Dr. Alan Emamdee is a general adult psychiatrist. He qualified as a medical doctor in 2010, graduating from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and completing residency in general psychiatry at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Emamdee’s residency training had a strong focus on the psychoanalytic/psychodynamic understanding of the psychiatric patient, alongside the biological model.
Dr. Alan Emamdee is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. He was raised by a wonderful and loving family and acquired an excellent early school education. After excelling at his A levels in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, Dr. Emamdee moved to the United States to pursue undergraduate studies in the premedical sciences. He completed a bachelor’s degree in biology, with a minor in chemistry, earning the magna cum laude distinction from St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, New York. He took a year off prior to pursuing his medical career, during which time Dr. Emamdee became a science teacher for the New York City Teaching Fellows, an organization that predominantly served inner city high schools.
His early career as an attending psychiatrist was largely shaped by his first job, living in the four corners region of Southwest and working for a regional hospital in a markedly under-served and isolated area of New Mexico. There, he set to work treating high volumes of a wide variety of psychological and psychiatric pathologies, mostly in the local Native American population, specifically the Navajo, the Jicarilla Apache, and Zuni Nations. Dr. Emamdee was passionate about using all the psychodynamic tools at his disposal to understand and connect with his patients, including cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacology. He often focused on the whole biopsychosocial model, respecting Navajo cultural beliefs, and bridging the gap between the Western and traditional medicine. These early years of service were life-changing for Dr. Emamdee and his family.
Since then, Dr. Alan Emamdee has moved back to the New York area, dedicating most of his time and focus to his family. He enjoys camping, rafting, mountain biking, traveling in his RV, and playing hang drum. Although he has enjoyed this unique and rewarding time immensely, he is now ready to continue his career as a psychiatrist, this time based out of New York.
Where did the idea for becoming a psychiatrist come from?
The idea to pursue psychiatry happened during my medical education. As I rotated through all my clinical clerkships, I realized the importance of mental health in determining the outcome in any physical ailment. Mental wellbeing is an indispensable part of the overall wellbeing of any given patient, and I knew that’s where I could make my most meaningful contribution.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
A large portion of my day involves taking care of and spending time with my family. My wife and I are preoccupied with lots of children’s activities, naturally. I also follow a regimen of exercise, meditation, reading, and taking walks outdoors. My day feels productive and accomplished when I plan ahead and incorporate exercise in the early hours. I find that helps to set the mood or tone for the rest of the day.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I think about where I would like to be in the future, and I invest time and energy in making long-term plans. Then I break those plans down into simple steps and small goals.
What’s one trend that excites you?
What most excites me is seeing the goodness in people. I believe in humanity.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Persistence and leadership. I will keep on trying, with just as much energy every time, until my objectives are accomplished. I also do my best to inspire others around me to work as a team, and endeavor to bring the best out in people.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Everything will work out fine. Please don’t be anxious or depressed about the future. Keep doing what you are doing. You’re on the right track.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe in humanity! We, the human race, are better off today than ever before because of our compassion, understanding, and ability to work together to solve problems.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Maintain a healthy, self-guided feedback loop. What I mean by that is frequently re-check your progress, and be cognitively flexible to adjust your behavior and actions accordingly.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Networking! I enjoy building relationships with others from various areas of my life, and I have come to realize the power of connecting with others in the community. I don’t just mean people in my field, either. I mean bank tellers, teachers, pals at the gym, grocery store clerks, maintenance workers, staff, my children’s school community, and so on and so forth.
Beyond simply connecting with people, though, it’s important to genuinely care and help out when you can. I think the popular expression is to ‘pay it forward.’ If you do that, one day you will wake up and be pleasantly surprised with the network that you have built, and to the extent that others will go to help you if you ever experience your own time of need. We are supposed to carry each other.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
My very first business model fell apart. I approached things differently the next time by building on the lessons of my failure to create a better model. As I said before, I never give up! Learning from failure is the key to my success.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Invest in a YouTube account and post videos demonstrating your creativity. Many people have been discovered and made money that way over the past few decades.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I bought a 3D Pen and I recently started making 3D art with it. It’s creative, relaxing, and a great way to bond with my children. Also, I believe it will probably become a money-making activity in the future. In modern parlance, I believe I will cultivate it as a ‘side hustle.’
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I enjoy exploring the app RobinHood, as it helps me understand trends of the stock market.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupery. This book has inspired me to nurture the child within, and to not lose sight of what is essential in life.
What is your favorite quote?
“There is always hope.”