Academic Background

M.D., Odessa State Medical University, Odessa, Ukraine, 1999

Postdoctoral Training

Maimonides Medical Center, Residency in Anesthesiology, 2003-2006

My road to becoming an anesthesiologist was not a smooth and easy one.  Though both my grand-
parents were military surgeons during WWII, and I always knew that I wanted to be a doctor, I began to fully appreciate this specialty during my training at medical school.  Those were blissful days of ignorance, free of liability pressure.  People who are not familiar with the situation in medicine in the post-Soviet Union country of Ukraine could hardly imagine the risks and dangers of providing anesthesia services to patients in almost battlefield conditions, although recently post-Katrina New Orleans brought these characteristics to the homes of Americans.  Even under those circumstances, we were striving to bring humanity and compassion to our patients by relieving their pain and suffering.

I brought those ideals with me to the United States, my second home, and I firmly believe that anesthesiology carries an important message.  As gatekeepers of patients’ wellbeing, we carry the tremendous responsibility of sustaining and maintaining human life.  Our involvement goes beyond the time in the operating room as we assume more and more often the role of perioperative physician, optimizing patients preoperatively, walking them safely through the insults of surgery, and following them in the postoperative period where we serve as consultants in critical care and pain medicine.  More recently as patient safety advocates, our specialty has made great strides in legislating healthcare that is safe and affordable.

I have been with the department since February, 2007 and I have greatly enjoyed working with the staff and faculty.  I found receptive and knowledgeable residents and I take great pride in teaching and mentoring them.  I also found the right environment for myself to continue my professional growth.  With the abundant opportunities available, I plan to focus on neuroanesthesia and my true passion:  regional anesthesia.