Surgeons’ Lives - Stuff that Matters

Mike Stoner is the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center in upstate New York. Born in Syracuse, he did his College and medical school training in Buffalo before residency and a vascular Fellowship landed him in East Carolina for his first Faculty job. He soon discovered that this was the perfect clinical laboratory for the development of atherosclerotic disease, and led to a period of academic productivity that he was not expecting. Eight years later, he returned to the northeast and joined the University of Rochester where he has been ever since. In a wide ranging discussion today, he describes how vascular surgery has become transformed during his career from major operations and amputations to navigating the vascular system with wires, balloons, and probes as well as functioning as the delivery mechanism for a range of targeted therapeutic molecules. Throughout his time and Rochester, he has dedicated much time to developing a culture that supports the success of colleagues at all levels. This is something that has become his main ambition in recent years. Like many before him, the pandemic resulted in him exploring new hobbies. In this case, Mike and his wife became golfing novices and before long became huge enthusiasts - despite the early recognition that the game would likely always win. Please don't forget to subscribe to the channel. It really matters. I would love to hear your comments as well. You prefer to watch rather than listen then do not forget that this interview is available on the dedicated @YouTube channel #vascularhealth #vascularsurgeon #Rochester #culture #culturetransformation #leadership #research #golf #hobbies  

Julio Garcia-Aguilar was born in a small village near Madrid, Spain with no specific background in the medical field. In search for higher education he went to the big city, where he soon graduated from medical school from the University of Madrid. Following the advice of mentors he moved to the United States for a period of Research. He's obvious talent was soon spotted before long, he found himself completing some residency years and then being recruited to complete a Colorectal fellow Northwell with Dr. Stan Goldberg and his colleagues. They were smart enough to make sure he didn't leave and he became an attending in Minneapolis where he commenced a lifelong passion for clinical trials that move the needle inpatient care. In this case, Julio was determined to change the approach to rectal cancer. Through a combination of dogged determination, stamina, and persistence. He has had multiple NCI grants and conducted several game changing clinical trials, which he established on a national Collaborative basis.  In recent years he has probably been best known for leading the northern hemisphere charge in terms of non-operative management of rectal cancer. However, there is much more to Julio than a hard-working Surgeon and researcher. Despite his early years near Madrid, he is a passionate Barcelona fan and continues to support his first love of Atlético Madrid. Although he is a little restricted by living in Manhattan he continues to be an enthusiastic cyclist. In this wide ranging podcast conversation, we cover many of these issues and some more as well. So please don't hesitate to subscribe to the channel and hit that button. If you prefer to watch rather than listen then the full video conversation is available on the dedicated #YouTube channel https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/doctors/julio-garcia-aguilar https://www.linkedin.com/in/garcia-aguilar-julio-surgery-b3725973/ #rectalcancer #surgery #lifestyle #mentor #colorectalsurgery #research #barça #athleticomadrid #realmadrid #MSKCC

Professor Frank Smith - Professor of Vascular Surgery - hails from the Midlands of the UK having been born and brought up in Birmingham, where his parents were both anesthesia doctors. He spent a year of early life in San Diego when his father worked there with the legendary surgery Chair, Marshall Orloff and was left with a lifelong love for the USA. As a medical school in Birmingham he flew below the academic radar but did develop a passion for parachute jumping at a competitive level and also qualified as a pilot. Once he started his surgical training this true potential started to shine through. As a senior trainee he was "talent spotted" by the late Professor John Farndon who at that time was building an academic surgical unit in Bristol. He tapped Frank to be their vascular lead and from that perspective the rest is history. Rising through the academic ranks in Bristol he began to engage with the Royal College of Surgeons of England where he now serves as a senior Vice-President. He has been a dedicated leader in the field of surgical education and training and has sat on innumerable committees and boards serving all four Royal Colleges. He shows no signs of slowing down although his sky-diving is less frequent these days. This is a man well worth hearing and one of the surgical "good guys". https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-smith-15b68b80/ https://coress.org.uk/professor-frank-smith/ https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/archive/welcoming-our-new-vice-president-2024/ #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #surgery #lifestyle #worklifebalance #skydiving #flying #royalcollege #training #education #surgicalresearch If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then don't forget that the full interview is available on all the dedicated #Youtube channel  Please like and subscribe and of course COMMENT

Erin King-Mullins is quite a force of nature. Born in Florida to a Southern Baptist family she followed her sister into medicine and pursued a career in Colorectal surgery. Initially following the standard employed surgeon model she began to realize that the system did not share her values. Unlike many others Erin decided to strike out on her own by setting up her own single handed practice in urban Atlanta some 4 years ago. Supported by her husband's exceptional Excel spreadsheet skills she took the plunge and despite finding much of the experience terrifying, has never regretted the decision. To say it has been a learning experience would be an understatement and during this wide-ranging discussion we touched on topics as different as battling prejudice, truly understanding what it takes to be loyal to personal values and of course the challenges of balancing all of this with the roles of being a wife and Mom. And let's not forget that she would like to have Jesus and Dave Chapelle as dinner guests and get some straight answers from both of them. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel and please send your comments. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then this full interview is available on the YouTube channel. #surgery #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #privatepractice #lifestyle #davechapelle #becomingindependant #beatingprejudice #tushytouchup https://colowellness.com/erin-king-mullins-md/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekmullins/ https://health.usnews.com/doctors/erin-king-mullins-694529  

Rowan Parks was born into surgery in Belfast, where his father George was a Colorectal Surgeon who became President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Growing up amidst the troubles in Belfast he decided to pursue a medical career and was accepted to his first choice of Queens University Belfast. A pretty standard training pathway followed but took an unexpected turn when he decided to spend a time in the HPB unit at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He never returned to Belfast and 28 years later he is able to reflect on a career that reached many peaks and culminated in being elected President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Before the three years he spent representing the College around the world Rowan had become immersed in matters educational and training paradigms in Scotland and beyond. In fact, he has recently returned to that first love since finishing his tenure as president. Along the way we discuss faith, nepotism, travel and missing talents! If you prefer to watch rather than listen then don't forget that the entire podcast is available on the #SurgeonsLives channel on Youtube  #surgery #royalcollegeofsurgeons #education #medicalpolitics #HPBsurgery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan_Parks https://surgery.ed.ac.uk/staff/profiles/rowan-parks https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowan-parks-2032116/  

The latest episode of #Surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters is out now with valentine who talks us through a life journey from Cameroon to Chair! To describe Val Nfonsam as an over achiever would be too easy because he is much more than that. He is currently the Chair of Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia having moved there from a 2-year stint as Chair of Surgery in LSA, Louisiana. However, when he was in school in his home country of Cameroon, Central Africa, his main concern was getting to high school and university. High school and undergraduate studies were in neighboring Nigeria before he landed in Chicago in the winter. Postgraduate study was followed by a decision to go to medical school. He was no sophisticate in that process but due to a combination of hard work, talent and some luck he landed in the University of Illinois. Residency soon followed before he went to the University of Arizona in Tucson for 11 years. His ambition to lead a Department landed him in LSU for 2 years before his current position. The LSU experience was challenging and mistakes were made and lessons learnt in what Val describes as part of life's journey. Don't forget that is you prefer to listen rather than watch then the full interview is available on all your favorite podcast audio platforms such as Spotify and Podbean. #surgery #lifelessons #leadership #lifestyle #cameroon #morehousecollege #colorectalsurgery #mistakes https://www.msm.edu/about_us/FacultyD... https://www.msm.edu/Education/surgery...

