Undergrad Institution; Degree and Major:
University of Maryland, College Park; BS Biochemistry
Medical School:
University of Maryland School of Medicine
In practice since:
2019
Your Specialty:
Otolaryngology; Laryngology (Voice, Airway, Swallowing) subspecialty
Where and for how many years did you train AFTER medical school:
University of Maryland Otolaryngology residency (5 years); Emory University Laryngology fellowship (1 year).How did you choose your specialty?
My wife is a speech-language pathologist and really thought that I would like it- the mix of clinic and surgery/procedures. I did a rotation in medical school and she was right!
What do you like MOST, and like LEAST, about your specialty?
ENT is truly an amazing specialty. I think it is the finest balance between medical and surgical management of conditions. We are responsible for most diseases between the dura and the pleura (sometimes beyond). We do the shortest (minutes) and the longest (many many) hours of surgery. We “deal” with very detailed structures that dramatically impact quality of life (the vocal folds, the cochlea, cranial nerves). The breadth of pathology is wide. I feel I have to know a bit of everything: Medicine, Trauma, Medical and Radiation Oncology, Anesthesiology and airway management, Neurology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology, Sleep Medicine, Pulmonology, Dermatology, the list goes on. We manage quality of life and life threatening conditions. In practice, most of us treat people throughout all ages and can develop very long relationships with people. We have to master both endoscopic and open surgery. I truly have nothing negative to say.
In your opinion, what attributes are important in anyone choosing this specialty?
This is cliché, but “know thyself”. I think medical students focus so much on the procedural nature or “hands” when making the decision on medicine vs. surgery. My opinion is that anyone can be taught how to operate. Certainly, there are inherent skills such as dexterity/hand eye coordination, resilience, and anatomic knowledge; however, I think the qualities of a good surgeon are a bit more existential. You have to come to terms that you are human and perfection is, but rarely, attainable. You have to be OK with knowing that you are going to cause discomfort/harm, have risks of complications, occasional bad outcomes, make quick decisions, and be able to sustain the pressure of someone’s complete trust (and at times their life) in your hands. You have to be able to try your best every procedure. You may think this sounds like a robot, but I feel the best surgeons show compassion towards their patients, and acknowledge and feel the weight and privilege of those responsibilities. Frankly, that is what is often most appreciated, whether the outcome is good (most of the time) or in the rare case it is not.
Hobbies/special interests:
Spending time with my family, travel when possible, crafting good cocktails on occasion, and I really enjoy hitting golf balls (again pursuit of perfecting something impossible).