Q&A

Professional

Q: What made you enter the field of medicine?

A: As far as I can remember I always wanted to be a doctor. There are reels of 8mm silent home movies from the early 1960's showing me examining everyone in my family with my toy plastic doctor's bag.

(That's me with my sister and Mom!--- Future Heart & Lung Surgeon, circa 1960!)

I was also influenced by television shows such as Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, and Marcus Welby. (Not actually Marcus Welby, but his associate who drove the motorcycle!)

I later became a volunteer at Abington Memorial Hospital when I was 15 years old and continued doing volunteer work through high school and college. In my senior year at Cheltenham High School, I did a year-long work-study project in radiology at Abington Memorial Hospital.

By the time I went to medical school I already had exposure to almost every part of the hospital, including the operating room, emergency room, radiology and so on -- and I loved it.

The sciences came easy to me in college and the rest is history!

Q: Why did you choose this particular specialty?

A: When I was in junior and senior high school I played a lot of sports and unfortunately managed to break a bone or two every other year. As a result, when I was young I first thought I wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon.

(That's me as a jock! --- circa 1973!)

When it came to to apply to medical school, I thought I would become a family doctor and so I became interested in the new medical school at Penn State in Hershey, Pennsylvania. I pictured myself living in the country, marrying a girl named Betty Lou, and being the town doctor.

However, I (somewhat unexpectedly) got accepted to the University of Pennsylvania and turned down the offer at Penn State. (Please don't confuse the University of Pennsylvania with Penn State. Both are wonderful schools, but they have nothing to do with each other. The University of Pennsylvania is a top Ivy League school and Penn State is an excellent State school.)

It turns out that in 1980, the University of Pennsylvania did not have a family practice training program. They used to ship the students out to York, Pennsylvania if they wanted family practice experience. This, of course, was all before Managed Care. Now most universities have developed strong Family Practice training programs.

At Penn, I was exposed to many great names in surgery, many of whom became my mentors: Jonathan Rhoads, Alden Harken, Clyde Barker, to name a few. In addition, I found the surgical residents to be brilliant and dynamic (and a lot more fun than the somewhat snobby Penn medical residents). Most of all, I found surgery to be thrilling and human anatomy to be fascinating.

At Jefferson, the surgeons and the surgery residents were truly a special group. We worked incredible hours, often every other night on duty without any sleep. Everyone really pulled for each other. There was tremendous teaching, pride, and camaraderie at Jefferson.

After all my surgical training at Jefferson, I never quite lost my desire to be a family doctor. In some ways, I like to think of myself as a surgeon on the outside and a family doctor on the inside. That's not a bad combination!

Q: What is the best part about being a practicing surgeon?

A: The best part of being a surgeon is the ability to intervene in a life threatening situation. There is no greater feeling than to reassure a patient that "everything is going to be ok" and then making it happen.

The other very satisfying part of being a surgeon is working with the OR team. I always enjoyed "team sports." The camaraderie that exists between the surgeon, assistants, nurses, and the anesthetists is hard to describe. Everyone plays a critical role. Thank God at Lehigh Valley Hospital we have a great team!

(Part of the great OR Nursing Team at Lehigh Valley Hospital)

I recently have written an essay about scrub nurses, and in particular, concerning Wendy Petrohoy who is pictured above on the far right.

To see some of my editorials, click here.

Q: What is the most difficult part about being a practicing surgeon?

A: The hours and the stress. More the hours. With experience the stress becomes less and less. You understand you can't save everyone and that surgical outcomes are not always perfect. Still, there is nothing worse than having to tell a family that the surgery did not go well, or that there is a complication.

The hours however truly are hard. And, as your practice becomes more successful your hours get worse. Keep in mind that surgeons don't only do surgery. We also take care of patients everyday in the hospital who are recovering from their surgery and we see new and follow-up patients in the office every week. Plus, at any moment we can be called away for an emergency.

