Undergrad Institution; Degree and Major:
BS in Zoology and Psychology at Duke University (1981-1985) – Durham, NC
Medical School:
University of California (1986-1993) - San Diego, CA
Where and for how many years did you train AFTER medical school?
I was a medical student in the MD/PhD program at the University of California in San Diego from 1986-1993, where I focused on Neuroscience. I then moved to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where I did my residency in Neurology from 1993-1997. After several years on the faculty at Hopkins, I moved to Emory University in Atlanta in 2009.
In practice since:
1993
Your Specialty:
Neurology and Human Genetics
How did you choose your specialty?
I was always fascinated with how the brain controls behavior. For many years, I thought that I would go into psychology or psychiatry. But my early clinical rotations as a medical student pointed me in the direction of neurology, where the relationships between brain and behavior were more precisely understood. I later got interested in how single genes can control sometimes very complex patterns of behavior. For me, the ideal specialty might fall somewhere between psychiatry and neurology.
What do you like MOST, and like LEAST, about your specialty?
Most: The most interesting aspect of Neurology is starting with a patient’s symptoms and trying to sort out what part of the nervous system is affected, and why. The most rewarding aspect is then trying to sort out where in this process we can intervene to improve the situation.
Least: My least favorite part is the tendency for Neurologists to document problems in an almost encyclopedic fashion, in a way that loses sight of the main problem.
In your opinion, what attributes are important in anyone choosing this specialty?
The most important attribute for anyone choosing any specialty is a true fascination with the topic and the patients who are affected.
Hobbies/special interests:
- Martial arts
- Hiking and other outdoor activities
- Landscape gardening