Dr. Brock Drapkin, MD
Internist
75 State St FL 26 Boston MA, 02109About
Welcome! I am a Board-certified general internist. I specialize in the medical treatment of adults. I manage both common and rare diseases. I can act as a primary care physician, or as a consultant to another primary care physician that is not an internist. I incorporate disease prevention and basic mental health into my own practice, and I co-manage patients with surgeons and mental health professionals as well. I strive to establish long-term relationships with patients.
When working in the hospital, I am comfortable recognizing and managing medical emergenies and other very serious medical conditions. In the office and via telemedicine, I am adept at managing acute (but less serious) and chronic (long-standing) medical conditions. In fact, having worked for many years as a hospital internist (a hospitalist), I am highly experienced and capable in managing patients with several active complex diseases and conditions.
My philosophy of medical practice is patient-centered (in other words, the patient ALWAYS comes first), and is proactive (in other words, I strive to identify and handle medical problems at an early stage, rather than after they have become obvious and possibly much more serious).
I regularly treat common medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, asthma, copd, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, arthritis including gout, and cellulitis (infection of the skin and the flesh beneath the skin). I also investigate and diagnose both the usual causes—as well as unusual causes--of common symptoms such as headache, dizziness, weakness, fainting, head colds, cough, chest discomfort, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and pain. When someone is under my care, I believe I must be ever-prepared to handle whatever health issue(s) I may face.
I treat all patients nonjudgmentally, with respect, compassion, and empathy. I am attentive to all concerns a patient expresses, and I address all concerns seriously. I want all patients to feel cared about, as well as well cared for. My recent average patient satisfaction 5-star ratings have been 4.8 to 5.0 stars.
I welcome, and I am ready to treat, all comers within my scope of practice as a general internist. Nevertheless, I am always prepared to refer patients to subspecialists for assistance when needed, or to the hospital if their condition may be imminently life-endangering.
If you believe I can help you, I welcome you warmly into my practice.
I obtained a Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.) degree in biological science, Magna Cum Laude, from Columbia University in New York City. I obtained a Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. I then completed a 3-year traditional residency in internal medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. I subsequently successfully sat for the Internal Medicine Board Examination, becoming a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). I have maintained my Board Certification with continuing medical education credits and periodic ABIM examinations since that time.
My main hobby is medical computer programming. I design and code my own computer programs tailored to meet my patient care needs. These programs enable me to optimize my daily workflow and therefore maximize the time I have to focus on my patients.
Education and Training
Albert Einstein College of Med M.D. 1988
Columbia University Bachelor of Science (B.S.) 0
Board Certification
Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine
Provider; Basic Cardiovascular Life Support (BLS)
Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
New York State Physician License (No. 180942-1; Active)
Massachusetts Physician License
Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration
Maintenance of Certification Program of the American Board of Internal Medicine
Provider Details
Dr. Brock Drapkin, MD's Expert Contributions
Regarding GERD and prilosec?
You have asked an extremely important question. Although shortness of breath is not rare in GERD, this symptom combined with sweating and arm pain more strongly suggest a cardiac heartrelated origin of your GERDlike discomfort. TThis type of heart condition is called coronary artery disease. Although the common forms of coronary artery disease usually begin to declare themselves from approximately age 40 or later, some causes of heart pain angina and its associated symptoms, which you have, may occur in other scenarios such as use of stimulant medications or substances such as cocaine or methamphetamine. Certain types of high cholesterol are inheritable and severe, and can cause advanced coronary artery disease even in young adulthood, resulting in symptoms like yours. Coronary artery disease can also occur in early adulthood with certain congenital present at birth types of abnormalities in the structure of a coronary artery called an anomalous coronary artery with conditions that inflame coronary arteries such as Takayasu arteritisalthough this is more common in young women, Kawasaki disease although this is usually associated with fever and other related symptoms of widespread inflammation, lupus systemic lupus erythematosus, and some others. Coronary artery disease can also be caused by chronic hepatitis c infection which can be acquired by intranasal cocaine use, illicit drug use by injection, and unprotected sexual contact. Why coronary artery disease occurs in hepatitis c patients is not completely clear at this time. The bottom line Serious heart disease CAN OCCUR in young, seemingly healthy adults for no anticipated reason, and, if missed, can lead to a heart attack including a fatal one. Because there are many reasons though not necessarily common ones that a young adult can have diseased arteries of the heart just as an older adult can, a 26 year old person with symptoms like yours should see a cardiologist as soon as possible. If heart disease is ruled out, THEN see a gastroenterologist about an evaluation for GERD or other conditions of the GI system that can cause similar symptoms. Any young adult with these symptoms would be prudent to go first to an emergency department RIGHT AWAY to make sure that heshe does not have a cardiac condition that is about to cause a major health problem in the very near future. From there, a referralor a same day consultationcan be arranged by the emergency department physician as needed. IN SHORT 1. The symptoms described sound MORE suspicious for a possible SERIOUS HEART PROBLEM than GERD. 2. Go to the nearest emergency room as soon as possible by AMBULANCE NOW if actively experiencing symptoms to be evaluated for such a problem, and to be sure that you are not on the verge of having a serious health event. 3. AVOID prilosec omeprazole and other proton pump inhibitor medications PPIs for now, since these medications can affect how well certain crucial cardiac medications if needed are absorbed into the bloodstream. Best Regards, Brock Drapkin, M.D. Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine READ MORE
I've been having trouble with my fingers?
