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Who or what inspired you to become a physician?

I was inspired after experiencing some chances to shadow physicians when I was in high school and headed off to college. I grew up in Houston and got to spend some time in the OR with heart surgeons like Michael DeBakey, MD and met Denton Cooley, MD. As an impressionable high school kid back in the 80’s I had the chance to get scrubbed in the OR, holding retractors and see the excitement of life as doctor in the operating room. That experience gave me the idea that I wanted to continue on to medical school as I moved into my undergraduate years.

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

Having been in the military for many years, the bulk of my career, I had a lot of interesting time during my deployments with various challenging encounters as a psychiatrist from those days. I don’t know about a definition of a peak experience, but I have always enjoyed taking care of soldiers and families. Most of my primary jobs in the military were working with kids and families. I was fortunate to put my child psychiatry training to use while serving in the Army. Having the chance to take care of soldiers and families has been a pleasure for me.

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

I have several friends that are part of the EPCMS, retired army folks. For me, being in private practice, I was interested in having the opportunity for further comradery with other physicians. Otherwise, I’m up in my office seeing patients. I do have one other colleague I work with, but staying connected socially and professionally with a wide range of colleagues is a great benefit.

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

I would encourage them to explore the whole array of different medical specialties. The character of the work involved is quite different from one specialty to another. What you might be excited about and interested in as a young single person starting medical school may be different than what things look like as a married professional later in your career. Make sure you have a chance for longevity in your decision for a specialty

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?

I’m busy with a range of different hobbies like hiking, swimming, biking, and running. I sign up for triathlons from time to time to keep me focused with my training. Puttering in the garage with bikes and woodworking tools keeps me busy as well.  My family keeps me occupied with all kinds of endeavors, particularly travelling.

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