His dad was the first head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Florida and his mother was an anesthesiologist in private practice. His grandfather and great uncle were physicians, as were his great grandfather and his father’s brother.

 

In a letter welcoming Martin into the world, his grandfather had written “hope that you will add honor and luster to the profession of medicine” and challenged him to always take the best care of his patients, sacrificing all other things to do so.

 

“This had a profound impact on me and my career plans, which until that time had also included the ministry and law,” said Martin, about his grandfather’s death, when his obituary on the front page of the small town newspaper referred to him at “a legend who practiced almost up until his death at 79.”

 

Martin seems to have fulfilled his destiny in the lifeblood of his family. A board-certified vascular specialist with more than three decades of experience, his educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Yale University, a medical degree from Duke University, a general surgery residency at New York Hospital-Cornell, and a vascular fellowship at the Ochsner Foundation Hospital.

 

After being the first surgeon in Central Florida to use the S.E.P.S. procedure, a less traumatic operation to help heal venous ulcers, Martin quickly became the foremost authority on venous disease.

 

But his path wasn’t straight; there was a slight bump along the way.

 

“While my parents never put any pressure on me to be a physician, my mother always pressed me to live up to my potential,” said Martin, the oldest of three children who moved from Durham, N.C. to Gainesville, Fla., when he was 10. “In ninth grade, I was underachieving. That summer, we looked at prep schools in the northeast and my mother put me in summer school at Andover, Mass. It was there that I came in contact with boys my age who had ambition and wanted to attend Ivy League colleges. This provided the impetus (to) start making straight A’s. Eventually, I became the student body president and was noted Best All Around and fulfilled my dream of being accepted at Yale.”

 

Martin spent several summers working in the Office of the Surgeon General in Washington, D.C. In medical school at Duke, he was influenced to specialize in surgery, thanks to a chief resident who was humble, very polite, had a caring bedside manner and a rapport with nurses and other staff.

 

“At the same time, he handled all situations with an even manner,” recalled Martin. “He was a man of all seasons and this is what I wanted to be-strong but gentle and caring. There was no blame for others when things didn’t go as expected; there was never finger-pointing.”

 

Martin settled in Orlando in 1978, the first fellowship-trained vascular surgeon in Central Florida. He became a member of the teaching staff at the Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), and established the vascular lab for the non-invasive diagnosis of venous and arterial disease. Martin also established the vascular lab at Florida Hospital and served as chairman of surgery at the former Lucerne Hospital.

 

A founder and former head of the Central Florida Wound Care Center, Martin developed an interest in venous disease because more than 50 percent of the wounds treated resulted from vein problems. 

 

In 2001, Martin was among the first surgeons in Florida to move away from the surgical removal of varicose veins to the use of laser closure. He also served as one of the primary investigators to show the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the safety and efficacy of foam sclerotherapy.

 

Voted one of Orlando’s Best Physicians, Martin received the ORMC Teaching Award. Now on staff at Florida Hospital, he is an American College of Surgeons Fellow. A former president of the Florida Vascular Society, he represents Florida Vascular Society to the carrier advisory committee, which focuses on Medicare issues. 

 

A member of numerous regional and national vascular societies, including the American College of Phlebology and Society of Vascular Ultrasound, Martin earned American Board of Phlebology certification in mid-2008 in the specialty of phlebology. The charter class for ABPh included 248 diplomates nationwide.

 

“My greatest challenge is to accept that people aren’t as committed in the time they’re willing to spend or the energy they bring to the task of attaining excellence in patient care, and taking care of themselves,” admitted Martin, who calls himself a realist, not a pessimist. “Hospital administrators have an agenda that often doesn’t involve the feelings or solicit the creativity of their physicians and nurses. Patients want a quick fix and generally are unwilling to commit to working at their health, like dieting discipline, regular exercise and making sacrifices. As yet, I have no answer, but I do what I can every day.”

 

Martin’s medical family has expanded to include his brother, Bill, and sister, Celia, both practicing orthodontics. Martin’s son, Randall, is a radiology resident in Dallas. His daughter, Allie, is contemplating nursing as a career. His son, Quinn, is a lawyer; practicing in a profession Martin strongly considered pursuing.

 

“Personally, I enjoy challenging myself, mostly physically,” said Martin, whose significant other, Michele, and two college-age daughters, Katie and Kari, are part of his family. “I regularly work out with weights, attend spinning classes, bike and go to yoga classes. I consider myself on the 100-year plan and work at it every day. “

 

Inspired by Marvin Gaye, Martin would secretly “love to be in my other life” an R&B singer, and enjoys dancing with Michele as often as possible.

 

“Professionally, I don’t ever want to retire,” said Martin, “and I want to reach out to my patients and inspire them to increase their self expectations. And then do it!”