The 2008 SWU-MHAM College of Medicine Alumni homecoming celebrated the 25th year reunion of the Class of 1982. Out of the many illustrious alumni coming from that batch, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Rowen G. Diano who is currently practicing in my home state of New Jersey.
Dr. Diano left the Philippines and went to the United States in 1992. However, by then he was already a Board Certified Surgeon and Fellow of the Philippine College of Surgeons. He did his Internal Medicine training at the Mount Sinai Medical School program and was able to become Chief Resident by his 3rd year. This was then followed by a Fellowship at the prestigious New York University Medical Center in Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Diano is Board Certified in Internal Medicine as well as Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine specialties. He is currently in private practice at a teaching hospital of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) and he also serves as the Medical Director of the Hospice of New Jersey and Senior Care of Montclair.
I was first tasked to contact Dr. Diano by our Dean, Dr. Peter Aznar, after reading about his feature in New Jersey Monthly magazine as being one of New Jersey’s “Top Doctors of 2007” (the top 1.7% of 34,000 physicians in the state). During our informal phone interview this past December, Dr. Diano was very gracious enough to spare time and answer some of my many questions regarding the transition from medical school in the Philippines to doing residency training in the United States. Although he could not confirm whether or not he would attend the Alumni Homecoming at that time, I was very pleasantly surprised to meet him personally when I emceed the Alumni Homecoming this past January. Not only was Dr. Diano able to enjoy catching up with his batch mates, but he was also able to serenade the newly crowned homecoming queen with a song at the end of the evening.
From our conversation, it was apparent that Dr. Diano really enjoys his profession and he was able to share many stories from his own experiences during his internship here in the Philippines. Geriatric and Palliative Medicine has not only been a lucrative field for Dr. Diano, but it has given him a flexible schedule so that he can spend time with his children and his family. Dr. Diano is an inspiration to many who, not only want to practice in the U.S., but also to those who want to pave their own path after graduation.
By: Rita Grace Marcon
Third Year Medical Student |
