From Teach for America to primary care, she’s empowering her community

For Dr. Senait Tesfai-Barker, the path to practicing medicine winds through some non-traditional experiences. From her undergraduate degree in political science at Duke University, to a stint at Teach for America, to a year working as a certified nursing assistant, every experience has helped make Dr. Tesfai-Barker a better physician. 

Now, she takes her passion for education to her patients — helping them take ownership of their health problems and advocate for themselves. Her admiration for the internist at the clinic where she worked as a CNA helped her decide to specialize in primary care. 

“I was working for an internist who had been practicing for 25 years and embodied everything that I thought a primary care doctor should be,” said Dr. Tesfai-Barker. “Patients loved him and respected him. He was there for them at such pivotal moments of their lives.” 

Dr. Tesfai-Barker enjoys getting to follow along with patients throughout their journey in her role as a primary care physician. Seeing her patients make tangible steps towards being healthier is especially meaningful. She works with them to come up with a plan for their health together, partnering with her patients rather than just telling them what to do. 

Many of her patients now have questions about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Tesfai-Barker explains the science, answers questions and shares her own reasons for getting vaccinated. 

“I just review what we know about the research and what we don’t know. I share what we know about the safety and efficacy,” said Dr. Tesfai-Barker. “For me, the answer after looking at the science was simple. I did it for my family, for my patients and for our community so we can move out of this pandemic.” 

March 30th is National #DoctorsDay. We’re sharing stories from physicians at Advocate Aurora Health to recognize them for their passion and dedication to helping people live well. Have a doctor you want to recognize? Give them a shout out in the comments below!