Elektra Health is thrilled to have Laurel Edmundson, MD on our clinical team. She brings decades of experience in Emergency and Family Medicine, College Health, and Urgent Care settings to her new role here at Elektra. Below, Laurel opens up about her deep passion for women’s health and the factors that shape how she practices medicine — including her Life Coach certification, training to become a Mindfulness Meditation teacher, and personal experience going through perimenopause.
What led you down the path to becoming a doctor?
Well, I was always interested in the intricacies of the human body and the deep desire to help other humans. I was also greatly inspired by my aunt who practiced Orthopedics in Indiana. She trained in the 70s when the field was almost entirely dominated by men. She was a total badass — wicked smart and really good and kind with her patients. She addressed not only the Orthopedic issue at hand, but whole-person health, including patients’ mood, sleep, lifestyle, and familiar relationships. I really admired that.
I didn’t follow the traditional pre-med path in college. I was more interested at the time in studying English and French and spent an amazing Junior year abroad in Paris. After college, I briefly worked in publishing before figuring out that it wasn’t for me. So I returned to the idea of Med School, did the prerequisite Post-Bac work, and enrolled at SUNY Downstate. I then “matched” in Emergency Medicine at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. After a year and half of high-intensity, inner-city trauma work that was wreaking havoc on my nervous system, I switched to a less intense Family Medicine program in NJ where I completed my training. I then practiced full-spectrum Primary Care in Upstate New York for two years, returned to Brooklyn and worked at the NYU Student Health Center for a while, then joined City MD where I stayed for a decade. I felt pretty burned out by the end of my time at City MD, especially having slogged through Covid. I really wanted a change, so I was thrilled to get the chance to join Elektra Health in January.
From emergency to family medicine to urgent care, and now menopause…you have quite diverse experience. What led down the path of women’s health more generally and menopause in particular?
I’m 50 and in the thick of perimenopause myself, so I’m naturally more personally interested and invested in the topic. While menopause is a universal and natural experience for all women who live into their 50s, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some suffering involved. If I can help alleviate some of my patients’ suffering, I am happy and have done my job well.
While menopause is a universal and natural experience for all women who live into their 50s, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some suffering involved. If I can help alleviate some of my patients’ suffering, I am happy and have done my job well.
You’re also a Certified Life Coach and training to become a meditation and mindfulness teacher. How does that impact your approach to medicine?
Well, like a lot of people, I had a bit of an awakening during the pandemic. I remember working a shift in urgent care on Labor Day 2020 with a dear friend…I just turned to her and said… Is this it? Is this our lives? I was feeling stuck in a few different ways, drinking more than I wanted to to deal with the stress of being a doctor in NYC during the pandemic, and was slightly miserable. My friend raved about a coaching program she had just completed that was specifically for women doctors, so I signed up for it. That really kick-started a period of exploration for me into personal evolution and spiritual wellness. I started voraciously reading self-development books, listening to inspiring podcasts, seeking out new experiences, and meditating. I had always been health-conscious by eating well and exercising, but I wanted to take better care of my whole self. I was 47 at the time, so I thought…okay, if I’m halfway through my life, is this what I want to keep doing? And the answer to several of those questions was “no.”
I completed that coaching program, became certified myself as a Life Coach, cut back on drinking, ended my 20-year marriage, started meditating regularly (which had been on my to-do list for FOREVER), and am on the path to becoming a Mindfulness Meditation teacher. My life looks very different than it did in 2020. While some of that change was pretty painful, I ultimately feel more aligned, calmer, and optimistic about my future (despite all of the chaos in our larger world).
How does your experience with life coaching, meditation, and mindfulness impact your approach to menopause care?
My training in life coaching and meditation is really coming in handy in helping my patients at Elektra navigate some of the emotional and psychological turmoil that is so common in midlife. Many women feel a shift in their identity around this time–they may see themselves as less sexual or less visible in society. They often feel less needed by their families, especially if they are parents of older kids. It can be a very disorienting moment, compounded by the discomfort of hot flashes, poor sleep, and other physical symptoms. But we are also wiser and generally, more confident by midlife. This moment can be a gift to take stock and consider Who am I? Who do I want to be? What do I want in my life? What do I NOT want anymore? It’s not uncommon for a woman to not know the answers to these questions because she’s been so busy life-ing and taking care of others. She may need some guidance, like I did! So, if a patient is open to it, we can get into some of that juicy big question stuff, in addition to addressing their physical symptoms and discussing treatment.
My training in life coaching and meditation is really coming in handy in helping my patients at Elektra navigate some of the emotional and psychological turmoil that is so common in midlife.
Almost every woman who comes to me describes being dismissed by previous healthcare providers or rushed through their medical visits. I have experienced first-hand the squeeze by our healthcare system on doctors/providers to see as many patients as possible as quickly as possible. We don’t have nearly enough time for whole-person care. A five-ten minute visit might be (almost) enough to diagnose and treat something simple like Strep Throat, but most patients (humans) are more complex and deserve more time and attention to discuss their conditions and experiences. I feel fortunate to be at Elektra where we make that a priority.
