James Hawthorne, MD, is an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. If you are a medical student and would like to connect with Dr. Hawthorne, you can reach him by email here.
You can also learn more about other ADDs and see a full listing of them here.
Q: What do you do clinically?
A: General adult outpatient psychiatry and outpatient treatment of substance use disorders, including MOUD.
Q: What is one thing you love about your clinical specialty?
A: Witnessing people change and grow. Whether this occurs in a flash of insight or in a more gradual expansion of awareness, it is always rewarding to witness and to help facilitate.
Q: What is one thing you love about being an ADD?
A: Meeting one on one with students interested in psychiatry, learning more about their history and goals, and helping them to take the next step. It's exciting every year to see students discover psychiatry and develop their passion for this work.
Q: What is something you do outside of work to help you recharge?
A: Spending time outside. Whether gardening, fishing, or going for a long hike, the outdoors have always been my refuge.
Q: Any advice for students who might be interested in your specialty?
A: Sometimes the stigma surrounding mental illness translates into stigma within the medical community against specializing in psychiatry. I think this is decreasing over time, which is great, but don't let anyone's negative attitude or comments about psychiatry get you down. Treating patients with mental illness is real medicine, a valuable use of your time and talents, and, although challenging, is exceptionally rewarding.
Q: How did you choose your specialty?
A: It was kind of in the family, so to speak. My grandfather was a psychiatrist and i had family members with mental illness. This probably led to me being more aware of the importance of mental health treatment coming into medical school. But it was in third year on my psychiatry clerkship that I decided to choose this as my career path. It was just a good fit. In psychiatry I found a specialty that fit with my values, life goals, and talents. 13 years later, I'm still glad I made the decision to pursue a career in psychiatry.