Vierra, Benjamin

By Michael Hilleary | October 10, 2022

 

 

Benjamin Vierra, MD, MS

Portrait photo of Dr. Benjamin Vierra

Hometown:

Monterey, CA

Undergraduate School:

Stanford University

Graduate School:

Stanford University

Medical School:

Harvard Medical School

Bio:

I grew up in Monterey, California, where I was introduced to surgery and global health at a young age by my father, a general surgeon. Suspecting I’d pursue something science related, in college I studied human biology, with a specific focus on nutrition and exercise physiology; to this day I am intrigued by how nutrition can affect surgical outcomes, including in the bariatric and oncologic world. I wasn’t set on becoming a physician until the end of college, but once I got to medical school my interest in medicine and surgery was solidified. I realized I enjoyed the operating room more than anywhere else in the hospital, and loved the idea of being able to tangibly fix problems. I am absolutely thrilled to be a surgical resident and genuinely believe I have the coolest job in the world.

Personal Interests:

Hiking, paddle boarding, tennis, pickle ball, kayaking, surfing, climbing, guitar, reading

Clinical Interests:

General surgery, rural/global surgery, minimally invasive surgery, surgical oncology, critical care

Professional Activities:

American College of Surgeons

Why UW?

The breadth and diversity of clinical experience–we get to rotate through a top notch academic hospital, high volume community hospitals, a busy VA, and a storied county hospital; the great rural and global surgery opportunities available to residents here; and the chance to be pushed and challenged in a supportive way that will allow me to become a great surgeon and physician.

What advice do you have for incoming interns?

Lean on your co-residents, they are your new family
Find humor and enjoyment in your work, especially during the toughest times
Have a specific goal you’d like to accomplish every time you walk into the operating room
Take care of yourself, certainly, but also take care of those around you
Ask any question you can think of, including the ones you think are dumb–I can promise you, someone else is wondering the same thing

What do you like best about living in Seattle?

The incredible access to the outdoors; it’s really, really therapeutic to be able to go on a beautiful hike or run or climb on your off days, or even

Publications:

  1. Fields AC, Lu PW, Vierra BM, Melnitchouk N. Refusal of Chemoradiation Therapy for Anal Squamous Cell Cancer. J Gastrointest Surg. 2020 Sep;24(9):2140-2142.
  2. Vierra, BM. Prophylactic Subtotal Colectomy in a Patient with an AXIN2 Mutation. BMJ Case Reports.
  3. Fields AC, Lu PW, Li GZ, Welten V, Jolissaint JS, Vierra BM, Saadat LV, Larson AC, Atkinson RB, Melnitchouk N. Current practices and future steps for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Curr Probl Surg. 2020 Mar;57(3):100727.
  4. Fields AC, McCarty JC, Lu P, Vierra BM, Pak LM, Irani J, Goldberg JE, Bleday R, Chan J, Melnitchouk N. Colon Neuroendocrine Tumors: A New Lymph Node Staging Classification. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Jul;26(7):2028-2036.
  5. Fields AC, Lu P, Vierra BM, Hu F, Irani J, Bleday R, Goldberg JE, Nash GM, Melnitchouk N. Survival in Patients with High-Grade Colorectal Neuroendocrine Carcinomas: The Role of Surgery and Chemotherapy. Ann Surg Oncol. 2019 Apr;26(4):1127-1133.
  6. Vierra BM, Blumenthal SR, Amanatullah DF. Modularity in Total Hip Arthroplasty: Benefits, Risks, Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Management. Orthopedics. 2017 Nov 1;40(6):355-366