DEI | STS

Podcast
#74: Same Surgeon, Different Light: Dr. Doug Mathisen

Dr. Mathisen compares the surgical locker room to an athletic locker room, saying that it has the “same sort of camaraderie” and everyone works hard to not let down their “teammates.”

49 min.

Podcast
#73: Same Surgeon, Different Light: Dr. Joanna Chikwe

Listeners will learn that Dr. Chikwe grew up in Birmingham, England, with a Nigerian father who “came to Britain with coins in his pocket and a lot of ambition” and a Welsh mother from a coal mining town.

33 min.

Podcast
#72: Same Surgeon, Different Light: Dr. Richard Prager

Dr. Prager shares that he chose cardiothoracic surgery “because it was the hardest thing I could think of to do.”

33 min.

Same Surgeon, Different Light - STS podcast

Video
Same Surgeon, Different Light Podcast Trailer

“Same Surgeon, Different Light” is a new program from the Society designed to demystify cardiothoracic surgery, revealing the men and women behind their surgical masks.

Podcast
#70: Same Surgeon, Different Light: Dr. Robert Higgins

Dr. Higgins shares advice from his mother that he has never forgotten: “keep on keeping on”—a reminder that challenges in life should be embraced as “opportunities to persevere and show grit.”

37 min.

Podcast
#69: Same Surgeon, Different Light: Series Introduction

Drs. David Cooke and Tom Varghese—both cardiothoracic surgeons themselves—will uncover the obstacles, triumphs, tradeoffs, and pivotal moments that have shaped their guests’ careers and personal missions.

3 min.

Blog
The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Cardiothoracic Surgery

"If CT surgery is to continue advancing and attracting the brightest, most skilled, and innovative people, we must invite, encourage, and guide qualified individuals from all races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and experiences to join us," Dr. Godoy says.

Jul 2, 2020

5 min read

Luis A. Godoy, MD

Diversity and Inclusion Resources

Video
Vivien Thomas Lecture at STS 2020

2020 Vivien T. Thomas Lecture
The Saga of Vivien Thomas: Discrimination, Segregation, and Bias

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons launched a new named lecture at its 2020 Annual Meeting. It was in honor of Vivien Thomas, a black surgical technician with only a high school education who steadfastly designed and tested anastomosis of the subclavian artery to the pulmonary artery, resulting in the landmark "blue baby" operation in 1944 for children with tetralogy of Fallot.

Blog
Nostalgia Imperfecta

A 2019 article reported high incidence of discrimination, abuse, harassment, and burnout among surgical residents. Dr. Tom Varghese points out how the "good old days" of surgical residency programs were plagued by toxic culture, and that this toxicity must be stamped out to create a more productive learning environment.

Oct 31, 2019

7 min read

Thomas K. Varghese Jr., MD, MS

Blog
No Such Thing as an Innocent Bystander

Creating a work culture of professionalism, personal safety, and inclusiveness is a team effort. When seeing a colleague who is undergoing sexual harassment, whether it is being subjected to sexually crude jokes, unwanted sexual attention, or even quid pro quo sexual coercion, bystander intervention is a must.

Aug 24, 2019

4 min read

David Tom Cooke, MD

Video
Breaking the Demographic and Cultural Barriers to Patient Enrollment in Clinical Trials

Despite mandates that determinants of health and differences in sex be incorporated into clinical trials, some groups—such as minorities, women, and those of lower socioeconomic status—are still underrepresented. Drs. David T. Cooke, Loretta Erhunmwunsee, and Linda W. Martin discuss why diverse groups are important, how to improve clinical trial design, and strategies to enroll more broadly representative groups into clinical trials.

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