Personal Profile
I am an academic General Internist working in the Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, at the University of Toronto. I am based at Mount Sinai Hospital, where I work as a Clinician Educator.
I was born and raised in Toronto, and received all my education here - from Junior Kindergarten all the way through my entire medical residency. This city, despite being so familiar to me, is one that I am constantly exploring. Every year I find a new neighbourhood worth spending time in - especially if it has great restaurants! Perhaps this explains why I've never left... I have migrated through North York, Scarborough, and Pickering; I currently reside in beautiful Eastern Mississauga with my wife, Sofia, and our four children.
I believe in lifelong personal development. I have pursued many interests over the years, and intend to develop many more. Here's a sample:
- Piano Performance - From a very early age I was exposed to classical piano through my father, who inherited it from his mother. Both of them were brought up in the Royal Conservatory system, and I followed in their footsteps, eventually graduating with an ARCT designation in performance, from the studio of Alexander Floruk.
- Marathon Running - In my early 30s, I began to feel the urge to run long distances. (If you've never felt this urge, it's hard to understand. I won't try to explain.) I started off with simple 5 and 10 K races, and gradually built up my distances to eventually be able to complete 2 marathons in Toronto. I have secret ambitions of going to Boston one day - and as I get older, the qualifying time gets easier, so perhaps I'll be ready when I'm 86.
- French Language - I have endeavoured to become fluent in French, which is quite a challenge in Toronto, and I still struggle. I studied it through my undergrad years and U of T, and get by fairly well when I travel to Quebec. I'm hoping to keep this at a basic level through ongoing contact with francophone colleagues in Medical Education.
- Home Renovations - Well, only in a minor way. Like every homeowner, I find that I am constantly emptying my bank account into the coffers of H*me D*p*t, R*na and C*n*dian T*re. I've tried to learn some basic skills while spending all this money, so at least I feel like I'm getting something practical out of it.
- Portuguese Language - This is a new one. I have a Portuguese family-in-law, and they've inspired me to learn this language, which also comes in handy in my medical practice here in Toronto. (Side benefit: I'm hoping to be able to understand if the in-laws are "secretly" talking about me....)
- Cooking - I would call myself an "experimental" chef, meaning I am willing to throw a bunch of things together and see what happens. Like any scientist, I accept failures as valuable building blocks on the road to a greater understanding. Now, if only my kids would see it that way. (And yes, I mix ingredients the way I mix metaphors!)
On the professional side, I have derived immense satisfaction from the practice of General Internal Medicine, in all its forms. Over the past 10 years, I have relished the opportunity to intervene in acute and critical illness, to counsel patients about preventive health care, and to manage chronic disease, all the while acting as a consultant to my physician colleagues. As I have developed expertise in the practice of Internal Medicine, I have been drawn to Medical Education as my principal academic interest. Over the past 5 years or so, I have taken on an increasingly involved role in the system of Medical Education at the University of Toronto, and have formally developed my capacity in this area through the Education Scholars Program at the Centre for Faculty Development here.
As I look to the future, I hope to continue to develop myself along new lines, while maintaining the interests I've developed over the years. Professionally, I see myself looking to take on leadership in Medical Education, while developing scholarship in this area. Personally, I hope to live a fulfilling life, deepening my commitment to my family and friends, and always remaining true to the values which have brought me through the ups and downs of life.