S2 Ep8: How Surgical Determination Intersects With Human Connection: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Robert A Meguid, MD, MPH, FACS

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Robert A Meguid, MD, MPH, FACS, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon, as well as a professor of cardiothoracic surgery, at the University of Colorado in Aurora.Drs Camidge and Meguid discussed Dr Meguid’s journey into medicine, which was heavily influenced by his parents, both of whom were academic physicians. A first-generation American, Dr Meguid grew up watching his father operate and working in his father's research lab, experiences that ignited a lifelong interest in the scientific method and patient care. Dr Meguid pursued a combined 8-year medical program before matching into a residency in general surgery. During his residency, he spent 3 years in research, earning a master’s degree in public health and shifting his focus toward surgical outcomes and risk analysis. After completing a cardiothoracic fellowship, he joined the University of Colorado, where he helped expand the thoracic surgery program and pioneered robotic-assisted techniques.A shift in Dr Meguid’s perspective occurred when he suffered a life-threatening medical event during a family vacation in Australia. He contracted fulminant septic shock resulting from human metapneumovirus and group A strep, leading to respiratory and renal failure. After being intubated for several weeks and losing significant muscle mass, he was life-flighted back to his own ICU in Denver to begin recovery. This experience as a patient, during which he had to relearn how to stand and move, deepened his empathy and reinforced his commitment to patient-centered care.Currently, Dr Meguid is a leader in his field, focusing on thoracic oncology and complex chest wall reconstructions, such as that of the adult pectus excavatum. He remains dedicated to academic research on surgical risk assessment, ensuring that patients are empowered to make informed decisions about their care.