Getting to know Dr. Vivek Choksi
Dr. Vivek Choksi always knew he wanted to be a doctor, even though his parents, who are both physicians, actually encouraged him to look into other careers because of the sometimes-hectic lifestyle. But he says, “It was always medicine for me.” While in medical school in India, he was able to complete a couple of his rotations in the United States. Once he graduated, he knew he wanted to come here for further training and to practice. When it came time to choose a specialty, he was interested in finding one that included procedures, and gastroenterology was a good blend of medicine and procedures. “The satisfaction you get when you can go in and fix something is immediate; for example – controlling bleeding from an ulcer in the stomach. More importantly the ability to prevent someone from getting cancer by removing polyps in early stages is highly rewarding.”
He was in the inaugural GI program at the hospital in Miami. He was honored with the role of being the Chief Resident and the Chief Fellow during his training. He was also honored with several awards during his training, for his outstanding research work. After three years in his fellowship program, he is the newest gastroenterologist here at CMC Digestive Health. He will soon be joined by his wife of five years, who is also a gastroenterologist, once she graduates in June 2021. They met in medical school in India. He says God has blessed them to have been able to stay together through medical school, residency, and their fellowships and now at Conway Medical Center.
“It’s going to be an exciting move for us. We are delighted to become a part of such a well-organized institution and a collegial team as we continue to take care of our patients. We have always wanted to be able to experience all the four seasons within a few hours of where we live. We have never had that before, so we are looking forward to experiencing that here. We believe Conway Medical Center is the perfect place for us and we can’t wait to begin the next phase of our lives here in the beautiful Myrtle Beach – Conway neighborhood.”
Although he and his wife have not had much free time in the last few years with their education and training, they are especially excited to move to the Grand Strand area because they love spending time at the beach. They also enjoy traveling and hiking. He says they are very social and love to meet different people while going to festivals and gatherings. They are looking forward to trying different restaurants and cuisines in our area as they both consider themselves foodies.
When it comes to his specialty, Dr. Choksi wants to remind everyone, especially during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March to pay attention to your health. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in adults and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Screening guidelines are changing, so make sure to talk with your healthcare provider about when you should begin your screenings, like colonoscopies. Early detection is key, and many times colon cancer can be prevented if polyps are found and removed.
You can contact CMC Digestive Health at 843-347-6038.
