Regarding menopausal medicine, Dr. Goodman describes the nature of his work, “A menopausal practitioner ideally takes care of the whole person. Busy OBs can’t do that. So, if you’re a woman in your40s, 50s or 60s, you may have problems…with your lipids, with the cholesterol, thyroid problems, adrenal problems; you may have problems with distress and anxiety, bone density.” He added that he is the only person certified and trained in menopausal medicine in this area.

“Menopausal medicine is not exclusive, it’s inclusive. So it’s a combination,” Dr. Goodman explains. He clarifies that it’s not solely gynecological, but that it includes psychiatry, psychology, endocrinology and cardiology. “It’s health maintenance, having to do with exercise, life style, and sexual medicine, both with women and with men…and couples.” By comparison, he noted that, in the average OB/GYN practice, the emphasis is on obstetrics. “The average OB/GYN has a modicum of training in menopausal medicine, but really very little beyond basic hormone therapy,” he stated, noting that menopausal medicine is not officially recognized as a gynecology subspecialty yet, but he believes it will be in time.

When asked whether menopausal medicine is the focus of his practice, he responded, “I’d say [it’s] about 80 percent of my patients. The rest is a mixed bag…the usual things that an OB/GYN would see, with the exception of OB. I don’t do any obstetrics. An increasing part of my practice is vulvo-vaginal aesthetics - surgery on the vulva and the vagina - both for comfort, for self-esteem and sexual pleasure.” His work