Meet the Provider: Samantha McPharlin, M.D.

Samantha McPharlin, M.D., department of Family Medicine, became a Wayne Health physician in February 2020, accepting a full-time position with Wayne Health in August 2020.

Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. McPharlin has special interests in geriatrics, women’s health, pediatrics, sports medicine, addiction medicine and mental health. She was drawn to the variety that family medicine offers, and enjoys learning about and treating a wide range of medical issues in patients of any age.

She chose Wayne Health because she admires its commitment to serving all patients in the Detroit area, not just those with the most privilege or the right insurance. When Wayne Health opened a Family Medicine practice in Midtown Detroit dedicated to serving low-income and vulnerable populations, she knew that she wanted to be a part of expanding primary care in the city. She enjoys working with the people of Metro Detroit and hearing their stories, that form the tapestry of the city. She describes the people of Detroit as some of the most hardworking, resilient and welcoming people she has ever met, and considers it a privilege to serve them. And since she lives in the city of Detroit herself, she gets to meet her neighbors in the clinic.

Dr. McPharlin attended Wayne State University for her undergraduate education in biology and for medical school. Attending WSU allowed her to learn about the history of Detroit and the race and bias challenges faced by residents for more than 200 years. Her Wayne State University medical training helped shape her as a provider, giving her knowledge of the health disparities faced by her patients. What better place to learn how to care for your patients than in the very same city that you practice medicine?

The best part of Family Medicine for Dr. McPharlin is that there is no typical day. She sees patients with a wide variety of conditions ranging from diabetes to skin infections to lipoma removal, and also provides sports physicals for students. While the visits are different, she enjoys the constant of seeing her patients for follow-up. As a Family Medicine physician, she cares for family members of all ages, and reassures parents that their children will not “age out” of her care once they become adults.

Dr. McPharlin’s patients have taught her that people need to be heard and feel that their health provider is on their side. She focuses on partnering with patients and building their trust. One of her fondest memories is seeing a 2-year-old that she delivered greet his newborn sister, who she also delivered, after a healthy and happy pregnancy for their mother. Although she no longer delivers babies, she loves caring for multiple generations of families.

In her free time, Dr. McPharlin enjoys running around Detroit and Belle Isle, bird watching, baking and reading mystery novels. One of her patients recently taught her how to make hash browns in an air fryer!   She looks forward to attending Red Wings games (she lives near Little Caesars Arena) and hopes to be a regular at Detroit City Football Club games once COVID-19 is under better control.

To set up an appointment with Dr. McPharlin, visit our website or call 877-929-6342.