According to Dr. Jeffrey Scott, patients see a pulmonologist for a variety of problems. Some of the most common include asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), interstitial lung disease (ILD), bronchitis, pleurisy, sleep disorders and pneumonia. “Most of the time, people come to see me when they are having trouble breathing,” he explains. “Unfortunately, many of the breathing problems patients have are due to smoking.”

Dr. Scott likes to point out to patients that smoking isn’t just bad for the lungs. “As time has gone on, the knowledge on how bad smoking is has continued to accumulate,” he explains. “We’ve learned it doesn’t just lead to lung disease, but also cerebral vascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, as well as many cancers including kidney cancer and bladder cancer. So, in many ways, it’s never been more important to quit smoking. Unfortunately, many people don’t quit until they have a major health crisis, such as a heart attack, or a diagnosis of lung disease or cancer. That’s why I really encourage all of my patients to give up the habit.”

No matter what problem Dr. Scott is treating, he believes in treating each patient in the manner they want to be treated. “I think of that as my primary guiding philosophy. I try to speak in plain language to people and their families so they feel comfortable in asking questions. I think time is the most important thing you can give the patient. Sometimes it’s hard to give patients all the time they need at the office so I tell them that if they are home and they have a question to just give the office a call and we can help.”

According to Dr. Scott, one of the best aspects of being a physician is being able to make a real contribution to people’s health and wellbeing. “I think as a physician that when you have a positive impact and a patient really benefits, you carry that with you a long time. It’s a great feeling and why I love being a physician.”

When he is not busy helping his patients, Dr. Scott enjoys spending time with his wife (who is also a physician) and his children. He also enjoys running and cycling, as well as skiing in the wintertime, especially at Mt. Wachusett.