Family Medicine
Date
October 30, 2024
Alumni Spotlight - Arthur Frazzano
Welcome to our Alumni Spotlight, where we celebrate the remarkable achievements of Brown Family Medicine graduates. Join us as we highlight their journeys, contributions to healthcare, and the impact they continue to make in their communities.
Why did you enter medicine? 
Originally, I wanted to be a bioengineer and work in the space program. In college I was grouped together with the pre-med students and followed them to a local city hospital to spend time on an OB unit. The excitement was intoxicating and I changed my career goal to medicine as a junior.
What led you to family medicine?
After med school, I had no idea what I wanted to specialize in so I chose family medicine for a taste of everything.
What attracted you to the Brown Family Medicine Residency?
It was the first year of an Ivy League residency program at a medical school. What an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and make the program fit my eclectic needs.
When did you start your residency?
July 1, 1975.
What was the most extraordinary part of your training experience in the Brown Family Medicine Residency?
We were six first year residents without any family medicine senior residents who basically ran the medical services. It was scary at first but what a way to build confidence.
Who were your mentors in residency?
“ Dr. Jack Cunningham who brought his private practice into the residency. Dr. David Greer who was our first chair and later became Dean of Brown Med. Dr Tom Scaramella who allowed me to do two years of psych in what became a four year residency in family medicine for me. Dr. Akeem Kahn who ran the ICU/CCU and was a good friend as well as mentor. ”
What is something you learned as a resident that you have regularly gone back to throughout your career?
I learned to listen closely to what patients said and not just hear the words. This has served me in all aspects of life.
What advice do you have for current residents?
Learn to be a team player.
What do you do now?
I am retired and drive my oncologist crazy with side effects from every med. Wish that I could spend more time with my four grandsons in California, Colorado and Virginia.
What is/was your favorite thing about being a family doctor?
Patient contact. I always enjoyed being a medical guide to people on their journey through life. Watching kids grow and blossom was a particular pleasure.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I d There are so many meaningful things that happened to me along my career in Rhode Island and at Brown. I never thought of it as pride in achievement but only as fulfillment of a promise.