Enclothed Cognition

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

Rose Taroyan

San Joaquin General Hospital, French Camp, CA – elk grove, CA

Rose decided that she was going to leave the country to study medicine. She went to St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. She left behind her family and friends to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Rose grew up in a very strict household with set rules; the most difficult part of her decision was telling her dad that she will be moving to a foreign country by herself with no one to take care of her; she was determined and she stood up for what she believed in.  Rose left the country and came back very well rounded person with 2 degrees…MD/MPH. Being the eldest of five,  Rose naturally undertook the role of a caregiver. Her father worked as a long-distance truck driver that required months of absence. Her mother attended community college to learn English to reinstate her teaching credentials. For this reason, she sacrificed many childhood activities to attend to her siblings by cooking, helping with homework, nurturing wounds, and enforcing hygiene care. Rose chose to pursue a career in family medicine because she wanted to provide comprehensive care for patients and their families within the community. For her, family medicine allows an opportunity to provide patient care of all ages and culturally diverse backgrounds. This career path enables her to interact and treat family members, and watch their family grow and expand. To be the sole provider of the whole family gives her joy and satisfaction. She establishes patient rapport by demonstrating empathy, confidence, and respect. Because she see patients from their first presentation, this allows her to provide education, counseling, and continuity of care. As a family physician, she is continuing the foundation of preventing and managing diseases established throughout my experiences and education. Despite continuous adversity in the life of an immigrant, Rose remained strong and motivated against individuals who claimed that her dreams of becoming a doctor were unfeasible and impossible. Ever since she was young, the intricate complexities underlying the human body have fascinated her. Specifically, she wanted to learn the functions of each body part and how the brain controls all the signals traveling to the body. Her interest in the anatomy of human body further intensified when, unfortunately, her grandma was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme. Because her grandma was 72 years old at the time of diagnosis, she and the family struggled with the idea of surgery to remove the tumor. She stood by her grandma’s side during each consultation with various doctors, each time in awe of the intelligence and care doctors exude. This allowed her to appreciate an array of possibilities within the field of medicine, including procedures, research, and treatment. Born under the oppressive rule of the communist regime in Armenia, where the ideal of equality was skewed by greed and corruption, she and her family experienced a life of struggle and injustice. Realizing the seemingly irreversible damage such a tyrannical government could cause for their growing family, her parents made the decision to leave all of our belongings and immigrate to United States. Upon arrival on August 16, 1988 her parents set out to accomplish the American dream without a place to live and without any knowledge of English. She considers myself to be among the most fortunate because she is on the brink of accomplishing what most people in my background could not imagine. In addition,  Rose is a very self driven and ambitious individual. She was determined to pursue her future goals. As a result, she left the country to study medicine all by herself without any hesitation. She sacrificed her freedom and personal relationships to obtain ongoing knowledge in order to accomplish her dreams. Vote for Rose here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

