George Kessler, D.O., AOBFP, P.C.

A practice built on listening

Dr. Kessler often says his greatest professional satisfaction comes from the simplest part of medicine: listening to patients, validating what they're experiencing, and then doing the work to address it. Every visit is virtual, on a secure encrypted medical platform, and there is time to consider the whole patient — history, prior workup, lifestyle, and what they're actually hoping to feel like — without the interruptions of a typical office.

He keeps the practice intentionally small. That way he can be very familiar with each patient, very hands-on, and personally available — a level of continuity that is increasingly rare in medicine.

How he practices

Dr. Kessler integrates conventional, holistic, and functional medicine. He uses pharmacology when it's the right tool, and just as often turns to nutrition, movement, sleep, hormones, targeted supplements, stress work, and the doctor–patient relationship itself. The goal in every visit is the same: understand the whole person and help them find, maintain, and optimize their health.

A teaching story

Dr. Kessler taught a freshman course in information gathering at Weill Cornell. He used to tell the students that the patient always knows what's wrong with them — they just don't have the vocabulary to tell you. Our job is to listen, help guide, and give the patient the vocabulary so a diagnosis can be made. Then go prove your diagnosis right or wrong with the appropriate testing.

Education & training

• Long Island University— Bachelor's degree; recipient of the Most Diversified Student Award.
• Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (A.T. Still University) — Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
• Internship — earned Intern of the Year honors.
• Six-year family medicine residency.
• Board-certified in family medicine since 1981.

Academic & hospital appointments

• Assistant Professor of Family Medicine in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College.
• Consulting Physician, Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC.
• Voluntary Faculty, New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
• Taught Weill Cornell medical students continuously from 1993 to 2020.

Recognition

• Castle Connolly Top Doctors — multiple consecutive years.
• New York Magazine Best Doctors — Find a Doctor.
• Listed in Who's Who in America for many consecutive years.
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Weill Cornell College of Medicine.
• Mentor of the Year, American Osteopathic Association.

Author

With co-author Colleen Kapklein, Dr. Kessler wrote three widely read books for the public:

• The Bone Density Diet: 6 Weeks to a Strong Body and Mind (2000)
• The Bone Density Program: 6 Weeks to Strong Bones and a Healthy Body (2001)
• No More Knee Pain: A Woman's Guide to Natural Prevention and Relief (2004)

He also authored the bone density section of a medical textbook used in physician training.

Why a private, virtual practice

Dr. Kessler runs a private, advocacy-based virtual practice. Visits take place on an encrypted medical platform — an intimate, relaxed setting with no interruptions, where a tremendous amount of information can be gathered in a single, focused conversation. Because the practice is small, he can be deeply familiar with each patient's history and personally available between visits for non-medical follow-ups by email.