Getting to Know Your Doctor
An Interview with Dr. Ailene Medalla
This is Part III of our "Getting to Know Your Doctor" series. In this interview, we get to sit down and introduce Dr. Ailene, who was our Chief Resident during our residency training, and has joined our practice. (Many of these questions have come from reading Tim Ferriss’s book, Tribe of Mentors). Enjoy!
Dr. Ailene Medalla is Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician at Defiant Direct Primary Care in Williamsburg, VA. She is a graduate of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine.
What’s an ideal Saturday like for you?
Sleeping in, first of all. So when I read yours about waking up at 5:30 or 6AM, I'm like, “Oh boy, are we going to get along?” [laughs] So really, the ideal is just sleeping in, having a hearty breakfast, relaxing at home, and random homebody things: fishing, camping, play dates with friends, or driving up to Northern Virginia where the rest of my family is. We also like going to the farms and local attractions around Hampton Roads since it's nice to experience them from the kids' perspective.
What book would you be most likely to give as a gift?
Recently, I've had the pleasure of reading Becoming by Michelle Obama [NB: A popular choice in our practice!]. I actually loved it enough that I also put it on my Audible. The fact that she's still very humble and personable despite everything that she's achieved and accomplished—her story is very inspiring in that way. It’s got everything: the whole coming of age journey, a little bit of romance, and just so much advice. She strikes me as a very resilient person in the face of pressure: calm and composed, exactly who you would want to look up to if things go south. No matter how many times I listen to it or read it, there's always something new that I learn.
What are some of the best investments you've made in the recent past (could be time, energy, money, etc.)?
For me, I think the big one that I'm really glad I've stuck with is the Peloton [the bike and the app]. My husband and I used to go to the gym a lot, hike, run, kayak, invested in random gym equipment—all these things where I say, “Okay, I'm going to stick to this. It's good for my health.” But this is the only one that, for over a year now, I've really kept up with since having kids. It's just a way to de-stress at home, and I can use the app when traveling. You can meditate, do body exercises, or even just a 10-minute walk. It's just a constant reminder to not to forget your physical health.
What purchase of a hundred dollars or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months or recent memory?
Oh boy, my favorite thing right now, and that the kids love, is our digital photo frame. We use the Skylight and Nixplay for our families. Just the fact that we could look back at some of these memories from when they were babies that they obviously had no recollection of, or just recent times where we had a really good vacation, is wonderful. The kids are like, “Oh, I remember that. Or when was this? Is that me? Or is that Noah or me (Isaiah)?” That kind of thing. It's nice to have these random memories popping up and reminding you of some really good times. I also like the fact that you can use them internationally. We have one for my parents in the Philippines, so every time something great comes up, we’ll just send it to their photo frames for when they wake up on that side of the world.
Listen to the patient to be able to know what to do next—to understand what’s going on.
Rapid Fire Questions:
Spirit Animal?
My dog, Snow. She’s feisty, but also very gentle. She's a rescue, but we believe she's an American Eskimo and Lab mix. She was initially my husband's dog, but we have the best girl bond. She stayed with my husband a lot while I was in training, but she has helped me get through a lot of difficult times, such as medical school, my husband's deployments, residency, etc. She's super protective of my kids, just like me!
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee. Nowadays I lean more towards light roast, but I actually like the taste of dark. Have you ever had Filipino coffee? I’ll have to bring you some. It's very dark, but less acidic, with amazing flavor. We bring bags of it from the Philippines whenever we go.
Favorite ice cream flavor?
Also coffee. We bought a homemade ice cream machine, so I make an espresso coffee ice cream. I've never had anything quite as good or quite like it.
Favorite documentary?
Anything narrated by David Attenborough. Growing up, I used to watch all the National Geographic videos with my uncle, and he used to put it on basically 24/7. Anything that's narrated by him is calming, but also informative. My kids are like, “How did you know that about an anteater? How did you know that about a hippo?” Anything, he narrates, it just sticks.
