Dr. Stephen Fishel is a board-certified family physician and a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and completed a family medicine residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, New York, where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Fishel has a particular medical interest in non-operative orthopedics, dermatology, minor surgical procedures, infectious disease, men’s health issues, and multigenerational family care.

Dr. Fishel always thought that medicine might be his career (though he somehow thought well into high school that he would be a professional baseball player). He didn’t fully and finally fix on medicine until well into his college career at Michigan State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Dr. Fishel’s inspiration was actually his family doctor, Dr. Glenn Kinns, in Glenville, New York. After various specialty rotations during med school and finally a summer family practice rotation, everything clicked for him. Seeing the joy the family physicians got from simply taking care of others really appealed to Dr. Fishel and solidified his decision to pursue family medicine.

What he loves most about his job is being in the room with patients. As Dr. Fishel says, “That is the heart of what we do as family docs.” When caring for his patients, he feels taking his time, listening, and conveying his thought process and medical concepts in a way that is easy for patients to understand is most important. Dr. Fishel finds that figuring out complex problems and helping the patient brings him the most professional satisfaction.

Dr. Fishel is a Capital Region native; he grew up in Burnt Hills. Outside of medicine, he enjoys music, gardening, history, fantasy football, and spending time with family, especially his new grandchildren.