SAGES Stories
You can’t spell Minimally Invasive Surgery without SAGES!
Episodes
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 33, our intrepid hosts talk to surgeon, educator, international man of mystery, possible MI6 operative, and Third Culture Kid Adrian Park, MD, FRCS (C) FACS. As a man from nowhere and everywhere, Dr. Park talks about his peripatetic upbringing, bringing advanced laparoscopy into the developing world, and how SAGES affected his career path during the early years of MIS.
Dr. Park has o...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In this continuation of President Episodes™, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Jenny Shao chat with the current president of the EAES, Nicole Bouvy, MD, PhD. Our intrepid podcasters cover lots of topics with Dr. Bouvy including the difference in training between the US and Europe, how surgery impacts the environment and why we need to pay attention to sustainability efforts, changes in roles of women in ...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Jenny Shao chat with Brent D. Matthews, MD, the 2025–2026 President of SAGES. We trace how he first got involved with the society and how SAGES has quietly but steadily helped shape his surgical career from fellowship(s) to his presidency!
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to the one and only, the man, the myth, the legend: Manabu Yamamoto, MD. The founder of SAGES Far East and co-writer of “We Are The World, We Are The SAGES” joins us and talks about, well, just about everything. We cover early language acquisition, SAGES in the 80s, being one of the first Japanese SAGES members, how song ...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to the one and only doyenne of SAGES – Executive Director Sallie Matthews.
Sallie shares stories about how she got into the Executive Directoring business, how SAGES has transformed over the years, and what it means to be a successful woman in the field of surgery. This is not our typical podcast but it’s interesting, hea...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Dr. Jenny Shao talk to one of the most fascinating surgeons around: James “Butch” Rosser, MD. Butch is a surgeon, a patient, a top-notch educator, the originator of the Top Gun contest, the catalyst behind the SAGES Mini Med School, and so much more. We hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Links from ...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
This. Is. Huge. The biggest episode we’ve tried to do. The biggest episode we’ve ever done! Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR, FOUR PAST PRESIDENTS on one podcast. (ah ah ah)
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and new co-host Dr. Jenny Shao talk to Past SAGES Presidents Drs. Hoarcio Asbun, Liane Feldman, John Mellinger, and Pat Sylla all about SAGES, their respective paths t...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 26, we experience something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Let’s see if you can figure out to who/what each of the above applies!
In this episode, Drs. Kevin El-Hayek and Archana Ramaswamy talk to Dr. Jenny Shao about podcasting in general, finding one’s path in surgery, and much more plus a HUGE announcement. There’s also a special gi...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 25, we talk to researcher and dad extraordinaire, Chris DuCoin, MD and get his thoughts on surgeon scientists, SAGES Research efforts, and our intrepid hosts show us the worst possible way to get a grant accepted.
Links from the pod:
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 23, we talk to our resident expert on hippies, shag carpeting, beaded entryways, pattern-recognition, grants, research, and all things surgical: Carla Pugh, MD, PhD.
Links from the pod:
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 24, we talk to two past presidents, Aurora Pryor, MD and Steve Schwaitzberg, MD, and the now-current president Christopher Schlachta, MD all about the new SAGES for-profit company SAGES Ingenuity and the SAGES Investment Network Collaboration (SINC).
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Drs. Pryor, Schwaitzberg, and Schlachta about the SAGES Investment Network...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 22, we talk to the current President-Elect of SAGES, hard name to spell correctly, hockey fan and Canadian (but we repeat ourselves), and one of the cool kids: Christopher Schlachta, MD!
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Schlachta about innovation in surgery, getting involved in laparoscopy, the SAGES Investment Network and SAGES Ingenuity. There’...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 21, we talk to the tiniest overachiever ever, Dana Telem, MD, current Vice President of SAGES, Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan, and a great friend to many of us.
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Telem about Fall weather (we might be posting this slightly out of order), evolutionary biology as a gateway to surgery, developing skin by ...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 20, we talk to Steve Schwaitzberg, MD, Past President of SAGES and a man who has led a most interesting life. It is safe to say that SAGES would not look like what it does today without Dr. Schwaitzberg’s influence.
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Schwaitzberg about socks, bingo, innovation, bad strategies for applying to med school, Club Med(?...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 19, we talk to KMarie King, MD. MS, MBA, FACS
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. King about learning to lead, the Glass Cliff, The Wallflowers (for some reason), belonging, advocacy, and implementing technology.
Links from the pod:
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 18, we talk to former child actor, former child, former SAGES Advocacy and Health Policy committee chair, Neil Simon survivor, Lego expert, and triple laptop screen monitor user Ross F. Goldberg, MD
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Goldberg about his early years as a stage thespian, later years as a surgeon, Cleveland (of course), and much more. ...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 17, we talk to SAGES Past (waaaaaaaaaaay past) President, Chair, Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona, laparoscopy trailblazer, dog lover, and all around good human Nathaniel Soper, MD
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Soper about the wild-west early days of MIS, surgeons with frickin laser beams, and why SAGES is the best society ever.
Li...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 16, we talk to an amazing surgeon and human, Associate Professor of Surgery, Chief of Minimally Invasive, Robotic, and Bariatric Surgery, and Program Director, General Surgery Residency Program at Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Surgery and Grady Memorial Hospital: Dr. Shaneeta Johnson!
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Johnson about Clevela...
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 14, we talk to surgeon extraordinaire, Chair of Surgery at Stanford, Director of the ABS, and amazing person: Dr. Mary Hawn!
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Hawn about all things Board related, issues facing surgeons today, the challenges of being a two doctor household, and who in surgery has Vizslas.
Welcome to the SAGES Stories Podcast!
In episode 14, we talk to surgical educator extraordinaire, SAGES past president from 2002-2003, and one of the best human beings on the planet: Dr. Bruce Schirmer!
Your hosts Shirin Towfigh, MD and Kevin El Hayek, MD talk to Dr. Schirmer about HPB and the early partnerships between SAGES and the AHPBA, the early days of laparoscopy and endoscopy as he experienced them, and one of the most unfo...
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