While in college, I decided to pursue medicine after a family member got sick and I saw firsthand how challenging it can be to go through something like that. I wanted to be able to guide patients through the process, explaining to the best of my abilities what was going on and how we were going to address it. I found my niche in surgery, in particular, because it allowed me to work as part of a team to directly intervene in a hands-on way to care for patients. Being able to see the immediate improvement in patient’s symptoms and their quality of life is incredibly rewarding.
I started my medical education at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia where I obtained my MD as well as a masters in public health through an additional year in the Dornsife school. While my medical training allows me to work one on one with patients, my public health background allows me to retain an understanding of the broader health environment for the community as a whole. I realized during my clinical rotations as a third-year medical student that I loved surgery and continued my training at Brown University in Providence as a general surgery resident. While there, I fell in love with general surgery and surgical education. Being able to teach my fellow residents and medical students about surgery and pass along the technical skills that my mentors had taught me keeps the art of medicine and surgery alive.
After my seven years of residency were complete, I moved to New York City for a one-year fellowship in minimally invasive surgery. As a surgeon, I wanted to be able to have a well-rounded skill set so I would be able to treat my patients in whatever way was best for them, whether that be open, laparoscopically or robotically.
As a surgeon, my goal is to provide excellent patient care, starting from the first clinic visit to the operating room and beyond. I believe it is crucial that patients have a good understanding of exactly what is going on and how we are going to work together to get them feeling better. My areas of focus are abdominal hernias, gallbladder disease, GERD/reflux and hiatal hernias in addition to the broad spectrum of general surgery.
Outside of the office/hospital I can still be found working with my hands, whether its gardening with my sister, baking delicious treats or embroidering a gift for a friend. I am thrilled to be close to my family here in Michigan after being far away during my years of training and excited to build a whole new community here.