In a special episode of the Sky Women’s Health Podcast, host Dr. Carolyn Moyers, board-certified OB-GYN, welcomes Dr. Lindsey VanDyke, an accomplished endocrinologist with a truly remarkable story. Dr. Moyers invites listeners on a deep-dive past the white coat, exploring Dr. VanDyke’s incredible journey from a childhood shaped by cancer diagnoses to a purpose-driven career in medicine. Their candid conversation sets the stage for an honest reflection on how personal trials forge empathy, resilience, and a unique approach to patient care.
Dr. Lindsey VanDyke’s path to medicine is a testament to resilience, empathy, and an unyielding drive to make a difference. While many physicians begin their careers with a passion for science, Dr. VanDyke’s journey was profoundly shaped by her own experiences as a patient, facing cancer not once, but multiple times before adulthood.
“My first cancer was at age 11. Then I had three more over the next 20 years… I had a stage 4 Wilms’ Tumor first, and then I had a recurrence, then thyroid cancer, and finally breast cancer in 2019.”
These early battles were formative, instilling an acute awareness of both the technical mastery and human compassion required in healthcare. “Even as a young kid, I had this appreciation for the immense intellect and mastery these people taking care of us had, and I was mesmerized by their language.”
Her fascination with medicine’s complexity began with hours spent reading medical encyclopedias during hospital stays; yet, it was the real-life interaction with doctors, and differences in their approach to care, that shaped her future practice:
“I learned very quickly what kind of doctor I liked and what kind I did not. When I interviewed for medical schools, they always ask, ‘Why do you want to be a doctor?’ I made a point to say, ‘I’ve been on both sides of the bed rail. I know what kind of physician I would want to be.’”
Dr. VanDyke’s professional journey wasn’t a straight line. She first pursued broadcasting, a field that gave her the rare skill of making complicated topics approachable and understandable. But, as she describes,
“At five o’clock in the morning, editing video, seeing footage of an accident, I thought: I’m contributing nothing here. But if I was a doctor and I was there, maybe I could have.”
So she rerouted back to medicine, eventually falling into endocrinology almost by accident during residency:
“I always say tongue-in-cheek, ‘like the thug life, endo chose me’… I was asked to help with hospital diabetes committees and then it just snowballed. Before I knew it, I was the de-facto inpatient glycemic management expert and matched to a prestigious fellowship.”
Through it all, empathy remained central. Surviving and navigating cancer offered perspective beyond textbooks, it forged an unbreakable bond with her patients.
“I know what kind of a physician I would want as a patient, someone who listens, takes time, and sees the person behind the diagnosis.”
Today, Dr. VanDyke channels that lived experience to create a practice built on compassion and transparency, ensuring every patient feels seen, heard, and guided. Her belief: being both a patient and a physician cultivates a deeper empathy, and that empathy is the cornerstone of truly excellent care.
Dr. VanDyke offers personalized telehealth visits, making evidence-based, transparent, and compassionate care available across TX, OK, CO, WA, CA, NM, and OR.
Ready to move past myths and get real answers on hormones, menopause, or sexual health? Book your telehealth visit with Dr. VanDyke and experience medicine that truly listens, because your health deserves nuance, safety, and expertise.
Listen to the entire interview here
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-202-testosterone-therapy-sexual-desire-insights/id1541657642?i=1000705147043