Behind the Stethoscope is a new series from the team at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, introducing you to the men and women at your side in your fight against cancer.
David D. Shersher, MD
Division of Thoracic Surgery
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper
What was your first job?
My first job was working for a local family computer business before the laptop era and just as AOL was becoming a household name. I remember building big desktop computers from bottom up using tiny little screws and piecing together the circuitry.
Tell us something about you that people wouldn’t expect.
I was born in Brooklyn, New York, but my first language was really Russian. I was actually in ESL (English as a second language) class in the New York public school system until grade 2. We moved to New Jersey where I learned how to speak English.
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Paris – is there anything more romantic? The movies, songs, and novel depictions don’t really even do it justice. Paris is truly a city of love. But I also do love Santorini.
Tell us your favorite book, movie or song – and why.
I really can’t say I have a favorite in any of these categories – I but I’ll admit that I love Disney movies. I thought Frozen was my favorite, until my 2 1/2 year old daughter convinced me that Moana should be (by the way, she wants to be Maui for Halloween).
What inspired you to become a cancer specialist?
I tried to find a field where I can be involved in challenging clinical decisions that directly impact outcomes, by creating a treatment plan in a multidisciplinary environment, removing complex tumors in the operating room, and being part of the recovery and surveillance process with my patients and their families. For me, being a cancer specialist has its greatest highs and joys, especially when you can finally say “you are cancer free!”
What is your essential patient care philosophy?
I approach each patient human-first, disease process second. This means applying all of our capabilities to treat cancer in a way that honors and respects a patient’s feelings about quality of life and goals.
What do you hope your patients say about you to their family and friends?
Obviously as a surgeon I hope they recover faster than they expected and that they say that I was technically exceptional. But more importantly I hope they say that my team and I truly care about them and have been with them through the entire process.
What three words best describe you?
Dedicated; driven; humanistic.
Outside of your family and your work, what are your passions (pets, music, travel, history, etc.)?
International travel is something I am passionate about. I love to visit as many countries as possible, pick up a foreign language book and try to engage people in a culture different from mine. I also LOVE cuisine and my wife and I try to eat our way through every major city. Maybe we can sneak by a concert or play or two, which certainly Philadelphia has many of!
If you could have dinner with any three persons living or deceased, who would they be and why?
This is a hard one! Of course I would love to meet Moses – so many questions to ask him! But it would also be great to sit down with Beethoven or Grant Achatz and try to understand how they could make such art while losing their most important senses (hearing or taste, respectively). And finally I would love to meet real life Maui with my daughter, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson!
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Dr. Shersher and his team are truly awesome! The care and compassion that I received from them was truly outstanding. I recommend him to anyone I know who is going through a problem. I recommended a friend of mine to him and that friend is now being treated by Dr.Shersher.
Doctor Shersher god bless you and your beloved family….My mother and family want to thank you and your fabulous team for a great job well done…Truly blessed you came to my life…you are an ANGEL and wishing you many years of success ….
Dr. Shersher and his team are truly one in a million! From the first visit to the final outcome Dr. Shersher and his team are with you 100% of the way. Dr. Shersher takes the time to explain why and how your treatment will be done and sits and LISTENS and answers all of your questions no mater how much time it takes. Dr. Shersher truly cares about the person and their families and tries to make the journey as easy and stress free as possible. The care and compassion that the whole team shows is the main reason I would recommend them to anyone. Not to mention Dr. Shersher is a great surgeon! Shout out to Lexi and Emma also!