Brooke Walls

Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Indian Shores, FL

Brooke Walls graduated from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine where she excelled both academically and professionally. She has a passion for learning and enjoyed her basic sciences courses, especially anatomy. Brooke's passion for anatomy and teaching was illuminated by her enthusiasm for teaching. After completing her first year of basic science courses, she was offered a coveted position in the anatomy department to teach an accelerated anatomy course and laboratory to physician assistant students. Over the course of the summer, Brooke, along with four other medical students, lead cadaver laboratory sessions and helped students learn through her own passion for anatomy. Anatomy is integral in the osteopathic training and a thorough understanding of structure and function is pivotal in order for osteopathic students to improve patient care and treat patients according to osteopathic principles. Brooke’s creativity in teaching allowed students to easily understand the basics of anatomy and learn effortlessly. For Brooke, this was a huge accomplishment, as she had never taken an anatomy class prior to medical school. In undergraduate she studied international affairs and spanish. While this education contributed greatly to her understanding of the world and her environment, she approached medical school with great trepidation. She placed great priority on her studies, so she could become the best physician possible. She felt the more effort she put into learning now, the more it would pay-off for her future patients in the long-run. Her strong background in anatomy has molded her into an excellent cutaneous surgeon, where it is imperative to know superficial anatomy. The residency program in Florida offers advanced training in skin cancer prevention, detection, and treatment; it has an excellent dermatology surgery teaching and Brooke has a passion and cutaneous oncology and surgery. She is an excellent surgeon and takes much pride in her work. She completed a year of research prior to entering dermatology residency. During her year of research she worked in the cutaneous oncology department at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida where she conducted epidemiology research on melanoma and other rare cutaneous skin cancers such as merkel cell carcinoma and adnexal neoplasms. Her strong research foundation has given her the opportunity to work with some of the experts in the field of melanoma. She has contributed to many research projects and manuscripts that have advanced our understanding of melanoma. As well, because of her outstanding understanding of cutaneous oncology, she has been able to foster relationships and establish a clinical rotation at Moffitt for future dermatology residents. Her passion for skin cancer prevention is also manifested by her willingness to volunteer at many community skin cancer screening in the community. She is also race director of an annual 5k run charity event that benefits the Melanoma Research Foundation. Brooke works tirelessly to help patients, the community, and the residency program. Her goal is to leave the residency better than when she arrived and to provide opportunities for those who follow in her footsteps. Brooke’s mother has been diagnosed with melanoma three times. While this initially fueled her interest in cutaneous oncology, her work at Moffitt Cancer Center ignited her passion for this field. She witnessed many patients with advanced stage disease and felt helpless as she watched so many of them succumb to their disease. Her research at Moffitt Cancer Center, the volunteer efforts that she is involved with, and her desire to prevent melanoma and help contribute to the understanding and treatment of this devastating cancer are the driving forces behind her passion. After graduation Brooke will spend another year as a fellow at Brigham and Woman’s cutaneous oncology fellowship, continuing in her efforts to become a better physician. Brooke made many personal sacrifices to earn her osteopathic degree. She grew up in an economically disadvantaged family. She has worked since she was 11 years old, paid for her undergraduate and graduate education on her own. However, she would not admit to being the one in her family that has made sacrifices, as she feels it is a privilege to be a physician and to have been given this educational opportunity so that she can help improve the lives of her patients. When pressed, she would say that it is her husband, a truly selfless individual that has made the personal sacrifice. Devon Walls, her husband, has put his career on the back burner to support her and her dreams for the past eight years. She contributes her strength and everything she has accomplished to the support of her husband and her family who have believed in her. Vote for Brooke here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

Daniel Thorngren

Internal Medicine-Pediatrics/University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Hospital – Miami, FL

More than anything else, the thing that made Dan’s medical school experience memorable was going to Central America. Between his 3rd and 4th years at the University of Chicago, Dan went to El Salvador for 7 months to volunteer and learn with the organization Doctors for Global Health. During this time he practiced Spanish, lent a helping hand in a primary care clinic, did some personal reflection, and, as he tells it, “ate the best tortillas ever.” Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics is the perfect fit for Dan. The person who nominated Dan had this to say about him:

I’m lucky to call Dan a best friend, but he’s maybe not so lucky because I’m a neurotic mother. Dan has talked me down from multiple ledges pertaining to health scares with my children – including several hours on the phone while he was out of the country talking me through an unusual infection. He was able to explain antibiotics and how they work in a way that no one else could. He was also able to make me laugh and calm my nerves in a way that is authentic to Dan. He is calm, patient, and incredibly effective at explaining the hows and whys of medicine to a layperson like myself. I believe that Dan will encounter lots of patients and parents like me throughout his career in medicine. To think about how many fears he will squash and how many people he will put at ease just by being himself is extremely satisfying to think about. He is incredible at talking with, not at, every type of person. Not to mention, the way Dan is with children is so fun to watch! He interacts with my kids in such a playful and loving way that anyone who witnesses would no doubt want him as their pediatrician. Any parent would be lucky to have someone as earnest and kind as Dan take care of their children.

