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Academic - Technical - Artistic

How did you decide to choose your profession, medical school and your specialty?

At Dartmouth College, I was fortunate to participate in the work-study program and I found a position at the Claflin Jewelry Studio at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Following a year-long apprenticeship, I began working as a junior instructor. I helped students & faculty design and create their own works from semiprecious and precious metals and stones. That’s where I first enjoyed the experience of working to create something of value and function. At Dartmouth, I found myself at the intersection of three roads, all of which I wound up taking: academic, technical, and artistic. I'm not implying that orthopaedic spine surgery is necessarily the end-result of these three broad human disciplines, but it certainly has been for me.

What are your outside interests and/or hobbies?

Since my job is relatively stressful, I enjoy as much quiet time as I can find. I love to read. I'm always reading something. It gets my mind away from my work and it exposes me to facets of life that I might never be able to experience first-hand. I swim as much as I can, although I still can't flip-turn too well.

What other accomplishments do you have outside of your profession?

Every two years I do my best to volunteer with Health Volunteers Overseas or another non-for-profit medical relief organization. We are incredibly fortunate in the United States, despite the challenging economic times we face. Over two billion people on this planet live on less than $2 a day, so I see it not so much as volunteer work, but rather as a personal obligation I owe society to contribute my time and energy to people who have not been given the same opportunities that I have been provided.

I'm currently an Adjunct Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School where I teach residents once a week, both the clinical and operative aspects of spine surgery. Teaching is an immensely fulfilling profession, but it requires a skill set most surgeons aren't necessarily proficient with, including and not limited to patience.

I have a clinical appointment at the Philadelphia Veteran's Affairs Medical Center where I provide spine care for veterans. As a hospital and medical center, we deliver state-of-the-art spine care, including complex surgery, for veterans who served in World War II to Afghanistan. It is both challenging and inspiring to work so closely with veterans and to be entrusted with their care.

What has been the most gratifying aspect of your profession?

I simply enjoy what I do day in and day out. Brielle Orthopedics has the most wonderful staff with whom I’ve had the privilege to work. My colleagues aren't just great surgeons, they're terrific people. If I had an orthopedic problem, I’d find myself in our offices asking the advice of one of our doctors. Ocean Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center have been extremely gracious and welcoming. I just enjoy going to work every day, and that perhaps is the most gratifying aspect of what I do from a very personal perspective.