Simon Telian, MD, is a surgical oncologist – or cancer surgeon – at UVA Health. She cares for people with a wide range of cancers, including breast, melanoma, endocrine and gastrointestinal cancers.

Meet with a surgical oncologist

We asked Telian our seven short questions to get to know him better.

1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?

My approach was shaped by my mentors and their focus on keeping patients well informed and truly listening to them. Appointments are becoming shorter and shorter, and there is often not enough time to hear everything a patient wants to share.

When you take time to listen and ask open-ended questions, patients often provide clues that help you understand what’s really happening. Listening also helps us empathize and guide the multidisciplinary care that best serves each patient.

2. What is your favorite part of your job?

See patients after they have finished treatment and are well. It is incredibly rewarding to see them move into the surveillance phase of treatment after a successful cancer journey.

3. What is your greatest fear as a patient?

If I would have sufficient insurance coverage. I have always appreciated a multidisciplinary approach, that is, having many doctors working together to cover every aspect of treatment. If I ever face a medical problem, I hope to have the same collaborative team supporting me.

4. What do you do to relieve stress?

Basketball, scuba diving and occasionally skydiving.

5. Dogs or cats?

Definitely dogs.

6. The last show you saw? Thumbs up or down?

The last series I watched was Severance. It was very inspiring to explore what consciousness really means. Thumbs up.

7. Best advice you’ve ever heard?

Never take your foot off the accelerator, and not just while driving.