2005 Interview Series #3: Dr. Paul Mangiafico

Author: Frank LaBanca, Ed.D.


Dr. Mangiafico is a physician with the Mount Kisco Medical Group . Read his education bio here.

He states:

“I am 42, and one of the docs that still loves Medicine. I work with the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts, and have also spent time in several other schools talking with students. I am an Internist and work in NY state in private practice; primarily General medicine, Internal medicine, and Geriatrics.

I will come in with some general examples and topics to discuss on how science applies to human anatomy and physiology, as well as interesting medical careers topics. Many people do not know how broad the medical sciences are, as well as the vast differences between clinical, academic, and research practices. I believe that when most people think of medicine, they think of what I do; clinical practice seeing patients: preventing, diagnosing, and treating disease and injury. Obviously the part that I think is fun, but there is a lot behind the scenes going on.”

Get some info about the career of a medical doctor at http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/careers.htm
Read what a parent wrote and responses received for a child who was contemplating a career in medicine. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=287766

Using the information above as well as your own interests and further research, compose appropriate, relevant questions to ask Dr. Mangiafico when he visits us on November 10th. Questions should be conceptual, in-depth, and original (do not repeat other students’ questions). Post them here so we can share our ideas and thoughts.

Our interview will conclude with the “Big10.” . . . a series of rapid-fire, quick-response questions based on The Pivot Questionnaire. You will probably recognize them as similar to the 10 questions James Lipton asks of his interviewees on the television program Inside the Actor’s Studio.

01. What is your favorite word?
02. What is your least favorite word?
03. What turns you on creatively?
04. Who has made the biggest impact on your life? (name and relation)
05. What is your favorite scientific word?
06. What sound or noise do you love?
07. What sound or noise do you hate?
08. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
09. What profession would you not like to do?
10. What phrase or message should all people know?

24 Responses to “2005 Interview Series #3: Dr. Paul Mangiafico”

  1. Ivan Says:

    What are some difficulties that you are faced with as a general physician? For example, what do you say when you dont know what to say to a certain person when you can’t tell what’s wrong with them, you dont want to scare them but dont want to misinform them either?

    Also, what are some associations that you have worked with? Any hospitals or specific care clinics?

  2. Sarah Says:

    How did you get involved so much with your community? You say that you interact with many young people, such as boy scouts, girl scouts, and cub scouts. When did you know that you wanted to be a doctor? Did you ever consider other careers in medicine? If so, what were they, and why did you choose yours?

    Sarah Peck

  3. Kelly Says:

    If you could work in another area of science what would it be? Would it still be medical related? What areas of medicine interest you the most? Why did you chose the area of medicine your working in?

  4. Alex de Brantes Says:

    How hard is it to to have a understanding of the some many fields that a general physician must know. Also how long did it take to get were you are right now?

    What is your biggest achievement?

  5. Derek Says:

    Why do you say you are one of the only docs who still likes Medicine? Also, What is your favorite type of medicine?

  6. maricate Says:

    How did you narrow down to general science? Why didn’t pediatrics or cardiology interest you or some other specific medical field?

    Also, do you ever have differing or opposing views to other doctors? Is there ever a disagreement in diagnosis between you and another doctor?

  7. kendra Says:

    Did you always want to persue a medical career, or was there a life-changing moment that spurred your choice? What was your schooling like? Did you enjoy it?

  8. Laura Koscomb Says:

    Do you enjoy being just a general practice doctor or would you rather specialize in something smaller and more specific?
    I am very interested in medicine but i do not think that i want to be a doctor. Do you think that Medical Lab Technology is an ever changing field because i do not want to go into something that is just doing the same tests over and over again.
    What colleges did you go to for undergraduate school and graduate school? And did you like where you went to school or would you have rather have gone somewhere else?
    Did you do any kind of research in college and if you did what kind of research and in what field?

  9. Laura Konkos Says:

    What made you choose Tulane University School of Medicine of New Orleans and tufts? What pros and cons do you have off the education you got and what opportunities did they give you there? When I discuss a possible medical career with people, they talk about how doctors aren’t making what yearly what you think they would due to insurance; can you elaborate on this more? And do you find being a doctor worth the effort and time you put into it? Do you have any inspiring stories for aspiring scientists and possible doctors? Any miracle like stories, that you have? Is it hard dealing with not being able to help certain people and those that are discouraged with there health problems? I tend to care about people a lot, some say this can be a draw back with being a doctor because you need to keep a level of professionalism, if I would get to attached to my patients, especially those in the need of most help, is being a doctor not a good profession for me? What made you become a doctor, and how old where you when you decided? What do you get out of interacting with many young people such as boy scouts, girl scouts, and cub scouts? Have you ever regretted choices you had made in your life or been overworked when getting your doctor degree? Who paid for your medical schooling if you don’t mind me asking, did you have to work to help pay for school or did your parents and scholarships cover the costs? Who has been a role model in your life and how has that effected your worth ethic and results in life?(if you have one)

  10. alex albritton Says:

    What would you say the prose and con are of being a general practitioner instead of a specialist?

