Dr. Loki Skylizard doesn’t want people to focus on his name, but rather on his accomplishments with robots and hormones. Originally from Puerto Rico, Dr. Skylizard moved to Springfield, Missouri, to work as a thoracic surgical oncologist at Mercy Clinic, where he performed robot-assisted surgery to treat lung cancer patients. As you might imagine, his name frequently helped him break the ice. When he was just 8 years old, his parents — who he admits were “hippies” — allowed him to change his name to whatever he wanted. He chose Loki — the Norse god of mischief — and Skylizard for a touch of whimsy. His name is so unusual that he once came close to winning the Name of the Year contest hosted by news website Deadspin. He came in fifth place, beaten by Shamus Beaglehole, Dr. Eve Gruntfest, Ingo Findenegg, and Polycarp Pengo. Today, he is one of the leading cardiothoracic surgeons in the country, specializing in video-assisted thoracic surgery used to treat mesothelioma and lung cancer. As they say, a rose by any other name........
