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Meet MarinHealth Pediatrician Dr. Sydney Sawyer
Dr. Sydney Sawyer of MarinHealth Pediatric Care | A UCSF Health Clinic wanted to be a pediatrician since the age of six! Her goal is to partner with parents and guide them through their children’s ages and stages, from birth to age 22. A New England native, the UCSF trained physician has three children of her own.
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Learn more about Sydney Sawyer, MD
Sydney Sawyer, MD
Dr. Sawyer is board certified in Pediatrics and enjoys caring for children from birth through adolescence. She has a particular interest in developmental and behavioral pediatrics. She believes that the foundation of excellent care is a partnership based on open communication and trust. She speaks English and is proficient in medical Spanish.Learn more about Sydney Sawyer, MD
Transcription:
Bill Klaproth: Understanding a physician's background and philosophy is important when evaluating whether or not a physician is right for you and your child. So let's learn more about Dr. Sydney Sawyer, a Pediatrician with Marin Health and find out her physician philosophy. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by Marin Health. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Sawyer, it is always great to talk with you and we're looking forward to learning more about you and thank you so much for your time. So, first off, what made you decide to become a physician?
Dr. Sawyer: I actually told my parents when I was six, that I was going to be a pediatrician, six years old.
Host: Six. Oh my.
Dr. Sawyer: It was something I knew very early. I knew I wanted to help kids. It was probably inspired in part by my grandparents who were avid travelers. And they traveled to a lot of countries where there are children who were clearly living in poverty and underserved, and actually seeing slideshows of their travels really inspired me to want to make a difference in the world.
Host: I love hearing stories like this, where people knew early on what they wanted to do with their life. I think that's fantastic. So then you knew all along, you wanted to be a pediatrician, where did you go to school and where did you receive your training?
Dr. Sawyer: So, I went to medical school at UCF, the University of California, San Francisco. And I stayed at UCF for my residency training as well.
Host: You said early on, you wanted to be a pediatrician. Did that ever waiver? I mean, from that little girl of six years old, all the way through, did you always have pediatrician as the goal or maybe another form of medicine popped up here or there, or was it always about the kids?
Dr. Sawyer: I've really just always loved kids. I didn't take a totally traditional path to medical school, even though I knew early on, I wanted to be a pediatrician. I actually sort of took a left turn and studied women's studies in college and anthropology and thought I was going to do more public health oriented work. But after I graduated from college, I realized that I wasn't meant to be behind a desk. And I went back and did a post-bac program to do my medical school prerequisites. And it was really when I was back in medical school that I realized I still wanted to take care of kids.
Host: So, I'm wondering how you wound up staying in the Bay area. You said you went to school at UCSF. Did you just stay here? Did you go back someplace to home and then come back, tell us that story.
Dr. Sawyer: I actually grew up in New England and I went to college in New England. And after I graduated from college, I had a dear friend in San Francisco and I came out and visited her and decided that I wanted to live in California for awhile. So I flew home, packed up my old station wagon and drove across the country, when I was 23. I have been in the San Francisco Bay area ever since
Host: Another great story. I love it. I could just see you in the station wagon coming. I mean all the way across America. I mean, from the far East coast to the far West coast, I love it. So then how did you choose Marin Health? How did that happen?
Dr. Sawyer: I was in San Francisco for med school and residency, and I actually had my first child when I was a pediatric resident and then was pregnant with my second child during residency. And very shortly after my second child was born, we decided that we needed to expand our space. And so we moved out of our apartment and moved North to Marin. It was at that time, it just made sense to kind of establish my primary care practice in my community. And so that's how I ended up in Marin. And then it became really apparent that Marin Health is the organization that's providing premier care to all of the patients in the Marin corridor. And I wanted to be part of that.
Host: So true and very well said. And we're happy to have you here, Dr. Sawyer. So let's talk about your patients now, the little ones that depend on you for care. What is your philosophy of care? How do you approach the care of your patients?
Dr. Sawyer: I think that's a fantastic question. And I think for me, I really see my job as being an expert partner with parents in terms of guiding them through their child's ages and stages from birth to 22. I really see myself as guiding families through medical challenges, behavioral issues, developmental stumbling blocks. I think that my job is to help parents find their path to creating a family and to being the best parent they can for each child and recognizing each child's unique combinations of talents and interests and abilities, as well as their challenges.
Host: And we do need help in finding that path. So we're thankful for people like you. So since we have the spotlight on you, Dr. Sawyer, one last question. Is there anything else you'd like your patients to know about you?
Dr. Sawyer: I guess the biggest other part of my life aside from being a pediatrician is being a mom and that provides tremendous joy. I have three kids. I have a son who's my oldest and two daughters. So when I am not in the office, I am momming those guys. And then I'm also an avid trail runner and stand-up paddle boarder. So those are the things I do for fun for me.
Host: Wow. You have a full dance card, that's for sure. And I love how you said earlier, how you partner with parents through the ages and stages. I think that's really cool. So again, thank you for your service to the community and helping our children grow up to be happy and healthy. Dr. Sawyer, it's been great to get to know you. Thank you so much for your time.
