Brown Surgery Podcast

Definitive Management, Resuscitation, and Grafting in Burn Care with Dr. Manuel Portalatin, DO 23.06.2026 25min

In the second installment of this two-part series, the Brown Surgery podcast continues its discussion with Dr. Manuel Portalatin, DO to discuss the definitive inpatient management of severe burn injuries. Dr. Portalatin breaks down the modern nuances of fluid resuscitation algorithms, explaining how teams balance the Parkland formula against the dangers of over-resuscitation, and how hourly urine output serves as the primary metric for titration. We also dive into the critical timing of nutrition, the physiological impact of "rescue albumin" on the endothelial glycocalyx, and the surgical nuances of excision and grafting. From traditional topicals to advanced dermal templates like BTM and emerging enzymatic debridement technologies like Nexobrid, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to long-term scar mitigation, contracture management, and laser modalities.

Surviving Intern Year: A Resident's Guide to Success Inside and Outside the Hospital: Drs. Charlotte Jackson, MD and Madison Camarlinghi, MD 17.06.2026 24min

As the academic year turns over, the Brown Surgery Podcast sits down with rising PGY-2 Charlotte Jackson,MD and rising PGY-3 Madison Camarlinghi, MD to discuss how to successfully navigate the challenges of intern year. From mastering early morning chart checks in Epic and efficiently triaging daily floor tasks to managing the constant stream of secure chats, our guests share their practical strategies for clinical excellence.The conversation also covers the art of trimming down consult presentations for senior residents, managing the anxiety of cross-cover on night float, and knowing exactly when to escalate clinical changes like tachycardia. Finally, Charlotte and Madison open up about maintaining an identity outside of the hospital—balancing ABSITE prep, family, and personal well-being—and offer their top pieces of advice for the incoming intern class

Initial Assessment and Triage in Burn Care with Dr. Manuel Portalatin ,DO 09.06.2026 26min

In part one of this two-part series, the Brown Surgery podcast welcomes back Dr. Manuel Portalatin, DO, one of our Trauma/Surgical Critical Care and Burn attendings at Brown University Health. We dive deep into the initial evaluation of burn patients in the emergency department, discussing the shift from numerical degree classifications to thickness nomenclature. Dr. Portalatin breaks down the clinical importance of depth assessment for skin grafting, the nuances of burn shock pathophysiology, and critical triage protocols—including how to identify, grade, and manage inhalation injuries, carbon monoxide exposure, and cyanide toxicity before transfer to a specialized burn center.

Part 3: Inside Brown General Surgery Training Program: High Volume, Global Rotations, & Real Wellness | Dr. Thomas Miner 26.05.2026 17min

What sets the general surgery training program at Brown University apart? In the final installment of our three-part series, we sit down with Residency Program Director Dr. Thomas Miner to break down the clinical, academic, and cultural blueprint of the program. In today's episode, Dr. Miner explains how Brown's unique position as the only major academic medical center in Rhode Island gives residents massive case volumes—graduating with around 1,400 cases—and unparalleled, one-on-one operating time without competing with fellows. We also dive into the program's unique global health electives in Kenya and the Virgin Islands , a research environment that boasts more projects than residents , and how Brown defines professional wellness as a baseline culture rather than just a checklist of perks. If you want to know what it truly means to be a "Brown Surgeon," this episode is a must-listen.

Part 2: Inside the General Surgery Interview Day with Dr. Thomas Miner, MD 20.05.2026 13min

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Miner, MD pulls back the curtain on what he’s really looking for during those crucial 20 minute interview sessions. We discuss the shift to virtual interviews, how to truly convey (and assess) program culture through a screen, the pitfalls of over-scripted behavioral questions, and the definitive answer on whether you should send a post-interview thank-you note. Whether you are applying to Brown or navigating the surgical match elsewhere, this episode is packed with invaluable, straight-shooting advice.

