Matthew Delano, M.D., Ph.D., served as chief surgical resident for academic year 2011 – 2012.Matthew Delano, M.D., Ph.D., spent nine years in training with the UF department of surgery, learning both the clinical and research sides of the profession.
In addition to the extensive patient-care and research training all surgical residents at UF undergo, he also earned a Ph.D. in immunology research. Delano will be the first to admit he hasn’t done it alone.
“Residency requires a lot from a person, and I drew on many individuals during that time,” he said.
Lyle Moldawer, Ph.D., a professor of surgery and the department’s vice chairman of research; Lawrence Lottenberg, M.D., an associate professor of surgery and anesthesiology specializing in trauma and acute care surgery; Sanda Tan, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of surgery specializing in colorectal surgery; George Sarosi, M.D., an associate professor of surgery, the Robert H. Hux professor and director of the department’s residency program; and John Armstrong, M.D., a former UF surgeon now serving as Florida’s state surgeon general and secretary of health, were key role models for Delano during his residency training, he said.
Delano said his wife, Nicole Dobija, D.D.S., M.D, also was instrumental to his success in residency training. She is a clinical assistant professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics at UF and director of pediatric cardiothoracic anesthesia. Dobija earned her medical degree at UF and her dental surgery degree at Howard University.
Now that he’s done with his residency, Delano will turn to a variety of tasks.
“I will be focusing on my general surgery boards, interviewing for fellowships in trauma critical care surgery, conducting surgical research, and practicing acute care surgery,” he said this summer.
Delano began practicing at Ocala Regional Medical Center in November. His research focuses on inflammation biology, sepsis and surgery-induced immune system pertubations.
He and Dobija have two daughters: Gabriella, who was born in 2010, and Josephine, born this summer. Delano said he hopes to start a fellowship program in 2013.
Though he’s looking forward to the future, Delano appreciates what he has learned during his time at UF.
“I have learned that patience and understanding of patients’ needs are paramount to our success.”
Delano attended medical school at Temple University after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania.
He said “the balanced general surgical training that is offered, along with the opportunity to do high level surgical research,” drew him to UF for his residency.
“I would like to thank the entire residency program for their support throughout the past nine years,” Delano said.