Dr. Nicole Carter joins Dr. Lee Sharma on the show to share how she transformed her pediatric practice into a platform for advocacy.
In this episode, Dr. Lee Sharma interviews Dr. Nicole Carter who has made advocacy a core part of her medical career. Dr. Carter reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic pushed her to fill an information void in her community, offering clear, compassionate, and science-based updates that blended her expertise as a physician with her roles as a mother and daughter.
Beyond the pandemic, Dr. Carter discusses her continued advocacy through organizations such as the Georgia Chapter of the AAP Legislative Committee, gun control advocacy groups, and her local Indivisible chapter. She shares her experiences speaking at town halls, engaging in public health discussions, and mobilizing community efforts ranging from legislative town halls to food drives. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Carter emphasizes the importance of inner support circles, the value of humility in medical practice, and the need for physicians to step out of their comfort zones to protect patients and democracy.
Three Actionable Takeaways:
About the Show:
Behind every procedure, every patient encounter, lies an untold story of conflict and negotiation. Scalpel and Sword, hosted by Dr. Lee Sharma—physician, mediator, and guide—invites listeners into the unseen battles and breakthroughs of modern medicine. With real conversations, human stories, and practical tools, this podcast empowers physicians to reclaim their voices, sharpen their skills, and wield their healing power with both precision and purpose.
About the Guest:
Dr. Nicole Carter is a board-certified pediatrician practicing in LaGrange, Georgia with WellStar Medical Group. Originally from Michigan, she completed her undergraduate studies at Albion College, attended medical school at Northwestern University, and completed her pediatrics residency at Duke University. Over the past 20 years, she has built her career while also raising her family in the Auburn, Alabama area.
In addition to providing compassionate care to her young patients, Dr. Carter has become a passionate advocate on public health, pediatric safety, women's health, gun control legislation, and voting rights. She actively participates in advocacy organizations including the Georgia AAP Legislative Committee, gun control initiatives, and her local Indivisible chapter. Dr. Carter blends her medical expertise with personal experience, community leadership, and an unwavering commitment to advocate for policies that safeguard children and families.
About the Host:
Dr. Lee Sharma – A gynecologist in Auburn, AL, with a Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and over 30 years of experience in the medical field.. She graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1993. A physician passionate about helping colleagues address conflicts and thrive in medicine through practical strategies and open conversations.
Connect with Dr. Lee Sharma: Email: scalpelandsword@gmail.com Website: https://www.eastalabamahealth.org/provider/lee-sharma-md-obstetrics
Speaker: [00:00:00] Welcome my peaceful warriors. Welcome to the Scalpel and Sword Podcast. I am your host, Dr. Lee Sharma, physician and conflict analyst, and I am so excited to have on the podcast today my dear friend, Dr. Nicole Carter. Dr. Carter is a native of Michigan. ~I. ~She did her undergraduate at Albion College and she did medical school at Northwestern.
She did her pediatrics residency at Duke University, and she and her husband, Matt, who ~are also p ~is also a pediatrician, have been local to the Auburn area for the last 20 years. ~Um,~ she's currently in practice at WellStar in La Grange. She is an advocate. She's an amazing doctor. She's an amazing mom. She is a triathlete.
She is an ~ultra ~ultra runner, and it is a pleasure to have you on the podcast. Welcome, Nicole.
Speaker 2: Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here. And I have, ~um,~ one of my children coming in behind, ~so,~ okay. ~Yes.~
Speaker: Just in case. Cool. I had ~like~ one of the first ones I did my dog barked like through the first five minutes and I was so embarrassed because it was actually a guest [00:01:00] that ~I.~
~I ~had not met, like formally, it wasn't a friend, it was actually somebody that ~I, ~I met at a meeting. It's ~like,~ yeah, my podcast. And she was so gracious and said, sure. And like the first five minutes, Riker will not stop barking. I'm like, I'm so sorry. And she's like, no, no, no. I've been on so many podcasts.
It actually becomes ~kind of~ more real because people's like, oh yeah, my dog does that too. So we totally get that. So welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. ~Um.~ One of the things that we both did within the last month is we participated in one of the hands-off protests, ~um,~ outside of the federal building in Opel Lake, Alabama, and ~ I think it.~
One of the things that I admire about you is that not only have you been a vocal advocate for your patients, ~um,~ but you have shared your advocacy efforts with those of us who also wanna participate. And I wouldn't have been at that protest if it hadn't been for you. So that meant a lot to me that you shared that with me.
