Sarah C. Smith, DO

Sarah C. Smith is a family physician.

The lifesaving power of CPR: a 30-year journey

Conditions

October 20, 2023

A woman who asked us to call her Strawberry taught me cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for the first time, more than thirty years ago. I was getting my Girl Scout badge in babysitting, and it was a requirement. The class involved an overview of the “ABC’s” and half-hearted compressions on our friends. We did a craft afterward.

A few years later, I took my second CPR class in my high school natatorium. …

Medicine and motherhood: on call forever

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Physician

May 10, 2022

My residency baby just turned eighteen. Obviously, he isn’t really a baby anymore. He is six foot four and going to college, but somehow, I still think of him as that little baby. Maybe I’m just relieved that “we” both made it to eighteen. By “we,” I mean “me” as a physician mom and “him” as a person. I realize that sounds ridiculous, but honestly, being a physician mom is …

Education is the key to moving past the pandemic

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Conditions

July 24, 2021

Our country is seventeen months into a pandemic that we have an effective vaccine for, and yet, COVID-19 cases are still rising at an alarming rate. Currently, this dramatic acceleration in cases is evident in several states. Furthermore, these areas with high numbers of COVID-19 case rates are associated with low vaccination rates.

These unfortunate statistics lead one to reflect on the multitude of reasons that Americans are abstaining from vaccination. …

The eradication of polio in the U.S. is truly a testament to vaccination’s extraordinary power

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Conditions

February 23, 2021

I opened the exam room door and hit something. Peeking around the door, I saw an elderly woman wearing a pink sequined hat who was perched in a motorized scooter parked awkwardly in front of the door. I slinked around her to my stool and sat down as I introduced myself. I was running behind, but for some reason, I simply said, “tell me about yourself.”

The woman looked directly at …

Why science matters this election year

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Physician

October 1, 2020

I grew up loving politics. At age 11, I watched my mom run for and win a city commissioner position in our small town in Ohio. In 7th grade, I wrote Ronald Reagan a detailed letter with my solution for lowering the national debt. In high school, I was active on student council, and by senior year, I was president. I also took part in the presidential classroom program, and …

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Why science matters this election year

How will future generations remember COVID-19?

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Conditions

August 5, 2020

When my son was in third grade, his class took a field trip to the Spanish Military Hospital Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. This was a military facility that operated in the late 18th century. It operated at a time when St. Augustine changed hands from Spain to England and then back to Spain. The museum provides tours that recreate the bygone hospital practices. Actors put on a full surgical …

Is everyone anxious? The mental toll of the pandemic.

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Conditions

May 22, 2020

The chart for the first patient of the morning states, “elevated blood pressure for two weeks.” As I enter the room, I see a frail, elderly woman perched gingerly in the chair. She has on large sunglasses and a fabric mask. She looks apprehensive, so I introduce myself quickly. Before COVID-19, I would shake her hand, but times have changed. Before I even sit down, she immediately shows …

Comparing the preparedness of hurricanes to pandemics

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Conditions

May 11, 2020

As I stand in line at a Tampa Lowe’s today in the middle of a global pandemic, I cannot help but note the vast differences in people’s behavior around me. There is a complete dichotomy in the ways in which individuals are responding to COVID-19. Some customers who err on the side of safety are sitting in their cars waiting for curbside pickup. Others are carefully social distancing as they …

Why I love caring for geriatric patients

Sarah C. Smith, DO

Physician

February 22, 2020

As I enter the exam room, I hear, “Don’t get old honey!”

As a physician caring for a large population of geriatric patients in Florida, I hear this approximately five times a day. To this statement, I always reply, “There’s no alternative, though!” I also try not to get offended by repeatedly being called “honey.” Although I am waiting to someday state; “it’s Doctor Honey.” Usually, my level is offense is …

Sarah C. Smith, DO

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