Critical Care Medicine
Med School/Year Graduated: American University of the Caribbean, 2012
Years in Practice: 11
Critical care medicine enjoyed the spotlight, as it were, during the pandemic. Has COVID permanently altered your field?
COVID underscored the vital role of multidisciplinary teamwork in critical care that has always been an underpinning of the profession. [It] also reminded us of the need to care for the caregiver. Addressing health-care worker burnout is crucial to preserving a resilient and indispensable workforce.
Besides COVID and its symptoms, what conditions do you most frequently encounter in your patients?
In the intensive care unit, we care for people in immediate danger of losing their lives. Common conditions include respiratory failure, pneumonia and sepsis, [which is when] the patient experiences an overwhelming systemic response to infection.
According to the American Hospital Association, less than 20 percent of U.S. hospitals have adequate intensivist coverage. Is that another legacy of COVID?
The shortage of intensivist coverage existed before the COVID pandemic, driven mostly by an aging population and overall increasing demand for critical care services. COVID certainly exacerbated this problem. We lost a great amount of practicing physicians and nurses to early retirement because of the heavy frontline toll.
How does your field differ from traditional pulmonary medicine?
I’m actually board-certified in pulmonary medicine as well! Traditional pulmonary medicine focuses on disorders of the respiratory system… that can include non-immediately life-threatening conditions such as cough, shortness of breath, lung cancer and asthma. When not in the ICU, I enjoy the change of pace and longitudinal care that my pulmonary practice brings.
You went to medical school in the Caribbean! What was that like? What influenced your choice to study there?
It was a journey! I was [initially] rejected by medical schools in my home state and thought I’d never become a physician. I became an EMT and worked as a patient care tech, where I met a physician mentor who introduced me to his alma mater in St. Maarten. On the island, I survived a category 5 hurricane, dengue fever and countless hours of studying, among other unique challenges. There I also met my amazing wife, Dr. Rajni Marco, and moved to New York for the final two years of medical school before six additional years of specialty training after graduation. Nontraditional pathways like this offer easier admission, but often make it tougher to graduate and attain residency. Looking back, I’d do it all over again!
What are your hobbies and interests outside medicine?
No matter how busy, I always make time for wrestling with my son, Roen, and mini dance parties with my daughter, Sophie. Any time spent with my family is gold to me. I [also] love sci-fi films, but can’t get my wife to watch any with me.
What are you streaming on TV these days?
Bluey is most frequently streaming in my house. I’ve been teaching my daughter Greek mythology via Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Once the kids are in bed, then it’s True Detective or re-watching The OA.
“If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d be…”
Teacher. Truth is, I get to do a lot of teaching and I love it. I regularly engage in clinical education, guiding medical students and residents at the bedside and educating patients and families on their health conditions.
