Show notes
This week on In Black America, producer and host John L. Hanson, Jr. speaks with Dr. Idopise Umana, a board-certified internal medicine physician who specializes in managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses and founder of The Wellness Institute, located in Suwanee, Georgia. Intro music [00:00:07] The In Black America theme music, an instrumental by Kyle Turner. Announcer [00:00:15] From the University of Texas at Austin, KUT Radio, this is In Black America. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:00:23] Once I got back and I started taking the classes, I thought I might do medicine, but I wasn’t sure. So education was another route. And what was good about applied biology is you got the best of both worlds. So there was a track for medicine if you chose to go into medicine. But there was also a track if I wanted to do microbiology and biochemistry was just a lot of different options within that track. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:00:46] Dr. Idopise Umana, a board certified internal medicine physician who specializes in managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses, and founder of the Wellness Institute, located in Suwanee, Georgia. Dr. Umana earned a B.S. degree and applied biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and then pursued a passion for medicine and earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University in 2005. She completed her internal medicine residency from Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville and a one year Achieve residency fellowship at Mayo Clinic. In June 2018, the CDC released an alarming report that stated In this country suicide had risen 25% over the past 15 years. Also, the report revealed that in 2016, nearly 45,000 people died by suicide. And while some therefore attribute to mental health disorders, many appear to be related to individuals succumbing to the pressures of life. To that end, Dr. Umana, The Wellness Institute. I’m John L. Hanson Jr., and welcome to another edition of In Black America. On this week’s program, the Wellness Institute with Dr. Idopise Umana, M.D., In Black America. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:02:04] My experience over the past decade and then just my experience with individuals, whether through church or I like I said, I’m a people person. I like to talk to people, like to listen. And one of the biggest things you learn as a physician is just to watch individuals. Sometimes I’m just watching how people walk into the office, but as I was taking care of patients and just interacting, whether with friends, people and just the environment. One of the things that just kept coming back to me is a lot of things that we deal with health wise can be tied back to something that’s causing a stress. And then when you look at it, it ties back to how are we processing it mentally. And so outside of this, my other fun activity is working with my nonprofit and I just wanted to do something where we could train individuals to refocus their thought process and to get the tools that they need to live a better positive effect of life. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:03:01] In 2018, Dr. Idopise Umana founded the Wellness Institute, a gym for the mind located in Swansea, Georgia. The Institute offers onsite and online health and wellness empowerment sessions for individuals and also customized programs for workplace wellness. The focus is on six areas of wellness, mental health, financial, physical, lifestyle, social and personal professional wellness. Born in Nigeria but raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with her two younger brothers document her parents recognize her love for humanity and nurture that love by involving their children in community and nonprofit organization activities for 14 years now. Dr. Umana has been a board certified internal medicine physician who specializes in managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses. Inspired by the women in her immediate circle, document is on a mission to train individuals to live their best life by improving their mindset. Recently, she spoke withIn Black America. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:04:08] I had a great family. It was me and my two brothers, two younger brothers and my mom and dad. So very close family, very interactive. One of my brothers played baseball, so we were constantly at baseball games. The other one was a musician, so we were constantly a concert for him. But I mean, it was good. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:04:24] And what were some of your favorite subjects while you were in school? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:04:27] Math and science. I had to love math because my dad’s background is in math, and science came naturally. My mother was a nurse, so I was already part of the family. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:04:36] And you did your undergraduate Where? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:04:38] At Georgia Tech. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:04:40] And why? Georgia Tech is not far from home. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:04:43] Not far from home. That wasn’t my big reason. I think at the time I thought I wanted to do engineer like my father. But when I got to Georgia Tech and I started doing science classes, I realized I like science better than going into engineering. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:04:58] Tell our audience about earning a B.S. in applied biology. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:05:02] So one, I once I got to tech and I started taking the classes, I thought I might do medicine, but I wasn’t sure. So education was another route. And what was good about applied biology is you got. The best of both worlds. So there was a track for medicine if you chose to go into medicine. But there was also a track if you wanted to do microbiology. Biochemistry was just a lot of different options within that track. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:05:27] So what sparked that interest in medicine? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:05:30] A lot of individuals in my family are physicians, like Hancock was a physician, my mother was a nurse. So it was part of my life growing up, and I was just trying to figure out which one made more sense. And I love the sciences. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:05:43] And what drew you to internal medicine? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:05:46] So when you’re in medical school, you get the opportunity to do a lot of different fields. And one of the things I liked the most was the people connection with internal medicine, particularly primary care. Because as a primary care provider, I would follow these patients basically their entire life. And I’m a very big people person. So I thought, I think I’ll go this route. And so internal medicine drew me because you use your mind a lot. Mm hmm. And also the interpersonal relationships. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:06:13] So were the other people of color while you were in medical school? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:06:17] Yeah, there was. It was a minority, of course, but there was. And I’m still connect with some of them to this day. And I went to medical school some years ago. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:06:25] So how grueling is the subject matter. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:06:28] For medical school? It’s a lot of reading, a lot of retention. If you’re passionate about what you’re doing, it motivates you. So I cannot say it’s easy, but it’s well worth it. And anyone who decides to go into it just has to make up their mind that this is what they want to do. It’s just like any feel. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:06:45] Now, everyone has heard of the Mayo Clinic and you did your residency at the Jacksonville facility. How was that? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:06:52] I loved it. Now, you remember Mr. Hanson. I was just saying, I don’t do cold weather. So Mayo Clinic has a few campuses. They have Arizona, they have Florida, and then their major campus, which is in Rochester. Right. So automatically Rochester is out. It was out. Arizona was too far from home because I am very close to my parents. And I said, okay, I can leave and go to Jacksonville. And one of my uncles again, trained at Mayo, Rochester, some motivating force. