How did you get started in Occupational Medicine?
It’s a bit of a funny story. I was about half way through my residency in Pathology, and I was struggling to find purpose in it. I was not enjoying it and I could not imagine doing it for the rest of my career. I had a friend who had actually just been in a similar situation the year before me, and she recommended Occupational and Environmental Medicine to me. I took her advice, she later ended up being my chief resident and I have never looked back since.
Pathology? That is quite a big jump in specialty! Do you ever find that it helped you?
Believe it or not, yes. There is more about OEM that is different from Pathology, but there is some overlap. I think I have an easier time with lab interpretation because of my prior training. Looking at a long list of CBC, BMP, etc, values, I can spot patterns better than I did back in medical school. When it comes to x-rays, spirometry and audiometry results, I also feel more comfortable due to my background.
But your training didn’t stop there. I understand you did a fellowship as well? How does that tie in?
I guess I just like medical education. Yes, after I finished OEM residency, I jumped into Addiction Medicine for my fellowship. It’s a problem that is not going away, actually it seems to be getting worse. I think that OEM is a great place to implement principles and treatments because the workplace is an overlooked site where we can monitor people. When an employee’s performance suffers, it is natural to consider a health issue, that’s where we come in. Substance Use Disorder is no different. By providing medical intervention adjacent to the workplace, we can catch it sooner and offer structured therapy either at work or with a partner.
What is your career plan with these different specialties?
I want to be an OccDoc, first and foremost. I think the addiction medicine will come in hand more as the illicit substance market evolves and as certain substances become more legalized, and as they are federally rescheduled. That is going to force workplaces to pivot on some previously held policies, and there need to be doctors in the room when those decisions are made.
So what is your current job?
I am the medical director at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. We have two facilities near Albany, NY that support the research and development of nuclear reactors that are used by the US Navy’s fleet. It is also where the Naval Nuclear Engineers train. As the doctor on site, my team and I make sure that everyone’s medical qualifications are current (not to mention workplace injuries). These jobs include radiological control workers, welders, nanoparticle workers, but also emergency medical services, security officers, fire fighters and brigade, etc. I work closely with human resources to ensure policies are up to date and health initiatives are underway, among other things.
Sounds like an interesting job. Where did you find it? Hint hint.
Haha, I am not shy to give Mozibox it’s flowers. It really came in handy for me on more than one occasion. First, after I graduated fellowship, I wanted to take a few months off so I could spend some time with my wife and infant. She was born mid-way through my fellowship year, and so I only had limited time off after she came home from the hospital. Additionally, it I wanted to study for my addiction medicine board exam. I used Mozibox and found an AI tutor job with Mercor, which helped pay the bills and gave me the flexibility I needed.
Later, I saw my current job as a posting and felt intrigued. I used their “warm introduction” feature and Mozibox got me into email contact with the job recruiter. She ended up being a very nice and personable lady and it greased the wheels for getting into my current role.
Quick Hits
One skill you didn’t realize would matter early in your career – but now use every day.
Being flexible – this is especially true in occupational medicine, there are a lot of jobs out there and you can choose your own adventure. There is no reason you can’t switch jobs quickly or try on more than one at a time.
A decision you made that ended up shaping your career more than you expected.
After I finished medical school, I stayed on as a junior faculty to teach there for a couple of years. I think it improved my people skills and I am better at explaining things. These still serve me in my current executive leadership role.
One word you would use to describe the future of physician leadership?
Evolving – more clinicians are making career pivots and it’s not an accident. The world is ever more complex and the early career transitions give us experience for new and challenging roles.