Thank you for allowing me to address your concern. Based on what you have described, it appears that you are likely having abnormal functioning of the nerve that provides sensation in your index finger, known as the median nerve. The most common cause of this symptom is median neuropathy, which is a type of improper function of the median nerve which travels down the forearm, through an opening in the bones of the wrist known as the carpal tunnel, and then passes into the hand as it exits the carpal tunnel of the wrist. Within the hand, it divides into branches that involve the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and the side of the ring finger facing the middle finger beside it. One common cause of this median neuropathy, which can affect the index finger, is carpal tunnel syndromesqueezing of the median nerve within an abnormally narrow carpal tunnel in the wrist. Squeezing of the median nerve can occur from narrowing of the carpal tunnelsuch as from swelling of the wall of the carpal tunnelor from abnormal fluid accumulation within the carpal tunnel. Squeezing of the median nerve within the tunnel of the wrist can cause abnormal sensations or numbness in the fingers containing branches of the median nerveincluding the index finger. Thus, your abnormal numbness and odd sensations of the index finger MAY be caused by carpal tunnel syndromeperhaps the most common cause of your type of problem. How does one get carpal tunnel syndrome? There are a number of ways, some of which included repetitive e.g. up and down movements of the hand that bend the wrist back and forth repeatedly, such as typing playing certain musical instruments such as keyboard instruments or string instruments manual labor such as carpentry hammering or construction work jackhammer operation operating a vibratory massagerparticularly when applying the massager TO the wrist or hand FOR carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms doing this can cause irreversible damage to the nerve branches in the hand and fingers.Carpal tunnel syndrome can also occur BECAUSE OF PREGNANCY usually in the 3rd trimester, but it also may occur in the first or second. Women of childbearing capacity who have been sexually active should consider this possibility seriously and be tested for pregnancy as appropriate, based on their medical and social history. Medical conditions that may cause carpal tunnel syndrome include obesity, hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus, among others. Carpal tunnel syndrome is NOT the only cause of median nerve injury and its sensory distortions in fingers. Autoimmune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and GuillainBarre syndrome, can attack the median nerve and cause the same symptoms but usually within a much wider array of sensory symptoms of the arms, legs and torso as well. Dietary deficiency can also cause the symptoms of median neuropathy, such as deficiency of the B vitaminswhich also cause neuropathy symptoms of many other peripheral nervous system components. Certain medications can also cause peripheral neuropathy of which median neuropathy is one example, such as metronidazole rare, often reversible, oral or IV fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin, among others not rare, may be permanent, and certain chemotherapeutic drugs. Diabetes mellitus, herpes zoster, and numerous other medical diseases can cause peripheral neuropathy as well. All of the above do NOT constitute an allinclusive list of peripheral neuropathy causes. Important Peripheral neuropathy often includes weakness as well as sensory abnormalities in the affected areas. If weakness occurs, medical help should be sought IMMEDIATELY because the weakness, particularly if it progresses andor is sustained, can lead to permanent loss of function of the involved body parts. Finally, other areas of the nervous system can cause sensory disturbances and or weakness in one or more body locations injury or inflammation of the nerve branches that leave the spinal cord called nerve roots, such as in a back strain or injury trauma or illness of the spinal cord itself, such as in a back injury or tumor in a region near or of the spinal cord and infection or injury to BRAIN tissue, such as in a STROKE. In general, any area of new sensation changes in an important region of the body, any sensation change that spreads or worsens, and any new weakness should prompt an immediate visit to an e.d. to be evaluated for conditions that can be reversed or stopped, so as not to risk permanent loss of normal sensation or use. In a case of the nature of the scenario described in the present question, an expedient visit to a hand orthopedist and a neurologist or to the e.d. if the latter cannot be immediately obtained would be appropriate. Further questions or concerns are welcome. I hope this helps. Best regards, Dr. Brock Drapkin, M.D. Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Mediine READ MORE
Is lupus cancer or not?
