George Drugas
What's the best thing about working at Children’s?
The best thing about working at Children’s is being part of a nationally recognized children's hospital that isn't resting on the laurels of its past but dedicated to making itself ever better. There is a pervasive effort at all levels in the institution to not just be good enough but to really strive to excel in the care provided kids and their families.
What do you like most about the work you do in pediatric surgery?
What I like most about being a member of the General and Thoracic Surgery division is the responsibility for training the next generation of pediatric surgeons. Surgical education is often humbling, sometimes daunting, always challenging and immeasurably rewarding.
What makes Children’s Division of Pediatric Surgery unique?
The most unique aspect of the General and Thoracic Surgery division is that "the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts". The division is an amalgam of personalities from various walks of life, at various stages in their careers, with different skills and interests. An atmosphere of creative tension results and is encouraged. Diversity is respected and even the oldest minds are receptive to change. Amazingly, it culminates in an "all for one and one for all" esprit de corps.
What made you want to come to Children’s?
I came to Children’s to achieve two things. I wanted to be a member of a surgical faculty affiliated with a top-notch training program in pediatric surgery. I also wanted to make "Quality Improvement in Surgery" more than a public relations buzzword. I want to help the surgical disciplines identify and apply best practices that raise the standard of care for all children. Telling others we're the best children's hospital and showing them that we can substantiate our claims are two entirely different matters. For me, it is icing on the cake that both opportunities exist in a place as blessed with the natural beauty and with such a vibrant populace as Seattle.
What do people say when they find out you work here?
When people find out that I work here there are generally two responses: one is to delve into their own children's myriad of medical symptoms and ask for a surgical consultation on the fly; the second is to inquire why I chose a career intertwined with so much heartache and suffering. I remind them and myself in the process that there are few jobs in this life as noble as those that try to lift the life of a child.