The Humanist Surgeon with Dr. Elke Zani-Ruttenstock

Dr. Elke Zani-Ruttenstock, Pediatric Surgeon at Washington University and Director of the Pediatric Colorectal Program at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, opens this episode by sharing how life threw her a curveball when there was a time in her career when she couldn’t practice medicine and it really affected her sense of identity and self-image.

What we talk about is so relatable to anyone who feels displaced from their work against their will. While the circumstances were due to being part of a two-surgeon power couple and trying to navigate international careers in medicine, Elke shares what many people feel when they are laid off or let go from a career they loved and have to make sense of it. I share my own sense of this identity struggle from when I left my high-powered consulting career (BCG) and being a Director of Strategy (Bayer) to become a stay-at-home mom for a period of time.

Elke tells us how she shared in a yoga group about her struggle, and someone directed her to coaching. In pursuing coaching during that interval, she realized how it was a blessing in disguise because it helped her to see the importance of presence, authenticity, listening, and empowerment in the OR and in health care settings. Once she was able to return to being a pediatric surgeon and in charge of a clinic, she was able to infuse her lessons about centering humanness into medicine. Hence, I call her “The Humanist Surgeon”!

We also discuss how A.I. is changing surgery and which use cases make sense at this stage in the tool’s development; her global perspective on healthcare and how differences show up in different countries; how important it is to be willing to show vulnerability even when you are an accomplished professional in a high-status role, like surgeon.

Elke has practiced medicine in 4 countries (US, UK, Canada, and Austria) and speaks 4 languages. She is a mom to two daughters and lives with her husband in St. Louis, MO.

Thank you to Dr. Elke Zani-Ruttenstock for honoring us with her presence and insights on the pod!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elke-zani-ruttenstock-15447060/

Washington University in St. Louis bio: https://physicians.wustl.edu/people/elke-m-zani-ruttenstock-md/