Don Miller, MD

Bio

I was born in Phoenix Arizona. My family heritage comes from the southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico border regions. My father was a large animal veterinarian, so most of my childhood was spent in ranching communities in southern California and the central valley.

I went to undergraduate school at UC Berkeley partly for its academic reputation but just as much to play water polo which was so important to me in my high school and college years.

After Berkeley, my wife and I moved to New Orleans where she became an RN and I became a physician. We then moved on to Chicago where I received my specialty degrees in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. At one time I was considering Cardiology and Critical Care Medicine but choose Emergency Medicine because it was such a diverse, interesting and exciting place to work.

I have been part of Kaiser Permanente since 1989 and have worked at the San Francisco, Vallejo, San Rafael and Santa Rosa facilities.

I appreciate my responsibility to you and will always try to treat you in the same manner as I would like members of my family to be treated.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

I did not have any specific experiences or revelations that lead me to a career in medicine. Instead, I guess, my interest just evolved. I enjoyed the sciences and did well in them. I liked working with people and helping them out, so it just seemed like a good fit.

As I mentioned earlier, I chose UC Berkeley because of its academic reputation and because it had a great water polo program. While I went to school there, we won a NCAA championship. After Cal, I went to Tulane Medical School, a really good place for someone who learns through hands-on work. Charity Hospital is a very large old hospital that, prior to Hurricane Katrina, served the indigent population of New Orleans.

It was perfect for me. There was plenty of disease and plenty of opportunities to be directly involved in care. However, it was difficult to choose between specialties. After only 2 or 3 years in med school you are asked to begin choosing the type of work you will supposedly do for the rest of your career. That was not easy. I chose a combined residency program in Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. From Chicago, after finally choosing Emergency Medicine as my primary specialty, I moved back to California and have been at Kaiser Permanente ever since.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

Long time member of the American College of Emergency Physicians (California Branch)

Current projects or research:

During the last several years I have taken a part-time position at the Kaiser Permanente Call Centers. I take calls from nurses who need help with triage decisions, sometimes talk to the members directly, and I provide short educational lectures to the Call Center RN's at the three call centers in Sacramento, Vallejo and San Jose.

Great health resources that I refer to:

There are many excellent health care information websites. A few that I use frequently include:

www.nlm.nih.gov
www.emedicine.com
www.ncemi.org
www.health.gov
and of course probably the best health research site - www.google.com

An interesting story from my training:

I trained at several great hands-on hospitals in Chicago and New Orleans including VA's, Northwestern, Cook County and Charity. Ask me about them some time.

Interests

Currently reading:
The Quantum Doctor

My favorite book or author:
Wooden by John Wooden, almost all of Barbara Kingsolver's books

Great movie:
The Princess Bride, Shawshank Redemption or Forest Gump

Hobby Photos & Links:

This is the view from our camp site on last backpacking trip with daughter

Back packing in the nearby Sierras

Daughter Graduating June 2005

nature conservancy
cal sports

Family & Friends

People in my life:

I have been with my wife since 1976 when we first started dating. We've been married since 1985. She is a great nurse and works at the Kaiser Permanente San Rafael facility.

My children and people I care about:

I have two daughters, ages 18 and 20. They are both in college now and going through the ups and downs of establishing their own lives and careers.

An interesting story about my family or friends:

Most of my relatives live in the desert in southeastern Arizona. My grandparents and great-grandparents were farmers and ranchers. My grandparents moved from northern Mexico. I remember how proud my grandmother was to earn her citizenship papers.

Photos of my Family & Friends:

Vicki and Don Miller

The girls in Arizona a few years ago

I have too many pets right now!
Horses, dogs and birds. The old family dog passed away a few years ago and we recently got a puppy. (Not sure if that was a good decision or not--we'll see.)

Pet Photos:

The old family dog

Travel

An adventure I've had:

Haven't traveled much but hope to in the future. However, after med school my wife and I spent 5 weeks running around Europe and ended up on the beaches of Santorini in Greece. What a wonderful time.

Favorite place in the world:

I just love to be in the Sierras though the southwestern desert is very peaceful.

Must admit that its pretty nice in this area and when I do travel, I often realize what a great area we are privileged to live in.

One of my recent trips:

I've taken many family vacations up along the Trinity River. Let me know if you're going and I'll tell you about some of the best swimming holes I've ever jumped into.

A Photo of One of My Favorite Places:

Picture from my front window at dawn