Tips for living a long, full life from two octogenarian doctors
Dr. David Usdan and Dr. Vance Shappley have worked at Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis since it opened. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
At 82, urologist Dr. Vance Shappley is still practicing — even to the point of having seven surgeries scheduled one particular January day.
His medical school classmate and friend, ophthalmologist Dr. David Usdan, has known Shappley since the 1960s. Usdan, who is 83, closed his practice last June following the death of his wife but now devotes his time to volunteering with nonprofit Church Health.
“Dr. Shappley and I have both been fortunate,” Usdan said. “We have our health, and we stay active.”
Shappley recognizes that being a doctor has provided the two certain advantages in terms of wellness. A study by the American Medical Association concluded that, on average, physicians live up to 10 years longer than the general public.
“Physicians have a little edge because they have a knowledge of the human body,” Shappley said. “We kind of know what we need to do in order to keep ourselves healthy. And being a physician has opened doors for me through increased income; I’ve been able to travel and do and own things that not everybody can.”
So what can you do in order to keep yourself healthy? Here are a few tips from the two doctors to leading a long, full and healthy life.
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Dr. David Usdan Dr. Vance Shappley aging wellness Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki has spent the better part of two decades writing about Memphis. A former digital journalist for WMC Action News 5 and staff reporter for Memphis Daily News, her work has also appeared in The Commercial Appeal, High Ground News, I Love Memphis, Inside Memphis Business, The Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, Memphis Magazine and Tri-State Defender.
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