The Making of a World-Class Surgeon with Dr. Michael Maddaus

When Michael Maddaus came home from school as a boy, he never knew what would be on the inside of his apartment door. It could have been his intoxicated mother, his abusive stepfather, or any degree of chaos in between. As he got older, he avoided being at home. Instead, he broke into homes, stole cars, experimented with drugs and alcohol, and escaped his home life in any way he could.

After 24 arrests as a juvenile, his options were becoming clearer - prison or worse. Maddaus joined the US Navy for a reprieve. When he got out a few years later, a fortuitous encounter with a mentor changed his life forever. With the mentor’s guidance, Michael Maddaus, the juvenile delinquent, transformed into Dr. Michael Maddaus, the world-class surgeon.

In this interview, Dr. Maddaus talks about his difficult youth, how it helped him develop his resilience, and how that resilience prepared him for life as a surgeon. Dr. Maddaus also talks about how to create a Resilience Bank Account™ and he gives some very emotional advice for young people who may be struggling to find their way in life.

After Dr. Michael Maddaus completed seven years of clinical surgical residency and three years of research, he joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota medical school. Over a 20-year career, Dr. Maddaus developed a robust clinical practice in complex and advanced minimally invasive surgery of the lungs and esophagus. He also became a full-time professor and vice chair of the Department of Surgery where he held the Garamella-Lynch endowed chair. Then, he stepped into his role as program director of the Department of Surgery’s general surgical training program. Now Dr. Maddaus coaches physicians to turn their demanding schedules into fulfilled lives.

“Believe in yourself and start doing something. Take action in a positive way…whatever it is, but care about yourself and do something that is going to matter to you…and the hell with what everyone is saying. Ignore the noise and the comments and the criticisms. Just get after it. The path out of that is constructive activity. You’ve got to do some things that give you a sense of agency…look for people that might support you…you’ve got to get a tribe, a small tribe where some one or two people care about you.” Dr. Michael Maddaus sharing advice with young people who may feel a sense of hopelessness about their lives and futures.