Most people are familiar with pediatricians for children and internal medicine doctors for adults. What they may not realize is that some physicians are dually trained in both. I'm one of them.

I care for patients from the newborn stage through adulthood. That means I may see a baby for a well-child visit, treat a teenager who is feeling anxious and care for that child's parent—all within the same practice. An intensive residency training program in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine prepared me to provide primary care for all ages.

It is a unique way to practice whole person medicine, and one that allows me to care for the whole family.

Care That Grows with You

Children are constantly growing and changing, and their healthcare needs change right along with them. The same is true for adults.

My training allows me to care for patients across those different stages rather than focusing on only one age group. I can help support a child's growth and development, care for teens as they become more independent, talk with moms in various stages of women's health, and dads focused on health and wellness. I love working with patients as they move into adulthood.

That continuity can be meaningful. Turning 18 does not suddenly erase your medical history or change everything about who you are. When a physician already knows your health background, your family, and the concerns you have worked through together, you do not have to begin every conversation from the very start after finishing high school.

The Whole Family Matters

Families share medical histories, daily routines, stresses and barriers to care. When I understand that broader context, I can better understand what may be affecting each individual patient and build a wellness plan alongside them.

Instead of everyone going in different directions for primary care, parents and children receive care in the same place from someone who knows them. Convenience is certainly part of the benefit, but it is not the whole story. Caring for a family over time helps build familiarity and trust—and those relationships can make it easier to have honest conversations about health.

Whole Person Care

Patients often come in with one immediate need: a fever, a cough, a new symptom or a routine checkup. Of course, we need to address what brought them in. But whole-person care also means taking the time to understand what else may be going on. Is something making it difficult to follow a treatment plan? Is the patient worried about something they have not mentioned yet? Are family circumstances affecting their health? Is there an opportunity to prevent a future problem while we are together?

Those questions matter because a patient is more than a diagnosis or one doctor's visit.

Feeling Heard Is Part of Good Care

When you come for the first visit, I want you to feel welcomed. I want you to be greeted with a smile and know that you are important to me and to our team.

Most of all, I want patients to feel that their concerns have been heard and addressed to the best of our ability.

Healthcare can sometimes feel complicated. Part of my role is to help patients and families better understand their needs, talk through their options and decide what makes sense for them.

Whether I am caring for a newborn, helping a child through a new stage or working with an adult on preventive or acute care, the goal is the same: to care for the person in front of me and help them feel supported along the way.

That is what I appreciate most about Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. It gives me the opportunity to care for patients across a lifetime—and to care for families as families.

About Dr. Katie McNiel

Dr. Katie McNiel is dual-trained in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, with expertise spanning every stage of life—from newborns to adults. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Dr. McNiel specializes in preventive and acute care for the whole family, bringing a holistic approach to high-quality, patient-centered care at Community Clinic