Hooked on Primary Care with Tochi Iroku-Malize, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP

From childhood, I always knew I would go into medicine. My dad was a surgeon and my mom was a nurse. Which specialty, I would not know until I completed medical school and decided I wanted to “save the world” on a global scale. So, I had to research and find out which specialty would allow me to see any patient, anywhere, anytime. Family Medicine was it.

Family medicine is not just a specialty to me — it is a calling. It provides a wide array of clinical, academic, administrative and advocacy roles that I can immerse myself in. Its vast scope is a significant factor that keeps my passion alive. The variety of challenges ensures that someone like me is never bored. Every day presents a fresh set of cases, opportunities and activities that are like puzzles, each one unique. This constant variability keeps me on my toes and stimulates my intellectual curiosity.

Having the ability to provide comprehensive and continuous care, I can guide patients through their health journey, advocate for their needs and empower them to take charge of their health.

In essence, family medicine serves as a journey through which I can make a difference. It is more than a career; it is a fulfillment of a personal and professional mission, which is to help others to be better, do better and live better. It permits me to influence and inspire the lives of my patients, learners, colleagues and community locally, nationally and globally. It is a chosen path that allows me to combine my love for medicine, my passion for helping others and my commitment to lifelong learning. It is an avenue that lets me use my skills and knowledge not just to treat diseases, but more importantly, to touch lives.

Family medicine rocks.

Tochi Iroku-Malize, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP
Board Chair, American Academy of Family Physicians