Now

What I'm thinking about right now.

Working notes, open questions, and projects-in-progress. If any of this is your territory too, I'd love to hear from you.

Last updated May 16, 2026

Most on my mind right now

Added April 30, 2026

Social media for surgeons — which platforms still serve us?

I've been thinking hard about where surgeons are gathering online and which spaces actually serve the conversations we need. Twitter shaped #ILookLikeASurgeon. Instagram has its own register. LinkedIn is rising in clinical circles. Substack is making space for longer-form thinking. Bluesky is small but earnest. Each platform shapes what we say and how we say it — and I'm not sure the surgical community has clearly named where it belongs now, or what we're losing as we migrate.

I'm considering a short survey — what surgeons are using, what they've left, and what they wish existed.

If you're thinking about this too, or have data, instincts, or strong opinions, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out — and tell me what you'd want a survey like that to ask.

Currently thinking about

Added May 16, 2026

Board prep — written and oral — and the people doing it alongside me.

I'm deep in written and oral board prep and would genuinely love to connect with others in the same season. Whether that means talking through cases, sharing resources, comparing study strategies, or just having someone to commiserate with — I'm in. There's something about preparing for high-stakes exams that's easier — and more human — when you're not doing it alone.

If you're in the thick of boards too, reach out. Study partners welcome.

Considering attending

Added April 30, 2026

The 51st Men and Masculinity Conference, July 31 – August 2, Philadelphia.

I'm considering attending the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) conference this summer — twenty-five years after I co-hosted my first one as an undergraduate. I'm curious what's changed, what hasn't, and how the conversations there might inform how we think about culture in surgery.

If you're going, or if you're working at the intersection of masculinity, medicine, and care, say hello.

Reading & listening

What I'm reading

Developing Specialty-Specific Workplace Standards for Surgeons: A Framework to Support Sustainable Surgical Careers — Wood DE, Wolinsky PR, Dodgion CM, et al. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2026.

A framework for designing workplace standards specific to surgical specialties — written to support sustainable careers from the ground up rather than retrofitting wellness onto unsustainable practice.

Toward Sustainable Surgical Practice: Defining Workplace Standards for the Modern Era — Varghese TK Jr. JACS, 2026.

A companion editorial making the case for what sustainable surgical practice requires of the field — and of the institutions that train and employ us.

What I'm listening to

Sustainable Surgical Practice: Defining Workplace Standards for the Modern Era — Behind The Knife, Ep. 1028

A timely conversation paired with the two JACS papers above — on what sustainable surgical practice actually requires, the workplace standards we owe each other, and the culture we build (or fail to build) for those entering the field.

Related: Fellowship application for surgeons who want to help shape this work.

Recently retired threads

Things that were on my mind, that have moved, resolved, or been set aside for now. Kept here as a record.

Added April 30, 2026 — archived May 16, 2026

Supporting colleagues affected by interpersonal violence.

After speaking at Clinical Congress on this topic, I've continued to think about what it actually looks like — at the institutional and interpersonal level — to support surgeons whose lives or careers have been shaped by violence. The literature is sparse. The need is not.