"My parents are immigrants. They faced unimaginable challenges just getting here and putting three kids through school.
I wasn't really given anything to get where I am, but I think I honor them by making the most of every opportunity — using all the hard work that I've done up to this point to try to help as many people as I can."
"Early on in med school, I saw facial surgeons doing cleft lip and palate surgery on babies. That was a turning point for me. I thought, if I could combine my two passions — surgery and travel — it'd be amazing.
I do annual missions in the mountains of Guatemala. The surgical team operates non-stop for 5 days, mostly on children from 6 months to 2 years of age. Seeing parents entrusting their children to people they don't know, in the hope of giving them a better life, is unbelievably powerful."
