We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Ashlie A. Booth MD a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dr. Ashlie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

What my parents did right was make sure that we were raised with strong values – to put God first, believe in ourselves, work hard and give back. They were great examples of this and they showed it daily. My mother went back to school so that she could have a career with more stability. She & my father both opened their own businesses and I saw daily their dedication and commitment to their professions. And even after working hard in their businesses they were willing to help out not only other family members but also others in our community. So, being able to see that first hand and be a part of it definitely shaped who I am today, what I do, and how I do it.

Dr. Ashlie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I consider myself not only a physician, but also an educator and an advocate; but getting there has been quite the journey! Growing up in a small town, I gained an appreciation for getting to know people and this guided me to the field of Family Medicine and the belief that “care extends beyond just medicine”. Not only does it provide diversity, but it also allows me to get to know my patients and their families. After completing residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, I returned to Savannah where I received my initial medical education at Mercer University. I then began practicing in the traditional healthcare system but shortly afterwards I realized that both me and my patients were becoming frustrated with long wait times, but short office visits and high cost among other things. Thus, Healing Beyond the Stethoscope Primary care was born, which is an innovative, affordable practice that provides quality, accessible healthcare that patients deserve.

With this new medical practice, patients have longer, unrushed visits which allows for the doctor and patient to develop a trusting relationship. Because I understand that everyone is different, I take this into account to create a customized treatment plan that fits their lifestyle.

I use my love of teaching to improve the overall health of my patients because I want them to not only be educated on various disease processes, and treatment plans, but also how to advocate for themselves. I not only share this information with my patients, but I also host health education seminars and tips on my various social media platforms (https://www.facebook.com/DrAshlieABoothMD and https://www.youtube.com/@drashlieaboothmd/streams ) so that everyone can be empowered to lead healthy lives!

Although I am committed to serve my patients and spend time with family and friends, I also enjoy other activities such as reading, DIY projects, and serving the community.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Before I went to college, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor. Growing up, my community, my teachers and my family all supported and encouraged me. Once I entered my senior year of high school, I was very confident in my abilities and had a full ride scholarship and even additional scholarships as a reward for my hard work. When I started college, my first semester was challenging because I was getting adjusting to the environment and culture of the school, and therefore my grades suffered a little. Although I made As in most of my classes, I made a B in biology and a C in chemistry. My advisor told me that I would not be a doctor with those grades. So, the next semester I worked hard and focused and made all A’s including in both biology and chemistry. I returned to my advisor and he told me that although I did a good job, I still wouldn’t be a doctor and should change my major! After this I was really discouraged because as a first-generation college student, I didn’t know how to navigate this system and felt alone. It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I had a professor to encourage and support my decision to go to medical school. That was the spark that I needed to fuel my passion to continue on the journey toward becoming a doctor.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Practicing medicine is both a science and an art. It takes a lot of skill and training to become a physician, but it is the art of medicine where compassion, partnership, and healing occur. It is when you are able to take the information and skills that you learned, while also tapping into and embracing the humanity side of it; the ability to connect with patients on a deeper level and serve them so that they can get the best care possible. Being able to understand that they are very vulnerable and that you are not only a source of information, but also of comfort in their time of need. I’ve witnessed first-hand how a physician can calm fears and gain the trust of their patient so they are now willing to follow his or her guidance, which leads to their healing.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.healingbtspc.com
• Instagram: drashlieaboothmd
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAshlieABoothMD
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/drashlieaboothmd
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drashlieaboothmd/streams