Karl C Santiago, MD

I try to be an ally of the parents and caregivers – they are the experts on their child. I give them the best and safest advice that I have and work with them to implement that advice based on their values or the constraints that they face. I also try to understand what goes on at home, in school and in the community, because the child is going to spend 99% of their time in those settings and maybe 1% of their time in my office. The more I understand those situations, the more parents and I as a team are going to succeed in keeping their kids healthy.

Medical school doesn’t teach you the lessons you learn from parenthood. When my wife and I had our first child – my oldest is now 4 years old – I became a different kind of doctor. Now I can relate to the experiences that my patient’s parents are going through. I can anticipate their questions and anxieties because my wife and I have had similar experiences raising our own children. I don’t think it’s possible to ever completely put yourself in another parent’s shoes, but my role as a father definitely helps me to meet families where they are at.