Please share with us where you attended medical school and tell us about why it made the top of your list: I attended the Medical College of Georgia. MCG is the only public medical school in Georgia and offers an innovative curriculum and diverse clinical experience all at a relatively affordable cost. As one of the oldest medical schools, MCG also has an expansive alumni network and consistently matches well across the country.
Please share with us where you completed residency and how/why you ended up choosing that location: I did my residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital – Columbia and Cornell. NYP is a high-volume academic center that I knew would push me clinically and enable me to manage a wide breadth of pathology. Getting to live in NYC and take part in a world class cultural scene was a major bonus.
Tell us more about how you came to choose the field of medicine? Medicine is a lifelong career that encompasses a thirst for critical thinking and a commitment to continued learning with an innate desire to help people in need.
What about becoming a physician was attractive? Embodying some of the best attributes of humanity- knowledge, leadership, integrity, stewardship- to be a pillar in one’s community. I’m also the first physician in my family which my parents are very proud to mention.
How did you choose Emergency Medicine as your specialty? I like the variety of pathology and the team-oriented nature of the field. Not knowing what is coming through the door keeps me on my toes. Emergency physicians are generally amiable and like to make the most of their time off.
What do you enjoy most about your day-to-day practice? Each new case is like solving a puzzle, some being more complex than others. Getting the occasional procedure is also gratifying. Acutely recognizing and acting on a critical patient gets the adrenaline pumping, but even more rewarding is being able to guide someone through what may be one of the worst days of their lives.
What led you to practice with MEMA? How long have you been with MEMA? MEMA is not only a stable but growing group with plenty of support from leadership on down. Coming out of residency joining a democratic group was also appealing along with returning to the South. I’m brand new to MEMA, just starting in August 2023.
Has there been one patient, staff member, or caregiver story that has stuck with you? I recently had a relatively young patient with acute chest pain with a clinical presentation and EKG that was highly concerning for a heart attack. It took some convincing to get cardiology to take for an emergency heart catheterization given the patient’s age. Thankfully they did and stented the significant occlusion found. Patients don’t always follow the textbook!
What are some of the biggest challenges of your practice, for a clinician practicing in the emergency department? Burnout definitely increased during the covid pandemic. A lot of the burden felt skewed towards emergency physicians. With the widening gaps in healthcare, more people are continuing to use the ED in lieu of routine primary care. Further, patients are presenting to us a lot sicker in the setting of their poorly managed comorbidities.
Are you a member of any associations, societies, or organizations? I am a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).
Who/what did you want to be as a child? A doctor. Boring, I know.
What about Charlotte excites you? It’s kind of similar to Atlanta. I’m still exploring NODA and SouthEnd. Running the Little Sugar Creek Greenway will be much nicer with the weather cooling down.
Do you have any hobbies, interests, or secret powers that are unique to you?I enjoy Atlanta sports, traveling, jogging, weight training, 90s/early 2000s hip-hop, and EDM shows.