Brian Medeiros MD
Dr Brian joined Highland Pediatrics in October of 1998
Education & Professional Commitments: Brown University, Brown Alpert Medical School, Hasbro Childrens Hospital. Brian is a medical consultant to the Fall River Public Schools.
Life Beyond the Office: Dr Brian enjoys music and sports in addition to annoying his three children whenever possible.
Interview with Dr Brian
Q. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Dr Brian: Well, that all depends on my age. As a young boy, I would have said “Steve Austin”. No, not Stone Cold, the wrestler from the 90’s, but the bionic man from the 1970’s hit TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man. An astronaut, gravely injured in a crash, who was “rebuilt” with robotic body parts, giving him superpowers. He was the original Cyborg. (Yes, I did watch too much TV as a kid, and who knows-if I hadn’t, then maybe I would’ve been the next Anthony Fauci.)
And as a young teen, I would have answered, “Just like Frank Furillo.” Who’s that you ask? He was the no-nonsense, ‘by-the-book’ captain of an inner-city police precinct in the 1980’s TV drama, Hill Street Blues. (Ah, do you see a common thread here?) Frank was a principled, honest, and empathetic leader, who also happened to be divorced and a recovering alcoholic. But looking back, it was probably his steamy romance with this gorgeous public defender that I hoped to emulate someday.
When Nobel laureate Malala was a young teen, she was advocating equal education for Pakistani girls at great personal peril. At a similar age, environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, was addressing the United Nations on climate change. But me? I was aspiring to be a fictional, alcoholic TV character with a hot girlfriend. How sad. So very, very sad.
But in all seriousness, I've always been interested in science, and I've always, wanted to help people. So, as a young adult, I set off for college to become a biomedical engineer with the dream of someday building robotic limbs for children. (See a connection?) But I soon discovered that my love for science did not transfer to the field of Engineering, so I changed my major to Biology, took premed classes, and headed off to med school. There, I fell in love with Pediatrics, and the rest is history.
Q. What advice do you have for new parents?
Dr Brian: Don't be afraid to ask questions. Becoming a new parent is one of the most wonderful experiences you’ll ever have, but it’s also one of the scariest. Suddenly you’re responsible for this living, breathing, beautiful human being, and despite all the books you read, YouTube videos you watch, and advice you get from relatives, your precious, little cherub will still find a way to mess with your mind. Babies don’t read textbooks. So, ask questions. That’s what we’re here for. But don’t ignore your instincts, either. In most cases, you’ll probably be right. No one will ever know your child better than you. But it’s our job to help you figure out when there’s a problem and what can be done to address it.
Q. What is something on your bucket list?
Dr Brian: Well, regretfully I’ll admit that I don’t really have a bucket list, but the question inspires me to create one. Life gets busier and busier the older you get--school, career, family, and soon there seems to be little time to ponder such things, let alone pursue them. But one thing is clear, if you don’t plan to do something, you’re much less likely to ever do it. So, thanks for getting me started on this journey, even if I am late to the party.
What I can say, however, is that whenever I startup my computer and the Windows lock screen displays a new destination from anywhere around the globe, I constantly tell myself, “I’ve GOT to go there someday.”
I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel a little over the years, but there’s so much more I’d love to see. This big, blue ball on which we all live has infinite places, peoples, and cultures of wonder and amazement, so experiencing as many of them as possible will be the focus of my bucket list, especially after the kids all graduate college.
Q. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Dr Brian: I don’t really have a favorite. If pressed for an answer, I would probably have to say strawberry. Besides liking its taste, I also can convince myself that it fulfills one fruit serving in my diet for that day. (Just kidding. No, not kidding.)
But I wouldn’t really call it my favorite. When I go out with my family for ice cream, I like being surprised, so I’ll often try a different flavor each time--the daily special, if you will. Most of the time I like it, but sometimes I don’t. My wife, on the other hand, always orders chocolate no matter what, which one day got me thinking about the choices we make in life.
Sometimes we choose a sure bet. Something we know is safe and familiar, and we're confident we'll like. But other times we take a chance. We try something new with the hope of having a wonderful experience, but all the while taking the risk that it may leave a bad taste in our mouth, just like yucky ice cream.
I see it when I ask families where they’ve gone on vacation. Some respond “Disney” year after year and invariably have a great time, while others name a different destination each time which often results in a great trip but occasionally may turn out to be a disappointment.
Life is full of such choices,each with unique circumstances that may sway us toward one decision over another. When I’m bummed out and in need of a definite pick-me-up, then strawberry is a safe choice, but when I have money to spare and am in a rut, then I might take my chances and try the maple ice cream with bourbon and bacon toffee.
Q. Who is your favorite Superhero and why?
Dr Brian: Batman. Definitely, Batman.
Perhaps it’s because I was born the year the campy 1960’s TV show starring Adam West first aired (yes, yet another TV reference), and I watched its reruns each weekday afternoon throughout my impressionable elementary school years.
I particularly remember the comic-book fight scenes (“POW!!”, “ZLONK!”, “KAPOW!”) that my brothers and I emulated as kids, much to our parents’ dismay. But the show balanced it’s propensity for violence with Batman offering viewers pithy life lessons such as “I think you should acquire a taste for opera, Robin, as one does for poetry and olives.” Whenever I reminisce about the show, my kids just shake their heads and wonder how in the world did I ever become a doctor.
But perhaps the main reason why I like Batman so much is because anyone can be Batman. You see, unlike Superman or Spiderman, Batman has no innate superhuman powers. Bruce Wayne is just a regular Joe, like you and me, who has taken his God-given attributes--his mind and his body--and developed them to their fullest potential which he commits to the noble cause of fighting for good over evil. (It also doesn’t hurt, mind you, that he’s got ooh-gobs of money and can afford a Batmobile, Batcycle, Batcopter, Bat Shark Repellent, etc).
So the lesson that a young boy learned many years ago which now as an old pediatrician he hopes to pass on to his young patients is that anyone who works hard enough can be a superhero.
For further unsolicited life lessons, "Tune in tomorrow – same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!"
