In this episode of the Prosperous Doc ®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP®, welcomes Dr. Maria Baimas-George, a surgical resident at Carolinas Medical Center of Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to discussing her medical career, Dr. Baimas-George tells us about her children’s book series, “The Strength of My Scars: Pediatric Surgical Chronicles,” and the path that led her to create such meaningful work.
As someone who started creating her own books when she was two, Dr. Maria Baimas-George believed she would grow up to become an author. When she fell in love with science and went on to medical school, Dr. Baimas-George found herself writing and drawing to de-stress.
“Growing up, I loved English and I loved science, and now I feel like they are merging, which is wonderful,” Dr. Baimas-George says of her newfound side hustle. She’s a surgical resident by day, and an author and illustrator by weekend.
In this episode of Prosperous Doc®, our host Shane Tenny, CFP®, welcomes Dr. Baimas-George, a surgical resident at Carolinas Medical Center of Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to discussing her medical career, Dr. Baimas-Georges tells us about her children’s book series, “The Strength of My Scars: Pediatric Surgical Chronicles,” and the path that led her to create such meaningful work.
Dr. Baimas-George’s first-hand experience in the pediatric surgery service shed light on the information that gets lost in translation between patients, their caregivers, and physicians.
Physicians speaking in medical jargon to patients and their families who are already anxious and scared is not beneficial. Dr. Baimas-George’s series provides both caregivers and children with understandable information they can process more readily in times of high emotion.
“We saw a significant benefit in satisfaction, comprehension or understanding, and [decreased] apprehension or stress in caregivers and parents of patients undergoing common pediatric surgeries,” Dr. Baimas-George says of a controlled study conducted at Carolinas Medical Center.
Dr. Baimas-George’s medical and authorial future is as bright as the lights on her OR table. She is a true testament to the power of following your passions wherever they might take you.
Name: Dr. Maria Baimas-George, MD MPH
What she does: Dr. Baimas-George is a surgical resident working at Carolinas Medical Center of Atrium Health in Charlotte, North Carolina. From her first-hand experience with pediatric patients, Dr. Baimas-George has created a children’s book series, “The Strength of My Scars: Pediatric Surgical Chronicles,” explaining medical procedures and terms, and calming fears surrounding health-related issues.
Company: Atrium Health | LinkedIn | Twitter
Words of wisdom: "Scars should be embraced. It shows that we've overcome adversity."
Connect: LinkedIn | Twitter | Books Website | Books Instagram | Books Twitter | Books Facebook
Top takeaways from this episode
[05:08] You can have multiple passions: Having always loved English, drawing, and science, Dr. Baimas-George is seeing her passions merge into one fruitful project.
[05:52] Lost in translation: Even the best doctors struggle to explain diagnoses and treatments in layman's terms, especially when the patient is a child and parents are stressed, anxious, and scared.
[09:02] Pairing metaphors and facts: In order to make the information more accessible to children and overwhelmed caregivers, Dr. Baimas-George uses metaphors to tell a story, and factual information to support it. Each book has a fact section at the end, with extra resources for parents.
[11:52] Be proud of your struggles: The title of the series — “The Strength of My Scars: Pediatric Surgical Chronicles” — draws on the power and strength of hardship. Dr. Baimas-George hopes readers will find encouragement from her books and embrace their scars.
[14:10] Support matters: Dr. Baimas-George has support from her colleagues, pediatric surgeon mentors, and the department of surgery at Atrium Health — a major advantage when she needs medical professionals to peer review her work.
[16:00] Ask (or apply) for help: Dr. Baimas-George applied for a grant through her department, which ultimately allowed her to self-publish the series.
[21:05] Proof is in the pudding: A study conducted at Atrium Health found that Dr. Baimas-George’s books were beneficial in lowering adults’ stress and confusion about their children’s diagnoses.
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Disclaimer: Prosperous Doc podcast by Spaugh Dameron Tenny highlights real-life stories from doctors and dentists to encourage and inspire listeners through discussions of professional successes and failures in addition to personal stories and financial wellness advice. Spaugh Dameron Tenny is a comprehensive financial planning firm serving doctors and dentists in Charlotte, NC. To find out more about Spaugh Dameron Tenny, visit our website at www.sdtplanning.com. You can also connect with our host, Shane Tenny, CFP at shane@whitecoatwell.com or on Twitter.
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Top quotes from the episode:
[05:52] “We go to med school for four years, and in those four years, we’re kind of learning another language. And then patients and their families come in, and we try to explain to them what’s going on in this other language. They’re already fearful and anxious, and that can compound this issue… I feel like it’s a language barrier.”
[11:08] “I can’t imagine growing up and having a big scar on my belly, not remembering where it came from. I thought [the books] could be a good resource for parents for later in their child’s life, as they may not have fully understood it when it happened either. This is something you can have to show your kids later on and say, This is why you have those scars.”
[24:59] “In general, each book has its own story — its own set of characters. The reason I do that is because I want a diverse set of people to be represented in these books. I'm trying to do a diverse range of characters so that kids all over can say, Hey that looks like me or I know people like that, and That’s exactly like me, instead of just having one type of character.”