When I was a child, I saw a television ad soliciting donations for developing countries that featured a doctor caring for children. The moment that I saw how caring and genuine the physician was, something clicked. That’s when I knew I would someday be a doctor.
As I was finishing my master’s degree, I thought I might specialize in cardiology, until I shadowed a friend’s father who was a podiatrist and discovered that the specialty offered a great balance between clinical and surgical work. Today at NYU Langone, I treat people of all ages who have a range of foot and ankle conditions, including plantar fasciitis, neuromas, diabetic ulcers, hammer toes, and hallux valgus, or bunion.
My approach with patients is always to begin with the most conservative treatments available, exhausting all those options before considering surgery. I do offer surgical treatment to correct hammer toes, bunions, and other conditions, when it is warranted. I aim to treat every person I care for with compassion and empathy, as if they were a family member. Having been hospitalized for pneumonia during college, I have an understanding of medicine from the patient side. I try to bring that memory and experience with me to each interaction. It helps me to stay grounded and remember that I’m treating a person—not just a patient.
I am an associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and a fellow of the American College of Podiatric Medicine.
