Alston Bryan Calderon
PA-C, MSPAP, EMT-P
Trained and Experienced in several medical specialties;
Psychiatry & Mental Health
Trauma & Acute Care Surgery
General Surgery
Hospital Medicine
Cosmetic Injections
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Growing up, I had a unique perspective of the world being a first-generation American raised by immigrant Colombian parents. I found a love for medicine when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 41. After a rewarding career, while working as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the United States Air Force, it became evident that my skills acquired in the military, and my love for medicine, needed to be put to use in order to help advance the medical community.
I have always been fascinated with learning and know that everyone has a story to tell, it's important to be open-minded to new fresh ideas and especially be open to change.
I graduated Florida State University College of Medicine with a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Practice degree.
“Alston Bryan Calderon, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, was stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, from 2004 to 2008. He worked as a firefighter for the Air Force and was part of the first EMT course taught overseas while being deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Alston first gained his medical experience in Afghanistan while volunteering at a U.S. Army base emergency room treating local nationals and wounded soldiers. He separated from the Air Force honorably in 2008 after several deployments and an immensely satisfying enlistment. He was hired at Patrick Air Force Base in August 2008 as a civil service employee working as a firefighter and after just a few months became a state of Florida paramedic. While working full-time, 72-hour weeks, he finished an Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Emergency Medical Services degree and ultimately graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science Health Sciences Pre-Clinical degree. He enjoys living an active lifestyle and is fascinated with learning how things work. His quest for knowledge helped him restore a piece of history, a 17-foot, 1956 Chris Craft mahogany wooden boat that he named Limitless. He has traveled and treated patients from all over the world and knows that the trust that one gains when treating another human is a priceless gift that he wants to continue to share with others. Alston feels blessed and fortunate to continue his education with Florida State University College of Medicine and knows that his experience in combination with the education that he will gain at Florida State University will help to push the medical community forward through current and future boundaries.”
Outside of medicine, I'm a huge basketball fan and enjoy exploring the green outdoors whenever possible. I appreciate working out, running, snowboarding in the winters, and fishing/boating in the summers. A fun fact about me, I taught myself how to cut my own hair at the age of 13 (still cut it myself today), ended up becoming my first business venture.
Alston’s Recent Blog Post
In the pursuit of mental well-being, we often explore various avenues, from therapy to mindfulness practices to nurture our minds and hearts. However, amidst these efforts, one vital element often remains overlooked: Vitamin D.
But I am not hungry in the morning, EAT Breakfast!!! I have never eaten breakfast in the morning, EAT Breakfast!!! But I am not a breakfast person, EAT BREAKFAST!!!
Ever since I started practicing medicine, I have made two distinct associations backed up by evidence-based medicine: the association between skipping breakfast and anxiety.
Being self-aware and able to self-regulate yourself when things in life are going haywire is the truest test of emotional intelligence. When things are great, life is great! When finances, love, and mental and physical well-being are running like a well-oiled machine, a person’s system is in equilibrium, homeostasis is met; all is well inside and outside.
41 years of life, 41 years traveled to the sun and back. What a journey thus far, the ups and downs, are all part of the journey. The people that I have connected with, the relationships that I have made, and the experiences that I have lived through, are all a part of my 41 years of life.
When thinking of Emotional Intelligence what comes to mind? How can the lack of it affect your life and the lives of those around you? Can it be taught and reinforced? How destructive can it be in a person’s life? All these questions come to mind when I think of Emotional Intelligence.
My Covid-19 story starts back at the end of June beginning of July 2020. I was home working on case studies online due to the school pulled us from clinical rotations because of Covid-19. While at home awaiting to restart clinical rotations, I was awakened in the middle of the night with a fever of 101.7. I felt horrible the next day, my fever continue along with body chills, aches and malaise.
I’m tired of the F word, everything is not fine, and that’s okay. What’s not okay, is saying “It’s fine” when in reality it’s not. While working in Psychiatry and Trauma Surgery, I feel like I have a unique birds-eye view from two very different, yet closely related important perspectives,
We prepare for the day’s activity, but what about our night activity (or inactivity) that we call sleep? We sleep for a 1/3 of our life, that’s roughly 12,000 days spent in bed, that’s a lot of time spent asleep. Do you think it’s important for physical and mental health?
I turned 40 years old on March 3rd, 2021, looking back at my life thus far made me reflect on this roller coaster ride that we all call life. I can vividly remember being 18 years old and being completely lost after graduating high school. I had no idea who I was, nor who I wanted to become.
