iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 13/11/2025

That one creepy frame from The Ring or endoanal ultrasound?

Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 05/07/2025

One of my favorite papers that I wrote during my research time in residency finally reached 20 citations on google scholar! This one paper led to like 3-4 other ones, got me invited onto a med med podcast, and also to write an editorial 🥰

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 01/07/2025

I finished residency! Its true what they say, the days are long but the years are short. I’m so grateful to the countless people that made this possible: family, friends, patients, hospital staff, and everyone at WashU Surgery. On to the next big thing: colorectal fellowship at Mt Sinai!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 20/06/2025

Closing out the chief talks, the admin chiefs: Dr Kepper talked about lessons from fatherhood we can apply to surgical training, and Dr Hess acknowledged all the reasons surgery is hard and more importantly the reasons why we still do what we do

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 16/06/2025

Congrats to Dr Sathe who recently had a paper published in Surgery with updated outcomes for our surgical prehab program SPAR, which decreases mortality, rate of discharge to acute care facility and length of stay. Here's the link to the paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.su...

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 12/06/2025

Third week of chief talks at WashU: Dr Beache talked about how we learn to cope through the hardships of residency & Dr Han shared some lessons from her time as a 2nd grade teacher

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 12/06/2025

2nd week of WashU chief talks last week included yours truly, talking about Broadway, what surgeons can learn from musical theater & some lessons I've learned in residency as told by my favorite musicals; Dr Martinez talked about the incredibly hard road IMG prelims walk to become surgeons in the US

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Residency has been a wild ride and I couldn't be more excited to continue my training as one of the incoming colorectal surgery fellows at Mt Sinai. Check out this little playlist I curated if you want to listen to some showtunes!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Its time for final bows! I'm so grateful to my family, partner, and friends for supporting me through the last 7 years. I also want to thank the residency staff, everyone at the hospital, my junior and senior residents and my co-chiefs of course.

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

A huge part of being successful in research is finding mentors who will believe in you and support your work. I'm forever grateful to Drs Sanford, Hammill, Ohman, Chapman Jr, Wise, and Awad for always being my advocates

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

One of my fav papers from my research time got rejected from 6 journals before it found a home. Once it did, the publishing journal had an IF x3 the one I had originally submitted to. That paper produced many more papers, got me invited onto podcasts & to write an editorial! doi.org/10.1111/medu...

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Lastly, Rent is an amazing musical, but most amazing is the ardent self-belief Jonathan Larson had in his own work. This allowed him to persevere despite 10 years of rejections until he was finally able to get somebody to agree to invest in the project that would become Rent

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Fortunately, I've been very lucky to have come across some excellent teachers in my years at WashU and I would like to thank them all for everything they have invested in me

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Most people in surgical education have little formal training in such and giving good feedback is very hard. At times they will miss the mark and give feedback that is unhelpful. Give yourself permission to discard feedback that doesn't help you become a better surgeon

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Wicked is super popular right now. In the iconic song "Defying Gravity," Elphaba realizes she needs to free herself from the criticism she has heard all her life to fulfill her potential

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

I've been lucky to find community with an amazing group of Latino trainees at WashU and we need to continue to show up for each other. Gracias por tanto!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Black & Latino residents are underrepresented in surgery which manifests as a distinct lack of available mentors in academic surgery.

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

In The Heights (Lin-Manuel Miranda's OG musical) is all about how the Latino community of Washington Heights shows up for each other

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Kneebone argues that recognizing the parallels between surgery and performance can make us better surgeons if we are open to learning lessons from the performance world

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

The operation itself is a complex choreographed dance where surgeon & assistant work in tandem, they also work in concert with the scrub, circulator, anesthesia, etc. Sometimes, things don't go as planned and we have to improvise both in the OR and on stage

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Dr Roger Kneebone argues in "Performing Surgery" that there's performance all throughout our patient encounters. In the clinic, we act like we are giving our undivided attention to patients but in our heads we're processing data & devising treatment plans doi.org/10.3389/fpsy...

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

Early surgeons relied on public performances of anatomic dissections and procedure demonstrations to prove their skills and build their practice

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

I would also argue that it requires a healthy amount of self-delusion (main character syndrome) to make it on Broadway and as a surgeon

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

There's many similarities between musical theater and surgery. There's costuming, setting, props in both. Both require a ton of rehearsing to reach proficiency. We even borrow the concept of the academic surgery triple threat from musical theater!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/06/2025

7 years in the making, but I'm finally weeks away from finishing my surgical residency at WashU. As such, I got to give my chief talk this past week! The topic? Broadway, baby!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 28/05/2025

Its the beginning of the end! At WashU our graduating chief residents get to give a talk on whatever they want. This week we started with Dr Newcomer on lessons he learned when he least expected it, and Dr Gani on how surgeons can deal with moral injury from patient complications

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 14/05/2025

So glad to have been able to attend #ASCRS25, and to have had the chance to meet my future co-fellows too! I couldn’t be more excited to be a future colorectal surgeon and contribute to this incredible field

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 10/05/2025

That’s a wrap on Surgical Education Week 2025. As always, WashU had a strong showing. I also had the chance to connect with my talented COSEF peers. Can’t wait to return—next time, I’ll no longer be a resident!

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 08/05/2025

I presented my research on how general surgery applicants use the new impactful experience field on ERAS at APDS. Only ~half of applicants use it. Amongst those not using it, ~60% had relevant materials in their app. Why are applicants leaving that box blank?

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

Last but not least, I pick the outfit with the most stoma-like detail for my chosen subspecialty: colorectal surgery

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

And of course, this dress covering every inch of skin has to be derm

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

This outfit is giving boy scout medals which reads EM to me. Anybody else get the same vibe?

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

The thousand-yard stare combined with the psychedelic color combo that I imagine its what its like to on psychotropics--slam dunk psych

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

The little hat, the eye piece, the weird block suit. So quirky, so neuro

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

This is radiology. They didn't want to come so they are wearing comfy fashion in protest, and the sunglasses bc its too bright out here

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

Primary care. They don't have time for anything fancy, but they are there to get the job done

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

This man is both geriatrics and a geriatric patient. Not really sure where they are or why they're there, but its nice to get out of the house

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Jorge Zarate @jzaraterod.medsky.social · 06/05/2025

I'm pretty sure I rounded with an IM attending who dressed kinda like this. Also the clock details to emphasize how time stands still during IM rounds