[Ep 21] Top Mistakes this Surgeon made on his road to Mastery

Giovanni Santoro, a master surgeon and fellow of Bariatrics and Metabolic Surgery at University College London Hospital (UCLH), joins Master Your Mistakes to peel back the curtain on the high-stakes world of surgery. Giovanni’s journey from a basic trainee to a specialist at one of the world's leading hospitals is a masterclass in resilience and learning from failure.⏱️ Timestamps:0:00 - Intro to Master Your Mistakes & Giovanni Santoro 1:31 - The Big Mistake: Coming to the UK with "Blind Spots" about the system 2:36 - Practical vs. Subjective: The shock of the UK’s hands-on medical training 3:37 - The "Not So Little" Mistake: Navigating the language barrier in a new country 5:36 - From Sicily to London: The physical and cultural impact of the move 8:38 - Explaining Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery: Why it’s more than just weight loss 12:37 - The Complexity of Surgery: Operating on 220kg patients 13:48 - The Surgeon-Patient Relationship: How it differs in the UK 15:02 - Career Change Fatigue: Why you must "Trust the Process" 17:26 - The Reward: Witnessing life-changing results for patients 19:49 - The "Arrogance Trap": Learning to respect the entire surgical team 22:16 - Hostile Environments: Working under extreme pressure in emergencies 23:31 - Why you shouldn’t be afraid to make (and own) mistakes 24:46 - Initially failing the MRCS: Underestimating the Royal College of Surgeons entry exams 27:16 - Handling Career Pressure: The cycle of exams and job hunting 28:27 - Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: "Am I the right person for this?"