INTERVIEW WITH MARC POLACCO, MD

What guided your decision to go into medicine and specifically, your chosen field?

Medicine is the perfect field for combining science with the ability to make personal impacts on the lives of people. Facial plastic surgery adds artistry into the equation, making it a perfect fit for someone who spent just as much time in science labs as in music practice rooms.

“I pour my heart and soul into what I do. When I perform surgery, I treat each patient like he or she is a family member.“

What are the most important qualities for a doctor to have?

Compassion, a strong work ethic, and curiosity.

What can a patient expect when they have you as a doctor?

I pour my heart and soul into what I do. When I perform surgery, I treat each patient like he or she is a family member. To be great at what you do, you have to train like an elite athlete. There’s no “clocking out” at the end of the day. You prepare for future surgeries, you stay updated by constantly reading journal articles, and you learn from your colleagues. We owe it to our patients to be the absolute best we can be.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?

I enjoy working out, reading, cooking, and gaming.

You recently joined the Doctorpedia team as a Founding Medical Partner. What about Doctorpedia resonates with your personal and professional mission?

Doctorpedia provides a platform to empower patients with curated information and professional advice. Medicine starts with the patient, and medical decision making should end with the patient. Doctorpedia helps ensure the integrity of patient autonomy in an easily digestible format.

“Doctorpedia provides a platform to empower patients with curated information and professional advice.”

What problem do physicians face that Doctorpedia can help solve?

Most physicians are incredibly busy people, and much of what we do entails one-on-one interactions. While this works for individual care, it makes scalability and dissemination of knowledge difficult. Doctorpedia provides an organized platform for sharing information to a global audience.

What problems do patients face that Doctorpedia can help solve?

Misinformation is a popular term at the moment, but combating it is really what I see as the paramount aspiration of Doctorpedia. The internet is rife with material on virtually any medical topic, and while access to this information is an amazing technological feat, it is of utmost importance that people are provided with the most accurate and timely data possible. With a cohort of board-certified physicians, Doctorpedia offers a trusted, reliable source of information.

Home