Cyrus Feizpour, MD, and his graduating co-residents from the Department of Surgery are ready to take the next step in their surgical careers after five years as general surgery residents at Indiana University School of Medicine.
“It was simultaneously the best, most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done and the hardest thing I’ve ever been through,” said Feizpour. “I got to work with the best co-residents and faculty in the country who I’ve built lifelong friendships with. We have been through so much together and I have so many memories that I will never forget.”
For Feizpour, completing surgical residency marks one step closer in becoming a surgeon—a career Feizpour realized was right for him when he was a teenager.
Prior to starting his undergraduate academic career, Feizpour exposed himself to a career in medicine for the first time by shadowing an anesthesiologist. Through this experience, Feizpour learned that it wasn’t anesthesia that fascinated him—it was surgery.
“I became more interested in watching what the surgeons were doing than the anesthesia side,” said Feizpour. “I originally wanted to do orthopedic surgery after that experience but changed my mind to general surgery during my clinical rotations in medical school.”
Feizpour is the son of two Iranian immigrant parents. If his parents never left Iran, Feizpour is convinced his life would look much different and wouldn’t include a career in surgery. That’s why throughout Feizpour’s academic career and residency experience, he found it imperative to be steadfast in his pursuit of becoming a surgeon in honor of the sacrifices his parents made for him.
“My parents worked hard to build a life in a new place across the world from their family, so I try to replicate some fraction of that amount of hard work to make them proud,” said Feizpour. “I owe so much of what I have accomplished to them because of the opportunities they gave me.”
Feizpour’s next opportunity awaits him in his hometown of Dallas, Texas at Baylor University Medical Center as a colorectal surgery fellow. Feizpour’s fellowship aligns with his goal of becoming an academic colorectal surgeon where he can practice at a major referral hospital and help teach aspiring surgeons.
“I want to help take care of the most complex patients, so I want to be at a major referral hospital and a major cancer center while doing some clinical research,” said Feizpour. “What I found through residency was that I really enjoy teaching junior residents. I enjoy the collegial atmosphere and the feeling of being part of a team that comes with working with a crew of residents.”
“Michael House, MD, once told me that it makes his job much more fulfilling to work with residents because he gets to help train the next generation of surgeons and I want that in the future.”
As Feizpour leaves IU and begins a new chapter in Dallas, he carries with him his fondest memories from residency.
“My favorite memories are when I got to operate on a couple of major open abdominal cases with my co-chiefs and we did the entire case together,” said Feizpour. “It’s always fun to operate with your co-chiefs, but this was especially important because it showed me that I can do this job.”
Regarding advice for incoming residents, Feizpour admits surgical residency is difficult but also a gratifying, impactful experience.
“While this is the most fulfilling job on the planet, it is also difficult and easy to hurt people,” said Feizpour. “In the end, complications and mistakes can happen, so you must learn how to deal with them. Even when there are complications, at least you gave the patient the best level of care possible and helped them overall.”
