Major John McClellan, MD brings his medical experience in Critical Care, Burn, and General Surgery to UNC as new Assistant Professor in Division of Acute Care & Trauma
Dr. McClellan comes to UNC from faculty roles at the University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Burn, and Critical Care Surgery (Seattle, WA) and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Bethesda, MD). He shared about his motivation, contributions to Surgery, and more.
What brought you to the Department of Surgery at UNC?
I came to UNC as part of the military-civilian partnership that integrates Army surgeons into civilian academic centers.
What inspired you to become a doctor/surgeon?
Believe it or not, I’ve wanted to be a surgeon since 6th grade. Why I decided at that age this is for me? – I don’t know. But since that time my interest continued to grow. Once I was able to truly understand what surgeons do, I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather do.
How did you decide to pursue your current specialty? Has it met your expectations?
It checks all the boxes of what I feel is a rewarding career. It is an unpredictable, challenging field that forces you to think outside of the box. It is very gratifying, and you have the privilege of caring for those on potentially the worst day of their life.
What are your contributions to your specialty?
I have participated in many research projects leading to a variety of publications. However, I am most proud of Behind the Knife, which I co-founded in 2015. It is a surgical podcast turned educational platform that is continuing to provide excellent educational resources for trainees and lifelong learners.
If you could pick the brain of someone alive or dead, who would it be?
Tom Hanks – he just seems like a down to earth, nice guy. I would love to pick his brain or have dinner with the man.
What profession did you want to be when you were a kid?
Well as previously mentioned – surgeon! However also on the short list were the classic firefighter, farmer, and most notably national geographic photographer.
What is one thing you wish your patients or coworkers knew about you before they meet you?
That I’m genuinely interested in everyone’s backstory. I just think it’s cool you can take people from all walks of life with unique backgrounds, and it some random happenstance you can end up caring for them or becoming their colleague.
What are the failures you most cherish? What did you learn from them?
This is always an interesting question. While I’ve failed plenty throughout my life, I feel the big takeaway is how to bounce back from failure. It is inevitable, but if you can’t overcome the feeling and emotion behind failure, it is impossible to learn from that mistake and move on.
If you give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?
Probably the same advice I still try and give myself now – while is pays to be ambitious, sometimes the best advice is just slow down and enjoy what is happening in and around your life.
What do you do when you aren’t working?
Trying to match the energy of my 6-year-old daughter (Ava) and 4-year-old son (Reid). And spending time with my wife, Morgan. We live a busy life, but I like to think I can still keep up.
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Persistent!
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?
I think X-ray vision would be cool. Huge bonus – I wouldn’t have to wait to get imaging done anymore.
Read more about Dr. McClellan by visiting his UNC Surgery faculty profile.