Cardiologist Dr. Joseph Thibodeau joins Methodist Physicians Clinic

Joseph Thibodeau, MD, has always enjoyed math, science and mysteries. Before his formal training, he would make simple diagnoses for family and friends. 

“By the time I was in college, I even diagnosed one of my roommates with Type 1 diabetes before he had any clue he had a problem,” he said.

During medical school, he wanted to find a meaningful specialty.

“When I was trying to figure out what to do, I thought, well, let me find an area where I can have a large impact in medicine,” said Dr. Thibodeau, a cardiologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic. “Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death, so I thought I’d give that a solid look.”

Even though he’s drawn to the technical side of cardiology, Dr. Thibodeau has grown to love his daily interactions with patients, their families and other staff.

“The more I do this, the more I realize that the most enjoyable part is interacting with people,” he said. 

He believes the most important part of the patient-provider relationship is trust, which is built over time.

“When the time comes for us to do something that’s pretty frightening for them – like putting in a pacemaker, talking about a defibrillator, talking about the end of their life – then they know through a track record that they can trust what I’m saying. They can feel comfortable knowing that I have their interests in mind.”

Dr. Thibodeau’s favorite days are when he’s the busiest.

“I love when there are more patients to see because that means we have more opportunities to make an impact,” he said.