Dr. McGregor works at New York Presbyterian Hospital and is an internist and lung specialist. He was born and raised in Washington Heights and continues to live and work there today. He talks about why it's hard for parents to raise kids in New York City.

Q: Most young people these days have basketball players or actors as their role models. Do you have any words of wisdom for parens to get their kids to looks up to a doctor like yourself instead?

A: The most important thing is for parents to stay involved in their children's lives. The older children get, the more their parents need to be involved. Sometimes this is very hard for parents, because depending on their level of education, their child may be learning things that they have no clue about. This is why parents need to start understanding computers; so that they can understand what their children are seeing and doing on the computer.

Growing up in New York City you are able to get onto the train and go anywhere. That's what I did when I was younger. When I think about the amount of freedom I had because of that, I'm lucky that I grew up the way I did. Something as simple as taking the wrong turn here, or going to the wrong person's house, can change your entire future. I know firsthand that you have to watch the company you keep - you have to surround yourself with good people. The fact is, some people watch their kids closely, and others don't, so you have to make sure that your kids are hanging out with the right crowd. Parenting is hard! I tell my patients this all the time - the hardest job in the country is being a parent. I'd rather be the President of the United States or a doctor than a parent, because at least in those jobs I have other people giving me pointers and helping me make decisions, but when you're a parent you don't have that kind of advice.

I can't say enough how important it is for parents to stay involved and make sure that their children see the right role models and are around the right kinds of things and people. It's not something that just happens - it's something that you have to make an effort to make happen. It's hard for parents to show their kids the right way to live when society is showing them something different, but we need to teach them anyway.

Read more from Dr. McGregor by clicking the links below:

• His experiences becoming a doctor
• What older patients are doing to stay healthy
• Getting the most out of doctors visits
• Mixing medicine and faith
• Story about patient lowering her blood pressure
• Getting tested for high blood pressure, diabetes, and HIV
• What he likes best about being a doctor
• Tips to be a better patient

To listen to our interview with Dr. McGregor, click here for our podcast page.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews of Harlem health experts, written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.