My story

Hi, I’m Anthony! I’m a medical student and lifelong New Yorker, born and raised in New York City. The photo to the right is with my fiancée, Madison, and our dog, Brooklyn. Outside of medicine, I’m a huge baseball and soccer fan, love hiking, and am always up for trying the latest restaurant that social media convinces us we need to visit.

While medicine is a big part of my life, the journey to becoming a physician hasn’t gone exactly as I planned. That experience and everything I learned along the way is ultimately what led me to create Pause With a Purpose.

Nearly four years ago, the path I had carefully planned toward becoming a physician changed unexpectedly. A chronic health condition required surgery and eventually a prolonged period away from medical school. At the time, stepping away felt almost impossible. I wanted to keep pushing forward, pass my boards, excel in my clinical rotations, and become the physician I had worked so hard to become.

But life had other plans. What I initially viewed as an interruption became one of the most formative experiences of my medical education. I learned that perseverance isn't always about continuing at all costs. Sometimes, it means recognizing when you need to stop, take care of yourself or the people you love, and trust that your path will still be there when you're ready to return.

I eventually returned to medicine with a renewed sense of purpose and a much different understanding of what strength looks like. Along the way, I realized I was far from alone. Medical trainees step away for countless reasons, such as illness, mental health, caregiving, pregnancy, family circumstances, and challenges that no resumé or application could ever capture.

That realization became the foundation for Pause With a Purpose. I wanted to create something I wish I had during my own time away: a place where medical trainees can find support, guidance, resources, and, perhaps most importantly, reassurance that taking a pause does not mean giving up on the future they have worked so hard to build.

Today, I am back in clinical training and continuing the journey I once feared I might never return to. My path looks different than I originally imagined, but I no longer see that as a setback. The time away gave me perspective, strengthened my sense of purpose, and taught me that there is more than one way to move forward.

Pause With a Purpose exists because sometimes life asks us to stop before we're ready. But a pause does not erase where you've been, what you've accomplished, or where you're capable of going next.