When did you really discover that incorporating advocacy was a very important part of your work as a doctor?
Speaker 2: [00:02:00] ~So.~ I think it's been always something that I wanted to incorporate. ~Um,~ it somewhat naturally, I think, falls into the life of a pediatrician. ~Um,~ you have some portion of the children you take care of who can't advocate for themselves.
And, ~um,~ that's ~I think,~ part of. My job and our job as physicians and pediatricians, ~um,~ to advocate for someone who doesn't have a voice. ~Um,~ I think 10 years ago, 11 years ago, if you asked me what would I want to be advocating for, ~um,~ probably larger topics that would come to mind would be childhood obesity.
Speaker 3: ~Um, ~
Speaker 2: ~mm-hmm. Uh, exercise. Um. ~Common sense gun control laws. ~Um,~ and then our world changed in March of 2020. ~Mm-hmm.~ And with, ~um, pan ~the Pandemic ~and with C um, kind of~ found myself minding the gap. Yeah. ~Um, you know,~ at the ~early, um. ~Early [00:03:00] stages of COVID. I think for almost all of us, we were lost without, ~uh, ~direction.
~Um,~ for those of us in healthcare and ~um, ~medicine. There wasn't much guidance from a state level, from a federal level, ~uh, ~from a national organization level. We didn't get any guidance from the A API don't know that they had it to give. ~Mm-hmm. Um, so, you know,~ each practitioner, each practice was finding its own way.
~Um, ~yeah. And then, at least for me, I felt like. There was a huge gap, ~um, ~whether it be knowledge or understanding or just the unknown of what was going on, ~what ~and how to translate it or what it meant for us in our daily lives. ~Um, ~and in our community. We had a couple folks in our local hospital that I think.
[00:04:00] Definitely we're trying to get some of that information out. One of our infectious disease physicians and ~um mm-hmm. ~One of the chief medical officers, but I'm not sure there was a lot of other information coming out. Maybe a little from our state health department. ~Mm-hmm.~ And I felt like I could be helpful, ~um, ~that I could be.
Someone maybe who could take some of the, ~uh,~ medical, some of the science, and then also some of the mom and the daughter of elderly parents and all of that. ~Mm-hmm.~ And at least put out ~their, ~how I saw things at the time. ~Um,~ yeah, how I saw the science and ~the,~ the knowledge and how I was applying it in my own life.
~Um,~ and. ~You know, I,~ I think overall, ~um,~ I think ~I, I~ helped our community. ~Um,~ not every single person would say that, no question. I feel like that. ~Um,~ but even now, I still have people come up and introduce themselves and they know my name because [00:05:00] of information I tried to share,
Speaker 3: ~um ~
Speaker 2: ~mm-hmm.~ Especially early on in 2020.
~So, um,~ yeah. Long answer
Speaker: again.
Speaker 2: That's
Speaker: ~amazing. No,~ no, that's amazing. And that is, I think for me, especially, I think during the pandemic, most of us at that point were grasping for information. And ~so, um,~ I was part of groups of OBGYNs on Facebook that were in epicenters like New York and Chicago. ~Um,~ but because I think I was on social media a lot at that point, I saw a lot of what you were posting and I think what I respected so much about what you were.
Doing was that you were giving a medical informational perspective, but you were doing that as a mom and you were doing that as a daughter. ~You,~ you were able to put it in that context for people who are also in that situation. And I think that's why that advocacy resonates is because you weren't just a doctor laying out info.
~I am. ~I am in this too, and this is what I'm experiencing and this is what I am doing and this is how I'm trying to inform myself. And I think maybe this can help you too. And I think [00:06:00] that kind of perspective where you're not talking to people but you're with them. Is what really allows you to advocate.
So I loved how you handled that. ~Um, I,~ I thought you were a very wise and, but very practical voice as well. You weren't asking people to do things that were outlandish. You were doing things you were doing yourself. And I think that really spoke to a lot of people. Definitely spoke to me. ~Um,~ but I also know ~that~ that was not without its, ~um,~ pushback, ~um,~ that anytime I think you're trying to.
Speak truth to power, you're going to have pushback. And especially in some of these situations where you're maybe advocating for things that people either don't understand. ~Um,~ what was that like for you?
