MY PERSONAL BACKGROUND

I was born in Saigon, Vietnam, towards the end of the Vietnam War. After my family fled Vietnam as refugees from the war, we settled in Houston, Texas, where I grew up and did the majority of my schooling. I graduated from Rice University with a degree in biochemistry and did my medical training at Baylor College of Medicine. 

While in medical school, I started doing medical relief work around the world to help those with no other source of medical care. I also decided to pursue primary care to be able to take care of most anything that might walk through my doors.

I then moved to Roanoke, Virginia for my post-doctorate residency training in family medicine, which is where I met my partner and his son. While in residency, I also served as one of the county medical examiners for two years.

After finishing my residency, my partner and I moved to Connecticut, and I took over my stepfather’s primary care practice. Over the course of 16 years, I built a thriving medical practice. While I took care of the full breadth of primary care in terms of ages and conditions, my particular areas of focus were holistic and preventative health, mental health, substance and alcohol abuse, men’s health, and LGBTQ care including transgender hormone replacement. 

During much of my time in practice, I also served on the company’s board of directors, the largest primary care group in the state. Beginning in medical school and throughout my time in private practice, I also led more than 20 medical relief trips around the world with several faith-based and secular organizations, treating hundreds of patients on each trip. 

In 2013 I wrote a book sharing stories of my medical mission work and the patients I've taken care of. You can read an excerpt here and contact me if you would like a copy of the book. 

Being outdoors and in nature restores me and nourishes my spirit. I enjoy outdoor activities in all four seasons, including rock climbing, hiking, downhill mountain biking, and snowboarding. Often, just sitting by a stream and listening to the running water is enough.

I enjoy reading many genres but gravitate towards scifi/fantasy. Music wise, I mostly listen to indie folk, 80's New Wave, and choral pieces. I don't watch much TV, but I have enjoyed the new Star Trek series, The Expanse, and Pose. I've also been known to get hooked into a PS4 game or two (Fallout series, Horizon: Forbidden West, The Witcher). Since Covid, playing tabletop board games has been a favorite pastime. Some recent games include Wingspan, Earth, Great Western Trail, and Oros. If you have a favorite book, song, show, or game, feel free to share.