Why I chose to pursue a career in healthcare:

It was a triad of interest in science, communication, and, most of all, people. I felt there's a need for people to be connected and, more specifically, connected in terms of their whole selves-physical, mental, and emotional. I saw no better way to cultivate these interests than by entering the medical field. I believe this is what ultimately led me to Family Medicine-it is arguably one of the most challenging fields, and I guess I like being challenged.

What I want my patients to know about me:

I generally enjoy getting to know people in total, and I really feel I learn from my patients-both medically and beyond their conditions. To the extent that I can within professional norms, I like to think of my patients as my friends, so the care I render to them is that which I'd render to a friend.Though human connections are changing in ways I see as more impersonal, I am old-school in that texting, e-mailing and phone contact do not appeal to me as much as face-to-face interaction Also, I try to be open-minded, to appreciate the gray, as opposed to seeing all black or all white, and I enjoy defying stereotypes. I also try to live by three mantras: "Never lose your sense of wonder"; "Carpe diem!" and "Your differences are your power!"

What I do when I'm not seeing patients:

I try to spend my relatively limited free time with family and friends, and I actually like to exercise-it's great for stress, and it works for me. I like to read--a remnant of my English minor in college. My goal is 12 new books per year, mostly post modern and post-postmodern fiction, but I like some nonfiction and re-reading of classics, too. I also like to travel-I'm trying to generate my bucket list, and I've never met a beach I didn't like! If you see someone being whistled in by the lifeguards, it might very well be me!