Michael Vaughan, MD

Regarding my professional life, my mother was a nurse, so perhaps medicine was in the genes. I started my medical career in high school as a pink striper volunteering at Fordham Hospital in the Bronx. I majored in Biology and Psychology at NYU. While in college, I was a surfguard at Rockaway Beach and Coney Island; I taught swimming and children’s gymnastics. After college I worked as a high school science teacher, as a medic in the NYC Emergency Medical Service, and taught emergency medical techniques at the City University of New York. I attended Columbia University’s post-baccalaureate pre-medical program then Brown University Medical School. While at Brown, I worked at the Rhode Island Hospital Emergency Department as an emergency technician. I did research involving behavior modification to improve health outcomes such as smoking cessation and weight loss. After graduation, I completed a Family Medicine Internship at Maine-Dartmouth then transferred to UC Davis where I completed my residency. While in residency I moon-lighted at community health centers in Stockton, Lodi, and Tracy. A military scholarship paid for medical school so after residency, I was called to active duty. At Fort Riley, Kansas I was a Brigade Surgeon. At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, I was a staff physician and worked in every part of the hospital from Labor and Delivery to the ICU. At Fort Polk, Louisiana I joined the 116th Field Hospital. We deployed to camp Arifjan, Kuwait, where I was the Chief of Medicine and Medical Director of the outpatient clinic. We took the brunt of the casualties (including Iraqis) during the invasion. Before completing my military service, I was briefly deployed to Forward Operating Base Dagger in Tikrit, Iraq. Returning to the states, I moved to San Francisco. I worked as a Hospitalist at St. Francis Hospital then CPMC Pacific Campus. At Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation, I practiced old fashioned Family Medicine meaning I took care of my patients in the office as well as the hospital which is now called CPMC Mission-Bernal. I worked weekends at CPMC Davies Campus. Finally, I found my home at MarinHealth Medical Center (formerly Marin General Hospital) where I have been since 2011. I no longer deliver babies or take care of children but working as a hospitalist allows me to practice broad scope medicine. I see my patients as whole human beings as opposed to a collection of organs. Anyone can become a specialist (a partialist). It takes a lot more to be a hospitalist. It is a great challenge which I embrace every day. In my community, I have volunteered at the United Irish Cultural Center holding flu shot clinics for the uninsured and I have run medical tents at the Children’s and Adult National Gaelic League playoffs.

Regarding my personal life, I was a tri-athlete. I ran in high school, swam in college, and cycling was my primary mode of transportation. Now that I have started a family, it has been hard to find the time to workout. Most of my home activity involves time spent with mommy and my children and the honey-do list which involves carpentry, plumbing, electricity on the house and mechanics on our vehicles. When I can find the time (which is rare), I sneak away to surf in the summer and ski in the winter.