Favorite superhero?
The most powerful one—and this is debatable for a lot of folks—Captain Marvel. She was pretty cool, even before she got her powers.
Favorite movie?
Honestly, any of the Marvel ones I love, but I think [Avengers] Endgame. I had grown up with two brothers, so comic books were a big thing in our household when we were little. Other faves include Forrest Gump, Top Gun (even before my husband), anything with Sandra Bullock, and the old school action hero movies, since my dad was a big fan.
What is an unusual habit or absurd thing that you love?
I Yelp. Whenever we have to go somewhere and my husband asks what I want to eat, I'm always like, “Hold on, let me Yelp it and see if there's anything good around here.” He hates it because sometimes I make him drive a long way, but then every time we go, it's really good food. It's made a big difference with all our trips. My husband may say otherwise, but he appreciates it after the fact—well, maybe not all the effort that it takes getting to these places. :)
Is there a particular restaurant vibe that you enjoy?
I guess you could say fine dining, but in a comfortable atmosphere. I like the ones that are unique and have specific foods that's aren’t offered elsewhere, but at the same time, are not too fancy where you have to dress up.
So now I have to ask: favorite restaurant?
There are so many. I would have to say Only at Renee's in Virginia Beach. It's a Filipino restaurant and they serve really good Filipino food. It's a nice sit-down restaurant; they focus a lot on the presentation of the food and the restaurant itself.
What advice would you give to a young, driven person?
I would say—this is something I actually tell my kids now—be kind to others and be kind to yourself. You don't always know everyone's stories, what they're going through. You never know if a kind word will make someone's day or just improve their outlook, knowing that somebody was nice enough to do something for you. It’s a good mantra at any age.
In that same vein, is there a particular piece of advice that someone has given to you that you have resonated with?
I think what's helped a lot especially in our profession is listening before you act. That's something that's ingrained in us actually, during our training: listen to the patient to be able to know what to do next, to understand what’s going on. That allows me to pause and reflect on what it is somebody's telling me before I formulate their treatment plan. I can then have a better response for them that is specific to their main concerns.
In the last five years, what new belief behavior or habit has most improved your life?
For me, I think focus on self care has been a big thing since I finished training. What makes us happy? What makes us feel good? And for me, self care is focused on family time, healthy lifestyle habits including skincare, and enjoying our blessings. Being able to say, "no, this is not for me," has also made a big difference.
That's why I went into primary care: to give patients advice that I would give my family or close friends.
Do you have a favorite product that you use? Sunscreen, lotion, anything like that?
Not one in particular, but maybe a general category, which is Korean skincare. Korean skincare [as a philosophy] is more about maintaining moisture, maintaining skin integrity. It's a different outlook, and the products are a lot friendlier to my skin. It's the primary care of skincare: prevention is key.
In the last couple of years or so what have you become good at saying no to? Are there realizations or paradigm shifts that have helped?
Going out. My husband and I, we're still very social people. We like to spend time with family, friends, that kind of thing. [But some days], I just want to spend time with the kids in our backyard or do our own thing. That's been a big shift from when we were much younger (before kids) versus now. As we get older, we realize how much more say we have versus what people expect us to do. We actually have the confidence now to say, “I don't really need to do that anymore.”
Are there other things that you would want people to know about you?
I went into medicine because my dad was very sick at one point and we went through a very difficult situation. It helped me appreciate the value of advising people to do something before it becomes an issue. That's why I went into primary care: to give patients advice that I would give my family or close friends. That's also why I was always running behind at my previous practice—because I really like to get to know my patients. I like to ask about their family, how they're doing in general. That's helped me guide them through a lot of very difficult decisions; patients know I wouldn’t ask them to go on a medication unless I felt like they needed it. Or in some cases, I know that they'll do better doing three months of lifestyle changes and suggest that instead. That idea of prevention really stems from actually knowing them and then looking out for their best interest.