Demystifying the Match: A Deep Dive into General Surgery Applications with Dr. Thomas Miner, MD 13.05.2026 23min

What does "holistic review" actually mean in a top-tier surgery program? In Part 1 of our interview with Dr. Thomas Miner, MD, General Surgery Program Director at Brown University Health, we explore the mechanics of the residency selection process. Dr. Miner dispels common "urban legends" about research requirements and explains why high Step 2 scores aren't the primary driver of success in residency. Whether you are a rising 4th year or just starting your medical journey, this episode provides a roadmap for navigating signaling, regional preferences, and the critical importance of a Sub-I performance.

So You Want to be a Surgical Oncologist? Dr. Joshua Cohen, MD 13.04.2026 17min

In this episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast, PGY-4 general surgery resident Evan Mitchell sits down with a familiar face: Dr. Josh Cohen. Recently returning to the department as a surgical oncology attending, Dr. Cohen shares his journey from his residency training right here at Brown to his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and what it’s like starting his new practice.This conversation offers a grounded look into the realities of surgical oncology. Dr. Cohen discusses how to craft a career that balances broad operative skills with specialized cancer care, offering invaluable advice for medical students and residents trying to map out their futures.Key Topics Discussed:Choosing the Specialty: The unique appeal of head-to-toe operations, multidisciplinary care, and integrating complex cases with palliative care.Fellowship Nuances: The distinct differences in training and practice between Surgical Oncology and HPB fellowships.Advice for Trainees: Why you shouldn't stress about specializing too early, and the critical importance of finding a residency that builds a foundation as a strong general surgeon first.A Week in the Life: Managing a schedule dynamically split between the OR, clinic, and dedicated research time.Work-Life Balance & Dispelling Myths: Breaking down the misconception that surgical oncologists must have an intensely rigid personality, and how to maintain healthy boundaries while coordinating complex care across multiple specialties.Guest Bio:Dr. Josh Cohen completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester and medical school at UMass. After completing his general surgery residency at Brown University, he pursued a fellowship at Sloan Kettering before returning to join the Brown surgical faculty.

Starting the 3rd year Surgery Clerkship: Tips, Tricks, and Myths 31.03.2026 36min

In this episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast, host Ryan Desrochers and co-host Ken Lynch sit down with a panel of medical students to discuss the realities of the third-year surgery clerkship experience at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The panel, featuring Lauren McNeil (MD '27), Timmy Jeng (MD '27), and Elleen Kim (MD '27), share their diverse perspectives on transitioning into the surgical environment.The conversation dives into the structure of a typical day—from morning rounds to navigating the operating room (OR)—and offers practical advice on balancing clinical duties with shelf exam preparation. Whether you are a rising MS3 or just curious about life in the OR, this episode provides a grounded look at the challenges and rewards of surgical education.Key Topics Discussed:The Daily Grind: A breakdown of the early morning start times, rounding with the team, and managing floor tasks vs. OR time.Site-Specific Advice: Insights into rotating at different locations, including Rhode Island Hospital, Miriam Hospital, and ACS (Acute Care Surgery).Resource Recommendations: The panel’s favorite tools for success, including UWorld, Anki, OnlineMedEd, and surgical videos (JOMI).OR Etiquette: How to introduce yourself to the scrub techs and residents, manage sterility, and stay engaged as a "team sport" player.Wellness & Expectations: Debunking myths about "mean" surgeons and sharing tips for meal prepping and maintaining mental health during long weeks.

