I was born and raised in Denver Colorado.   I grew up with three siblings.  Most of my free time was spent playing sports.  My first love was basketball and I could be found in a gym 4 or 5 days per week.  It took until my teen years to realize I was not good enough for the NBA.  At that time I decided I would do the next best thing: become a sports therapist or trainer.  I went to the University of Colorado for my undergraduate education and majored in kinesiology.  That is roughly translated as “the study of movement in physical activity”.  During my junior year in college, after taking “anatomy and physiology”, I realized that my real interest was to become a physician.  I initially wanted to become an emergency room physician.  I worked as an emergency department technician in Denver for three years beginning with my senior year of college.  I eventually became lead technician and enjoyed teaching and training new emergency medical technicians.  I matriculated into medical school in 1995 after almost three years in the emergency department.

I went to Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California; also known as “College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific”.   (If you are unfamiliar with what osteopathic medicine is, please click the “What is osteopathic medicine?” tab on the left.)  It was an enjoyable experience living in Southern California and learning medicine.  I never learned how to surf despite my best efforts, but that is another story.

How I chose to become a psychiatrist:

The third and fourth years of most medical schools are devoted to “rotations” which involve working intensively for blocks of time in the different fields of medicine.  I did my rotations in California, Colorado, Chicago and Arizona. During those intensive clinical experiences, the more psychiatric issues I was exposed to, the more I realized psychiatry was the right path for me.   I was lucky to have been in medical school when I was.  The mid 1990’s really ushered in the beginning of a new era in psychiatry.  That is when several new medications burst onto the scene spurred by novel discoveries of biological processes in mental illness.  I was attracted by the discoveries and the new technology for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness.  The other important aspect of psychiatry for me was the idea of developing a long-term treatment relationship with people that focused on recovery.

I completed my residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.  For more information on what a psychiatry residency is like, please click the “residency” tab on the left.   I was the co-chief resident for child psychiatry my last year there.  I was drawn to child psychiatry by the emphasis placed on psychological development.

Upon completion of my fellowship,  I opened a private practice right here in Denver in July of 2004.  I additionally serve as the medical director of a 58 year old residential treatment center in Evergreen called “Forest Heights Lodge”.  It is a privilege to be able to work there.  My full scope of work is detailed in my resume (the “resume” tab on the home page).  My work, along with my family, keep me nice and busy in a good way.  I plan to work here in Denver for a long time and continue to grow and be a part of this amazing community.