Saint Mary’s Emergency Department (ED) celebrated the recent U.S. Citizenship of their beloved colleague, Reza Roodsari, M.D. An ED favorite for his good humor and kindness, Dr. Roodsari started at Saint Mary’s in 2018. Hailing from Iran, Dr. Roodsari came to the United States in 2010, performed his Residency at King’s County Hospital in Brooklyn before coming to Waterbury.
Saint Mary's Emergency Department colleagues celebrate with Dr. Reza Roodsari upon his achievement.
From the moment he arrived in the United States, Dr. Roodsari always knew he wanted to become a U.S. Citizen. It took time to follow the proper process, but that perseverance paid off as Dr. Roodsari made it official. He said the Citizenship test was straight forward, “they asked many questions about the history of the United States, they tested my writing and reading skills in English, and I passed!”
Passing was never in doubt, as Kent Burgwardt, D.O., Emergency Department Director said, “he’s the only physician I know that scored 100% on his Emergency Medicine boards.”
Another interesting fact Dr. Burgwardt shared is that in his free time, Dr. Roodsari translates Emergency Medicine textbooks into Farsi and sends the translations back to his community in Iran so that physicians and aspiring physicians can use them as a resource.
The excitement and joy in the ED was palpable during the recognition celebration. Colleagues commented on his compassion, his humor, the fact that Dr. Roodsari always attends recognitions and social events for fellow ED staff. And no matter what time of day it is, he will greet everyone with a “Good Morning!”
When asked how he feels, Dr. Roodsari said, “It’s great, I’m an American now!”