#WeAreWCM: Dr. Leonard Girardi

As a star high school football player, Dr. Leonard Girardi considered a college athletic career. Instead, he chose to practice cardiothoracic surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, where his team in the operating room must be on their game every day to ensure each patient's surgery is a success.

"Athletes love working in a team environment," said Dr. Girardi, chairman of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. "That's what cardiothoracic surgery is all about: a team driving towards a unified goal, giving your last ounce of energy - every time, all the time."