20 Questions: Charles Vega, MD [Family Medicine]

Posted on March 24, 2007
Filed Under Physician Profiles

Charles Vega, MDRecently, we were able to talk to Charles Vega, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor and Residency Program Director at the University of California, Irvine, Department of Family Medicine, and Clinical Co-Director of the University of California, Irvine, Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (also known as PRIME LC).

Dr. Vega specializes in family medicine and wanted to set the record straight about his specialty—among other things.

SDN: Describe a typical day at work.

V: First of all, there is no typical day! I’m involved in academics, so I do everything from see patients, to write grants, to meet with residents and students about their performance. As for PRIME LC, I help train physicians who are focused on healthcare for Latinos. It’s a parallel curriculum, five-year program that covers, among other things, medical issues, culture, language and economics. We’re training future leaders in the community.

SDN: If you had it to do all over again, would you still become a Doctor? (Why or why not? What would you have done instead?)

V: Yes, absolutely. I went into this profession to try to help people and improve their overall sense of wellbeing. When I return to that idea, it’s satisfying to train the next generation.

SDN: Why did you choose your specialty?

V: I’ve always been interested in relationships with patients over time, and Family Medicine offers depth of care across the lifespan.

SDN: Did you plan to enter your current specialty prior to med school?

V: I’ve been focused on medicine since I was 16 and I never had any other vision.

SDN: Now that you’re in your specialty, do you find that it met your expectations?

V: It’s not what I expected it to be when I was 16, but it’s exceeded everything I expected. It’s the chance to provide care from the cradle to the grave. That’s a great motivator to come to work every day.

SDN: Are you satisfied with your income?

V: Yes.

SDN: What do you like most and least about your specialty?

V: The amount of good you can do for people as a Family Physician is boundless. I feel very lucky to have the chance to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

I care for a patient population with multiple barriers to health care, and trying to provide the best care available to an indigent, multicultural patient population can be frustrating in our current health care environment. You have to trust that you’re fighting the good fight.

SDN: If you took out educational loans, is paying them back a financial strain?

V: Yes, but I focused on paying them back. I’m a debt averse person, so when I graduated I lived cheaply and focused on paying them back.

SDN: On average: How many hours a week do you work? How many hours do you sleep per night? How many weeks of vacation do you take?

V: I work about 60 hours per week and sleep well. I take about three to four weeks of vacation per year. I’m also on call a few times per month. In two months, I typically am on call three week days, and one weekend every three months.

SDN: Do you have a family and do you have enough time to spend with them?

V: Yes. Whatever your specialty, both your work life and your personal life is what you make of it. I choose to find my own balance, and that leaves enough time for my wife and family.

SDN: In your position now, knowing what you do - what would you say to yourself 10 years ago?

V: I would have focused more on dedication to community-based issues. Instead of trying several different things, I might have focused on single projects.

SDN: What information/advice do you wish you had known when you were a premed?
(What mistakes or experiences have you encountered that you wished you had known about ahead of time so you could have avoided them?)

V: I was naïve, and I should have been more active in seeking advice. I was the first in my family to go into medical school, so there was no one telling me how to do it. I would recommend finding a mentor or advisor while you’re an undergraduate—it’s critical. SDN does this very well.

SDN: From your perspective, what is the biggest problem in healthcare today?

V: There is an enormous gap in healthcare in different populations. I look forward to a system-wide change to improve healthcare overall. I’m glad to see healthcare reform back in discussion.

SDN: From your perspective, what is the biggest problem within your own specialty?

V: I’d like to see more interest from those currently in training. Family medicine is at the heart of reformed healthcare, and we need dynamic people to carry it forward.

The perception is that there’s a lack of prestige and a lack of money. I know a lot of physicians, none of whom are starving, who do prestigious work in a variety of health care settings and are respected by their patients and colleagues. It’s a malleable specialty. You can work in hospital, clinical, occupational health, do procedures, fellowships, etc.

SDN: What impact do mid-level providers have on your day-to-day practice?

V: I don’t work with them [currently], but when I did in the past, they were generally great relationships. It’s synergistic, and both entities have the power to be more effective.

SDN: Where do you see your specialty in 10 years?

V: I think it depends on where healthcare in this country goes. I hope we expand as we try to improve healthcare to be fair to everyone.

SDN: What mix of clinical/research/teaching work do you do? How much power do you have to change that mix?

V: I used to be 70 percent clinical, 20 percent teaching and 10 percent administrative. But over the last 10 years, it’s become 30 percent clinical, 40 percent teaching and research and 30 percent administrative.

SDN: What are the advantages/disadvantages to academic medicine?

V: The disadvantages are that the level of pay is not up to the private sector, but again, no one is suffering financially. The advantages are that we get to give something back to our learners.

SDN: Why did you select academics over private practice?

V: Family medicine is fun, but it’s a challenge. It’s a stimulating environment, and you can take it to another level when you work with residents and students. I get to see them grow personally, too, and it’s wonderful to be involved in their maturation process as they move through training.

SDN: What types of outreach/volunteer work do you do, if any? Any international work?

V: I volunteer at a student-run free clinic, as well as do outreach at pre-med and med student conferences.

SDN: What’s your favorite TV show?

V: The Simpsons.

Comments

7 Responses to “20 Questions: Charles Vega, MD [Family Medicine]”

  1. Stephen on March 28th, 2007 9:44 am

    i really like this new 20 questions thing. it’s great to hear from physicians, especially when they’re honest.

  2. Student Doctor Network on April 3rd, 2007 2:52 pm

    Continue discussion here:

    http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=387144

  3. Ana Eastman on April 11th, 2007 12:44 pm

    I can agree with Dr. Vega on many answers, but particularly with his responses about Family Medicine as a specialty. I have been in private practice, volunteer academics, University academics, a Residency Program Director and a full-time wife and mom. I have learned many things in each job, but the constant has been the strength of relationships; old ones and new ones and how these have affected my life and the lives of those around me.

  4. ML on April 13th, 2007 6:36 pm

    Your patients are very lucky to have you. I hear all the time about people who became disillusioned and selfish in the process of medical training, so it’s great to see someone who comes out of it still committed to issues of social justice and providing primary care for those who might not otherwise have access to it.

  5. Dr. Frank Colarusso on April 22nd, 2008 6:32 pm

    Recent article on NSAIDs and spinal manipulation in the treatment of acute back pain is noted. However, one should comment only on their area of expertise. If you do not practice manual therapy you would not see the immediate improvement noted in pain, ROM, mobility and a faster return to work and avocational pursuits. This is why Harvard is providing training in osteopathic manual therapy to their staff. Do you really recommend to your patients to wait two months in pain? Please, refer these patient to a local osteopath or PM&R specialist.

  6. Dr. Frank Colarusso on April 22nd, 2008 6:34 pm

    Recent article on NSAIDs and spinal manipulation is noted. One should comment only on their area of expertise. If you did preform manual therapy you would see immediate improvement in pain, ROM, mobility and a faster return to work and life. Harvard is providing training in osteopathic manual therapy to their staff. Do you really recommend to your patients to wait two months in pain? Please, refer these patient to a local osteopath or PM&R specialist.

  7. Dr. Frank Colarusso on April 22nd, 2008 6:35 pm

    Recent article on NSAIDs and spinal manipulation is noted. One should comment only on their area of expertise. If you did preform manual therapy you would see immediate improvement in pain, ROM, mobility and a faster return to work and life. Harvard is providing training in osteopathic manual therapy. Do you really recommend to your patients to wait two months in pain? Please, refer these patient to a local osteopath or PM&R specialist.

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