What made you want to become a physician?
Honestly, the reasons I choose to be a surgeon today are slightly different to when I decided to become a physician 20 years ago. Both of my parents are physicians, and I remember seeing the influence that my mother (a family practitioner) had on her patients’ lives. Ultimately that is why I chose to become a physician, to have the opportunity to make a profound difference in peoples’ lives.- What is the best part of your job?
There are a number of aspects to my job that I am grateful for. Firstly, the privilege of being able to help and support my patients and their families, through good times, and bad. Secondly, the opportunity to introduce the next generation of surgeons to this constantly evolving and growing specialty and hopefully assist them in achieving even greater accomplishments. And finally, the opportunity to work every day with a team of individuals who both support and inspire me to innovate, challenge myself, and advocate for the best treatments for our patients. - Who is a mentor who has had a profound influence on your life?
My father will always be my greatest role model, a stalwart of absolute integrity, honesty and accountability. But professionally, my two greatest mentors would be Dr Bill Carroll and Dr Brad Woodworth. Ever since my fellowship at UAB they have both constantly encouraged me to ask questions, think laterally and pursue innovative solutions to clinical problems. Even from the other side of the world they have supported my desire to be better and to continually advocate for the best care available for our patients, even if I was the only one, and even when I would forget that I was in a different time zone! - What does the future of medicine look like in your area of interest?
In head and neck mucosal and malignant skin disease we are evolving our understanding of cancer immunotherapy which is showing promise in the management of advanced and recurrent disease. Transoral robotics has also welcomed both a single port robot as well as the latest iteration of the Flex robotic system, one designed specifically for Head and Neck surgery. Both of these advances will really increase our ability to safely provide minimally invasive surgical options for our Head and Neck mucosal patients. And finally, in adult airway surgery, innovative research out of Belgium on tracheal allografts will hopefully soon provide real solutions for patients with extensive airway disease who have already failed standard therapy and struggle to live with tracheostomy tubes. - How do you like spending your time off?
Being from Australia, I love to travel and I love the water. I particularly enjoy travelling through Europe and immersing myself in the local cultures. I’m quite fortunate to have fostered many international friendships over the years so there is always a reason to return for a visit. I recently obtained my open water scuba diving license before coming back to Alabama and managed to meet a lovely couple from Pensacola who have encouraged me to explore wreck diving in the Gulf!
Take 5 with Dr. Hari Jeyarajan
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- Written by: Morgan Samples