PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Todd Blake, MD on West TN Medical News 3.0

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Todd Blake, MD

By: SUZANNE BOYD

Dr. Todd Blake poses with his daughter, Abbey, after finishing one of the nine half marathons he has competed in over the past three years.

Before starting his undergraduate studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, pediatrician Todd Blake, MD, always knew he loved biology and chemistry and would go to medical school. As an undergraduate, though, he discovered that he also was interested in research. He even received an award for "outstanding research by an undergraduate" for his work with a population geneticist on a subspecies of catfish.

"The Arkansas Department of Transportation/Road Department wanted to build a road, but feared that a bridge included in the project would kill a subspecies of catfish that was thought only to inhabit that area," said Blake. "My professor and I found that the subspecies of catfish was actually all over the state. So the road department got to build their road."

When Blake entered medical school, he initially decided to pursue both an MD and a PhD, figuring he would end up doing research in his career. He received his medical degree in 1996 from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine in Little Rock, having dropped his pursuit of a PhD during his pediatrics and obstetrics rotations. "I realized how much I loved working with kids," said Blake. "Pediatrics is such a dynamic field in which to study the growth and development of individuals over a 20-year period."

Blake remained in Little Rock for his pediatric residency at the UAMS Medical Center and the Arkansas Children's Hospital. When he finished his residency in 1999, he received a call from Jackson-Madison County General Hospital informing him that a clinic in Jackson was looking for a pediatrician. "I looked at the Children's Clinic and thought it held a great opportunity to build a practice," said Blake. "I liked the size town Jackson was as I did not want to be in a large city; I hate traffic."

Blake and his wife, Dawn, whom he met in college and married in his second year of medical school, moved from Little Rock to Jackson in 1999, when Blake joined the staff at the Children's Clinic. A year later, the Blake family grew with the adoption of their daughter, Abbey. When Abbey approached her first birthday, Blake took a long hard look at his life and lifestyle and once again, the researcher in him got the best of him.

"Research shows that the greatest predictor of a child being an obese adult is that the parent is obese, and thereby the child will follow in their footsteps," said Blake. "During medical school and my residency, I had led a pretty sedentary lifestyle and was about 60 pounds heavier than I needed to be. As a physician and a dad, I knew I needed to be making healthier choices."

Blake changed his lifestyle, making better food choices, as well as hitting the treadmill. He started off walking but quickly got into running. He ran his first half marathon in 2006 in Little Rock and has run a total of nine with no plans of stopping. "I had a neighbor who ran marathons and he got me interested in training for a half marathon," said Blake, whose typical run is about six to seven miles.

"A couple of years ago I got into bicycling as a way to cross train as running can cause aches and pains," said Blake, who cycles 60-100 miles a week in addition to running. "I did my first century ride, which is 100 miles in 2007. Unfortunately, I just did not find it to be as much fun as a half marathon because when it was over, no one was there cheering as you come in. At the end of a half marathon, you are met with all this excitement and cheering; it is a real boost."

When Blake gets time away from the office, his family enjoys traveling, especially anywhere there is a beach. They recently got into parasailing, a sport even nine-year-old Abbey enjoys.

Before becoming a pediatrician, Blake picked up other talents, too: His work in his father's grocery store while growing up in Star City, AR, made him a well-qualified grocery shopper. "I can pretty much tell you where to find almost any item at the grocery store," said Blake, who is also known to straighten an occasional shelf or two at the local Kroger. "I also have a knack for knowing where a zip code is located. That talent comes from working at United Parcel Service (UPS) through college."

Blake brings to his practice a unique perspective on living with illness; his wife was born with a congenital heart disease. "I can really identify with families facing a tough medical diagnosis," said Blake. "But I can also reassure them that there is hope, all I have to do is point to my wife and what she has been through."

"Being a father myself and dealing Dawn's condition have helped me to bring the human side into the medical environment," said Blake. "Far too often physicians see things in a sterile straightforward manner. What I try to do is blend what I know on the medical side with what will work with the patient's lifestyle."

Blake finds that watching his patients go through various stages on their path to adulthood to be one of the best parts of the job. "Talking to parents about their kids' development is rewarding, especially when I can tell them that the many things they are going through are normal," said Blake. "Plus, who wouldn't love a career where you get to play with kids every day."