"Stay away from medicine." My physician father advised me repeatedly. "Medicine is just not what it used to be."
I was a rebel. I clearly didn't follow his advice and pursued a medical career anyway. Deeply connected in human spirit, I pursued a career that would challenge me intellectually while allowing me to channel my emotional strengths for the healing of others. My introduction to primary care was through international experiences during medical school and residency. With each interaction, it became more apparent to me how precious is the relationship between patient and doctor. The typical barriers brought on by language, culture and social etiquette were broken down for the simple truthfulness of the exchange between a physician and a patient. I've learned to cherish these relationships. As years go by, it is truth that pulls me to enter and experience that interchange ever more deeply and effectively. For it is in truth that healing begins.
I earned my MD from Northwestern University Medical School in 2002 and then completed my Residency in Internal Medicine. For the first 2 years of my career, I practiced both as a Primary Care Physician and as an Academic Hospitalist in Madison, WI.
In 2007, I moved to Eugene, Oregon and settled down in this beautiful and unique town. I was a PeaceHealth Hospitalist - all my patients were in the hospital. Though I cherished the many individual moments with my patients, the job itself left me feeling like an employee of the health insurance companies and the corporate offices, rather than a physician. I moved to primary care clinics. However, I still found incomplete career satisfaction because I often felt I couldn't spend the amount of time my patients deserved. Over and over, I would hear, "Medicine is just not what it used to be."
I realized I needed to declare independence from Big Box Medicine.
You may have heard of Direct Primary Care. Outside the box. Saving lives of both doctors and patients. It is quite evident that the ideal medical clinic not only still exists, but thrives with happy doctors and equally happy patients.
I envision a community - a place where all is respected and where cultural, language and social barriers are brought down so that we can learn from and support each other during times of good health and illness.
A place where all of us can heal each other. Back to "the way it used to be".
I'd like to acknowledge some of my privileges before listing the traditional credentials: I am a cis woman with caste and class/economic privilege, straight sized, able bodied, neurotypical, and college educated. I am of South Indian (Malayalee) heritage born to immigrant parents in Chicago, IL. I acknowledge that I am currently living and practicing on the traditional territory of Kalapuya Nation.
College Education: University of Illinois at Chicago BS 1997
Medical School: Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago MD 2002
Residency: University of Wisconsin at Madison, Internal Medicine 2005
Primary Care Chief Resident University of Wisconsin at Madison and Veterans Affairs Hospital - Madison 2006
Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine 2005, Recertified in 2014
Board Certified by American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 2010, up to date with ongoing CME
International Medical Experience: Nicaragua, Peru, Nepal, India
Work Experience in Eugene: Priya J Carden MD LLC - MapleTree Healing LLC - Opened October 2015
WhiteBird Medical Clinic, Primary Care 2016 - current.
Lane County Community Health Center, Primary Care 2013 - 2015
PeaceHealth Hospitalist and Palliative Care Consultant 2007 - 2015
Executive Board Member of Lane County Medical Society 2017-2022.
Contact Info:
1161 Lincoln Ave, Eugene, OR 97401
541-313-6530
drpriyacarden@gmail.com