There are a lot of things Dan wants to do with his career, not the least of which includes lessening health care disparities. He has remarkable empathy for every person he meets and cares about their situation in a way that is unique to him. Seeing the inequalities in healthcare access throughout his travels and during medical school have made him believe more than ever that he belongs in medicine, providing care to those people that society sometimes forgets. Dan sacrificed living for himself and lives in a way that is not self-serving, which is a rarity and makes him a pleasure to be around. He  lives his life in a way to benefit the greater good and never thinks twice about making sacrifices for others. Vote for Daniel here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

Kovid Trivedi

Internal Medicine/Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science – North Chicago, IL

Kovid graduated RGMC from medical college. His most memorable school experience was when he could help translate effectively during his non-work hours from a local dialect to english translation and help save a patient’s life. He is gaining exposure to both civilian medicine and military medicine and feels that he can help touch the lives of millions through primary care. Kovid was forced to leave his beloved family and move to a foreign land  to study medicine.  His parents had to sell household items to make money available for his airfare. Vote for Kovid here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Brandon Faza,BS,MBA, MD

Emergency Medicine, USF/Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL – Tampa, FL

Brandon attended medical school at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. There are many memorable factors to being trained at UM, including exposure to a diverse and international patient population, rare cases, cutting-edge research and treatments, and world class mentors and colleagues. There is one memorable, unique factor that stands out to Brandon; he supplemented his clinical education with an MBA focused in healthcare administration and economics. One particular long-term course made available through UM and the MBA program was entitled “The Idea of the Hospital.” The course was designed to break down professional silos and promote communication through an interdisciplinary, teamwork-based approach to healthcare. This approach is unlike anything medical education has traditionally offered. It integrated professors and students from all different healthcare professions including nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, law, medicine, healthcare administrators, and more. Brandon found it invaluable to learn how practitioners of various healthcare professions are taught to approach problems in widely different ways; this was exposed through classroom discussions. Understanding those differences helped Brandon to recognize how to promote interdisciplinary communication and cooperation within the hospital. It inspired him to always be mindful that the best patient care comes from an interdisciplinary approach. This experience at UM provided him with a framework to support one of his lifetime goals: to help physicians and their fellow healthcare professionals to better reach their potential to function interdependently as a team-based service industry. Brandon feels incredibly lucky and blessed to be training in Emergency Medicine at Tampa General Hospital through the University of South Florida; it is the perfect fit for him. Emergency Medicine (EM) tends to draw people who think quickly on their feet, perform well under pressure, and can balance doing many things at once, all of which describe Brandon. He loves being able to help trauma patients, having the knowledge to handle almost any clinical situation, and helping people through critical moments in their lives. Brandon was also attracted to EM because it will allow him to serve as full-time clinician, yet the shift-based schedule will also allow him time to spend time with additional leadership ventures, family, hobbies, and volunteer opportunities. EM is the perfect medical specialty for both his personality and for supporting his professional goals. Another reason Brandon feels blessed to be a part of his residency program is because of the people he gets to work with. He feels that his attendings and fellow EM residents, the professional staff of TGH, and the healthcare team at the University of South Florida are some of the best colleagues anyone could ask for. His program has a family-like atmosphere, with attending physicians who are deeply committed to teaching and supporting residents in training. He loves being close to USF, and to say he is an avid fan of USF sports would be an understatement. While in college, he started an organization of students dedicated to painting their bodies in USF school colors while attending sporting events (the Beef Studs!). The organization grew from 3 members to over 300 members and has endured to become a big tradition at USF. He also remains an active lifelong member of the Kosove Society, a group of USF alumni dedicated to community service, leadership, and mentoring the next generation of student leaders. Finally, Brandon was originally raised in Tampa and feels fortunate to be in close proximity to family, and knows that here is no specialty, program, or hospital that would make Brandon happier than where he is! Brandon wants to serve others and to lead, and he always says that there’s no better place for him to serve others than in medicine. He believes in people; he believes in empowering them to be healthy and happy, and in serving as a catalyst for the growth and success of others. Medicine is a profession which requires a great deal of responsibility and personal dedication. On a larger scale, it is an industry which is in need of leaders who are trustees of its important core values. Its leaders must be capable of guiding the industry through a rapidly changing environment of technology, advancements, and politics. Brandon has always had a naturally positive, transformational leadership style. He has sought ways to hone his leadership abilities along his path through both formal education and experience, so that he could be prepared to be called upon to someday to make a difference. He also strives to be a philanthropist. He hopes someday to start or to help lead a large non-profit organization like Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health or the Clinton Foundation. He wishes to direct his efforts towards everlasting good for others. These were some of the many reasons Brandon chose to dedicate himself to medicine, but the incident that had the greatest impact on him actually occurred while he was in medical school. It inspired him to redouble his efforts and commitment. He had a patient who was brought into the hospital in cardiac arrest for a very prolonged period of time. Incredibly, his heart was restarted in the trauma bay during resuscitation. Unfortunately, as labs and imaging results trickled in, the medications supporting his patient’s blood pressure were given in maximum amounts but to diminishing effect. It became clear to Brandon that the patient would not survive. Though dripping with sweat from chest compressions and personally upset that nothing more could be done to save this man from dying, he volunteered to break the news to the patient’s wife in the waiting room. This woman had witnessed her husband passing out, called EMS, and started CPR herself. Brandon took careful pains to break the news in a manner that was as gentle and empathetic as it was candid. He guided the patient’s wife to her husband’s bedside for his final breaths, and Brandon prayed with her upon her husband’s passing. But the moment that made this the most memorable was when she said in the midst of her sobbing: “I just wish I could have done more to save him.” Brandon then said to her “truly, I couldn’t have even been able to restart his heart – after so much time had passed since it had stopped – unless you had given him such good CPR for all that time and had gotten him to the hospital as quickly as you did.” The woman stopped sobbing suddenly, and looked almost startled. Her expression changed to appear as though a great burden had been lifted. She responded “thank you, thank you. I cannot tell you what that means to me. I thought I’d surely failed him. I will be forever grateful to you for saying that.” This struck Brandon deeply as a reminder that serving as a physician comes with the privilege to intervene in times of others’ greatest needs. It comes with the responsibility not just to practice good clinical medicine, but to help patients and their loved ones to understand what is happening to them, and to guide them through decisions which could be extremely difficult to make. The power to connect with and positively impact others in this manner is one thing Brandon cherishes about his chosen field. Even when offered non-clinical job opportunities after finishing his MD/MBA program, he couldn’t be swayed from being compelled to participate in Emergency Medicine and serving others in this extraordinarily meaningful way.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Aurora Leon Conde

