Interview with Dr. John D. Carr

Dr. John Carr talks with WJ Carrel about how he joined the Platt Medical Center and his philosophy for the practice of medicine.

WJ. Please tell us a little about your background - where you were born, what motivated you to become a physician, and where you studied.

Dr. Carr. I was born and raised in Rhode Island. I decided in high school that I would become a physician. I was always attracted to science and especially to human physiology. I always wanted to understand how the body worked in a healthy state and one high school course led to the decision to continue on.

I attended the University of Miami, FL as both an undergraduate, and a medical student. During my four years of medical school I trained at a big county hospital, Jackson Memorial, and I rotated around all the departments. I spent a lot of time at the main trauma center, handling emergencies, delivering babies, lots of hands on experience you need for a medical practice.

From 1983-1987 I did my residency thru Cornell/ Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. I rotated my time at three hospitals – Cornell/ Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (a specialty hospital), North Shore Hospital in Long Island (private), and New York Hospital in Manhattan (public).

INTERVIEW

When I finished my residency I accepted a position at Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and within a few months became Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine, a position that lasted several years.

Seeing emergency cases every day made me realize how deficient we are with providing preventive medicine. I saw uncontrolled blood pressure issues and diabetes on a daily basis that I knew could have and should have been prevented. What I was really practicing was the failure of preventive medicine; it took me some years to realize that. I also had many administrative responsibilities, such as hiring staff.

Because my residency was focused on internal medicine, I wanted to go back to that. I joined a private practice in Florida and short after that moved to Charlotte, N.C. to continue practicing internal medicine with my focus on preventive medicine and the importance of balancing hormones.

WJ. How did you first hear of Dr. Platt and his work? How did you end up becoming an associate in Dr. Platt's office?

Dr. Carr. I first heard about Dr. Platt through an ad he placed in New England Journal of Medicine looking for a like-minded colleague who wanted to practice preventive medicine, and who realized the importance of hormonal balance, good nutrition, supplements, and stress reduction.

Dr. Platt and I have very similar philosophies. He was saying the things I was saying long before we met. There were a lot of synchronicities. So when I saw the ad, I answered it, we talked several times on the phone, he invited me out, and on my third trip, I joined the practice for good.

WJ. Please tell me about your present and future plans at Dr. Platt's office, what are your goals as you practice medicine in California?

Dr. Carr. My goals are to try to continue to advance the concept of natural hormonal balancing with good nutrition, proper supplements, and stress reduction techniques to get the body back in balance. I believe being in balance is key. All we want to do is help people get back on track; we work to get the body back in homeostasis or balance.

WJ. What would you like others to know about Dr. Platt?

Dr. Carr. The main reason I came and joined his practice, besides our similar philosophies, is that I met a physician who really cares about his patients. As obvious as this might sound, Dr. Platt truly cares about his patients and the science of medicine, and, he is nice to see and be around. He's very experienced, and always working to learn more and do more for his patients. I also cannot say enough about his wife Vicki who is a big influence – her energy, her great business mind, her care for all his patients.

WJ. What would you like others to know about you?

Dr. Carr. I feel like I've come full circle in medicine, I'm back to where I started in high school learning how to keep the body in a healthy state. I'm very interested in successful aging, and a productive end of life. I practice what I preach; I eat well, take supplements, and exercise. My health is worth it. I'm in it for the long haul. And, I get enormous satisfaction seeing people get better, knowing I have a part in preventing major illnesses; my work is gratifying.

We hear every day from patients and others asking if what we practice is alternative medicine. We say there is nothing alternative about getting the body back in balance with natural hormone replacement, dietary counseling, nutritional supplements and stress reduction techniques. There is nothing alternative about what we do, we practice medicine the way it's been practiced for centuries until doctors became more concerned with money than with their patients. We listen to patients. We spend the time to listen. We spend an hour or more with a new patient. They tell us what's wrong with them. It's key for us to work this way.