A surgeon’s life is defined by long hours, exacting focus, and countless critical decisions that impact the lives of others. They go through years of training to develop a stamina that can sustain the deepest, complex pressures. But just like the rest of us, they rely on small rituals and routines to keep their days steady, mind sharp, and energy plugging along.
In Routine Procedures, we’re taking a closer look at the daily habits—from breakfast choices to favorite shoes—that shape our surgeons’ work and life.
Homemade Breakfast Bars and the Optimism of Gardening
John Chabot, MD
Chief of GI/Endocrine Surgery
Executive Director of the Pancreas Center
What time does your alarm go off in the morning?
About 4:30 am.
Snooze or no snooze?
No snooze.
Breakfast of choice (especially before a big day)?
I make my own breakfast bars. They’re primarily oatmeal, dried apricots, cranberries, walnuts, almonds, and some egg whites. The reason I started making them, and ultimately settled on that recipe, is that it’s impossible to find breakfast bars without sugar. So, I usually have a cup of coffee and a breakfast bar on the road on the way into work. But my wife hates them because they don’t have any sugar.
First thing you do when you get to work:
It depends on the day. Sometimes I go to the OR preparation area and do the documentation I need to get the first case going. On Wednesdays, I go straight to the hospital floors and make teaching rounds with the residents. Once in a while, I come straight to the office to see patients starting at nine, but that’s pretty unusual.
Do you have any pre-op rituals or routines?
No, I don’t think so.
Is there music in your OR?
No. I find it distracting. When there are moments I don’t need to be completely focused on the case, that’s the moment to be teaching the students and residents. If there’s music playing, I just get distracted by it.
Favorite shoes for long days standing in the OR:
Merrells. They’re very comfortable.
Favorite part of your day:
I don’t think I can answer that. You’ve got me. If you have children, it’s very important for each of them to think they are the favorite.
What’s always in your lab coat pocket or bag?
My computer in my bag and my phone in my lab coat.
Any non-medical habit that helps you stay focused?
My gardening, it’s a very nurturing activity. I’ve told many people when they ask me what I like most about it—that you have to be optimistic that next year’s going to be better.
Most underrated part of your job:
The appreciation for the stress. We put people in harm’s way all the time, and we accept that stress on their behalf. It’s very hard to appreciate unless you’re put in that position.
When you finally get home, what’s the first thing you do?
In the summer, I go out and check the garden. Once in a while, hopefully two or three times a week, I exercise and then have dinner.
If one of your patients saw you outside the hospital, they’d be surprised to see you…
Not in a tie.
More routines:
Abe Krikhely, MD
Chief of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Bariatric Surgery
Roshni Rao, MD
Chief of Breast Surgery