October 7 2017
by Neel Desai, M.D.
Dr. Joseph V. Sakran is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Associate Chief of the Division of Acute Care Surgery, and Director of Emergency General Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Sakran spends the majority of his time taking care of the injured patient, and performing both emergency and elective general surgery. His research interests are in outcomes research, trauma system development, public policy specifically gun violence prevention, and the advancement of surgery in poor resource settings.
Dr. Sakran’s interest in medicine stems partly from having nearly lost his life after a gunshot wound to the throat during his senior year of high school and he has subsequently dedicated his life to making a social impact. While completing his undergraduate degree at George Mason University, Dr. Sakran trained as a medic and firefighter at the City of Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department. His interest in global health began when he decided to attend The Medical School for International Health, a unique collaboration between Ben-Gurion and Columbia University.
Dr. Sakran subsequently integrated his medical studies with public health when he attended the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he completed a Masters in Public Health within the global health track.
Dr. Sakran has delivered care and sustainable solutions throughout numerous countries in India, the Middle East, and Africa. He has responded to a number of international disasters including the Asian Tsunami in 2004, and the Haitian Earthquake in 2010. The American College of Surgeons (ACS) recently recognized Joe for his work in resource poor settings when he received the 2014 Surgical Volunteerism Award. He has been actively involved in the ACS, served as the past Chair of the Resident and Associate Society (RAS), and currently on the Governing Council of The Young Fellows Association. Dr. Sakran recently finished spending a year pursing a Masters in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) of Government where he developed a unique skill-set focused on public policy, economics, and leadership development.
It is clear Dr. Sakran’s dedication to gun violence prevention, advancement of surgery in poor resource settings, trauma systems development , and medical education has had far reaching global impacts on his fields of medicine and surgery. Dr. Joseph V. Sakran is recognized as our Medical Influencer of the Week.
For more information:
Videos:
Joe’s Story: Former Victim Saves Lives
Trauma Surgeon Shot in Throat at 17 Now Saves Other Victims’ Lives–and Fights Against Gun Violence
Dr. Sakran speaks on behalf of new ACS Fellows
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