In many philosophical and religious traditions, there is an emphasis on how intentionality is one of the fundamental tenets of being able to live a fulfilling life. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength.” One surgeon who is trying to restore that intentionality back to the culture of surgery is Dr. Sharon Stein. Dr. Stein is a colorectal surgeon who has been at the pinnacle of academic surgery and has been among many other things the past president of the Association of Women Surgeons, Chair of American College of Surgeons Women in Surgery Committee, and an executive council of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Recently, Dr. Stein started the Intentional Surgeon podcast, dedicated to helping surgeons rediscover their purpose. We had a powerful discusson on a whole myriad of topics, with the throughline of how we can try to restore intentionality and purpose to everything that we do. You can find Dr. Stein on her website
www.intentionalsurgeon.com and you can also email her at
slsteincoaching@gmail.com as well as on X at @slssteinmd1.