About Me

There was nothing I wanted more when I was a boy than to own an Xbox. We could not afford thesekinds of things, so I salvaged pieces from broken consoles and assembled my own Xbox one summer. Admittedly, it did not resemble an Xbox but it worked. Growing up in a single-parent household, Ilearned to be resourceful early on. After my mother remarried, things got better financially. I did not haveto give up my birthday money to make rent anymore. Still, this time presented different challenges as mystepfather struggled with a drug & alcohol addiction. I learned to keep myself busy, mostly burying mynose in Harry Potter books or fixing old Japanese cars with my uncle. By the time I was in high school, Icould take an engine apart and reassemble it with new internal components. My propensity to understandcomplex machinery piqued my interest in engineering, which I was encouraged to pursue. Yet, fate ledme to take a pathophysiology course in high school that would introduce me to the most complexmachine of all: the human body. My decision to study medicine after high school was a choice that would evolve greatly over time. Afterall, no one in my family had gone to college or pursued a graduate-level education. I had a naturalcuriosity for science & the arts, but it had not exactly translated into a direction quite yet. It was not untilI spent 6-weeks at Duke School of Medicine's Pre-Medical Program that I found my calling. The mentorsI met at Duke had heart. They operated on a source of fuel previously unbeknownst to me purpose. Working alongside them, I experienced the long hours and learned about the brave sacrifices they hadmade along the way. One thing was always clear: there was no other place in the world that they wouldrather be. From this point on, I simply felt lucky. I stopped caring about how many years I would be inschool or how difficult the journey would be. I understood the privilege and responsibility of beingentrusted with a life and found fulfillment in the day-to-day journey. Reflecting on my time in medical school; I thought about how deeply I enjoyed clinical problem-solvinghow I did not want it to change. I loved waking up early to greet my patients and chat with them aboutwhat I had read the night before. I did not mind walking across the hospital to deliver a pair of crutches orbring a bathroom scale from home so my patient could monitor their fluid status after discharge. I alsounderstood the challenges. Inpatient medicine is spontaneous, and spontaneity demands sacrifice. Thelists of demands are endless, and therefore, every internist will have to sacrifice certain aspects ofthemselves for their patient. Yet, when I sacrificed, I experienced more, learned more, was taught more,and developed better judgment. Early in Medical School, I came across an opportunity to participate in a research project that needed afluent Spanish speaker. It was an excellent opportunity to learn how to design & conduct a quality studyfrom scratch. Our aim was to identify patients at high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afterbeing hospitalized with traumatic injuries. I worked with two other students, who would later becomesome of my closest friends. That summer, we took turns covering the inpatient unit 24/7. I learned how tocarry out a protocol, organize and interpret data sets, carry out a quality literature review, and prepare aproper manuscript. I also learned how to have difficult conversations with patients given the nature of ourstudy. Early on, we began to identify patients who suffered from severe PTSD and were able to arrangespecialized care for them. It was so gratifying to see our work directly impact patient care. This exampleillustrates the agenda I bring to your program and how I understand the value of evidence-based research. As an internal medicine resident, I want to further develop my ability to function as a patient-centeredphysician. At the same time, I want to be prepared to represent my patients at the table when decisionsare being made about healthcare resources. Having pursued a dual MD/MBA degree, I valueopportunities to apply that knowledge toward improving hospital management & healthcare deliverysystems. Furthermore, my vision of servant leadership encompasses diverse settings where I can continueto work with underserved communities. Practicing at a teaching institution would also allow me tocontinue the research activities and medical education that I enjoy. Altogether, I seek a program thatvalues the same tenacity I had to build my own Xbox, the curiosity to always find joy in learning, and theheart it takes to give patients our best even on the worst days.

Education & Certifications

Tutoring Subjects