What’s been happening:

Penn State prepared me well for my training in General and Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a Thoracic Organ Transplant and Aortic Root Fellowship with Sir Magdi Yacoub in London. I then spent 8 years at the Mayo Clinic before taking a position at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center as Chief of Cardiac Surgery for a 2 year stint. I took a one year sabbatical to work as a Senior Staff Surgery at the Perm Heart Institute in Perm, Russia. This is a program that I helped to start from zero 10 years prior. It is now the 2nd busiest in Russia and doing > 3000 open hearts per year. Aiding in the growth of this clinic over the years has been one of my most fulfilling ventures. I am now stateside and working at the Scott and White Clinic in Temple, TX as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Director of the Center for Aortic Disease and Professor of Surgery at Texas A&M, Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine. I have 5 wonderful children, 2 of which were born while at the Milton S. Hershey Medical School. I am married to the lovely Olga, who is the daughter of the Russian Translator that I worked with over the past 10 years in Russia. We recently had a beautiful baby boy with the uniqueness of a dual Russian/USA citizenship. My career has been fantastic and filled with many unique opportunities. I am very grateful to my Penn State mentors.