Welcome to the Wellness of MD4Vitality: Tatyana Gluzberg, M.D., Ph.D.

Tatyana grew up in Siberia, Russia, and matured quickly as she earned her MD by the age of 24. Over the next 16 years, she specialized in dermatology, reaching Director of Residency at Tyumen Medical School and completing her Ph.D. She was also a pioneer: opening the first private dermatology clinic in her Siberian town, Tyumen.

It wasn’t until the age of 40 that Tatyana experienced America for the first time. She came for a medical conference and to visit her brother in Detroit, Michigan. She fell in love with America over the summer and her vacation turned into a staycation. She also realized that America would be a great place to build a future for her family. After a 20 year medical career, Dr. Gluzberg had to retake the medical exams and board to reestablish her MD in America.

After 40 years in Siberia and 9 years in Michigan, Tatyana was done with the cold climate and snow. She always wanted to live close to the beach, so 12 years ago, she found a job and moved to the Grand Strand. Tatyana did not know a single person in Murrells Inlet where she started her new career as a Family Physician.

When I asked Tatyana about her opinion on making friends after the age of 50, she laughed and said, “Coming from another country and moving from state to state, I had no choice but to make new friends at the age of 50.” Once she joined the Army at 49 years old, it redefined her view on friendship: “I was connecting with others from other countries, spoke different languages, and had different mentalities and emotions. I am fortunate for the military for showing me what friendship means and now in civilian life, it’s helped me make real friends. We are really responsible for our friends. It’s not just about going to a party or having a glass of wine or dinner; you truly build a friendship and learn how to evolve with it. I now know how to be a best friend.”

Tatyana spent 8 years in the Army Reserve (now she is a Major) and worked in Murrells Inlet at a primary care clinic but she wanted to expand her own new kind of practice. To be ready for her new career, she went through years of training in anti-aging medicine, nutrition, aesthetics, skin cancer, lipidology, telemedicine, and earned her board certification in Lifestyle Medicine. She loved the fun atmosphere of the Market Common and due to all of the healthy/wellness stores in that area, she thought her Vitality Center would fit in great. Last fall, she purchased her location, and MD4Vitality opened on May 5th, 2021.

Another reason Tatyana wanted to begin this new career was because she wanted more time to devote to family (her son and two grandkids) and to making real friends. Her family explained to her: “If you continue to spend all of your time working, yes, you will be making money for your family and retirement, but you won’t have your health or any friends to retire with.” Basically, she now understands that if you spend your whole life working and doing what society has led you to believe is most important, you do not even know yourselves outside of work. 

By the time Tatyana sees people in her practice, they have spent 60 years damaging their bodies and brain: they cannot travel because of their joint pain, cannot eat good food because of their damaged digestive system, cannot sleep because their brain was so overloaded for so long, and cannot even feel true enjoyment because although they have reached the point of their life that they are supposed to enjoy the most, their tools do not function as they should.

Tatyana believes that “age is not the diagnosis; it is only how you are feeling because you are just not adjusted to your age.” She clarified that many who come to her for help with depression are not actually clinically depressed, they are simply not adjusting to their new situation. Many of these people are retired and all craving the same thing: something to do that they enjoy and friends to do those things with. She is amazed by how many of them do not even know what their interests, passions, or talents are. She tells them that “making friends is a medical prescription – It is absolutely necessary for anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, and loneliness.”

Every single person that Tatyana encounters with this struggle, she encourages to get active in their social life by finding new hobbies or joining groups by volunteering at places like Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park. She believes that surrounding yourself with nature and bonding with others who enjoy it too is a positive remedy.

As far as a healthy lifestyle, Tatyana encourages everyone to be a coach for themselves as well as have a good support system. She promotes how significant is it to first be properly evaluated and educated by a physician, or a specialist. She explained, “In order to find your perfect ‘healthy lifestyle,’ you must first understand why it’s unhealthy now, whether it has to do with physical, emotional, or social factors, or your sleep, food, and beverage intake. A good evaluation like this is necessary because a ‘healthy lifestyle’ varies depending on a person’s biology because this is a case where one size most certainly does not fit all. Once you gain a personal evaluation, only then can you find your version of healthy.”

For example, Tatyana has never eaten “poorly,” but when she decided to start eating “healthier,” her body was not liking it. She decided to have a food sensitivity test done and found out that “healthy” foods such as almonds and spinach that she had incorporated into a “healthy diet” were not healthy for her. They were damaging her stomach, but once she found this information out, she easily switched her almonds for cashews, her almond milk for coconut milk, and her spinach for kale. All it takes is the proper evaluation and the solution becomes easy. That is what vitality is all about. 
 
Tatyana contemplated the name of her clinic for a long time, but when she discovered that the word Vitality meant the stage of being strong and healthy, she knew it was perfect. Tatyana does not believe in getting “old,” but she does believe that being mature is the perfect age to rediscover yourself.

The most important lesson Tatyana has learned in her life so far and the advice she would like to pass along to younger generations is: “You can always get a new car, house, or upgrade your Apple device, but you only have one body, and that is absolutely the most important thing to work on and improve. Your body is a tool to enjoy your life to the fullest and if you don’t have a good tool, you can’t truly enjoy your life. You can neglect anything and everything but these things in your life: Your body, mind, and soul.”

“You can plant roses in the ground, but if you don’t properly fertilize the soil, they are unlikely to bloom. Treat your body much the same – ‘fertilize’ it with friendships, love, and a healthy lifestyle, so you too can bloom.” -Tatyana Gluzberg, M.D., Ph.D.