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Welcome back to the podcast as ice melts and schools reopen here in North Carolina!

In this episode, Dr White talks with Dr "Takie" Hondros, a well-known family physician from Charlotte and former President of the NCAFP. The topic is a challenging one for physicians: creating and sustaining "balance" in one's professional life. Dr White leads off with a poignant lesson he learned years ago in his practice. Dr Hondros then describes his very interesting childhood and how it prepared him to be a better "family" physician. He goes on to provide some very thoughtful and practical insights gleaned from his career, and how he continues to re-evaluate and re-adjust as a busy clinician, educator, volunteer, community member, husband, and father. We are confident you will find this episode candid, instructive, and inspiring.

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As we close out 2025, and prepare to bring in 2026, Dr White reviews our episodes from the past year, providing a summary for each, and some memorable lessons and quotes. He goes on to share five gifts - five concepts with renewed appreciation - that he received as the result of these episodes and his reflection over the past year: namely, Relationships, Learning, Professionalism, Leadership, and the Privilege of being a Family Physician. Listen to his summaries and even better, go back and listen to the entire episodes which interest you most. We hope your holiday season was enjoyable and peaceful, and we wish you the best of health in 2026.

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"Learning" is essential for everyone, no matter what age or pursuit, but especially important for Family Physicians, who strive to provide informed, up-to-date, and compassionate care in an environment of rapidly-growing knowledge and discovery. In this episode, Dr Thomas White highlights the upcoming 2025 NCAFP Annual Winter Meeting in Asheville, a source of continuing education for many NC Family Physicians, and a popular annual tradition. Meeting Chair Dr Kathryn Haga and Co-Chair Dr Amir Barzin both join Dr White to share their excitement about the meeting, and what attendees can look forward to. He then pays tribute to a long-time colleague and leader of Family Medicine in our state, Dr David Rinehart of Belmont, who reflects on how "Learning" has changed for him over his forty year career. And on a personal note, Dr White recounts a very personal story involving a "crisis" and his grandson, and his unexpected "prescription" for the situation. Listen, learn, and enjoy!

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In this episode, Dr Thomas White explores the concept of "Leadership" - why it matters, how it is expressed, when it is needed, and whether it can learned and cultivated. Learn a bit of Olympic sports history and hear about his experience at the recent American Academy of Family Physicians Congress of Delegates in Anaheim, California. The highlight of this episode is a very insightful interview with Mr Greg Griggs, the Executive Vice President and CEO of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians. As a bonus, Dr White again shares some memorable quotes for your collection. Thank you for listening and for your support!

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Welcome back! We are excited to share a new episode, and a revised format. Ever think there might be a connection between nicknames and a commonly-used term in health care? Listen, and find out! This month, Dr Thomas White addresses the term "PCP" - its history, its positive and negative connotations, and (spoiler alert!) why he wishes the term would go away. He interviews two of our popular guests from previous episodes - Dr Shauna Guthrie of Henderson NC and Dr Tommy Newton of Clinton NC - to get their wise perspectives. We hope you find this discussion interesting and thought-provoking. Thank you for your support!

And please visit our website, The Family Doctor Podcast. Dr. Lee Beatty's blog has some more thoughts about PCP.

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Our podcast "The Family Doctor: Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared" will be pausing for the summer, allowing us to re-evaluate what we are doing, and how we are doing it. We have been very proud of our work, and very grateful to our guests and listeners.

Go back and listen to any episodes you may have missed. Or maybe your favorite one again. Visit our website, https://thefamilydoctorpodcast.com. Send us an email at thefamilydoctor@gmail.com and share what you have liked about the podcast, and how we can improve. Thank you for your support and interest.

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In this "mini-lesson" episode, Dr Thomas White explores the topic of trust, a fundamental element of the physician-patient relationship, and how trust in the medical establishment, including physicians, has deteriorated in recent years. He begins with a very personal family story. He goes on to share some common examples of distrust in daily practice, and offers suggestions on how we as family physicians might work to restore and maintain trust with our patients and the public. He ends with some (hopefully heeded) advice for his 10 year old grandson!

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In this episode of The Family Doctor: Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared, Dr Thomas White speaks with Dr Mark McNeill, the current President of the NCAFP. Raised in Raeford NC from a family of educators, Dr McNeill describes his journey to establishing his unique, independent, patient-centered, portal-facilitated practice in Asheville in 2012. He clearly describes how good practice management is the key driver of professional satisfaction. Dr McNeill shares his personal experience with Hurricane Helene and his suggestions on how Family Physicians might prepare for and respond to such disasters in the future. Lastly, hear what a mentor taught Dr McNeill early in his career about the one word that signifies the ultimate virtue of the "good" Family Physician. (Hint: the word starts with an A and ends with a Y.)

By the way, go to thefamilydoctorpodcast.com for our new website and blog. Dr Lee Beatty shares his thoughts on the latest shared lessons and wisdom from our distinguished guests.