    Would you say that a medical degree would help some one intending to go into scientific research?

    Did you start of going for a general science degree like biology or did you start immediately on a medical degree?

  11. Sam Says:

    How did you narrow down our interests among the medical field in becoming a physician? Did u determine you would be a general physician early on, or after rotating among the various fields of medicine? For a student like me who is pursuing a career in medicine, is there excellent schools you would recommend me looking into?

  12. gabby Says:

    Where did you go to school? Have you done any work in the field of physical therapy? What are the pros and cons of being a general physician?

  13. Luke Says:

    One has to go through many yaers of schooling to be a doctor: 4 years of college then 3-4 years of Medical school, then fellowship and residency. Do you think it is worth all that time?

    What major were you in college? What were some of the courses that you took?

  14. drew Says:

    Do you think that being a general physician is harder than a doctor for a specific branch of medicine, because you have to know a variety of topics, symptoms, and maladies?

    Since the hurricanes that have hit the south, are you going to try and do anything to help Tulane University?

  15. Dan Bunger Says:

    If you could become a medical specialist of any kind, what would it be and why?

    Why is it that the recent trend in the medical community is to form larger practices and work with health care systems as apposed to working independent? How do you think this has affected patient care?

    Now that you have actually gotten out of medical school and started actually practicing medice, do you feel that you were in anyway mislead or just did not fully understand what the experience would be like?

    In regard to your mention of how many doctors do not like medicine anymore, why do you feel they have lost interest in the field? Why do you still love it?

  16. Harriet Morgan Says:

    When you were in high school did you know that you wanted to be a doctor? If yes, did you base your high school courses around a career in medicine?

    In your opinon, what is the most difficult part of being a doctor?

    I, like Laura, would like to pursue a medical career but I don’t think I would make a very good doctor because I wouldn’t be able to take care of all of the people who were in pain and I couldn’t help them all. Do you have any recommendations as to which career paths might be an option for me?

  17. Rebecca Reed Says:

    As a doctor who sees and diagnoses patients on a regular basis, do you monitor the different types of antibiotics that you prescibe to specific patients and try not to repeat the same medication so many times as to perhaps allow the bacteria to build up a resistance to that medication? And also, have you noticed any increase in drug-resistant bacteria over the past years in your patients. Do you think drug-manufacturing companies are making enough of an effort to prevent drug-resistant bacteria?

    Also, as a doctor, how do you keep up with new medications being released? Can you just accept what the drug-manufacturing companies say about their products or do you have to examine and research them yourself before you prescribe them to any of your patients?

  18. Lauren Says:

    In your statement you said that you are “one of the docs that still loves Medicine” who works with “primarily General medicine, Internal medicine, and Geriatrics.” Recently there has been discussion that America has been overmedicated. How do you respond to this comment? What is it about Medicine that attracted you to this field of work, and kept you here? Did you ever consider other careers? What is the most frustrating part of your job? And lastly, would you change that if you could, or do you enjoy a challenge that is frustrating?

  19. Anonymous Says:

    In any day that you may be working as a general physician, have you found something that you have tried to improve on for yourself and other doctors like you? Possibly look into a new or a less researched branch of medical science that may one day help you.

    With so many different areas in medical science, how have you chosen to narrow it down to general care of people? Or did you chose that because you could still include many areas of medical science in your work.

    Have you ever been fed up with why something happens and want to stop your job as a physician and go strictly into research for a time to help solve it?

    Dayton

  20. Jonathan Bryant Says:

    What are some of the problems you encounter in the field of geriatrics? How do you correct these problems? Are most of the problems from your patients skin related or are they more serious genetic disorders such as dementia? You said that you are an Internist, what does an internist do and what is internal medicine? What separates this job from other medical professions such as a surgeon? Would you recommend these fields (geriatrics & internal medicine) for aspiring future doctors, and if so why?

  21. sarah gutbrod Says:

    In your opinion, what aspect of your education and training prepared you the best for becoming a doctor?
    Do you ever feel that being a doctor, you can only help people after they are ill/hurt? Do you ever wish you could do something for them before they get to you? Is there any research aspect to your work as a general practice doctor?
    Are there other professions in the medical field, even other positions, that you would like to or ever consider pursuing, such as doctors without borders?
    I am an EMT and plan on pursuing a premed major next year, what is the best piece of advice you can give regarding the process?
    -Sarah Gutbrod

  22. Dahasan Says:

    The insurance copeinams have their hands too deep in the system to allow any such consideration of alternative options for health care.And no, it’s not because of Republicans, either. Obama’s plan would force all Americans to purchase insurance. You think that they’re complaining that the government is forcing 30 million Americans to become their customers? That’s a state-sanctioned monopoly if I’ve ever heard one. Follow the money; who were the largest donors for the Obama campaign for presidency? If you guessed the health insurance copeinams, you guessed right. The democrats aren’t looking out for the little guy, that’s just a populist veneer. They’re looking out for their buddies who were promised kickbacks in exchange for campaign donations.Your idea is sound. Brilliant, even. I just don’t see it happening in this political environment.

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