So you Want to be a Cardiothoracic Surgeon? Dr. Laura Scrimgeour, MD 17.03.2026 13min

Welcome back to the Brown Surgery Podcast. In this episode, we catch up with Dr. Laura Scrimgeour, a familiar voice to our longtime listeners. Since her last appearance as a chief resident in 2021, Dr. Scrimgeour has completed an extensive journey through cardiothoracic training and now returns to Brown as an attending surgeon.Together, we dive deep into what it takes to thrive in the field of Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery in 2026. Whether you are a medical student weighing your residency options or a general surgery resident considering a fellowship, this conversation offers a roadmap for navigating the complexities of the specialty.In this episode, we discuss:The Path to CT Surgery: Deciding between traditional and integrated training pathways and the value of a strong academic foundation.The Role of Research: Why "checking the box" isn't enough, and how research years build critical mentorship and data-analysis skills.Fellowship Selection: What to look for in a program, from operative volume and case diversity to the importance of autonomy and mentorship.The Future of the Field: The current state of robotics in cardiac surgery and the rising importance of advanced fellowships in areas like TAVR and aortic surgery.Breaking Misconceptions: A candid look at the life of a modern CT surgeon, the growing diversity in the OR, and how team-based structures are improving work-life balance.Life Outside the Hospital: How Dr. Scrimgeour balances a demanding surgical schedule with her passion for the outdoors and skiing.Instagram: @dr.laura.scrimgeourX: @LScrimgeourMD

Robotics in Acute Care Surgery – Trends, Training, and the Future of Trauma & Critical Care 19.11.2025 19min

In this episode of the Brown General Surgery Podcast, PGY-4 resident Evan Mitchell sits down with two Brown Surgery faculty—one of our senior Trauma surgeons, Dr. Andrew Stephen, MD and one of our newest Trauma faculty Dr. Holden Spivak, MD (fresh off fellowships in Trauma/Critical Care at Shock Trauma and MIS at Stony Brook)—to explore the evolving role of robotics in trauma and acute care surgery.Key topics include:Why robotic surgery remains rare in acute trauma (hemodynamic instability, docking delays, and the risks of insufflation in unstable patients)Real-world exceptions: robotic splenectomy videos, liver laceration repairs, and selective use in stable obese patients with bowel injuriesThe nationwide decline in operative trauma since 1990 and the rebranding from “trauma surgeon” to “acute care surgeon”How emergency general surgery and elective MIS cases now sustain operative volumeTraining pathways: Is residency robotic experience now enough to skip a second fellowship year? Should future acute care surgeons pair a 1-year SCC fellowship with a dedicated MIS year?Will the classic 2-year AAST/ACS fellowship curriculum need to pivot toward more robotics and less ortho/neuro month-rotations?Job market realities: Being robotic-ready is nice, but sound decision-making (“when to operate and how”) remains the most valuable skillWhy open surgery will never become obsolete in a field driven by source control and hemorrhage controlAdvice for trainees: seek broad exposure, lean on mentors, prioritize supportive groups, and don’t fear creative (even non-traditional) training routesWhether you’re a med student eyeing surgical critical care, a resident deciding on fellowships, or a program director shaping tomorrow’s curriculum, this candid conversation offers an honest look at where the field stands today—and where it’s headed tomorrow.Tune in for practical insights from surgeons who are living the transition.

So You Want to be a Colorectal Surgeon? Dr. Rebecca Gologorsky, MD 06.07.2025 19min

In this episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast, host Dr. Evan Mitchell, MD interviews Dr. Rebecca Gologorsky, MD, one of our colorectal surgeons at Brown Surgery. The conversation dives into Dr. Gologorsky’s journey to colorectal surgery, sharing how mentorship and the variety of colorectal procedures—from open to robotic—drew her to the field. Dr. Gologorsky offers practical advice for residents and medical students applying to competitive colorectal fellowships, highlighting the value of research and personal connections. She also touches on emerging tech like single-port surgery and clarifies the colorectal surgeon lifestyle, which can vary from manageable to intense. The episode is perfect for aspiring surgeons curious about the specialty.If anyone has comments on this episode or suggestions for topics please feel free to reach out to me at kenneth_lynch@brown.edu

The Prelim Experience at Brown: Drs. Audrea Bose, Liam Watkinson, and Brooke Vogel 12.03.2025 18min

Today we are going to dive into what it is like to be a Preliminary General Surgery Resident here at Brown. With match day right around the corner, Drs. ⁠⁠⁠Beltre⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Filtz⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Mitchell⁠⁠⁠ sit down with Drs. Audrea Bose, Liam Watkinson, and Brooke Vogel to discuss what their experience at Brown has been like and offer some advice for those of you searching for a preliminary general surgery position.

