Brown Surgery Podcast

Kenneth Lynch, Jr., PhD, APRN-CNP

Local Podcast Covering Surgically Relevant Topics

  1. 11/19/2025

    Robotics in Acute Care Surgery – Trends, Training, and the Future of Trauma & Critical Care

    In this episode of the Brown General Surgery Podcast, PGY-4 resident Evan Mitchell sits down with two Brown Surgery faculty—one of our senior Trauma surgeons, Dr. Andrew Stephen, MD and one of our newest Trauma faculty Dr. Holden Spivak, MD (fresh off fellowships in Trauma/Critical Care at Shock Trauma and MIS at Stony Brook)—to explore the evolving role of robotics in trauma and acute care surgery. Key topics include: Why robotic surgery remains rare in acute trauma (hemodynamic instability, docking delays, and the risks of insufflation in unstable patients)Real-world exceptions: robotic splenectomy videos, liver laceration repairs, and selective use in stable obese patients with bowel injuriesThe nationwide decline in operative trauma since 1990 and the rebranding from “trauma surgeon” to “acute care surgeon”How emergency general surgery and elective MIS cases now sustain operative volumeTraining pathways: Is residency robotic experience now enough to skip a second fellowship year? Should future acute care surgeons pair a 1-year SCC fellowship with a dedicated MIS year?Will the classic 2-year AAST/ACS fellowship curriculum need to pivot toward more robotics and less ortho/neuro month-rotations?Job market realities: Being robotic-ready is nice, but sound decision-making (“when to operate and how”) remains the most valuable skillWhy open surgery will never become obsolete in a field driven by source control and hemorrhage controlAdvice for trainees: seek broad exposure, lean on mentors, prioritize supportive groups, and don’t fear creative (even non-traditional) training routesWhether you’re a med student eyeing surgical critical care, a resident deciding on fellowships, or a program director shaping tomorrow’s curriculum, this candid conversation offers an honest look at where the field stands today—and where it’s headed tomorrow. Tune in for practical insights from surgeons who are living the transition.

    20 min
  2. 03/23/2023

    A Panel Discussion on Imposter Syndrome in General Surgery

    Today we have a special episode that touches on a topic that is receiving a lot of attention in the literature but is not often talked about in general surgery or training programs.  Imposter syndrome, or phenomenon as it was originally defined, is a feature that involves fear of being discovered and exposed as an imposter, or more simply one who feels they do not belong in the role they occupy, and does not deserve the success they achieve.  To explore this concept in greater detail, we are fortunate enough to have a diverse panel of surgeons from Brown Surgery joining us today. With the help of Dr. Daryl Appleton, we will have an open conversation with Drs Christine Emmick, Dean Roye, Andrew Luhrs and Elizabeth Tindal to explore this concept in greater detail.  For Bio’s on our facilitator and panelists: Dr Daryl Appleton, M.ED, CAGS, LMHC, Ed.D. Dr Christine Emmick, MD Dr Dean Roye, MD Dr Andrew Luhrs, MD Dr Elizabeth Tindal, MD Article of interest on Imposter Syndrome in General Surgery training programs: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1072751521012308 Thanks again to all of our panelist and for making this discussion on Imposter Syndrome incredibly engaging.  If there a specific topics and/or specialties you would like me to dive into in future episodes of this podcast my email is below so just send me a quick note. Have a great week and I’m looking forward to having you back with us in the next episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast. Kenneth_Lynch@brown.edu

    49 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

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Local Podcast Covering Surgically Relevant Topics