Cardiothoracic surgeon John Puskas, MD (Emory University, Atlanta, GA), talks about how he strives to improve coronary surgery for the next generation, share knowledge with those willing to push for change, and stay open to new ways of thinking. Plus, his recently acquired aviation skills allow for a birds-eye view of the safeguards—or lack thereof—in medicine.

Interventional cardiologist Mirvat Alasnag, MD (King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), discusses how she feels the need to prove herself even 18 years into her career, uses social media as a vehicle for networking and curiosity, and forges partnerships with patients that lead to improvements in their health.

Preventive cardiologist Kausik Ray, MBChB, MD (Imperial College London, England), discusses how he knew he’d become a doctor at 5 years old, stayed open to pivots along the way, and worked hard to build groundbreaking research projects that have come to change patients’ lives.

Interventional imaging physician Dee Dee Wang, MD (NCH Rooney Heart Institute, Naples, FL), discusses how she finds value in resistance and relationships, defines achievement through advocacy and ‘paying it forward,’ and feels satisfaction in building something from the ground up.

Complex PCI expert Margaret McEntegart, MD, PhD (NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY), discusses how personal challenges affect her professional choices, what it’s like to reach a career pinnacle—and move halfway around the world to accept it—and how she uses manifestation and visualization practice to breed success and inspire trainees.

Structural cardiologist and CardioNerds co-founder Amit Goyal, MD (UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX), discusses how he came to embrace new cardiovascular learning pathways while allocating time and care to both his clinical duties and personal desires.

Interventional cardiologist and outcomes researcher Robert Yeh, MD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA), discusses how he chooses his provocative clinical research projects, dealing with FOMO on the regular, and finding time to balance family life between it all.

Electrophysiologist and translational researcher Barbara Casadei, MD, DPhil (Imperial College London, England), reflects on the calculated leaps she’s taken throughout her career, her changing definition of success, and tackling her new role as Editor-in-Chief of JAMA Cardiology.