Brick, NJ, Doctor Prioritizing Building Trust With Patients   

Brick, NJ, Doctor Prioritizing Building Trust With Patients

 Internal medicine physician, Frederick Acquah, M.D.

Even though his parents in Ghana, West Africa, weren’t medical professionals, internal medicine specialist Frederick Acquah, M.D., knew medicine was his calling. His father worked in construction, and his mother was a seamstress, whom he lost early in his life due to an allergic reaction that proved fatal.

“My dad always wanted me to live my dream,” says Dr. Acquah. “We are all on Earth for a purpose, and mine is medicine—to help my patients and train the next generation of doctors.”

Dr. Acquah—whose patients call him “Dr. Fred”—knows that before he can help patients, he first must set a warm and welcoming tone that starts with his engaging smile. "Every patient is different and deserves approval irrespective of their background,” he says. “When I enter the patient room, I acknowledge their presence and do my best to build trust. By doing so, they become comfortable enough to share their history or present illness.”

He asks patients to tell him their story: "I follow the path they lead me on to reach the right diagnosis, factoring in pertinent positives or negatives and physical exam findings. I know that over time, that doctor-patient relationship will get even better."

What is your approach to patient care? 

I want every patient to have the opportunity to be themselves. It’s rewarding when a patient tells me they haven’t had a doctor sit down and explain things the way I do—patient education is so important.

I follow up and call my patients to check on how they’re doing. Some patients tell me, “I know somebody cares about me.” I want them to go about their lives in the best way.

You obviously love your work, but what do you do in your downtime?

I have three young children, ages 8, 4 and 1. I go to the park and play soccer with the older ones, and that helps me stay active. I also enjoy video editing, which is how I ended up in starting my own YouTube channel, where I share tips on different conditions or ailments and give a glimpse into my life and my family.

Where is one place you’d really love to go?

It would be the Maldives. The islands look so calming and have such beautiful water.

What’s one of your major life goals?

I want to give back medically, so I’d like to return to Ghana on a volunteer medical mission. What happened there has impacted my life, made me who I am today and allowed me to follow my dreams.

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