Department of Anesthesiology News

What inspired you to pursue your specialty and career in academic medicine?
My parents immigrated from Mexico after medical school and built their careers in anesthesiology here in the U.S. Watching how they cared for people and managed the intensity of the job inspired me to follow this path. They trained in an era without advanced monitoring or specialized airway equipment, yet their skill and dedication remain unmatched, they are true masters of the field and my greatest role models.

I see anesthesiology as a calling: to guide patients through some of their most vulnerable moments. I pursued fellowship training in regional anesthesia to develop a niche expertise I could share through teaching, and because it allows me to care for some of the sickest patients while also addressing pain—an issue that profoundly affects patients but is too often overlooked.

What do you find most rewarding about working with residents and students?
Regional anesthesia is a highly technical skillset that demands deep anatomical knowledge and precise hand–eye coordination. Watching trainees not only master these skills but exceed expectations is one of the most rewarding aspects of academic medicine. A recent highlight for me was during my own umbilical hernia surgery at Ben Taub, performed entirely under regional anesthesia, when one of my chief residents managed my anesthetic with results even better than I could have provided myself.

Can you share a project, achievement, or initiative you are especially proud of?
I am especially proud of developing and leading a global health anesthesia program over the past 10 years, serving as lead for orthopedic anesthesia on an annual mission in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Through this initiative, we care for patients who would otherwise have no access to surgery. My department has been very supportive, allowing me to both teach and work abroad while also bringing Baylor anesthesia residents to learn and contribute. These trips have become a true bilateral exchange with my Dominican colleagues, and I often feel I learn as much as I teach.

What advice would you give to trainees who are just beginning their careers?
The most important advice I can give is to value time and preparation: never be late, and start your day early by reading, praying, and exercising to center yourself. Approach every patient as an opportunity to go above and beyond, with no task being beneath you. Whether it’s changing a patient’s gown or keeping your workspace organized, this mindset reflects true dedication. Colleagues and patients notice this kind of work ethic, when your mind is focused on learning and your hands are committed to doing what’s best for the person in front of you, you will stand out as both a physician and a healer.

Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or enjoy doing?
After the COVID epidemic, I became very aware of how short life is and how quickly it passes. I’ve learned the importance of using the extra time we’re given intentionally. For me, that means spending time with my family, whether it’s talking, going to the park, sharing a meal, or simply being together. I also enjoy gardening, which gives me a sense of peace. Now in my 40s, I see how quickly the first half of life has gone by, and I cherish every moment I get to spend with loved ones.

If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing with you from the outside world, what would it be?
I would bring my Bible. Each time I read it, I find new meaning and strength, and it would be a source of guidance and comfort in that situation.

What inspired you to pursue your specialty and career in academic medicine?
A patient on the table had a serious complication during my medical school surgery rotation, and the anesthesia provider called in a group of colleagues to help. They worked together to stabilize the patient and solve the problem. I decided that is what I want to learn how to do and those are the type of people I want to work with.

What do you find most rewarding about working with residents and students?
  I find teaching residents and students airway skills very rewarding. After a few times through managing an airway, they can rapidly improve a lifesaving skill.

Can you share a project, achievement, or initiative you are especially proud of?
I am especially proud of my involvement with the OR board runners at St. Luke's Hospital. We are a small group that coordinates anesthesia care across both the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center campus and the McNair campus at 45 and growing anesthetizing locations. This position is also the direct liaison during the day for surgical providers and the nursing operating room leadership to facilitate care for surgical patients.

What advice would you give to trainees who are just beginning their careers?
My PhD advisor used to say to all his trainees, "Nothing is easy." Initially, I thought this was a tough outlook on problem solving, but over time I learned that this was actually comforting. Challenges and tough lessons are not the fault of the learner. They were always present, and they once troubled the same educators that teach you to master them today.

Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or enjoy doing?
I enjoy sailing on Galveston Bay and participating in local regattas when time allows.

If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing with you from the outside world, what would it be?
I would take strike anywhere matches. I think I would make it a bit longer if I could start a fire and boil water.

What inspired you to pursue Anesthesia? And CV as a specialty?
I have a background in chemical engineering, and I naturally gravitated towards anesthesiology due to the overlap with my engineering background. Several of the engineering classes I took, including fluid dynamics, pump mechanics, organic chemistry, and process engineering, are directly applicable to anesthesiology. Cardiac anesthesiology takes these concepts to the next level, particularly with topics such as complex cardiac physiology, transesophageal echocardiography, and use of mechanical circulatory support.

What do you find most rewarding about your training so far?
Most patients are understandably nervous when they come in for surgery. Specifically, cardiac patients tend to have more medical comorbidities, and they present for more complicated surgeries. I enjoy being able to ease their fears, quickly gain their trust, and then take them safely through any procedure they may need, no matter how complex.

Can you share a project, experience, or achievement you are especially proud of during residency and/or fellowship?
During my last year of residency, I enjoyed being able to teach new junior residents in the operating room. It is humbling and rewarding to help them learn and grow over the course of their training.

What advice would you give to medical students or new trainees entering residency?
Residency is hard, but it goes by quickly. Use these years to learn as much as you can and try new things before you are out on your own calling the shots. Don’t forget to take care of yourself during the process.

Outside of training, what’s something you’re passionate about or enjoy doing?
I love to travel. I have been to 25 US National Parks and 5 different countries in the past few years.

If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing with you from the outside world, what would it be?
A comfortable chair.