Dr. Sawyer: Thank you so much. Have a great day.
Host: That's Dr. Sydney Sawyer, and to learn more, please visit myMarinhealth.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by Marin Health. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.
Bill Klaproth: Understanding a physician's background and philosophy is important when evaluating whether or not a physician is right for you and your child. So let's learn more about Dr. Sydney Sawyer, a Pediatrician with Marin Health and find out her physician philosophy. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by Marin Health. I'm Bill Klaproth. Dr. Sawyer, it is always great to talk with you and we're looking forward to learning more about you and thank you so much for your time. So, first off, what made you decide to become a physician?
Dr. Sawyer: I actually told my parents when I was six, that I was going to be a pediatrician, six years old.
Host: Six. Oh my.
Dr. Sawyer: It was something I knew very early. I knew I wanted to help kids. It was probably inspired in part by my grandparents who were avid travelers. And they traveled to a lot of countries where there are children who were clearly living in poverty and underserved, and actually seeing slideshows of their travels really inspired me to want to make a difference in the world.
Host: I love hearing stories like this, where people knew early on what they wanted to do with their life. I think that's fantastic. So then you knew all along, you wanted to be a pediatrician, where did you go to school and where did you receive your training?
Dr. Sawyer: So, I went to medical school at UCF, the University of California, San Francisco. And I stayed at UCF for my residency training as well.
Host: You said early on, you wanted to be a pediatrician. Did that ever waiver? I mean, from that little girl of six years old, all the way through, did you always have pediatrician as the goal or maybe another form of medicine popped up here or there, or was it always about the kids?
Dr. Sawyer: I've really just always loved kids. I didn't take a totally traditional path to medical school, even though I knew early on, I wanted to be a pediatrician. I actually sort of took a left turn and studied women's studies in college and anthropology and thought I was going to do more public health oriented work. But after I graduated from college, I realized that I wasn't meant to be behind a desk. And I went back and did a post-bac program to do my medical school prerequisites. And it was really when I was back in medical school that I realized I still wanted to take care of kids.
Host: So, I'm wondering how you wound up staying in the Bay area. You said you went to school at UCSF. Did you just stay here? Did you go back someplace to home and then come back, tell us that story.
Dr. Sawyer: I actually grew up in New England and I went to college in New England. And after I graduated from college, I had a dear friend in San Francisco and I came out and visited her and decided that I wanted to live in California for awhile. So I flew home, packed up my old station wagon and drove across the country, when I was 23. I have been in the San Francisco Bay area ever since
Host: Another great story. I love it. I could just see you in the station wagon coming. I mean all the way across America. I mean, from the far East coast to the far West coast, I love it. So then how did you choose Marin Health? How did that happen?
Dr. Sawyer: I was in San Francisco for med school and residency, and I actually had my first child when I was a pediatric resident and then was pregnant with my second child during residency. And very shortly after my second child was born, we decided that we needed to expand our space. And so we moved out of our apartment and moved North to Marin. It was at that time, it just made sense to kind of establish my primary care practice in my community. And so that's how I ended up in Marin. And then it became really apparent that Marin Health is the organization that's providing premier care to all of the patients in the Marin corridor. And I wanted to be part of that.
Host: So true and very well said. And we're happy to have you here, Dr. Sawyer. So let's talk about your patients now, the little ones that depend on you for care. What is your philosophy of care? How do you approach the care of your patients?
Dr. Sawyer: I think that's a fantastic question. And I think for me, I really see my job as being an expert partner with parents in terms of guiding them through their child's ages and stages from birth to 22. I really see myself as guiding families through medical challenges, behavioral issues, developmental stumbling blocks. I think that my job is to help parents find their path to creating a family and to being the best parent they can for each child and recognizing each child's unique combinations of talents and interests and abilities, as well as their challenges.
Host: And we do need help in finding that path. So we're thankful for people like you. So since we have the spotlight on you, Dr. Sawyer, one last question. Is there anything else you'd like your patients to know about you?
Dr. Sawyer: I guess the biggest other part of my life aside from being a pediatrician is being a mom and that provides tremendous joy. I have three kids. I have a son who's my oldest and two daughters. So when I am not in the office, I am momming those guys. And then I'm also an avid trail runner and stand-up paddle boarder. So those are the things I do for fun for me.
Host: Wow. You have a full dance card, that's for sure. And I love how you said earlier, how you partner with parents through the ages and stages. I think that's really cool. So again, thank you for your service to the community and helping our children grow up to be happy and healthy. Dr. Sawyer, it's been great to get to know you. Thank you so much for your time.
Dr. Sawyer: Thank you so much. Have a great day.
Host: That's Dr. Sydney Sawyer, and to learn more, please visit myMarinhealth.org. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out the full podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is The Healing Podcast brought to you by Marin Health. I'm Bill Klaproth. Thanks for listening.