Wendy Sue Swanson graduated with Honors in Psychology from Kenyon College. After college, she taught bilingual, middle school science for 2 years through Teach for America in Oakland, CA. She earned an MD and MBE (Master's in Bioethics) at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and then completed her residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Swanson is a general pediatrician interested in the intersection of media and medicine and its impact on the physician-patient relationship. She writes Seattle Mama Doc for Seattle Children’s Hospital, the first pediatrician-authored blog for a major children's hospital. Dr Swanson is an official spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. She sits on the Board of Advisors for Parents Magazine and on the board for the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. She speaks nationally on physician use of social media and its role in advocacy. She is called on frequently by the media for her expertise in pediatric health and is active in sharing her perspectives on pediatric health issues via social media. Dr Swanson believes physicians have an obligation to share opinions online. Her objective is to illustrate how we can marry social media tools to that of traditional media to inform parents and caregivers, engage pediatricians, and decrease the divide that may exist between patients and their physicians. She believes that a growing community of online physicians can empower patients to make informed decisions founded in science. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SeattleMamaDoc.