This is a very special episode of #Surgeonslives #Stuffthatmatters Matt Albert is one of the best known colorectal surgeons worldwide. A florida boy through and through he truly hit the big time with TAMIS which he co-invented but popularized around the world. Always moving at maximum speed in everything he does he is a truly accomplished technical surgeon, a gifted teacher and a powerhouse of an intellect. I think he probably qualifies as a polymath being a single-fiber handicap golfer, deep sea fisherman, innovator and inventor was well as being an exceptional surgeon. However, all of that comes with a cost for any person and Matt is no different in that regard. He has learnt the lessons of stress management over many years and sometimes the hard way. In this interview, we cover some of those aspects of his life journey, the need for having fun to decompress and the benefits of engaging in therapy - "everyone needs a therapist" as he says. Pease dont forget to like and subscribe to the channel and send lots of comments. If you prefer to watch rather than listen then the full interview is available on the Youtube channel  https://x.com/TAMISYoda #tamis #appliedmedical #surgery #stressrelief #stressmanagement #lifestyle #worklifebalance #colorectalsurgery #laparoscopictechniques

In the latest episode of #Surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters we meet Dr Mark Evers. He is a surgical oncologist and cancer researcher who is the head of the Markey cancer center at the University of Kentucky? In the years he has been at the helm of the cancer center, he has led it to NCI Cancer Center designation in 2013 and ultimately Comprehensive Cancer Center designation 10 years later. Mark grew up in the smallest of small towns in southern Tennessee and was the first of his family to go to college. An early mentor was Dr. Hiram Polk in Louisville before he spent 20 years at the university of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where he was mentored successively by Dr. Jim Thompson, and then Dr. Courtney Townsend. Anyone would have expected him to become a Chair of Surgery in a high-ranking Academic Medical Center but he decided to follow another path when recruited to become the director of the cancer center in 2009. The conversation today was fascinating as he describes growing up from the humblest of backgrounds to becoming one of the true leaders in cancer medicine in the United States. Throughout all of this time, he has been a passionate and dedicated Rolling Stones fan, having gone to more than 50 concerts over the years in multiple different countries around the world. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then you can find the full video interview of this podcast on the dedicated @Youtube channel. As always, please don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel and send me whatever comments you have in mind. #surgery #nci #cancercenter #mentorship #rollingstones #universityofkentucky #smallbeginnings https://www.lanereport.com/179579/202... https://www.susweb.org/2021/10/20/sus...  

Ashok Pathak from Hull in the UK, recently retired after a wonderful career as an Orthopedic Surgeon and leader in the creation of a career pathway for the Associate Specialty grade trainees. Born and educated in India where his father was a chest physician and a man who taught the values of giving back to those in need. The family established a hospital to treat Tuberculosis - almost endemic in the early 1950's - and it grew to 150 beds at one point in time. All the treatment was totally free and Ashok still runs the charity today. As a young Indian man, cricket was very important to Ashok to because a wicketkeeper and batsman playing first class cricket for his University and State. A passion for him as a young man, this is still his first love today and he has travelled to world watching many test matches live. However, medicine (and surgery) was an even bigger draw so he moved to the UK and has basically spent almost all of his career in East Yorkshire - where we first met in 1993. During this interview, he describes the career challenges, casual (and not so casual) career racism he faced in the early days and the work he ultimately did as an advocate for parallel trained doctors within the NHS. He was awarded the MBE for his services to medicine in England and India. Here is a man who understands the important things and values in life. Family, kindness, caring for those in need - truly #stuffthatmatters Don't forget, if you prefer to watch rather than listen, the full interview is available on the @youtube channel for #Surgeonslives #cricket #surgery #givingback #racisminsurgery #nhs #yorkshirecountrycricket #othopedicsurgery #familybusiness #charitymatters https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashok-pathak-243bb861/?originalSubdomain=uk http://cricketbeyondboundaries.com/india-hull-medicine-cricket-and-charity-an-anglo-indian-affair/ https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/print/indianorigin-surgeon-honoured-with-mbe-in-uk/?ref=archive_pg  

Matt Weiss is the deputy physician in Chief and Director of Surgical Oncology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute. He is an internationally recognized surgical oncologist with a special interest in pancreatic cancer and particularly interested in outcomes and matters of quality. His early career followed a very traditional academic pathway culminating in a long period on Faculty at Hopkins where his senior mentor was Dr. John Cameron. As everyone knows, there is an expectation that Hopkins surgeons will become a Chair of a university department so it was a surprise for many when Matt changed direction and joined Northwell Health a few years ago. As he describes in this fascinating interview, he was unable to resist the opportunity of improving cancer outcomes from within a large system like Northwell Health that cares for so many lives. Of course, he's still harbors ambitions on the academic front and believes that one day he will become a Chair when the time is right. But for now he is passionately engaged in the vision of a system approach. Of course, there is more to this man than his surgical career. A worryingly, good golfer, he is a lapsed fisherman and overcame his midlife crisis by buying a Porsche. He is also a fan of the Rolling Stones. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel and send your comments. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then this interview is available the #surgeonslives @YouTube channel. https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/dr-matthew-john-weiss-md-1568416618 https://x.com/surgeonweiss https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-weiss-b1155a6/ #northwellhealth #pancreaticcancer #Hopkinssurgery #academicsurgery #research #surgeryrecovery #cancer #rollingstones #fishing #familytime  

Samir Pathak is an HPB surgeon from Leeds in the UK. The family business has been medicine for several generations, but he has also been brought up immersed in the Indian culture of cricket - and in his family's case charity. n this truly fascinating interview, he discusses his early surgical career and training. This was impacted by having undergo multiple operations before the age of 10. He also describes another family passion which is cricket -where he almost made the first class level. A truly challenging experience for him was being asked to Chair a committee, investigating the accusations of institutional racism in Yorkshire County Cricket Club. To call that task, a poisoned chalice would be an understatement, but he speaks quite openly about the experience, both good and bad, including the inevitable frustrations of political interference and how it has guided his future approach in his work life as well as outside. His grandfather and father have been involved in a tuberculosis treatment charity in India which is still helping people today. For his part, Samir has established a charity that brings the most under privileged children possible to the UK within a cricket environment in a way that truly changes the direction of their lives. This is not the typical interview from Surgeons Lives, but I think you will find it fascinating and I hope you will agree that Samir has established a very high bar to be admired. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, don't forget that the full interview is available on the #Surgeonslives #YouTube channel. Please don't forget to like and subscribe and comment about this interview. https://yorkshireccc.com/news/club-statement-2/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samir-pathak-08525236/ https://x.com/drsampathak?lang=en #surgeryrecovery #racism #cricket #pancreaticcancer #neilsmart #research #surgery #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #charity #givingback #familybusiness  

