Hooked on Primary Care with LeeAnn Tanaka, DO

Prior to medical school, I was involved in research looking at childhood obesity.

While working with the families involved in the studies — parents, grandparents and children — I recognized how so many diseases could be managed or even prevented with good primary care, as well as how difficult primary care can be for many people to access. That was a big part of the reason why I went into primary care — understanding how much of the pathology we treat down the road can be lessened or even prevented with effective primary care.

The other part of my interest is that I do not like doing one thing at a time. I get bored very quickly if all I do is one type of visit all day, and the variety of family medicine really appeals to me. I remember being on 3rd-year rotations and telling my mom about how I loved all the different specialties. Of course, I could not do everything. But through family medicine there is a way to still do procedures, to still see children and adults, and to do reproductive health care. Anything could walk in the door. That variety really energizes me.

LeeAnn Tanaka, DO
Family medicine physician
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine