Day: August 21, 2026

Dr. David Biro, a dermatologist in Bay Ridge, where he grew up, is telling a story about a difficult day in a physician’s waiting room. A patient, frustrated by a long wait, pulls a gun, and an already complicated profession becomes much more complicated.

Rather than recounting a story from his own waiting room, the Bay Ridge dermatologist and nonfiction and fiction author was describing a scene from his fifth book, “The Unstoppables” (Regalo Press, an imprint associated with Simon & Schuster). He held a signing at his hometown bookstore, The BookMark Shoppe, on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

In addition to being a dermatologist at Bay Ridge Skin and Cancer Dermatology P.C., Dr. Biro is an author with a doctorate in literature whose nonfiction and fiction have been published by major presses.

“I was always a big reader. I was always into literature and reading,” Dr. Biro, 62, said recently. “I love to read and experience these alternate worlds. I like language and people who have a way with words.”

“The Unstoppables,” like much of his work, is set in Bay Ridge, where he grew up and now practices. It tells the story of Dr. Richard Kline.

“All my stories pretty much take place in Bay Ridge,” he said. “It’s a place that means to me so much growing up and practicing there. I’m drawn to Bay Ridge and the Verrazano Bridge.”

The story follows a doctor facing adversity who turns to old friends for help in a tale involving crime, romance, childhood and friendship.

“The story goes back and forth with those three boys, the Unstoppables. They did all sorts of crazy things,” he continued. “As the doctor goes to them for help, they’ll get into more trouble together I think the most important thing about this book is friendship. a childhood friendship rekindled in adult life.”

Dr. Biro followed in the footsteps of his father, Laszlo, a Hungarian immigrant who came to the United States in 1956 and became a dermatologist. Biro grew up in Bay Ridge, attended Poly Prep High School and took over his father’s practice.

“I feel lucky to have grown up in a place like Bay Ridge in a time where there were no cell phones, no helicopter parenting,” he said. “We were more free.”

He studied classics at the University of Pennsylvania, reading Greek and Latin authors such as Virgil, Horace and Ovid, before attending Columbia University’s medical school.

“I started wondering if I made the right decision when I went from classics to medicine,” Dr. Biro said. “I took some classes at Columbia’s downtown campus. I met a history of medicine professor who became a mentor.”

He decided to take a leave of absence after his third year to obtain a doctorate in English literature at Oxford University, writing a thesis about the language of pain. He then “went back to get a medical degree,” becoming a general dermatologist specializing in cancer care and skin cancer surgery.

While physician authors are not as common as attorney authors, Dr. Biro points to well-known physicians who also became authors, including W. Somerset Maugham, Anton Chekhov, Mikhail Bulgakov, Sherlock Holmes creator Arthur Conan Doyle and Michael Crichton.

“Being a doctor, you’re thrust into very emotional, high-stakes stories, meeting all sorts of different people along the way,” he said. “There’s a lot of material that you can probably get from one’s experiences as a doctor.”

Doctors take a patient’s history, but Dr. Biro said a patient’s “story” is crucial to caring for them.

“Story is important to both,” he said. “Narrative is critical for a doctor, to learn what’s going on with a patient, what brought them there.”

He began by writing a memoir after finishing medical school, when he was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder and needed a bone marrow transplant. He wrote “100 Days: My Unexpected Journey from Doctor to Patient,” published by Pantheon.

“I developed this problem in my eye. My blood count started dropping. Within six months, I had a bone marrow transplant,” he said. “That was a harrowing experience. I wrote about it.”

The New York Times Book Review called his first book a “vivid memoir…lucid and gentle. It is the story of a doctor with the heart of a poet.”

His second book, “The Language of Pain: Finding Words, Compassion, and Relief,” was based on his doctoral dissertation. He then wrote two novels, published by Lake Union.

“This Magnificent Dappled Sea” was released in 2020, its title drawn from what a doctor sees when looking at blood cells through a microscope. The book is about a boy in Italy who needs a bone marrow transplant, which he receives through an international registry from a rabbi in Brooklyn.

“And The Bridge is Love,” published in 2021, is about three older women who meet every Tuesday in a secluded spot near the Verrazano Bridge, telling stories, drinking and watching boats go by.

“Eventually, they decide time is running out and they need to do something,” Dr. Biro said. “Maybe instead of watching the boats, they should go on the boats.”

“The Unstoppables” begins with a quote from poet Louise Glück: “You look at the world once in childhood,” she wrote. “The rest is memory.”

“I think it conveys something about this,” he said. “These three guys don’t speak to each other for forty years. They can easily go back to where they were.”

Professionally, Dr. Biro is a doctor first, but also a writer and teacher. He teaches a course in medicine and literature at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

“It gives students a chance to talk about issues that have come up,” Dr. Biro said. “Medical students are often privy to many serious, emotional experiences. People dying, families upset. They don’t really have time to talk about these things, but they come up in books all the time and students can relate.”

