Caribbean-American Heritage Month Physician Feature: Dr. Brian Donaldson

Dr. Brian Donaldson, MD, is the Chairman of Surgery, General and Vascular Surgery, at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where he has worked for over 23 years.

In honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we sat down with Dr. Donaldson to learn more about his career. Here's what he had to say.

PAGNY: You mentioned you are Jamaican, were you born in Jamaica?

Dr. Donaldson: Born in Hanover, Jamaica 1960

PAGNY: How has your Caribbean-American heritage impacted where you are today?

Dr. Donaldson: Instilled the need for excellence and hard work in everything I do; my father was a farmer and got us up at 4 am every day to do farmwork before we got ready for school.

PAGNY: What does being a PAGNY provider mean to you?

Dr. Donaldson: I have been with PAGNY since its inception; I was initially a Columbia University affiliate employee at Harlem since June 2000, and an attending Woodhull from 1996-2000, and trained at Harlem from 1990-1996.

PAGNY: What drives you to care?

Dr. Donaldson: I love this community, and I try to provide excellent state-of-the-art care to the community; my drive is to help others get well.

PAGNY: What do you enjoy the most about your role?

Dr. Donaldson: I enjoy being an example for my other physicians; I strive for excellence and care deeply for this community's patients. I treat everyone as if they are part of my family.

PAGNY: When you are not caring for patients, what are some of your hobbies or things you enjoy doing?

Dr. Donaldson: I ride Motorcycles, I am a DJ (Dr. Beatz) and an avid soccer fan (Arsenal), and I love to travel.

PAGNY: Please share three fun facts about yourself

Dr. Donaldson: I like a challenge, and I am always willing to learn. I'm a fun guy.