Icahn School of Medicine – St. Luke’s/Roosevelt – New York, NY

Dr. Aurora Leon Conde graduated from Anahuac University in Mexico City, Mexico. Her medical school experience was made memorable by the extensive involvement of her teachers – both in the classroom and in the hospitals with patients. She was exposed to the whole spectrum of healthcare – from private university hospitals to large community hospitals and also to under-served areas surrounding Mexico City. She also took care of the under-served population in a rural setting for one year as part of the service requirement after graduating medical school. It was this year that solidified her decision to pursue primary care. Internal Medicine provides Dr. Leon Conde a holistic approach to the patient – she can see the patient in their entirety and incorporate their social structure, their personal values and their spirituality into her care plan for the patient. She feels strongly that the physician cannot just treat the disease, they must treat the whole patient and their circumstances. By training at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt, she was able to learn to take care of an extremely diverse patient population both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Dr. Leon Conde feels that this career will allow her to build connections with patients that will allow her to positively affect their lives. She cares deeply for patients and relishes the human interaction that a career in Medicine affords. When she did her internship back in Mexico, she was very drawn to patients who were dying – other doctors would often say “there is nothing more we can do.” She would search out those patients and spend time with them, supporting them and talking about things that mattered to the patient – she realized then that Medicine is all about connecting with the patient and that there is something the physician can always offer, even at the end of life. It was very difficult for Dr. Leon Conde to move from Mexico, away from her family and friends and support structure, so that she could have the highest level of training that currently exists. Vote for Aurora here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Tiago Miguel

