Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Alyssa Cole
Hi Dr. Alyssa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been a go-getter who focuses on balancing the right side of my brain (the creative side) with the left side (the logical side). This led me to earn a dual-degree in biology and classics as a pre-med student. I loved the artistry of photography, videography, and story-telling growing up as much as I loved understanding the science behind it all. During medical school, I sought a unique opportunity to help me pay for my tuition by competing in Miss America pageants. At that time, I also started a blog to document my time in pageantry. Competing and blogging combined helped me develop not only my writing skills but also my public speaking, on-stage presence, and networking skills.
As I began my intern year of medical training, I realized I needed a creative outlet and decided to update my pageant blog into a lifestyle and wellness blog titled Daily Dose of Vita (dailydoseofvita.blogspot.com). This led me to share posts on social media through my account @doctor.cole, focusing on healthcare, work-life balance, fitness, fashion, travel, and food.
While in residency, I pursued my MBA and got my first taste of entrepreneurship. When the pandemic occurred, I teamed up with an apparel company to design and create antimicrobial gloves as a way of extending my outreach beyond the hospital doors to help protect the community (as featured on Forbes). Since then, I started my own company Sage Initiatives, LLC and have collaborated with brands all over the world as a model and content creator while offering my unique perspective as a physician. I’ve connected with prospective and current medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings along with other healthcare workers, highlighting my journey to becoming a cancer rehabilitation physician, an associate program director, and entrepreneur. I use my online presence to advocate for physician well-being and share evidence-based medicine, which has led me to become a Forbes Health Editorial Advisory Board member and World Health Organization Fides network member. Last year, I competed for Miss Virginia USA and won the Social Media Online Advocacy award in recognition of my content creation. I also recently published first children’s book, An Apple A Day, which teaches readers about preventing the spread of misinformation. My goal is to inspire others to pursue their dreams, having fostered an online community of over 39 thousand #colesetters (think goal setters) across my platforms.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were several bumps along the way to reaching my destination as both a physician and content creator/entrepreneur. The hardest one was balancing the two – sometimes it felt like I was living a “Hannah Montana” lifestyle. There were challenges with navigating professional and personal boundaries, ensuring I followed all social media guidelines, and often having to pivot when it came to sharing certain aspects of my life. I am so grateful to have such a strong support network of family, friends, and fellow content creators to help me get through it all. I can now say I’ve got the best of both worlds.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor sub-specialized in cancer rehabilitation, helping to optimize the function and quality of life of my patients. In addition to being a doctor, I am also a social media content creator, model, and blogger, sharing what life is like in and outside of medicine while educating my audience on accurate health information. You can follow me @doctor.cole on Instagram and TikTok and read my blog Daily Dose of Vita at dailydoseofvita.blogspot.com.
As a cancer rehabilitation doctor, I care for patients before, during and after their cancer treatment. I help diagnose and treat a variety of neurologic, musculoskeletal and lymphatic conditions and side effects that can result from cancer-related interventions like radiation, surgery and chemotherapy. With each patient, I strive to enhance their functional capacity and overall well-being.
I am now an Assistant Professor and the Associate Program Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Charlottesville, Virginia where I practice as an attending physician. I am the only Cancer Rehabilitation sub-specialist in the state of Virginia and love being able to share my expertise all over the world both online and in-person, from Sydney, Australia to San Diego, CA, and soon Marakesh, Morrocco.
As an aside, California holds a special place in my heart as I have several family ties such that I am visiting several times a year, and hope to eventually move there one day.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Please feel free to DM or message me on Instagram and/or TikTok @doctor.cole and if you enjoy the content, would love to have you follow along/subscribe and share with those who may be interested!
Pricing:
- Content collaboration pricing available upon request
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dailydoseofvita.blogspot.com/?m=1
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/doctor.cole
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAlyssaCole/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctor.cole?lang=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSewa8fn3ofpp0V3Yl7EBQg
- Other: https://www.forbes.com/health/medical-advisory-board/alyssa-cole-mixon/
Image Credits
Reza Venegas
Cory J Popp
Maggie Zulovic
