Surgical Hot Topics

In this season finale episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, host Dr. Thomas Varghese speaks with Dr. Stephanie Fuller, attending surgeon in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. and chair of the STS Workforce on Annual Meeting, about creating a life of impact. For Dr. Fuller, it's about positioning oneself to be open to opportunities - both the expected and unexpected. "Lessons will come from all sorts of people along your pathway. Be receptive to anybody who is willing to each  you," she advises. "You don't want to look back one day and regret not fully taking advantage of learning opportunities and the relationships you've fostered over the years." She also shares a glimpse into exciting plans underway for the 2025 STS Annual Meeting 

Isabelle Opitz, MD, is the director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and an associate professor for thoracic surgery at the University of Zurich, as well as the chair of the Lung Cancer Center in Zurich. In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, Dr. Opitz talks with Dr. Thomas Varghese about her international career path, spanning Germany, France, and Switzerland, where she now resides. She explains how career journeys in Europe differ from the US, especially for women, and how the healthcare system overseas is striving for greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Varghese joins Dr. Yolonda Colson, chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, in an insightful conversation on the advancement of women into key leadership roles and why that is still lacking today in the cardiothoracic surgery specialty. Dr. Olson shares her origin story - "from farm to the CT surgery field" - as an accomplished surgeon and scientist. Her advice on becoming a consistently high performer? "Stay focused on your purpose and not just the result. And stay open to new opportunities." 

In this episode of The Same Surgeon, Different Light, podcast host Dr. Thomas Varghese explores the opportunities, the rewards, the sacrifice, and the struggles in life as a cardiothoracic surgeon with Dr. Mimi Ceppa, a thoracic surgeon at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Ceppa shares her family's journey as immigrants from Vietnam to Canada, the expectations placed on her to become a doctor, and how she balances her career and her personal life. No doubt, it's a "can't miss" episode. 

In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, your host, Dr. David T. Cooke, talks with Dr. Ikenna Okereke, vice chair of the department of surgery at Henry Ford Health, and Dr. Mark Henderson, professor of medicine and vice chair of education at UC Davis Health, about the role of education in medical workforce diversity. Together, they address the need for an intentional, progressive approach to creating a more inclusive workforce and the significant impact diversity within the field has on decreasing healthcare inequalities, boosting workforce engagement and retention, and providing support for underrepresented communities. "Diversity brings improved results," said Dr. Okereke. "When a workforce is more representative, we reduce mistrust and improve access in marginalized communities."

In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, host Dr. Thomas Varghese chats with Dr. Mara Antonoff, associate professor and program director of education, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center, about the origins of her career. Dr. Antonoff shares what it takes to be a leader in thoracic education, what she learned about the importance of independent and deliberate practice as a competitive figure skater, and the power of resilience from her parents who “made do with very minimum resources.” Dr. Antonoff remembers, “My parents worked hard to ensure we had opportunities to get the education we needed to become successful members of the community.”

In this episode hosted to Dr. David T. Cooke, Drs. Jordan Dozier, Clauden Louis, and Michael Onwugbufor talk about their long, education journey, how to design a practice, and their shared experiences. 

In this episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, Dr. Thomas Varghese talks with Dr. Richard Ohye, the University of Michigan C. S. Mott Children's Hospital Congenital Heart Center, about finding his superpower in cardiothoracic surgery, and how his career has evolved over the years. 

In this episode, Dr. David T. Cooke talks with Dr. Angelica Martin, UC Davis Health, and Dr. Lillian Tsai, Stanford Medicine, about their career journeys and the people who have been a positive influence on them. “I come from an underserved community and I’m the first in my family to go to college,” said Dr. Martin. “At first, it felt like I was navigating this career on my own. My mentor has been my north star.”

In this episode of The Resilient Surgeon, Dr. Michael Maddaus interviews Monica Parker, author of The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead.  Parker has spent decades helping people discover how to lead and live wonderfully by cultivating curiosity, empathy, and open mindedness. Here, she explains the elements and elicitors of wonder, and how it can transform people's brains and bodies. It's about "becoming more wonder-prone and reconnecting with a reverence for the world and all the magic in it."