Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Shockley.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Jupiter, FL.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life, but there was definitely a medical influence on my life.
My mother is a nurse practitioner in the field of internal medicine, and I had several family members, who were urologists.
I had an impactful series of experiences late in high school by volunteering a Loggerhead Marinelife Center (participating in care of sea turtles), volunteering at a local free clinic in my hometown, and shadowing my uncle (one of those urologists from above), which really pushed me towards wanting to do medicine.
I found that the doctor-patient relationship was very unique with inherent trust/vulnerability, which I thought could sustain me in my career in the long run. I did a pre-medicine track in college, and ultimately was accepted to medical school at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
In medical school, I found surgery to be the ultimate form of the doctor-patient relationship and allowed me to make impactful differences in patients’ lives.
I matched into a general surgery residency at UCF/HCA GME Consortium of Greater Orlando in Kissimmee, FL. During residency, I realized I wanted to stay in the general surgery field, but I also developed a passion for foregut and bariatric surgery. The overall health and quality of life impact that was achievable with weight loss surgery was inspiring to me.
I completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery with a focus on bariatric surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
After fellowship, I joined Advanced Surgical Physicians, a private practice of general and colorectal surgeons in Wellington, FL, where I am a board certified general, foregut, and bariatric surgeon.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a relatively smooth road. Everyone’s journey has some unexpected turns or surprising results. There are scores that I wish were better or initially hoped to end up in different areas of the state or country.
There are challenges with every position whether as a student or chief resident or now as a practicing physician.
However, everything seems to works out for a reason. I wouldn’t change my road because I feel like I met amazing people, had incredible mentors, and got excellent training.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a board certified general, foregut, and bariatric surgeon.
I perform the range of general surgeries. Examples would include surgery on the gallbladder, hernias, intestines, thyroid, and the skin/masses. I also do foregut surgery, which is surgery of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
This most commonly is acid reflux surgery, hiatal hernia repair, or treatment of disorders of the esophagus, such as achalasia.
Finally, I have specialized in bariatric surgery. I perform the range of weight loss surgeries like sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, SADI, and conversion/revision surgery, such as gastric band removal and conversion to a gastric bypass for example.
I and my partners at Advanced Surgical Physicians focus on providing minimally invasive surgery through the latest and safest techniques to get patient’s durable surgical solutions.
We try to make every decision in the best interest of the patient as if they were our family member.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a happy kid, who tried hard at pretty much everything that I did. I was a good student especially in math and science. I was interested in sports, playing football, basketball, and lacrosse. I was fortunate to get involved in boating, snorkeling, and spearfishing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.toplinemd.com/advanced-surgical-physicians/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/advancedsurgicalphysicians/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/advancedsurgicalphysicians/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@asp_surgerybros?_t=8hMGiT6wile&_r=1
