In this episode, Dr. Tom Varghese interviews Dr. Sidhu Gangadharan from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Listeners will discover fascinating personal details about this surgeon leader, including how his experience working for a “rough and tumble” boss at a New Jersey gas station inspired him to become a surgeon. Dr. Gangadharan also shares that before starting medical school he spent some time “traipsing around.” This included moving to the East Village in Manhattan, letting his hair grow down to the middle of his back, walking around in a ripped, black trench coat and combat boots, and playing music in clubs until late at night. He eventually attended Dartmouth Medical School and went on to build a program at Beth Israel that is a world leader in diagnosing and treating tracheobronchomalacia. Once called a “little brown kid,” Dr. Gangadharan recognizes that oftentimes, experiences that you’re having are “highly dependent” on factors such as the color of your skin, your last name, and your religion. It’s important to spend “active energy thinking about how to create equity and an even playing field.” Hear what else he has to say about the diversity and inclusion efforts that he is leading at Beth Israel. “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.