In this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing Louis Profeta, M.D. Dr. Profeta has decades of experience as an emergency physician at St. Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis, a level one trauma center. He is also an award-winning writer. You may be familiar with some of his work, including his essay titled “A Sunday Talk on Sex, Drugs, Drinking and Dying”, on the topic of drugs, sexual assault, and alcohol abuse on college campuses. Dr. Profeta travels the country talking to college students and his approach is extremely direct and brutally honest. Trigger warning… we talk about drug and alcohol abuse and the experience of losing a child. Please consider that before listening to this episode. My goal in interviewing Dr. Profeta is to help educate parents about how to prepare their teens for college and life after high school in order to keep them safe. During our conversation, Dr. Profeta shares his wisdom and experience on topics including how to get through to your kids during the tough conversations, the danger of sending your kids to college with prescription drugs, and how to tell if your teen is truly ready to go to college.
About Dr. Louis Profeta
Dr. Louis M. Profeta is a nationally recognized, award-winning writer and Emergency Physician at St. Vincent Hospital of Indianapolis, a level 1 trauma center. He has cared for more than 60,000 patients. He is the best-selling author of the critically acclaimed book “The Patient in Room Nine Says He’s God”. He is a dynamic and sought-after public speaker and frequent guest on TV and radio. He has gained critical acclaim for his poignant essays and writings for LinkedIn Pulse Magazine on topics such as our national heroin crisis in “When the Lion Kills Your Child“, end-of-life care in “I Know You Love Me Now Let Me Die” and dozens of similar essays. In 2015, 2016, and 2017 he was named LinkedIn Top Voice for readership in health care. His scathingly sarcastic but passionate essay, “Your Kid and My Kid Aren’t Playing in the Pros” was honored as one of the best articles on sports by the Society of Professional Journalism. In 2018, he was honored by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists for his outstanding contribution to online media. His essay titled, “A Sunday Talk on Sex, Drugs, Drinking and Dying” may be the most read and shared essay in history on the topic of drugs, sexual assault, and alcohol abuse on college campuses, having been read by millions. Dr. Profeta has told hundreds of parents their children have been killed over his career. He brings this reality to campuses across America. Some have described this as the most brutal, realistic, and impactful presentation ever given on the topic. He is rapidly becoming recognized as one of the most widely read opinion essayists in America today.
Episode Highlights
- Parents need a paradigm shift when talking to kids about drugs and alcohol
- The ease of getting drugs on the internet
- Parents have no ability to police behavior
- You must first start from a place of love
- The importance of having the hard conversations early
- Many young people have no business being in college
- How to tell if your teen is ready for college
- College will not protect your child
- Parents need to take a hands-off approach as kids prepare for college
- Dr. Profeta’s journey to medical school
- We need to stop calling it a “gap year”
- COVID and young people
- The COVID data that matters
- The dangers of prescription medications on campus and at home
- It’s not about the college, it’s about your kid’s ability to move in that world
Resources
Dr. Louis Profeta: A Sunday Talk on Sex, Drugs, Drinking and Dying
The Emergency Room: A Window into Us | Louis Profeta | TEDxWabashCollege