Michael Sherman, DO, director of MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s Nephrology and Hypertension Clinic, says solving problems and working with people motivated his choice of a career in medicine. Yet, he also felt it was important to get a better feel for the profession to which he would dedicate his life.
So before enrolling at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Sherman spent a few years in Washington, D.C., working as a research assistant for a non-profit health policy organization.
“There is a non-science side to medicine that I found particularly appealing,” he explains. “It also complemented my interest in osteopathic medicine, which helps you think holistically about a patient’s condition.”
Attracted by the opportunity to live and work in the nation’s capital, Dr. Sherman came to the Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital to complete his residency in Internal Medicine, and his fellowship in Nephrology. Because treatment decisions for chronic kidney diseases are rarely simple, Dr. Sherman uses his diverse training to help patients consider all issues as they choose a path forward.
A Diverse Approach to Medical Care
Dialysis, for example, is an “intensive therapy that requires commitment,” Dr. Sherman says. “It’s life-sustaining, but it can also be a hardship. We want to be sure what we’re doing truly improves the patient’s quality of life.”
Nephrology also provides Dr. Sherman opportunities to help patients tackle these challenges in a variety of settings, from ICU cases to those who visit for outpatient treatment. “I enjoy following these patients for years, and building a relationship with them,” he adds.
Dr. Sherman also serves as medical director of Inpatient Hemodialysis at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, a program that provides on-site dialysis treatment for patients undergoing acute rehabilitation programs.
“This ensures patients get the dialysis treatment they need without cutting into their rehab schedules or delaying their recovery,” he says.
Life Outside the Hospital
Dr. Sherman’s family life provides plenty of practice with managing schedule. With three children, ages 3 to 9, he and his wife devote most of their weekends to going from one activity to another. And having received his undergraduate degree from Duke University, Dr. Sherman is understandably an avid college basketball fan.
“I was one of the ‘Cameron Crazies,’” he says, referring to the Blue Devils’ famed passionate student fans. “From time to time, I’ll get together with my college friends to watch games and relive those days.”
