
#9: An Interview with a Neurosurgery Resident
03/27/23 • 65 min
1 Listener
Dr. Ellina Hattar was born in Amman, Jordan and grew up in the Middle East, as well as Odessa, Ukraine and Montreal, Canada. Her family immigrated to Ramsey, New Jersey when she was 13 years of age. She attended Johns Hopkins University where she earned a dual degree in Neuroscience and Public Health. She returned to New Jersey after college to attend NJMS at Rutgers University for medical school. Ellina enjoys the variety of surgical cases she is exposed to and continues to keep an open mind regarding future sub-specialization. During her spare time, she enjoys running with her husband, Jose (a family medicine resident at Jefferson), having movie nights with their chihuahua, Matilda, and spending time with her close-knit family in New Jersey.
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0:00 - Intro
0:51 - Statistics About Neurosurgery
4:40 - What Is Neurosurgery?
8:30 - Neurosurgery Residency
18:47 - How Much Do Neurosurgeons Work?
23:08 - Average Day/Week of a Neurosurgeon
31:38 - If I Give You $100 Million, What Would You Do?
35:17 - Why Neurosurgery?
43:30 - Helping Factors to Get Through Med School and NSGY
46:58 - Choosing Neurosurgery
49:20 - Differences Between Neurosurgeons and Family Medicine
50:36 - Best Things About Being a Neurosurgeon
51:16 - Worst Things About Being a Neurosurgeon
53:12 - How to Maintain Mental Wellness?
54:31 - Advice for Students Looking Into NSGY
57:29 - Characteristics of a Student for Neurosurgery
57:40 - Tips and Tricks for NSGY
1:00:18 - Future of Neurosurgery
1:02:52 - Closing Message
1:04:27 - Super Important Question!
1:05:26 - Outro
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Resources:
Residency Information: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/applying-residencies-eras
___
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode for transcript and more information: zhighley.com/podcast
___
Connect With Zach
Main YouTube: @ZachHighley
Newsletter: https://zhighley.com/newsletter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachhighley/?hl=en
Website: https://zhighley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachhighley
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-highley-gergel-44763766/
Business Inquiries: [email protected]
___
Listen for Free
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23TvJdEBAJuW5WY1QHEc6A?si=cf65ae0abbaf46a4
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-highley-show/id1666374777
___
Welcome to the Zach Highley Show, where we discuss personal growth and medicine to figure out how to improve our lives. My name is Zach and I’m a medical student, and soon to be physician, in Philadelphia. Throughout these episodes I’ll interview top performers from around the world in business, life, and medicine in hopes of extracting the resources and techniques they use to get to the top.
The best way to help the show is share episodes on any platform. If you think a friend or family member will like a certain episode, send it to them!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. Ellina Hattar was born in Amman, Jordan and grew up in the Middle East, as well as Odessa, Ukraine and Montreal, Canada. Her family immigrated to Ramsey, New Jersey when she was 13 years of age. She attended Johns Hopkins University where she earned a dual degree in Neuroscience and Public Health. She returned to New Jersey after college to attend NJMS at Rutgers University for medical school. Ellina enjoys the variety of surgical cases she is exposed to and continues to keep an open mind regarding future sub-specialization. During her spare time, she enjoys running with her husband, Jose (a family medicine resident at Jefferson), having movie nights with their chihuahua, Matilda, and spending time with her close-knit family in New Jersey.
___
0:00 - Intro
0:51 - Statistics About Neurosurgery
4:40 - What Is Neurosurgery?
8:30 - Neurosurgery Residency
18:47 - How Much Do Neurosurgeons Work?
23:08 - Average Day/Week of a Neurosurgeon
31:38 - If I Give You $100 Million, What Would You Do?
35:17 - Why Neurosurgery?
43:30 - Helping Factors to Get Through Med School and NSGY
46:58 - Choosing Neurosurgery
49:20 - Differences Between Neurosurgeons and Family Medicine
50:36 - Best Things About Being a Neurosurgeon
51:16 - Worst Things About Being a Neurosurgeon
53:12 - How to Maintain Mental Wellness?
54:31 - Advice for Students Looking Into NSGY
57:29 - Characteristics of a Student for Neurosurgery
57:40 - Tips and Tricks for NSGY
1:00:18 - Future of Neurosurgery
1:02:52 - Closing Message
1:04:27 - Super Important Question!
1:05:26 - Outro
___
Resources:
Residency Information: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/applying-residencies-eras
___
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode for transcript and more information: zhighley.com/podcast
___
Connect With Zach
Main YouTube: @ZachHighley
Newsletter: https://zhighley.com/newsletter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachhighley/?hl=en
Website: https://zhighley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachhighley
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-highley-gergel-44763766/
Business Inquiries: [email protected]
___
Listen for Free
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23TvJdEBAJuW5WY1QHEc6A?si=cf65ae0abbaf46a4
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-highley-show/id1666374777
___
Welcome to the Zach Highley Show, where we discuss personal growth and medicine to figure out how to improve our lives. My name is Zach and I’m a medical student, and soon to be physician, in Philadelphia. Throughout these episodes I’ll interview top performers from around the world in business, life, and medicine in hopes of extracting the resources and techniques they use to get to the top.
The best way to help the show is share episodes on any platform. If you think a friend or family member will like a certain episode, send it to them!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Previous Episode

#8: An Interview with an OB-GYN
Dr. Katherine DeOreo Lackritz, MD, Clinical Assosciate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology here at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Lackritz received a BA at Carleton college, completed here medical degree at University of Vermont, and completed here residency at Long Island Jewish Hospital (now referred to as Northwell). She has received multiple awards as a professor including recently the Jefferson Award for Outstanding teaching in 2022, excellence in teaching, and distinguished teaching. As such she has participated in in developing the curriculum and structure of of education for medical students here at Jefferson. She is also the clerkship director for obstetrics and gynecology. She is a widely loved teacher at Jefferson for her bubbly personality and strong advocate for student education and patient rights with much of her published research revolving around those subjects.
