Cardiologist Found His Heart’s Calling at St. John’s
A chance conversation while he was an undergraduate at St. John’s University changed the direction of the life of Brian J. DeoNarine, M.D., FACC '87C, steering him from a family legacy in dentistry toward a fulfilling career in cardiology.
While pursuing his undergraduate degree at St. John’s, Dr. DeoNarine planned to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Cecil DeoNarine, D.D.S. ’49SJC, who was the reason he attended and wanted to become a dentist. But an academic adviser saw something different in him.
My four years there were a turning point in my life, he said. Sometimes you think you know your path, but St. John’s helped me find mine—and I’ve never looked back.
“The adviser looked at my grades and said, ‘You’re a smart guy. Have you ever thought about
medicine?’” Dr. DeoNarine recalled. “Honestly, I had not. My grandfather was a dentist, and my father was a dental technologist in the US Army, so dentistry just made sense.”
That conversation prompted him to explore a summer program St. John’s offered in partnership with New York Medical College in Valhalla, NY—a decision that set his future in motion.
“Those courses prepared me so well that when I entered Mount Sinai Medical School, I already knew the material,” he said.
Raised in Hempstead, NY, Dr. DeoNarine found not only academic discipline at St. John’s, but
also a supportive community deeply invested in his success. “The advisers were incredible,” he said. “They truly cared about you—academically, financially, and personally. Once I received several scholarships and grants, things just fell into place.”
Graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Dr. DeoNarine went on to
earn his medical degree and complete an internship and residency in internal medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. During his cardiology fellowship at Winthrop–University Hospital (now New York University Langone Hospital Long Island), he was among the first group of physicians in the nation to take the Nuclear Cardiology certification examination in 1996.
After several years of moonlighting during his fellowship training in the prestigious Cardiac
Care Unit at St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center in Roslyn, NY, Dr. DeoNarine and his wife, Tina, an intensive care unit nurse, traded the cold Northeast winters for the sunshine of Florida. They settled in Vero Beach, FL, where Dr. DeoNarine founded Vero Cardiology in 1999—a cornerstone of cardiac care in Indian River County since 1999.
Together, the couple raised three children—Brandon, Brittany, and Brianna—and have remained active in their community. Both volunteer with the American Heart Association, advocating particularly for women’s heart health.
“Most cardiac testing is designed around men,” Dr. DeoNarine explained. “Women often present differently, and their symptoms can be overlooked. After menopause, their risk of heart disease becomes the same as men’s, so awareness is crucial.”
Now nearly three decades into his medical career, Dr. DeoNarine continues to embrace
innovation, recently adding cardiac PET stress/CT imaging to his practice to better assess coronary artery disease.
“It’s a great feeling to make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “Sometimes patients return because I cared for their loved one, and that means the world to me.”
Reflecting on his time at St. John’s, Dr. DeoNarine credits the University for helping him discover his true calling.
“My four years there were a turning point in my life,” he said. “Sometimes you think you know your path, but St. John’s helped me find mine—and I’ve never looked back.”
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Michael J. Portegello ’86CBA nurtured a lifelong dream of someday joining his parents full time to run the family’s small printing shop in their hometown of Brooklyn, NY. But his parents, whom he described as hard-working and entrepreneurial, had other ideas for their sons.
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The journey Yury Dubrovsky ’96MBA undertook to reach St. John’s University was long and circuitous, but one he is grateful to have made.
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