Now that I have young children, the long hours have taken on new meaning. Obviously, I need to find time to be with them. It isn't easy. The problem is that when you do a little more each day than everyone expects, soon everyone will expect more! Fortunately, I have excellent partners who also have great families. We work hard to help each other out so that we can all enjoy our families.

Q: How many years have you practiced?

A: I graduated medical school in 1984 and completed my training in 1992 (eight years of surgical residency after four years of medical school!). I was given an opportunity to stay at Jefferson University Hospital in 1992 in an academic position, but chose instead to go into private practice at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

I joined the Panebianco-Yip Heart Surgeons in 1992 and made partner in 1996. In 1999, I joined The Heart Care Group along with my partner, Dr. Ted Phillips. Dr. James Wu joined us in the Heart Care Group in August 2001. Gary Szydlowski joined us in January 2002. Gary and I trained together at Jefferson and planned many years ago to someday work together. Now, Gary serves as Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network and I am proud to serve as his Associate Chief.

In October of 2004, we formed a new practice known as the Lehigh Valley Heart and Lung Surgeons. Dr. Michael Szwerc joined our team in 2005 and Dr. Mehta joined our team in 2007.

Now, six surgeons strong, we are the largest and most experienced cardiothoracic surgery group in the region.

Visit My Team Page

(My Surgical Partners---The Lehigh Valley Heart and Lung Surgeons)

From left to right back row:

Dr. James Wu

Dr. Sanjay Mehta

Dr. Gary Szydlowski

Dr. Michael Szwerc

Front row:

Dr. Ray Singer

Dr. Ted Phillips

Q: What has been your single most treasured achievement, as far as medicine goes?

A: There are many moments that I cherish and I could go on forever talking about each and every one of them. But I know that my most treasured achievement is simply being able to live every day the life my father had dreamed for me.

My father developed cancer while I was in medical school and then died soon after I entered practice. He guaranteed I would be successful, not only by all the gifts he gave me in life, but also by teaching me how patients suffer and how to care for them and their families. In short, because I witnessed his suffering, every patient is now my father, my family.

At times it was so real to me that my intensity was hard for others to accept. I've learned to control those emotions and still care for my patients as if they were my own family. I know it all sounds somewhat corny, but it's real to me. There isn't a day that I don't think about my Dad. And now that I am a father, I truly know how he felt about his son.

Q: Who was and is your role model in your field and why?

A: I've had several great role models. Here's a list of some of the most notable:

In medical school I had the honor of being a student of Dr. Jonathan Rhoads, one of the most famous and respected surgeons in American medical history.

In the picture below you can see Dr. Rhoads (left) with Dr. Clyde Barker, both former Chairmen of the Department of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Barker became Chairman the year I graduated medical school at Penn. He has recently retired. Dr. Barker was one of the great academic surgeons of our time as well. I took this picture of them together at an American College of Surgeons Meeting a few years ago.

(Dr. Rhoads and Dr. Barker)

Dr. Jonathan Rhoads was well into his 90's when he passed away. His legacy, however, will live on forever. Dr. John Rombeau (also one of my medical school professors) wrote a wonderful biography on the life of Jonathan Rhoads --worthwhile reading for any student of surgery.

Dr. Alden Harken is also one of the truly great academic surgeons and surgical teachers. Dr. Harken is the former Chairman of Surgery at Colorado University. He was also my first professor of cardiac surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He left Penn the same year I graduated medical school and I often think the one mistake I made in my career was not following him to Colorado for my training. Dr. Harken and I are still close friends and I often call him still for advice.

(Dr. Alden Harken)

Dr. Herbert Cohn was the Director of Residency Training at Jefferson University and was also a general thoracic surgeon. Dr. Cohn is a brilliant surgeon and is both technically and academically a perfectionist. He taught me how to operate and how to teach. When I completed my cardiothoracic training at Jefferson, I turned down an opportunity to be have an academic position as his associate, a decision to this day I often wonder if I made the right decision.

