WSG 9 Dr. Kimberly Parks
I’m sitting here with Harry Potter on in the background writing this intro. Recently, I’ve noticed I am not the only nerd that watches these brilliant (english-speak) films relentlessly. They seem to be on all the time on one station or another. I don’t think I have ever watched a full film and I definitely haven’t watched one in a theater. I haven’t read the books either. But, I think I will, they must be good.
I also like the Bourne series (Matt Damon’s three films). They seem to be on TV with regularity, like the Potter series. They are well made and exciting to watch. I have read one of the books and it has not aged well. Written in 1980, The Bourne Identity felt awfully sexist. This coming from someone who thinks the Flashman series is funny and loves James Bond movies. I haven’t seen any of these films in a theater either. I happen onto them while flipping through channels. It’s like a little gift to see that any of the Bourne or Potter films are on. I get some of my best work done with them on in the background. And while you may not see advertising as a benefit when it comes to watching a film, I do.
Old school TV advertising is long, repetitive and dumb. But, in fact, it’s useful. When the ads come on it’s a sign for me to go down to the kitchen and get a snack, or skip to the loo (toilet), or speak to my family. Even though I’m not really watching the film closely, I’m like Pavlov’s dog when it comes to the ads. The screen goes dark and transitions to the loud, bright, stupid ads and Boing! I get up and do whatever I have to do (see above) or, acknowledge the kid standing at the end of my bed for the five to seven minutes of ad time. And, because these films are on so often I don’t have to stress when I miss something because someone is talking to me beyond the transition back to the movie. They will be on again soon, guaranteed. If only more of life were as predictable and dependable as the Potter and Bourne film TV schedules.
Maven of the Week: Dr. Kimberly Parks
Dr. Parks grew up in a non-medical household, an only child of a single mom. Her father was not a part of her life, for the most part. Though she claims she got into all sorts of mischief with her unaccounted for time, she must have done something right because she went to college as a dance/psych double major and is now a successful doctor, Medical Director of her own private practice, Synergy Private Health, wife and mother.
At school she met an important mentor who was in sports medicine. Dr. Parks admired his patient empathy and that he could help them get back to what they truly enjoyed doing. Through his influence, she went to medical school with the idea she would work in sports medicine. However, her first med school rotation was in cardiology and she was hooked. She met another mentor who guided her into the different facets of cardiology and she ultimately landed in the subcategory of advanced cardio failure and critical care. She was passionate about the life saving procedures of critical care, like organ transplant, and the cardiology care of helping a sick person get back to life.
Dr. Parks was performing million dollar surgeries and, as was the norm, sending patients home with no support or guidance as to how to care for their new bodies. The very habits that may have put a patient into critical care was exactly what they would return to with their new million dollar organ. This bothered her. She got the idea of building a practice to intervene earlier with her patients to teach them healthy lifestyle choices before they needed critical care. But, this would have to wait. I’ll let her tell you in her own words how she arrived at creating what she has now, a highly personalized, holistic approach to care.
You left MGH 5 years ago to work at a VA hospital as their head of Ambulatory Care. Tell me about this move, what did leaving MGH mean and did working at the VA influence your next move of starting your own practice?
I left MGH in 2016, where I had spent the majority of my career. It was a difficult decision as I was embedded in academia as well as a busy and thriving clinical career in heart failure.
I remember having a conversation with a friend and explaining that I was going through a "midlife career crisis "and needed to do some soul searching. That person responded by saying "no this is not a crisis, this is called a midlife reset “ and he was absolutely correct! Transitioning to an administrative/teaching role provided me the opportunity to do my own soul searching and determine the next steps in my career. I wanted to plan my next decade with all of my values aligned, to really honor the reasons that I went into medicine to begin with. After working at the VA for a year and a half, I created a business model that I thought aligned with my personal values and aligned with how I thought every patient should receive care.
Tell me about the 6 pillars of health and why they are important to you, please.
The six pillars of health are central to my practice. I believe wholeheartedly that if your pillars are out of alignment, one cannot achieve optimal health. These pillars are: Sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management, socialization, toxic exposures. For example, if I am taking care of someone who has heart disease, we know that exercise, nutrition and stress management are major contributors to development of disease. By just placing a person on medications to manage their disease, I am only managing half of the problem. In my current practice, these principles are central.
Please talk about the importance of mentors, both male and female in your life.
I have been fortunate to have so many talented people in my life who served as mentors. It is extremely important during one's career path to find people who will support you, help teach you and promote you. We create our own values through our interactions with others. In order to truly grow as individuals, it is important to be surrounded by strong role models, and then become one for someone else who is looking down a similar path. We must validate and amplify one another! I have a group of professional female friends who I connect with on a regular basis. We lean on one another, sometimes serving as a mentor, other times as friends. I encourage all women to create such networks.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up was a bit of a blur for me, and I must admit I had very little direction until I entered college. It was there that I was surrounded by many mentors who helped me find the right path.
What books are on your bedside table?
My bedside table includes: My daughter's Harry Potter book (which we read together), the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, "Triggers" by Marshall Goldsmith, "Influencer" by Patterson et al and " Getting Things Done" by David Allen. I like to toggle back-and-forth between books depending on my mood! I consider myself a self-help book junky.
What do you do to relax?
Spending time outdoors with nature in any form is relaxing for me. The best ways for me to relax are often by being active, through cycling, hiking, yoga, and best of all hugging my daughter!
A Recipe from Dr. Parks!
Sesame Tahini Caramel Corn
Ingredients
6 cups popped popcorn
½ cup real maple syrup
3 Tbsp tahini
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
Optional – add ½ cup chopped nuts or dried fruit of your choice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Keep a watchful eye on the syrup and continue boiling for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, reducing heat only if necessary to prevent overflow. Remove the pot from heat.
Add the tahini, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon to the pot of maple syrup. Whisk until well blended, then drizzle the maple mixture over the popcorn. Gently toss with a rubber spatula or big spoon until well mixed. Pour the popcorn onto the parchment-covered baking sheet and arrange it in a single layer. Evenly sprinkle sesame seeds over the popcorn.
Bake the popcorn for 6 minutes, then rotate the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional cinnamon and salt, to taste. The popcorn will continue to crisp up as it cools. Once it’s cool, break the popcorn into pieces (or leave them in chunks!) and serve.
Popcorn stays crisp for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
Question of the Week! What is your favorite thing about Summer?
That’s easy, the weather!
The diversity of outside activities, including more dinners with friends!
I think my favorite thing about the summer is that time slows down and I spend a lot more time with family and friends as well as time in nature. It is just so lovely to have a little more quiet time with those I love.
The long days are my favorite. I loose track of time and stay motivated longer.
That’s all for this week. Leave a comment or share this with others, please. Until next time!
k