I grew up in a "nutritionally-oriented" household, where dinner discussions were often about diet and nutrition, particularly after my father was diagnosed with "incurable" cancer, and turned to Adele Davis' "Let's Get Well". for enlightenment We didn't eat pop corn at the movie theatre ("re-fried oil is carcinogenic"), and my mom always kept the house stocked with fruits and veggies instead of candy. My father would whip up protein shakes each morning filled with "Tiger's Milk," wheat germ, lecithin, dessicated liver, brewer's yeast, and whatever else he seemed to get his hands on at the health-food-store. He would explain why each ingredient was added, sometimes in full nutritional detail. His "lectures" were the cure for a sleepy mind, as he had a gift with words, and inspiring others. I was more focused in school on his regimen, so I stuck with his dietary recommendations, which inevitably influenced my nutritional approaches in my practice of medicine. I keep a copy of "Let's Get Well" on my office bookshelf, which instantly gives me flashbacks of conversations with my father, whenever I look at it (thank you, dad).
When I was six my grandparents gave me a chemistry set for Christmas, and my uncle, a microscope. When I was eight I wrote a book report on Leif Ericson, after my teacher told me he actually discovered America, and not Columbus. I asked her why we celebrate "Columbus Day" and not "Ericson Day," she didn't have an answer (there is actually a statue in Iceland, given by America, thanking Leif for discovering America. The next question: Why are we called "America" and not "Columbia?"
When I was eleven I wrote a term-paper entitled "Red-dye # 2: Charcoal Black vs. FDA" (my environmental and health concerns started early). Of all the intriguing people, celebrities, scholars and geniuses I've met over the years, no one comes close to my parents. They sparked my nutritional interests, encouraged an open and inquisitive mind, and taught me how to keep a glass half-full. My mother's ingenuity to get off welfare and create a successful and profitable rental property business was always an inspiration for me to fall back on when I needed to turn my own mountains into mo-hills (my mother lost her husband, both her parents, her mother-in-law, a cousin, and her 2 homes, within an 18-month time-span). And since her passing, her words of wisdom echo through my mind whenever I'm faced with tough decisions. The people who touch you during your lifetime will leave their spirit within your soul, to be called upon whenever thoughts need to be told to you again, or shared with someone else. And I've recently realized true unconditional love from a loving mother spiritually never dies when mortal life is finished: Wisdom contiues to grow from the nurturing building blocks moms place, as we learn about independence and the meaning of success. Thank you, Mom.
Post-graduate training:
I received bachelor degrees in Biology and Spanish at SUNY-Binghamton, and taught Spanish for a semester prior to my medical training.
I received my medical degree at the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in 1987. My medical school placed more emphasis on preventive medicine and nutrition than other medical schools at the time.
I completed my Internship and Residency training at New York Downtown Hospital in New York City, where I trained an additional year as Administrative Chief Resident (1991-1992). The Chief Residency was a special year in my life due to Dr Bruce Logan's newly appointed position as Director of Internal Medicine, and Dr Satish Dhalla taking the role of director of teaching. Both are open-minded and brilliant physicians who I admire greatly, and were the principle force behind creating one of the most successful internal medicine residency programs in the country (2006 pass rate on Internal Medicine boards was 100% at New York Downtown Hospital, as compared to less than 30% in 1990). Dr Logan is now CEO of the hospital and Dr Dhalla is Director of Medicine. Dr Dhalla also runs one of if not the most successful internal medicine board-review courses in America. I created the "13-month" computerized resident scheduling system to free up the chief resident's burden of scheduling 52 residents each year, which the Department of Medicine uses today. I felt it was the most important issue in allowing a chief resident to focus on the teaching aspects of a residency program. The scheduling system is a perfect example of an idea which presented itself before it was ready to be universally accepted, i.e., it wasn't fully implemented into the medical program until several years later, and it was initially met with much resistance, including the consideration of my peers to impeach me for my "heresy." It became anguishingly apparent after 2 months of using my "brilliant" idea that our affiliated teaching hospitals needed to be on the same 13-month scheduling system (which has since been implemented). After chief residency I went on to work in various emergency rooms, urgent care centers and multispecialty groups.
After joining the American College for the Advancement of Medicine in 1995, I worked with Dr Leo Galland, treating anything and everything." Patients travel from afar for treatment of malabsorption, liver detoxification, parasites, IBS, IBD (Crohn's Disease & Ulcerative Colitis), recurrent giardia infection, ameba, cryptosporidium, blastocystis and other types of unusual parasite infection, autoimmune disease such as psoriatic arthitis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, chronic fatigue, chronic rash, ADHD, autism, Asperger's Syndrome, chronic ear infections, allergic sinusitis, chronic eczema and psoriasis, vulvodynia, heavy metal toxicity with mercury or lead, mold sensitivity, panic attacks, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, chronic headache, persistent and recurrent strep throat infections, to name a few. We help professional singers, actors and performers for voice improvement and optimization, advise on nutritional approaches to increase energy and stamina, and guidelines for overall health and longevity.
I joined Great Lakes College of Clinical Medicine, which provided training in the treatment of mercury and lead toxicity, and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, which shed light upon environmental influences on illness.
The essays include my formal (and informal) education, "magic moments," and opinions on healthcare and politics. Magic Moments are those episodes which enhance life with enlightenment and wisdom. They are the spiritual learning experiences which re-shape our souls, and change the way we perceive the world, ourselves, and others. Such moments are often associated with a smile both at the time of occurrence and each reflection thereafter, and hopefully, when they are shared with others.