Speaker 2: At times really challenging. ~Um,~ I'm lucky to have a really great core group of friends. ~Um,~ who, I call them the inner circle, and they provided, ~you know,~ so much grounding, ~um, kind of a,~ a protective boundary circle around [00:07:00] me,
Speaker 3: ~um,~
Speaker 2: yeah.
That I needed. ~Um, ~but ~I mean,~ there definitely were a lot of, ~um, ~hurtful comments. ~Um. Uh, ~folks definitely feel some freedom, and I think we're all aware of this on, ~um, ~social media, ~um mm-hmm. On, um, you know,~ when using the keyboard, ~um, ~to say things they may or may not say if you were talking in person, ~um, right.~
And. I did get pretty skilled at responding to that. ~Um, ~I also let sometimes other folks step in. ~Um, ~so it wasn't always me, ~uh, ~responding. ~Mm-hmm. Um, it, ~it was challenging, ~um, ~and even challenging because my oldest, ~uh, ~at the start of the pandemic was a sophomore in high school. Yeah. And, ~um. ~The first big social event was homecoming that was coming after this had all begun and Right.
You know, all the recommendations and what the school was doing and all was to not do large group events and [00:08:00] having to parent him. Trying to be as I like to say, even now while he's 21 in college. Safe and smart, safely and smartly. ~Mm-hmm. ~And protect my elderly parents as well. ~Um, ~you know, ~we, ~we explained why all of this wasn't a good idea.
Large group of his friends did go ahead and have their own homecoming. ~Mm-hmm. ~Right or wrong. And that created a lot of conflict between. Him and us, between us and some of his friend's parents. ~Um, ~a lot of people we've known a long time. ~Um, ~yeah. ~And, ~and that's really difficult when you have either friends or people who've had a lot of shared memories and time with ~mm-hmm.~
In something like this. Caused ~a, ~some division.
Speaker 3: ~Um, ~
Speaker 2: ~yeah. ~Yeah. So ~it, it was, ~it was hard at times.
Speaker: Yeah. Wow. ~I, I, I, ~you are, ~you're ~so courageous ~that, I mean, ~that I know how ~and ~much that, ~you know, ~wrenched at your [00:09:00] heart to have to do that, but you knew it was the right thing to do. You were being safe and smart for your
Speaker 2: ~kid.~
Yeah, and that's, ~I, I kept, you know, ~I do think when you know it's right. It may be hard, but you still need to be doing the right thing, especially in a situation like that where lives are at stake.
Speaker 3: ~Um,~
Speaker 2: yeah, I can sacrifice knowing hopefully that I kept some other people safe and healthy.
Speaker: Absolutely. ~You, you definitely, ~you were having to look at a big picture.
You were having to keep the end in mind. ~Mm-hmm. Um, and, but you also. ~Your motivation was sound. You knew why. And I think sometimes knowing the why can be the thing that saves us, especially if we're questioning, ~you know, ~this is, I know this is the right thing to do. It's not gonna be the popular thing to do.
Yes. But popular isn't always right and ~that ~that is, I think a very common people to get pushback and get into conflict is when you know you have a position that is the right thing to do medically, but also personally, and then you're having to stand behind it. It's so hard, you're just sitting [00:10:00] there taking it, but ~at the, ~at the core of it, your ~in ~integrity knows that you're doing the right thing.
~Um, ~I love it that you have an inner circle. I think that Inner circle is ~so, uh, ~and one of the podcasts that hasn't yet to be dropped, ~um, ~is with Dr. Risa Lewis, who is an emergency room physician, ~um, ~out of Harvard, who wrote a book called Micro Skills ~and I'm, ~I was so excited she was a guest on the podcast, but one of the things that she talks about in her book, micro Skills, is about having a personal board of directors having your own personal, this is Nicole Carter's board of directors, and I think it's so cool as I'm talking to more and more women that.
The people who are in conflict situations that are having to navigate them. One of the common denominators to successfully navigating it is having that inner circle. Having those people that you know will have your back no matter what. That will be honest with their opinions. ~They will tell you. ~It's like if you come to them and ask them an honest question, they're gonna give you an honest answer.
And I know that means the world when you are trying to
Speaker 3: advocate
Speaker: it does for yourself ~and ~and for your patients. ~Um.~ I think also too recently [00:11:00] in this current climate, ~um,~ I think this need for advocacy is even more urgent. I. ~Um, we're, ~we're really having to step out as doctors Yes. ~Um,~ for so many things.
