Dr. Armando Castro was born in Cuba, and grew up in Los Angeles, where he received his undergraduate degree from UCLA. He obtained his medical degree and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, and completed his general surgery training at New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center. He is fellowship-trained in Advanced Minimally-Invasive Surgery and Bariatric Surgery, which has been his clinical focus during his 14 years in practice in Queens and Brooklyn. His clinical interests include all aspects of general surgery, with expertise in minimally invasive and advanced laparoscopic gastrointestinal and weight loss surgery, and in the comprehensive surgical care of patients with obesity. His clinical passion is driven by the relationships he builds with his patients on their journey to health. Dr. Castro is presently the Chairman of Surgery at LIJ Forest Hills Hospital and is an Assistant professor of Surgery at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Dr. Castro is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery and a fellow of the American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery and the American College of Surgeons. He is on the Board of Directors and is presently the Vice President of the Brooklyn-Long Island Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and is also the Chair of the chapter's Committee on Applicants. He has held numerous leadership positions during his career, including Vice Chair of Surgery and Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery at NYU Langone Brooklyn, and Vice Chair for Surgical Education at New York Presbyterian Hospital - Queens. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Castro is passionate about surgical education, and has earned many teaching awards from his residents. Prior to his current position at Northwell Health, he was on faculty at NYU Langone School of Medicine and was the Program Director for the General Surgery residency program at NYU Langone Hospital - Brooklyn. Prior to that, he was on faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College and was the General Surgery Residency Program Director at New York Presbyterian - Queens. He has authored numerous surgical abstracts and publications in peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at several national surgical meetings and is a reviewer for Surgical Endoscopy and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases. With more than 17 years of surgical experience, he is committed to offering his patients high-quality and patient-centered care. He has made a concerted effort to establish and build his career in settings where he can offer his care to his community.