Dr. Sherry Wren is a Professor of of Surgery at Stanford in California but in this interview with Surgeons Lives it's evident that she is a lot more than that. An early career was spent chasing the academic pinnacle of being a Department Chair, but after a number of years of always being the bridesmaid and never the bride, she experienced an epiphany that made her realize that this was no longer the most important thing to her in life. Today, she remains a busy and active clinical surgeon over the last decade or more, her real passion has developed in the arena of global and humanitarian surgery. She started by making brief visits to conflict zones around the world providing direct clinical care, but soon realized that teaching people how to deliver care was far more beneficial as a long-term investment. She continues with this passion today. During the conversation today, we hear about her early experiences growing up in Chicago, pursuing a profession with very few women in sight and her personal enthusiasm for sci-fi literature, good food, and regularly spending time on dive boats in exotic locations such as Indonesia. Don't forget if you prefer to watch rather than listen, this entire interview and all the others from this series can be found on the dedicated @Youtube channel @surgeonslives. Please also don't forget to like, subscribe and comment to the channel so that we can see your feedback. #globalsurgery #scifi #americancollegeofsurgeons #humanitariansurgery #surgery #leadership #academicsurgery #womeninsurgery #lifestyle #careerambition #departmentchair https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2022/nov-dec-clinical-congress-2022-highlights/sherry-m-wren-md-facs-fcs-ecsa-elected-as-acs-secretary/ https://stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/w/sherry-wren.html https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-m-wren/    

Latest episode of #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters Agree with him or not, it cannot be denied that Lord Ara Darzi has definitely seen under the hood at the inner working of central government when it comes to setting policy and the delivery of healthcare within the UK. In this - the second episode with Ara - he describes how he came to become part of Government for two years, taking him away from a spectacular career as an academic surgeon with an amazing flare for innovation and thinking outside the box. Since that time, he career has gone from strength to strength as he has undertaken a whole raft of different initiatives covering global health, technology and most recently, antimicrobial resistance. Thankfully for him, Ara has learnt to tune out the noise that comes with such high profile roles and avoid distractions that always try and divert his focus from the target ahead. A modest and respectful man if you have any interest in the world of healthcare, you could be well advised to listen to some truly profound and insightful comments about what has and has not gone well in the last few decades and where the future lies to right the ship again. Also available as a full video option on the #Surgeonslives YouTube channel @Surgeonslives  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_Darzi,_Baron_Darzi_of_Denham https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/consultant-directory/ara-darzi https://royalsociety.org/people/ara-darzi-11300/ #innovation #artificialintelligence #surgery #politics #antimicrobialresistance #research #leadership #nhs #darzilord #healthcareinnovation

This is the first of two episodes during which I have the chance to interview Professor Ara Darzi - or Lord Darzi as he became when he entered the House of Lords in 2007. Ara Darzi was born in Baghdad to Armenian parents and after high school education entered medical school in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin. After graduation and surgical training in Ireland, including a research fellowship, he moved to London shortly thereafter where he began his career initially as an NHS consultant once he had completed his training. In the early 1990s I had the privilege of working with Ara as I was also newly on staff at Imperial College in Saint Marys Hospital medical school in London. There, Ara first demonstrated his extraordinary talents for surgical skill and innovation in many areas of technology. Within a decade, he had risen through the ranks to become the Chair of Surgery at Imperial College and the future was definitely looking bright. In 2006, he was asked by a health minister to undertake a review of the NHS within LONDON. Around this time he had received a Knighthood and then unexpectedly was invited by the Prime Minister at the time, Gordon Brown, to join his government of all talents. Two years as a health minister was an extraordinary experience, but enough for someone who did not wish to spend his life in mainstream politics. Instead, he has sat in the house of Lord's as an independent life peer and become a global figure in the world of health innovation and disruptive technology. I cannot think of many surgeons whose career has spanned such an extraordinary breath of achievements. As much as anything else, this is why I decided that this interview should be in two parts. Please don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel so you receive all the notifications. I have no doubt many people will have some comments about Lord Darzi and I would love to hear them. If you prefer to listen rather than watch, then don't forget that the full audio of this interview is on all your favorite podcast audio platforms. #innovation #collaboration #surgery #research #robotics #medicalpolitics #houseoflords #laparoscopysurgery https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_Darzi,_Baron_Darzi_of_Denham https://www.flagshippioneering.com/people/ara-darzi https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/consultant-directory/ara-darzi https://royalsociety.org/people/ara-darzi-11300/ https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/11/prof-lord-ara-darzi-surgeon-nhs-review  

Dr. Gerry Fried is the former Chair of the Department of Surgery at McGill University in Montreal and is now leading the Department's initiatives in the technology and innovation space as well as surgical simulation. In this very wide ranging interview, he touches on a whole gamut of topics ranging from the benefits of travel in terms of surgical education, having crucial conversations with badly behaved or failing colleagues, the development of innovation under pressure and the inevitable intrusion of technology into the daily life of surgeons and their patients. He recognizes that while technology can be incredibly beneficial, there are also downsides to some recent developments. This is a man who has been there and done most of it and there's very little he hasn't seen throughout a long and distinguish career. At 75 years of age, he is thoroughly enjoying his work and finds great excitement in new initiatives. He continues to travel the world widely seeking out extraordinary culinary experiences. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then don't forget that this full interview is available on the @Surgeonslives channel on @Youtube. Please don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel so you will get all the notifications. I also want to hear your comments and thoughts about this and other interviews. https://www.mcgill.ca/generalsurgery/gerald-m-fried https://ca.linkedin.com/in/dr-gerald-fried #surgicalinnovation #retirementplanning #academicsurgery #artificialintelligence #podcast #leadershipskills #badbehevior  

Dr. Mark Talamini leads the physician employment group in the Northwell Health system. He spent many years in Academic Surgery rising through the ranks in Johns Hopkins before serving as Department Chair in the University of California, San Diego and then Stony Brook University before joining Northwell in 2021. In his early career, he spent some clinical time overseas in Bangladesh and then Ireland. He was there at the very beginning of minimally invasive surgery performing the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Hopkins. In recent years, he has transitioned into a fundamentally administrative and executive leadership role and has much to say on how to improve the daily well-being of employed surgeons and other physicians. He is optimistic about reducing the drudgery that faces so many physicians on a daily basis. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then don't forget that this interview is available on the desiccated YouTube channel. Please don't forget to like, subscribe and comment on this and any other interviews on the channel. #academicsurgery #leadership #artificialintelligence #physicianwellness #burnout #surgery #minimallyinvasivesurgery #laparoscopysurgery https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-talamini-17150027/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Talamini https://talks-with-talamini.podbean.com https://x.com/talaminidoc?lang=en  

Steve Schwaitzberg is a foregut and endocrine surgeon who is also the Chair of Surgery at the University of Buffalo in upstate New York. However, he originally wanted to be a pilot, but his eyesight wasn't good enough so somebody said you should go to medical school. He only became interested in surgery when his original choice of internal medicine was derailed by falling out with one of his supervisors. Sometimes it is a game of chance! Medical school and residency in Baylor in Texas exposed him to arrange of iconic figures and mentors in Surgery which set him on the path towards a research fellowship studying hypothermia. Back in his hometown of Boston he then decided to join the army reserves and found himself involved in Desert Storm where he realized that minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy could make a real difference for wounded soldiers. Fast forward a decade or more and in 2015 he moved to Buffalo while moving upwards through the ranks of SAGES, where he ultimately became President. In this interview, we learn a lot about how mentors affect a career path and how so much of it was not planned. This is a man who believes passionately in giving back through education and assisting those who need help developing their career. If you prefer watching rather than listening, don't forget that the full episode is available on the @Surgeonslives YouTube channel. Don't forget to like and subscribe and please send comments and suggestions. https://medicine.buffalo.edu/faculty/profile.html?ubit=schwaitz https://x.com/schwaitzberg https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveschwaitzberg/ #sages #surgeryeducation #endocrinesurgery #laparoscopysurgery #academicsurgery #givingback  

