Bryan’s Take:

If you had told a young Ben Cilento when he was couch surfing to get through high school that he would be a successful surgeon with multiple practices and a cattle ranch on the side, he probably wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s exactly what he’s accomplished. As I’ve gotten the chance to know him over the past year, I’m not only in awe of what he’s accomplished, but also of the person he is as a practitioner, husband, father, and friend. He’s overcome so much—an unstable family structure, unimaginable tragedy, and numerous systems where he felt he didn’t belong—all while maintaining an unflappable mindset and spirit.
Eventually, he found his way through college, military service, and medical school, doing what he needed to do to get by. Today, he runs 3 medical practices focused on improving patients’ functional health, including a major issue that affects our individual and collective well-being: How we breathe when we sleep. He’s proof that sometimes, it’s sheer willpower and knowing there’s a better way that can get you to a future others—and maybe even you—didn’t think possible. I’m grateful to know him, and if you’re someone pursuing a better future, I know you will be too.

About Dr. Ben:

Dr. Ben Cilento, sometimes known by his nickname “The Snoring Doctor,” is a board certified sinus and snoring specialist, plastic surgeon, researcher, and wellness physician. He graduated at the top of his class with distinction in immunologic research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He did his residency at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he studied under world class mentors in rhinology, head and neck surgery and facial plastic surgery.

After completing a residency and fellowship, Dr. Cilento spent nearly a decade treating our military men and women and teaching residents in the US Navy’s ENT program as a sinus doctor. He was a professor at both the Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. During this time, he was in charge of surgical research for Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and focused on outcomes research, patient satisfaction, and quality of life. Seeking a specialized practice setting, Dr Ben left a group practice in North Houston to pursue his own practice, Texas Sinus & Snoring, where he focuses on state of the art patient care with a personal touch.

In this episode of the One Away Show, Dr. Ben looks back at the circumstances, events, and educational experiences that led him to a career in medicine and pieces together how these factors coalesced to change his life for the better.

Listen here: