Meet Gastroenterologist Vincent DeRosa, MD

What drives someone to spend a life in medicine? In this new Q&A series, a group of leading local physicians share the moments that set them on their path, the breakthroughs shaping their fields, and the realities behind the work. Their answers are candid, occasionally surprising, and grounded in experience. Together, they offer a clear-eyed look at the people delivering care in our community and what continues to motivate them every day.

Meet Gastroenterologist Vincent DeRosa, MD

Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine, and how did you select your specialty?

A. From a young age, I was drawn to science and developed an interest in medicine despite no member of my family working in healthcare. I attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles and embraced St. Ignatius’s core value of being “a man for others.” It was during these transformative years that I made my lifetime commitment to pursue medicine and care for the people in
my community.

I chose the field of Gastroenterology because of the vast variety of diseases we treat daily with frequently improving treatments. From gastroesophageal reflux disease to inflammatory bowel disease and from hepatitis to pancreatic diseases, I felt my career would always be intellectually stimulating. I also had a profound interest in procedural medicine and was keen to observe how impactful identifying and removing pre-cancerous polyps was to a person’s life trajectory by avoiding the development of colon cancer.

What’s one misconception people often have about your field?

Many people believe a gastroenterologist should be on the television show, Dirty Jobs. However, by the time patients come to see us in our ambulatory surgery center for a colonoscopy, they have spent hours cleaning out their GI tract. Performing a colonoscopy is thankfully not a dirty experience by any means for our procedural staff.

What is one thing about where you work or the work you do that you believe patients should know more about and understand?

A DNA stool test has been developed that has been able to diagnose colon cancer with a fair degree of accuracy. Unfortunately, it is a very poor test for the prevention of colon cancer. Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer prevention because it diagnoses polyps before they progress to colon cancer. The stool tests that are frequently advertised on television are poor (<50% accurate) at diagnosing advanced polyps that are close to developing into colon cancer. I feel this test gives patients a false sense of security with a negative test result. Patients should get a colonoscopy for preventative purposes.

What inspires you to get up every day and take care of your patients?

I am fortunate enough to report I have not missed a single day of work in the 18 years I have been in practice at Sansum Clinic, now a part of Sutter Health. I can’t say my health has always been at its best over this time period, however, I am aware patients rely on me to improve their symptoms or expect me to identify a pre-cancerous polyp or early colon cancer that can be life changing. Simply put, patients go through challenging evenings before a colonoscopy and I could not imagine not being there for them the next morning for their procedure.

Is there a book, movie, or podcast that has deeply influenced you?

One of my favorite books given to me by a dear friend and life mentor is Boys in the Boat. It is an amazingly true story about teamwork, sacrifice, and the coming together of a cast of characters that have different talents and responsibilities with the unified goal of achieving success. This concept is thematic of what I strive to create in our department. I feel blessed with partners, nurses, techs, medical assistants, and patient services representatives who are “in the boat” with me daily, working to provide the best care possible for
our community.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I am an avid golfer. I’m not the best golfer by any means, but I play the game for so many reasons other than my final score. I prefer walking and carrying my golf bag as opposed to riding in a cart. During the summer, when the daylight lasts into the early evening, I try to walk a few holes. Walking to each ball I hit is reflective, calming, and restorative after a long day of work.

As Sansum Clinic begins a new chapter as part of Sutter Health, we remain united by a shared mission: to deliver compassionate, high-quality care to the communities we serve. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare on the Central Coast.

Sponsored by Sutter Health | Visit www.sutterhealth.org