People Profile – Dr. Stephen Kane

Stephen Kane, MD, (PGY 4; Family Medicine/Preventive Medicine) is encouraged by the fact that our healthcare system in the United States is beginning to look more at the social drivers of health—the factors encountered outside of clinical care that make up 80 percent of a patient’s health.

Dr. Kane says that his combined specialty of family medicine and preventive medicine has allowed him to help with this shift and to focus on making programmatic and policy changes for underserved populations.

“With advanced primary care models focused on funds for quality of care and social drivers, we are set to create a system that works for patients—and not in spite of their social conditions,” he says.

Dr. Kane pursued medicine to support and guide people at some of the most vulnerable moments of life, and his specialty has allowed him to enjoy an incredible continuity of care with his patients and walk with them through life’s medical and social challenges.

As a fourth-year resident at Medstar Franklin Square and a student at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Kane encourages other residents not to go it alone and to ask for help when needed. “Residency is a marathon, not a sprint. Sometimes you’ll excel, and sometimes you’ll fail. That’s normal—you are in a training program. If you are underwater, you’re not alone and the program likely has the resources to help you. Make sure to ask,” he says.

In addition, Dr. Kane suggests leaning on others in your program. He says his own program and co-residents have been a source of support through the long hours and difficult cases and have connected him with fantastic mentors that exemplify the type of physician he hopes to become.

He also suggests finding restorative activities to enjoy outside of work. Running with his pup, hanging out with his nieces, finding live music, or sharing hikes, food, or quality time with his co-residents are a few of his favorites.