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:07:19] And you did your medical training at Northeastern Georgia Physicians Group. Tell us about that. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:07:25] Well, I did my medical training at Mayo, so I went to college at Georgia Tech. And then after that, I went to medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Then after you finish with medical school, you do residency. So I did three years of general internal medicine residency at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, a one year, and did a fellowship year where I got to teach my fellow residents who were first, second and third years At this time. I was a fourth year. Then after I was finished, I joined a practice up in Gainesville, which was Northeast Georgia Physicians Group. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:07:59] Was there a life outside of medicine during that period? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:08:03] Oh, I created a life. But honestly, during medical school it was mostly medicine. Residency was a little bit better. My life happened a lot more after all of that was done. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:08:14] And once you completed all that, you went into a practice. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:08:18] Yes, I joined a hospital system that has a group with that Northeast Georgia physicians group, and I’ve been working in the same place for the past decade. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:08:27] And then what are you responsible for? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:08:31] So there I have my own practice of patients within the physician’s group. I recently became one of the associate program directors for our internal medicine residency program. And then I also have the role as a medical director for six of the clinics within our Northeast Georgia Physicians Group. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:08:51] And Dr.. Umana, I understand that you specialize in managing patients with acute and chronic illnesses? Yes. Why so? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:08:59] Because that’s what primary care is. So think about when you go see your primary doctor. My patient population starts at age 18, though I have a few that are minors. The majority are 18 to the end of life. And so on any given day, I see almost everything. I can have a patient come in and their only complaint is a sore throat. Then I can have one come in who’s having chest pain and you’re concerned about having an actual heart attack in the office and of course manage chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, people who had strokes, heart attacks. So a wide array of everything. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:09:34] Now you’re there in the southeast, in the state of Georgia. Are there any acute medical concerns you have about the population there? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:09:43] Oh, yes. Diabetes is huge. For clarification, when you say acute, are you talking about things that are happening every day or cause I see all of it done. I mean, literally, I have patients. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:09:56] Well, things that concern you that that needs to be addressed. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:10:00] Yes. Yes. Outside of just the chronic medical conditions. Mm hmm. One of the things that led me towards this wellness institute is the mind, the state of individuals and how they deal with stress, whether it be financial stress stressors that. Home stressors at work. But it does affect them. And so it’s anxiety, depression. Then it can also manifest into chronic medical condition documented. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:10:26] What led you to open up the Wellness Institute? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:10:29] My experience over the past decade and then just my experience with individuals, whether through church or I like I said, I’m a people person, like to talk to people, like to listen. And one of the biggest things you learn as a physician is just to watch individuals. Sometimes I’m just watching how people walk into the office, but as I was taking care of patients and just interacting, whether with friends, people and just the environment. One of the things that just kept coming back to me is a lot of things that we deal with health wise can be tied back to something that’s causing a stress. And then when you look at it, it ties back to how are we processing it mentally. And so outside of this, my other fun activity is working with my nonprofit and I just wanted to do something where we could train individuals to refocus their thought process and to get the tools that they need to live a better positive effect of life. So I tell patients all the time, go work out. And when I say go work out to improve whether their blood pressure or their blood sugar or their weight, I’m telling them to go to the gym, a physical gym, long exercise. So the mind gym is the same thing, except now I want to work out their mind. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:11:43] Why is it so difficult for us to understand that the mental health is also a part of our physical wellbeing? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:11:54] I think there’s unfortunately still a taboo about talking about mental health. When you say the word mental health, individuals automatically clam up. They think they’re going to be judged. Everyone has this feeling that you’re calling them, quote unquote crazy, which is not the case. And so because it’s not as popular to say, hey, I’m being treated or I’m getting counseling as it is to say I’m working out, it’s a conversation that’s not being had and it needs to be had. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:12:27] Let’s go through some of the I think you said six areas of wellness. Let’s talk a little bit about physical wellness. Dr. Idopise Umana [00:12:34] Okay. So that one comes extremely easy for me to talk about because we encourage people to go and exercise. So when I think of physical wellness, I’m thinking of one of the things you’re doing to help improve your overall physical health. You know, when you’re born, you have this one body, and this body is a machine. And how you take care of that machine is how you’re going to function now. And unfortunately, some things can happen that you have no control of. But a lot of things we have control of like what are we eating that can affect us and that could affect our physical health? Are we exercising? Are we sleeping well? Are we taking our medications? All of that affects our physical health. I’ve dealt with a lot of people who have chronic back problems, and some of it is just because of the posture while they’re at work. And so with physical wellness, we have certified trainers who talk about past, you know, proper posture types of exercises to strengthen your core. They train us, train individuals to really focus on their physical health and improve their life in that regard. And then I, being a physician, also encourage and try to get nurse practitioners, other physicians to focus on the disease of the mom. Like if it’s breast cancer awareness or Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s give everyone the tools necessary to improve their health. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:13:57] Are you a good example for others? Wellness? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:14:01] I would say so. I am trying to do exactly what I preaching. I workout, eat right, sleep well. But the biggest thing, John, is when I notice there is a stress or a trigger, I identify it and then I do something. So sometimes people may not be where they need to be, but as long as they’re able to identify it and once they identify it, then get the tools. And that’s what the gym is about. John L. Hanson Jr. [00:14:24] Talk to us about those stresses and triggers. How does one identify those? Dr. Idopise Umana [00:14:30] So, you know, one of the things that I noticed a lot is a lot of it has to do with work. You know, there’s a lot of people who are in jobs that either they’re not happy because they don’t understand what they’re doing or maybe they do understand what they’re doing, but because there’s something happening at home, they’re bringing it to work. And one of the stressors could be something financial, like they don’t know how to manage their their finances or they’re overwhelmed in debt and they don’t know where to go. One of the things I t…
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