In this episode, Dr. David Tom Cooke interviews Dr. Tom Varghese from the University of Utah. Dr. Varghese shares captivating details of his “very unique life.” He was born in India, moved to the US a few months after his first birthday, and returned to India during his high school years—making him an immigrant in two countries. After medical school, Dr. Varghese came back to the US for surgical residency. Hear about how he embraced the “challenging” experience of being a foreign medical graduate and the important lessons learned. Also, don’t miss the story of how Dr. Varghese became a “social media influencer” and how he contributes to the conversation by creating, curating, and amplifying. “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.