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Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

My inspiration to pursue medicine was primarily thanks to my hometown physician in rural Idaho, a womb-to-tomb type of Doc who did broad-scope medicine. He was a general surgeon, so he really inspired me from the beginning by showing me the vast array of possible avenues I could pursue within medicine. Then, it was a long path for me during medical school to find Mohs surgery. I had a few mentors, in particular during medical school, who showed me where my biggest career interests lie: surgical treatment of skin cancers.

Briefly describe a "peak experience" from your career: interaction with a mentor, memorable patient, etc.

A peak experience of my career thus far has been the opportunity to treat patients in rural Colorado who travel very long distances and have unattended skin health concerns, be it with cancers or other skin problems, and being able to provide a service for them that otherwise is not easily available for them. We are doing that in Pueblo with Mohs surgery, but also reaching out to La Junta very soon in order to continue to help those patients that I'm really passionate about helping in the rural areas such as the rural farmers and agricultural workers in southern and southeast Colorado.

What led you to become involved in El Paso County Medical Society?

It was through a mentor, Dr. Vinh Chung, who recommended that it was a good group of people passionate about taking care of the health of this community. I was able to connect with EPCMS early on when I moved here to Colorado, and I want to make sure that I'm part of furthering that mission and being part of local healthcare groups that are inspired to make a difference for patients.

What advice would you give to physicians-in-training who are just starting their careers?

There is a long path toward becoming a physician. I would echo some of the sentiments passed along to me; it is worth it in the
end, and there is the "other side" of training. Training is impressively tricky and rigorous, but the other side of training is lovely- when you finally get to put your hard work into practice to help patients, it all pays off. Also, cherish the moments and take advantage of your time at each step along the way. It's easy to always look forward to the finish line and feel you want to fast forward to being done with training. I would remind trainees, though, that there's a lot of beauty and innumerable lessons learned through training that you won't have the opportunity to experience once you're all done and the responsibilities shift. Despite how hard that can sound, taking advantage of your time in training is very important.

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

Outside of medicine, I spend almost all my time with my family—my wife and four kids. We enjoy anything outside that we can; hiking, biking, and camping are our favorites, and we’re getting ready for winter sports this season. We love to spend time outdoors in Colorado.