Surgical Hot Topics The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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."