About Me

Hello, my name is Dr. Gudal. I have been a pediatrician for more than 20 years and have been practicing at Kaiser Permanente since 2000. I love helping little ones feel better and assisting parents find answers to their concerns about child rearing.

Biography

I was born in Ethiopia, a place with few doctors and much suffering. This motivated me to go into medicine. Due to war and strife in my own country, I went to neighboring Somalia to obtain my medical degree and served as an intern in Mogadishu. I soon discovered that I loved working with children and chose pediatrics as my field of study. In 1986, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy to further my education. I studied there for several years before applying for a United States medical license and moving to New York where I took up residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Coming from a warm and arid climate, I found the winters in New York rather harsh. When a friend suggested California as a good alternative, I jumped at the chance, and Kaiser Permanente became my new home. At Kaiser Permanente, we are fortunate to have a wealth of resources at our disposal and dedicated doctors who are truly concerned about the well-being of their members.

About my practice

Youngsters are truly amazing. They can be seriously ill one day, then quickly bounce back and be laughing and running around the next. Their rapid response to treatment gives me great satisfaction. I do my best to work with parents and give them the information they need to successfully raise a child from birth through adolescence. It is not an easy task, but it is a very fulfilling assignment both as a parent and a physician. Trying to know when to involve the doctor is sometimes difficult for parents to determine. Kaiser Permanente’s 24-hour advice nurses can help here, as do the educational materials Kaiser Permanente makes available to parents.

How I thrive

When I am not practicing medicine, I enjoy listening to music, watching and playing sports, including soccer and basketball, as well as spending time with family members here in California. At least once a year, I head back to Ethiopia to visit and help in my homeland. These trips make me appreciate, even more, all that we have in America.