The AAMC (as part of our Specialty Perspectives series) recently sat down with Dr. Goodman to learn more about his work. Dr. Goodman is an integrative psychiatrist and the founder of Goodman Psychiatry. Learn more about Dr. Goodman and his specialty below.
Can you introduce yourself and give a description of your work?
I’m a board-certified psychiatrist, mental health educator, and content creator. I teach mental health and brain health in a fun, accessible way to a community of more than 2 million followers and subscribers across six social media platforms. I also run Goodman Psychiatry, a virtual psychiatry practice dedicated to caring for the mental health of healthcare workers.
I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was five years old, but the path was not easy. After college, I received what felt like a bucket of medical school rejection letters. I worked several jobs, including catering, waiting tables, and driving for Uber, while studying to retake the MCAT. I eventually applied again and was accepted to medical school.
On my first day of medical school, I met a classmate who became my best friend. We studied together, joined the same soccer team, and eventually started dating. We got married, couples matched into residency, and moved to Miami, where she trained in internal medicine and I trained in psychiatry. After residency, we moved to San Diego. She now works as an internist for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I run my private practice.
During residency, I experienced burnout and depression. I shared my story openly on social media because I want medical students, residents, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to know that experiencing a mental health challenge is nothing to be ashamed of. Going to therapy, taking medication, or asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength.
Today, that experience has come full circle. Through my private practice, I care for doctors, premeds, medical students, residents, nurses, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals. I now get to provide the kind of support I once needed myself, and I truly love my work.
What attracted you to a career in psychiatry?
I wanted a career in which I could build meaningful relationships with people over time and help them rebuild their lives.
During medical school, I worked in an outpatient substance use treatment program. I met people who were struggling with alcohol, opioids, and other substances, sometimes at the lowest points of their lives. I then watched them embrace treatment, regain their health, return to work, repair relationships, and take ownership of their futures. Seeing that transformation was incredibly powerful.
Psychiatry allows me to understand the entire person, not simply a set of symptoms. It combines elements of being a physician, therapist, educator, and coach. We use science and medicine, but we also listen to people’s stories and help them create lives that feel meaningful. That combination was exactly what I was looking for.
How would you describe a typical workweek?
My week is divided between patient care and mental health content education. I see patients through telehealth three days per week from my home office and spend two days creating content.
Many of my patients are healthcare professionals experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, ADHD, or other mental health challenges. During initial evaluations, I help them understand what they are experiencing, establish a diagnosis when appropriate, and develop a personalized treatment plan. During follow-up visits, we evaluate their progress and continue adjusting that plan together.
I prescribe medication for many of my patients, but medication is not always necessary and is rarely the entire plan. I practice through an integrative lens, combining evidence-based medication and psychotherapy with exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction, and other sustainable habits.
On my non-clinical days, I research, write, film educational content, and work on my weekly brain health newsletter. Every day looks a little different, which is one of the things I enjoy most about my career.
What is one thing you wish you had known before entering psychiatry?
I wish I had understood the emotional weight psychiatrists carry.
People trust us with some of the most painful and traumatic moments of their lives. Being invited into those moments is an extraordinary privilege, but those stories can stay with you. You need healthy ways to process that emotional weight and reconnect with your own life.
During residency, I did not always create enough space to do that. I became burned out and eventually experienced depression. Now, protecting my mental health is something I take very seriously. I exercise in my home gym most mornings, play soccer on the weekends, and take evening walks with my wife and son. Whether it is exercise, a sport, a creative outlet, or time with people you love, you need something that allows you to disconnect, recharge, and remember who you are outside of medicine.
What parts of your job do you find most challenging and most rewarding?
The most challenging and rewarding parts are closely connected: I get to accompany people through both the highs and the lows of their lives.
I’m there when a medical student passes the USMLE Step 1, chooses a specialty, matches into residency, or lands a first job. Those are incredibly meaningful victories, and it is a privilege to celebrate them together.
I’m also there when someone fails an important examination, questions whether they belong in medicine, goes through a divorce, loses a loved one, or experiences another painful setback. I cannot remove every difficult experience, but I can make sure they do not have to face it alone.
Watching someone who once felt hopeless begin to feel like themselves again is one of the greatest privileges of being a psychiatrist.
Can you share a project you have found especially rewarding?
One of the most rewarding projects I have created is The Brain Health Movement, a weekly brain health newsletter inspired by my grandmother.
My grandmother was the first healthcare worker in my family. She became a nurse in New York City in 1952 and was one of the most important people in my life. She later developed dementia, and I witnessed the devastating effect it had on her and our entire family.
During my medical training, I learned that there are meaningful steps people can take to protect their cognitive health and reduce their risk of dementia. These include regular physical activity, nutritious eating, social connection, restorative sleep, and managing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
I wanted to make that information understandable and practical, so I began writing a small newsletter. At first, it had only a few subscribers, mostly my wife, parents, sister, and close friends. Today, more than 45,000 people subscribe. Every Sunday, I share evidence-based strategies people can use to improve their brain health and protect their cognitive function.
What began as a tribute to my grandmother has grown into a community of people working together to build healthier brains and healthier lives.
Are there any resources focused on your field that our audience should know about?
For anyone interested in the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals, I strongly recommend the Dr. Lorna Breen Foundation.
The foundation works to reduce burnout among healthcare professionals, safeguard their well-being, address systemic drivers of distress, and reduce the stigma that prevents healthcare workers from seeking mental health care.
I have had the opportunity to collaborate with the organization and join its advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C., supporting the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act and greater investment in healthcare worker well-being.
The foundation is an outstanding resource for students and professionals who want to understand these issues, advocate for cultural and systemic change, or support the people who care for everyone else.
What advice would you give to premedical students beginning their journey into medicine?
My advice may be a little unorthodox: Find your non-negotiables.
These are the small things you commit to doing whether you are having a good day, a difficult day, or the day before your Step 1 exam. They protect your physical and mental health and remind you that your needs still matter, even when medicine becomes demanding.
Your non-negotiables might include calling your parents, playing an instrument, attending a weekly religious service, exercising, or having dinner with someone you love. The specific habits matter less than making the commitment to protect them.
Medical training will ask a great deal of you, but you do not have to sacrifice every part of yourself to become an excellent physician. Protect the habits and relationships that keep you grounded. They will help you become not only a healthier doctor, but a more present and compassionate one.
To learn more about Dr. Goodman’s work, subscribe to The Brain Health Movement, follow him on Instagram, or visit his website.