New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center – New York, NY

Tiago Miguel graduated from the New York University School of Medicine. As a medical student there, Tiago had the unique opportunity to rotate in neighboring Bellevue Hospital; Tiago did his internal medicine clerkship at Bellevue hospital in his third year of medical school. In Tiago’s personal statement, he described that by the end of his second week of his clerkship, he had been wholeheartedly convinced that the field was a mutually perfect match. One component of internal medicine at Bellevue that complemented his passion for medicine was the autonomy it afforded students and residents to formulate their own preliminary assessments and plans before a unified approach was devised. Tiago described how this freedom to think critically and work independently catalyzed his growth as a clinician and passion for internal medicine by allowing him to see and understand the field through my own thoughts and experiences. Yet despite the amount of autonomy granted, the group mentality was not lost, as he was able to function as a critical member of a cohesive treatment team. Whether by drawing and interpreting an arterial blood gas sample, surveying the literature, or providing his overall clinical impression, Tiago’s suggestions and observations shaped the care his team delivered on multiple occasions. He attributes these small, but fortunate achievements to the independence he was given at Bellevue Hospital. In Tiago’s personal statement, he described that his decision to pursue internal medicine was compelled by his care for one particularly ill 31-year-old woman with a prior diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus. He had the opportunity to care for her from the initial ER transfer for mild dsypnea, until her transfer to the MICU and final diagnosis of invasive Aspergillosis. Her case was an ideal representation of what drew Tiago to internal medicine. He was awed by the disease progression and intensely engaged in the constant evolution of their differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach, all while communicating his empathy and maintaining close contact with the patient countless times a day. A particularly meaningful incident in Tiago's education occurred during his work as an emergency medical technician  due to its emotional burden and impact on his path to medicine. Tiago received an emergency call and, when he was partnered with a rookie paramedic, he knew he would have to lead with great assertion if the team was to give the 24-year-old gunshot victim a real chance at survival. With sirens wailing and the police radio chatter at its peak, Tiago performed the initial patient assessment, delegated necessary tasks to the responding firefighters, communicated the patient’s clinical status to the ER, all while assisting his partner with providing advanced life support. Although their efforts ultimately proved futile, the day’s events helped foster several important personal realizations. First, he recognized a desire to provide long term, definitive, and more enduring medical care that would allow him to diagnose, to treat, and alter the course of disease and injury. Second, he realized a longing for the opportunity to develop significant, lasting therapeutic relationships by explaining disease, quelling fears, or consoling loved ones to ensure that his career would go beyond making the diagnosis or creating a treatment plan. Tiago worked through medical school as an emergency medical technician. In addition to keeping up with the demanding pre-clinical matriculum with ease (demonstrated by his superb performance on Step 1 of the USMLE), and serving as a research fellow with the Hunter College Summer Honors Research Fellowship Program, Tiago continued to serve as an emergency medical technician with graduated levels of responsibility. His commitment to patient care and clinical experience meant that he he went out of his way to manage additional responsibilities in addition to his rigorous medical school responsibilities. Vote for Tiago here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

 

Kanani Titchen

Jefferson/AI duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE – Philadelphia, PA

Kanani is a nontraditional resident in the sense that she had a career (acting) before attending medical school a bit later in life. Since her third year of medical school at Jefferson Medical College, she has developed and grow tremendously. She is also President of  American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)! Medical School was memorable for Kanani because she was able to learn a tremendous amount about herself in terms of the things for which she is truly passionate. Medical school also offered her the knowledge to start to work on different projects. She is currently working to educate medical professionals about the global problem of human trafficking. Kanani is passionate about helping people who cannot advocate for themselves; pediatrics is therefore a natural fit for her. She works tirelessly to help make the world a bit better. As president of the American Medical Women’s Association, she works to help advance the cause of women’s health and women’s health providers. Jefferson/AI duPont Hospital for Children's residency program is a great fit for Kanani because it offers a busy, full-service children’s hospital in an environment that feels like a family. Kanani has been able to work closely with numerous faculty members, on a number of projects, including her ambitious project to educate healthcare providers nationwide about the problem of human trafficking. Kanani wants to make the world a better place and works tirelessly to do so. Her inspiration for committing to a career in medicine was the death of her father. She saw firsthand how his doctors took care of him throughout his life and helped his family through the difficult events surrounding his death. Kanani left a satisfying career in acting to pursue her dream to be a physician. Not only is returning to medical school difficult from the perspective of returning to formal studying, but this decision greatly impacted her husband as well. When many of her colleagues were setting into leadership roles in their respective careers, she was starting all over (at an older age no less while incurring significant debt). Vote for Kanani here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Octaviano (OJ) Espinosa