We all have heard the saying “Actions speak louder than words” but how can you relate that concept to your personal life? It’s easier said than done, especially with all the distractions that we constantly have around us today. It’s a lot easier to take a photo, share some catchy quote and post it on social media.
Why is the unknown frightening? Should we be scared and frightened of the unknown? Can the unknown as scary as it may seem be beneficial for us as a human species? All these questions come to mind when I think about the subject, and I am sure that others to relate with the feeling of being scared or frightened with the unknown.
This past weekend I was awoken to the sad news of a classmate that passed away. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family and friends. It breaks my heart because she was on the path to helping others but unfortunately it was cut short because of circumstances, issues, concerns and experiences that she was personally dealing with.
So after many, many, many months of eating Sardines for lunch, 22 months straight, 5 days a week to be exact. It’s finally time to address the many questions that I get when people find out that I purposely eat them. The two many questions that I get asked are ……..
It all feels surreal, I honestly feel like it hasn’t hit me yet. I remember when the thought of going into medicine was just that, a simple thought. That thought occurred when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 40. My definition of unconditional love eventually passed away at the age of 45, she left my two younger sisters, my father and I way too soon.
I have been recently hearing about a Netflix documentary titled “The Social Dilemma” which was released earlier this year in January of 2020. I haven’t yet seen it but have been hearing about it more and more in the last few weeks. I saw the trailer for it today and basically, it's about tech experts in the social networking business blowing the whistle on the dangers of it in our society.
I purchased a dashcam a couple of years ago because of a trend that I was noticing of me being at The Right place at The Right time ever since I first became an EMT back in 2005. I wanted to be able to document these events because honestly, it’s hard to believe even when I share the stories after they happen.
The intention of this blog is to attempt to describe the feelings and emotions that I had when I first assisted in surgery on a breast cancer lumpectomy case. The patient was a 45 y/o female who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer on her left breast, she was there for her lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy.
When considering the way medicine is practiced in the 21st century, one can’t get too far into the topic without mentioning the time spent with each patient. How would I feel if I was in the patient’s place at the hospital knowing what I know now and all the work that one patient entails?
Small shifts in mindset and the effects it has on your life and the life of others is a superpower that anyone can tap into. It’s easier said than done, but once it becomes a habit you will see immediate results.
Consistent Self Discipline, The three words that hold the key to all the knowledge and opportunities that you can possibly obtain. Let me break down these words individually for more clarification;
Tough LOVE, what is it? How does it work? Why does it work? These questions come to mind whenever I have conversation on the topic. To some, it might seem unorthodox, but in my mind it’s normal. Tough LOVE is how I was raised as a child and then trained as a young adult with the military.
The No Grow Zone, what is it? I will give you a hint, it can be seen in both Plants and Humans. The No Grow Zone is a place that some might be familiar with, some by choice, others by desperation.
While sitting in quarantine, it’s easy to get lost in one’s own thoughts. It’s hard to be optimistic with all the negativity constantly being injected into our heads from the news on the television, Facebook feeds, Instagram feeds etc. but have faith, stay positive and know that, This Too Shall Pass.
We all have pretty much heard the phrase social distancing by now but what about words Physical Distancing? I heard about Physical Distancing a few weeks ago, and honestly, I think that it fully encompasses what society is doing rather than Social Distancing.
Happy Birthday Mom, Happy 61st Birthday! On this day, 61 years ago, you change the course of the world’s future by giving birth to your only son. You shared so much with me in the 23 years of life that I physically knew you.
It’s been weeks since we were first quarantined here in the U.S. and I am sure that it’s been feeling a lot like groundhog day every day. I joke around telling family and friends that I was built for quarantine, but in all seriousness maybe I am?
How is the world going to change from this pandemic? What did we not even notice back just a few weeks ago that we will change moving forward? I think about that simple thought, and my mind begins to wonder.
With all the chaos in the world today surrounding COVID-19, drowning out all the loud thoughts running through your mind is exhausting to say the least. You aren’t alone, the world is hurting and that’s heartbreaking.
So what do the letters stand for? What can those three letters possibly do for my life? Well, well, well, let me start by saying that the power is in the eye of the beholder.
The aim of this blog is to share my thoughts as they present themselves throughout the course of my life. The more that I can share about my thoughts, successes and failures the more that I can connect with people throughout the world.
Everyone has a story to tell, I’m just trying to capture mine in real time, Enjoy!
In our fast-paced modern world, the connection between our diet and overall well-being is often overlooked. However, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, widely regarded as the father of modern medicine, understood this connection well. His famous quote, "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," underscores the profound impact that what we consume can have on our health. Today, this ancient wisdom is finding new relevance, particularly in the realm of mental health, with growing evidence supporting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.