Dr. Mark Orloff is a professor of surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center in upstate New York. He's been there for 34 years on Faculty and is coming up to retirement. He was born in Germany, where his father was in the military and moved around a bit before landing in San Diego, where he spent most of his early life in a beach style community living the southern California dream. He grew up in a family of six siblings that produced several surgeons, including his sister Susan, who is also a liver transplanter. His father was Chair of Surgery in San Diego and was something of a legend in the world of HPB surgery. So, as you can imagine, he understands the challenges, both good and bad, growing up in the shadow of a famous father. His remarkable mother essentially brought up the kids in many respects before returning to a new career as a diagnostic radiologist in her 50s. Mark has much to say about almost all of these aspects of his life and upbringing, as well as commenting on where he sees the future of organ transplantation. This is an interview that you will not want to miss as he brings much wisdom to the discussion. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel, and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, don't forget you can find the full interview on the #surgeonslives YouTube Channel. #orloff #livertransplant #URMC #surgery #lifestyle #livingwithalegend #siblingrivalry

Dr. John Alverdy is a professor of Surgery at the University Of Chicago who is probably best known in recent years for his extraordinary work on the microbiome and how it may relate to anastomotic leaks. He is a true surgeon scientist, following a path of scientific rigor that most of us could only imagine. He has been NIH funded for a quarter of a century and despite recently retiring from operating, he continues to run his lab three days a week - and more as he sees fit. His early career was anything but conventional having started in medical school in Guadalajara in Mexico before returning for his residency training in his hometown of Chicago. He spent a research fellowship with Dr. George Sheldon in San Francisco before going on Faculty back at the University of Chicago where he has been ever since. Although he perhaps didn't recognize it in himself, his early mentors spotted his intelligence and determination to pursue a scientific career. Throughout the years, there has been so much more to this man than laboratory experiments and clinical surgery. He is something of a musician and is equally fascinated with the mathematical complexities of a solo by John Coltrane as he is by mapping the interactions of the gut microbiome. During this interview, he has quite a lot to say about the challenges facing any surgeon wishing to pursue a research career and how it is perhaps becoming more and more difficult every year. If you prefer to watch rather than listen, then don't forget that this interview is available on all the #SurgeonsLives YouTube channel. Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment on the interviews as much as you like. #microbiome #anastomoticleak #surgicalresearch #NIHfunding #herbiehancock #johncoltrane #chicago #universityofchicago https://mmp.bsd.uchicago.edu/steering-committee/john-alverdy/ https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/John-C-Alverdy-39796247 https://www.castleconnolly.com/top-doctors/john-c-alverdy-surgery-82cc015288 https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/surgery-articles/surgeon-receives-prestigious-award-for-groundbreaking-clinical-research  

Patrick Borgen is the Chair of the Dept of Surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn New York. He also heads-up the breast program which he has developed into the only accredited breast center in Brooklyn serving over 3 million people. Although he was born in South Dakota on a military base, he grew up in Louisiana, where he went to medical school and did his residency before moving for a Research Fellowship to Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. He spent almost 20 years at Memorial rising to the position of Chief of the breast service. About 10 years ago, he moved to Brooklyn, and in this conversation, he describes the culture shock of moving from an ivory tower facility full of the rich and famous to a borough where more than 50% of the patients are either under insured or have no insurance at all. Despite that, he hasn't regretted his move for a moment and tells us about the challenges and fulfillment of working in such a setting. When he goes home at night to his farm in New Jersey he can have fun with his dirt bikes or go out fishing in his boat. He also has a 1970s triumph sports car to take him on country drives. In a thoroughly illuminating talk with a man who almost certainly qualifies as a polymath, he talks about the changes he has seen in breast cancer management, his brushes with royalty and celebrity as well as where he sees the future of cancer medicine is going. Please don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel and send any comments you may have. Also, if you prefer watching rather than listening, this interview is available on the usual YouTube channel. #maimonides #breastcancer #academicsurgery #memorialsloanketting #Brooklyn #dirtbikes #louisiana https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/provider/dr-patrick-borgen-1700860301 https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-borgen-5080831b9/ https://youtu.be/cg6WGYzUP7A?si=pQJDFtTeUpeMS8Yv  

Professor Neil Smart is a consultant colorectal surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in the UK. He's best known for his clinical interests in rectal cancer, hernia prevention and treatment as well as abdominal wall reconstruction. He is one of a modern generation of clinical academics despite not working in what was traditionally considered to be the main academic centers in the big cities of the UK. Since 2019, he has been the editor-in-chief of Colorectal Disease and along with his research portfolio and editorial work. It seemed that life couldn't be better. At that point, however is life was turned upside down with the sudden appearance of dysphagia while attending a surgical conference in Turkey. The diagnosis of a locally advanced esophageal cancer soon followed and before long he was in the midst of intensive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, and finally a radical esophagectomy. In this truly, fascinating and inspirational conversation Neil discusses many aspects of his career pathway before focusing on the unexpected events of 2024 and how he has managed to deal with the transition from being surgeon to a patient with a life-threatening disease. Please don't forget, if you prefer watching rather than listening, this and all the other episodes of Surgeons' Lives can be found on YouTube #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #esophagealcancer #colorectaldisease #mortality #lifechangingevents #cancer #whyme @neil_j_smart on X https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=VGI6Q0MAAAAJ&hl=en  

Professor Oscar Traynor is currently the Director of International Surgical Training Programs at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He was born and grew up in Dublin and having originally wanted to be an airline pilot, he found that he was unexpectedly unable to pursue this career and so entered medical school to "see what I was like". He was soon sufficiently mesmerized by Medicine to pursue a career in Surgery. As part of his training, he spent a year in London, where he encountered the late Professor Leslie Blumgart, who became a fiercely, loyal mentor and ultimately good friend throughout his entire career. So it was that Oscar decided to pursue the relatively new specialty of liver surgery and he spent another year in fellowship with Professor Henri Bismuth in Paris. Returning to Dublin in 1987 he started not only his consultant career but also a long journey to create a liver transplant program for the country of Ireland. Naturally this was not without some bumps in the road but over the next quarter century it turned into the success story it is today. During the same timeframe, he developed an interest in surgical training and became Dean of Postgraduate Surgical Training at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He held this post for 23 years during which, he was responsible for the introduction of formal skills lab training through simulation and the development of human factors training. In a fascinating interview, he has much to say about the challenges of creating a new program and the need for partnership and collaboration to achieve success. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was a famous and prominent politician in the early 20th century in Ireland and would certainly look on the achievements of the 21st-century Oscar with both fascination and pride. Don't forget, if you prefer to watch these interviews, the entire series is available on YouTube. https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/news-and-events/news/news-article/2021/10/professor-oscar-traynor-awarded-honorary-fellowship-of-american-college-of-surgeons https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-traynor-82a34225/?originalSubdomain=ie https://www.rcsi.com/people/profile/otraynor  

