"Most Teens Still Visit Pediatricians - But They Deserve Doctors Trained To Treat Them" - Eleanor Cummins
Right now, teenagers make up 13 percent of the U.S. population. This generation is more diverse than the ones before it. Angela Diaz, MD, professor of adolescent health, pediatrics and preventive medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of the Adolescent Health Center has been there for more than 25 years, and says treating teens isn't just a matter of taking care of overgrown tots. Unlike children, they're struggling with the physical and emotional effects of puberty. But Dr. Diaz said, reading the latest journals on teen technology use and keeping up to date on trends in sexually transmitted infections are not the most important part of her job. The most crucial thing she does is listen. "Often, people do just not treat teens with respect and appreciation," she said. As a result, adolescents often "feel people are not being authentic with them or do not like them." And if they don't feel they're being respected, they don't tell you the truth-or follow your directions. "If you don't make the teenager feel comfortable, a teenager will come to you and say, 'Yes, I have a headache,' when in reality, they are really, really anxious about their sexual identity," Dr. Diaz said. But if you do build trust, teenage patients are the most "honest, authentic, and compliant" patients in the world.
- Angela Diaz, MD, Jean C. & James W. Crystal Professor, Adolescent Health, Professor, Pediatrics, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center
