Profile: Margarita Perez, MD

Profile: Margarita Perez, MD
Cardiovascular Medicine Chief Fellow, 2012-2013

Margarita Perez served as chief fellow in Cardiovascular Medicine during the 2012- 2013 academic year. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Margarita attended medical school at Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo, then came to the U.S. in 2007 to continue her medical education. She completed her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, Florida, where she met her partner, fellow resident Luis Arias (he has since completed a fellowship in rheumatology at Massachusetts General Hospital).

Margarita was profiled in the November 2012 issue of Medicine Matters, and her response to the question “Why healthcare?” was characteristic of her orientation toward service:

“Coming from a country where the lack of good quality medical care is enormous, I felt the need to become a doctor to be able to serve my people. The U.S. has given me the opportunity to obtain great training that I’ll be able to apply there.”

John Dent, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship program, said that Margarita “did a superb job” as chief fellow last year. Anne Shipe, the fellowship program coordinator, agreed: “She was extraordinary. While serving as chief fellow, she also volunteered as medical director of the Charlottesville Free Clinic.”

Dr. Perez is now back in Florida – closer to her mother, who still lives in the Dominican Republic – where she is doing a fellowship in heart failure at the University of Miami.