~Um,~ what have you, I ~know, you ~know, you do a lot of advocacy on social media, ~um,~ and we talked about, ~you know,~ being at the hands-off protest together. What other ways have you exercised ~your,~ your advocacy and your, ~um,~ fight for your patients?
Speaker 2: ~So. I, I guess,~ let me preface just a little with, ~um,~ I think a lot of us in healthcare had hoped that after the pandemic, the once in a Century event could return to just the struggles of.
Regular life. Yeah. ~Um,~ and ~then, ~then the last three or four months, ~um,~ and I'm tired a little, ~uh,~ just from life. ~Um, I, you know, ~I would like to just. Be at my boy soccer games and, ~um,~ spend some extra time with my mom and, ~um,~ all of that except ~mm-hmm. Um.~ [00:12:00] Sometimes if maybe it's your skillset or maybe it's even not, ~um,~ sometimes you have to use your voice.
Yeah. And like you just said, we are in a very dangerous position ~as,~ as a country. ~Um,~ and there's obviously so many issues, but one of the large areas being attacked is, ~uh, are ~both science. And healthcare. ~Um,~ and I guess I'd even say, ~uh,~ women. Yeah. And, ~um,~ I didn't feel like I could sit on the sidelines. ~Um.~
So the other things that I've done, ~um,~ I did go ahead and now that I'm working in Georgia, ~um mm-hmm.~ I did go ahead ~and, ~and join the Georgia, ~um, a~ a p, ~um,~ legislative committee. Awesome. ~Um,~ and they actually go to the Capitol, ~um,~ and have certain days you can go and you can meet with, ~um.~ Some of the representatives you can, ~um, mm-hmm.~
Stand with signs. ~Um,~ I joined the, ~um,~ Georgia chapter [00:13:00] of the, ~uh,~ gun control committee. ~Um mm-hmm.~ I haven't been able to take part in any of their activities, but I've definitely been a part of, ~um,~ some of their webinars, ~um,~ which again, has just been really good to be surrounded by like-minded people
Speaker 3: and
Speaker 2: ~mm-hmm.~
Talk to other folks who have the same worries and concerns. ~Um.~ And then I somehow, ~um,~ got myself involved and I'm grateful, ~um,~ but with, ~uh,~ one of our local, ~uh,~ indivisible groups, ~um, awesome. So, uh,~ I'd heard about Indivisible. ~Um,~ it started in 2017, ~um,~ as a nonpartisan national group, ~uh,~ with local chapters ~who were, um.~
Their main focus is to build community, ~um mm-hmm. ~To address community issues and then things that may be on the state or federal level, ~um,~ and ~to,~ to focus efforts. ~Um,~ so there was a group of folks that were just talking about what can we do, because I think that feeling of helplessness, ~um mm-hmm. ~Or feeling of [00:14:00] aloneness is.
What sinks you right now? Yeah. ~Um,~ so a group of eight of us met at Town Creek Park about six weeks ago, and ~um,~ all of a sudden I was on the steering committee for the local Indivisible group. ~Um,~ but through that, ~uh,~ there's five of us. I've met four other. Really incredible people. ~Um mm-hmm.~ And then just ~kind of~ made lots of connections along the way and we're finding ~our,~ our way as we go.
~Um,~ so the hands-off event, ~um,~ was, ~you know,~ a national one and just. ~Kind of~ worked out really well. ~Um, mm-hmm. ~There's been a lot of the, ~uh,~ local town halls and districts all over the country, and, ~um,~ we had, ~uh,~ a town hall in the third congressional district in Alabama actually last night. We had hoped. ~Um,~ that ~Congressman,~ Congressman Mike Rogers would attend.
~Mm-hmm.~ And we reached out to him about six weeks ago. ~Uh,~ we sent him a [00:15:00] certified letter, ~um,~ then called and emailed, and then, ~uh,~ eventually spoke with his office about two weeks ago and he declined ~our,~ our, ~uh,~ offer to attend. ~Um,~ but we still had ~our,~ our town hall. And, ~um,~ I actually spoke at it about public health, ~um,~ and about a lot of the.
