be to establish a strong partnership with their child's pediatrician. Pediatricians play a crucial role in safeguarding a child's health beyond routine immunizations. They conduct important checks like blood pressure, hearing, and vision screenings, as well as identify any heart defects or common childhood ailments, including mental health issues. Moreover, pediatricians provide guidance on healthy eating, regular exercise, and safety measures such as wearing helmets while cycling or using seatbelts in the car. They also address topics like gun safety and the challenges faced by teenagers and adolescents. Whenever you have any concerns or queries, whether big or small, your pediatrician should be your first point of contact. They can either address the issue themselves or refer you to a specialist who can provide further assistance for both you and your child.

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Mallika Marshall, MD, is an Emmy-winning journalist and physician. She is Medical Director at WBZ-TV in Boston, and a practicing physician at MGH's Chelsea Urgent Care Clinic and MGH Revere Health Center. Marshall is a Contributing Editor for Harvard Health Publishing and host of HHP's e-learning courses. She has nearly 15 years of media experience. She graduated cum laude from Harvard College and received her medical degree with honors from UCSF. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society and various medical associations. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Urgent Care Foundation and the Board of Directors for Dress for Success Boston. She was an Associate Editor of the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Dr. Mallika Marshall, MD