Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In this continuation of President Episodes™, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Jenny Shao chat with the current president of the EAES, Nicole Bouvy, MD, PhD. Our intrepid podcasters cover lots of topics with Dr. Bouvy including the difference in training between the US and Europe, how surgery impacts the environment and why we need to pay attention to sustainability efforts, changes in roles of women in surgical leadership positions, and sheep. Yes, sheep.

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Jenny Shao chat with Brent D. Matthews, MD, the 2025–2026 President of SAGES. We trace how he first got involved with the society and how SAGES has quietly but steadily helped shape his surgical career from fellowship(s) to his presidency!

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to the one and only, the man, the myth, the legend: Manabu Yamamoto, MD. The founder of SAGES Far East and co-writer of “We Are The World, We Are The SAGES” joins us and talks about, well, just about everything. We cover early language acquisition, SAGES in the 80s, being one of the first Japanese SAGES members, how song bridged a gap and helped launch a career, and much, much more. This is an episode you will want to bookmark and save. Dr. Yamamoto is a singular personality within SAGES and has one of the best stories we’ve heard to date.

Editor’s Note: We apologize for the audio quality on this one. We were recording live at the 2025 SAGES Meeting and the microphone was not the best. The quality improves about three minutes in but because of the directional nature, when two people talked at once or when there was laughter (which was often), the sound faded out a bit.

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to the one and only doyenne of SAGES – Executive Director Sallie Matthews.

Sallie shares stories about how she got into the Executive Directoring business, how SAGES has transformed over the years, and what it means to be a successful woman in the field of surgery. This is not our typical podcast but it’s interesting, heartfelt, and inspiring. LISTEN!

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to one of the most fascinating surgeons around: James “Butch” Rosser, MD. Butch is a surgeon, a patient, a top-notch educator, the originator of the Top Gun contest, the catalyst behind the SAGES Mini Med School, and so much more. We hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

This. Is. Huge. The biggest episode we’ve tried to do. The biggest episode we’ve ever done! Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR, FOUR PAST PRESIDENTS on one podcast. (ah ah ah)

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and new co-host Dr. Jenny Shao talk to Past SAGES Presidents Drs. Hoarcio Asbun, Liane Feldman, John Mellinger, and Pat Sylla all about SAGES, their respective paths to the presidency and the impact of the Society on surgery.

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In episode 26, we experience something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Let’s see if you can figure out to who/what each of the above applies!

In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Archana Ramaswamy talk to Dr. Jenny Shao about podcasting in general, finding one’s path in surgery, and much more plus a HUGE announcement. There’s also a special gift for Dr. Ramaswamy at the very end of the episode…

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In episode 25, we talk to researcher and dad extraordinaire, Chris DuCoin, MD and get his thoughts on surgeon scientists, SAGES Research efforts, and our intrepid hosts show us the worst possible way to get a grant accepted.

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In episode 23, we talk to our resident expert on hippies, shag carpeting, beaded entryways, pattern-recognition, grants, research, and all things surgical: Carla Pugh, MD, PhD.

Links from the pod:

Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!

In episode 24, we talk to two past presidents, Aurora Pryor, MD and Steve Schwaitzberg, MD, and the now-current president Christopher Schlachta, MD all about the new SAGES for-profit company SAGES Ingenuity and the SAGES Investment Network Collaboration (SINC).

Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Drs. Pryor, Schwaitzberg, and Schlachta about the SAGES Investment Network and SAGES Ingenuity.

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