Urology is a great blend of surgery and medicine and a specialty that provides an amazing work-life balance. It also brings profound satisfaction from the excellent outcomes with most cases. It is a wonderful opportunity to help people with embarrassing conditions and a chance to provide life-saving and life-extending treatments. Being passionate about making a difference in the lives of people, I found urology the perfect specialty for me.
Becoming a urologist
I was born and grew up in Yorktown, Va., and went to Virginia Tech for my Bachelor of Science in Biology. I went to the Nova Southeastern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine for my medical education. While a lot of factors were involved in choosing to become a doctor, my dad was a big influence. He was an ophthalmologist who spoke fondly about the joy of caring for patients — both in his office and in the operating room. My dad made medicine such a noble career that I was inspired to follow in his footsteps.
But it was when I was a third year medical student that I chose to become a urologist. My general surgery rotations allowed me to interact closely with many urologists. During those sessions I spent with them, I saw the enthusiasm the urologists brought to their work and it inspired me. They really appreciated their work and their passion and commitment translated into great care and excellent outcomes for their patients. They instilled that love for urology in me — a love that has continued to flourish ever since.
I completed my general surgery and urology residency at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. During those years in Philadelphia I also received urology oncology training at the Fox Chase Cancer Center — one of the nation’s top centers in cancer care. My urology training included working with the country’s leading doctors in penile implant surgery, enabling me to be solidly grounded in knowledge, skill and experience in penile prosthesis. Likewise, I took extra-curricular courses in mid-urethral sling insertion for stress incontinence in women, urologic prosthetics, GreenLight laser therapy and InterStim sacral neuromodulation for BPH.
What do we do as urologists?
We are specialists in treating medical problems of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system. The problems are found in organs such as kidneys, uterus, urethra, urinary bladder and male reproductive organs. When necessary, we perform surgeries to remove kidney stones, genital abnormalities present at birth, urinary tract obstructions, and other issues causing problems for patients. We diagnose and treat enlarged prostate, erectile dysfunction, urinary problems, urologic cancers, overactive bladder, urethritis, prostatitis and interstitial cystitis, among other conditions. We see patients of all ages, from babies and children to seniors.
Urology is a specialized field with a lot of things that I like. We do many procedures to improve the quality of life of our patients. For instance, we do prostate procedures to help patients pass urine, treat erectile dysfunction which is quite embarrassing to those who struggle with it, treat kidney stones that can cause agonizing pain, and tackle life-threatening conditions such as prostate cancer and kidney cancer. I practice every aspect of general urology but I have a special interest in erectile dysfunction, kidney stones, urinary problems, enlarged prostate, prosthetics and men’s health, spending the better part of each day doing exams on the male genitalia and performing a lot of surgeries on balls and penises.
Job Satisfaction
As a urologist, I always feel that I’m in a unique position. I am able to have a lasting relationship with my patients, which is something I find really gratifying. And after almost every successful diagnosis and treatment, my patients improve quickly and are able to enjoy life again — something that fills me with joy and satisfaction.
During our work, the most difficult part is usually for patients struggling with embarrassing and awkward conditions to walk in, sit down and discuss sensitive issues openly and honestly. With every encounter I try to provide a caring and compassionate environment that allows for frank and open conversations. The goal for me is to craft a personalized treatment plan that suits the goals and lifestyle of each patient. A plan may be as simple as changing medications or as complex as conducting surgery with sophisticated equipment.
Why St Pete Urology
St Pete Urology is a wonderful place with great professionals and state-of-the-art equipment. Working here always fills me with pride because of the excellent outcomes we achieve for our patients and the unwavering commitment to improving the standards of care through innovative and advanced techniques. It’s always buzzing with people sharing jokes and smiling, and that positive attitude is contagious. It also helps because we have to perform tests and procedures in an uncomfortable area of the body and there are often times we have to deliver news about diagnoses that patients may not want to hear. It has been an amazing time being here and I have only good things to say about urology — I would choose urology if I had to do so again.
For more information on our urologists and range of services, visit the “St Pete Urology” site.
