NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2008

spotlight It’s almost impossible for Robert Hasty to go anywhere within Nova Southeastern University’s Health Professions Division (HPD) without a faculty or staff member or student stopping the affable doctor to say hello. Hasty, D.O., FACOI, is extremely popular, especially among his students, because of his expertise in internal medicine and his dedication to helping them succeed. As he walks through the HPD Café, the well-dressed and be- spectacled doctor preaches to his enthusiastic students about the Three A s required to succeed in medicine: affability, avail- ability, and ability. At 34, Hasty’s mastery of the Three A s helped him become one of the youngest professors at NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). During his short tenure, Hasty has started the COM Grand Rounds, a monthly lunch meeting during which phy- sicians, other health care professionals, and professors from across South Florida talk about medical issues ranging from mental health to radiology. Hasty has also led NSU research on obesity and a popular, but problematic, blood thinner drug. “Hasty is one of our most energetic and visionary faculty mem- bers,” said Anthony J. Silvagni, D.O., Pharm.D., M.Sc., FACOFP, FAFPE, COM’s dean. “He has a vast clinical knowledge and is readily available to help others.” Early Life Hasty’s meteoric rise in medicine began with “paper or plastic.” Growing up in a single-parent household of four children in Boca Raton, Hasty learned at an early age that he’d have to work hard to get ahead in life. Long before he entered the field of medicine, Hasty got a job at a place where “Shopping is a Pleasure”—Publix Super Market, Inc. At 14, he was hired as a bag boy, responsible for sacking groceries and offering a helping hand. He did it well, and was quickly promoted to stock boy. While these were simple jobs, working for Florida’s largest supermarket chain helped Hasty develop valuable people skills that he puts into practice as a physician. “My first job gave me insight to the thought process of different people,” he said. He continued working at Publix during his college years at the University of Miami. At 21, he left the company and was awarded 1,200 shares of company stock. Discovering Medicine As an undergraduate, Hasty wanted to prepare for a profession that would combine his passion for investigative work with his desire to help people. At first, he considered going into business. Then, he realized medicine would allow him to help more people than he could in the corporate world. “Medicine is a profession that puts you in intimate contact with people,” Hasty said. “You see them at their best and at their worst.” The ambitious college student wanted to really pre- pare himself for medical school. So, he triple majored in biochemistry and molecu- lar biology, chemistry, and biology. “I used to carry two backpacks because I had so many textbooks,” said Hasty, who graduated with top grades. Hasty also scored high on the Medical College Admis- sion Test. With his test score and stellar grades at the Uni- versity of Miami, Hasty had his choice of many medical schools. But, he selected NSU’s College of Osteo- pathic Medicine after he met the late Matthew Terry, D.O., COM’s former dean. Terry explained to Hasty how D.O.s (doctors of osteopathic medicine) are very compassionate and empathetic physicians. The former dean also mentioned how the profession was growing. Once an obscure medical discipline sometimes discriminated against, osteopathic medicine has become a mainstream practice and first choice among many incoming medical students. “I think the public is recognizing the value of D.O.s,” Hasty said. NSU Medical School and Residency As a medical student, Hasty enjoyed learning from an eclectic and engaging faculty. One of his former professors, Ken Johnson, D.O., FACOOG, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecol- ogy, is now Hasty’s colleague. Part of Hasty’s education at NSU’s medical school included medical rotations at Broward General Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, and Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. After graduation, Hasty began a three-year medical residency at Mount Sinai. Shortly after, the young physician became the medical center’s chief intern; two years later, he became the chief resident. In his third year, Hasty was honored as Resident of the Year for the entire Mount Sinai health care system. 10 horizons College of Osteopathic Medicine doctor makes a difference By ken ma Sarah Monte (M2); Ayanna Ahing (M2); Philip Adams (M2); Jennifer Alonso (M1); and Robert Hasty, D.O., FACOI