Dr. Pat Sylla is the current Division Chief of Colon and rental Surgery in Mount Sinai in New York. She was born in Paris, grew up in the Ivory Coast in West Africa, and went to college and medical school in the US. She also completed her residency and fellowships in colorectal surgery and minimally invasive surgery. She's probably best known as one of the great innovators in surgical technique, including TaTME which she developed while in Boston at MGH. Because of her cosmopolitan background, she has a world view on some of the issues facing surgeons, women, and indeed herself as she reflects on how she can give back to the world that formed her as a young child. During this fascinating interview, she describes how her first experience of finding a mentor was a complete failure, and how she has managed the challenges of being a black surgeon, female, and with a funny accent as well. She's been hugely successful in the world of surgical academia and subspecialties societies having recently completed a highly successful year as president of SAGES while spending as much time as possible with her two growing boys - is there nothing she cannot do we ask ourselves. This interview is appearing on her 50th birthday, which should give you some idea of how extraordinarily successful she has been in a relatively short period of time. Of course, if you prefer to watch rather than listen, the entire interview is available on Youtube as usual. https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-sylla-md-facs-fascrs-540487240/ https://health.usnews.com/doctors/patricia-sylla-588117 https://x.com/patsyllamd  

In this latest episode of Surgeons Lives, Steve Stain recalls his journey from infancy in San Antonio, Texas, to growing up near Fresno in California and entering College and Medical School.   He certainly started with the basics, draining pus for his boss in a drug abuse practice. He describes being supported by some outstanding mentors in his early residency and guided into a career in Academic Surgery that proved extremely successful. Faculty jobs in California and Tennessee led him to be recruited as Chair of Surgery in Albany, New York, and for more than a decade it was a marriage made in heaven. However, times change, and when leadership vision shifted it was time to move on to his next adventure. The last few years has seen him, become Chair of Surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts, where he describes himself as in many respect, a middle ranking manager! However, we all know that that's understating his contributions to Surgery, and to supporting his colleagues. His story of being supported by multiple mentors in the early stages of his career is important because it's informed the way he supports young surgeons in his career as a surgical leader. Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment on the video and if you prefer to listen rather than watch, then don't forget that this interview is on all your favorite podcast channels #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #mentorship #laheyclinic @americancollegeofsurgeons #americansurgicalassociation #children #familylife #drainingpus https://www.lahey.org/news-stories/all-news-stories/news/2021/02/steven-stain-md-named-lhmc-chair-of-surgery https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/acs-brief/may-9-2023-issue/dr-steven-stain-acs-regent-is-the-new-asa-president/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-stain-7b03b88/ https://www.castleconnolly.com/top-doctors/steven-c-stain-surgery-  

David Linehan MD is the current Dean and CEO of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and the Medical Center. He grew up in Boston having lost his father as a toddler. Despite living in the tough streets of Dorchester - Whitey Bulger and all that stuff - he learned that education and hard work would lead him to a better life. Academic achievement took him through College and the Medical School necessary to become a surgeon. A Surgical Oncology Fellowship at MSKCC in New York was the final step to establishing a successful early career as a surgeon scientist at Wash U in St. Louis where he became known as a pioneer in novel therapies for pancreatic cancer. Rochester called and a decade as the Chairman of Surgery prepared him well for the latest step upwards to the world of Institution leadership and all that involves. In this interview, he takes us through his early life in Boston attending school with the Bulger kids - the same school that became the epicenter of the Catholic Church scandal powerfully portrayed in the movie "Spotlight". He talks about hitting the mentorship jackpot and what changing career directions is likely to involve. Fascinating stuff to hear - or indeed watch on the @Youtube channel @surgeonslives  Don't forget to Like and Subscribe please!! #leadership #surgeonscientist #academicsurgery #surgeonslives #pancreaticcancer #surgicalresearch #worklifebalance #surgery #hobbies #mentorship #becomingadean #spotlight #whiteybulger #Boston #bostonirish https://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/david-linehan-named-ceo-of-university-of-rochester-medical-center-576112/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-linehan-urmc/

Latest episode of #Surgeonslives #Stuffthatmatters has landed with an interview with another surgeon from the UK   Gill Tierney is a force of nature. A general and colorectal surgeon who works in the midlands of the UK she rose to become the second woman elected President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. By her own admission she has never been afraid to speak out and is generally a chatty person - but one who specializes in connecting people who might do great things together. She has clear views about the gender challenges in modern surgery - but they might be different to the obvious perhaps? Married to another colorectal surgeon, she certainly understands the work-life balance dilemma and wants to see that expand far beyond gender choices. Female mentors, worrying about old white males, pieces of life advice and how to change the NHS are all discussed here in a fun ride through a career. Don't forget, if you prefer to watch rather than listen, the interview is available on my @surgeonslives channel on @Youtube Please like, subscribe and send some comments to the channel. #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #darzireport #asgbi #acpgbi #worklifebalance #femalesurgeons #burnout #lifestyle #genderequality #workforceintelligence #surgery #surgeon #surgeryeducation #lookslikeasurgeon https://www.asgbi.org.uk/about-us/surgical-leaders-in-management-slim/gillian-tierney

Nat Soper is one of the best known laparoscopic surgeons worldwide. He was there at the very beginning and was definitely one of the true innovators in laparoscopic, minimally invasive, natural orifice surgery. He is currently the Chair of Surgery at Banner health in Phoenix, but that was never his intention! He describes in this interview, a stellar career culminating in being Division Chief at Northwestern in Chicago, where he was for more than a decade before it was suddenly decided that he was surplus to requirements without warning. Not very many surgeons are willing to speak openly about such dramatic life change, so don't miss this opportunity to hear his views on the stresses and traumas of having to make a life change that was definitely not planned. If you prefer to watch, then this interview is available on @Youtube @Surgeonslives. Please don't forget to like and subscribe and send us comments. https://phoenixmed.arizona.edu/surgery/soper https://uacomp.resoapps.com/RA122001-Nathaniel_J._Soper/biography/index.hml https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaniel-soper-2a0bb61b7/   #sages #employment #gettingfired #selfdoubt #medicalpolitics #surgery #lifestyle #lifestress #worklifebalance #mentorship #laparoscopicsurgeon #robotics  

Tom Watson is a thoracic surgeon of excellence and works at Corewell Health in Michigan. A Midwestern boy by background he became part of the USC esophageal gang under the mentorship of Tom DeMeester. He then spent 20 years at the University of Rochester where he rose through the ranks to become Professor of Surgery and then in 2016 moved to become a system chair at MedStar in Washington DC. That wasn't an entirely happy experience and he talks about unhealthy organizational cultures being the trap that awaits the unwary. He is now happily based near Detroit and once again a highly successful clinical academic surgeon. He talks about his newfound faith in the concept of stoicism, as well as his musical background in college where he played in abandon to make beer and food money. Anyone planning to rise up through the ranks of Surgical leadership should listen to this interview and understand some of the real world challenges. If you prefer to watch, then don't forget this is available on @Youtube @surgeonslives  https://www.ctsnet.org/home/thwatson https://doctors.beaumont.org/provider/thomas-j-watson/1922627  

