Family member's experience in hospital inspired Dr. Andrea Doud to pursue medicine

Meet Dr. Andrea Doud, a pediatric surgeon who joined our Kentucky Children’s Hospital team in September 2019. Dr. Doud specializes in Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery and Pediatric Surgical Oncology. For this week’s Making The Rounds, we talked with Dr. Doud about her unexpected decision to become a surgeon and the team she works with every day.

When did you know you wanted to be a surgeon?

I originally thought I wanted to be a pediatrician. I've always loved working with children. I signed up for my surgery rotation in medical school to just kind of get it out of the way, because I thought I wouldn't like it. And I completely fell in love with it – the fact that you can have immediate results. Someone comes in with appendicitis, you take out their appendix, and they're better. It's a really nice feeling.

Describe what it’s like to work in surgery.

There's a group of five pediatric surgeons here, and it is a fabulous group. We are all very supportive of one another. The primary goal is patient outcomes, and so we have a very collaborative approach. Where even though I may be on call, if I have a case that I just want to run by one of my partners, we will all talk about it. And I'll look at the images, and look at the facts, and try to figure out what the very best thing to do for the patient is.

What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?

My cousin, actually, had cystic fibrosis growing up. I spent a lot of time with her in the hospital, and I saw how a good medical team can change everything for the better. I just saw what a huge difference it could make, so I was inspired to do something like that to help people like my cousin.

Watch our full interview with Dr. Doud 

(2:24)