Dr. Hollander remembers tagging along with his urologist father on weekend rounds. “I idolized him and think I was about four when he took me the first time,” he says. “I would get to sit at the nurses’ station and draw pictures on prescription pads while he saw patients. We’d go from floor to floor, and then we’d go get a cookie from the doctor’s lounge before heading to the next hospital. I always enjoyed it.”
Fatherly influence aside, the idea of becoming a physician dovetailed with Dr. Hollander’s early fascination about the inner workings of everything from machinery and ancient castles to human anatomy. “I always figured I wanted to do some type of surgical medicine, and I told my parents I would practice anything except urology,” he jokes. “As you can imagine, it was very embarrassing as a teenage boy to tell people that my father was a urologist.”
His opinion about urology changed dramatically in medical school when he began to rotate through the surgical specialties. “The great thing about practicing urology is that I get to build long-term, meaningful relationships with many different types of patients,” he adds. “Many urologic conditions can be cured or fixed, so you can really take care of people and help them live longer and more meaningful lives.”
His focus on providing exemplary patient care inspired a double fellowship in robotic surgery and complex kidney stone disease. Both fellowships allowed him to hone his surgical skills treating patients with urologic cancers (prostate, kidney, bladder) and complex kidney stones.
Along with surgical expertise, Dr. Hollander understands the importance of building trust with his patients. “I spend as much time as needed with each individual,” he says. “You can’t base things on a schedule. You have to base things on what the person needs, really listen to what they’re trying to tell you and empathize. When it’s time to discuss a treatment approach, I want to make sure patients and their families understand all their options, as well as the ups and downs of each.”
Dr. Hollander received his Bachelor of Arts in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University, and obtained his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He completed his residency at Baylor College of Medicine and Methodist Hospital in Houston, along with fellowships in endourology and minimally-invasive surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.
When he’s not caring for patients, the Fort Worth native enjoys spending time with his wife (a pediatrician) and their two young daughters, traveling, camping, hiking, reading history, listening to new music and playing guitar.
