Columbia Neurosurgery Says Goodbye to the 2021 Chiefs
Last night, we celebrated the graduation of our amazing and talented Chief Residents – Brian Gill, MD and Dominique Higgins, MD, PhD as they move onto individual fellowships in Neuro-Oncology: Dr. Gill, at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Dr. Higgins at the University of Miami. It is always hard to say goodbye, but we will cherish all the hard work, mentorships, and friendships that were made during their time here at Columbia.
Brian Gill, MD and Dominique Higgins, MD
Dr. Gill looks back fondly on his first day meeting his fellow Chief, Dr. Higgins: “It was November of 2013 and I took a break in between residency interviews to go to a neuro-oncology conference. During my poster presentation, someone walked up to me and started asking me questions. Who knew, that I will continue to talk to that guy daily for the next 8 years. That’s how I met Dom – he’s been a fantastic co-resident, friend and colleague.” That bond between Drs. Gill and Higgins is what helped them through the seven years of residency.
Dr. Higgins recalls that “Residency has been a time of exceptional growth, both professionally and personally. Even with the unique and unexpected challenges we encountered during our tenure, I am forever grateful for the incredible training I received here at Columbia. I will miss our team, but feel a sense of excitement and readiness to embark on the next step of this lifelong journey. Thanks to everyone that helped make this dream come true!”
“The mentorship has been phenomenal, and the experiences have been fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better residency program. I have grown so much as an individual, a physician and a surgeon and I am thankful to everyone who has contributed to that,” says Dr. Gill.
As full-fledged neurosurgeons, we are excited to see what the future holds for Drs. Gill and Higgins. Although we will miss them both here at Columbia, we know that they will be making us proud as top doctors in the field of neurosurgery.
Congratulations again to you both and we wish you all the best, always.