Meet Romeena Lee | Obesity and Lifestyle Medicine Physician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Romeena Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Romeena, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am a first generation American. My parents immigrated to America from Cuba when they were older. When they first came to the US, they both worked two jobs to make ends meet and provide everything they could for my brother and me. As a child, I witnessed first hand their perseverance and grit. They both eventually started their own business and I watched them grow successful businesses. Their passion for helping others and the strong work ethic has allowed me to become who I am today. I owe my successes to their lessons.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Primary Care Physician formally trained in Family Medicine. I am completing a fellowship at the University of Florida in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism with a focus on Obesity Medicine. I am interested in how exercise and nutrition affect our metabolism and health. I focus on Lifestyle Medicine and how our daily lives affects our health.

Medicine is a difficult profession, but extremely rewarding. To become a doctor you have to go to over 10 years of formal studying and training. The hours worked are long and there are a lot of times when you miss out on important moments. However, the reward of being able to help and care for someone is well worth it in my opinion.

Traditional medicine has done an amazing job at the science of medicine. We have learned a lot about how the body works, breaks and how we can use different modalities like procedures and pharmacotherapy to fix it. Unfortunately, we have done a poor job of preventing disease. This is where I truly believe there is enormous room for improvement, which is why my passion has become to prevent disease. I try to help individuals learn about food and nutrition, the importance of exercise and how daily choices impact our health. Every little thing we do makes impact in our health and I help people understand and learn what those impacts are and how they can improve them.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am an avid Ocean lover. Put me in the ocean and I will be free. I love to free dive and scuba dive. I also love hiking and a good trail. Pretty much put me outdoors. If my friends are in town, they know that we are doing something outdoorsy and active. They always come prepared for an adventure and good food! I’ll also take you to all of the Local Food Markets, because there’s nothing better than fresh local fruits and veggies. I love to make yummy homemade food so if someone comes over they will get a good healthy meal.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So many people deserve credit. I would say that the first most impactful change in my life started with a little nun in Miami who took a chance on me. I had been falsely accused of something in seventh grade and because of this I was scared to go to school. My mom turned to small Catholic School for help and when no one else wanted to give me a chance a little nun did. She welcomed me into her small school. I had always excelled in school and sports, but going to this little school changed my path. I ended up going to a small all-girl high school, Our Lady of Lourdes, in Miami. There I flourished and really found my grounding. I knew I loved science and math and decided I would go to medical school to help others. I went off to study at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Boston Health Care for the Homeless (BHCHP). All of these places and all of the people I met continue to impact my life and my decisions every day. My bosses for many years at MGH, Meg Clapp and Dena Alioto, encouraged me to attend medical school. They saw my passion and guided me to success. I can name so many people – I don’t think I have enough space. I learned a great deal with Dr. James O’Connell at MGH and BHCHP. My year of service with AmeriCorps and Global Health Projects have all been huge influences. I saw the amazing patience, passion and love he has for medicine and the underserved and it fueled my desire to do more. All of these organizations and many people have shaped who I am today.

Website: https://www.drleeliveshealth.com/

Instagram: DrLeeLives