In this episode, Dr. Tom Varghese interviews Dr. David Tom Cooke from UC Davis Health. Listeners will learn that Dr. Cooke grew up in Oakland, California, with parents who were both educators. So how then did he decide on a career in medicine? A health scare that his mom experienced and an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man both inspired young David. “Ever since then, I knew I wanted to be a surgeon.” Dr. Cooke also shares valuable leadership advice, explaining that any good leader must be “comfortable with being uncomfortable.” For Dr. Cooke, that sometimes means being the only person in the room who looks like him or caring for patients who think he is an “orderly” and not the surgeon. Hear what he says about these situations and how he handles them. “Same Surgeon, Different Light” is a program from the Society designed to demystify cardiothoracic surgery, revealing the men and women behind their surgical masks.

Learn more about STS diversity and inclusion efforts at sts.org/diversity.

Patients can learn more about cardiothoracic diseases and their treatments at ctsurgerypatients.org.