Dermatologist on the run
In Practice
Douglas Naversen, MD, is a dermatologist in private practice in Medford, Oregon.
By Emily Margosian, assistant editor, August 1, 2018
It takes major motivation to complete a single marathon. Douglas Naversen, MD, has run 25.
“My personal record is two hours, fifty-five minutes, and thirty-two seconds, which I set at age 40. It qualified me for the Boston Marathon,” says Dr. Naversen, who is in private practice at Dermatology & Laser Associates in Medford, Oregon. “We take our running seriously in southern Oregon. I’m a Buckeye; I was born and raised in Ohio, and I think maybe that’s one of the reasons why I moved here, since Oregon is known as a running state.” As a longtime personal passion for Dr. Naversen (who once ran at least a mile every day for seven years), running has unsurprisingly worked its way into his professional life as a dermatologist as well.
Every April for the past six years, staff from Dr. Naversen’s practice have hit the trail to compete in the annual Pear Blossom Run. (Medford is home to Harry and David’s pear orchards.) With the option to either run or walk their choice of a five-kilometer or 10-mile course, all participating staff members have their entry fee covered by the practice. “I wanted to parlay what I know about running into a fun way to motivate our staff,” explains Dr. Naversen. “Office morale can be tough with hirings, firings, difficult patients, skin cancer, itchy rashes, and the like. The Pear is a great way for our staff to bond, and as we’re office-based, also gives us an opportunity to stay in shape and collectively shed some pounds.”
The race has grown in popularity among Dr. Naversen’s staff over the years. He estimates last spring 13 members of his office participated; this year there were around 20. The bump may be the result of a little friendly competition between coworkers, however. “The winner — the staff member who’s the fastest — gets a special trophy, so they have bragging rights for the whole year,” he explains. “One member of our staff has won it for the last three or four years, so we always speculate about who’s going to knock her off her pedestal. We post the results in our break room, so everyone can see how each other did.”
The race has also sparked conversations among patients as well, and helped raise the practice’s profile within the local community. “We take a group photo just before the start of the race, and the photos are posted prominently in each of our three dermatology suites for public viewing,” says Dr. Naversen. “Every year our practice also donates $2000 to the Pear Blossom Scholarship Fund, and I get to present the scholarships to the high school seniors between the 5K and 10 mile. I like to say I get to meet the kids before they become famous.”
Dr. Naversen encourages other dermatologists to look into local races as a potential team bonding activity — regardless of skill level. “I’m sure your area has a fun run, whether it’s a 5K or a 10K. I encourage you and your staff to get fired up, trim your figures, and do some bonding with your crew.”
