About How To Train Your Doctor
How To Train Your Doctor was created to support individuals and families facing serious illness by improving medical literacy, teaching skills to navigate the medical system, fostering good communication between their loved ones and medical team, and creating a deep understanding of their care plan.
We know how to navigate the medical system from both sides. We are NOT part of your loved ones formal medical team. Rather we provide you with the support, skills, and education to navigate the complexities associated with serious illness. Our goal is to help you live your best life as a caregiver. By creating a robust understanding of your loved one’s illness, teaching you important and relevant skills, and helping you build a comprehensive care plan you will be confidently and efficiently navigating the medical system like a pro.
Our team consists of an experienced physician and nurse practitioner who have extensive experiences caring for people with serious illness such as cancer, heart failure, COPD, dementia, Parkinson’s, etc. We realized that the caregivers and family of loved ones who are seriously ill are often the ones bravely trying to navigate the system with little to no training or support. But now, you’re not alone.
Meet Our Team
Matthew Tyler, MD
Matt is board certified in internal medicine and hospice & palliative medicine.
Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Matt moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where he received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He then moved to Chicago where he completed his internal medicine residency then hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Matt has more than a decade of experience helping people living with a serious illness create personalized medical care plans centered around what matters most to them. He is a passionate educator who firmly believes that knowledge is power!
Matt is the creator and founder of How To Train Your Doctor, an educational platform designed to help patients and caregivers confidently make medical decisions related to a serious illness and/or end of life care. He specializes in creating educational bite-sized videos that cover a variety of topics related to hospice and palliative medicine.
When he is not taking care of patients, Matt is probably playing with his kids, working on his next video, or playing a video game on the Nintendo Switch.
Nicole Odya, APN
Nicole Odya brings valuable experience both as a nurse practitioner and caregiver to a loved one. A first generation American citizen, she spent her childhood primarily in Bloomington, Indiana. Nicole received her degree in Biology from Indiana University and worked in research before embarking on her nursing journey. She has extensive experience with advanced heart failure therapies such as transplant and mechanical circulatory support (LVAD) and palliative care.
Nicole’s experience became personal in 2018, when her 34 year old husband was diagnosed with brain cancer after having a seizure at work. Being thrown into the cancer world, being a caregiver to the love of her life, and becoming a widow in her 30’s was NOT on her bucket list. While Nicole experienced the difficulties of being a caregiver first hand, she also experienced the possibilities, beauty, privilege, and joy that were possible even when diagnosed with something that will absolutely and tragically shorten your life expectancy.
In her free time, Nicole is usually tending to her prized orchid collection or going on adventures with her little bitty goldendoodle Liesel. She enjoys a plethora of hobbies including reading an obscene amount of books, playing video games, working on puzzles, crocheting, scuba diving, and watching horror movies.