I graduated from the UVA College of Arts and Sciences in 2007, completed a year of infectious disease research in 2008, and finally graduated from the UVA School of Medicine in 2012. After nine years in Charlottesville, as much as I loved the community here and valued the education that I received at UVA, I decided that I wanted to gain a broader experience in a different medical system as I applied to residency programs. I completed Internal Medicine residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2015. From 2015 to 2018 I completed clinical fellowships in general ID, HIV, and immunocompromised ID through the combined Harvard affiliated program at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals. After completing my medical training in Boston, I was fortunate enough to be hired as a new member of the clinical faculty on the immunocompromised ID service at UVA in August of 2018.
Why clinical care?
We all have in our minds a definition of what the ideal physician should be. For many in academics, the primary motivation is to generate cutting edge research that helps advance the medical field as a whole. For other physicians in our community, developing lifelong, durable relationships with patients provides the greatest sense of satisfaction. For me, the bedside clinician at a major academic medical center embodies all of the attributes that my ideal physician strives to attain. Every day on the inpatient service reminds me that I never have the right to say that I’ve had a “bad day.” I don’t have necrotizing fasciitis today. I routinely meet patients on the worst day of their lives, and recognizing this fact is the greatest motivation that an acute care provider can have. Relying on a thorough history and exam, clinical reasoning, and a knowledge base that encompasses infectious processes affecting every organ system in the body, I have the opportunity to guide some of the most medically complex patients in the hospital through the course of life-threatening infections. Seeing patients who were recently critically ill convalescing well after discharge is one of the most satisfying experiences that my role affords me.
What brought you to Charlottesville?
There aren’t many primarily clinical jobs available in academic ID. Most training programs today still place much greater emphasis on cultivating stellar researchers rather than developing the next generation of outstanding clinicians. UVA attracted me as a major academic medical center that recognized the importance of having dedicated clinicians on staff. At this tertiary care center I have the opportunity to continue to improve my clinical skills on a daily basis. All this combined with opportunities to learn from seasoned clinicians in our division, a location that is much closer to my family, a very favorable cost of living, fantastic food, plentiful opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and a competitive salary made this position at UVA very attractive. I lived here for nine years before I moved to Boston for training, and moving back to Charlottesville was an easy transition for me.
What excites you about your work?
On a daily basis I have the opportunity to assist in the evaluation and management of some of the most complex, challenging cases in the hospital. Necrotizing Rhizopus infection of the lung. Disseminated Nocardia infection with CNS involvement. Severe Legionella pneumonia in a liver transplant. This job never gets old, and I’m constantly learning.
Proudest/greatest achievement outside the professional realm?
First place in a judo tournament. Threw my opponent for ippon and finished him with a straight arm bar. Almost as satisfying as graduating from med school.
Next life?
Homicide detective. For. Sure.
What are you usually doing in spare time?
I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking a great deal. My tick prevention techniques have thus far been flawless.
How did you meet your partner?
I first met my wife when I was an overnight intern at Massachusetts General. She helped me place a nasogastric tube in a grossly delirious patient. Admittedly, these were not the most romantic circumstances that one could ask for, but I’ll take understanding, listening, and cooperation over the perfect Romeo and Juliet scenario any day.
Favorite vacation/activity spot?
Bar Harbor, Maine. Great hiking, kayaking, wildlife, and food.
Most admired person, and why?
It may sound a bit trite, but I’d still have to say my father. He never pressured me to attend medical school, but he was the first physician in my life to set an example for me as an outstanding clinician. Yes, it’s still annoying to be grilled about neuroanatomy over Thanksgiving dinner, but the pros of having a father in the medical field have definitely outweighed the cons. Okay, maybe I’m embellishing just a little bit. It’s not quite at the level of “grilling.”
Best advice anyone ever gave you?
Regardless of what field you eventually go into, don’t skip your psych lectures. I always attended lecture in medical school, and I suspect that even in transplant clinic I must use some of the lessons I learned during psych lectures at least a few times a week.
What about you would surprise us?
The thought of taking antibiotics makes my stomach churn.
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