In this episode of BackTable Urology, Dr. Jose Silva interviews Dr. Amy Pearlman, director of the Men’s Health Program at the University of Iowa, about building a men’s health program, managing her digital footprint, and her role as a female physician in men’s health.

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SHOW NOTES

First, Dr. Pearlman outlines her journey to becoming a urologist specializing in men’s health. She completed her medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, urology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and a fellowship in urologic reconstruction at Wake Forest. She recounts the people she met and the skills she acquired during training that prepared her to build her own men’s health program at the University of Iowa. Next, she explains the purpose of her men’s health program, which is to build a referral network made of multidisciplinary physicians. She sees herself as a “matchmaker” for male patients and different providers who can treat the right conditions at the right time. Two strategies that helped her build her network quickly were: emailing department chairmen for referral recommendations and directly asking physicians which patient cohorts they most prefer to see. Additionally, she encourages doctors to connect patients to providers outside of academic institutions. For example, she has extensive connections with pharmacists, rehab specialists, and medical device representatives who also specialize in men’s health.

Then, Dr. Silva and Dr. Pearlman discuss the role of social media in medicine. Dr. Pearlman notes that social media has helped her immensely with growing her practice and networking outside of her own institution. Although she mainly uses Twitter to manage her professional network, she has had great success in educating patients via her Youtube videos about sexual dysfunction and treatments. Besides providing patient education, these videos allow patients to assess whether Dr. Pearlman would be the right fit as their urologist. Furthermore, each of her patients recieve an informational packet about sexual health before they see her in clinic. She feels that these packets normalize the conversation around sex and primes patients to ask relevant questions during the visit.

Lastly, Dr. Pearlman shares her helpful tips for urologists to have conversations about sex with their patients. She usually starts by explaining basic anatomy to her patients, not making any assumptions about previous knowledge and bringing in model diagrams. Also, she has found it helpful to compare genitalia and sexual dysfunction to other body parts and common injuries in order to emphasize the medical nature of erectile dysfunction and importance of rehab. Also, as a female urologist, she has an important role in educating men about female anatomy. Finally, she acknowledges the important correlation between partner relationships and sexual dysfunction, and prioritizes the mental health of her patients.