Allan D. Kirk, MD, PhD, FACS, Chair of the Department of Surgery, was featured on the October 1, 2024 episode of the Surgeons at the Table podcast.
The podcast is hosted by Shahyan Bakhtiyar, MD, MSE, a general surgery resident at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Surgeons at the Table seeks to "bridge the gap between surgeon leaders and the next generation of aspiring surgeons," and each episode features in-depth conversations with directors, chairs, deans, and presidents who have "risen to leadership positions in the field of surgery."
In the October 1 episode, Dr. Kirk shared stories about his own journey and advice for junior surgeons as they pave their own paths to success.
"I tell junior faculty this a lot, when they are looking or positions, that there's a big difference between being encouraged and being tolerated," said Dr. Kirk on the podcast. "And you want to go to a place where you're being encouraged."
Dr. Kirk also discussed his insights into his leadership and education philosophy. "People who are effective leaders know how to work with their teams," he said. "They know how to listen better than they know how to talk. They know ow to read better than they know how to write. They are able to assimilate information from people they trust, and they're able to be trusted so that people will assimilate information with them."
Listen to Dr. Kirk's full appearance on Surgeons at the Table here.