A friendship that began in high school between Dr. Afshin Ehsan, 34, and the man who nominated him for Forty Under 40 was rekindled after a lapse of many years.

Ehsan and Dr. Jacob DeLaRosa first met as students at the private Bellarmine-Jefferson High School in Burbank. After high school their lives took different routes, although the goal was the same, and they met again as residents in the UCSD Department of Surgery.

Ehsan came to San Diego in 1994 to begin his residency, but left in 1997 to study cardiovascular gene therapy for three years at Harvard. When he returned to San Diego in 2000, DeLaRosa was chief surgical resident, a title now held by Ehsan. When he finishes here in 10 months, Ehsan and his wife, Paris, will return to Boston where he will spend two years in cardiac surgery.

But before that, they will become parents of a daughter due in December.

Born in the United States, Ehsan spent several childhood years in Iran with his parents. He attended middle school in Glendale, Calif. He and his wife plan to return to San Diego where he hopes to pursue his career.

Ehsan is a member of the American College of Surgeons, and has been a spokesman for the improvement of working conditions for surgical residents. He was named runner-up in the 2001 paper competition The Best and Brightest Current Research in Surgery, San Diego Chapter of the American College of Surgeons.

When he is not working the unusual hours of a resident surgeon or performing the administrative duties as executive chief resident, he may be seen taking long walks, going to movies or enjoying meals at different restaurants with his wife.

DeLaRosa, who was honored by Forty Under 40 last year, now is in Atlanta pursuing his career in surgery.

— Sandy Pasqua