I always try to make a personal connection with patients and families before anything else. I think establishing trust is extremely important, especially in scenarios that may be traumatic to patients and parents. Getting to know my patients and their goals is just as important to me as the technical aspects of surgery, and I try to work together with patients and families to establish a plan that is best suited to each individual patient. Seeing patients progress from injury to recovery is incredibly rewarding. I am proud to be able to help children and adolescents get back to the activities and sports that they love. I wanted to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon since I was 11 years old. I was a gymnast growing up, so I was exposed to a disproportionate number of orthopedic injuries. Having been an orthopedic patient myself, I always try to put myself in the shoes of my patients. I still vividly remember how scared I was before my own orthopedic surgery. While I may have done an operation countless times, it is usually the first time my patients have ever had surgery. No procedure ever feels routine for a child or parent, and I do my best to keep that in mind when taking care of my patients.