GET TO KNOW YOUR LEADERSHIP
Q&A With Mauricio Danckers, MD, FCCP
LGBTQ+ at CHEST Interest Group Steering Committee
CHEST member since 2011
March 27, 2025
Where do you work, and what is your current position?
HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program Director and ICU Medical Director.
What are your clinical and/or research interests?
Medical education research.
What led you to join your Interest Group and become a Steering Committee member?
Early in my professional career, I found in CHEST a welcoming environment that reflects my identity in the pulmonary and critical care community. I joined the LGBTQ+ at CHEST Interest Group to work next to amazing individuals in advancing the clinical care of our LGBTQ+ community and LGBTQ+ health equity and competency, shortening the current gaps, and promoting the success of our LGBTQ+ health providers.
What have you gained being involved in this Interest Group?
It has strengthened my sense of belonging within the community of pulmonary and critical care medicine clinicians at CHEST. It has allowed me to be inspired by CHEST's incredibly talented members and supportive staff. It has fueled me with energy to continue to commit to a brighter future for LGBTQ+ patients and health care providers.
How has being in an Interest Group benefited your experience as a CHEST member?
Identity. CHEST embraces the diversity that reflects the community we serve day to day in clinics, health centers, hospital wards, critical care units, research facilities, and scientific gatherings. I reflect on my journey through CHEST, and I find myself not only fulfilled by the connections with outstanding colleagues who I have had the opportunity to work with over the years on different projects but also welcomed to a community that understands, supports, and promotes my wholesome growth as a clinician.
Who or what has inspired you in your journey in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine?
My fellowship program director, Dr. Addrizzo-Harris, saw something in me I haven’t seen before. She saw a good fit between my professional path and CHEST's mission and vision. Over the years of this journey, several people have not only inspired me but also shaped me as a clinician, an educator, a friend, and a colleague. The list is long, yet I am more than happy to share—but be warned, it grows day after day.
What activities or hobbies do you enjoy that might surprise your colleagues?
I used to play college volleyball and am always looking for an opportunity to play. I grew up in Lima, Peru. We have a special connection to the Japanese culture, so anime was my childhood cartoons. Early on, I fell in love with the storytelling and artistry. I try my best to find time to draw and visit anime and comic conferences when possible.
What is something you cannot live without (after family and friends)?
Coffee and dogs.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with your Interest Group peers?
I’m very excited to be part of this group. For years, as I’ve walked through my journey in medical education and practice, I’ve felt different, trying to figure out how to navigate environments while being true to my unique identity. As the journey continues, I am excited more than ever to bring my identity to everything I do. I am excited to connect with people who may have had or are having a journey similar to mine, or a very different one, too.
MORE ABOUT LGBTQ+ AT CHEST INTEREST GROUP »