More about me

Beginning in early childhood my dream of becoming a doctor persisted into high school. I volunteered weekly at the local hospital emergency department and took as much science as I could. In advanced biology I completed a semester research project on hermaphroditism and awakened my interest in gender issues, differentiation of the sexes and medical intervention.

Following high school I left to serve a two-year LDS mission in Colombia, South America. Though I am no longer affiliated with the Mormon religion, the experience opened my eyes in ways that I never could have imagined and further inspired toward a medical career.

I matriculated at the University of Washington upon arrival back home. Three years had passed since I had interrupted my studies, I was struggling to think and speak in English and my grades floundered. The pre-med orientation I attended was equally discouraging. Given my position at that time I could not see how I could possibly be competitive for medical school. With a heavy heart I abandoned my dream and tried to envision a different future. Following my father’s steps into engineering was an easy solution. I also married and became a father.

After graduation I accepted employment with Evans & Sutherland (E&S) where I participated in the design of high-tech H-60 helicopter and S-3B jet simulators for the U.S. Navy. Given the small size of our mechanical engineering team, I gaining proficiency in the design process from start to finish: initial concept development, detailed design, construction and manipulation of solid models, computational and finite element analysis, documentation, manufacturing, quality control and onsite retrofitting and installation.

Unfortunately, happy times were not to last. After three years of marriage I was coming to term with the fact that being married to a woman was not a healthy situation for me mentally or emotionally. I did not want to abandon my family but I felt like I was dying inside. When the facade came crashing down I passed through a very dark and painful time. Nevertheless I worked very hard to proceed with good ethics and honesty and we parted ways in divorce.

My feelings about engineering were changing as well. Initially I had enjoyed my job as it allowed me to combine creativity with technical knowledge to find innovative solutions. After a while however I began to feel in a rut. More importantly I was quickly discovering that while I found engineering mentally stimulating it was doing nothing for my soul.

My dilemma was to be solved much faster than I expected. E&S had been struggling for awhile to secure additional contracts so when the lay-off came I was not surprised. What did surprise me was the sense of relief and freedom I felt afterward. I had been ready for change and looked forward to what the future would bring. Only one week later however I watched in shock as the World Trade Center towers exploded and crumbled over and over again on the continuous news coverage. As if rippling away from the epicenter economic devastation quickly engulfed the nation. Soon many more white-collar workers were joining me in the unemployment line and competition in the job market grew fierce. I was fortunate to find temporary employment with Autoliv where I assisted in the design of automotive safety airbags, but this job dried up also after only a few short months. As weeks of fruitless job search dragged into months, my financial situation became quite desperate. As if coming out as a gay father in a conservative community and still licking my wounds from a painful divorce weren't stressful enough, I also found myself unemployed, bankrupt and a homeless couch surfer. I was an emotional wreck. Fortunately my friends were there to support and help me recollect myself so that I could begin a new life.

During the months that followed I searched deep within myself to discover who I was and what I needed to do. I felt fortunate that I could even reflect on the possibilities. The only thing keeping me off the streets was the kindness and generosity of a true friend. My privations were humbling and difficult, but they also helped me in a very real way to de-clutter my life and to discover what was truly important.

To consider medical school again was not easy. In fact I considered just about everything else first. I felt intimidated by the thought of trying to accomplish what I had previously abandoned. As I squatted in dust could I really reach for the stars and succeed? Deep-down inside I knew that I had given up too easily before. I also knew that if I did not take advantage of my present situation to try again I would regret it for the rest of my life. After much consideration and serious reflection I could deny my calling no longer. With new resolve I accepted full-time employment as an entry level inpatient phlebotomist, enrolled at the University of Utah to complete prerequisites and volunteered at the Utah AIDS Foundation as an HIV/STI testing counselor and at the University of Utah hospital as a Spanish medical interpreter.

My personal life continued to improve as well. Gradually I rediscovered self-respect and developed confidence in being my authentic self. Finally I met my partner, Patrick, and after many years were finally able to "domesticate" each other in 2008 when Oregon's Domestic Partnership Law became effective. We look forward to the day when we will be able to enjoy the rights and benefits that marriage has to offer.

Eventually my hard work paid off and I was accepted to medical school at Oregon Health & Science University. In addition to my coursework, rotations and other responsibilities I also found time to serve in various leadership roles and participate in research. Offices held include co-chair of LGBT People in Medicine, co-chair of the Internal Medicine Interest Group, student leader of Principles of Clinical Medicine Health Policy Sessions and founding committee member of the Coalition for Health and Affirmation of Sexual Minorities (CHASM). My fluency in Spanish permitted me to pass OHSU interpreter examinations, volunteer at the pediatric health fair "Fiesta de Salud Portland Niños" and travel between several cities to interpret for the NIH HEALTHY Study targeting 6th graders for diabetes prevention. I also presented two original research studies in 2008; Recruiting and Retaining Physicians in Coos Bay was presented at the regional Oregon Rural Health Conference and OB/GYN Sensitivity to LGBT Patient Needs was presented at the national conference of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA).

Given my attention to detail, ability to think in 3D and desire to work with my hands, I felt a natural affinity with surgery. On the other hand, I appreciated the continuity of primary care. Excited to discover the right specialty for me, I enjoyed exploring my options as I rotated through the third year clerkships. While multiple specialties indeed piqued my interest, OB/GYN captivated it. Working on the labor and delivery floor was amazing. I enjoyed witnessing the miracle of birth and participating in the complexities of its management. In the clinic I observed caring interactions between providers and their patients and a continuity of care with women both young and old. I was also pleasantly surprised at the abundance of opportunities within OB/GYN to work with the underserved, another passion of mine.

For me, OB/GYN is an exciting field of medicine that offers an unrivaled combination of primary care, social justice, medical management and technical skill. Additionally it allows me to keep one foot in continuity clinic and the other in the operating room. More importantly, both as a friend and family member of many women and a strong supporter of women's issues in general, I am honored to be gaining expertise in the management of their healthcare.

While I am obviously focused on women's health during my residency training at the University of Minnesota, I do not plan to practice general OB/GYN alone. My professional interests include issues pertaining to the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender / transsexual, queer / questioning, intersex) communities, genital autonomy (intactivism), Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). As a future gender specialist I intend to provide comprehensive medical and surgical care for patients of the entire gender spectrum in need of such services.