Makeup Artist: Liza Macawili using Nixie Cosmetics
Makeup Assistant: Heidi Hoang

Ten years after achieving their education and advanced training, many professionals look around and mutter that age-old cliche, “Is this all there is?” They know there must be more to life than constant striving. They also know, deep down that they need to find that greater balance in their life, or sooner or later, they will pay dearly. Physicians are no different, but many may even be more skewed than other professionals with their constant focus on their chosen career. They have that same seminal question, and a good number feel the approach of burnout. That is when they begin searching for activities to counteract the onset of personal entropy.

Venus Ramos, MD, however, did not wait for that to happen to her. She took control of her lifestyles early in her medical career. In 1996, while attending medical school in Miami, FL, she was sitting in an outdoor cafe watching a Fitness America ESPN Series competition when a friend said to her, “You need to get involved in that, Venus. You like to be active and fit. Go for it.” And she did.

Since then she has not only completed her medical degree and residency, moved to California and started practicing but she has also lived an incredibly active life. This includes having achieved goals in her world outside-of-medicine as well as in her medical practice. She contends that physicians need to complement their medical career with an active lifestyle away from their practice. “I believe my active life outside my medical practice brings a healthy balance to my life,” she says.

Richard Hall, MD, practices psychiatry and forensic psychiatry in Lake Mary, Florida. He agrees with Ramos, that the need for physicians to strive for balance in their lives. He feels that, “Performing physical and recreational activities and interacting with family and friends are very important to maintaining a balance in a physician’s life. Physicians often burn out due to the intense hours they must maintain, and the accompanying demands and frustrations of their practices.” Further, he suggests that the overall stress of practicing medicine is getting worse, due to the present day environment in medicine, and that seeking a good balance in life is even more important for practicing physicians these days. “If they don’t develop a healthy balance in their overall life, they can become overwhelmed and feel unappreciated, with this potentially leading to burnout,” he says.

If balance of career and personal activities prevents burn out, then burnout is unlikely to occur in Ramos’ life. She is a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation with a busy practice in Long Beach, California. She also maintains a super-active life outside her practice that offers her a unique synergy.

“I don;t know if my pastimes led me to my specialty, or my specialty interests led me to my pastimes,” she says. “I always was active in my growing up years, so developing this pattern for her life, her personal goals support her taking care of herself. The interconnection between her personal activities and her medical specialty suggests she is a good role model for her patients. She also believes her fitness training supports her helping unconditioned patients optimize their functional independence. “I believe my healthy lifestyle communicates to others that they need to be fit and live healthy, also,” she says.

Ramos is highly committed to the promotion of health and fitness in her community at large. A NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, she spends time working as a personal trainer, a senior citizen fitness educator, and a volunteer trainer for the Special Olympics track athletes. She also holds a free beach fitness class–HIT the Beach!– a weekly workout on Huntington Beach, CA. “I believe fitness is a better lifestyle for everyone, no matter how busy they are, no matter how old they are, and no matter how much money they have. So I provide this fun outdoor workout class as a way to make fitness more accessible to everyone in the community, whether their budget is a concern or not,” she says.

Ramos feels very fortunate that her professional life and pastimes fit together so seamlessly. “My personal activities and my practice are mutually supportive of each other,”she smiles. “I can schedule my personal activities and my practice around each other very well,” she maintains.

Ramos’ pastime activities are not practiced by many physicians. She not only advises patients and clients on the benefit of physical fitness, but she herself routinely trains for fitness competitions. She regularly appears in the Fitness America ESPN Series and has competed in the Nova Fitness (Obstacle Course)  World Finals, the Fitness America National Finals, and the Fitness Universe Pageant. Her competitive fitness achievements include winning the Natural Universe Modelquest 2001 and Ms. Bikini California 2002. Most recently, she won Ms. Fitness Los Angeles 2005. When not competing, she is also active in flag football, soccer, softball and track events.

The media has also recognized Ramos’ expertise in sports and fitness. She has been featured on local news programs for FOX-, CBS-, and ABC-affiliate stations. She has also had fitness training articles published, and served as an on-camera medical consultant in beauty and fitness product infomercials. In addition, she has been featured in fitness modeling for print and television and been a spokes-model for beauty and fitness products.

Radio listeners in Southern California may know Ramos as “Doctor Venus, “ the physician who shares her knowledge of sports injuries and rehabilitation on “Damn...Another Sportz Show!?!” a Los Angeles radio show. She has also made numerous appearances in reality TV programming including “Temptation Island” (FOX), “I’d Do Anything” (ESPN), “Star Dates” (E!), “Scream Play” (E!), and “How Do I Look?” (Styles Network), and has a portfolio of print and commercial modeling, and theater appearances. Her unique qualifications as a physician, fitness athlete, strength & conditioning specialist, and talk show host bring frequent requests for her to address audiences on educational topics.

During the writing of this article, Ramos was training for and participating in “American Gladiators” on NBC. But no matter how busy her life and career may get, Ramos makes time for physical training. Whether in Belize preparing for a day of filing for “Temptation Island” or in California preparing for a day at her practice, she wakes up early every morning and heads out to train. “It’s an important part of my life, one I  appreciate and eagerly participate in,” she says. “Aside fro the fitness aspects of physical activity, I believe it allows me to be more focused in my practice of medicine.” She encourages other physicians to also put together a physical regimen that they enjoy. “Physical activities relieve stress of our work,” she encourages.

Ramos believes that having “another life” should be an important goal for every physician. “Whatever you choose as activities outside your medical practice, you need to be passionate about them , enjoy them, and pursue them with vigor,” enthuses, Ramos. “This allows a balance to your life that is essential and otherwise is not there if your life is totally immersed in medicine.”

To learn more about Dr. Ramos, visit www.venusramos.com. Make-Up Artist: Liza Macawili using Nixue Cosmetics, Assistant Make-Up: Heidi Hoang. Photoshoot courtesy of Xclusiv Fitness, San Clemente, CA, Priscilla Tuft.