Venous Thromboembolism in Trauma: Dr Brent Emigh, MD 12.12.2024 14min

Pulmonary emboli in Trauma patients is, unfortunately, an established and not uncommon complication we must deal with. Today, we welcome one of our own Trauma Surgeons, Dr Brent Emigh, MD to the Podcast to discuss VTE occurance and prophylaxis in Trauma patients. Article with more information on PE in Trauma patients is HERE Article mentioned on IVC filters can be accessed HERE If anyone has comments on this episode or suggestions for topics please feel free to reach out to me at kenneth_lynch@brown.edu

So You Want to be a Pediatric Surgeon? Dr Samantha Ahle, MD 13.11.2024 27min

Today are going to dive into Pediatric Surgery. Drs ⁠⁠Beltre⁠⁠, ⁠Filtz⁠, and ⁠⁠Mitchell⁠⁠ sit down with Dr Samantha Ahle to discuss why she choose general surgery and a career in pediatric surgery, some of the factors that go into choosing a pediatric fellowship, address some of the considerations with becoming a pediatric surgeon and, of course, touch on the often discussed work-life balance. Dr Ahle attended George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC for medical school. She did her residency training and completed a Masters in Med Ed at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. She then went on to do a pediatric surgery fellowship at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL If anyone would like to reach out to Dr Ahle about anything she discussed today or to talk more about pediatric surgery or surgical education, you can reach her at samantha.ahle@brownphysicians.org If anyone has ideas for topics to be covered in future episodes, please feel free to email me at kenneth_lynch@brown.edu

Strategies to Prepare for and Survive Intern Year 15.08.2024 21min

General surgery residency can be a stressful time, especially during intern year. Four our our general surgery residents sit down to discuss their experience and offer up tips on surviving and thriving during your intern year. Shout out to Drs Beltre, Case, Mitchell, and Saymuah for grabbing the mic and continuing our local podcast for students, residents and anyone else interested in surgery. Please look forward to many more episodes to come. If anyone has ideas for topics to be covered, please email me at kenneth_lynch@brown.edu

Healthy Surgical Compartmentalization: A Panel Discussion 25.01.2024 48min

Hi everyone, welcome back to the Brown Surgery Podcast. Today we welcome Drs Daryl Appleton, Katie MacCallum and Charles Baldi for a panel discussion on healthy surgical compartmentalization of care that we all experience in our discipline. This was part of a grand rounds session we had in our department the week of January 15th, 2024. It is one of the more important discussions we have had as a department and I think you all will appreciate it.

A Panel Discussion on Imposter Syndrome in General Surgery 23.03.2023 49min

Today we have a special episode that touches on a topic that is receiving a lot of attention in the literature but is not often talked about in general surgery or training programs. Imposter syndrome, or phenomenon as it was originally defined, is a feature that involves fear of being discovered and exposed as an imposter, or more simply one who feels they do not belong in the role they occupy, and does not deserve the success they achieve. To explore this concept in greater detail, we are fortunate enough to have a diverse panel of surgeons from Brown Surgery joining us today. With the help of Dr. Daryl Appleton, we will have an open conversation with Drs Christine Emmick, Dean Roye, Andrew Luhrs and Elizabeth Tindal to explore this concept in greater detail. For Bio’s on our facilitator and panelists: Dr Daryl Appleton, M.ED, CAGS, LMHC, Ed.D. Dr Christine Emmick, MD Dr Dean Roye, MD Dr Andrew Luhrs, MD Dr Elizabeth Tindal, MD Article of interest on Imposter Syndrome in General Surgery training programs: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1072751521012308 Thanks again to all of our panelist and for making this discussion on Imposter Syndrome incredibly engaging. If there a specific topics and/or specialties you would like me to dive into in future episodes of this podcast my email is below so just send me a quick note. Have a great week and I’m looking forward to having you back with us in the next episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast. Kenneth_Lynch@brown.edu