His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, The Philadelphia Inquirer and various medical journals.

He writes in the mornings before going to work in Bay Ridge, taking a few years to write and edit each book.

“It’s great when I hear somebody who read one of my books and really likes it. Or a patient comes up to me and says, ‘I didn’t know you write,’” Dr. Biro said. “So much of my life has been the doctoring side. But I wouldn’t trade either one in. I love them both.”

In an interview Wednesday, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn said the proposal would make the party more inclusive and combat “backroom politics.”

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Every September, thousands of students arrive in New York City ready to begin a new chapter. Some are moving into residence halls for the first time. Others are commuting from home or settling into their first apartment while juggling classes, internships and part-time jobs.

Between orientation, course schedules and figuring out the subway, managing money often falls low on the priority list. But for many students, college is also the first time they’re making financial decisions entirely on their own—and those early choices can have an impact long after graduation.

“Nobody tells you that your first paycheck won’t look like the amount you expected, or that a credit card offer can impact your financial future,” said Mandy Kelso, Head of Financial Education at TD Bank U.S. “College is often the first time students are making financial decisions on their own. The good news is that financial confidence isn’t about knowing everything—it’s built through small habits and learning along the way.”

Living in New York presents opportunities unlike anywhere else, but it can also test a student’s budget. Daily subway rides, grabbing coffee between classes, ordering late-night food during study sessions and meeting friends around the city may not seem expensive individually, but together they can quickly strain finances.

One of the best habits students can build early is simply paying attention to where their money is going. Reviewing transactions regularly or using budgeting tools through a banking app can make it easier to spot spending patterns before they become financial stress.

Many students also experience another surprise when they receive their first paycheck from a campus job, internship or work-study position. The amount deposited into their account is often less than expected because of taxes and other deductions.

Understanding the difference between gross pay and take-home pay helps students create a more realistic budget and avoid spending money they haven’t actually earned.

Borrowing for college is another area where understanding the details matters. If scholarships, grants and student loans exceed tuition and other educational expenses, schools may issue students a financial aid refund.

While receiving a refund can feel like extra money, it’s important to remember that loan funds generally must be repaid, often with interest. Before using those dollars for discretionary purchases, students should understand how much they’ve borrowed, what repayment may look like after graduation and how interest can increase the overall cost over time.

For students who are new to credit, a secured credit card may be one option for beginning to build a credit history responsibly. Unlike a traditional unsecured credit card, a secured card typically requires the customer to provide funds upfront, often as a minimum amount held in a restricted savings account.

When used responsibly, a secured card can be a helpful way to start establishing credit.

Making payments on time, keeping balances low and understanding interest, fees and due dates are all important practices. Over time, responsible credit use may help individuals build a credit history that could be considered when applying for future credit products, such as credit cards, auto loans or other lending products.

The habits students build now can follow them long after graduation. Learning how credit works and using it responsibly can help set them up for future milestones, from renting an apartment to qualifying for a loan,” Kelso says.

Students should also be aware that financial risks don’t only come through mailboxes or bank statements; they increasingly arrive through smartphones and laptops.

From fake apartment listings and fraudulent job opportunities to phishing emails and text message scams, college students are common targets because they’re often opening new accounts, searching for housing or looking for flexible employment.

“Students live so much of their lives online that protecting personal information has become an important financial skill,” Kelso said. “A little caution can go a long way when it comes to avoiding scams and identity theft.”

Using strong passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and verifying requests for personal or financial information before responding are simple steps that can help reduce the risk of fraud.

While graduation may feel years away, college is also an ideal time to begin thinking beyond the next semester. Understanding employee benefits, retirement savings options and expected salaries in a chosen profession can help students make more informed financial decisions throughout school.

It’s equally important to consider how future student loan payments may fit into life after college. Borrowing thoughtfully today can provide greater financial flexibility tomorrow.
No student starts college knowing everything about personal finance, and they don’t have to. Financial confidence develops over time through consistent habits—tracking spending, asking questions, saving when possible and continuing to learn.

Whether students are arriving from another borough, another state or across the globe, learning to manage money is one of the most valuable skills they’ll take with them after college. The lessons may not appear on a class schedule, but they can shape financial success for years to come.

Understanding how to manage money and make informed financial decisions can help set students up for success long before graduation. That’s why banks like TD provide financial education resources on topics such as paying for college, understanding taxes, credit awareness, fraud prevention and budgeting, helping students and families build confidence as they navigate important financial milestones.

Students and families can also visit https://www.td.com/ or their local TD store to learn more about available educational resources, support and back-to-school promotional offers currently being offered.

***The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, tax, or investment advice. Financial decisions should be based on your personal needs and circumstances.***