___
0:00 - Intro
0:52 - Statistics About Obstetrics and Gynecology
3:53 - Were You Ever Burned Out?
6:51 - What Is an OB-GYN?
10:03 - Average Day/Week of an OB-GYN
13:33 - Why OB-GYN?
21:06 - Wilderness EMT and Teaching in Africa
26:16 - OB-GYN Residency
28:03 - Difference Between Year 4 Med Student to Year 1 Intern
31:13 - Confidence and Finding Your Space
33:00 - C-Section Rates in the U.S.
38:03 - If I Give You $100 Million, What Would You Do?
39:08 - Happiest Point on Your Career
40:41 - Advice for Students and Helping Factors
49:16 - Memorable Encounters That Gave Second Thoughts?
53:47 - Being Positive and High-Energy
57:37 - How to Focus Better on Mental Health?
1:06:13 - Best Things About Being an OB-GYN
1:10:14 - Worst Things About Being an OB-GYN
1:16:03 - Preparing in Med School for OB-GYN
1:18:06 - Red Flags on Applications
1:19:21 - Characteristics of a Student for OB-GYN
1:21:53 - The Future in the Field
1:23:59 - Ending Message
1:28:00 - Outro
___
Resources:
Residency Information: https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-residencies-eras/applying-residencies-eras
___
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode for transcript and more information: zhighley.com/podcast
___
Connect With Zach
Main YouTube: @ZachHighley
Newsletter: https://zhighley.com/newsletter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachhighley/?hl=en
Website: https://zhighley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachhighley
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-highley-gergel-44763766/
Business Inquiries: [email protected]
___
Listen for Free
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23TvJdEBAJuW5WY1QHEc6A?si=cf65ae0abbaf46a4
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-highley-show/id1666374777
___
Welcome to the Zach Highley Show, where we discuss personal growth and medicine to figure out how to improve our lives. My name is Zach and I’m a medical student, and soon to be physician, in Philadelphia. Throughout these episodes I’ll interview top performers from around the world in business, life, and medicine in hopes of extracting the resources and techniques they use to get to the top.
The best way to help the show is share episodes on any platform. If you think a friend or family member will like a certain episode, send it to them!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Next Episode

#10: An Interview with an Emergency Medicine Doctor
Dr. Xiao Chi Zhang is the assistant professor and assistant clerkship director of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University. He is a triple graduate from Tufts University and he completed his residency at Brown University. Dr. Zhang is a teacher, a loving father, a devoted husband, and a vocal advocate for Asian American and Pacific Islander, AAPI, communities. He has won multiple teaching awards, received numerous national education grants, and he is one of the national leaders in advising medical students in Emergency Medicine.
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/XCZhangMD
___
0:00 - Intro
0:44 - Statistics About Emergency Medicine
3:28 - What Is Emergency Medicine?
6:20 - Why Emergency Medicine?
15:54 - What Was EM Residency Like?
20:13 - Advise for Med Students on Ranking and Choosing Programs
23:03 - How Is It Being an Attending?
24:44 - Average Day/Week of an EMT
30:10 - People/Events That Have Inspired You Into Teaching Students?
31:35 - Being a Mentor and Advice on Finding Mentors
36:20 - Tips for Fighting off Burnout
41:00 - Memorable Patient Encounter
48:35 - Emergency Medicine During COVID-19
56:13 - If I Give You $100 Million, What Would You Do?
59:13 - How Much Do You Sleep?
1:01:07 - Best Things About Being an EM Doctor
1:03:05 - Worst Things About Being an EM Doctor
1:04:32 - Things You Wish You Knew Before Going Into EM?
1:06:19 - Myths About EM Doctors
1:09:55 - Characteristics of a Student for EM
1:10:59 - Advice for Students Looking Into EM
1:15:10 - Future of Emergency Medicine
1:17:45 - Advice to People to Have a Successful/Long-Term Career
1:20:48 - Your Future Plans
1:21:23 - Favorite Books/Shows
1:24:44 - Things That Would Have Been Done Differently in Your Career?
1:26:25 - Specific Advice for Students Going Into EM
1:27:29 - Closing Message
1:28:30 - Outro
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Resources
Dr. Glaucomflecken Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@DGlaucomflecken/featured
The Bear on Hulu - https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f
The House of God by Samuel Shem - https://a.co/d/ghPwLd5
___
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode for transcript and more information: zhighley.com/podcast
___
Connect With Zach
Main YouTube: @ZachHighley
Newsletter: https://zhighley.com/newsletter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachhighley/?hl=en
Website: https://zhighley.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachhighley
Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-highley-gergel-44763766/
Business Inquiries: [email protected]
___
Listen for Free
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23TvJdEBAJuW5WY1QHEc6A?si=cf65ae0abbaf46a4
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-zach-highley-show/id1666374777
___
Welcome to the Zach Highley Show, where we discuss personal growth and medicine to figure out how to improve our lives. My name is Zach and I’m a medical student, and soon to be physician, in Philadelphia. Throughout these episodes I’ll interview top performers from around the world in business, life, and medicine in hopes of extracting the resources and techniques they use to get to the top.
The best way to help the show is share episodes on any platform. If you think a friend or family member will like a certain episode, send it to them!
See Privacy Policy at https://art19....
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