Dr. Poret was born in the hospital his great-grandfather began in Ville Platte, LA., a small rural township. Raised in Baton Rouge, he traveled back to his hometown every summer to visit his family and grew up wanting to be a dentist just like his grandfather. He was awarded a full scholarship to Louisiana State University and began his predentistry training. But after a part-time job working with a prostodontist, Dr. Poret didn’t have the same conviction toward the practice of dentistry. He soon landed a job helping clean and prepare the operating rooms at Baton Rouge General Hospital and found his calling. He immediately changed his focus to pre-med, and when it came time to choose his specialty, he opted for surgery. Dr. Poret completed five years of General Surgery and an additional year of research at the University of Tennessee at Memphis. He joined the Navy Reserve Medical Corps in 1989 because of his personal commitment to serve his country. After completing a two-year Fellowship in Cardiothoracic surgery in 1996 at the University of Tennessee, he joined a leading private practice in Memphis. Following his stay in Memphis, Dr. Poret spent 13 years with Mountain States Medical Group in Johnson City, TN specializing in evidence based, quality cardiothoracic care. He is excited to bring this specialized care and twenty years of surgical experience to Gateway. Dr. Poret is a board-certified surgical specialist in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.