Heena P. Santry, MD
Heena P. Santry is a surgeon.
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Latest articles
Physician voices
I had a familiar conversation the other day with yet another female medical student. “I really loved surgery!” she said, “but I was concerned about the lifestyle, so I decided on ______.” Lifestyle — it turns out — almost always…
I had a familiar conversation the other day with yet another female medical student.
“I really loved surgery!” she said, “but I was concerned about the lifestyle, so I decided on ______.”
Lifestyle — it turns out — almost always seems to be code for having a family.
Maybe it’s just the kind of students who seek me out. I have yet to encounter someone concerned that a surgical career will hamper their …
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Please tell me what a “mommy-friendly” medical career is
Physician voices
Like much of America, my family is obsessed with everything Hamilton. We jammed to the soundtrack all summer. The season culminated with a late August trip to the show which I described on social media as the best day of…
Like much of America, my family is obsessed with everything Hamilton. We jammed to the soundtrack all summer. The season culminated with a late August trip to the show which I described on social media as the best day of my life. Seeing the show, the actors, the set, and choreography, come to life with lyrics we had all memorized was such an amazing experience.
I cried.
Part of that was pinching …
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The Hamilton lyrics that resonate with this trauma surgeon
Physician voices
A colleague of mine was recently questioning her capabilities having lost yet another patient who had arrived nearly lifeless after being shot. She was despondent over the nation’s overall complacency about our gun violence epidemic giving her far too many…
A colleague of mine was recently questioning her capabilities having lost yet another patient who had arrived nearly lifeless after being shot. She was despondent over the nation’s overall complacency about our gun violence epidemic giving her far too many opportunities to fail or succeed as a trauma surgeon. Truthfully, neither quick, decisive action nor expert surgical skill was enough to repair that much damage. Not in the hands of any trauma surgeon.
As …
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A reminder that trauma surgeons are heroes
Physician voices
“Please don’t cut off my pants,” he pleaded. “I am homeless, and they are my only pants. Please.” He could say these words as we were conducting our initial assessment in the trauma bay so at least he was hemodynamically…
“Please don’t cut off my pants,” he pleaded. “I am homeless, and they are my only pants. Please.”
He could say these words as we were conducting our initial assessment in the trauma bay so at least he was hemodynamically stable with an intact airway at that moment in time. However, he had arrived seconds earlier with potentially life-threatening injuries as a level 1 trauma activation. Based on the location of …
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Getting him a new pair of pants was the least that we could do
Physician voices
To her it was like any other day. She had dropped him off, as was their usual routine, and gone into the city to see a friend. He was an experienced member of the ski team. Practice was familiar. Take…
To her it was like any other day. She had dropped him off, as was their usual routine, and gone into the city to see a friend.
He was an experienced member of the ski team. Practice was familiar. Take the lift up, ski down. Take the life up, slalom down. Take the life up …
It all happened quickly. He slipped through rail of the lift. The impact on the cold, …
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Being with families at the darkest moment of their lives
Medical education
“Hey, Doc!” I heard the patient say as I blazed by bed A. Bed A is the "door" bed. My patient was in bed B, the "window" bed. I had just met him; it was a new inpatient consult. For…
“Hey, Doc!” I heard the patient say as I blazed by bed A.
Bed A is the “door” bed. My patient was in bed B, the “window” bed. I had just met him; it was a new inpatient consult. For all the rules and regulations surrounding patient confidentiality, the curtains between beds do little to protect privacy since inevitably there will be audible conversations about symptoms, diagnosis, and management between patients and …
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A surgeon is humbled by unexpected feedback
Physician voices
Whether experiencing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, or a low sense of personal achievement, 4 in 10 U.S. surgeons exhibit signs and symptoms of burnout. Among neurosurgeons that number jumps to nearly 60 percent. Burned out surgeons are more likely to report…
Whether experiencing emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, or a low sense of personal achievement, 4 in 10 U.S. surgeons exhibit signs and symptoms of burnout. Among neurosurgeons that number jumps to nearly 60 percent. Burned out surgeons are more likely to report substance abuse, clinical depression, and suicidal ideation. They are more prone to medical errors.
Interestingly, academic practice, trauma sub-specialty, increased nights of …
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Surgeons are burnt out and the numbers are staggering
Physician voices
Recently, the American College of Surgeons -- our profession's premier organization encompassing all surgical sub-specialties -- launched its updated website. Included in this website are online communities where surgeons from around the country and even further away, can connect. In…
Recently, the American College of Surgeons — our profession’s premier organization encompassing all surgical sub-specialties — launched its updated website. Included in this website are online communities where surgeons from around the country and even further away, can connect. In my interpretation of these communities, surgeons can connect over shared subspecialty topics (e.g., colorectal surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery), shared clinical interests (e.g., ethics, geriatric surgery, surgical safety), or shared circumstances (e.g., surgeons practicing …
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How can female surgeons break through the glass ceiling?
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