(Ziv Amsili is a pre-medical student who’s taken interest in physicians who authoring books. She’s created a series of interviews for SoMeDocs, which include some of the authors we featured in our BOOKS Directory).
Dr. Todd Otten is a healthcare leader, physician, and advocate who is committed to improving healthcare for providers and patients.
With years of experience as a clinician, Dr. Otten has experienced frustrations and challenges that arose within the healthcare system. He is passionate about creating a more empathetic, patient-centered approach to care and empowering individuals to contribute to meaningful change.
Through his leadership in organizations such as Medicine Forward, Dr. Otten continues to push for changes that prioritize collaboration, trust, and transparency within the healthcare system.
The internet is full of health noise. SoMeDocs brings doctors and patients closer to real experts, timely education, meaningful connection, and CME-worthy learning.
Autonomy & Advocacy: A Medico-Legal Course for Clinicians
The Modern Allergy Course
2nd Annual Non-Clinical Careers Course
From Idea to Published: A Free Writing Course for Physicians
Public Speaking, Communication, and Online Presenting (Ongoing)
2nd Annual Finances, Investing & Real Estate for Healthcare Professionals
The Future of Physician Health: Leadership, Mental Health, and Career Advancement
3rd Annual Private Practice Course
Ripple of Change (2023), a book that Dr. Otten wrote with one of his patients, Joshua J. Judy emphasizes that restoring trust in the American healthcare system requires systemic change led by both patients and providers.
One of the most pivotal moments from Dr. Otten’s career comes through the vivid storytelling in Chapter 9. Here, Dr. Otten reflects on a personal experience that left a mark on his professional journey.
He mentions that for years, he couldn’t begin to talk about this event without becoming emotional.
Dr. Otten’s honesty in sharing these experiences invites readers to consider not only what he believes to be flaws in the healthcare system, but also the hope that change can come from confronting these flaws.
SoMeDocs is pleased to announce a virtual conference focusing on writing as a healthcare professional. Topics range from Book Publishing — Getting Started, to Writing Fiction: The Secret Sauce that Keeps Readers Turning Your Pages, and more.
Creating Ripple of Change was not an easy feat, Dr. Otten explains.
He describes the writing process as “organized chaos” in its early stages. In fact, Dr. Otten mentions that he told his co-writer, Joshua, to just write. There were no requirements.
Both he and Joshua would write at different times of the day—Dr. Otten in the morning and Joshua in the evening—often resulting in a fragmented approach to the content. Yet through rigorous collaboration, bouncing ideas and feedback back and forth, the book began to take shape.
One particularly memorable epiphany came in the middle of the night, when Dr. Otten realized the key to the conclusion that had eluded him for months.
Dr. Otten says, “ultimately [this process] led to this amazing interwoven journey between the two of us of catharsis”.
New Year Resolutions: Understanding Your Career Choices and When to Switch Lanes
Maryna Mammoliti, MD speaks about understanding your career choices – your DRIVE, NEEDS, ABILITIES and LIMITATIONS.
Lighting Holiday Candles in Medicine
As Hanukkah comes to a close, a reflection on eight nights of candle-lighting, call schedules, missed traditions, and the quiet persistence of doctors who carry both medicine and identity at the same time.
Further, Dr. Otten’s approach to healthcare reform is distinctive in its emphasis on empowering both patients and providers.
He advocates for a patient-physician relationship where voices from both sides of the table are heard and integrated into decision-making.
Dr. Otten says that he hopes to continue challenging the traditional top-down approach that has long dominated healthcare.
His work with organizations like Medicine Forward, which he will be leading in 2025, demonstrates his mission to improve the healthcare system, and encourages a richer patient-physician relationship.
His initiative encourages people to take on leadership roles by creating actionable solutions, offering a platform for those passionate about driving change.
Dr. Todd Otten is passionate about creating a more empathetic, patient-centered approach to care and empowering individuals to contribute to meaningful change.
By empowering patients, supporting clinicians, and integrating both voices into institutional decision-making, Dr. Otten believes that positive change is not just possible, but inevitable.
Dr. Otten says, “If you really think about it, Joshua and I, what we did, obviously was beneficial to the two of us, but it has positively impacted thousands of people at this point. Thousands.”
