The Online Pediatrician

BY ELLEN GILLETTE

While some doctors have a good bedside manner, Dr. Paul Berman has developed an even better website manner.

In his video, Care Without Caring, he notes patient/doctor trust is invaluable. “Your doctor should be empathetic — should greet you by name — be conscientious, thorough and kind. You should expect care, not just treatment.”

Born in Chicago, Berman is the son of a pediatric dentist and a former teacher. He has three siblings. He attended Hebrew School and celebrated his bar mitzvah, but Berman found his deepest connection to Judaism through family activities and holidays. 

“Our parents came to every game, every show. We ate dinner together. You don’t always notice those things as a kid,” he said.

His parents didn’t push good grades or college — they were a given. “I even went to summer school so I could take extra classes,” he said with a laugh. “That sounds kind of nerdy.”

After college, Berman went on an extended European tour, visiting 15 countries. During the tour, Berman received news that he’d been accepted at both dental and medical schools. 

“I had to choose. Instantly.”

Berman chose the latter, doing his residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and practicing there for five years. He also moonlighted at other hospitals and on transport teams.

“Money wasn’t the motive,” he said. “I loved being productive and caring for patients and their families.”

Berman remembers a 3-year-old he saw in the ER whom he diagnosed with neuroblastoma [a type of childhood cancer]. He stayed up with her and her parents following his shift to answer questions and provide comfort before the pediatric oncologist arrived. “Years later the oncologist contacted me to tell me this young lady was heading to college. That meant a lot.”

Attentiveness to patients was a top priority throughout Berman’s career. “Sometimes in the hospital you see the doctor once a day. Or he or she’s on the computer the whole time. I’d go multiple times to see if we could change something, get patients better faster, answer calls right away, that kind of stuff.”

Berman says conscientious care by your physician should be the norm. “Everyone deserves quality of care. We should expect more from doctors and hospitals.”

The doctor has practiced his craft around the country. In Toledo he helped start a pediatric hospitalist program. In Texas, he worked between three San Antonio hospitals. For more than 30 years he has also provided continuing education for healthcare providers around the country.

“Teaching’s like acting,” he said. “You’re on stage; you have an audience. I show the doctors patient photos prompting an interactive discussion of the diagnosis and management.”

Shortly after moving to Florida, Berman suffered a life-altering foot injury, followed by a year-long recovery during which he had to turn down clinical and speaking engagements. Finally fit to travel, he accepted a request from an Alaskan medical group. The day before his flight, the conference went from local to Zoom due to COVID-19. 

Eventually, Berman volunteered to administer vaccines through the city of Port St. Lucie. “I’ve been giving and taking shots since I was a kid,” he said, “so I give a pretty good shot. That’s another thing that I think attracted me to medicine.” 

Since moving here, Berman has acted in community theater productions and is active with the Treasure Coast Ukulele Club and Port St. Lucie Community Band. 

He also tutors special needs students online. 

“One mother texted me at midnight to tell me her son had bumped his grade up to 98%,” Berman said. “I got such pleasure out of that. I knew she wasn’t trying to wake me up, it’s just that she thought I’d want to know. She was so proud and so anxious to tell me, she couldn’t wait till the next day.”

Although not currently practicing, Berman maintains his medical credentials and is licensed in six states. Recognizing a need for greater access to answers to pediatric health questions, he created the website DrBermanCares.com. His videos — most under a minute — cover a wide range of topics.

Subscribers to the website are notified when new videos are posted. “I’m not selling anything,” Berman said. “I don’t charge anything; I don’t share email addresses. I can’t give a definitive diagnosis without seeing a patient, but I do answer all the questions people send in.”

Berman also posts the videos on TikTok and Facebook. “It’s nice to see how many people watch,” he said, “but that’s not the important thing. If I help one person, it’s worthwhile.”

He originally planned a website for doctors but instead changed his focus to patients.

“My goal is to shift expectations. You should expect your doctor to call you promptly with results, whether good or bad. If they send you to the ER, they should call ahead, let them know you’re coming so you get better care, faster care. Doctors are held accountable when they know another doctor’s waiting to hear. You think doctors do that naturally, but often, no.”

Having been taught such values in childhood, Berman believes that acceptance, equality, kindness, inclusion and courtesy are necessary in both medicine and in society.

Formerly in person and now online, Dr. Berman does indeed care.

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PAUL MURRAY BERMAN

Age: 60

Lives in: The Estates at Tradition

Occupation: Semi-retired pediatrician and educator

Family: “I’m single! My parents live close by during the cooler months. I have two sisters in Chicago — one is an actress, director and playwright. The other is an attorney who advocates for early learning and children with special needs. My brother is a writer, actor, and producer in Hollywood.”

Education: Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Indiana University; medical degree, Chicago Medical School; Master of Business Administration, University of Texas 

Hobbies: “Music, theater. I like keeping active — cycled for years, dabbled in sports. I swim.” 

Who inspires me: “My parents.”

Something most people don’t know about me: “I spent a month on a Disney cruise as one of two doctors taking care of the crew and passengers, rotating between the ship and Castaway Cay. When Mickey Mouse gets an earache, it’s a big deal. He’s got big ears.”

See the original article in print publication

June, 2023