Background
I was raised in the Northern California community of Clayton. I attended college at the University of California, San Diego and 'majored' in Molecular Biology (the study of the small working components of life) and 'minored' in Health Care Ethics. I won a President's Research Scholarship award to do research in protein chemistry while an undergraduate at UC San Diego. I also did research into the molecular biology and brain signaling pathways of substance addiction at the Scripps Institute. During my years in southern California, I became interested in outdoor endurance sports, including road bike racing, orienteering and trail running.
Education
Medical School started in 1993 at the George Washington University in Washington DC. I graduated from medical school with honors and was elected into Alpha Omega Alpha, an honorary medical society for students that have excelled academically. I graduated in May 1997, and moved to Seattle, WA to start my General Surgery training at the University of Washington.
During medical school, I had committed to three years of service to the US Navy, in return for financial support for my medical education. I spent a year as the General Surgeon aboard an aircraft carrier. The remaining two years of my Naval career was spent on staff at the Bremerton Naval Hospital on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington.
Plastic Surgery Training
After completing my obligation to the US Navy, I relocated to Portland OR and did the two years of Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery residency training program at Oregon Health Sciences University. During this training period, I worked with world-class reconstructive and cosmetic surgeons doing all types of plastic surgery. I also traveled around the West Coast working with experienced cosmetic surgeons and learning new techniques from them.
I had the opportunity to travel to My Tho, Vietnam in 2007 to do cleft lip surgery on a volunteer basis. I plan to go to Dahka, Bangladesh in February 2010 for another cleft surgery trip with a team from Seattle and Portland.
I am double-board certified in Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and General Surgery (ABS).
Philosophy of Care
To my patients, I offer my attention to detail, concern for patient safety, an artistic eye, an relaxing clinic environment. In our clinic, patients receive one-on-one, personalized care, every time. My goal is to build a vibrant and patient-centered practice in plastic surgery here in Bellevue, WA.
