Surgery, shaped by listening.
Where precision and humanity are held to the same standard.
Surgeons bear witness to moments of profound vulnerability. Making space for healing — for patients and families — requires more than technical skill and sound clinical judgment. It requires listening, attunement, and the courage to remain present in uncertainty.
Surgery is defined not only by what we do, but by how it is experienced.
As a general surgeon, palliative care physician, and founder of #ILookLikeASurgeon, my work sits at the intersection of surgery, communication, and human experience — exploring how systems, culture, and structures shape care for physicians, patients, and the people who love them.
In striving for surgical excellence, I view both precision and humanity as essential.
My work focuses on strengthening how we listen, lead, communicate, and support one another so that decisions are shared, trust is built, and inequities are named rather than ignored. This requires innovation not only in technique, but also in culture, communication, and the systems that shape medicine.
Whether you're a clinician, a patient, a trainee, or someone who has simply felt that care could be more human — you are welcome here.
Dr. Heather
This site holds space for different kinds of people.
Where would you like to begin?
Essays, research, and the conversations that shape medicine.
Essays on surgery, listening, and the human experience of care.
Read the essays →
The story of a movement that started with a single tweet — and what it continues to mean.
Explore the movement →
A growing conversation about the culture of medicine — what it asks of us, and what it might look like if we built it differently.
Join the conversation →
Peer-reviewed work on surgical identity, equity, health, and trauma.
Browse the publications →
Books, podcasts, professional societies, and more.
Explore resources →
What I'm reading, thinking about, and working on.
See what's on my mind →