I am humbled to have been honored this past October by the American Academy of Pediatrics with a 2022 Advocacy Award for my TikTok series "The Doctor's Note"!
Dr. Pete with his certificate at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2022 Conference in Anaheim, California
“the need for a reputable and trustworthy advocate in pediatric medicine online is increasingly manifest”
DR. PETE RECEIVED THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS CHILD ADVOCACY AWARD FOR "THE DOCTOR'S NOTE" October 8, 2022
Dr. Pete was recognized at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Conference 2022 in Anaheim, California with the Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award for his TikTok series “The Doctor’s Note”, a playlist of video shorts featuring his online persona Doctor Disney. With social media as a mouthpiece, he shares what it is like to be a resident pediatrician, tells noteworthy stories about exceptional experiences with children he encounters, and imparts medical knowledge with the aim to entertain, educate, and inspire. As parents look for support more and more on social media, which can often spread misinformation and sow mistrust, the need for a reputable and trustworthy advocate in pediatric medicine online is increasingly manifest.
Many medical students have stated that Doctor’s Note videos have influenced their choice to go into pediatrics. Parents often chat together in a video’s comment feature, holding their own discussions on a topic, which engenders a supportive, psychosocial effect. The Doctor’s Note promotes agency for parents over their children’s healthcare, awareness about better lifestyle choices, discussions on social issues impacting healthcare, emboldens viewers with positivity and creativity, and has built a community forum in which people feel safe to express, share their own stories, and be counted.
The Doctor’s Note shines a spotlight on society’s pain points that disadvantage our children and seeks ways we can implement change collectively to improve the health and life outcomes of all children around the globe. Through public health education, Doctor Disney strives to help children gain healthy habits as they take their baby steps, thereby altering their life trajectories and healing the next generations.