Dismantling and harmful actions that have happened with our current administration. ~Mm-hmm. Um,~ and then we had an open forum for community members to ask questions. ~Um,~ and that was really what we wanted and why we wanted Congressman Rogers to come, was to let him hear the concerns that we have, the real concerns that we have, ~and mm-hmm.~
And see what. His, ~you know,~ answers and how he would address those concerns. ~Um,~ so ~that's the,~ those are the primary things. And then on social media, tried to mostly stay and. The health and public health lane, although every so often. ~Mm-hmm.~ I feel like there's important things like, ~um,~ the save act, which~ I,~ I believe [00:16:00] disenfranchises voters, ~um mm-hmm.~
And other things I'll hit on, but primarily trying to, again, connect people from either the science or what's happening to how it applies in their lives or Right. ~You know,~ our daily world. ~Um,~ not just all this. Stuff that's happening in dc
Speaker: ~Right. So, yeah. ~Right. Yep. Wow. ~You are, I, ~you're amazing. ~Um, I, ~I love it that you have literally ~sort of~ put yourself out there and by putting yourself out there, you have put yourself in a position to be part of these larger organizations.
And because there's strength in numbers ~that, you know, ~your voice now gets amplified and you also get, ~um. ~More ways to get your voice out there. ~You know,~ you spoke at this thing last night, so other people got the opportunity to hear your perspective on what the ~concurrent legislation ~current policy means for them practically.
And I think that's such a big thing with health policy is, ~you know,~ it's hard for people who don't ~kind of ~delve into that, maybe not in that world as much, understand what [00:17:00] this type of legislation and what this means on the daily. And if you can put it in a perspective of this is how this will affect you.
I think you can really get people to understand why it's so important for not just doctors to advocate, but to get as many people, as many patients as possible to advocate with us. And I think that's one of the great things about you not being afraid to put yourself in a place where you can share that knowledge because.
It just gets more people to advocate with you. It's just increasing the strength of that number. And I also think that ~you can, um, I think ~you can change minds. I think when you start to logically, ~you know,~ everybody's got ~their, ~their own different way of looking at things. And there are some people you're never gonna change.
~I mean, that's just, ~this is the nature of conflict. This is the nature of advocacy. There are some people that are never going to have that perspective. And on some level, I think this is one of those things, and I'm not gonna speak for Mike Rogers. How I'm not, but if you're afraid of conflict, if you're afraid of engaging on that level, change will never occur.
Yeah. If ~you really say that you're trying to represent, if you really say that you're trying, that ~you're in DC and [00:18:00] you're trying to represent for me, but you're not afraid to engage ~in a, ~in a conflict where somehow, some way maybe we can find a path forward together. ~If you're not, ~if you're afraid of that, you're never gonna see positive change.
And this is one of my biggest. I don't wanna say beef, but it is with legislators all over the country when people are having these empty chair town halls that these legislators are not showing up. It's like on some level you have to be unafraid of the conflict to see change happen. And that's so hard.
And you have found so many ways. ~You know,~ you are smart about your topic. You have your inner circle. You have found so many ways to give yourself that strength to engage. And that's what I love so much about what you're doing is that. It's hard. What you're doing is hard. ~And I, ~and I think ~that's,~ you gotta touch on that.
When I listen to what you're doing and I've seen what you're doing, it's not easy. It takes a lot of courage to do what you do. But where you're coming from, the space that you're coming from, you care for your patients. You believe in what you're saying, you understand the science. It gives you a [00:19:00] solid place to come from.
And I think that is where you help people. ~Um. And, ~and unfortunately, and I think we've had this conversation personally, it's gonna get worse before it gets better. And I think we all recognize that. And I think sometimes that can be a little bit discouraging, but it doesn't stop us from fighting. ~Um, ~I think ~in, ~in the women's health space, ~um, ~I'm.
Kind of trying to do what you're doing a little bit, ~um, you know,~ get in with organizations that, ~you know,~ I actually took a role in ACOG and my whole career, I've never actually taken an active role in acog, but ACOG is ~so, ~so persistently advocating for women's rights, for contraceptive access, and all these things that are so important to our women that it's ~like, well,~ heck, I gotta, ~you know,~ I can't, ~I'm kind of, ~when you're a huge asset, ~so.~
~Well, and, ~and when you said, ~you know,~ at a certain point you can't sit on the sidelines. You can't, in good conscience knowing what's happening, just to sit on your hands and do nothing, just feels wrong. And ~you, ~you ~kind of~ know at some point I'm going to get people that are not going to agree with me. ~Um, I.~
I actually have a sticker in my planner that says, ~no one, ~not everyone is gonna like you. You're not [00:20:00] tequila.
