Members of the Month:
Jean and Marc Ghosn

Brothers share future in family medicine

By Kate Alfano

posted 04.04.20

Brothers Jean and Marc Ghosn shared the same family growing up in Texas, share a love of table tennis, and are now planning to share the same profession. Jean is a third-year family medicine resident at Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program in Sugar Land and Marc is a third-year medical student at University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) in San Antonio.

Jean dreams of becoming a successful family physician surrounded by his friends and family — defining success as a lifelong career of reputation, trust, and respect by his patients, community and colleagues. Marc aims to complete his medical degree, and pursue a family medicine residency in Texas and a sports medicine fellowship. His dream is to be the team physician for a city sports team and also volunteer as a physician at the annual Formula 1 Grand Prix in Austin every November.

Who or what inspired you to pursue medical careers?
Jean (J): As a kid, I was intrigued by the loud ticking noise I heard from my grandfather’s chest when he came to hug me. Finding out that he had spent his life savings to travel from Lebanon to Houston, Texas, in 1971 to have his aortic valve replaced by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey opened my eyes to the profound effects medicine can have on a patient and his family’s quality of life.

Marc (M): Along with the inspiration I received from my grandfather and his incredible medical journey, my brother Jean has also been a role model and an inspiration to me himself. Growing up, I would see him work tirelessly towards his life goals, and I would follow in his footsteps down my own path but with the same effort and vigor as him.

Are any of your other family members in medical fields? 
J: Our parents are both software engineers, and we have extended family in architecture and business. This made navigating the medical career more challenging, but I am excited to share the rest of the journey with my brother.

What support does your brother provide to you?
M: I’ve been blessed to have a kind, older brother who is also in medicine; he has supported me with guidance and advice since my undergraduate years. His help has given me the ability to focus on my studies as well as direct my efforts into extracurricular activities and organizations, like TAFP, that I enjoy and benefit from.

Are you planning to practice together?
J: Certainly! We consider the “family” in family medicine as our foundation and motto. Shortly after I joined TAFP, I introduced my brother to the academy– and now we both attend conferences together, lead committees, and enroll in opportunities such as the Family Medicine Leadership Experience.

What are you most passionate about in medicine?
J: I have a strong interest in preventive medicine. My goal with every patient is to not only address their acute concerns for that day, but also promote their overall well-being and mitigate budding problems. I find this works best by partnering with my patients and providing motivation for change.

M: As a part of UIW School of Osteopathic Medicine’s first class of medical students, I worked hard to get a few student organizations up and running on campus. However, I am most passionate about advocacy in medicine, serving for three years on the TEXPAC Board of Directors and a student member of the BCMS Legislative Affairs Committee. My goal is to help more Texans have medical coverage and push towards more affordable options than what we currently have.

What advice would you give to younger people about discerning a specialty?
J: Reflect back on the rotations in medical school where you were the most content, and try to find out why — was it your colleagues, the clinical duties, the patient population, the work hours, or something else? In some cases, it’s a mix of all these reasons. And that flexibility is the beauty of comprehensive specialties like family medicine.

What do you enjoy doing outside of medicine?
J: I love to run; I enjoy seeing improvement in my time and compete in annual half-marathons. I also like to play table tennis! I picked it up in middle school and have met several new friends from many different cultures along the way. I travel often (I love Asian food) — Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan last year, and Bangkok and Singapore this year. Hopefully South Korea and Japan next year!

M: Ever since a young age, I loved playing the piano! It started as a hobby, but my parents saw talent and put me in private lessons until the end of high school. In college, I became the pianist for HBU’s choir and glee club, and at UIWSOM I played at our yearly Christmas caroling event. Playing piano has become my form of stress relief during medical school, and I dedicate some time every week to practice and learn new pieces.

What else would Texas family physicians enjoy knowing about you, professionally or personally?
J: I call Richmond, Texas, my home, and I’ve always got a brisket ready for the pit down at the ranch house. Stop by and say, "Howdy!"

M: I consider myself a lifelong learner, and I look forward to continuing my growth as a student as well as a resident and attending physician in the near future. If we ever cross paths at a conference, make sure to say hello! It’s always a pleasure to meet other students and physicians from around the state.

TAFP’s Member of the Month program highlights Texas family physicians in TAFP News Now and on the TAFP website. We feature a biography and a Q&A with a different TAFP member each month and his or her unique approach to family medicine. If you know an outstanding family physician colleague who you think should be featured as a Member of the Month or if you’d like to tell your own story, nominate yourself or your colleague by contacting TAFP by email at tafp@tafp.org or by phone at (512) 329-8666. View past Members of the Month here.