#156 How I Became an Anesthesiologist by Day and Chef / Restaurant Owner by Night, ft. Dr. Thomas Lo
In this episode, Dr. Kim interviews Dr. Thomas Lo, aka “Chef Dr. Lo”, a board-certified Anesthesiologist, Chef, CEO, and Entrepreneur. He shares his amazing story, passion for food, and advice for fellow physicians in finding business success outside of medicine.
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Eckard Enterprises and flipMD brings this episode to you.
Eckard Enterprises, LLC, is a family-owned and operated alternative investment and asset management firm, specializing in mineral rights and the U.S. energy industry. Eckard believes that owning tangible assets is one of the safest, long-term investment strategies available in today’s investment climate.
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Episode Highlights
Now, let’s look at what we discussed in this episode:
- Thomas Lo, doctor and chef
- From making dishes to running a business
- Balancing passion and practice
- Impact on his medical career
- Finding successful ventures outside of medicine
- Connecting with Dr. Thomas Lo
Here’s a breakdown of how this episode unfolds.
Episode Breakdown
Thomas Lo, doctor and chef
Dr. Thomas, shares about shuttling between his practice and passion for food. He also talks about taking a detour into his culinary development and then back to med school.
“I had always wanted to be a chef. I had always wanted to go to cooking school. It is a dream of mine.” — Dr. Thomas Lo
From making dishes to running a business
When asked how he transitioned into running a business, Dr. Lo answers with how he balanced his hours between the hospital and his involvement in starting and running a restaurant. He also emphasizes how fun the process was for him.
“… I kind of slowly just kept getting my hands involved. Then I realized this has been literally a dream of mine since I was like seven years old, so why not do it?” — Dr. Thomas Lo
Balancing passion and practice
Dr. Thomas recalls how he found balance and success in both business and medicine. He stresses how important time management, prioritization, and focus are.
“I think the biggest thing is figuring out what’s important to you in your life. Only one person can really answer that… and that is you.” — Dr. Thomas Lo
Impact on his medical career
From his experience as both a chef and doctor, Dr. Lo shares how he brings similarities together to serve his clients or customers better.
“Having worked in fine dining, working with Michelin-starred chefs… I learned it’s all about service and presentation. I’ve been able to use that in my private practice anesthesia.” — Dr. Thomas Lo
Finding successful ventures outside of medicine
When asked about possibilities for physicians to venture outside of medicine and still find success, Dr. Lo responded with how physicians are equipped with a solid foundation that allows them to explore options despite the risks.
“You just got to give it a shot. And I think with medicine, it allows you the time and the money to cut a venture, take a little risk, and do something else..” — Dr. Thomas Lo
Connecting with Dr. Thomas Lo
Dr. Lo shares how people can connect with him to find out more about him, his story, his updates, and advice for fellow physicians.
