Today we’d like to introduce you to Nidsy Mejia Roque.
Hi Nidsy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic as the youngest child in a big family. From very early on, I was attracted to medicine and decided in 5th grade that I wanted to be a doctor, more specifically, a pediatric neurosurgeon. Since then, I never even considered a different path, despite my dad’s repeated requests to reconsider. He knew doctors made a lot of sacrifices and wanted me to have an easier life; he even promised to buy me a new car if I gave up the idea of medical school! But my mind was set, medical school or nothing.
I completed medical school in the Dominican Republic and then moved to the US, hoping to become a pediatrician. I worked as a medical assistant while studying for the exams that would allow me to apply to a residency program. It was a small private practice where I had to fulfill multiple roles at times; anything from front desk and answering phones, to prepping patients before the pediatrician saw them, administering vaccines, or even making sure the restroom was clean and the garbage was taken care of at the end of the day. I didn’t know it then, but that experience was preparing me to be able to wear multiple hats in my own practice today.
After a short time working in this small practice, my big break came. A residency program was offering me an off-cycle spot to become one of their pediatric trainees; There was only one catch: it was not the kind of “prestigious” program we all dream of. “Do you want to start in two weeks?” said their coordinator over the phone. I had a mix of fear and excitement and asked for a few days to think. I considered all my options and decided to go for it. At the end of the day, the program doesn’t make the trainee, and graduating from a prestigious program does not guarantee success.
My three years in this program were full of learning, not only from my supervisors, but from my co-residents, nurses, and patients. During these years, residents rotate through different sub-specialties of pediatrics. Some fall in love with one and apply for additional training, and some decide that they like general pediatrics better. I was in the latter group right until a few weeks before the deadline to apply for sub-specialty training, when I was exposed to Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. I fell in love immediately! In a race against the clock, I was able to apply in time and ended up at the most amazing training program in New York, where I spent an additional three years deepening my knowledge of this beautiful field.
Today, I own my private practice in Broward County, where I get to live my dream of providing excellent care to children with special needs and their families in an unhurried environment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road was not smooth, but having a supportive family helped so much that I didn’t even notice all the struggle until it was in the rearview mirror. I was focused on my goal. Knowing that my family had my back allowed me to go on autopilot.
The biggest struggle for me was the isolation an immigrant feels when they first arrive in a new country. I had left all my friends back and went from having a very active life to being home most of the time, studying 10-12 hours a day. I tried to find a part-time job doing anything, but was rejected from multiple places. That felt very demoralizing; I graduated from medical school with honors back home, but couldn’t even get a job as a cashier here. Now I know that rejection is only redirection, and those jobs were not meant for me, even in a temporary way.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Beehave is my dream practice, a place where I feel fulfilled and happy to care for my patients every day and work for them, not a corporate system or an insurance company.
A lot of parents don’t even know specialists like me exist until the pediatrician refers them or a friend mentions working with me.
A developmental-behavioral pediatrician is a physician with training and expertise in the evaluation and care of children and adolescents with conditions such as autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, disruptive behavior, irritability, delayed development in speech, language, motor skills, and thinking ability, among other things. We are pediatricians first, and then pursue additional training in this specific field.
I was trained to consider both the medical and psychosocial aspects of children’s and adolescents’ developmental and behavioral problems and look for a comprehensive answer to their challenges, looking beyond the “bad kid,” and instead getting to the cause of their behavior, whether it is an undiagnosed and therefore untreated medical problem, exposure to adverse childhood events and trauma, challenges in the family dynamic, etc.
What sets me apart, and what I am most proud of, is my balanced approach to patient care. As someone who grew up in a home where a healthful diet and exercise were always encouraged and modeled, I truly believe in the intersection between lifestyle and science. I don’t see adequate nutrition, exercise, supplementation, and medication as mutually exclusive things, but more as parts of medical care with their role and time in a patient’s journey.
In my practice, I offer Comprehensive Evaluations where I go into every aspect of a child’s life, including prenatal exposures, birth history, extensive family history, social history, family routines, current challenges and strengths, etc. Every new patient consult is a minimum of 1 hour long, with additional time spent on testing and feedback of results.
The vast majority of doctors go into medical school with hopes and dreams of changing their patients’ lives, but end up burned out by a system that overbooks schedules and makes us see patients in a rush. I took a leap of faith and went on my own, and have never been happier doing my job.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My family, who always had my back. Their support allowed me to choose a specialty based on love, not financial pressure.
My husband, Mike, who supports all my goals and ambitions.
And last but not least, Women who, realizing it or not, have been huge role models for me: Dr. Ronke Dosunmu, who was my first exposure to the freedom of private practice and encouraged me to take that off-cycle training spot, and Dr. Judith Aronson Ramos, who, with her example, showed me that my dream practice was possible and opened her extensive connections to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behavioralpediatrician.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.nidsymejia
- Email: info@behavioralpediatrician.com
- Phone: 754-200-1756
