Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
I was born and raised in the Washington, DC area; but as many people that visit Texas find out it’s a hard place to get away from. I worked in McAllen, TX for a few years and decided I can take the heat better than the snow in DC. Although I won’t miss the traffic, police sirens, shootings and robberies; the multitude of culture, culinary and educational events in the DC area will be worth visiting.
I had an unusual pathway to becoming a physician. After graduating high school I entered the U.S. Air Force and was trained as an Air Frame mechanic, but because of the ongoing conflicts I received additional training as an EMT. The military allowed me the opportunity to travel to England, Japan and the Middle East. You can get a much better appreciation for culture and people when given the opportunity to spend a few months among them. Upon my discharge I continued my training to become an EMT-Paramedic at the Baltimore Co. Fire and Rescue Academy. Though I enjoyed the streets and the challenge of rapidly assessing and treating patients I felt I needed to do more. This led me to continue my education at Howard University College of Nursing. I completed an accelerated Bachelors degree in nursing graduating Summa Cum Laude. After graduating I relocated to McAllen, TX and worked in the Emergency Department. Emergency Nursing was awesome- it’s one of the few environments where the health care team truly works together and nursing judgment is valued. It’s because of this and the mentorship I received from many of the EM doctors I worked with that I chose to go to medical school. I returned to Howard University for my medical education because I knew the area and made many connections at Howard during my nursing education.
I’ve learned to try and balance work and relaxation. So outside of medicine I enjoy spending time with family, going to the gym, riding my motorcycle and practicing Jow Ga Kung Fu (though med school has slowed me down a little). Kung Fu allowed me the opportunity to compete in international martial arts competitions and I hope to continue my training in Corpus. I also volunteered as an ACLS instructor and taught frequently during the year- I believe teaching forces you to stay on top of current trends in medicine.
Residency in Corpus was not a hard choice, (really) it’s on the coast and I plan on spending a lot of time at the beach, plus I enjoy SCUBA diving and want to try my hand at gulf fishing. It will also give me a reason to buy the new motorcycle I’ve been eyeing since starting medical school. However, it was the people in the program that cinched the deal, and made the decision to come to Corpus an easy one. Also, I really like the idea that I won’t have other residents to compete with for procedures.