Caustic Ingestion: Dr. Jennifer Hubbard, MD 16.03.2023 20min

Today I am excited to welcome back our Brown surgical critical care fellow, Dr Jennifer Hubbard, MD to the podcast to discuss a topic we don’t talk about enough in the general surgical world; caustic ingestion. Dr Hubbard presented this topic at a recent combined conference and I thought it would work really well as a podcast episode. I’m also going to try this out as a video podcast so let me know if you like this format. Without further ado, let’s dive into caustic ingestion.

So you want to place a chest tube? Dr Jennifer Hubbard, MD 12.01.2023 26min

Todays episode is geared towards medical students and junior residents as we discuss indications for chest tube placement, types of chest tubes, as well as a quick review of the 3 chamber chest tube collection system that can be daunting for new clinicians. Joining me to discuss this topic is our current Brown surgical critical care fellow Dr Jennifer Hubbard, MD. Dr. Hubbard did her undergraduate work at Umass Amherst and then went on to medical school at Ross University before doing a general surgery residency at St Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury Connecticut. She is halfway through her surgical critical care fellowship here at Brown and we are excited to have her on the podcast today. Podcast Chapters: (1:29) Chest tube indications? (2:42) Where to needle decompress? (5:27) Difference between a standard chest tube and a pigtail catheter?  (9:08) Technique for standard chest tube placement (14:00) Technique for pigtail catheter placement (15:30) Suction versus waterseal? (20:50) Considerations when deciding on removing a chest tube Links to Content Discussed on this episode: Article on chest tube size and hemothorax: https://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Fulltext/2021/11000/The_small__14_Fr__percutaneous_catheter__P_CAT_.6.aspx?casa_token=mwStOr036p0AAAAA:0_RiqETsgtR70oPpOAsXUO6D1TJGTlDyLQyR-j5NFWpmR-ScFah8Z0kelctpJrRNWTW0bRP1TQPJHb0MPUD31A Behind the knife video on chest tube placement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5HuiD51Su0 One Pager on Chest tubes (and other important ICU concepts): https://onepagericu.com/chest-tubes My email: Kenneth.lynch@brownphysicians.org Please feel free to send me topics you would like me to discuss on this podcast

So, You Want to be a Hepatobiliary Surgeon? Dr. Rachel Beard, MD 30.06.2022 20min

Today are going to dive into hepatoboliliary surgery. We are going to take a look at what a day in the life looks like, some of the factors that go into choosing a HPB fellowship, address some of the misconceptions of becoming a HPB surgeon and, of course, touch on the often discussed work-life balance. Joining me to discuss this topic is our own HPB surgeon and assistant program director Dr Racheal Beard. Dr Beard completed her undergraduate studies at Boston University. She then went on to Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA for medical school. She did her General Surgery Residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts and then went on to HPB fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,  Pittsburgh, PA.  Podcast Chapters: (1:32) Why a Career in Surgery? (3:24) Why clinical research years? (5:33) Are clinical research years mandatory for HPB   (6:45) What does a normal week look like for you? (7:55) What does a typical HPB practice look like at other centers? (9:31) Decision on HPB vs Surgical Oncology vs Transplant for a fellowship in this field? (11:22) Tips and advice for those considering a career in HPB? (12:25) What to look for in a HPB fellowship? (13:54) Any misconceptions about HPB surgery (15:19) Importance of institutional support (16:57) Work-Life Balance?  My email is Kenneth.lynch@brownphysicians.org Have a great week and I’m looking forward to having you back with us in the next episode of the Brown Surgery Podcast