Welcome to all current and potential Kaiser Permanente members. My name is Michael "Mike" Newman, and I am a pulmonary and critical care physician working in the San Diego Medical Center.
I am originally from New York City and went to medical school in the metro New York area. After medical school, I completed both my residency (internal medicine) and fellowship (pulmonary and critical care) at the University of Massachusetts. Ever since I was young, I used to follow my mother, who is an OB-GYN, to her office and the hospital, always fascinated by her relationship with her patients and staff. To have a career in which you can have the ability to help patients with their ailments and improve their well-being was something that would be a great gift. My path to become a doctor, however, was not straightforward. I went to college in Washington DC and, influenced by the surroundings, I became interested in economics and policy making. At the end of college, I had an accident in which I needed to seek medical care. At that time, I rediscovered my childhood dream to become a doctor. I enrolled in a pre-med program at New York University and became first an EMT and then a paramedic. I worked NYC's 911 system while applying to and during medical school. The experience of coming into people's homes during their times of emergencies was eye opening and often humbling. It gave me my motivation to get through school and complete my training. I have been married to a wonderful wife since 2005 (the year I graduated medical school). We are blessed with a daughter.
I approach members in the manner that I would want my family members treated. I try to be as approachable and down to earth as possible. In my specialty, often members are seeing me with serious issues, which creates a significant level of stress. Although I may not be able to cure every one of members' illnesses, I do my best to let each of them know that I genuinely support them and will do whatever I can to improve their conditions.
When I am not working, I enjoy being with my family. My wife and I are close with our extended families and try to travel to see them as much as possible. My wife's family is from Japan, and mine still live back in New York. I am an avid baseball and football fan and enjoy simply watching a game.