What inspired you to pursue your specialty and career in academic medicine?
What drew me to CV anesthesia was the intensity of cases and real time application of physiology, pharmacology and procedural skills. It's a high stakes and deeply engaging environment. I enjoyed my training at Texas Heart and was pleased to join the group as faculty.

What do you find most rewarding about working with residents and students?
I find it rewarding to see the residents progress through training and mature into young doctors ready for graduation.

Can you share a project, achievement, or initiative you are especially proud of?
I am currently working on recording a digital curriculum for the residents with Dr. Powell. I think this will be a durable resource for residents many years in the future.

What advice would you give to trainees who are just beginning their careers?
Your perspective will mature a lot in the first year out of training and things will feel very different when you are fully responsible. You'll revisit previous experiences with new eyes and the take away may be different than you thought. Give yourself some grace while you're learning. Humility and shared decision making look a lot better than digging in your heels early on.

Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or enjoy doing?
I'm an avid world traveler and have been learning to ski the last few seasons.

If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing with you from the outside world, what would it be?
The reasonable choice might be antibiotics or a radio but for general happiness I'd probably want my dogs. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?
What I enjoy most about my role is the opportunity to make a real impact, whether it's solving problems, supporting a team, or improving a process. I find it rewarding to contribute to something larger than myself and see tangible results from my work. I also enjoy continuous learning and the chance to collaborate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.

Can you share a project, accomplishment, or moment at work that you’re especially proud of?
One accomplishment I'm especially proud of is when I successfully brought down our Accounts Payable. I identified outstanding invoices, prioritized vendor relationships, and worked closely with both our finance and procurement teams to streamline payment processes, we were able to significantly reduce our outstanding liabilities. Seeing the financial health of the company improve because of that work was very rewarding.

How do you like to support your team or colleagues?
I like to support my team by being approachable, reliable, and solution-focused. Whether it's helping someone troubleshoot an issue, sharing knowledge, or simply being available to listen, I believe in creating a collaborative environment where everyone feels supported.

What’s your favorite team tradition or memory at work?
One of my favorite team traditions is when we celebrate project completions or big wins together—whether it's a team lunch, a quick coffee break, or just giving shout-outs during meetings. It creates a sense of camaraderie and reminds us to pause and appreciate our hard work.

What’s something about you outside of work that people might be surprised to learn?
I enjoy crafting with my daughter and spending quality time with my grandchildren, it’s one of my favorite ways to stay creative and connected with my family. I also enjoy binge-watching a good series when I have some downtime. And one of my favorite ways to unwind is just sitting in my backyard with no music, no distractions, just relaxing and enjoying the quiet. It really helps me recharge.

What’s a hobby or activity you enjoy in your free time?
I really enjoy crafting with my daughter, spending quality time with my grandchildren, and dancing. These activities let me express my creativity and stay active.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t in my current role, I’d be a hairstylist. I’ve always loved the creativity involved in styling hair and the confidence it can give someone. I enjoy working with people one-on-one and making them feel their best, so it feels like a natural fit for my personality. Plus, it’s a great way to express creativity while building strong relationships.

What inspired you to pursue Anesthesia?
I switched from a Pediatrics residency to Anesthesiology. Overall, I wanted something where I could be more involved with the care of the patient and make decisions that actively contribute to a patient's outcome. In Anesthesiology we get to use our understand of the human body and medical knowledge to make decisions and see the effect of those decisions in real time. Few fields in medicine offer this level of direct interaction with a patient.

What do you find most rewarding about your training so far?
Although the bulk of our work is in the intraoperative setting, the pre and post operative settings I find truly enjoyable. Playing the role of the calm, protective doctor who will oversee the health of the patient as they undergo something stressful like surgery provides me with a strong sense of pride. I enjoy making conversation with the patients before the surgery to help them relax and discuss their worries. Postoperatively, when my patients feel comfortable, without pain or nausea, I find that incredibly rewarding. To me it's a sign that my dedication to the delivery of a quality anesthetic has paid off for the patient's experience.

Can you share a project, experience, or achievement you are especially proud of during residency? Probably my proudest achievement would be being offered one of the chief resident positions. I found this incredibly flattering that my attendings and peers thought so highly of me and felt I would be a good representation for the program. It felt like a full circle moment, dealing with the worries of switching fields to truly finding my place in this field and in this residency.

What advice would you give to medical students or new trainees entering residency?
Overall, I'd say to anyone moving on to residency training is to have faith in the process. All residencies come with their own learning curves that are incredibly daunting to a fresh intern expected to suddenly take care of actual patients. However, people have gone through medical training for a long time before you and have made it out the other side. Do the best you can, strive to be motivated to improve, and have faith in the process and things will all work out.

Outside of training, what’s something you’re passionate about or enjoy doing?
A favorite hobby of mine would be cooking and baking. I feel the most relaxed when I'm at home making dinner for my partner or a group of friends for our weekly "Sunday Gravy". We'll try to get together however often we can on Sunday for a big communal dinner and games, where I'll put together a nice meal for everyone. Finding new recipes, perfecting my recurring recipes, and of course hearing compliments about my cooking all makes this one of my favorite hobbies.

If you were stranded on an island and could have one thing with you from the outside world, what would it be?
If I was stranded on an island and could only have one thing with me, I'd bring my little dogs Milo and Tito-Rico. It might be cheating to bring them both, however together they're roughly the size of one medium sized dog. In theory, they would help me survive on the island by hunting and protecting me, but at the end of the day I'd probably have to carry them everywhere since they hate the water and don't want to get covered in sand.