Michael Sweeney, MD

	Joined Feb, 1989 Department: Family Medicine Services [Map] Title: Physician Degree: MD Interests: Cycling, Guitar, outdoors, family, exercising, acting Languages: German Physician Homepage
Bio Although I was born in Seattle while my parents were finishing their education at the University of Washington, I grew up in Northern California. We moved to Richmond when I was a baby. I went through school in Terra Linda and graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur. Through athletics, it was fun to have known many folks here in Sonoma County. The first game we won in basketball was against Healdsburg. My first track meet was against El Molino. I went to college at the University of California in Davis. My third year I spent in Germany studying so that by the time I graduated, I earned degrees in both Chemistry (which runs in my family) and German (which doesn't run in my family). I ran track and cross country for UCD and had fun learning how to play the guitar. My first career was as a high school teacher. I did my graduate work in education at UC Berkeley. I taught for 2 years at a small high school in Fraser, Montana on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Life is indeed different out there...especially in the winter with howling winds and raw temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. I returned to Northern California, went back to college in Arcata to prepare for medical school. I was pleased to go to UC San Francisco for medical school. I was lucky enough to further my training in Family Medicine at Community Hospital here in Santa Rosa under the auspices of the University of California in San Francisco. I joined Kaiser Permanente after completion of my training. I am delighted to practice here where I can treat all of my patients fairly, guided by medical and personal needs rather than having interference from outside interests. I enjoy having the support of any specialists I, or my patients, need. Having a organized communal system devoted to patient care suites me perfectly.
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: I chose to study family practice as my specialty in medicine upon graduation because it is the one branch of medicine where the person outweighs the organ system; we study and treat human beings with medical problems as opposed to studying medical problems which happen to occur in human beings. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: Three areas in medicine have captivated my interest through out my career. They are hospice, HIV medicine and sports medicine. I have never believed that medicine is the fight against death. It is the fight against suffering. Hospice is based on this belief. AIDS has been the biggest epidemic of our generation and I have fought the suffering in AIDS ever since the early days of the outbreak. Bodies in motion and harmony should not evoke suffering, hence I am involved in sports medicine as well. Current projects or research: I am a member of the HIV team in Santa Rosa and am one of the doctors who cares for AIDS patients. Great health resources that I refer to: I am so old fashioned, I still go to the library! I don't just go there to cut class! An interesting story from my training: This is where I started wearing ties!
Interests
I have always been athletic and love the challenge of endurance sports and the community of team sports. I ran during college and after. After some 40,000 miles I had too many injuries and had to quit running. My brother turned me on to bicycle racing and I loved it, as it nicely combines team work with endurance. Currently reading: Guns, Germs and Steel My favorite book or author: I never play favorites. What ever strikes me is my choice. Great movie: I haven't been in one! What's with Hollywood?	Hobby Photos & Links: Criterium cycling Jamming with friend
Family & Friends
People in my life: I am not fooling about how cool my family is. We have even put on Shakespeare plays in my backyard. Would I be a fool if I had played one in Twelfth night? My children and people I care about: At UCSF I met my wife. We have two wonderful daughters, Erin born in 1989 and Kerry in 1991. They are active involved members of the Santa Rosa/Sonoma County community. Sadly, my wife developed brain cancer even though she lived a wonderfully healthy life. She passed away 11/1/01 and my daughters and I have stuck closely together ever since. I am lucky to have my parents and two siblings close by. My brother lives here in Santa Rosa less than a mile away from us and he also has two daughters.	Photos of my Family & Friends: Yes, I've played the fool ! My family My kids many years ago. My teenage daughters
My pets: I have a dog named Harry. He really likes it when he gets to go for walks and when he gets to be petted. Oh man, I guess he is representative of life...it truly is more important to stay close to your pack and to exercise than it is to simply eat.
Travel
An adventure I've had: An adventure I always enjoy reliving is my competitive running days in high school and in college. The picture shows me running a relay leg for UC Davis. Favorite place in the world: Where ever I am. It is all I have and it is up to me to make the most of it One of my recent trips: Recent would certainly be in the last 50 years. I studied in Germany before the globalization movement. It was a time when MacDonald was just a Scottish name. I therefore speak German and am very clear about my way not being the only way. It is so fun, though not always easy, to learn a new way.	Travel Photos: A glimpse of my running days in college