Podcasts

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, for an insightful conversation on the advancement of women in cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Colson shares her origin story - "from farm to field" - as an accomplished surgeon and scientist. What does it take to become a consistently high performer? Dr. Colson advises, "Stay focused on your purpose 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, what it takes to get into medical school, and how she balances her career with 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.

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.

In this episode hosted by 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. Dr. Onwugbufor shares part of his career journey this way: "When searching for a first job, you need to know you'll have some kind of mentorship and support. For me, it was reassuring to know that when I started doing my first few cases, I wasn't by myself. I didn't feel lonely. That I had someone more experienced supporting me.

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 niche and superpower in cardiothoracic surgery, and how his career has evolved over the years. "When I rotated on pediatrics, it was another level of everything perfect. It was art. This is what I wanted to do. I found my niche," said Dr. Ohye. 

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."

In this episode of The Resilient Surgeon, Gloria Mark, PhD, Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, explains how people interact with information technology in their everyday life: How it affects multitasking, attention, mood, and above all, stress. She studies people's behavior in real-world settings and has found that most people experience information overload, which continues to shrink their attention spans.

In this episode of the Resilient Surgeon, Dr. Carrie Cunningham, associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, section head of the Massachusetts General Hospital Endocrine Surgery Unit, and past president of the Association of Academic Surgery, talks intimately with Dr. Michael Maddaus about the mental health crisis facing healthcare workers and shares her own lived experiences. The conversation tackles stigma and increased resources needed to support and protect those who are struggling in the healthcare community.

Harvard researcher Todd Rose talks with Dr. Michael Maddaus about changing the way people think about success. Author of Dark Horse: Achieving Success Through the Pursuit of Fulfillment, Rose shares his story on the unlikely paths that led him to fulfillment and success, and what it takes to beat the odds.