I grew up in Miami, Florida which I consider to be my foundational cross-cultural life experience. Little did I realize how much being raised in such diversity would inform the rest of my life. I always wanted to be a doctor, but the calling to medicine was solidified after almost losing my life in an accident at age 19. In medical school at the University of Miami (The U, Go Canes!), I found Family Medicine challenging and incredibly satisfying with its ongoing relationships and whole person focus.
My career started in international family medicine teaching. There was an exponential learning curve during my first few months overseas. As a physician, I quickly had to learn the various presentations and treatments of infectious diseases I had only previously read about, how to treat premature babies in a NICU with no surfactant or ventilators, and how to deal with the ethical concerns that arise from cultural and societal differences and belief systems.
I grew up in Durham, NC. My father was an electrical engineer, and he and my grandfather were always letting me take things apart and put them back together to figure out how they worked. I’ve always considered myself to be an engineer of sorts, but over time that fascination with the inner workings of things has led to my interest in medicine.
I spent my childhood in Guntersville, Alabama, and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, at the beginning of high school. No one in my family was in the medical field, but medicine was something I always felt called to pursue. In college at Samford, I started volunteering with a hospice company after working in an organic chemistry lab – I realized I was more interested in people than the actual science. I worked in Event Management for one year prior to starting medical school, and I acquired many useful skills during that time.
I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I have always known medicine was my calling, for as long as I can remember I wanted to become a physician. I am a first-generation college graduate and despite many challenges, I am glad I have been blessed to accomplish my goals.
I have a non-profit I co-founded with my friend Kadie called The Unbreakable Fighters. We provide resources, financial assistance, and medical equipment to families of children with unique disabilities. I also volunteer as a Big Sister to two littles through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Alabama program. I am on the board of Mental Health America of Etowah County, and I am a member of the Gadsden Runners Club.