I’ve known since high school that I wanted to be a doctor. My father died during my senior year, and I spent a lot of time interacting with his doctors. I knew from that point on that I wanted to help people.

I didn’t know what type of doctor I wanted to be until I went on a urology rotation in medical school. Then, I knew urology was right for me.

At Duke, I see about 80 patients a week, most of whom have prostate cancer and are seeking care or second opinions about surgery or recurrences.

One-third of my time is devoted to surgery at the hospital, a third to patient care in the clinic, and the rest for research and administrative tasks.

As a prostate surgeon, my goal is to cure the cancer while ensuring that the surgery and treatment received does not hinder my patients’ quality of life.

Fortunately, most of the surgeries I perform are minimally invasive, which greatly lessens any side effects and reduces healing time.

I’m very much looking forward to the opening of the Duke Prostate Center. Our goal is to make the entire experience at Duke easier for our patients. Our multidisciplinary approach to prostate cancer at Duke is simply a better way to care for them.

This team approach allows the patient to gain a better understanding of the disease and the options available to him including the opportunity to enroll in clinical trials and receive new, cutting-edge therapies.

Before I came to Duke, I worked as a urologist and prostate cancer researcher in the Army. That was a fulfilling experience and enabled me to care for a large group of men that included soldiers and politicians.

Three years ago, I retired from the Army after serving 26 years and came to Duke to help grow the prostate cancer program. It has turned out to be a great decision.

This is an exciting time at Duke for prostate research and care, and I am confident that we will continue to provide superior care for more and more patients.