~ It's kind of perfect. I, ~I think I'm gonna have to find you that sticker. I might, ~I.~
~Um, but it, it is that,~ but it is that reminder. Yeah. That, ~you know,~ if you're out there, you're doing the right thing, ~you're, you're gonna, and ~you're gonna have that pushback. You're gonna have conflict, and you just have to know where you're coming from to handle
Speaker 2: that. Yeah. And you have to believe in yourself too.
I think. Like ~I am,~ I am okay if some people don't like me. If I know that I am doing the right thing. For myself, my family, and my cute little patients. Yeah. That's okay. ~That's okay. Yeah. Yeah.~
Speaker: Sorry. ~And I, and I think, no, no, no. I think, but I think that's such a, you know, ~I think that's easier for some of us than others.
I know. For me, that's really hard.~ Um. Kind of~ getting that head space. But I will say as I have gotten older and as I have gotten more into health policy, I am less concerned about it. And I would say in the,~ in the next ~last year, I've gotten from less concerned about it to I. Let's write it. Dawn, baby. We know we got work to do.
~I think, I think it's, ~I think as I've gotten older and ~I think ~I see what the stakes are. Yeah, I think I'm less afraid of that. ~Um,~ and ~that ~that comes naturally to different people. And some people like me may have to work out a little bit more, but ~I. ~It [00:21:00] still comes back to, ~you ~know why, you know what your why is.
And it does make it much easier to engage knowing that. I think it's really cool. Have you ever had the experience where maybe somebody shared with you that initially they didn't agree with you and then after a while ~I. ~As they ~sort of~ saw and heard what you were putting out there, they maybe came around and maybe shared that with you.
Have you ever had that happen?
Speaker 2: I'm sure it has. ~Mm-hmm. I mean, I, ~this isn't necessarily applicable ~to, ~to COD or to, ~uh, ~our current world. ~Um,~ yeah, as a pediatrician. It happens all the time with vaccinations. Oh wow. ~So, you know,~ I'd say that's a fairly common occurrence when you're a pediatrician, ~um,~ to spend time trying to.
Answer questions, ~answer ~or, ~um, ~reassure, ~um, mm-hmm.~ Remove anxiety and fear. ~Um, ~and sometimes that takes a number of visits, but being [00:22:00] willing to sit there and listen, to be nonjudgmental. ~Um, mm-hmm. ~And ~to, ~to try to provide good information and good resources for families that have concerns and questions as well.
Yeah. ~I mean,~ I've spent hours making sure I'm providing info about aluminum in vaccines, because that was one family's concern. ~Mm-hmm. So, I mean, I, ~I think. As a pediatrician, ~that's that. And I think what, ~how have I either changed minds or helped ~some ~guide someone towards ~a, ~a good medical decision?
That's a fairly common one in our world. Wow.
Speaker: I love how you talk about what you invest in that process, that it wasn't one of those things where you sat down. ~And,~ and it may happen, but it sounds like it's more of you even built a relationship with these families. And as you build that relationship and you build that trust, but you're also willing to listen to the other side of what they're bringing you, you're not just right saying, I'm right, you're [00:23:00] wrong.
And I think that's something, unfortunately, if we really feel passionate about something we, and we don't mean to do it, but I think it can happen. But I love the perspective of. I had to invest in this relationship and I had to be open. To what was being said. And as I was open and as we engaged in this conversation, that we actually got to a point that we both agreed and ~what a,~ what a beautiful way of describing how we get to a place of resolution with conflict.
~That it's not an, and I think ~that's such a common, some of that's, I think media, some of that. It's just ~sort of~ not having a conflict experience. 'cause a lot of us. Don't have experience dealing with conflict, but it's that idea of ~like, it's,~ it's gonna take time and investment and an actual relationship to get to the point that you can.
Share a perspective, ~so,~ but how beautiful it is it that you spent that time, that you actually were open, that you actually listened to concerns, you spent time researching those concerns. I know that meant a lot to those families, and I'm sure that was part of their decision. It's ~like,~ okay, we trust this doctor.
She's really listened to us and she's [00:24:00] evaluated our concerns. And I'm sure that was huge for them too.
Speaker 2: I hope so. ~I also, ~I will tell any family I see. If you're seeing a physician that's not willing to say, I don't know. ~Mm-hmm. ~I need to go ask some questions, or I need to go look this
Speaker 3: up.
