Rick Brand MD IS

The RokDok

Meet Richard David Brand MD, Rick, The RokDok – a 60’s rocker turned shrink who walks you through his bizarre ride, defying convention, stereotypes, and gravity. At 78, he continues a lifelong battle against corrupt authority, mindless conformity, and abject hypocrisy, attending patients’ real world concerns, not simply their diagnoses, establishing his own vision in a sea of medical confusion, forging powerful relationships and mentoring, as well as treating, those in his care.

Brand walks the walk, defying Big Insurance mandates. rejecting cost centered mangled care; and abandoning a fifty-year membership in the American Psychiatric Association after Big Psych politics went off the rails.

The RokDok Unveiled

Break free from the monotony of mundane rockstar success tales. Get ready to witness a thrilling life story with the plain-spoken RokDok. His memoir vanquishes the ordinary, offering an unfiltered compilation of captivating narratives that explore the humanity, strengths and vulnerabilities of this unusual character.

From evading the clutches of the Vietnam War to life-altering passages through the dimensions of LSD; from playing alongside folk and rock icons, many before they became icons, to his simple and unconventional practices in psychiatry, RokDok radiates the unexpected. What will this guy do next? His transformation odyssey encapsulates a fusion of inspiration, wit, and unwavering authenticity. Once you experience Rick’s world, you won’t see rockstars, psychiatrists, or yourself, the same way again.

The RokDok’s story is a rollercoaster of emotion, wisdom, and real-life guidance that speaks to the best within us. You will never turn pages faster than reading this engaging, one-of-a-kind adventure, unravelling the fabric of life and love as only a true RokDok can.

Buckle Up for a Fast Ride

Are you ready for a fast ride with rock’s most radical psychiatrist? The RokDok’s story is a rollercoaster of emotions, wisdom, and real-life advice that speaks to the heart. You will recognize you own struggles and successes in every chapter. Once you experience Riki's world, you'll never see rockstars, psychiatrists, or yourself the same way again.

And you will never have turned pages faster than you will reading this engaging, one-of-a-kind adventure. Dive into The RokDok’s world and share this unforgettable journey with everyone you love.

About the author

rick 'RokDok' brand md

After narrowly escaping an abortion, Riki came into the world at the same time as the first atomic bomb, but he doesn’t blame that for his birth.

Or vice versa. After that, he didn’t do anything important for a long time, unless you count being left back twice at The Bronx High School of Science, discovering pizza, or having sex.

Riki played 5-String banjo and guitar all day, every day, from age twelve, and joined The Left Banke, an internationally renowned “Baroque Rock" recording and touring band. Rick flipped his life, abandoned the music world, started from scratch, and entered CCNY to find out if he could actually pass anything.

It turned out he could, and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude honors, went to New York Medical College, completed internship at The Metropolitan Hospital in NYC, and trained in psychiatry at New York Hospital/ Cornell Medical College.

He is the only psychiatrist in the US who graduated from a hit rock n roll band, and he was named Best Psychiatrist in Rockland County by Townline Magazine in their final year of production.

This book is an adventure novel which examines character and success through self awareness. Anyone with a soul and funny bone will be glued to every page. No sentient being will fail to see themself in the laugh out loud irony and surprising twists in the fabric that stitched together this ruthlessly unpredictable life. It is fiction writing at its best, only it isn’t fiction.

Rick Brand MD

Feelings Are overrated

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Journey of a 60’s Rockstar transformed into a self- styled psychiatrist

The bald guy, seated at the desk, introduced himself, “Hi. I’m Dr. Brand.”

“Do you play the guitar?” he asked. “Yeah. A little bit.” “What do you like to play?” “I can play some Led Zeppelin songs and I’ve been trying to learn ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ by Jimi Hendrix.” “You must be pretty good if you’re learning to play Hendrix.” “I’m okay, I guess.” “How long have you been playing?” “A couple of years.” “Do you take guitar lessons?” “I did for a while, but not anymore.” “Why not?” In that simple exchange, Dr. Brand got his
foot in the door. I figured that if this guy played the guitar and liked
Zeppelin and Hendrix, he couldn’t be all bad. We talked about music and guitars
that afternoon, my favorite subjects.

- Rory Anson

A lifelong guitar-geek and motorcycle enthusiast, Rory's work has been featured on MSN and in American Motorcyclist, Cycle World, Guitar Connoisseur, and Motorcycle Cruiser magazines.

He is a comfortable combination of everyman, yet someone very different, making his story both familiar and bizarre. While navigating the whirlwind of life, taking risks, challenging the orthodoxy of authority and standing for his values, it is both a wild ride and a well-constructed journey through the mind of an unusually self-confident and focused musician, psychiatrist and observer.