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Dr. Daniel Morin grew up in New England, lived in New York and spent time in both California and Hawaii. Yet when it came time to make his mark in the medical community, Morin chose New Orleans for at least one very good reason.

"You can't get grits up north," he said.

Now the Director of Electrophysiology and Research at Ochsner's and a newlywed since July, Morin said his travels as a hospitalist in sunnier climes left him spoiled. The subsequent search for an interesting destination understandably ended in New Orleans, where he was evacuated by Hurricane Gustave just three weeks after taking up residence. "It was both scary and exciting," he said. "Still, I don't miss those Boston winters. Mom's coming here for Christmas."

Morin may call the tiny Boston area town of Groton his home, but the line of medical practitioners he comes from is anything but small — his mother, aunt, and sister are all nurses. However, it was his father, a safety engineer, who died unexpectedly of cardiac arrest that would influence then 14-year-old Morin in his choice of career. "When I was a kid, I always knew I'd do something scientific. Cardiology is a set of prevalent diseases, and you can really make an impact. I lost my father to sudden cardiac arrest.

It was always in the back of my mind," he said.

A second catastrophic event during adolescence finalized his medical plans. "I had a major car accident as a teenager and was in rehab for months," he explained. "I had reconstructive plastic surgery, the works. Seeing doctors constantly working to help me solidified my resolve."

Crediting his early self-awareness at 17 with how really miraculous recovery can be, Morin decided to pursue his future at the University of Massachusetts and Harvard, where he earned a combined medical degree and masters in public health. He completed his residency at Tufts New England Medical Center and also attended Cornell in New York. Selecting his sub-specialty dealing with the electrical system of the heart and rhythm disorders surfaced when he applied for fellowships. "I applied for cardiology my third year of residency, and saw a tremendous opportunity for affecting public health, and since I was always interested in public health — I have a master's — it matched."

"It's great in that there're no midnight emergencies," he joked.

The 35-year old doctor has been at his present post since the beginning of August, and says there are big changes afoot. His department has gone from two to five electrophysiologists in a brief year and a half, and just hired a sixth, rendering them better capable of providing services not easily procured in the area. "Ochsner's ran a barrage of ads for zillions of doctors in the New England Journal," he explained, "I didn't apply at the time, but later received a call from a headhunter that piqued my interest. I took a look, and decided it (Ochsner's) was a very good fit. They gave me everything I asked for."

And living in the Big Easy is not too bad either. "Just settling in is a good time," said Morin. "I like to do home improvement, and we built a roofed deck and redid our last condo. We're doing the same here."

Morin is fond of fine dining restaurants and already familiar with Top Ten American Chef John Besh's historically-housed Restaurant August — where they feature Sugar and Spice duckling with Anson Mill grits — and the Uptown neighborhood shrimp n' grits eatery Patois, in addition to Commander's Palace and other standbys he frequents. Fortunately, he does a lot of bike riding and wants to return to tennis, but he's traded in his clam chowder for gumbo both literally and figuratively. "New York City was too big and Boston has that white stuff that falls," he laughed.

The literary outlook and musical rhythms of the Crescent City are a good fit for him as well. He's currently reading A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson, a sharply satiric account of a neophyte's learning hard lessons about self-reliance while walking the Appalachian Trail. Morin also listens to rap, a habit he picked up in New York City as a Cornell undergraduate: Big Daddy Cane, Public Enemy. "No music shows yet, but I'm looking forward to it," he said. "And some salt water fish. I had to sell mine. I'd like to get another aquarium, just as soon as we get some furniture Uptown."

For now, he's happily set up in a house that borders the Tulane baseball field. His wife Serena is a teacher of young actors whose nephew was a talented Broadway performer. Such actors must be educated, and his wife works on the set as a private tutor.

With a new wife, a new job, and a new address, Morin is poised at the beginning of his mature career. "My goal is a nebulous one, maximizing my ability to affect not only my patients but whole groups of people," he said, once more the formal cardiologist on record. But on a more personal level, he said he'd like to be an outstanding husband and father in the future.

Although the Boston boy may be far from home, he doesn't regret it. "So far, so good," he said.

"And, there's nothing like a sunny day."

Tags:

Daniel Morin, Ochsner

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