Whether or not lupus is a cancer is a very reasonable and interesting question, as their outward manifestations can sometimes bear similarities. The answer? No; lupus formally known as systemic lupus erythematosus is not a type of cancer. Lupus is a type of autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a medical condition in which an individual's body's defense system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissue and organs as if they were foreign, dangerous material such as actual cancer or infection-causing bacteria. However, in the case of autoimmune disease, the body's "friendly fire" against its own tissue and organs--while attempting to combat disease--actually causes a disease by damaging healthy tissue and organs. Different autoimmune diseases attack different types of body material. For example, a in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body's immune defense system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own thyroid gland, causing a disease known as hypothyroidism low thyroid; and b in lupus, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks other crucial, healthy tissue as if it were foreign, causing a variety of possible diseases ranging from arthritis of the joints lupus arthritis to damage of the sac that contains the heart lupus pericarditis--which can be extremely dangerous. Cancer is something completely different. Cancer is not primarily rooted in a disorder of the body's immune system. Cancer is rooted in a disorder of the body's genetic material genes. Genes are the material inside the body's individual cells that dictate what materials a cell is made of, how those materials are arranged and connected, and what functions the cell, as a whole, performs to help maintain the life and health of the body itself. The genes are, in essence, a set of molecules biological particles that direct the make-up, organization and activities of an individual cell. In cancer, one or more gene molecules within a cell are damaged changed in such a way that the damaged genes provide incorrect instructions on the cell's composition, organization and activity. These bad gene instructions can cause the cell to die, malfunction, or reproduce uncontrollably; or a combination of all of these destructive behaviors. This, in turn, can lead to an army of bad cells that destroy and replace healthy tissue and organs with diseased ones; the resulting tissue made up of these bad cells is cancer. Cancer, as we know, can lead to serious disease and death, or, in some cases, to nonfatal disease that can be controlled or cured by anticancer drugs and/or radiation. Thus, autoimmune diseases such as lupus, and damaged-gene diseases such as cancer, have different underlying processes. Nevertheless, either type of condition can cause malfunction, damage, and death of healthy tissue and organs, and depending on circumstances, may either be controllable or curable, or may degrade or shorten life. Because the outward behaviors of cancer and autoimmune disease including lupus may bear similarities, it is understandable that, at first glance, it can be confusing as to whether lupus is a cancer or not. I hope this helps. READ MORE
Difficulty swallowing
P.S. With your history of angina, if any procedures are contemplated to evaluate or treat your throat pain and swallowing difficulty, you will need cardiology clearance beforehand. Keeping this in mind, it would be prudent, if you do not already have one, to affiliate with a cardiologist to follow you periodically and be sure you r condition is stable and optimized for any contemplated procedure in the near or immediate future. Again, Best Wishes, Brock Drapkin, M.D. READ MORE
Areas of expertise and specialization
Faculty Titles & Positions
- Virtual Primary and Urgent Care Physician Amwell Medical Group 2023 - Present
Awards
- Top Doc 2025 The Best in New York Magazine
Professional Memberships
- American Board of Internal Medicine
- American College of Physicians
- American College of Healthcare Executives
- American Medical Informatics Association
Areas of research
See below.
Dr. Brock Drapkin, MD's Practice location
Dr. Brock Drapkin, MD's reviews
Write ReviewMedia Releases
Pioneering the Future of Telemedicine with Comprehensive, Personalized Care
Boston, Massachusetts – Amwell Medical Group proudly announces the exceptional contributions of Brock Drapkin, MD, a board-certified general internist specializing in adult medical care, who has been making significant strides as a Virtual Primary and Urgent Care Physician since 2023. Dr. Drapkin's commitment to patient-centered care, coupled with his extensive expertise in managing both common and rare diseases, sets him apart in the ever-evolving landscape of telemedicine.
Dr. Drapkin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role, acting not only as a primary care physician but also as a consultant for other healthcare providers. His holistic approach incorporates disease prevention and mental health considerations, ensuring comprehensive care for his patients. By fostering long-term relationships, Dr. Drapkin emphasizes the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration, seamlessly integrating with surgeons and mental health professionals to deliver superior patient outcomes.
"Establishing trust and rapport with my patients is paramount," said Dr. Drapkin. "I strive to create an environment where patients feel safe expressing their concerns, and I am always prepared to refer them to specialists or the hospital when necessary. My goal is to address health issues proactively, ensuring that my patients receive the best possible care at every stage."
In his capacity as a hospital internist, Dr. Drapkin has honed his skills in recognizing and managing medical emergencies. His proficiency extends beyond the hospital setting, allowing him to adeptly handle both acute and chronic medical conditions through virtual consultations. His extensive experience as a hospitalist equips him to manage complex cases effectively, ensuring that patients with multiple active conditions receive the comprehensive care they deserve.
Dr. Drapkin's patient-centered philosophy is evident in his daily practice. He regularly treats a range of common medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, congestive heart failure, asthma, and more. Additionally, he is skilled at diagnosing unusual causes of everyday symptoms, ensuring that no health concern goes unaddressed. His commitment to thorough and compassionate care has garnered him an impressive patient satisfaction rating of 4.8 to 5.0 stars.
A graduate of Columbia University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences, Magna Cum Laude, Dr. Drapkin received his Medical Degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1988. He completed a traditional residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and subsequently became a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. His dedication to continuous education is reflected in his career-long active participation in the Maintenance of Certification program of the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Drapkin’s approach to medicine is deeply rooted in empathy and a desire to enhance the quality of life for his patients. He believes that understanding the nuances of each patient’s condition is crucial for effective treatment. "I am committed to lifelong learning," he stated. "Every patient interaction provides an opportunity to grow and refine my skills, ensuring that I can offer the best possible care."
In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Drapkin is passionate about medical computer programming. He designs and develops custom software to optimize his patient care workflow, allowing him to dedicate more time to his patients and improve the efficiency of his practice. This unique blend of clinical expertise and technological innovation positions him as a forward-thinking physician in the realm of virtual healthcare.
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