An inside interview with LocateADoc.com
Describe the most rewarding experience that you have had working with a patient?
One of my most rewarding experiences was with a 5-yr old boy who got run over by a bush-hog, which is some sort of field mower. The boy was playing hide and seek with another child and hid in the grass when the bush-hog ran over him. His arm was amputated and the blade hit him across the face, completely cutting off part of his face and brain.
By all medical estimates, he should have died. But he didn't know that; after seven surgeries and 3 months in the ICU he was recovering. He could walk and talk and read and even stick his tongue out at me (one of his favorite things to do to me).
Everyone thought that if he lived, he would not have the brain function to live normally. But he did recover and he is doing well. He won't let his hair grow out so he can show all the kids at school his "cool scars".
This is my most important lesson in life... that miracles happen every day. I have a picture of him on my desk at work with the saying on the frame "there are a thousand small miracles every day..." I am blessed to have been part of that one.
What makes your specialties the right fields of medicine for you?
Being a specialist in plastic surgery is definitely the right place for me. Since I was in grade school, I've had a strong inclination for science and medicine is a great place for me to explore this. As I've gotten older, I've found that science is even more interesting when combined with art. Plastic surgery is the perfect combination of art and science. I love the creative aspect of my field and have not found any other part of medicine that matches it!
Finish this sentence: If I weren't a doctor I would be___.
A chef. I love to cook. I find it a facinating experience to experiment with different flavors and techniques. Working to pair food with wine is of particular interest!
When (your age) did you first realize you wanted to become a surgeon? And did you experience anything in particular to motivate you to achieve this prestigious goal?
I first decided to become a doctor in my 5th grade health class. No one in my family had gone to college and I really had no gauge for what was possible or not. From then on everything I did was in preparation for being a doctor.
I decided to be a surgeon while I was a pre-med major and was working full time at the local emergency room as a nurse technician. One night I came onto my shift to find this young woman sobbing. She had been in a horrific accident and had broken her arm and slashed her face. She was scared and confused, not only because of the accident but because she only spoke Spanish and couldn't understand the hospital staff.
Before I even realized it, I was talking to her and calming her down in the Spanish I learned growing up in South Florida. I was quickly assigned to stay with her as her translator.
When the plastic surgeon arrived, he thought I was a nurse. After admiting I was just a tech, he still insisted that I assist him. Her face was nearly unrecognizable when he started. When he was done, the whole thing looked like he just drew a tiny line on her face. All the muscles that were cut open were now fixed. And then she smiled... something she couldn't do when she came in. It was an amazing thing to see.
It was then I decided to be a surgeon. I wanted to make that kind of difference in someone's life.
Can you tell us in your own words what you consider a perfect outcome of a surgical procedure?
I work very hard to not create my own picture of a perfect outcome. This may sound odd, but I believe that it's my job to uncover each individual patients' picture of a perfect outcome. By doing this I can work to create their picture instead of mine. So in the end, I guess I consider the look of satisfaction and gratitude I see in a patients eyes to be a perfect outcome... and there is no better feeling than when I see it!
What is your favorite procedure to perform and why?
I am fortunate that I have been able to limit my practice to the procedures I truly enjoy. Of these my most favorite is breast augmentation! I enjoy this procedure because it is incredibly artful process (if you let it be) and the results are fairly immediate for the patients. It is a relatively easy recovery and complications are very rare which makes the process fairly pleasant for patients.
Sign In