Naval Medical Center San Diego – San Diego, CA

Dr. OJ Espinosa graduated from medical school in 2008 at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School at the age of 38. Beside having to keep up with his much younger classmates, OJ’s first child was born one week before his first day of school. OJ describes his son Bridger as a wonderful, but very colicky baby! OJ distinctly remembers that Bridger did not sleep through the night until Halloween of his first year. Those first several examinations in medical school were difficult, but OJ persevered. Dr. Espinosa started his residency career as an intern in General Surgery. He quickly realized he was not in the right place. His heart and bedside manner belonged with obstetrics and gynecology. In fact, in looking back, the first surgery he remembers watching was a cesarean section performed by his father, a general physician, in Nicaragua. OJ was only 6 years old. It seems he was truly destined to be an Ob/Gyn. Prior to entering the medical field, Dr. Espinosa was an infantry officer in the Marine Corps. He had aspirations for medicine as a child, but initially opted to pursue a military career. At one point, his father became ill and needed cardiac surgery. While home, the surgeon who took care of his father asked if OJ was interested in observing in the operating room. This experience motivated OJ to change the path of his life. He realized what amazing work could be done as a physician and surgeon. He began making plans to pursue his own medical career thanks to the man who saved his father’s life. Dr. Espinosa was selected for Major (O-4) in the Marine Corps when he decided to pursue his dream and apply to medical school. He had a very promising career in the Marine Corps. Ultimately, he was honorably discharged and went back to school for post baccalaureate studies and earned a Masters Degree in Biomedical Sciences. He was then awarded the Health Professions Scholarship and was REDUCED to the rank of Ensign (O-1) in order to start his career in the Navy. He went on to attend medical school at Rutgers. By then, he had started a family of his own and sacrificed a great deal of time with them to pursue his degree and complete his residency training. Vote for Octaviano here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.

Our H.E.R.O. Award -Honoring Excellent Resident Observations – was launched to highlight the personal sacrifices and educational commitment during a medical resident’s professional adult life.  We realize, considering the fast moving changes in healthcare,  how courageous medical residents are to embark upon a career in medicine with such an uncertain future.  This award is our way of recognizing that courage.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our nominees individually:

Lily Daniali

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery/ Newark, NJ – Montclair, NJ

Dr. Daniali attended University of Washington School of Medicine. This particular school trains the doctors for 5 states (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana & Idaho). Her medical school rotations ranged from learning how to care for critically ill patients in the burn ICU, ORs, and trauma bay of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, to spending 6 months of her outpatient rotations in Sandpoint, Idaho for a rural medicine experience, and to flying in a small commuter plane from Billings, Montana to North Dakota on her neurology rotation with attendings to staff small outreach clinics in North Dakota. Being able to witness and treat a variety of illnesses in a very diverse population made this medical school most memorable for Dr. Daniali. Plastic & reconstructive surgery was the perfect match for Dr. Daniali because it fit her creative personality and let her individualize the treatment plan for each of her patients. Dr. Daniali wanted a field where she could have an enormous impact and chance to return normalcy back to a patient’s life after a devastating injury or after being born with a deforming birth defect. To Dr. Daniali practicing medicine, specifically plastic & reconstructive surgery, is the ultimate fusion of scientific knowledge, artistry, and humanity. It is obvious that everyday when she enters the hospital, she is excited to go see each of her patients and then go to the operating room. The greatest motivation for Dr Daniali to enter medicine was her experience with a serious illness as a child. According to Lily,  she remembered needing her pediatrician more than her own mother when she was sick, and that feeling of profound gratitude and respect toward her doctor made a huge, lasting impression. When Dr. Daniali is finished with her training it will total 7 years post-graduate training after medical school. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. To complete this marathon one needs both internal & external motivation: internally she is driven by the desire to do the very best for her patients; externally each time she helps a wounds heal, see a deformity corrected in the operating room, and open the exam room door to her patient smiling she is reaffirmed that she is on the right track. Dr. Daniali is an extremely humble and caring individual. She feels that while there have been sacrifices, she is incredibly lucky and blessed to have the opportunity to be the person that patients put their trust in when they are the most vulnerable. That responsibility really is an honor to her and it is evident that she puts patient’s needs way ahead of her own. Vote for Lily here. If you know a resident that deserves to be recognized, please nominate your candidate here.