By Josh Shepherd
After a year working in robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Erinn Ogburn, MD, returns to UK HealthCare as a new faculty member in the division of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Ogburn, a 2021 alum of the integrated (I-6) cardiothoracic surgery residency program in the UK College of Medicine Department of Surgery, is among that program's inaugural class of residents.
When Dr. Ogburn started her residency training in 2015, the nascent 6-year integrated program at UK had barely started. During her six years in residency, Dr. Ogburn not only received training, she played a role in developing the fledgling program in collaboration with the CT surgery faculty, fellows, and her fellow residents. In 2020, she earned recognition from the cardiothoracic surgery division as the Most Valuable Resident Colleague and later accepted an offer to join the UK faculty.
"Dr. Ogburn is a talented young surgeon. Throughout her residency, she demonstrated an excellent surgical skill set, a solid work ethic, and an ability to focus. She also grew to love Kentucky. I am excited that she chose to return to UK and I am positive she will be an asset to our community," said Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Dr. Michael Sekela.
Recognizing the changing landscape of cardiac surgery, Dr. Ogburn elected to pursue a one-year fellowship in robotic and minimally invasive cardiac surgery at Cleveland Clinic.
“In my years training in Kentucky, I felt such a strong sense of community. I am excited to return to the Commonwealth and to help grow the outstanding cardiothoracic care team that we have at the University of Kentucky. I feel privileged to be able to offer these cutting-edge techniques to my patients in the place that I now call home,” Dr. Ogburn commented.
Dr. Ogburn completed her medical degree at the highly regarded Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tx. She completed her undergraduate education at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tn., with a Bachelor of Arts in music.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Ogburn has maintained a balance between her interests in science and music, contributing to research while also founding initiatives for music outreach in her community.
Dr. Ogburn officially begins her practice in cardiac surgery at UK HealthCare in September 2022.