Below is a recent picture of me with Dr Cohn (right) along with Dr. Michael E. DeBakey (center). On May 2, 2003, Dr. Cohn organized a conference honoring the memory of one of the great surgeons of the past century, Dr. John H. Gibbon, Jr., marking the 50th anniversary of Dr. Gibbon's development of the heart-lung machine. It was a once in a lifetime experience to hear the stories of the birth of heart surgery from the pioneers themselves.

(Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Herbert Cohn)

Dr. Francis Rosato was the Chairman of Surgery at Jefferson Medical College during the years of my residency at fellowship. Dr. Rosato is clearly the nicest Chairman who ever led a department of surgery. An excellent surgeon and teacher, but most of all, a perfect gentleman. Sadly, Dr. Rosato passed away recently in 2007.

Below is a picture of Dr. Rosato (left) speaking with Dr. Jonathan Rhoads at a Penn reception at the American College of Surgeons meeting in Chicago in 2000.

(Dr. Francis Rosato and Dr. Jonathan Rhoads)

Dr. Richard Edie was my professor of cardiac surgery and the director of my cardiothoracic fellowship at Jefferson. Dr. Edie matured my skills, but more importantly taught me judgment. When I evaluate a patient I often think of how Dr. Edie would approach the case. He taught me to "do what you need to do in the operating room and get out... no more, no less." He yelled a lot of other philosophy into me, but I don't think it would be appropriate to say those words here!

Below is a picture of Dr. Edie and me when I finished my training in 1992. Notice how much younger I look in this picture!

(Dr. Richard Edie)

Dr. Antonio Panebianco and Dr. Luke Yip took me under their wings when I came to Allentown. Dr. Panebianco was recovering from surgery and was not working as a primary surgeon at the time, but continued to practice as an assistant. Dr. Yip was also semi-retired and also continued as an assistant surgeon. It was as if my first five years here were a continuation of my training. No one handles tissues more gently or more skillfully than Dr. Panebianco. Plus, both Dr. Panebianco and Dr. Yip had learned so many tricks of the trade since they essentially had begun doing cardiac surgery while the field was still in it's infancy. I credit much of my success in practice to Dr. Panebianco and Dr. Yip.

(Dr. Luke Yip and Dr. Antonio Panebianco)

Dr. Christian Gilbert was at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania for most of his career. Dr. Gilbert is perhaps the finest heart surgeon I have ever met. When my former practice broke up I came very close to accepting a position with Dr. Gilbert at Geisinger, another decision that I often still lose sleep over. Dr. Gilbert taught me how to do homograft aortic valve surgery (replacing the aortic valve with another human aortic valve) and in general has been a terrific colleague and friend.

Dr. Gilbert moved to Tennessee and became the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. Pediatric cardiac surgery was always Dr. Gilbert's first love. The children of Tennessee are very lucky to have my friend Dr. Gilbert at their side.

Below is a picture of Dr. Gilbert when he came and spoke at our 7th Annual Update on Heart and Lung Surgery.

(Dr. Christian Gilbert)

Finally, there is Dr. Larry Kaiser, the Chairman of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. Behind the scenes, Dr. Kaiser has been my personal advisor both for surgery and for my practice. Dr. Kaiser is one of the most well-known currently practicing general thoracic (meaning lung and chest) surgeons in the world and I am very fortunate to have him as a close colleague and friend.

(Dr. Larry Kaiser)

This is a picture of Dr. Kaiser during one of his visits to Lehigh Valley Hospital as a speaker for my Annual Heart and Lung Surgery Symposium. Dr. Kaiser is a very successful Chairman at Penn, leading one of the most prominent surgical programs in the world.

Although the list may seem long, the truth is that in medicine we are influenced by all of our teachers --both good and bad. I have been fortunate to have had many great professors and colleagues.