Speaker 2: ~Mm-hmm.~ I think you need to find someone else to see, because there's no physician that knows everything and things are constantly changing as well.
~Mm-hmm. ~So if they're not willing to tell you that or give you that response, I would be very hesitant.
Speaker: So I 100% agree with you. That is the essence of humility. And we can't do what we do without having that essence of humility. We have to have that. ~Um,~ one of the things that we teach kids in martial arts when they're little and we have to have belt exams, they have to answer questions.
And so they come up to the table and we ask them questions about, ~you know, what, what, ~what does the symbol mean? Or what does this mean in your form? Whatever. We teach them to say, if you don't know the answer to the question, say, I don't know, but I will find out. [00:25:00] And that is a legitimate answer and we will take that.
And ~so, you know,~ it's something that, ~you know, when we, ~when we teach the kids that it's ~like, you know,~ this is a life skill for you. ~You know, ~I don't know. I will find out. That is always a valid answer. And if that is the answer to a question, nobody on this planet, I don't think, I've never had the experience of saying to a patient, I don't know, but I'll find out and have somebody get mad at me.
It's like, you didn't know that. I've never had that response. It's always, okay, cool. It's like, I'll research that and I'll get back to you when I have an answer, but I don't have one right now. And no patient I don't think ever gets upset
Speaker 2: about that. ~Mm-hmm.~ Agree.
Speaker: ~So.~ Yeah. But that's also, I think, a very important part if you have a conflict ~with, ~with a patient, ~if you have conflict in that situation, ~I think that's part of it too, is that we have that humility and they feel that, and that answer, I don't know, ~is, ~is the essence of that.
So I absolutely agree with you. So ~what,~ where is your advocacy? Like ~where,~ what are you focused on right now before we close? ~What are, what are, ~what efforts do you have and where are you directing your efforts at the moment? I know we have a lot going on politically.
Speaker 2: ~Mm-hmm.~ Yeah. ~Um, I mean primarily, um, uh, mo I guess ~primarily through the Indivisible [00:26:00] group.
~Mm-hmm. You know,~ some of it as a mom and a physician and a daughter, ~um,~ is balance. ~Mm-hmm.~ And ~it's, uh, ~it's a very weird world we live in right now where you're trying to live your life. Have these amazing moments, ~um,~ be with your family. And then, ~and~ I may be saying this a little tongue in cheek, but ~in ~trying to save our country and our democracy all at the same
Speaker 3: time.
Speaker 2: Yeah. ~Um,~ so some is finding that balance and having some of that margin. ~Um mm-hmm. And then,~ and then right now primarily focusing efforts, ~um,~ through. Indivisible. And then ~I, ~I meet with a couple other, ~um,~ groups in town. ~Um, ~we're meeting Indivisible, ~we're, ~we have a couple meetings coming up. ~Um,~ and we'll, I think right now try to continue to do as much as we can with, ~uh.~
Community protests.
Speaker 3: ~Um ~
Speaker 2: ~mm-hmm.~ We have looked at a couple other town halls with other, ~uh,~ elected representatives, ~um,~ potentially also bringing in, ~um,~ some of the folks who are gonna be [00:27:00] running for some of the other, whether it be state or federal seats within the next election year. ~Um, wow. So, you know, just, we're,~ we're trying to ~kind of~ get a little calendar in front of us for.
How do we wanna focus our efforts? ~Um,~ I also think we're gonna do a food drive, ~um,~ with, ~uh,~ the East Alabama Food Bank losing a lot of funding federally. They're, ~uh,~ really hurting right now. So I think that's one of the other, ~um,~ things that we'll be doing.
Speaker: Yeah. Awesome. Yeah. ~Well, I am, ~I am personally so grateful for your efforts.
~Um,~ I know your patients are too. The community is blessed to have you and doing what you're doing, not just as a physician, but as an advocate. You're just doing the most amazing work, and I'm just so grateful that you were able to be on the podcast today. So thank you so much.
Speaker 2: This was great. All right. ~I I, you know,~ I always love talking to you, so ~I'm, I'm, ~I'm good.
Speaker: Oh, I'm so glad. Hey. Yeah. This was just an excuse for us to have a good, long hangout. Exactly. Oh, I love it. Thank you again, Dr. Nicole Carter for being on the podcast. So thank you, all [00:28:00] of you Peaceful Warriors, who has joined us today on the scalpel and sword. Please like and subscribe, and until next time, be at
Peace.