San Francisco Doctor Suggests The Medical Field Is A 'Calling'
Adriana Rozsa is Chief Medical Officer and MD at Catalyst Health & Benefits Inc. in San Francisco. Catalyst specializes in delivering employers with the proven tools and strategies needed to implement successful and cost-effective employee health management and workplace wellness programs. Catalyst works closely with business owners and their human resource administrators to help them meet their objectives, customizing programs tailored to their unique environment.
Can you share your thoughts on careers in health and wellness over the next 5-10 years?
"Preventive medical care is the perfect way of replacing what we spend on disease-oriented medical care and support. I am not just referring to old-fashioned ideas of a diet to lose weight or immunization to prevent illnesses, but a much more complex picture incorporating new advancements in genetic testing through to the development of new technology. Such things are now providing a constructive disruption in the healthcare arena."
2015 Employee Benefits' research report by the Society for Human Resource Management, released in June, found that 70 percent of U.S. employers currently offer a general wellness program, up from 58 percent in 2008. With mobile devices and other healthcare technologies, we can see consumers taking more of an active role in their wellness and fitness. Consider the current trends: 78 percent of consumers are interested in mobile wellness solutions. The Apple App store now has 100,000 healthcare-related apps, 60 percent of which are aimed at consumers."
Did your course of study at university prepare you for your career?
"Yes, preventive medicine is practiced by physicians who are more individual-focused. It is a unique medical specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). If you think about it, medical schools attempt to prepare doctors for disease directed medicine. But, there are so many illnesses, treatments, lab tests and ways to diagnose to be learned in a short time, it's simply not possible to cover it all. Ask any resident that needs to catch his sleep on a chair for a few minutes before seeing the next patient."
Do you have any advice for someone who is considering studies in healthcare with an eye toward a higher degree in medicine?
"A young person's decision should be driven by a 'calling,' a strong desire to help those in need. I love my profession and the amazing knowledge and skills acquired through experience. However, one must be cognizant of evolution in the healthcare arena when practice become over-regulated and government intrusion becomes unbearable. As a 'forever optimist,' I do believe each deeply committed individual pursuing a life -- not just a job -- as a medical doctor will find happiness."
Laurie Jo Miller Farr loves walkable cities. A tourism industry professional and transplanted New Yorker by way of half-a-lifetime in London, she's writing about the best of the bay and beyond for Bay City Guide, AXS, Examiner and more. Examiner.com.