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.
💡 Featured Expert 💡
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
💰 On the Money 💰
Top takeaways from this episode
★ Follow your bliss. From writing to art to science classes to medical school, Dr. Baimas-George always followed her passions. Now working in an OR and writing and illustrating meaningful works for children and their caregivers, she gets to use two of her interests to make a difference in the lives of her patients.
★ Cross your t’s and dot your i’s. Although she is independently publishing her works, Dr. Baimas-George ensures she is producing the absolute best resources for patients. She has the medical facts checked and approved by doctoral peers and mentors, has the books proofread for spelling and grammar, and has coworkers read through to make sure the story and information is sound.
★ Ask for help. For Dr. Baimas-George, asking for help in the form of a grant was the best decision she could have made. Receiving a grant from the Carolinas Medical Center of Atrium Health allowed the series to get published.
⚡ Prosperous Insights ⚡
[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.
Compliance code: CRN202407-473088
