Over the past 35 years of practicing hepatology and transplant hepatology, I
have been fortunate to practice in a variety of academic institutions across
the country. I served on the faculties of The University of Chicago Pritzker
School of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of
Medicine, The Medical College of Wisconsin, Georgetown University School
of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis,
and most recently, The University of South Carolina School of Medicine. My
roles included assessment of general hepatology patients and patients
undergoing liver transplant evaluations. Moreover, as a transplant
hepatologist, I worked closely with transplant surgeons, coordinators,
pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, and advanced practice providers in
the pre, peri, and postoperative management of patients undergoing liver
transplantation. At all institutions, I participated in outpatient general
hepatology, transplant evaluation, and post-transplant clinics. Additionally, I
participated actively in multidisciplinary tumor and pathology conferences.
Moreover, I was an active member of very busy inpatient hepatology
services at all institutions described above. At all institutions, I coordinated
didactic with clinic activities for medical students, internal medicine and surgery
residents, gastroenterology fellows, transplant hepatology fellows, and
advanced practice providers. We frequently had rotating students from other
institutions across the country and internationally. Inpatient rounds were a
favorite for all members of the hepatology and transplant teams. As will be
discussed more fully below, I believe in the Socratic method of teaching, and I
expected all members of the hepatology and transplant teams to think
independently and critically. My evaluations were uniformly positive from the
above members during their rotations. As will be discussed more fully below, I
coordinated the gastroenterology fellowship and transplant hepatology
fellowship clinics, as well a case and core curriculum conferences, and Board
review conferences.
As mentioned above, I have been actively involved in the education of medical
students, medical and surgical residents, gastroenterology fellows,
transplant hepatology fellows, and advanced practice providers at all the
above institutions. I served as co-Director of the widely popular
gastroenterology and hepatology pathophysiology courses for first year
students at The University of Chicago and The University of Pennsylvania. The
course at Penn was consistently ranked as one of the best courses in medical
school. Consequently, I received many teaching awards from the Perelman
School of Medicine including Course Director of the Year on multiple
occasions, and best gastroenterology lecturer. I received the Student
Government Teaching Award twice while at Penn. As a result of the Student
Government Teaching Award, I was invited to lead the Hippocratic Oath for
graduating medical students twice. Moreover, I have received the Penn Pearls
and Provost Awards for distinguished teaching in part through my efforts in the
School of Medicine. Additionally, I was nominated for the Christian and Mary
Lindback Award for distinguished teaching. As co-director for the
pathophysiology courses at The University of Chicago and The University of
Pennsylvania, I have had extensive contact with students. Students at both
institutions rotated with me on inpatient and outpatient hepatology electives.
Moreover, I had many students from across the country and around the world.
My philosophy for medical student and postgraduate medical education is
simple. All students of medicine should receive broad-based education
grounded in basic physiology, pathophysiology, evidence-based medicine,
and ethics. My Socratic method has been uniformly well-received at
Vanderbilt, The University of Chicago, The University of Pennsylvania, Medical
College of Wisconsin, Georgetown, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center in Memphis, and The University of South Carolina. I have
participated in bioethics instruction after receiving my Master’s in Bioethics at
Penn. My goal is for learners to become better individuals medically,
professionally, and ethically. While at Penn, I served on the Fellowship and
Education Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Co-Director of the Penn-
sponsored Board Review Course. At the national level, I served on the
Practice Guidelines Committee for The American Association for the Study of
Liver Diseases (AASLD), the Ethics Committee for AASLD, and the American
Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Academy of GI and Liver Educational
Advisory Board. Finally, I started the ACGME-accredited transplant
hepatology program at Penn and served as the Program Director. Additionally,
I served as the gastroenterology Program Director while at Penn.
I have published numerous peer-reviewed articles pertaining to
gastroenterology, hepatology and liver transplantation. Moreover, I have
authored many reviews and book chapters pertaining to gastroenterology,
hepatology and bioethics. Additionally, I was co-editor of a book on liver
disease. Finally, I have served as a mentor to students, residents, fellows, and
junior faculty. Many of my mentees have gone on to secure excellent faculty
positions at top universities across the country. I have been actively involved
with The University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health and The
College of Pharmacy in the development of CLINTRUSC which is a centralized
source for education and mentoring of junior investigators. When I left The
University of South Carolina, this work and grant were still in progress.
My role for the foreseeable future will be to provide high quality,
compassionate care to inpatients and outpatients with liver disease. I will
work with the gastroenterology, hepatology, and transplant surgery teams on
providing care to patients with acute and chronic liver diseases and those
that require liver transplant evaluations, and post-transplant care.
Additionally, my role will be to expand the footprint of MUSC from the Low
Country to Midlands and Upstate to provide care to patients throughout the
state. MUSC is a wonderful program, and I am honored to be part of it as we
develop the next chapter of medical care.
I sincerely am passionate about continuing my mission of providing high
quality education to medical students, residents, fellows, and advanced
practice providers. I would like to be actively involved in medical education at
the MUSC College of Medicine as well as further the missions of the varied
ACGME-accredited programs there. I would like to serve on curriculum
development in the College of Medicine and participate in other committees
the College has to offer. Not only do I want to continue with education
pertaining to gastroenterology, hepatology, and transplant hepatology, I want
to work with The Institute of Human Values in Health care to provide high
quality education to the parties above.
I hope to work with the Digestive Disease Research Core Center at MUSC and
continue my work with my colleagues at The University of South Carolina
School of Medicine. As mentioned previously, I envision working with The
Institute of Human Values in Health Care and The Clinical Research Ethics
Core of MUSC’s South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute.
I would like to amalgamate issues pertaining to gastroenterology, hepatology,
transplantation, and bioethics.
In summary, I am honored to be part of MUSC, an institution rich in history
pertaining to clinical care, education, and scholarship. We have only begun.
Many opportunities await and I am looking forward to being a part of the
journey. At the end of the day, it is about respect for patients and their values;
to provide the best care possible. To obtain this goal, we need to practice
evidence-based medicine through high quality clinical care, education, and
scholarship.