episode 5: ricardo tochimani

September 13, 2023

Interview by pRIYANKA gERA

Edited by Priyanka Gera and Michael Fortunato

Photo by Daniel Furhang

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Brooklyn, NY. 

And what would you recommend someone visiting Brooklyn do?

I would recommend they go get some good pizza. Wherever you go in the city, you will get great pizza compared to other places. But in Brooklyn, you will definitely get the best. There was one pizzeria near me––I live in Bensonhurst. It was called Lenny’s Pizza, but they just closed this past year because the owner passed away. There is another one called Pizza Den––it’s pretty good too. But anywhere, honestly. 

Are you the first doctor in your family?

Yes, I would be. I would not only be the first doctor, but I also am the first college graduate. The first in a while. 

Congrats! 🥳 

What was the last vacation you took?

The last vacation I took was this past spring break with Carolina Taico. We went to Niagra Falls. It was still really cold. We made the best of it and it was really fun. It was a good mix between sightseeing, traveling and relaxing in the AirBnB.

That is such a beautiful vacation spot. Good choice Ricardo. What is the best piece of advice you have received?

I would say the best piece of advice, for medical school at least, was from Alex Sadegholvad during the school’s PMP program last year. I remember we were all asking him how we should prepare and what we should all be doing, and he paused and said to let medical school consume us. And yes, I found this intimidating. But it made sense to me because you have to let it happen. We are all anxious and we all want to be prepared, but sometimes you are and other times you are not. You have to adjust and adapt to different situations because even during M1 we had to learn this and we will continue to learn how to adapt. 

Alex always gives the best advice. 

He’s amazing. 

Ricardo, do you have any phobias?

I do. I hate that feeling in roller coasters. I mean I like the idea of rollercoasters, but that feeling of going down––I do not like it at all. It is borderline fear, but also discomfort. So I try to avoid any roller coasters when I can. I still ride roller coasters, but I think about whether I want to go through it or not very deeply.  

This next one is a serious question. Do you believe in fate or free will?

Do I have to choose one? I think it’s a mix of both. I do think there are certain things set up for us. Maybe at the time we may not know it or realize it. That’s also why many people have different pathways to medical school. If it was free will, we would all be able to get into medical school because we are all trying our best to get here, but I know some people try their best and can't get in. And there are others, like me, who thought I just lost any opportunity of being here but here I am. Yes, it was my own hard work and changing my ways, but it was fate that maybe I am meant to be a doctor. I can be completely wrong, but I like to think about it this way. 

Speaking of pathways to medical school, what did you do before medical school?

Before medical school I worked at a private ophthalmology clinic for 5 years. Even before the job, I didn't know much about ophthalmology. I knew people would come to the clinic for eye appointments, but that’s it. At that time, I already thought I had no chance of becoming a doctor, but I was still interested in the medical field. So I worked there and then over time, I really enjoyed it a lot. I was teaching myself stuff and learning about eye diseases and I fell in love with it. And that is the reason I now want to do ophthalmology. 

Besides working at the clinic, have  you ever had another side hustle? Or considered having one?

I did. It was a side hustle more during college and a bit after college. At one point I was really good at video games. Sometimes people would pay you to play for them, like in tournaments. Not like nationwide events, but more so in-game tournaments for prizes. People would pay me so I would play for them. It was easy money in a way, but I stopped doing it. Not because I stopped liking it though. 

That is a fun side hustle. I know you still dabble in video games though. Do you have a favorite one?

Sadly I don't play as much. But this whole summer I was playing the new Legend of Zelda game: Tears of the Kingdom. I really had to try to not play it during the Brain and Behavior module––because it came out 2 weeks before the module ended. I had to avoid playing it and not watch any videos about the game either. So I just played that this summer. 

I’d say that’s a great reward for surviving the neuro unit. 

Good point. 

How long do you think you could survive without checking your phone?

Hmm. That’s actually a good question. I think at this moment, I could only go a half day. Just because a lot of things are going on in my life. I have definitely been checking my phone more often now. I think overall, I would dbe okay with a couple days to a week. I have never usually been stuck to my phone or texting multiple people. I am an awful texter. I will read a text message and respond to it in my head, but I will completely forget to respond to them. 

At least you are owning up to it. 

Yeah. Like just recently, someone called me out for not responding to them. Oops. 

What does self-care look like for you?

Self-care for me means to disconnect yourself from everything whether that be technology or studying. Even if you have to––not completely isolate yourself––but have some alone time. Away from friends and family. I find that very valuable. Sometimes I just need to reset and I just need a day for myself. It's more to recharge than anything. 

Going off-grid can definitely be healing. 

Exactly. 

If someone were to write a book about you, what would it be called?

See this is tough because I don’t like reading. Honestly, I am going to choose a corny title. My life hasn’t been a struggle, but it also hasn’t been a straightforward path. I'm not sure how to phrase that. 

Hmm. Well, thinking about what you said before, I think rollercoaster themed might be the vibe.   

Yeah. Something like that. It's funny because I don’t like rollercoasters. If you think about it, my life has been ironic. I like that. 

On a more abstract note, if flowers could talk, what do you think they would sound like?

Sound like? I think they would sound like what leaves sound like when they rub against each other. But if they could talk, the first thing that came to mind was the flowers complaining that they need more water. 

Pick someone or something at NYMC to give a shoutout to.

I would give shout out to Dr. Milligan because she gave me the opportunity to not just do research this summer, but also expand my horizons and come out of my comfort zones. For example, I have never done formal research before. I have been able to communicate my thoughts with her and other people because thanks to her I got the courage to reach out to their physicians and mentors to shadow. So I really thank her a lot for what she’s done this summer. 

Any words of advice for the incoming M1s. 

Stay flexible and open minded, whether that be with study skills or life or hobbies. At the end of the day, we never know what we like or don’t like until we try it. We come to medical school thinking I don’t like this or I will definitely do that. But it is important for us to remain flexible and be able to adapt to different situations and challenges. That is definitely key.

Contact Ricardo at rtochima@student.nymc.edu

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