A TOUGH CORNER OF MEDICINE

ALAN MUNOZ gynecologic oncologist

“It is very stressful to deal with death and dying, especially with young patients,” says Alan Munoz. “But when I see a patient a year, two years, five years later and they are alive and doing well, it does me wonders.”

As a gynecologic cancer surgeon, Munoz has not chosen a happy corner of medicine. Yet he exudes the positive attitude of someone who believes he has selected the right path in life.

It was a desire to use his skills fully that drew him to his field. “In obstetrics, everyone got better, which made me feel minuscule,” he says. “But I feel tremendous satisfaction in helping people who are very ill, even if I help them in only a moment of time in their pain.”

Munoz, 44, was trained as a cancer specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles, after a residency at Parkland and medical school at Louisiana State University in his native New Orleans. In Los Angeles he excelled in surgery and was invited back to Dallas to teach at Southwestern Medical School.

He began his private practice a year and a half ago because he wanted to do more hands-on care. Now he sees himself as the quarterback in his patients’ cancer therapy. He performs surgery, administers chemotherapy and consults on radiation therapy.

Though his specialty is fairly common in Los Angeles, it still is somewhat unusual in Dallas, Munoz says. That keeps him in demand. He has offices at both St. Paul Medical Center and Medical City Dallas and is called on to operate in hospitals across the Metroplex.

He often is consulted to perform surgery that doesn’t directly involve cancer-to correct extreme endometriosis, for example, or to reconstruct vaginas ravaged by radiation treatment.

“1 don’t have any days off,” he says withouta hint of displeasure.