February 2021 • DALLAS MEDICAL JOURNAL 7
What inspired you to go into
medicine?
Since I can remember, my
father, an attorney, advised
me to pursue either law
or medicine. My 7th grade
biology teacher, Miss Smith,
was a wonderful teacher who
ultimately spawned my interest
in the sciences. Ultimately I
decided to pursue medicine.
The best part of practicing
medicine is…
sharing in the joy of my
patients becoming parents.
Another fantastic part of my
career has been to receive
Christmas cards and recently
graduation announcements
from former patients.
If I weren’t a physician, I
would be…
an unhappy lawyer. My father
was an attorney, and when I
was old enough, I tried read
some of his homework. The
first time I read a contract, I
remember thinking that law
Dr. Samuel Chantilis, President-elect
must be really difficult. I still
have the same opinion every
time I have to sign a vendor
agreement!
When I first became a
physician, I never expected…
that technology would
advance as much as it had
during my career. During
my residency, I recall one
of my attendings telling me
that the type of procedures
he conducted as a resident
changed drastically during his
career, and sure enough, the
same has occurred during my
career. The field of reproductive
medicine has improved
markedly during the past three
decades due to technological
advances.
The book I’m reading
now is…
Vaccines Did Not Cause
Rachel’s Autism: My Journey
as a Vaccine Scientist,
Pediatrician, and Autism Dad
by Peter J. Hotez MD, PhD.
My four fantasy dinner guests
would be…
Rose-Mary Rumbley, PhD,
Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack
Ruby, any criminal defense
attorney, because they have
incredibly interesting true life
stories, and Jesus Christ.
The most recent TV show I
binge watched was…
The most recent was a short
eight-episode show that was
depressing (Defending Jacob),
but I really enjoyed Longmire
and Yellowstone.
What is your favorite app on
your phone?
The Dictionary.com app is
my favorite. I love being able
to carry around a portable
dictionary and thesaurus at all
times.
Name a quote that has
meaning for you:
“I’d rather be lucky than
good.” This brings back fond
memories of my residency.
What is on your bucket list?
I would like to visit every
National Park in the United
States, and in particular have
never been to Yellowstone or
Glacier National Park.
What inspired you to go into
medicine?
Multiple factors, including
some health struggles, early
in life, that exposed me to
medicine. This was coupled
with an innate leaning toward
helping others, and then firmly
cemented by the end-of-life
experiences (and challenges)
of my grandfather.
The best part of practicing
medicine is…
the deep connections that
we are afforded the privilege of
having with our patients.
If I weren’t a physician, I
would be…
a park ranger.
When I first became a physician,
I never expected…
the struggles associated
with the administrative/paperwork
burden.
My first job was…
working in a gift shop at Sea
World of Texas when it first
opened in San Antonio.
What is your favorite app on
your phone?
An opioid calculator. I can’t
say it’s necessarily my “favorite,”
but it sure does beat the
hand calculations. Pretty handy
for a palliative care doc.
Where would you like to live if
you could live anywhere in the
world?
Probably Assisi, Italy. It is
a place of not just physical
beauty and history, but deep
spiritual meaning and resonance.
Name a quote that has meaning
for you:
“To the students, let your
watchword be duty and know
no other talisman of success
than labor. Let honor be your
guiding star in your relationships
with your superiors, your
fellows, with all. Be as true to
a trust reposed as the needle
to the pole and stand by the
right, even to the sacrifice of
life, itself...” - the advice given
to the Texas A&M students
by Governor Coke, in the late
1800s. As a member of the
Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M,
not only did this quote have
deep meaning to me at that
time, but I have leaned on it
through the years, especially
during challenging times. I will
say that I certainly contemplated
on it during this last year.
Who do you look up to as a
mentor?
There are multiple individuals
who have served as
meaningful mentors to me
throughout my career. It is
always dangerous to answer
a question like this for fear of
missing some of those meaningful
folks. But here it goes:
Robert Fine, Mark Armstrong,
Ruben Velez, Michael Darouzet,
and Sue Bornstein - just to
name a few.
What is on your bucket list?
The Grand Canyon, Egypt,
and Alaska.
Dr. Mark Casanova, Immediate Past President