Michael Grimaldi
Michael Grimaldi has loved science since childhood, but a career in medicine didn’t occur to him until he was mid-way through college. The East Stroudsburg native and graduate of East Stroudsburg High School South said, “Basic science has always interested me. I was a biochemistry major and math minor at Washington and Lee University. I enjoyed science, but I determined that I didn’t want to be sequestered in a lab when I graduated. I wanted to connect with people. Medicine combines both worlds. That’s why I decided to pursue it as a career.”
In addition to discovering a passion for medicine, Michael also found another prospect that piqued his interest. “As I was researching medical schools, I heard about Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and I knew it was an exciting place to be,” he said. “I was really drawn to the idea of coming back to the place I was raised and connecting with the patients there. I decided to come home for training.”
Michael fully embraced the idea of “coming home.” He did all of his third-year rotations at Pocono Medical Center. “I had the best teachers at the Pocono campus,” he said. “Jonathan Goldner, DO is a great teacher and a good role model, especially in the way he interacts with patients. He is so highly regarded. Another good example is Charles Herman, MD. He is a highly skilled plastic surgeon, but so down-to-earth with patients. I learned so much from them.”
After finishing all of his rotations, Michael, now in his final year, has settled on emergency medicine as his choice of specialty. “I liked some aspects of each rotation,” he said. “But I think emergency physicians never lose sight of the entirety of medicine – they require a very broad working knowledge of every field. That’s what attracts me to it.”
He hopes to complete an emergency medicine residency in the Lehigh Valley or in eastern Pennsylvania, keeping him close to home. Beyond that, he sees many possibilities for his future. “I’m not sure if I want to pursue academic medicine or have a career in the community. I don’t know what will happen, but I am very open to everything.”
In addition to discovering a passion for medicine, Michael also found another prospect that piqued his interest. “As I was researching medical schools, I heard about Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and I knew it was an exciting place to be,” he said. “I was really drawn to the idea of coming back to the place I was raised and connecting with the patients there. I decided to come home for training.”
Michael fully embraced the idea of “coming home.” He did all of his third-year rotations at Pocono Medical Center. “I had the best teachers at the Pocono campus,” he said. “Jonathan Goldner, DO is a great teacher and a good role model, especially in the way he interacts with patients. He is so highly regarded. Another good example is Charles Herman, MD. He is a highly skilled plastic surgeon, but so down-to-earth with patients. I learned so much from them.”
After finishing all of his rotations, Michael, now in his final year, has settled on emergency medicine as his choice of specialty. “I liked some aspects of each rotation,” he said. “But I think emergency physicians never lose sight of the entirety of medicine – they require a very broad working knowledge of every field. That’s what attracts me to it.”
He hopes to complete an emergency medicine residency in the Lehigh Valley or in eastern Pennsylvania, keeping him close to home. Beyond that, he sees many possibilities for his future. “I’m not sure if I want to pursue academic medicine or have a career in the community. I don’t know what will happen, but I am very open to everything.”
