My goal is to help patients and their families navigate the complicated medical landscape of the teenage years. As I get to know patients and their goals, I am able to provide them and their families with evidence-based information about medical concerns specific to adolescence. Then I am able to support them in making decisions about their own healthcare. I wanted to work with teenagers because it is such an exciting and important time in someone’s life. Teens are on the cusp of independence. They are starting to understand themselves better, and learning to advocate for their own healthcare needs. It’s also a time when the decisions they make can have a significant impact on the rest of their lives. Providing education is an important part of what I do, and as an adolescent medicine provider, I am able to empower my patients with information about their own health and choices. For me, a successful outcome is knowing that the patient and family leave the visit feeling like their questions were answered and they were supported in their decision-making. I want my patients to feel like they were given the information they need to make their own informed choices about their bodies.