David A. Fiellin, MD

David Fiellin, MD, is a primary care physician specializing in addiction medicine at Yale Medicine. He received his medical education at Emory University before arriving at Yale.

Dr. Fiellin believes strongly in providing nonjudgmental and empathetic support for his patients. This is particularly important for Dr. Fiellin’s patients with substance use disorders because he wants them to know that he doesn’t define them by their diagnosis.

One of the most rewarding aspects of treating patients with addictive disorders is seeing how quickly they improve in a short amount of time, says Dr. Fiellin. “There are few things we do in primary care where we see such a rapid evolution and such positive results,” he says. 

After conditions improve, Dr. Fiellin maintains relationships with his patients for years. “I have seen them often for five or ten years and we get to the point where their addictive disorder is no longer an issue and spend most of our time addressing other medical conditions or simply making sure they are up to date on their health maintenance,” he says.

In addition to treating patients with and without addiction, Dr. Fiellin conducts research on treatment of addiction in general medical settings. He is also a professor of medicine (general medicine, emergency medicine, and public health) at the Yale School of Medicine.