Doctor's Mom Won’t Listen to His Medical Advice

Abbas is a physician who cannot convince his Indian mom to get regular medical screenings. And public health professional Mary Helen O'Connor shares strategies for effective health messaging and for nudging our parents to be proactive about their health.

Abbas is a physician by training and profession, and he's also the founder of Mipsterz, an arts and culture collective for emerging Muslim creatives.

Featured Expert: 

Dr. Mary Helen O’Connor has courtesy faculty appointment in the School of Public Health. She oversees community engagement as a member of the Georgia State University Prevention Research Center team, which focuses on health and health disparities of refugees and migrants. She is the director for the Center for Community Engagement in Clarkson, which brings together Clarkston community members; governmental, nonprofit and faith-based agencies; Georgia State researchers, and local partners to work on issues important to the community, including health, education, legal rights and responsibilities, social integration and family sustainability. The center also works to coordinate research efforts on issues facing refugee and immigrant populations. Her teaching and research in the field of migration studies, education, and rhetoric and composition explores refugee education, agency, and identity. For more than a decade, she has been a volunteer and advocate for refugees and immigrants in Clarkston, GA, one of the largest resettlement communities in the U.S. She presents and lectures extensively on migrant students, refugee and immigrant issues, and community advocacy. Learn more about her work here.

Mary Helen recommends the following resources for speaking with parents about preventive health: GSU's Prevention Research Center has a lot of information about a variety of topics and in multiple languages, including COVID-19 resources, their Health Information Toolkit, and their Health Ambassador's Program. She also recommends this resource for providers, a quick guide to HIPAA, and information about the language line. Finally, for an example of powerful community work around health care and risk messaging, she points us to them.

If you loved this episode, be sure to listen to When Mamí Has a Drinking Problem and Parents’ Reason for Ignoring COVID-19 Restrictions: “We gotta live.”

We’d love to hear your stories of triumph and frustration so send us a detailed voice memo to [email protected]. You might be on a future episode! Let’s connect on Twitter and Instagram at @TalkToMamiPapi and email us at [email protected]. And follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.