“It's the absolute truth, as farfetched as it sounds.”

Manuel Dorna-Pasquera, MD, has lived in Spartanburg for 23 years. It's how he discovered the Hub City that might surprise some.

A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Dorna earned his medical degree from the Universidad Central Del Caribe. When he examined a directory of family medicine programs, one name stood out – Spartanburg.

 “My sister took her master's program at Michigan State University, and they're the Spartans,” Dr. Dorna said.

Spartan … Spartanburg … that's why he took a closer look at Spartanburg Regional.

Thanks to that coincidence, Dr. Dorna discovered a top-rated family medicine residency program that met his needs.

He knew within six months of starting here that he never wanted to leave Spartanburg.

“This is my home,” Dr. Dorna said. “I've been here almost half my life and I'm here to stay.”

Importance of family

Most of his family lives 1,500 miles away, but Dr. Dorna remains close to them thanks to technology and frequent travel.

“I talk to my parents once a week and see them twice a year,” Dr. Dorna said. “My sisters are my best friends.”

Family is so important to Dr. Dorna that he maintained the Hispanic tradition of keeping his mother's maternal name in addition to his father's name – Dorna-Pasquera.

“I wanted to honor my mother by legally hyphenating it,” Dr. Dorna said.

Watching families grow

After 23 years as a family physician, Dr. Dorna has watched a number of children grow into adulthood.

“I take care of patients who were infants when I first started seeing them, and now they're in their twenties with their own families,” Dr. Dorna said.

With new patients, Dr. Dorna wants to establish a relationship built on trust and comfort.

“I want to get to know them,” Dr. Dorna said. “I want them to trust me.”

Dr. Dorna had an independent practice for 13 years after residency, and originally came to Spartanburg Regional to help launch Immediate Care Center – Eastside.

Today, he sees patients at Medical Group of the Carolinas – Family Medicine – Converse Heights, a practice he has worked at for the past year.

Would you like an appointment with Dr. Dorna? Call 864-573-9595 or visit our website to learn more.