STEM 2017 WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Our 2017 STEM Woman of the Year Award Recipient - Dr. Sharona Ross

Dr. Sharona Ross was born and raised in the State of Israel. After her two years of military service in the Israel Defense Forces, she moved to the U.S., where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from the American University in Washington, DC and later Alpha Omega Alpha from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, DC.

Dr. Ross completed her General Surgery residency at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, Department of General Surgery and was later awarded the prestigious HPB/Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship at USF/Tampa General Hospital. She then completed an Endoscopic Gastroenterology Fellowship at the Division of Digestive Disorders & Nutrition, Department of Medicine University of South Florida.

During her surgical training, Dr. Ross was very fortunate to have been blessed with four beautiful children: Eran (22), Nicole (20), Stephanie (16), and Justin (11).

Dr. Ross is currently the Director of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Director of Surgical Endoscopy, Director of Advanced GI & HPB Fellowship Program, Founder & Director of the Florida Hospital Tampa Women in Surgery Initiative and the Founder and Program Chair of the 2010-2017 Annual International Women in Surgery Career Symposiums. As part of this International Symposium, Dr. Ross provides networking and mentorship opportunities to young women who want to pursue careers in Surgery.

She was one of the first surgeons in the United States to undertake Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site (LESS) surgery, and continues to develop new, innovative techniques and instrumentation to improve its safety and application. As well, Dr. Ross is one of the few surgeons in the United States to offer patients robotic complex abdominal operations for esophageal, stomach, small bowel, pancreatic, liver, and gallbladder cancers.

As a thought leader in American medicine, Dr. Ross continues to push the envelope in the advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery.