Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey to becoming a physician is an interesting one because during most of my childhood, I actually wanted to be a lawyer. I was fascinated with the law and only watched court shows, but in school, I quickly realized that I had a talent for science. Eventually, my talents lined up with my career goals and I decided to pursue a career in medicine. Neuroscience was always attractive to me because I was interested in what made us who we are and how our genes interacted with the environment to create our likes, dislikes, talents and strengths. My theory was that the brain had a lot to do with this development. When tasked with choosing a specialty in medical school, I still liked the idea of neuroscience, but unfortunately did not have the opportunity to complete a neurology rotation before I had to make a decision. Although I did well in other disciplines of medicine including surgery, I still did not like what I had experienced more than the I idea of working in neurology so I took the leap of faith and applied for Neurology Residency without having done a rotation. Fortunately for me, it worked out very well.
During training, I had the opportunity to work with my mentor, Dr. Mary Hughes at her Multiple Sclerosis Clinic and I quickly knew where I wanted to focus my efforts for my career. I loved developing relationships with the patients and their families, the condition was at times very complex and it was really on the cutting edge of new treatment developments and advances. I did fellowship training with her and took over as Medical Director of the Augusta MS Center. I later moved back home to Atlanta to work at a large Multiple Sclerosis Clinic and worked for many years until a recent change. I found there was a large need for education among patients and my colleagues about the disease, the importance of treatment and self-advocacy. I have focused much of my time outside of work speaking and presenting at Congresses and Meetings to improve treatment for those living with MS.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth. Medical training is very long and difficult. The hectic schedule takes you away from family and friends and I missed many events due to working long hours. There was lots of sleep deprivation, but also a great deal of learning. One of the most difficult times in my life was about a month after my training was completed and I took over the Directorship of my first clinic, my father passed away. It was hard to start a new job with so much responsibility and deal with the grief of that loss. Fortunately, I was blessed to have a wonderful team of co-workers who supported me and helped me through that time.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Joi LIfe Wellness Group story. Tell us more about the business.
Joi Life Wellness is a company that I started to encompass several parts of my work including my medical practice, Joi LIfe Wellness MS Center, my advocacy efforts as well as my educational programs focused. That latter two parts of my work focus on not only multiple sclerosis but also on raising awareness about the importance of clinical research and increasing diversity in research.
I am most proud of the amazing collaborations that have come out of this work with community partners and national foundations and other organizations working toward the same goals.
I think what sets us apart is the passion and dedication to improving care for a population of people who are often overlooked and underserved. We used to think that MS only occurred in 400,000 people in the US, but most recently, new data suggests that 1 million people in the US alone are affected.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Over the next 5-10 years, as science continues to advance, there will be more of a focus on personalized medicine, and we will be looking for ways to tailor treatments to a specific person based on certain markers or levels in the body. There will also be a big move to find ways to reverse the nerve damage that has already occurred with those affected by MS and other degenerative neurologic disease.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1400 Veterans Memorial Hwy,
Suites 134-341
Mableton, GA 30126 - Website: www.drmitzijoimd.com
- Email: info@joilifewellness.com
- Instagram: @TheNerdyNeurologist
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DrMitziJoiMD
Image Credit:
Personal Photo by: Nina Sutherland Photography
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