Early Inspiration
My journey into medicine began in Pittsburgh, PA, where I volunteered at a local cancer institute and had the privilege of shadowing Palliative Care¹ expert Dr. Bob Arnold. Those early experiences taught me how science can be applied to relieve human suffering and how empathy can guide discussions around mortality. They also formed the foundation of my commitment to patient education, informed consent, and shared decision-making.²

Medical Training & Awards
I completed medical school in Memphis, TN, in 2005. I then moved to Portland, OR to attend Internal Medicine residency. During residency, I earned first place at the Oregon Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) for a presentation about Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor inhibition in Female Never-Smokers with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. I later presented a winning clinical vignette poster at the ACP National Meeting on the same topic. During my final year, I had the opportunity to study directly under the game-changing physician-scientist Dr. Brian Druker. Under his mentorship, I learned first-hand how cancer can be treated more effectively with fewer side effects through molecularly-targeted therapy.

I subsequently pursued a Hematology-Oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) in Houston, TX. My weekly moonlighting in the 33-bed ICU at MDACC profoundly influenced my approach to end-of-life care, instilling in me the importance of candid conversations about prognosis and quality of life.³,⁴,⁵ In my senior year, I received the Richard Theriault Humanitas Award for Compassion in Patient Care. Through my outreach clinic at LBJ Hospital, I also received the LBJ Service First Hero award for patient advocacy. Before graduating, I published a review article in the Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer titled “Music-Based Interventions in Palliative Cancer Care: A Review of Quantitative Studies and Neurobiological Literature.”

Community Oncology & Personal Growth
After fellowship, I spent over eight years as a community-based medical oncologist, working up to 100 hours per week. While I valued the opportunity to serve patients intensively, those extended hours took a toll on my relationships at home. By listening closely to my patients in their final days⁶—hearing them reflect on the primacy of family over career—I had a moment of clarity about rebalancing my own life.

A New Direction
At the end of 2020, I took a sabbatical to focus on family and personal development. During this period, I read extensively about design thinking in healthcare and innovative uses of technology in cancer care specifically. I then developed a TED-style presentation, “Creative Problem-Solving for the Modern Cancer Care Crisis.” In 2021, I transitioned to part-time clinical work, which has allowed me to maintain my same standards of clinical integrity, yet remain present as a husband and father, and also continue refining my TEDx talk.

Looking Ahead
I believe that we can re-humanize the cancer experience for patients, families, and healthcare providers by leveraging technology in new and profoundly different ways. I hope to share this vision on a TEDx stage soon and will post updates here.

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