Phil Schauer is one of the nations best known bariatric surgeons. He spent many years and rose to fame in the world of metabolic surgery when in the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio before recently moving to Louisiana and the Pennington Research Institute where he continues to make a difference to patients with morbid obesity and metabolic syndrome. In this discussion, he describes how Bariatric Surgery was the redheaded stepchild of Surgery for many years and suffered from bias and bigotry, as well as the refusal to accept that this was an actual disease process. Despite this, the number of bariatric procedures being performed continues to grow day by day with better and better outcomes. In this wide ranging interview, Phil tells us about his early life in Texas stumbling into the world of MIS and learning from others around the world how to make an impact and improve the lives of many patients. He's a true surgeon scientist with almost 400 peer reviewed publications and can't decide whether he prefers wine or beer. He's a big Beatles fan and would like to have dinner with Muhammad Ali. Don't forget to like and subscribe to the channel and if you prefer to watch then don't miss the @YouTube video version https://www.fmolhs.org/sgbr/about/philip-r-schauer Twitter https://x.com/pschauermd?lang=en https://asmbs.org/about/asmbs-presidents/philip-r-schauer/ https://www.pbrc.edu/research-and-faculty/faculty/Schauer-Philip-MD.aspx   #morbidobesity #bigotry #fakediets #bariatricsurgery #gastricbypass #gastricsleeve #lapband #surgery #lifestyle #worklifebalance #societyelections #leadership #MIS #laparoscopy

Tom Varghese, MD,  is the chief of the section of Thoracic Surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah. He's also many other things, including the president of the Society of University Surgeons and one of the founders of the Strong for Surgery program in the American College of Surgeons. He's been NIH funded for quite some time now and is heavily focused in the areas of quality and integrated care. However, he is very much more than that. He was born in India and immigration to America following his father who won the green card lottery. He then went back to India for medical school and back to America again to start and completes surgical training. So he knows all about being considered different remembering that he was different in America and now was different in India. He has a lot to say about the changing environment of healthcare, including the development of integrated care and challenges facing academic medical centers, as well as the roles of mentors throughout his career. In this conversation, we also ask what he thinks might lie in front of those of us in the healthcare industry - the next big thing? Don't forget if you prefer to watch as well then head over to the @SurgeonsLives channel on YouTube. Please take a moment to like and subscribe and send us your comments regarding this or any other of the interviews. #Immigrant #Surgery #Lifestyle #IntegratedCare #Bigotry #Different #Cancer #BusinessOfHealthcare #FutureChallenges #Diversity #Disparities #Quality #AmericanCollegeOfSurgeons https://medicine.utah.edu/surgery/cardiothoracic/news/2022/08/dr-varghese-has-accepted-role-of-associate-chief-medical https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomvarghesejr/recent-activity/all/ Twitter or X https://x.com/tomvarghesejr  

Scott Silvestry MD is the current Division chief of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery at the University of Arizona, Tucson. But he is so much more than that. He was drawn to Medicine and Surgery by family tragedy, leaving the close community of the Bronx to become a doctor. He spent his formative residence years in Duke, or he had the opportunity to learn much – not all good – from the legendary Dr. David Sabiston. After residency, a period of research followed before he became a star in the field of heart failure, and heart transplantation while on faculty at the University of Washington in St. Louis. Following a few years in Florida, he recently moved to his current position in Arizona where he is now revamping the Transplant program. In this fascinating interview, he talks about family influences, behavioral changes over the years, constantly pushing the boundaries of technology and challenges for the benefit of his patience and always questioning dogma. His passion for cars was learned watching his dad with various wonderful machines such as a 427 Cobra, an early Ferrari as well as a very rare Lamborghini. He is certainly followed in that tradition over many years steadily creating a wonderful collection of elegant Ferraris, including some really special cars that he talks about during this discussion. Don't forget to like and subscribe this video and send us some comments please If you prefer to watch rather than watch, then the interview will be available on the @Surgeonslives YouTube channel. https://surgery.arizona.edu/news/department-surgery-welcomes-new-division-chief-cardiothoracic-surgery-dr-scott-silvestry https://www.doximity.com/profiles/0c0f74e1-27b0-41a7-8d22-41c9a10a07fd/view https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-silvestry-aaa26626/ https://x.com/ssilvestrymd?lang=en @ssilvestryMD #lifestyle #passion #surgery #hearttransplant #Ferrari #Lamborghini #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #Learningbehavior #challenges #worklifebalance #ECMO #Cobra #Surgeonslives #Stuffthatmatters  

Mary Hawn is the Chair of Surgery at Stanford and a highly successful academic general surgeon. For her, life started on the shores of Lake Michigan but after medical school she spent time in Oregon doing a fellowship before joining the UAB faculty in Birmingham. She spent 14 years there rising to become Division of General Surgery. Along the way she married Eben Rosenthal, a high flying academic Head and Neck surgeon and they raised two children. The next move for them both was moving to Stanford where she became Chair and Eben was working as a cancer surgeon and researcher. Not quite 3 years ago Eben took a leadership role at Vanderbilt so clearly, Mary's views on managing that lifestyle are very interesting to hear. Indeed, she has much to say about several aspects of modern surgery and society in general Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment please - and if you prefer to just watch instead then we can be found on YouTube of course - #SurgeonsLives channel. #lifestyle #couplesmatching #worklifebalance #internettrolls #academicsurgery #surgery https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/mary-hawn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hawn https://x.com/maryhawn?lang=en

Nick Stafford OBE retired a few years ago as Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Hull in the UK. However, there is way more to Nick that his surgical achievements. As Co-founder of the Daisy Appeal Charity his leadership raised many, many millions and the creation of a unique PET scanning center in Hull - achievements acknowledged by the award of the OBE. He is a serial classic car enthusiast owning more than 50 cars over the years. Now he has an original Mini Cooper and a Porsche 356 for fun but is always thinking of the next purchase. A few years ago he bought a pub and restaurant near his home - despite knowing next to nothing about the business. As he tells us, it wasn't a success in financial terms but wasn't all bad and he and his daughters had some fun. If you prefer watching, this is available on YouTube but either way please like and subscribe and send us some comments https://justbeverley.co.uk/articles/prof-nick-stafford-obe-director-of-the-daisy-appeal https://daisyappeal.org/pages/patrons-trustees-and-benefactors https://www.thehullstory.com/allarticles/daisy-appeal-wykeland-donation #lifestyle #daisyappeal #surgery #worklifebalance #restaurants #classicscars #universityofhull  

David Rothenberger came from the humblest of beginnings in South Dakota with no plans for college never mind a stellar career in surgery. He witnessed family tragedy with two infant deaths and decided immediately to become a doctor. And so he did with a combination of government loans and scholarships. He liked the look of the Princeton brochure so applied there before returning to Minnesota and Tufts for medical school. Slowly but steadily he grew and built a colorectal practice and reputation and ultimately became Department Chair and President of ASCRS - and then an accident resulted in a neurological injury and no more surgery. Since then he continues to contribute within the University, working on faculty development, mentorship and helping with burnout reduction. Don't miss this interview of wisdom and advice - and don't forget to listen on your favorite podcast platforms Please like and subscribe and comment #surgeonslives #stuffthatmatters #rothenberger #podcast #universityofminnesota #surgery #lifestyle #worklifebalance #legacy #burnout #makingadifference #careerdevelopment #colorectalsurgery #ascrs https://med.umn.edu/bio/david-rothenberger https://med.umn.edu/surgery/news/connection-community-celebration-work-david-rothenberger-md https://fascrs.org/videos/david-a-rothenberger,-md-reflects-on-the-specialty

