“No better relation than a prudent and faithful friend.” Benjamin Franklin

With great pride I say that Dr. Utpal Desai and I have been friends for more than 25 years. We both attended the University of Miami Medical School (UM) and became acquainted through overlapping social circles.

When I graduated in 1992, I stayed at UM and completed my general surgery training. The following year, Dr. Desai graduated and also stayed at UM to complete his general surgery training. We became close friends during our years of long grueling hours and forced hardship that is customary during residency. It forged a spirit of brotherhood between us that grew stronger over the years and is still strong to this day.

Our pathways diverged after residency. I went on to complete a cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Oschner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans. Dr. Desai went to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and completed a Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgical fellowship. Interestingly, we both ended up back in Florida albeit in different cities to start our careers.

I have followed Dr. Desai’s career from afar and admired his success. I always knew he would become the outstanding cardiovascular surgeon that he is today. Because of our busy careers our calls to catch up with each other’s lives were too infrequent. When we did talk, however, we often spoke about one day coming together as a practice. Unfortunately, at those moments, our individual life circumstances kept taking us in separate directions.

Then in late 2015 fate seemed to pull us together. Despite me having a flourishing practice of my own in South Florida he recruited me to join him. The potential for career advancement and partnership with a good friend was palpable and in late 2016, I was able to finally join his newly established practice in Daytona Beach.

We both look at the partnership now as a vertical career enhancing adjustment for each of us. Dr. Desai and I are both better surgeons because of each other. We are truly pleased to have each other as a co-pilot on this journey in practice together. Because my practice partner is also my true friend my wife and I and my family are blessed to now call Daytona Beach ‘home’.