Q: In a few words, what is your personal philosophy as far as the practice of medicine goes?

A: Treat every patient and family as if they are your own. That's all there is to it. If you truly incorporate this into your being, then success will come easily.

This Site

Q: What made you want to build this site?

A: More and more patients and families are becoming familiar with the Internet. And today, people want to know as much as they can about their doctors. It's very difficult to know your doctor from just a few meetings, so I thought I would create a site that would allow patients and families to learn much more about me and my practice.

Plus, it's fun!

Q: What is the purpose of this site?

A: I want patients and families to have an opportunity to learn more about me and my practice. Patients are often reluctant to ask important questions about their doctors. This site hopefully will provide the answers to those questions.

Fun Facts

Q: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A: As I said above, I always wanted to be a doctor. I never wanted to be fireman!

However, my other dream was to be an entertainer! I sang and played keyboard in several rock and roll bands and performed in several school shows. It's hard to believe but I played Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha and Conrad Birdie in Bye Bye Birdie. I also was a disc jockey for four years at WMUH in Allentown playing 50's and 60's music every Sunday night: "Little Ray and the Sunday Night Hall of Fame!"

I'm still a ham on stage. Everyone knows I love a microphone!

Q: Who were some of your role models when you were small?

A: My biggest role model was my father. As a first-generation American, he survived the Great Depression and fought bravely as a Marine in the Pacific during World War II. My father never finished high school, but he remains the smartest man I ever knew.

My father worked his whole life to give his children the opportunities he never had. He never went on vacation without his kids. We almost never had baby sitters. Instead, both my mother and father spent all of their free time with my sister and me. They took us to fine restaurants, theater, and sporting events.

He was also the strongest man I ever knew. He was a feared boxer (prize fighter) and Marine sergeant, and then became a self-made businessman. He worked the tough trade of being a so-called "business broker" (as opposed to being a real estate broker), dealing with bars, nightclubs, beer distributors and liquor stores. He often worked 20 hours a day, sometimes round-the-clock. My father was an honest man in a tainted field. My father often said that the mob was easier to deal with than the crooked cops and politicians. They all respected my father, though. He was honest and fair, but he wasn't afraid of anyone or anything --and it showed. (Did I mention that no one picked on me when I was a kid!)

(Father and Son)

My fondest memories of my father, however, is simply sitting out back of our home and having long talks about life. He was my greatest teacher and friend, and I still miss him so.

Q: What are some of your hobbies and why those particular hobbies?

A: Well, my only hobby now is raising my daughters. What little free time I have I try to spend with them.

I've always enjoyed photography and recently I have gotten into digital photography. It's particularly great for taking pictures of my children growing up.

I play the piano. I have an original Chickering baby grand in my study at home. I also have a Yamaha electric keyboard in my study that comes with headphones so I can play all hours of the night without waking my family. It's a great release!

I took up golf recently, but it takes up a lot of free time. And, if you want to be any good at golf you need a lot of time to practice. But there are few sports that combine the beauty of the outdoors with the challenge of precision athletics. Plus, it is the one sport you can play your entire life, even in your 80's. The problem with golf is that it is the worst sport for a perfectionist to take up late in life. I haven't thrown any clubs yet, but my golf buddy Mike Fisher gets on my case for mumbling about my missed shots while he's trying to putt!

Q: Are you a collector of sorts?

A: I collect music from the 50's and 60's. I have over 1500 "45's" (remember "45's?") and an original Rock-Ola Juke Box from 1960.

Other than that, I'm just collecting a tire around my waist!

Q: What time-era do you find most intriguing?

A: I enjoyed reading Tom Brokaw's book, The Greatest Generation. Indeed, it was my parent's generation. To quote the book, "they came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America --men and women whose everyday lives of duty, honor, achievement, and courage gave us the world we have today."

Q: If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

A: God. I have a few questions that need to be answered!

Question and Answer