In this latest episode of #Surgeonslives we hear from Professor John MacFie who is now happily retired from a stellar career in surgery in the UK. Rising to the Presidency of #ASGBI he was a superb clinical surgeon, researcher and mentor of many. His views on that part of life are worth listening to as always. However, he also discusses what has vexed him in recent years about the rise in medical litigation and the role played by doctors in convicting other doctors in court. Do not miss that part of the discussion. We mention a few cars and the joys of wood turning along the way with some mentors and other #Stuffthatmatters in careers and life. Even though the audio quality may not be the best on this occasion, you will find his thoughts well worth hearing. Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment You can also watch the video on @Youtube  

Professor Sir Neil Mortensen grew up in a humble and evangelical family, went to medical school as something worthy and became a surgeon probably because of a student mentor. After that, there was no stopping him as he rose through the ranks to the very, very top as a world renowned colorectal surgeon and most recently President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The interview starts with him recounting the horrors of his house burning down while he was traveling and takes us through some great stories and experiences - and what he believes is truly important as a surgeon and as a human being. And lets not forget being an aficionado of Real Tennis, a major opera fan and starting the world famous Alpine Colorectal Meeting. Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment If you prefer to watch this is also available on YouTube #SurgeonsLives http://www.youtube.com/@surgeonslives https://www.nds.ox.ac.uk/team/neil-mortensen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Mortensen https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/bulletin/2019/11/citation-for-prof-neil-mortensen-mbchb-md-ma-frcseng-frcpsglasghon-frcsedhon-frcsihon/ https://occtopus.org.uk/trustee/professor-neil-mortensen/  

Herb Chen is a pretty accomplished guy when you think about it! Having said that, I have accused him of being worryingly organized!   Dr. Chen is Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), the Surgeon-in-Chief of UAB Hospital and Health System, and the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. He is a Professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Biomedical Engineering, and holds the Fay Fletcher Kerner Endowed Chair. He is the American Cancer Society MEN2 Thyroid Cancer Professor. Dr. Chen is the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Surgery. Born in Staten Island he grew up in a small Wisconsin town, the son of an Orthopedic surgeon. His training CV is exemplary - Stanford, Duke, Hopkins - I mean C'mon Man! He spent 15 years in Madison, Wisconsin where he laid the bedrock of an outstanding career before becoming the Chair in Alabama a decade ago. He is a man of his time - an his time involves surgical science, work-life balance, diversity and inclusion. And he has a secret ambition that perhaps panders to his penchant for excessive organization!! You can also watch this on YouTube - I want these interviews to form a small part of surgical history.    https://www.uab.edu/medicine/surgery/breast-endocrine/faculty/herbchen https://www.carcinoid.org/doctor/herbert-chen-md-surgical-oncology-general-surgery/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-chen-57895752/ X- @herbchen https://societyofclinicalsurgery.com/senior-members/chen/ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UvXGbfIAAAAJ&hl=en

Professor Ronan O'Connell was born and raised in Dublin and still lives there today with his wife Pauline. He became a colorectal surgeon almost by chance during a research fellowship and then rose to the very top in everything he touched - Chair of Surgery, President of RCSI and ESA, Editor of the world's most successful surgery textbook. In this interview he describes a life journey from an intellectual start discussing linguistics with his parents at home, through medical school before reaching the very top of the profession. And then he became President of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland when Covid struck!! Challenges aplenty for sure! You can also watch this episode on @YouTube of course https://people.ucd.ie/ronan.oconnell https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/library/collections/heritage-collections/presidents-of-rcsi/p-ronan-oconnell https://www.escp.eu.com/news/education/2601-the-importance-of-mentorship-and-coaching

Justin Dimick is of course one of the nest known and highly successful surgical academics in the US. First and foremost he is a passionate surgeon with a mission to improve the outcomes for his patients as well as patients worldwide through "understanding the data". A Health Services Researcher par excellence he has co-authored some of the seminal papers in the "Quality" field with some giants in the field along the way. He has most definite views about setting the cultural agenda and being intentional about values and what he stands for. And all of this from modest beginnings knitting mittens for fellow medical school! Go Blue and listen to another great story on #SurgeonsLives #StuffThatMatters Don't forget - also available on @YouTube @jrtmonson https://www.uofmhealth.org/profile/573/justin-brigham-dimick-md https://twitter.com/jdimick1?lang=en  @jdimick1  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=H9tloLUAAAAJ&hl=en https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_B._Dimick

Liane Feldman is the Chair of Surgery at McGill in Montreal and not that long ago was President of Sages. She is Canadian through and through and has spent almost all of her career in her home city. Naturally she is a "Habs" hockey fan and avid outdoors enthusiast - running, cycling and skiing or simply being at her lakeside cottage. A recent empty nester she is very proud of her three kids culinary skills apart from anything else. In this interview she tells us how titles and leadership were never intentional plans and only undertaken with the most careful of deliberation. But she found she liked being the steady hand on the tiller for others - and they obviously agree. Apologies for the techno glitch at the start - I managed to delete the story of her student days and residency!!! Nonetheless, I think you will greatly enjoy her story Don't forget the YouTube version for watching leisurely!! https://www.mcgill.ca/generalsurgery/liane-s-feldman https://twitter.com/lianefeldman?lang=en  @lianefeldman https://www.linkedin.com/in/liane-s-feldman-2884428a/?originalSubdomain=ca https://www.sages.org/a-message-from-sages-president-liane-feldman-md/  

Tracy Hull has been part of the furniture at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for 3 decades. A self-confessed "plodder" she has nonetheless reached the top of the mountain as a colorectal surgeon and fierce patient advocate. Born into the family veterinarian business she was closing surgical wounds with her dad from the earliest of years so perhaps it was always going to be the career of a surgeon in her future. A passionate lover of all animals she has far too many horses and has competed successfully in shows all around the country, traveling with her family to wherever the show lands. She is well placed to reflect on a career as a female surgeon in a male dominated world - in an institution that wasn't immediately too enthusiastic about having her as a fellow, never mind as faculty!! Like and subscribe - and please comment. Don't forget, this is also available to watch on @Youtube along with all the other interviews. https://twitter.com/drtracyhull?lang=en https://www.facs.org/for-medical-prof... https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/...

