A single, exhausting night in residency redefined Dr. Camilla Gupta’s approach to medicine—and solidified her belief that when parents feel supported, children thrive. By Camilla Gupta, MD When I meet people socially—especially other parents—I often get asked, "What is it about your practice that allows your parents to worry less and feel more confident?" As I am currently accepting new patients, I wanted to share my answer with you all online, too. The truth is, my approach to pediatrics was not shaped by a business plan. It was shaped by an unforgettable moment during my residency training at Driscoll Children's Hospital. I clearly remember one night as a senior resident at Driscoll caring for a medically complex child. After spending nearly an hour going through charts, I walked into the room to find the parents completely exhausted from having to tell the same story over and over again. They had just spent 45 minutes trying t...
Insights from an expert pediatrician on breaking the cycle of parental anxiety and building childhood confidence. By Camilla Gupta, MD When one of my little ones looks up at me with big, teary eyes, my nervous system reacts as if I’ve just discovered the kitchen is on fire. This is what I call the “mommy bat signal,” an instant, magical transfer of distress where my child's emergency becomes my own. It is physically painful to see them in pain, and our entire body screams for us to fix it immediately. Our biological instinct is to become a "one-woman emotional SWAT team" and rescue them from their discomfort. I’ve done it more times than I can count—answering for them when they’re shy or letting them into the big bed just to stop the crying. We do this because we love them so deeply, and seeing them struggle feels like we are failing to protect them. While it’s natural to want to eliminate their distress, we have to ...