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Tell us about yourself. I was born in Panama — the country, not Florida — and grew up in Louisville, Ky. I studied chemistry at Xavier University and eventually went on to get a master’s degree in business from the University of Notre Dame. Then I decided I wanted to go to medical school, so I applied to CCLCM and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve officially been a loyal Cleveland Browns fan for four years now.
Describe your experience at CCLCM. It’s been wonderful! I might be biased because I met my significant other here, but I think my favorite part of attending CCLCM has been the relationships I’ve had the chance to create and foster. I’ve met some of my best friends here; for instance, my roommate, Sam Harwood, and I have known each other since first year. It’s truly been a great experience in all aspects.
When did you decide your medical specialty? Some of my peers didn’t know what they wanted to specialize in when they started, but I’ve known for ages that I wanted to go into urology. I was once told that they were surgeons with a good sense of humor, and that really stuck with me. I’ve wanted to specialize in urology ever since.
Share a stand-out moment. So many big events happened in this last year that I feel like the overall stand-out moment might be one yet to come….
What drew you to CCLCM? I really love the idea of integrating clinical medicine and research. I want to take care of patients primarily and use new findings to improve future care.
Tell us about your research. My research was on kidney cancer and the functional and oncologic outcomes following renal surgery. I presented my findings at the American Urological Association (AUA), North Central section of the AUA and Ohio Urological Association.
What specifically helped prepare you for your future? During our fourth year we get to do clinicals every week with staff as part of our research year, and I did mine with Dr. Steven Campbell. To me, that’s the part that prepared me most. He has been the best mentor I think anyone could ever ask for. I think that we are very lucky to have people like him as mentors and teachers.
What advice do you wish you had received prior to starting the program? I wish I had been told to take things one step at a time. I feel like I hyper focused on the finish line. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had enjoyed the small things earlier on.
What advice would you give to someone about to start the program? Be open to things. You never know who or what might inspire you!
Tell us about your goals. I want to be the best doctor I can possibly be. As I move forward, my goals are to be a good urologist and a good person, and also to be a good steward of what I’ve been given. The big thing for me is making sure I give back and ensuring that to some capacity I’m giving back to the school and to future students. It feels like my responsibility at this point. Kind of like what Uncle Ben said in “Spiderman”: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
How do you enjoy your free time? I really enjoy spending time with my partner and my dog. Other than that, I really love rock climbing and jujitsu.
Fun fact? My star sign is Leo. My mom will be so happy if that makes it into the final copy.
