Start Year: 2020
College/University: University of Central Florida
Medical School: University of Pennsylvania
Other Graduate School: Master of Business Administration - The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Clinical and Research Interests
My current clinical and research interests are related to aesthetic surgery. Throughout the last year I have focused my efforts on the study of the support ligaments of the nose, columellar reconstruction, and forehead flaps for segmental nasal reconstruction.
What were you looking for in a residency program?
As a medical student applying to residency, I was looking for a program with a strong team-based culture and a wide exposure to the field of plastic surgery. I believe there are few programs that provide fellowship-level exposure to cases ranging from rhinoplasty to autologous breast reconstruction to craniofacial trauma, and everything in between.
What are the strengths of the Duke program?
There any many strengths of our program. First, the relationships between our residents are very strong. It is common for a large group of residents to spend a night out together at dinner, concerts, etc. Beyond building team morale, it also creates an environment for junior residents to have young mentors in their future field. Additionally, our program gives each resident an opportunity to be exposed to leaders within each sub-field of plastic surgery. This is exemplified by the fact that in the last five years of graduates, we have sent our residents to some of the best aesthetic, microsurgical, and hand fellowships in the country.
What advice do you have for incoming interns?
Work hard and be a team player. Although intern year is exceedingly challenging, hard work early in training sets residents on a path for success down the road. I would recommend making the effort to stay late for cases, study anatomy, and understand the nuances of the hospital. Additionally, the intern has a huge role on the team and their impact is felt from the chief down to the consult resident. Team players make great teams and this starts with the intern.
What do you like best about living in Durham and the Triangle?
My favorite thing about living in Durham is the combination of the beautiful outdoors and fun food scene all in an affordable city. In my experience there are few places that are able to marry these three things together and Durham is one of them!
What do you like to do outside of Duke?
Outside of medicine I like to spend time with my wife and my co-residents. I also like to go to Durham Bulls baseball games, smoke meats, and spend time enjoying the North Carolina outdoors.