From
Dr. Lee Ponsky
UH Urology: Hot Ones with Dr. Lee Ponsky- Chairman
With Dr. Lee Ponsky · hosted by Dr. Kartihi Mishra & Dr. Albert Kim
Chapter 2 of 6 · Patient & Family Education
Balance philosophy
Work-Life Balance and Outside Interests
Cued at 5:18 · press play
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Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Talk to your (or your child's) care team about your situation.
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What the experts said
Dr. Lee Ponsky's father was chairman of surgery at University Hospitals and other hospitals
Ponsky's father recommended urology because urologists 'all walk around, they seem like they're having a good time, they have a good sense of humor, and they seem happy'
Jack Elder, a pediatric urologist, was performing a neobladder while listening to Howard Stern when Ponsky observed as a medical student
The urologists Ponsky observed were 'not intimidating, they're inclusive' and 'doing really terrific surgery helping patients'
MedWish collects unused medical supplies and sets up hospitals and clinics in developing countries
Ponsky started a tattoo removal company and a medical device company through social entrepreneurism
If a physician is not happy at home, it doesn't matter how hard they work
Ponsky told a faculty member not to come in on July 4th to see consults because he was on call and the faculty should be home with family
The sabbatical to Australia allowed Ponsky to learn about MRI of the prostate, which he 'didn't know much about'
The MRI prostate work from Australia 'really changed my academic career, which ultimately led to an RO1 research grant'
The sabbatical established 'new friendships, new ideas and questions to ask, and new research ideas, new clinical practice'
Ed Cerullo is now 'the chairman of urology at Rush'
Ponsky and Ed Cerullo 'had been together since 1997' and 'still talk every day'
The institution has 'given us the opportunity to recruit and grow and given us resources that we need to do that'
The University Hospitals urology program 'has trained probably more chairmen than any program in the country'
In the last year, the department recruited over 7 people who will be starting in the next 6 months, with more signed for next year
Finding the right balance between being 'a friend, a mentor, and a leader' is always a challenge
Ponsky's biggest frustration is Saturday because 'it's the weekend and I want to send emails and I wanna meet with people and I want to get things done and I gotta wait till Monday'
The way medicine picks leaders is 'very strange' - taking people busy clinically who have written papers and asking them to 'run this little company'
Running a department or institute requires looking at revenue, expenses, and managing a company - 'it's a crazy way of deciding how to pick a leader to run a company'
The department wants to recruit 'leaders in each of the subspecialty areas who have a passion and a vision for teaching, asking questions, innovating'
The department wants people 'who are safely pushing the envelope, doing innovative things in education'
Ed Cerullo used to say 'people talk about thinking outside the box, I think outside the building'
The department plans to 'more than double the department in the next year'
Culture is the number one priority - 'I believe in culture. I think we need to have a great culture where people feel this is their home environment'
Sometimes people 'spend more time at work than we do at home' so 'we should have some laughs'
People 'should not feel that you have pressure being put on you, but supported' - this is 'a different way of thinking in the general medical education traditional system'
The traditional medical education system 'was very, you know, you're talked down to' but 'we want to change the culture'