Who or what has inspired you while at VCOM?
There have been so many people here at VCOM who have inspired me. One area I think best shows this is the anatomy lab here. From the faculty to my fellow classmates, everyone is always lending a helping hand or being positive. The faculty makes an effort to want us to succeed and always goes above and beyond by holding review sessions at night, anatomy practical review sessions, and always sending positive emails on the morning of anatomy test days. My classmates are always open to reviewing together and just being uplifting while in there, which really makes every day better.

How has the VCOM mission inspired you as a medical student?
The VCOM mission has inspired me as a medical student to help and try to give back to the community here in Southwest Virginia. With Blacksburg and the surrounding area taking me in through my time living here, they have inspired me to help give back to this area, and seeing first-hand how VCOM follows its mission is inspiring to me and aids me in continuing to try and replicate this difference they are making in the area.

Who or what inspired you to study medicine?
The reason I was inspired to study medicine is due to my mom's fight with Lupus. Growing up, I got to see firsthand how much of an impact a disease can have on an individual as well as a family. You begin to lose time being with them and instead spend time together at doctors' appointments, scared of the unknown or what will happen next, but seeing how the physicians would stop and just listen made a difference in these visits. They made her voice feel heard and would explain what was going on and why they would run these tests or try a specific treatment regimen. This not only helped my mom become stronger but also helped ease our fears as a family of not being able to help. Seeing the tremendous impact a physician has not only on a patient but also on the whole family is the reason why I chose to study medicine.

Why did you choose VCOM?
Applying to medical school feels like a whirlwind. Every school always clamors about its facilities and faculty, but not many schools take the time to get to know you. With VCOM, this felt different, and from my first time meeting staff members at VCOM, it felt like they genuinely wanted to get to know who I was. Also, being in Blacksburg for so long has definitely helped. Going to Virginia Tech, you always hear the saying, "This is Home," and it really is. Blacksburg is a special place where you do feel like you are home here, and with how personable VCOM is definitely made choosing to attend VCOM an easy decision.

What do you enjoy most about living in the area around your campus?
Blacksburg, VA, is a beautiful area. There are so many things to do outdoors, and being close to Virginia Tech is also fun. One weekend, you can go tubing on the New River, and the next, you could attend a Virginia Tech football game.

What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to go hiking on the Appalachian Trail. My favorite hike so far has been Tinker Cliffs, which really shows off the beauty of living in Appalachia. I also like to go to the gym and playing sports especially volleyball on the sand courts in the area with my classmates.

Are you interested in a particular practice or specialty once you graduate? What has inspired your interest in this specialty?
Going through medical school has made me realize that I do not know enough about every specialty to know what I wish to go into currently fully. The best piece of advice I was given was to be open-minded and explore every opportunity you get. I do know that I wish to go into a procedural specialty, but that may change, and it makes me excited to go into my clinical rotations to be able to learn more about these different fields and what they have to offer.

The reason I was inspired to study medicine is due to my mom's fight with Lupus. Growing up, I got to see firsthand how much of an impact a disease can have on an individual as well as a family. 

Was there anything or anyone at VCOM that inspired you to become the physician you are today?
Going into VCOM, I knew I wanted to pursue surgery. The anatomy lab for me, working with the anatomy staff, helped solidify the position. My 3rd year of clinical rotations is what sold me on vascular surgery. Working with Dr. Stevenson and Dr. Downing was truly a life-changing experience. This was followed in my 4th year doing an elective prosection study in the anatomy lab, greatly set me up to start residency.

How has the VCOM mission inspired you during residency or in your practice?
VCOM instilled in me the importance of always pursuing and researching ways to improve the quality of patient care.

What is the best advice you can give a medical student to help them in their path towards being a physician?
Learn the knowledge in little chunks. Do not try to cram before an exam for two reasons: in short-term memory, you will likely forget most of the information, which is difficult to do with multiple exams a week. Instead, study every day a few hours a day to really lock in the information and ace the exams.

What are your fondest memories about your time at VCOM?
Some of my fondest memories were the group study sessions, the time doing prosections in the anatomy lab, and being involved in clubs. VCOM is completely different than undergrad because are surrounded by people that are just as driven as you with faculty that are driven to help you succeed.

What career accomplishment are you most proud of?
Currently, I am still training for vascular surgery. I am very proud of my research accomplishments, having over 40 papers/presentations completed. To top that off, I won the Southern Association of Vascular Surgery S. Timothy String Presidential Award in 2024 for my work. One thing VCOM did for me was teach me the importance of helping the students, residents, and fellows under me helping them succeed as individuals have helped me. Through residency and now in fellowship, I have had the opportunity to foster students' and residents' interest in research, being their mentors and helping them on projects that ultimately got presented (to date, a total of 16 presentations). That is probably my most significant accomplishment.

When not working, what activities do you enjoy?
When not on the job, I spend my time with my three beautiful daughters, wife, and two dogs. We love exploring Texas and surrounding areas. I also am a powerlifting/ strongman competitor, so training is also a large part of my off time. Lastly, I really enjoy research and writing.

VCOM instilled in me the importance of always pursuing and researching ways to improve the quality of patient care.