Professor Sir Norman Williams is a big cheese in many areas. First off, he has been a big name in the colorectal surgery field for decades, contributing so game-changing papers on rectal cancer and pelvic floor diseases. I first met him in 1984 so this was a fascinating discussion for us both. Alongside the clinical and research achievements, he became President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and continues today to advise successive Governments on healthcare strategy and implementation. He is a fanatical sports fan - especially rugby (and snooker many years ago) and still meets his old rugby pals to remember games and re-write history over a few beers. His views on leadership styles are well worth hearing for anyone starting out in surgery and politics - indeed all of this interview is worth watching. Don't forget, you can also watch the full interview on YouTube, #SurgeonsLives where you should also Like, subscribe and comment please. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Stanley_Williams https://acmedsci.ac.uk/fellows/fellows-directory/ordinary-fellows/fellow/Norman%20Stanley-Williams-0033z00002qIIapAAG https://www.gov.uk/government/people/norman-williams

Frederick L Greene MD - Rick to his innumerable friends and colleagues - has been at the center of the cancer world for decades.  Known for his long-standing editorial role with the AJCC Staging Manual he served as Chair of the Commission on Cancer at the American College of Surgeons. He remains passionate about the role of Cancer Registries and most importantly, the Cancer Registrars themselves.  He still serves as the Medical Director of the Levine Cancer Center in Charlotte. He was a founding member of SAGES and Past-President and has been an active media personality since starting his first radio show in his early teens.  He was a podcaster before there were such things and presents several podcasts on medical and surgical matters even today.  And no, he has no plans to give up any time soon. What you might not know is that he was almost in the movies - Hollywood's loss eh!!  He could have been challenging Robert De Niro for top honors!   All in all, don't miss this fascinating discussion - or watch it on YouTube if you prefer. https://www.generalsurgerynews.com/Podcasts/Article/09-20/Sound-Medicine-Podcast-Frederick-L-Greene-MD-The-Gifts-of-Experience/59599 https://www.doximity.com/profiles/fefe7a76-b69d-461e-8e2c-d76d81d078fc/view https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publications/news-and-articles/cancer-programs-news/072122/acs-launches-new-podcast-series-surgical-readings-from-srgs/ https://www.surgonc.org/annals/speaking-of-surgonc/  

Jim Fleshman is the Chair of Surgery in Dallas - he moved to Baylor about a decade ago after a stellar career almost entirely at Wash U in St. Louis. Born in New Orleans he essentially grew up in Bangor in Northern Ireland in the midst of "The Troubles" before the family moved to the Mid-West where he spent most of his adult life. An early advocate of the academic way in colorectal surgery he led a number of NCI funded trials while rising to the top of the political tree as President of ASCRS and ABCRS. Now he tries to mentor early career surgeons in different ways of achieving success beyond work, work, work! 7 grandkids take up much time, as does trying to visit all the MLB parks before he is done. He doesn't seem to have any plans to retire, mainly because he wife doesn't want him home and bored!! Enjoy - or watch the video interview on YouTube https://www.bswhealth.com/physician/james-fleshman https://www.jamesivassociationsurgeons.com/dr-james-fleshman https://twitter.com/jamesfleshmanm1  

Joep Knol is a Dutch surgeon who has worked for many years in Belgium where his reputation for technical mastery and educational innovation has produced global recognition. His iLapp foundation was started to try and produce a new pathway for teaching surgery which has become a passion. Growing up an undersized kid in Nigmegen - remember the movie?? - he was an enthusiastic and skilled goalie who idolized the great Johann Cruyff. He soon regained the expected tall person Dutch stature and established his career in the medieval city of Leuven. Now he travels every month to Sicily for Espresso, pasta and surgery - not necessarily in that order! Bratislava is next on the horizon. Speaking during a quick work break in Portugal he covers all of these stories as well as future ambitions and a couple of regrets. Don't forget you can also see the entire interview on YouTube @Surgeonslives http://www.knol.be/home-en/ https://twitter.com/KnolJoep https://websurg.com/en/authors/102468 https://youtu.be/9kmlTF3kNLg?si=DvIHW6lIDndlZj5h

Andrew Stevenson is one of Australia's foremost Colorectal Surgeons. Brought up in Melbourne he was there at the start of laparoscopy during his Fellowship in Brisbane - where he has stayed for all of his Consultant career. However, it would be a mistake to think he is a home boy. He travelled alone from Melbourne to Vancouver when he was 14 - and stayed for a year of high school. he fell in love with snow sports and is now a qualified Canadian skiing instructor! Let's not forget the amazing work he has done on clinical trials in Australia - not an easy job. When he isn't designing a new study he can be found on his beautiful catamaran most weekends sailing and racing around the coast. This one you should hear - a real lesson in how to do it all and maintain a work/life balance! Also available @SurgeonsLives on YouTube   https://www.svph.org.au/specialists/dr-andrew-stevenson-colorectal-surgeon https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-stevenson-2bab07a0/?originalSubdomain=au https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andrew-Stevenson-7  

Tim Pawlik seems to do it all - Surgical Oncologist, Researcher, Chairman - as well as a huge sports fan (Buckeye and Boston), family man and devoted fish watcher. Trained in Boston, Michigan and Texas he landed in Johns Hopkins for 5 years where he hones his craft as an HPB surgeon before becoming Chair of Surgery at Ohio State in Columbus some 7 years ago. In this (standing) interview we hear about his early life and decision to become a doctor rather than a priest or car salesman. His love for the Red Sox and Bruins has never been lost even though he is now a dedicated Buckeyes fan. And let's not forget the fascination with Koi Carp! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you find your podcasts. Like and subscribe - and comments please! https://cancer.osu.edu/find-a-doctor/search-physician-directory/timothy-m-pawlik https://twitter.com/timpawlik https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothypawlik/ https://www.doximity.com/pub/timothy-pawlik-md

Neil Hyman reached the top in colorectal surgery having realized he was too slow and short to be a professional basketball player. The NBA will never know what they missed! Growing up in New York he trained with giants like Randy Steinhagen and Vic Fazio before spending the bulk of his career at the University of Vermont and then finally the University of Chicago. A former President of ASCRS he is as passionate about IBD now as he always was and is relishing his imminent retirement. His interview charts his search for "his people" in surgery and trying to help the generations following in his footsteps. He worries about life for the young surgeon embarking upon a career today and has some insightful comments about DEI and learning about others. Like and Subscribe and comment please https://surgery.uchicago.edu/faculty/neil-hyman-md https://bucksbauminstitute.uchicago.edu/bio/neil-hyman-md/ https://youtu.be/NDZ-v1Gi-ho?si=DLtTF-ZaqFIpbktU https://fascrs.org/my-ascrs/leadership/past-presidents/6-6-2020-1-08-50-pm  

David Rattner has had a stellar career in surgery and his academic achievements should be an inspiration to all surgeons. Decades of clinical and innovation contributions in Boston where he was a fixture at MGH brought many awards including his personal ambition of being a full Professor. President of SAGES followed along with mentoring many young surgeons and being one of the originators of NOTES. However, it's his comments on life balance, passion for work, and what makes someone come to work with colleagues every day - or not as the case may be - that are worth considering. Happily retired and living between Boston, Arizona and Florida he has much wisdom to impart to anyone who wants to listen. Don't forget the YouTube version as well - watch at your leisure. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rattner-8a31281a6/ https://youtu.be/BtNLDpUs2z4?si=axT-vqRBVYwE60lz  

John "Tarp" Tarpley is quite simply a force of energy - blessed with an excellent thyroid gland he says! Despite being long past "retirement" age he continues to work as a huge force for good in African surgery driven by a passion for teaching and his lifelong personal faith. He is a legend in Vanderbilt where he was Program Director for many years, operative teacher and missions based surgeon. He says he is planning to travel more to see his family in Canada and Switzerland and beyond and is only working part-time at 40 hours a week! A fanatical college sports fan and season ticket holder there seems to be no stopping him anytime soon! Hear how he turned down a Hopkins Chairman to choose a different life path for the next half-century. Prepared to be exhausted by his drive, enthusiasm and energy. https://www.vumc.org/surgical-science... https://paacs.net/who-we-are/administ... https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/...