Interview With Michael Borofsky M.D.

Michael Borofsky is Lily Borofsky’s father and came in to talk about the human body.

Q: What made you want to become a urologist?

A: I always wanted to become a surgeon and found that urologists got to do incredible procedures. I was unfamiliar with the profession until I got invited to have lunch with a couple of urologic surgeons during medical school. I learned that they used some of the most advanced technologies I could imagine for surgery, like robotics and lasers, I was blown away! I also get to make people feel better which brings joy to my own life on a daily basis.

Q: Have you ever messed up a surgery?

A: Unfortunately, all surgeons experience something we call “complications.” Mess up is kind of a harsh way to put it but yes, sometimes surgeries don't go as planned and the patient can have a bad outcome. We always do everything in our power to avoid these situations but they are inevitable sometimes. The important thing about a complication is learning from the experience, analyzing what could have been done differently, and trying to prevent other ones from happening in the future. Like many things in life, it's impossible to be perfect all of the time, but so long as you are giving your best effort and working in the interest of helping others, you are generally going to be on the right side of things in the end.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a doctor?

A: The best thing is helping people, whether by prescribing medications, performing procedures, or helping them through illness it is very rewarding to make a difference in someone’s life.

Q: I know you sometimes receive gifts from the people you operate on. What is the most unusual gift you have gotten?

A: Gifts are never expected in my job; although, when people are happy with their care, some want to express their gratitude in one way or another. My favorite gifts are typically the ones people make. I once had a patient who ran a bee farm and brought me several gallons of home-farmed honey (probably more than I could use in an entire lifetime) but I thought that was pretty cool.

Q: Were you scared when you presented to Mrs. Rainey’s 5th-grade class?

A: Totally! That’s one tough audience. There were so many great questions and I didn’t want to embarrass you!

Q: And finally… How do you like your coffee?

A: Haha! I like it with a splash of skim milk (and several times a day - probably more than I should be drinking)