Cardio surgeon

A patient recovers from heart surgery and goes home to enjoy a healthy life with his family. Another patient requires preparation for surgery. Yet another is in and out of the hospital in one day. Dr. Hassan Tetteh’s world revolves around these personal thrills and excitements. Tetteh is in his fourth year of a five-year medical residency program that involves seven hospitals and covers various areas of medical service, pediatric, transplant, cardiac, trauma and general surgeries, in six-week rotations. Tetteh is currently involved with the pediatric-surgery rotation. It is cardiothorasic surgery, however, that is his true passion. “When medicine fails, I get to step in and be the hero,” he says, “I like surgery the most because it’s the most active, and I get to use my hands. It’s the most difficult, but it’s also the most interesting.”

Tetteh’s interest in medicine began when, as a young child, he saw his mother coming home from work everyday in her nurse’s uniform. Tetteh’s parents were also frequently in and out of hospitals, which let Tetteh see firsthand the important role that doctors play in their patients’ lives. Watching episodes of NOVA at home in Brooklyn was another opportunity for Tetteh to enter the fascinating and complex world of the sciences. Tetteh attended Brooklyn Technical High School, a specialized high school where he was able to concentrate his studies on biomedical sciences.

When college time came, Tetteh couldn’t attend his first-choice school, Morehouse College, because of a slim financial-aid package. Instead, he took his mother’s advice and went to a State University of New York school. He selected SUNY Plattsburgh (http://www.plattsburgh.edu) because it was far away from home. At first Tetteh didn’t like being away from the excitement of city life, but he soon found it to be an advantage. “I used my time to get ahead in my studies and to get involved with school politics and a fraternity,” Tetteh says. “So I stayed there.” Tetteh set himself apart from the rest by his academic record and involvement on campus. Even Johns Hopkins University took notice, offering him an early-decision admissions opportunity. But when it was time to start medical school, Tetteh wanted to return to New York City, so he attended SUNY Downstate, which is located in Brooklyn. “I was getting a little homesick,” he explains. He was soon to learn about the sacrifices it takes to be a surgeon.

“Medicine is an unforgiving field,” Tetteh says. “It must be your first priority.” When Tetteh was in his first year of residency, his father passed away. “There I was in medical school learning how to be a doctor and care for people, but I couldn’t be there for my dad.” It was that moment that Tetteh realized that he must be fully focused on medicine to fulfill his dream and be there for other people. Being a surgeon must be the most important part of his life. It must be more important than family, his personal life or becoming rich.

“The money in this field isn’t what it used to be,” Tetteh says. “The cost of operations 10 years ago used to be $10,000, $20,000 and the surgeons would get much of that. But now such things cost a lot less, and likewise the compensation for doing them is a lot less.” Considering the enormous amount of education it takes and the personal sacrifices surgeons must endure, no amount of money can replace the birthdays, anniversaries and other important events they miss because of their work hours. Salaries for surgeons in residency increase by about $50,000 each year. As a cardiac surgeon for the Navy, Tetteh will make approximately $275,000 annually. In the private sector, surgeons can make a much larger profit. But the real satisfaction is not in the money, he says, but in “easing suffering and knowing that you made a difference. If you want to be rich, invest in a bank.”

Tetteh is excited about the future of cardiothorasic surgery, even though doctors in other fields consider it the “dinosaur” of medicine. Cardiovascular disease is the number-one cause of death in America. “There will always be a need for well-trained surgeons in this area,” Tetteh says. Even with innovations creating new opportunities for patients and doctors, Tetteh stresses that cardiac surgeons are and will still be a vital part of the medical community. For example, special innovations in technology, such as artificial hearts, require surgeons to apply the technology. And patients will always need someone to intervene when technology fails.

Tetteh encourages anyone interested in medicine to get involved with the sciences as soon as possible. “The Student National Medical Organization (SNMO) is a fantastic resource,” he says. The SNMO has chapters and services geared especially towards high school and college students interested in the biomedical sciences. The American Medical Association is also a good resource, though it is not specifically directed to students.

E-mail Hassan Tetteh with questions about being a cardiothorasic surgeon at [email protected]

Article provided by