Dodds P. Simangan, DO, MPH, has an academic background in sociology and public health that has served him as a catalyst for his approach to pediatric medicine. This educational framework led to an understanding that medicine and community are directly intertwined. During medical school, Dr. Simangan took part in a service-centered education model, training in underserved areas of Hawaii and volunteering in social justice and community outreach organizations.

Those experiences in Hawaii led to his interests in patient advocacy and public policy with the desire to improve pediatric care and the community.

“I wanted to combine medicine with what I learned as an undergraduate sociology major, a master’s degree in public health, and a doctorate in osteopathic medicine,” he said. “And the best way to incorporate all three was in an academic setting. Physicians can sometimes be narrowly focused only on the disease and solely on how it affects the individual; however, from my experiences, I realized that it is also important to see how society and community factors influence health and well-being, and to have a whole-person approach.”

Dr. Simangan views his role as a physician as a healer, an advocate, and an educator. He is committed to improving the health of individual patients and the health of the community, while at the same time teaching resident physicians.

“I believe physicians in training need to understand their community and its impact on his/her patients because it’s through that understanding that we can truly gain the ability to help our patients,” he said. “There is that X factor in medicine which includes the art of medicine. We have to work with people and understand their personal and social situations in order to improve them, and that is what makes our profession unique.”

In addition to practicing as a board-certified general pediatrician at the UNLV Health Pediatrics Clinic, Dr. Simangan is the rotation director for Community Pediatrics and Pediatric Advocacy and serves as one of the pediatric residency program associate directors.

For patient services, please contact the UNLV Health Pediatric Clinic.