Why did you choose urology?
I always knew I wanted to do surgery - my interest in urology specifically began with exposure to men’s health, infertility and prosthetic surgery in an elective rotation early in my 3rd year of medical school. As I continued to branch out, I quickly realized that urology was incredibly broad despite being a specialty within medicine. Urology has a great balance between medicine and surgery and the day-to-day variety helps to keep me intellectually stimulated. Urologists also have the opportunity to implement some of the most cutting edge technology within surgery - we perform an incredibly broad range of both life-enhancing and life-saving procedures using all types of equipment, including endoscopic, laparoscopic, robotic and traditional open surgery.
What drew you to the Scott Department of Urology?
The first thing that excited me about Baylor was its unique level of resident learning and surgical autonomy. Even starting in intern year, we have access to our own high-volume, resident-run clinics and resident-driven OR’s at our public county hospital, Ben Taub, and the Michael E. DeBakey VA hospital, which is one of the largest VA hospitals in the nation. All of our hospital sites are incredibly busy tertiary care centers and we see referrals for complex cases (ie. difficult renal masses, IVC thrombuses, Fournier’s gangrene, complex urethral/ureteral recon) with regularity that many urologists may only see once or twice a year.
Working in Houston also brings with it an incredibly rich and diverse patient demographic. In our training, we care for patients spanning all cultures and languages and from all types of socioeconomic backgrounds, helping us to become more conscientious, patient-centered, and ultimately much better physicians. It is also a privilege to work in the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex within the US. It provides us with the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with our colleagues across multiple institutions to drive medicine forward.
What's your favorite thing and/or spot in Houston?
Houston is a foodie’s haven! I would argue that the Houston food scene is the best in the country. The range of cuisine is unparalleled and that stems from the diversity of its population, especially with fusion foods here that you won’t find anywhere else. My personal favorite - Crawfish and Noodles (Vietnamese-Cajun fusion), an absolute must during crawfish season.
What is one new thing you started in residency that you hadn't done before?
Pickleball! It’s such a great way to get outdoors and hang out with people outside of the hospital. Also it’s very doable, even in the notoriously hot summers that we have here in the city.
