ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius
JOB DESCRIPTION: I perform adult cardiac and thoracic surgery, and am a surgeon on the Texas Transplant Institute Heart Transplant Team. I also operate a nutrition/preventive medicine clinic.
PHILOSOPHY ABOUT WORK: Everything I do requires the cooperation of other people. I try to make them feel their efforts are important and that they are appreciated.
I FEEL MOST SUCCESSFUL WHEN: I have related well with the patient and the family and have met their emotional needs as well as solving their medical problems.
HOW COLLEAGUES SEE ME: As a team player, willing to help.
WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW IS: How much I want to help them get through their tough cases.
WHAT SURPRISES ME MOST ABOUT MY PEERS: Their physical and mental toughness in very intense situations.
I MOST ADMIRE: The research scientists/engineers who have worked so hard to make it possible for us to do what we do.
MY VERY FIRST PAID EMPLOYMENT: Bagging and carrying groceries at Piggly Wiggly and my own paper route.
HOBBIES: Exercising, computers, astronomy, scuba diving and reading.
LAST BOOK I READ FOR PLEASURE: "The Promise of Sleep" by William C. Dement.
FAVORITE MOVIE: "The Shawshank Redemption"
FAVORITE QUOTE: "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Albert Einstein.
FAVORITE FOOD: Salads and salmon.
FAVORITE MUSIC: Broadway musicals.
IF I WEREN'T IN HEALTH CARE, I'D PROBABLY BE: A research scientist or engineer working on biomedical research or the space effort.