When Dr. Mina Makaryus '02, MD, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine, attended Chaminade High School, he got more than he ever could have imagined. During his four years, Mina was an active member of the Chess Club, Math Club, and Social Studies Club, as well as Intramural Sports. Despite all of his commitments, he still made the Honor Roll every year. His rigorous education rooted in the Catholic faith, paired with high-level time management skills, set Mina up for success and prepared him for what none of us saw coming: The global COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PATH
Many things led Mina to pursue pulmonology and critical care medicine. During high school, he was fascinated with biology. He recalled his science classes: "[Mr. Pienkos] made studying science fun and interactive." This led Mina to apply and subsequently get accepted to a 7-year BS/MD program at Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education at the City College of New York. Upon completion, he went on to the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where he graduated in 2009.
Mina said, "I especially loved physiology during medical school and tutored physiology during my time at City College. I was debating between specializing in cardiology, nephrology, and pulmonary/critical care medicine." In the end, he chose pulmonary/critical care medicine. What was the deciding factor? "I was very fascinated with the intensive care unit and taking care of the sickest patients and managing their ventilators and critical illnesses," he said.
ON THE FRONT LINES
When Mina graduated from medical school in 2009, he never could have predicted how valuable his medical training and specialty would be in 2020.
When COVID-19 hit, Mina said, "our hospitals and ICUs became flooded with patients suffering severe pneumonia requiring high levels of oxygen and many requiring life support with ventilators and other therapies. This was a very challenging experience given the sheer number of sick patients we saw, the sickest of which were in our ICUs with prolonged and complicated hospital courses, and many of whom passed away from the virus. It was even more emotionally taxing as patients suffered or passed away alone without family surrounding them because of limited hospital visitation during the pandemic."
"Although initially, the experience was depersonalizing," said Mina, "as patients were in medically-induced comas, we made an effort to connect with families via FaceTime so that they could see their loved ones and we could have an opportunity to see and speak with them. Despite the many sad and unfortunate cases, we also had several successes and elements of joy as many patients eventually recovered. Although a trying period indeed, I believe we all grew stronger from these experiences and definitely gained an immense amount of knowledge about a virus we had never encountered before."
FAITH IN THE ERA OF COVID-19
Like so many of us, COVID-19 challenged Mina on a spiritual level. He recalled how "it often felt like we were in the middle of a Biblical plague, especially the hospital scenes we encountered. I cannot express how important and invaluable faith shielded me throughout this experience. My faith-based upbringing, coupled with the strong Catholic education I received from elementary school through high school, along with the deep ties to my local church community, were all profoundly instrumental in keeping me rooted in Christ throughout this time period."
ADVICE TO THE NEXT GENERATION
Mina has some sage advice for our current students: "My advice, first and foremost, is to hold fast to the faith, even when moments of doubt, despair, or questioning arise. Secondly, there is a certain humility in obedience, whether it's wearing a mask, social distancing, or washing hands frequently. Continue to take precautions and stay safe, but stop listening to those who want to instill fear. As difficult as this time is, trust that you are strong, and we will get through this. Deepen your friendships and use this opportunity to grow spiritually, emotionally, and academically."
As eighth-graders, many boys see Chaminade High School as just another school, but what they don't realize is how much it will impact them throughout the rest of their lives. As for some parting words from Dr. Makaryus: "I am proud to be a Chaminade alumnus because of the great education, amazing mentorship, lasting friendships, and foundation of faith that I received."