Founder and Chief Clinical Officer of PaladinMDs.com
Diplomate, American Boards of Surgery and Thoracic Surgery
My journey in medicine began in eighth grade when I read “The Living Heart” by Drs. Michael Debakey and Antonio Gotto and I subsequently gave an oral presentation to my science class on Mitral Stenosis. It was at that time, during middle school, that it became clear to me that nothing would stop me from realizing my dream of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon. My dad always used to tell me that I should shoot for the stars, and if I fell short, at least I knew that I tried and did not let the fear of failure hamper my ability achieve any of my dreams.
After high school, I attended Georgetown University for both college and medical school. I then interviewed at many surgical training programs and ultimately ranked the USC general surgery residency program as my first choice, and after being accepted, spent five very difficult and rewarding years of my life under the tutelage of the world’s authority on Esophageal Surgery, Dr. Tom Demeester. During my residency, I published papers in surgical journals and wrote a textbook chapter with Dr. Robert Beart on the Cardiopulmonary Effects of Laparoscopy. After my general surgery training was completed, I was given an academic appointment as a “Clinical Instructor of Surgery” in the division of Hepatobiliary Surgery at the USC School of Medicine. I had the opportunity to operate with the residents and teach the medical students in the year prior to starting my two year cardiothoracic residency at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital. I was lucky enough to be able to do over ten heart transplants during my training. After completing my training, I moved to the eastern Kentucky to start my private practice. Shortly thereafter, I was recruited to start a new cardiothoracic surgery program at a hospital in Northern California and was the youngest chief of cardiothoracic surgery in the state of California. I did the first bloodless coronary artery bypass in a Jehovah’s Witness in a three county area.
Prior to my arrival, this most challenging group of patients had to travel a considerable distance from their home to receive life saving surgery. In addition, I have performed over 1000 coronary artery bypass procedures in my career and was recognized as having the lowest mortality of any hospital in California by CMS in 2002. After several years, I moved back to my home in Los Angeles. In early 2005, I started a lipid clinic called The Center for Cholesterol Management. I became a recognized international authority on lipid disorders and cholesterol management. I wrote a book on Lipoprotein Disorders with two well known academicians and lectured nationally. I still serve on the editorial board of the only peer-reviewed lipid journal called The Journal of Clinical Lipidology. In late 2005, I founded a vein center called The Elite Laser Vein Center. I was recognized for excellence in the minimally invasive treatment of venous disease by my peers. I published several papers and did a two year IRB approved clinical trial attempting to understand the prevalence of the MTHFR gene polymorphism in venous disease with or without venous thrombosis. In addition, I continued to have a busy non-cardiac thoracic surgery practice.
Sadly, I suffered an injury that abruptly ended my career as a practicing cardiothoracic and general surgeon. After multiple surgeries and a long rehabilitation, the realization that my childhood dream of being a cardiothoracic surgeon would come to an end has been devastating to say the least. It has not been easy to digest that I could no longer save lives, cure disease, and end human suffering in the same way I have done over the past 20 years. Being able to physically touch the human heart on a daily basis was an amazing privilege, but I am fortunate that I still can touch the heart in so many different ways.
While I never anticipated my career ending so abruptly, the opportunities for me in the future seem infinite. The training and experience that I have had as a practicing cardiothoracic and general surgeon combined with the knowledge I obtained by earning a Masters in Medical Management from USC Marshall School of Business will allow me to leave an indelible mark on the transformation of healthcare into the future. The ability to advocate for excellent patient care and at the same time understand the business of medicine provides me with the tools needed to be a leader in the healthcare field.